Take It or Leave It Challenge - March 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

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Your challenge for March, 2021. is to...

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Read a book of short stories (fiction) originally written in a language other than your native language
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List the original language of your book of short stories.

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

1. The March 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

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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 of short stories (fiction) originally written in a language other than your native language - msg #1
2. Start, and/or read at least five chapters of, a book which is a reading project for you - msg #7
3. Read a book that involves some form of game or contest (not sport) - msg #8
4. Read a book about some aspect of fertility - msg #9
5. Read a book where the author’s first name begins with the letter ‘J - msg #11
6. Read a book about women in history - msg #12

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book with a proper noun in the title - msg #13
8. Read a book to help me celebrate my 60th birthday - msg #15
9. Read a book for the March CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge - msg #16 - thread
10. Read a book with 750+ pages - msg #22
11.Read a book about outdoor activity - msg #23
12. Rolling challenge where a one word title alternates with a longer title that includes the word from the previous title - msg #24

Challenges #13-18
13. Read a book in rolling order MARCH BREAK, with a title word starting with the letter - msg #32
14. Help me celebrate my 75th birthday by reading a book with Diamond in the title or subject matter - msg #33
15. Read a book whose page numbers are anywhere but above the text - msg #41
16. Read a book you've had to return to the library unread - msg #48
17.Read a book with a word in the title or authors name saying what makes you "Mad about March" - msg #50
18. Let's brew some coffee, rolling challenge - msg #53

Hold your challenge until the April 2021 TIOLI challenges are posted! Thx!

I like your challenge. I'm doing a year long read of Clarice Lispector's stories so will have to go look for another collection.

>3 avatiakh: Glad to please you!

I got here early! Too bad I don't have a challenge in mind.

>5 AnneDC: Haha! You had all of the month to think of one!

Challenge 2

Unusually, this is not a challenge to finish a book but to start one... or to make progress on one if you have already started it.

Do you have a big book that you are planning to read this year? Or a particular reading goal? I don't normally plan my reading a long time in advance but I have decided that I would like to try and reread The Story of the Stone aka The Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the great classics of Chinese literature. I have read this before, the summer before I went to university (I studied Chinese and this was on a long list of possible pre-reading). So I know that I can do it. But it's five volumes long and so the idea of starting it has been a bit daunting. Hence this challenge. Hopefully it will be useful for a few other people too!

Start, and/or read at least five chapters of, a book which is part of a reading project for you.

Challenge #3: Read a book that involves some form of game or contest (not sport)

Suggestions:
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Trevis
Reamde by Neal Stephenson
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Challenge #4: Read a book about some aspect of fertility
I’ll be reading a book about the decrease in male fertility.
Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race by Shanna H. Swan
As a retired labor and delivery nurse I’m most interested in human reproduction, but you can choose whatever kind of fertility you want.

>8 avatiakh: Ooooh! I loved Ready Player One!! I recommend that book, but then I've loved video games in the past. Now I try not to play them that much because they can become a big time sink for me. !

Challenge #5: Read a book where the author's first name starts with a 'J'.

When I looked at the pile of books that I am planning to read in March, I noticed an abundance of 'J' names - so, of course, I immediately built my challenge around this. ;)

Challenge #:6 Read a book about women in history

In honor of Women's History Month. Biography/memoir and women's social history are good. Historical fiction is fine as long as it's about a real woman/ women. So, a novel like The Only Woman in the Room would work because Hedy Lamarr was a real person, not an imaginary one.

Challenge #7: Read a book with a proper noun in the title

Any kind of proper noun will do--person, place, name of a business, title of another work, etc.

>7 wandering_star: Your Challenge #2 is great for me. I am involved in a year-long read of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, another classic of Chinese literature. I am trying to read at least 10 chapters a month so this challenge will give me an incentive and, since I didn't get my full 10 chapters read in February, I will use this challenge to catch up.

Challenge #8 Read a book to help me celebrate my 60th birthday

I loved Susanna's birthday challenge a few months ago and, with an impending milestone birthday, I thought I'd borrow the idea.

Help me celebrate my 60th birthday on Monday.

Plenty of possibilities:
--A book written in, or about, or set in 1961.
--A book with Linda in the title or author's name, or even a major character named Linda
--A book in one of my favorite reading areas, namely a mystery, a book about sports, or, a new favorite, historical fiction
--A book set in Illinois or Wisconsin, two states I've lived in
--A book set in a country I've visited (not counting the U.S.), which includes Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, or Liechtenstein.
--a book with a connection to the Peace Corps, which was founded on the very day I was born

Challenge #9: Read a book for the March CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge

***PLEASE READ. I'm back home from the hospital/rehab though tasks are still challenging so again there will be nothing complex, no long-winded explanations (or at least I'll try!), no pics.***

_.~"~.Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ.~"~.MARCH'S THEME IS GREEN.~"~.Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ.~"~._

• You can have two open challenges.
  
• There will be -6- different sets of book challenges with 2+ options each.
  
• You won't know what your particular challenge will be until you roll a random number.*
  
• Post the number to this thread and I will give you your challenge.
  
• For any questions, please ask there or in a DM.
  

*You can use https://www.random.org/ (the widget at the top right), Google "random number 1 to 6," or, if you have one, roll a die.

DETAILS

• Embedded words, as a rule, are allowed but partial words are not. For instance, a word like "walked" must include the entire word and not just the word "walk."
  
• Tags must be first level, i.e. do not click on "show all."
  
• No restrictions as to fiction or nonfiction unless otherwise stated in a challenge.
  
• Shared reads ARE allowed. Shared challenges ARE NOT allowed. That is, if someone reads a book published in 2021. You can read the SAME book. You can't read a different book published in 2021 (unless you get that challenge yourself.)
  
• If I give a reference link to a list of books, it does not mean they *all* qualify for a challenge unless specifically stated.
  
• After a certain number of challenges have been given out, I will re-randomize the list.
  

>11 DeltaQueen50: Would an initial count as in J. D. Robb?

>14 DeltaQueen50: Ditto. I've only read one chapter this month.

My planned reads this month
Challenge #1: Read a book of short stories (fiction) originally written in a language other than your native language (List the language from which it was translated) - started by SqueakyChu
Challenge #2: Start, and/or read at least five chapters of, a book which is a reading project for you - started by wandering_star
*✔Jerusalem - Alan Moore (3)
Challenge #3: Read a book that involves some form of game or contest (not sport) - started by avatiakh
✔The Swallows - Lisa Lutz (4)
Challenge #4: Read a book about some aspect of fertility - started by Citizenjoyce
*✔Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race - Shanna H. Swan (4.5)
✔The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi (5)
Challenge #5: Read a book where the author’s first name begins with the letter ‘J’ - started by DeltaQueen
✔Better Luck Next Time - Julia Claiborne Johnson (4.5)
Challenge #6: Read a book about women in history - started by cbl_tn
✔A Single Thread - Tracy Chevalier (4)
Challenge #7: Read a book with a proper noun in the title - started by susanna.fraser
✔Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes (4)
✔The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow - Alyssa Palombo (2)
Challenge #8: Read a book to help me celebrate my 60th birthday - started by lindapanzo
✔Before the Frost - Henning Mankell (3.5)
Challenge #9: Read a book for the March CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge - started by Morphidae
✔Autonomous - Annalee Newitz (4.5)
Challenge #10: Read a book with 750+ pages - started by lyzard
Challenge #11: Read a book about outdoor activity - started by FAMeulstee
✔Miracle Country: A Memoir by Kendra Atleework (3.5)
Challenge #12: Rolling challenge where a one word title alternates with a longer title that includes the word from the previous title - started by AnneDC
*✔The Once and Future Witches - Alix E. Harrow (4)
✔You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism - Amber Ruffin (5)
Challenge #13: Read a book in rolling order MARCH BREAK, with a title word starting with the letter - started by raidergirl3
✔American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery by Craig Unger (5)
✔The Burning Girls - C. J. Tudor (3.5)
✔House Made of Dawn - N. Scott Momaday (3.5)
✔Klara and the Sun: A novel - Kazuo Ishiguro (3.5)
✔The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (3.5)
✔Milk Fed: A Novel - Melissa Broder (3.5)
✔The Removed - Brandon Hobson (3.5)
Challenge #14: Help me celebrate my 75th birthday by reading a book with Diamond in the title or subject matter - started by LoisB
*✔The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown by Vaseem Khan (3.5)
Challenge #15: Read a book whose page numbers are anywhere but above the text - started by dallenbaugh
✔Here Is the Beehive - Sarah Crossan (3)
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House - Cherie Jones
*✔Mary's Monster - Lita Judge (4)
Challenge #16: Read a book you've had to return to the library unread - started by quondame
✔Impostor Syndrome - Mishell Baker (3.5)
Challenge #17: Read a book with a word in the title or authors name saying what makes you "Mad about March" - started by Carmenere
✔Silent Spring - Rachel Carson (5)
Challenge #18: Let's brew some coffee, rolling challenge - started by paulstalder
*✔A Finer End - Deborah Crombie (3)

>17 Morphidae: Yes, J is acceptable for author J.D. Robb as that author always goes by his initials.

>18 avatiakh: This should help us get back on track!

>14 DeltaQueen50:, >18 avatiakh: - that's perfect!

I hope this isn't overlapping #2 too much!---

Challenge #10: Read a book with 750+ pages

Got one you've been putting off, or one sitting around you need to finish? Let's get those chunksters read!

Fiction or non-fiction, although note it should be 750+ pages of text: introductions, endnotes and other material do not count.

Please note your number of pages on the wiki.

Challenge #11: Read a book about outdoor activity

Like walking, hiking, sailing etc.

I wanted to propose "books with one word titles" but that seemed unoriginal, so here's a twist on that:

Challenge #12: Rolling challenge where a one word title alternates with a longer title that includes the word from the previous title

So if I start it off with
Love - Toni Morrison, the next book could be
Geek Love or The History of Love or The Lover (embedded words fine).

It could even be Revolution because Revolution includes all the letters of love. The letters can appear anywhere in the title, they don't have to be together (I'm trying to avoid someone posting a one-word stumper).

The third book would be a brand new one-word title.

I hope that's not too confusing!

>9 Citizenjoyce: is a pregnant character enough for your fertility challenge? Or a plot line with a pregnancy?

>16 Morphidae: The challenge post has been updated/edited.

What do you think of the new reduced form? Is it clearer? Does it still give enough information?

>26 Morphidae: Looks good to me. So glad you're back at home.

>25 raidergirl3: Just the fact of pregnancy isn't sufficient, there had to have been some discussion about becoming pregnant.

>26 Morphidae: I'm glad you're home. I hope your brain is behaving.

>28 Citizenjoyce: ok. The last Ruth Galloway I read a character was pregnant, so I assume the next book will revolve around it. I might not get to it this month anyway.

>29 Citizenjoyce: Thank you. Less foggy for sure but still room for improvement. Being home makes a huge difference. Especially as the rehab experience was horrific. Ended up in a 1/5 star rated facility. Ugh.

Challenge #13: Read a book in rolling order MARCH BREAK, with a title word starting with the letter
I am hoping that the only week I won’t be in school this month is our March Break (15-19) but we are having a little outbreak of community spread, and it is our first outbreak like this so I am not hopeful. We’ve been so lucky here in PEI, to have lasted this long. So in honour of March Break, (and cause I needed an easier challenge, lol): March Break challenge!
Once all the letters are filled in, in any order, then we will start again.

Challenge #14: Help me celebrate my 75th birthday by reading a book with Diamond in the title or subject matter

It's been so long since I have created a challenge here that I have forgotten how to do it, so if somebody could help I'd appreciate it. (I think the title explains my memory issues)

lindapanzo's challenge #8 inspired me to ask you to help me celebrate my birthday, too. Since Diamonds are the traditional vehicle for celebrating "75", I'm asking you to read a book with Diamond in the title or is about diamonds - their use, their mining, etc.

>33 LoisB: you have challenge 14 in the wiki.
And happy birthday! Hurrah!!
And can we have cake please??

>24 AnneDC: I feel I ought to apologise for my book entry now.

>34 Helenliz: Thanks! It will have to be a virtual cake. How do I make my title BOLD in the post here?

you add a b in a pair of pointy brackets before the text and /b in a pair of pointy brackets after the text and it will bold the bit in between the brackets.
Pointy brackets are the ones on , and .

I do hope that makes sense.

>35 Helenliz: Next entry is done :-)

>37 Helenliz: Thank you. Mission accomplished!

Thanks to all for filling in books for my 60th birthday challenge. When I add a challenge, I always fill in some books right away. Felt bad I didn't this time. Alas, I had my first dose on Friday and had an odd side effect. Not serious, just annoying. Starting about 4 hours post vax, I started what I call revving up, feeling like I'd eaten a huge meal with a lot of wine at an Italian restaurant. It seems like my metabolism really goes full tilt then and I get quite warm, but usually not for long. This time, while I have no fever, it lasted for 36 hours. The first night full of warmth and energy wasn't bad but I was fatigued by last night after I posted my challenge. Seems to be subsiding today and I feel lots better. Though annoying, I think it's a good thing and means it's working. Having to roll up my sleeves and mop my brow is a small price to pay.

I'm getting a lot of ideas and, for the first time since Thursday, I might sit down and read tonight.

Challenge #15: Read a book whose page numbers are anywhere but above the text

The numbers must be on the side of each page, or on the bottom, or none at all.

>41 dallenbaugh: How do you want to handle ebooks? All ebooks that I've seen have the page numbers at the bottom, defeating the purpose of your challenge, I think.

ETA: A solution, at least for some, is to look them up in Google Books to see the actual pages. I checked out my current read Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts and found the pages number are at the top.

>40 lindapanzo: I’m glad you’re feeling better. What a strange reaction but, as you say, it means the vaccine is working. I had no reaction to either dose except tenderness at the site. I’m just going to have faith that mine is working too.

>42 Morphidae: You can tell I'm old school. e-books, what are they? I say use and enjoy them all.

>43 Citizenjoyce: It was weird but I thought it meant it was working. It just happens that I have a 6 month appointment at my primary the day before my second dose and I can mention it to him then. I've heard of a lot of arm soreness but pharmacist said I should move my arms around a lot, so I did. Every hour or so, I'd windmill my arms and raise them over my head, which helped. I've heard of flu-like symptoms but this warmth/fatigue seems to be somewhat common among the members of my fellow vaccine hunters, though not as common as soreness.

>44 dallenbaugh: Ha, e-books, schmee-books, she says. ;)

>35 Helenliz: Ha ha ha! Your book entry is exactly the situation I anticipated and why I set up the challenge the way I did. I'm glad I didn't make it complicated for no reason! *sitting here looking at Priestdaddy and thinking that would be hard to find in another title as well*

Challenge #16: Read a book you've had to return to the library unread

If it's been deleted from your e-reader that counts. If you bought or were given a copy after you returned the book, that counts. You just can't count a complete re-read.

What if you've returned a book unread and then borrowed it when it's become available again? I've done this quite a bit - one of the library systems I use has free reservations and in normal times I can send books in with Mike and get him to collect them so I don't have to make a special trip. Currently I'm not having to return books but may well start giving some back later in the month.

Here in the US, March Madness is about to begin with college basketball teams vying for the championship. That said,.......

Challenge #17: Read a book with a word in the title or authors name saying what makes you "Mad about March"

ie: flowers, spring, windy, cold
Imbedded is fine

>15 lindapanzo: Hahaha you beat me to the punch, Linda! I was thinking along those same lines as my milestone bday is also in March, 1961 and my name is Lynda too. So, you've covered most of the bases. Happy Birthday!!

Challenge #18: Let's brew some coffee, rolling challenge

After having made some Madeleines, we need some coffee to go with it. So, let's get some beans, grind them, heat the water and add milk or sugar to taste - then lay back and enjoy your coffee when reading ....

-> beans (plot, author): read a book dealing with one of the 10 biggest coffee producers (Brazil, Vietnam, Columbia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Peru, India, Uganda, Guatemala) - either plot takes care in this country or the author comes from there

-> grinding (title): read a book with the words grind, coarse, medium, or fine in the title (embedded words are fine)

-> brewing (pages): brewing temperature should be 84-92°C, so read a book with one of these numbers of pages (fine: 90, 842, 905, 584, 291 etc; not fine: 83, 804, 229, 482 etc.)

-> add-ons (first words): add cream, milk, sugar, sweetener as you like --> read a book with such an ingredient mentioned in the first paragraph

>53 paulstalder:. I don’t understand what makes the number of pages fine versus not fine. I’ll go have some coffee while I wait for you to explain this to me.

>54 SqueakyChu: :) all numbers containing the correct combination of numbers ..84.. ..85.. ..86.. ..87.. ..88.. ..89.. ..90.. ..91.. ..92.. are valid, but if your books have 804, 229, 195 pages or such, that would not be acceptable

how was your coffee? my coffee bottle is soon empty ....

>55 paulstalder: so why is 832 alright?
>54 SqueakyChu: no, not just you...

>56 Helenliz: rats, my mistake ... corrected

>55 paulstalder: My coffee in hand is warm and delicious. It's Mayorga Mayan Blend (scroll down and watch the video) which was roasted right here in Rockville, Maryland. I love this company which also sells black beans, chia, and quinoa.

>57 paulstalder: Aha!!!!

>45 lindapanzo: I suffered extreme fatigue after my 2nd shot one month ago, and still haven't fully recovered.

>57 paulstalder: Now I get it. >:-)

>60 Helenliz: It too me far too long to figure out.

>57 paulstalder: Still confused. Why is 804 not ok? do the numbers need to be next to each other? So 804 is no, but 840 is yes? And 184, 284, 384 all ok?

>49 elkiedee: That is exactly the book this challenge is meant to catch! There have been so very many BBs and my reading has been so slowed and splattered by spending too much time on FB and eBay and some time on LT that books physical and electronic are cycling through my house and kindle.

>62 AnneDC: It has to be two adjacent numbers, apparently. Right, Paul?

>16 Morphidae: The March thread has been posted.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/330249

>62 AnneDC: >64 SqueakyChu: sorry, that my communication level in English is clearly unclear ...
you are right: the two chiffres have to appear in the same order 188: okay, 888 okay, 893 okay; 983 not okay, 818 not okay, 808 not okay
the two chiffres have to be next to each other so forming the exact numbers 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92; regardless if any chiffre goes ahead or follows

>66 paulstalder: Heh! You taught me a new word, Paul!

chiffre = digit

:D

>67 SqueakyChu: pleased to be of service -- actually I thought German 'Ziffer' (tsifer in Yiddish) and used the French 'chiffre' in English

And m all caught up for the challenges in >16 Morphidae:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/330249

YAY!

The crowd goes wild!

>7 wandering_star: I love this challenge! Trinity was on my list to tackle this year, and now I have made a small start.

>7 wandering_star: I like this challenge it acknowledges that a big chunky book takes some of us a couple of months to read. I've started Alan Moore's Jerusalem. So now I just need a challenge to put it in every month until I've finished!!

>7 wandering_star: this is a great challenge. I have started Obama’s book but other keep calling for attention. Have added it to the list.

>71 Helenliz: I read Jerusalem last year, well worth the effort.

TIOLI Question of the Month

The protagonist of your current (or most current) movel:. Love him or her...or hate him or her? Who is it? What is the novel? What is the reason for your reaction?

>74 SqueakyChu: I just finished The Book of Evidence by John Banville. The main character is Freddie Montgomery and he is a murderer. From his first hand account of his life it becomes obvious that he is a sociopath and his lack of empathy and continual self-justifications made him very dislikeable indeed.

>75 DeltaQueen50: Me. too! I'm reading The Mask of Sanity by Jacob M. Appel with a sociopath as a serial killer. I can't say I'm too fond of him, either! LOL!

>74 SqueakyChu: I just finished reading Before the Frost by Henning Mankell. I've never watched the Wallander tv shows or read any of the series before, but this month I read the first one with his daughter, Linda as the protagonist. What a jerk he is. He might be a fine policeman but feels free to spew his irrational anger on everyone including his family. He has physically fought with his ex-wife before even at least once giving her a bloody nose, yet Linda loves him and has complete disdain for her mother. She is following in his footsteps by becoming a police officer. And she does all the things people frequently do in mysteries such as going off on her own without telling anyone and not keeping her phone charged. Dad Wallander does all the usual things one does in mysteries such as refusing to believe anything his daughter says or credit her observations for most of the book. So, I don't hate her, but I don't like her a whole bunch either.

Dear me! - I'm going to have to respond to these depressing protagonists by saying I have just finished Mr Jelly's Business featuring Detective-Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, who is intelligent and kind and gentle and friendly---though perfectly ruthless when tracking a killer.

The only negative thing about Bony is that, while perfectly convinced of his superiority as an individual (he's right!), he genuinely believes that his mixed blood makes him "inferior". Very sad.

I am currently reading The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra. It's the first book in a series, and I'm about half-way through. I really like Inspector Chopra so far. He seems like a man of integrity, and a good investigator.

I finished Herrengasse. Valérie just started a new job in the police department in Schwyz and has to msolve a murder case: a well known gynecologist is found dead in his bed. But she is arrogant and sexist. She doesn't trust any male, her male colleagues often sniffed at, but her female colleagues are treated far better.

I finished What Lies beneath the first in a series of detective novels sit in England's smallest county. the lead detective, Caroline Hills, felt like she'd been lumbered with far too much baggage to feel like a rounded human being. Her second in command, Dexter Antoine, was a far more rounded character. They were both outsiders, but he felt like he had reached a settlement with the world, rather than Caroline's fighting it.

TIOLI stats for February, 2021

For February, 2021, we read a total of 279 books, of which 39 or 14%, were shared reads. We accumulated a total of 20 TIOLI points. The stats were not too shabby, except for the February YTD TIOLI points which were the lowest since February, 2010!

The most popular book, read by three challengers, was Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu.

The most popular challenge, with 34 books read, was the one by dallenbaugh to read a book by an author who has a rating of at least 3.5 on the author’s page.

The two challenges with the most TIOLI points, both with three, were:
1. My (SqueakyChu's) challenge to read a book tagged “African-American"
2. DeltaQueen's challenge to read a book where the author’s last name contains only one letter that is being used as a vowel

The February, 2021, TIOLI Awards!

The Hats Off Award goes to Carmenere for reading The Long Call for helenliz's challenge to read a book with an increasing number of words in the title. This book was read "because DrNeutron mentioned he read it when he saw my planned reads for 2021". Hey! If it were not for DrNeutron creating the master groups (all of the yearly 75 books challenges), we would not even be here participating in the TIOLI challenges! :O

The You Said a Mouthful Award goes to lyzard for reading The Secret history of the four last monarchs of Great Britain, viz., James I, Charles I, Charles II, James II to which is added, an appendix containing the later reign of James the Second, from the time of his abdication of England to this present January, 1691, with particular remarks on his private actions in Ireland for heleniz's challenge to read a book with an increasing number of words in the title. The book read for this challenge had a 56-word title! Wow!

The You Must Have Read My Mind Award goes to Carmenere for the challenge to read a book that has a word from the title in the second sentence of the second paragraph in the second chapter. This challenge was so like some of the challenges I've made over the years that have driven people crazy that it made me laugh out loud...and certainly deserves an award!

The Eek! Creepy! Award goes to countrylife for reading Blood Hollow for JeanneD's challenge to read a book with an unsettling place name in the title. This is definitely not a place I'd like to spend the night!

The How High Can You Go Award goes to elkiedee for reading Under the Almond Tree for dallenbaugh's challenge to read a book by an author who has a rating of at least 3.5 on the author’s page. The author, Laura McVeigh, had a star rating of 5.0. The rating has subsequently come down to 4.67. What a great ratings catch while it lasted, though!

The Celebrate Madeleines/Madelines Award goes to paulstalder for the cchallenge: Let's bake Madeleines. How can this Madeline ignore such a tribute? Thank you.

Feel free to add awards of your own at this time. Congrats to our award winners!

>82 SqueakyChu: Madeline, I think you've got a miscount. Challenge #11: Mardi Gras rolling challenge - started by susanna.fraser had 36 books. Or I can't read, which is also entirely possible.

>83 SqueakyChu: and I'd like to acknowledge Lyzard's title that ran on for a very long time. I was worried that the more than 10 words might pose some problems, I'd never thought someone would find a title of more than 50 words.
The Secret history of the four last monarchs of Great Britain, viz., James I, Charles I, Charles II, James II to which is added, an appendix containing the later reign of James the Second, from the time of his abdication of England to this present January, 1691, with particular remarks on his private actions in Ireland is long beyond all reason.

>83 SqueakyChu: and >84 Helenliz: Yes, my book for the increasing word count challenge had a very short title compared to the 50+ word title, so I think that award should go to Liz.

>85 elkiedee: >84 Helenliz: Thank you for the corrections. I’ll go back later today and fix them.

>85 elkiedee: I think you should take credit for at least typing all of your title. Liz gave up after the first 10, which could be viewed as cheating.

>84 Helenliz: You didn't deduct the books that were marked DNF. I did! :D

>87 Helenliz: That's what fooled me! LOL!!

>83 SqueakyChu:, >84 Helenliz:

Aw, thank you! I'm glad my 17th century political reading is good for SOMETHING! :D

>85 elkiedee:, >87 Helenliz:

Hey, I was thinking of the poor wiki!

Mind you--- If I had any guts, I'd've read this one...AND typed it out!---

>88 SqueakyChu: ahhh! I thought I must have missed something.

>89 lyzard: Go on, dare ya!

>89 lyzard: Hahahahaha!

>90 Helenliz: Glad I didn't make two big mistakes in two posts. :D

Thank you, Madeline, for not one but two TIOLI awards! I am not worthy!

>90 Helenliz:

Luckily Louis XIV is outside my blog-purview. :)

>83 SqueakyChu: thanks for the award, it was a tasty challenge

>70 LoisB:, >71 Helenliz:, >72 Helenoel: I created this challenge to make sure I would start the Dream of the Red Chamber this month. It's the 28th today and I haven't done so yet.... so I am glad that Past Me created an incentive for Now Me!!

Housekeeping Day

...was yesterday. No April Fool on that! Haha!

I hope by now you've deleted from the wiki whichever books you've not finished by midnight last night (except for the rolling challenges which you should have marked "DNF"). Thanks!

>7 wandering_star: Thank you so much for this challenge! Trinity was on my list for this year but the size (900+ pages) and the small print in the paperback was daunting. So, I read the five chapters, loved it, and bought the Kindle version. I finished it yesterday!

>97 LoisB: My pleasure! I have also just finished the book which I started the challenge for - and enjoyed it a lot. Glad it worked for you as well.

>7 wandering_star: I have just finished the first five chapters of The Story of the Stone aka The Dream of the Red Chamber, which I have intended to read for a long time, and would love to read and discuss with others. If anyone is interested.

>99 DavidX: Yes, the first five chapters are all framing story, aren't they? Once you get into the story of the family themselves it's much more straightforward. If other people are reading too it would be great to have a group discussion.