RMFAO (Reading My Frigging A** Off) discussion

Our new challenge will be the Title Link Challenge. For this challenge, you post the first title and then choose one word (not "a, an, the") in Book 1 that must also show up in Book 2 of the list. Then pick a different word in the title for Book 2 that must also appear in Book 3, and so on. I think this will be an easier challenge, and so more members might want to participate.

The Title Link Challenge will not require you to read each book in the list consecutively. It will be a quarterly challenge, so any books read in a three month span of time will qualify for the challenge.

It should be pairs of books with the same one word. That word should be used only 1 time per Run. You can do as many Runs as you want per quarter. A Run should be at least 4 books long. These books can be read in any order before you post your Run that contains them.

Here’s an example:

1. The Dead Girls Club
2. The Bromance Book Club (“club” is common to 1 and 2)
3. Naughty Girls Book (‘’book” is common to 2 and 3)
4. One of the Girls (“girls” is common to 3 and 4)
5. It’s One of Us (“one” is common to 4 and 5)

The plural or possessive forms of a word are allowed when linking words. Example: you can use the words “mother”, “mothers”, or “mother’s” as linking words for a pair of books.

I hope this is helpful! If you have any questions about this Challenge, please post them in this thread and I'll be happy to help you.

Wow! This looks fun. How long will this challenge last? (I just picked up my library haul yesterday;)

Fran wrote: "Wow! This looks fun. How long will this challenge last? (I just picked up my library haul yesterday;)"

This will be a continual challenge, like Classics Catch Up or Theme Link. It will replace the Author Alphabet Challenge (which ends on the last day of September). Title Link Challenge starts October 1 and is a Quarterly challenge - that means a Run consists of any books read in any order during that 3 month (Quarter) period.

Just to keep the nomenclature consistent with other Quarterly reading challenges, we'll call October, November, December time period the 4th. Quarter for this challenge. Only books that you read during that Quarter can be included in a 4th. Quarter Run.

Question...would possessives be allowed as a linking word?

For example, would The Mother-in Law and The Bad Mother's Book Club be allowed where Mother('s) is the linking word between the two books?

Sherri wrote: "Question...would possessives be allowed as a linking word?

For example, would The Mother-in Law and The Bad Mother's Book Club be allowed where Mother('s) is the linking word between the two books?"

Sherri,

Possessives are ok to use as a linking word. I’d even go as far as allowing the plural of a word as being ok: mother and mothers and mother’s are ok to use as a linking word for a pair of books. Lets have fun with this challenge, and not get too formal on the rules!

Cheryl wrote: "Possessives are ok to use as a linking word. I’d even go as far as allowing the plural of a word as being ok: mother and mothers and mother’s are ok to use..."

Excellent, thank you! I thought so, but I wanted to make sure and not assume. One of the linking words in one of my runs that I'm "planning" has the word "on" and Goodreads is giving back results where the letters "ON" appear in any word. LOL

I'm trying to pick words that have less chance of being embedded in other words.

4th Quarter, Run 1:

1. Black Tide by K. C. Jones
2. The Bride Wore Black by Cornell Woolrich ("black" is common to 1 and 2)
3. The Devil's Bride by Rachelle Edwards ("bride" is common to 2 and 3)
4. Devil's Day by Andrew Michael Hurley ("devil's" is common to 3 and 4)
5. Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham ("day" is common to 4 and 5)

Great job Cheryl!

4th Quarter, Run 2:

1. Old Country by Matt and Harrison Query
2. Old Friends and New by Sarah Orne Jewett ("old" is common to 1 and 2)
3. The New Girl Friend by Ruth Rendell ("new" is common to 2 and 3)
4. The Girl From the Other Side, vol. 1 by Nagabe ("girl" is common to 3 and 4)
5. Vacations From Hell by Libba Bray ("from" is common to 4 and 5)

Wow Cheryl you are doing great with this challenge. Will this also be a challenge in 2023? I am hoping to do at least one round in this final quarter of 2022 but I am behind on my reading schedule so it might be tough.

〰️Beth〰️ wrote: "Wow Cheryl you are doing great with this challenge. Will this also be a challenge in 2023? I am hoping to do at least one round in this final quarter of 2022 but I am behind on my reading schedule ..."

Beth,

Yes, we will be doing this challenge in 2023. I’d like to give it at least a year, so that people have plenty of time to try it out. It might become a permanent challenge in our list.

4th Quarter - 1st Run:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ("Harry" is common to 1 and 2)
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ("Potter" is common to 2 and 3)
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ("Of" is common to 3 and 4)
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ("Fire" is common to 4 and 5)
5. Pants On Fire

Sherri wrote: "4th Quarter - 1st Run:"

Sherri,

That was a clever way to use the titles of a series! I never thought of doing that. Way to go!

4th Quarter, Run 3:

1. The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
2. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney (“lie” is common to 1 and 2)
3. Sometimes a Rogue by Mary Jo Putney (“sometimes” is common to 2 and 3)
4. Rules for a Rogue by Christie Carlyle (“rogue” is common to 3 and 4)
5. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (“rules” is common to 4 and 5)

Run #1
1.) The Cutting Edge (AB) - Jeffrey Deavers
2.) The Library at the Edge of the World (AB) - Felicity Hayes-McCoy ("edge")
3.) The Library Book (AB) - Susan Orlean ("library")
4.) The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (AB) - Kim Michele Richardson ("book")
5.) Bell, Book, and Scandal (HB) - Jill Churchill ("book")
6.) Making Bullets into Bells (PB) - various poets ("bells")

I think I did that first run a bit wonky because I repeated the word "book" unintentionally. So here's my next try ;)

Run #2
1.) The Evil Inside (AB) - Heather Graham
2.) Heart of Evil (HB) - Heather Graham ("evil")
3.) The Fifth Heart (AB) - Dan Simmons ("heart")
4.) The Fifth Avenue Artists Society (AB) - Joy Calloway ("fifth")

I really had fun arranging "runs" based on the titles I had read during the month of October. I was able to fill in the gaps after several enjoyable hours (over the course of many days) on the library website. Now my "runs" are finally coming together :)

Run #3

1.) By the Sword (AB) - F. Paul Wilson
2.) The Sword of Summer (AB) - Rick Riordan ("sword")
3.) Killer Summer (AB) - Ridley Pearson ("summer")
4.) A Killer Edition (AB) - Lorna Barrett ("killer")

Run #4

1.) The Songs of Willow Frost (AB) - Jaime Ford
2.) Willow Run (AB) - Patricia Reilly Giff ("willow")
3.) Leopard's Run (HB) - Christine Feehan ("run")
4.) The Leopard at the Door (AB) - Jennifer McVeigh ("leopard")

4th Quarter - 2nd Run

1. The Do-Over EB
2. Before I Do EB (Do is common to #1 and #2)
3. Before He Kills Again AB (Before is common to #2 and #3)
4. Lie, Lie Again EB (Again is common to #3 and #4)
5. Sometimes I Lie AB (Lie is common to #4 and #5)

Run #5

1.) 500 Miles to You (PB) - Jenny Colgan
2.) Mile High with a Vampire (HB) - Lynsay Sands ("mile(s)")
3.) Abraham Lincoln; Vampire Hunter (AB) - Seth Grahame-Smith ("vampire")
4.) Lincoln Highway (AB) - Amor Towles ("Lincoln")

Fran,

You are so good at this challenge!

Hello everyone,

Here are the links to the next year's challenge threads:
✒︎ RMFAO 2023 Genre Challenge
✒︎ RMFAO 2023 Classics Catchup
✒︎ RMFAO 2023 Audiobook Challenge
✒︎ RMFAO 2023 Title Link Challenge
✒︎ RMFAO 2023 Series Challenge
✒︎ RMFAO 2023 Theme-Link Challenge
✒︎ RMFAO 2023 A-Z Author Alphabet Challenge

Run #6

1.) Rattle Bag (PB) - edited by Seamus Heaney
2.) Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag (AB) Alan Bradley ("bag")
3.) Witch Weed (HB) - Phyllis Reynold Naylor ("weed")

I was hoping this one would be longer, but just ran out of time. I am surprised that I managed to complete three runs and hope to get more completed next quarter.

4th Quarter ~ 3rd Run

1. Christmas Every Day EB
2. Snow Day AB (Day is common to #1 and #2)
3. Let There Be Snow EB (Snow is common to #2 and #3)
4. Never Let You Go AB (Let is common to #3 and #4)

Run #7:

1.) Empire of Bones (AB) - N.D. Wilson
2.) Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire (AB) - Edward Gibbon ("empire")
3.) Apples Never Fall (AB) - Liane Moriarty ("fall")
4.) Land of Silver Apples (AB) - Nancy Farmer ("apples")
5.) The Silver Trail (HB) - Max Brand ("silver")
6.) Trail Angel (PB) - Derek Catron ("trail")
7.) Destroyer Angel (AB) - Nevada Barr ("angel")

Run #8:

1.) The Color Purple (AB) - Alice Walker
2.) True Colors (AB) - Kristin Hannah ("color/s")
3.) Wyoming True (HB) - Diana Palmer ("true")
4.) Wyoming Winter (HB) - Diana Palmer ("Wyoming")
5.) A Winter Love Story (HB) - Betty Neels ("winter")
6.) An Irish Doctor in Love at Sea (AB) - Patrick Taylor ("love")

Dagny you and Cheryl were my inspiration and motivation. You guys make everything look easy.