Take It or Leave It Challenge - October 2021 - Page 1

For those new to this challenge: More info and monthly index can be found in post #1 of this thread or this TIOLI FAQS wiki.


...logo by cyderry

---------------------------------------------------------------

Your challenge for October, 2021, is to

******************************

Read a book that pictures something with wings on its cover.

*****************************

It can be a bird, a mythical creature, an angel, a fairy, or even an airplane. It's your choice. Please list the winged creature and post a picture of your book cover, if you are able, on our separate thread.

Have fun!

---------------------------------------------------------

Other Fun Stuff (not part of the TIOLI challenge):

1. The October 2021 TIOLI Meter - Optional page on which you may track your TIOLI reading. FYI: This is not meant to be competitive - only fun!
2. Morphidae's List of Previous TIOLI Challenges - You may use this reference (Do a control-F scan) to avoid repeating a previous challenge. If your idea is similar to a previous challenge, just make it unique by adding a new "twist" to it.
3. FAMeulstee's 2021 TIOLI Sweeplette Meter

----------------------------------------------------------------

Supplementary thread --- In the past, this thread was used to talk about the pandemic which had been weighing heavily on each of us. Going forward, this thread is open to all supplementary talk. Should you think you are too far off topic for the main thread, well, just skip over there for a group conversation about almost anything!

Link to our SUPPLEMENTARY THREAD

Index of Challenges:

Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book that pictures something with wings on its cover - msg #1 - thread
2. Read a book with a one-word title signaling danger - msg #4
3. Read a book that involves a disaster - msg #6
4. Read a book With a title associated with death - msg #7
5. Read a book in which at least one of the title words begins with an “S” - msg #11
6. Read a book that doesn't fit in any October 2021 Challenge, but would fit in a September 2021 Challenge - msg #12

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book for the Trick or Treat challenge - msg #16
8. Read a book with a tag that includes 'history' or 'historical' - msg #17
9. Read a book that is (supposed to be) humorous - msg #18
10. Read a book which is a reread from either 2020 or 2021 - msg #21
11. Read a book that features a character who has paws - msg #23
12. Read a book where a major character spends a significant part of the narrative outside the nation of their birth - msg #30

Challenges #13-17
13. Read a book that is on an LT List - msg #55
14. Read a book with informal language, including contractions and slang expressions, in the title - msg #56
15. Read a book by an author of Hispanic heritage - msg #57
16. Read a book which starts in a café or restaurant with a given name or address - msg #76
17. Read a book whose title would make a good name for a Superhero - msg #60

Hold your challenge until the November, 2021, TIOLI challenges are posted. Thank you!

(deleted duplicate post)

Yahoo, and it's not even 2 in the morning when I usually find the new post.
Challenge #2: Read a book with a one-word title signaling danger
I plan to read Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa

I've been having so much trouble with my computer and mouse, it's amazing I got it posted at all. Next time I'll try for 2am. LOL!

Challenge #3: Read a book that involves a disaster

In honor of the Great Chicago Fire's 150th anniversary on October 8 to 10, please read a book that involves a natural or manmade disaster.

For this, I contemplate such things as fires, explosions, tornadoes, hurricanes. I consider 9/11 a disaster.

Having a dinner party and calling it a disaster because a drunken relative disrupted it is NOT a disaster for this purpose, even if it feels like it.

LT has a disaster reading group. Looking for a disaster tag might also be useful. I've probably got about 100 books I've read tagged as disasters.

Here's a wikipedia list of disasters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_disasters

Natural. Accidents (including transport, industrial, and health), as well as man-made.

My own personal favorite is the Boston molasses flood of 1919, as written about in Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo. I'd like to find a book about the London Beer Flood of 1814, which I think would be interesting, but I haven't found one yet.

Challenge #4: Read a book with a title associated with death

Dead, dead, mortal, remains, grave, tombstone, undertaker, mortuary there are lots, so keep it obvious! Vampire, yes, werewolf, no.

These challenges so far seem very grim! :O

"werewolf, no" LOL!

>7 quondame: Would a murder mystery be OK?

>8 SqueakyChu: Yes they are. Yikes!!

>5 SqueakyChu: I've spent half the afternoon in online chat with AT&T. When the tech came to fix the landline last week, he had to shut down the router temporarily. After that, the printer no longer worked. Our tech guy we use stopped by and couldn't fix it and told us what to say to ask for a replacement.

>9 lindapanzo: My son is my techie but he hates to work on my computer. I try not to bother him with my issues more than I have to. The weird thing is that he went on a cross country trip so the monitor decided to act up only after he left. Of course. I think he ordered me a new monitor when he was three-quarter of the way across country! There I am texting him anxiously that my monitor was all black! I felt so helpless. All is not back to normal now, but I did get the October TIOLI challenge up so I am grateful for things such as this.

I have a happier challenge to post:

Challenge #5: Read a book in which at least one of the title words begins with an “S”

This challenge came about as October is my Birthday Month and my last name starts with an “S”.

We talked about this ;-)

Challenge #6: Read a book that doesn't fit in any October 2021 TIOLI Challenge, but would fit in a September 2021 TIOLI Challenge

State the number of the September 2021 TIOLI Challenge.

>12 FAMeulstee: Do we have to wait til the cutoff, that is, until all October challenges are posted?

>13 lindapanzo: Yes, you should move the book if it fits any October challenge.

>14 FAMeulstee: Oh, good point. Of course. Thanks.

Challenge 7: Read a book for the "Trick or Treat?" challenge.

---

🎃 TRICK or TREAT? 🎃

Read a book (TRICK) with an embedded word with 3 to 6 or more letters (rolling) or (TREAT) a word that is Halloween-related from the list below in the title, author's name, or cover.

https://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/halloween.shtml

So, for example, there will be openings for...

3 letters:
4 letters:
5 letters:
6 letters:

A person can read a book for an embedded word that has 3, 4, 5, or 6 letters in it. (TRICK)

OR

A book that is Halloween related. Halloween-related books can be placed at the end of that particular section. (TREAT)

*****

RULES - READ OR YOUR THREAD/PROFILE WILL BE TOILET PAPERED...

A new rolling list can't be added until all four of the open spots have been filled in; however, up to four "TREATS" *only* can be "played" AND in order you can continue to add embedded words by number of letters.

You don't have to wait for four "TREATS" to be played but all four "TRICKS" *must* be played before continuing on. You can "back fill" previous sections for the four free TREATS or the higher TRICKS (7+) if you wish.

For example (italicized are optional):
3:
4:
5:
6:
(7:
8:
etc.)
Halloween related
Halloween related
Halloween related
Halloween related

Then start over.

*****

Related means one of three things - a word from the linked list that is in 1) the title, 2), the author's name, or 3) is part of the cover.

The word can be by itself or embedded, singular or plural, comparative or superlative, past tense or gerund. You can do Grim Reaper or Grim but not Reaper as Reaper is not on the list. You can do jumpsuit or spine-chilling but not jump, suit or spine. But you can do chilling as it is on the list.

For part of the cover, it can be an item/noun (cat, eyepatch, pirate), a cover that is mostly that color (black, bone, orange), descriptive (autumn, eerie, moonlit), or words found on the cover (fantasy, RIP, thirty-first (I'll also accept 31).) Be creative! For instance, it could be a person's expression - afraid, enchant(ed), grim. If you aren't sure, ask. I'm more likely to be open to boundary pushing if asked permission rather than forgiveness. 😉

Embedded words can be across words.

ETA:

A person can have one TRICK and one TREAT per "set."

You can add TRICKS in any order within a set, e.g. if 3, 4, 5, and 6 letters are open, you can read a book that has an embedded word with 4 letters or 6 letters.

Have fun!

Challenge 8 - read a book with a tag which contains the word 'history' or 'historical'

A self-serving challenge since several of my current library books have this in common! Hopefully general enough that everyone can find something of interest.

>11 DeltaQueen50:

I was just about to say that, what a gloomy bunch! :D

Challenge #9:

Read a book that is (supposed to be) humorous

Humour, like many things, is subjective. A book would qualify for this challenge if:

(i) *you* find it funny;
(ii) it is tagged 'humo(u)r', 'comedy', 'funny', or similar;
(iii) it is obviously meant to be humorous (whether you find it so or not): the title, a blurb, who the author is, etc.

>9 lindapanzo: Only if the title fits. It's a title challenge.

>11 DeltaQueen50: >18 lyzard: Mine will be fun! Just give me a bit to post.

Challenge #10: Read a book which is a reread from either 2020 or 2021

Self serving and self explanatory.

>10 SqueakyChu: Ack, Computer problems - one of life's minor (to major) annoyances.
It's the month for Halloween, so death and disaster themes make sense. My planned reads:
Challenge #1: Read a book that pictures something with wings on its cover. - started by SqueakyChu
*✔The Galaxy, and the Ground Within - Becky Chambers (4.5)
*✔Hollow Kingdom - Kira Jane Buxton
Challenge #2: Read a book with a one-word title signaling danger - started by Citizenjoyce
✔Peril - Bob Woodward and Robert Costa (4)
Challenge #3: Read a book that involves a disaster - started by lindapanzo
✔The Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World - Amanda Little (5)
Challenge #4: Read a book with a title associated with death - started by quondame
✔Leave the World Behind - Rumaan Alam (3)
Challenge #5: Read a book in which at least one of the title words begins with an “S” - started by DeltaQueen
*✔A Town Called Solace - Mary Lawson (4)
Challenge #6: Read a book that doesn't fit in any October 2021 Challenge, but would fit in a September 2021 Challenge - started by FAMeulstee
✔Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could - Adam Schiff (4)
Challenge #7: Read a book for the Trick or Treat challenge - started by Morphidae
*✔Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb (4)
✔The Halloween Tree - Ray Bradbury (2.5)
✔Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson (3.5)
✔A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher (4)
Challenge #8: Read a book with a tag that includes 'history' or 'historical' - started by wandering_star
✔The Women's March: A Novel of the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession - Jennifer Chiaverini (3.5)
Challenge #9: Read a book that is (supposed to be) humorous - started by lyzard
✔You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories - Gabrielle Union (3.5)
Challenge #10: Read a book which is a reread from either 2020 or 2021 - started by Carmenere
The Future of Another Timeline - Annalee Newitz
✔Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (4)
Challenge #11: Read a book that features a character who has paws - started by PawsforThought
✔Wicked Fox - Kat Cho (3)
Challenge #12: Read a book where a major character spends a significant part of the narrative outside the nation of their birth - started by susanna.fraser
*✔The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker (4)
*Walk in my Combat Boots (essays in which U.S. military personnel discuss their deployment) - James Patterson and Matt Eversmann
Challenge #13: Read a book that is on an LT List - started by avatiakh
✔The Stranger - Albert Camus (3)
Challenge #14: Read a book with informal language, including contractions and slang expressions, in the title - started by elkiedee
✔I Couldn't Love You More - Esther Freud (4)
Challenge #15: Read a book by an author of Hispanic heritage - started by dallenbaugh
*✔Afterlife - Julia Alvarez (4)
Challenge #16: Read a book which starts in a café or restaurant with a given name or address - started by paulstalder
✔La Belle Sauvage - Philip Pullman (3.5)
Challenge 17: Read a book whose title could be the name of a Superhero - Started by alcottacre
*✔The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett (4)

Challenge 11: Read a book that features a character who has paws

Judy is not the only person who has a birthday coming up in October - so do I. So this challenge is completely self-indulgent (and also a tribute to my beloved kitty, the reason behind the moniker).

I will accept any characters (yes, even werewolves) that has paws. Other types of animal feet will not be accepted.

ETA: Please note in the wiki what kind of creature the character is, and their name, if known. If it just says “a cat”, that’s fine. And if it’s an unknown creature/species just write that.

So, right now, for the Trick or Treat challenge, in order to move forward someone needs to come up with a book with a four-letter embedded word. Since the four TREAT books are taken up, the other alternative is a six-letter embedded word then a seven-letter embedded word, etc. until someone fills in that last slot.

>24 Morphidae: I have a 4-letter embedded word, but I've already added a Treat book. Can I add a trick to the same set? Or do I have to wait for the next set to open up?

>23 PawsforThought: even werewolves

LOL!

>23 PawsforThought: Happy Birthday, Paws!

>24 Morphidae: lol, I didn’t even see this post before I added my book. 4 letter embedded word has been added

>25 cbl_tn: Good question! I will add an addendum that a person can add one TRICK and one TREAT to each "set."

Challenge #12: Read a book where a major character spends a significant part of the narrative outside the nation of their birth

The character can be an immigrant, a diplomat, a tourist, a soldier, etc., just as long as they spend a significant part of the narrative outside of their native country. Fiction and nonfiction are both fine. I plan to read Mike Duncan's biography of Lafayette, Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution.

Please feel free to include fictional countries--for example, many of my favorite Lois McMaster Bujold books would qualify, such as the later Penric & Desdemona books where Pen has moved away from the cantons, or most of the Vorkosigan saga, since they tend to feature Miles outside of the Barrayaran Empire or galactics coming to Barrayar like Cordelia, Tej in Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, etc.

>22 Citizenjoyce: "Dark" is also a Halloween word!

>22 Citizenjoyce: Challenge 6 is a book that doesn't fit in any other challenge, which means that

(a) you probably need to add it from 5 October onwards, as new challenges which your book will fit will be added until then

(b) I Couldn't Love You More fits Challenge 8 (tag: historical novel and Challenge 12 as Ireland (the Republic, not the 6 counties of "Northern Ireland") isn't in England or the UK - all 3 of the central women characters move between the two countries but I think one might have been born in the country where she spends most of her life.

>16 Morphidae:

Morphy, is it correct that (for example) I must wait for slots 3, 4 and 5 to be filled before adding a 6-letter embedded word? Or can the tricks be added out of order?

>26 SqueakyChu: I had to put that in when I saw Susan’s comment. I don’t discriminate against half-humans with paws.

>27 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, and you too!

>32 elkiedee: ok,, thanks

>33 lyzard: Tricks can be added in any order.

I will add that to the post!

>36 Morphidae:

Thanks, Morphy!

Just commenting so I can find this again!

>6 lindapanzo: Is it ok to list books involving fictional disaster? I'm reading a novel that features a ship sinking and at least 3 plane crashes so far, among fictional events, and there are references to actual historical events but not necessarily ones that are central to the story.

>39 elkiedee: Sure. My choice for CitizenJoyce's challenge would fit my own too, a fictional, horrible, dangerous storm in 1941 but I've put it under her challenge and not mine.

That sounds like a lot of catastrophes in one book.

>40 lindapanzo: It does sound like a lot when you put it like that! The novel is Great Circle. I'm looking at possibilities for matching my current reads with October challenges, and I can't possibly finish Great Circle by midnight tonight.

>4 Citizenjoyce: This is rather beyond danger but I think it fits if you consider it a warning. You know, "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here..."

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

>42 Morphidae: looks like danger plus to me. It certainly fits.

Great Circle
by Maggie Shipstead- one of my favorite books of the whole year.

>23 PawsforThought: Does a fox have paws?

I've not matched up to challenges yet and I'm hoping that there will be a few more. I don't expect to complete a sweep but I'd prefer not to list half my books in the same challenge.

FINISHED IN OCTOBER

Rebecca Pawel, Law of Return - #8
Anne Bogel, I'd Rather Be Reading - #14 - SHARED READ
Katherine Rundell, Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise - #13
Willy Vlautin, The Night Always Comes - #7
Christopher Duggan, Fascist Voices - #8
Philip Pullman, Lyra's Oxford - #11
Maggie Shipstead, Great Circle - SHARED READ #3
Amor Towles, The Lincoln Highway - SHARED READ - #7
Taylor Jenkins Reid, Malibu Rising - #3
Frances Brody, A Snapshot of Murder
Frances Brody, Kate Shackleton's First Case
Lucy Mangan, Are We Having Fun Yet? - #9
editor Sinead Gleeson, The Glass Shore - #5
Sigrid Nunez, What Are You Going Through - #13
Sally Rooney, Beautiful World, Where Are You? - #12
-
CURRENTLY READING

Harriet Evans, The Beloved Girls
Mary Lawson, A Town Called Solace - SHARED READ - #5
Nadifa Mohamed, The Fortune Men
Julia Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies - SHARED READ - #1
Elaine di Rollo, A Proper Education for Girls
Charlotte Gordon, Romantic Outlaws
K M Peyton, Snowfall
Ruth Jones, Never Greener
Lucy Caldwell, Intimacies: Eleven More Stories

NEXT UP

Tahmima Amam, The Startup Wife
Jessica Fellowes, Bright Young Dead

>45 FAMeulstee: Yes.

>45 FAMeulstee: Of course!

>47 quondame: >48 PawsforThought: Thanks.
There is no exact Dutch equivalent for the word "paws", so I wanted to be sure.

ETA: so rabbits and mice would also have paws?

>49 FAMeulstee: Yep, birds don't and I don't think monkeys or apes do, but rodents, felines, canines and whatever raccoons, pandas, minks, possums, and other furry mammals and marsupials. Platypus paws sound cool but I don't think so.

>49 FAMeulstee: Yep. Cats, dogs, bears, rodents…
Paws have pads and claws (and probably some other characteristics, but that’s what I think about when I think about paws).

>46 elkiedee: Let me know where you put I'd Rather Be Reading. I WILL get that thing read!

>52 Morphidae: Will do. It is very short and would be a very quick read if it was at the top of my book pile, but I think I'm quite likely to finish reading it first.

Come on, everyone!

🎉📚⭐🎊‼️ JOIN THE PARTY!!! ‼️🎊⭐📚😆

We need MORE CHALLENGES!

🐑 ½ (🧑‍⚖️-🧊) 2️⃣ ☀️☀️

Challenge #13: Read a book that is on an LT List

Include the list title, if on multiple lists then the most interesting one.

Challenge #14: Read a book with informal language, including contractions and slang expressions, in the title

This is partly to fit a book that I'm still reading, and I'm also inspired by a book read and listed in September (which itself wouldn't fit the challenge) about a girl who is constantly in trouble at school and with some of her family for the expressions that she uses. Back Home by Michelle Magorian is about a 12 year old girl who was evacuated to the US at the age of 12, and returns to England in 1946. She is sent to a very strict boarding school where slang is banned and Rusty gets into trouble every time she speaks.

Examples:

- Contractions such as "I'd" , "I'm"

- Slang

- Also dialect words or terms which are outside the standard English or most formal, national version of whatever language you're reading in.

Challenge #15: Read a book by an author of Hispanic heritage

This is to honor National Heritage month in the U.S. The census bureau says these are American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The author should be a U.S. citizen or considered a U.S. immigrant.

>57 dallenbaugh: Should that be a US citizen? What about Puerto Rico?

>58 elkiedee: U.S. citizen but I will accept Puerto Rico

Challenge 17: Read a book whose title could be the name of a Superhero.

For example, I am planning to read The Defender by Ethan Michaeli

>60 alcottacre: Would The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett work? I assume she'd be a sidekick like Robin.

This is my attempt for the month:

1. Read a book that pictures something with wings on its cover - The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula LeGuin and Magpie Murders by Anthony Horwitz (shared read with Carrie

2. Read a book with a one-word title signaling danger - Mayday by Nelson DeMille

3. Read a book that involves a disaster - I have 2 for this one: The D-Day Bank Massacre by John Morganelli and A Death on the Barrens by George Grinnell

4. Read a book With a title associated with death - Death to Dust: What Happens to Dead Bodies? by Kenneth V. Iverson

ETA: Also adding All That Remains: A Life in Death by Dr. Sue Black to this challenge

5. Read a book in which at least one of the title words begins with an “S” - Four Hundred Souls by Ibram X. Kendi

6. Read a book that doesn't fit in any October 2021 Challenge, but would fit in a September 2021 Challenge - Front Desk by Kelly Yang (shared read with Mary)

8. Read a book with a tag that includes 'history' or 'historical' - Restoration by Rose Tremain

9. Read a book that is (supposed to be) humorous - Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (shared read with antqueen)

12: Read a book where a major character spends a significant part of the narrative outside the nation of their birth - The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (shared read with citizenjoyce)

17. Read a book whose title would make a good name for a Superhero - The Defender by Ethan Michaeli and The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett (shared read with citizenjoyce)

ETA shared reads

>61 Citizenjoyce: Works for me! I am not that picky.

>63 alcottacre:

Alas that I can't get hold of a copy of Van Wyck Mason's Captain Nemesis at the moment, I think that would be a great superhero name!

Considering my other options, I'm very pleased to hear you aren't picky... :D

>59 dallenbaugh: Thanks for the clarification. My questions were separate. I'm aware that many people from other parts of the Americas, understandably, question the use of part of the name of two continents (North and South America) to refer only to the US.

>65 elkiedee: I clarified the issue by editing my original challenge to reflect I'm looking for a U.S. citizen or immigrant. I hope that answers your question (Puerto Rico being an exception in this case).

>62 alcottacre: Nice to see you here again, Stasia.

>67 lindapanzo: Stasia!! Welcome back! It's been so long. I hope all is well with you and your family. We are a smaller group now...but still dedicated to the TIOLI challenges! :D

>64 lyzard: I agree with you, Liz! Captain Nemesis would be a great one!

>67 lindapanzo: Thanks, Linda!

>68 SqueakyChu: Smaller still works though! I am trying to make a concerted effort to read more of my own books and TIOLI is a great way to do it, so I am in. Hope all is well with you and yours too, Madeline.

>57 dallenbaugh: Would Isabel Allende work for your challenge?
She is from Chile, born in Peru, and lives now in the USA.

FYI: >16 Morphidae:

I haven't been seeing many TREATS. Remember...

You can "back fill" previous sections for the four free TREATS or the higher TRICKS (7+) if you wish.

This means that if you want to do a TREAT you don't have to wait for an "opening." Just look for a "set" of 3 - 6+ that doesn't already have four treats and add yours in! At this moment 4:20pm CST), there is room for *twelve* TREATS!

🍬 🍫 🍭 🍬 🍫 🍭 🍬 🍫 🍭 🍬 🍫 🍭

>69 alcottacre:

I keep thinking about the film Mystery Men and its very peculiar superheroes: I have a few other books that would fit in that context, anyway. :D

>70 FAMeulstee: Yes that would be fine.

>71 Morphidae: Thanks, I can finally add in my book

>72 lyzard: Yeah, I do not mind too much of a stretch. All I ask is that it not be completely ridiculous :)

Challenge #16: Read a book which starts in a café or restaurant with a given name or address

After drinking all that water and sharing about reddish cushions, it's time for some coffee or tea. Let's meet in a specific restaurant/café in specific places all over the world.

Read a book in which the name or the address of a café/teahouse/restaurant/eating place is giving in the First Words. So it must be a specific name or the street name of the location. Mention the name or address in the wiki.

✔ ... Wendy's down the road
✔ ... the coffee bar at First Street
✘ ... the best café in Paris
✘ ... the 5-star-gourmet temple at the airport

# In the company of cheerful ladies (... her favourite café, on the edge of the shopping centre at the Gaborone end of the Tlokweng Road.) - Alexander McCall Smith

have fun

>76 paulstalder: I like the sound of this challenge even if I fail to find anything to fit, but it's challenge #17. Stasia posted Challenge 16 in message >60 alcottacre:.

>76 paulstalder: >>77 elkiedee:. Nope. Paul’s is challenge #16. The challenges get their number from the wiki, not from the main thread.

Stasia, please enter your challenge on the wiki. It will be challenge #17. Thanks.

>56 elkiedee: Can it be a foreign word in the title, like Party in the Blitz?

>79 FAMeulstee: Good question. I hadn't thought of words like Blitz which have come from other languages and become adopted in this sense, but yes, it's a colloquial word, and presumably some kind of abbreviation.

So yes.

Sorry, hadn't realised that the earlier challenge wasn't already on the Wiki.

>80 elkiedee: Thank you. Blitz comes from the German Blitzkrieg, in English it would be "lightningwar", see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitzkrieg . It also used in Dutch.

>60 alcottacre: don’t forget to post your challenge on the wiki.

>78 SqueakyChu: >81 elkiedee: >83 Citizenjoyce: It is now done. Sorry for the confusion, people!

>84 alcottacre: Great! Thanks!

>84 alcottacre: Thanks. I'm sorry for the push, I didn't realize Madeline had already told you.

>85 SqueakyChu: No problem!

>86 Citizenjoyce: No worries. I could not remember even how to get to the wiki let alone add anything to it, so Madeline had to guide me through.

>87 alcottacre: ...which was a pleasure...just to have you back! :D

>88 SqueakyChu: Your help - and your welcome back - are very much appreciated!

(Message deleted - posted in error)

>56 elkiedee: Would Drat these Brats qualify?

>91 quondame: Haha! Of course.

sorry it's taken me a few days to see this. I've not been very well.

>92 elkiedee: I hope life is better today.

<52 Sorry to hear you've not been well. I hope each coming day is the best it can be for you.

I think I'm recovering. We were hit by COVID - I'm sure the vaccinations helped but I still felt quite grim for a few days.

>95 elkiedee: Sorry to hear that - hopefully you and your family will get over it quickly!

>95 elkiedee: I will echo Madeline and Judy's well wishes, Luci. I hope you and yours get over the COVID nonsense soon.

>95 elkiedee: One of my best friends was hit by breakthrough covid and suffered as you did. She's fine now, but it was no picnic, Glad that you're finally feeling better.

>92 elkiedee: My crazy grandson got vaccinated only because he and his friends wanted to go to a music festival and couldn't get in without proof of vaccination. They all went and had a wonderful time - they all got sick. He tested negative but his symptoms made me think it was a false negative. Fortunately, it was a mild case, he felt pretty bad for about 4 days then was fit as a fiddle. Thank heavens for vaccines.

>99 Citizenjoyce: I'm glad it was just mild and that he'd got vaccinated even reluctantly.

>100 elkiedee: So true.

>91 quondame: Hitching a ride on this post, but I wanted to tell you, quondame, that I have added my read of Feral Creatures to yours in challenge #1. Yay, shared read!

Karen O.

>102 klobrien2: Great! I'm hitching a couple myself!

>52 Morphidae: I've listed I'd Rather Be Reading in challenge 14.

>104 elkiedee: Oo, I have that one! I will join in the fun, if I may.

>105 alcottacre:: That would be great. It's quite a short, fast read - I tend to read more than one book at a time but think this wouldn't have taken me much more than an hour if I'd read it from beginning to end.

>106 elkiedee: Good to know, Luci, since I am currently reading at least 6 books - possibly more, I tend to lose track. I will try and get it read over the weekend.

TIOLI Question of the Month

Oooooh! Eeeeek! Halloween is fast approaching. What did you find in one of the books that you've read so far this month that creeped you out? Which book was it, and why did it unsettle you so much?!

>108 SqueakyChu: I've been trying to read one book by Ramsey Campbell every month. Campbell's books are creepy mostly because it's difficult to tell if the creepy stuff is really happening, or the characters are descending into increasing madness. This month it was The Grin of the Dark.

>109 jeanned: Yikes! That looks interesting, though. :D

I do not do horror, so no "creepy" books for me - unless you count the real life horrors that I read about.

>108 SqueakyChu: I have some scary books that I am saving for later in the month, but without a doubt I was most creeped out by The Blind Owl as the author described a dead woman in great detail including colors, sounds and insect life. Yuck!

>108 SqueakyChu: In Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson a pigeon crashes into the author's car. She drives away thinking it's dead, but worried that it might just be injured, she comes back. The bird is severely injured, so she decided to "put it out of its misery." The chapter continues with all the ways the author and her husband tried, unsuccessfully, to kill this poor pigeon. What are people thinking? If everything you do to try to "put someone out of their misery" fails, probably you should stop trying to kill them. Even though she's a PETA member she through this story in for humor. It was not humorous.

I listened to a cast recording of Neverwhere. While I can appreciate the inventiveness and the flashes of brilliance, the violence left me rather ambivalent about this particular book.

I've listed Great Circle in #3, as the story features multiple disasters.

>115 elkiedee: Currently reading that one and expect to finish it up today, so I will add that one to the TIOLI challenge wiki as well, Luci.

TIOLI Stats for September 2021

For the month of September, 2021, we read a total of 266 books of which 55 (20%) were shared reads. We collected 30 TIOLI points (great!) for a September YTD total of 218 TIOLI points. This is a historic September YTD low, but I think that reflects the much lower number of participants we have now.

Looking forward to 2022, I think we have enough participants to move forward to yet another year (which will be YEAR 13!!!) of TIOLI challenges. It doesn't seem possible that LT has been here for that long. The good news is that after I have my second cataract operation this week, all of this typing is going to be so much easier!

The most popular books, each read by three challengers, were:
Earthly Remains - Donna Leon
The Survivors - Jane Harper
The Great Believers - Rebecca Makkai
Vesper Flights - Helen Macdonald
The Madness of Crowds - Louise Penny

The most popular challenge, with 62 books read, was the one by FAMeulstee to read a book where the author's last name has 7 characters or less.

The challenge with the most TIOLI points (four) was the one by lyzard to read a book with something in the title referring to religious worship.

TIOLI Awards for September, 2021

The You Won This One Award goes to paulstalder for reading Steffis Roter Luftballon by Irina Korschunow for my (SqueakyChu's) challenge to read a book, in which the last three letters of the author's first name or last name, spelled backwards, form a real word which can be found in dictionary.com. This challenger came up with the word "won". Haha!

The We'll Do Both Award goes to AnneDC and wandering_star for both reading All for Nothing for lindapanzo's challenge to read a book with the word "all" or "nothing" in the title or author's name. Of course, these two challengers then decided to read a book with both words! Clever!!

The Three For Me Award goes to dallenbaugh for reading The Last Nomad by Shugri Said Salh for DeltaQueen's challenge to read a book where the author’s first and last name start with the same letter. I don't know if "Said" is a middle name or a surname, but the whole name itself works for this challenge.

The Less Is More Award goes to elkiedee for reading Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu for FAMeulstee's challenge to read a book where the author's last name has 7 characters or less. For certain, two letters are less than seven of them!

The Three Cheers for Alex Award goes to susanna.fraser for the challenge to read a book whose protagonist is in high school, has something to do with the number 12 or 17, or has a character or author named Alex or Alexander. We are all so proud of this challenger's 17-year-old son Alex who started his senior year of high school in September, 2021. Wishing him success in his studies this year. Rah! Rah! Rah!

Congrats to our award winners! Do add an award or two if you feel the desire at this time.

>118 SqueakyChu: Thank you!

>118 SqueakyChu: That's such good news about your cataract surgery. My ex-husband had the surgery and was amazed. He'd been legally blind in that eye most of his life and was so impressed that after the surgery he didn't need to put on his glasses to go to the bathroom at night.

>118 SqueakyChu: Thank you Madeline, an interesting book about a way of life that has almost vanished.

Good luck with your cataract surgery.

>120 Citizenjoyce: My cataract surgery is a bit different than your husband’s as I’ll still need glasses for distance sight, but not for close up work like reading or typing. That was my doctor’s recommendation.

>121 dallenbaugh: Thank you. The good thing about the second operations is that I'm not terrified of the upcoming surgery as I was with the first eye.

That reminds me of when I lived in Jerusalem (1973) and used to see Bedouin tents in the field behind our apartment building. They would be there for some time and then suddenly disappear. Now I guess that more and more Bedouin live in cities, one of which I visited in 2001 during my last trip to Israel.

>117 SqueakyChu: Hurray for another year of TIOLI, and best wishes for your cataract surgery Madeline.

And, thanks for the award, and congrats to all the awardees.

>123 AnneDC: Thank you, Anne.

>117 SqueakyChu: Thanks for all you do, Madeline, and I am happy we will get a thirteenth TIOLI year!

--
I just finished my 50th sweep since October 2016.

>125 FAMeulstee: Wow, that's amazing!! Congratulations, Anita.

>125 FAMeulstee: Wow! Well done Anita! (I don't think I've even read 50 books in the TIOLI challenges since 2016)

>118 SqueakyChu: Thank you!

I just read about a person I think many LTers would identify with - the eighth century writer and polymath Al-Jahiz (born Basra, 776).

While most readers would be content to rent a single book and return it within a few days as was the custom, Jahiz would rent whole shops for the night and stay in them alone until morning so that he could read everything at hand without interruption.

Sounds good to me...

The Lucky to Freely Choose Award goes to SqueakyChu for being the genie who gave us twelve (12) years of moderation of the TIOLI challenges! And for putting up with us book geeks who abide here for another year. Thank you so much for allowing us to be privy to such fun and enjoyment!*

>125 FAMeulstee: Amazing! Now I'm feeling competitive (in a good way.) I haven't been putting my time and energies where my passion(s) lay (lie?) so I'm going to challenge myself to do my first sweep in... like forever... in November.

Speaking of November...

Hey, folks!

🍂 🍁 🦃 🍗 🥘 🍴🍁 🍂

Sneak peek: Get your books ready for the 9th annual "I am thankful for..." challenge next month!

* See what I did there - several times? Ha!

I am thankful for another year of TIOLI Challenges!

Congratulations to all the winners! Wonderful going, Anita!

Madeline, good luck with the surgery and thank you for making sure that the TIOLI is still around for when I duck in and out!

>129 Morphidae: Well said.

Madeline, good luck with the surgery. We certainly appreciate your efforts in making TIOLI such a wonderful, and fun, place for us.

>125 FAMeulstee: My pleasure! Congrats on your fiftieth! I have yet to get even one. :D

>129 Morphidae: Aw! Thank you, Morphy! I would not continue to do this if I didn't get as much enjoyment out of it as I do. I'm glad others think it's fun as well.

>132 lindapanzo: Thanks for the good wishes on the surgery. I can't wait until it's over! :D

>125 FAMeulstee: Wow, Anita!

>125 FAMeulstee: Congratulations on the golden sweep!

I just read a historical crime novella that I was hoping I can fit into challenge 16, but although really the opening scene over several pages not only takes place in a named tearoom with an address, but it's a real place which is still running - I've actually been there a couple of times, and to the Ilkley branch of Betty's Tearooms as well. However, the tearooms, the address and the detailed description of what the place was like (old fashioned a century ago) I think it's pushing it to try and put it in Paul's challenge, as it's not actually the very first sentence but a few paragraphs down.

>125 FAMeulstee: Wow, what an accomplishment.

Thanks everyone!

>129 Morphidae: Your last sweep was in October 2019, Morphy.
See https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Our_TIOLI_Sweeps

>137 Citizenjoyce: Congratulations with your sweep this month.

Glad to see that TIOLI is going to continue in 2022. It's a bundle of fun and I have fun trying to shoehorn fit my reads into categories.
Thanks Madeline, you efforts are appreciated!

Hope the cataract surgery goes to plan and it makes things easier for you.

>138 FAMeulstee: Thanks

>139 Helenliz: Thanks, I created this month's TIOLI challenge with the help of my left eye's new ability to see close-up. Everything else will be out of focus until the end of November after both cataract surgeries have been completed and I get fitted for new eyeglasses as my old eyeglasses serve no useful function now! :O

>117 SqueakyChu:

Thank you for everything you do here, Madeline, and best of luck with your surgery. :)

>125 FAMeulstee:

That is amazing, Anita, congratulations!

>142 lyzard:. Thanks, Liz. Can't wait until it's over. :D

Oops! Yesterday was Housekeeping Day. If you were not too busy on Halloween (here in the U.S., anyway), I hope you remembered to remove any book from the October wiki you did not finish by 12 midnight last night--except for any rolling challenges which can be simply marked DNF. Thank you! On to November...