*♥* Marla's Challenge Logs and Reads *♥* discussion

Mostly May Idioms:

~ May Expresses Itself ~

This challenge is based on all things May: expressions, idioms, holidays, blessings, curses, and movie and song titles with the word “may” in them.

Duration: May 1st - 31st, 2014. (But, feel free to use one of your Extension "Gift Card" for NBRC Challenges, if you want more time.)

Levels:
Easy Breezy = Read 3 to 4 books.
Moderate Winds = Read 5 to 7 books.
Dust Devil = Read 8-12 books.
Heavy Gusts = 13-24 books.
Gale Force Winds = Read 25-35 books.
Rules: Read books from the following categories.

• “April showers bring May flowers.” - Read a book with flowers or rain on the cover.
• “Be that as it may.” - Read a book with a title that starts with the letter “B”. Or has an author whose name (first or last) that begins with “B”. Or with a series names that begins with “B”. Or a character’s name (first or last) begins with “B”.
• “Cinco de Mayo.” - Read a book that is fifth in a series, or has five words or letters in the title.
• “Come what may!” - Read a book with a futuristic setting.
• “Devil-may-care attitude.” - Read a book where the protagonist has this attitude. (i.e. Heedless of caution; reckless. Jovial and rakish in manner.)
• “He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day.” - Read a book where someone gets bullied. Or where the protagonist is a professional fighter or gets in a fight. Or a story about survival.
• “How may I help you?” - Read a book where the protagonist helps someone out.
• “If I may be so bold...” - Reader’s Choice.
• “It may account for...” - Read a book with an accountant protagonist, or someone who deals with numbers. Or is an account based on a true historical event.
• “I may be crazy, but...” - Read a book where the protagonist gets “Gaslighted”... or a little crazy, paranoid, spooked, or rattled.
• “Let the chips fall where they may.” - Read a book that has the words from this expression found in the title, series name, or author’s, or character’s name [i.e. “let,” “chip(s),” “fall,” “where,” “they,” or “may”].
• Mae West. - Read a book with a black & white cover. Or is set in Hollywood. Or where the protagonist is a vamp.
• “May the better man win!” - Read a book where a competition takes place.
• “May Day!” - Read a book that is first in a series. Or where the protagonist attends a fair.
• “May-December Relationship.” - Read a book with quite a gap in years between protagonists’ ages. This does NOT have to be a Romance book.
• “May the force be with you.” - Read a book with stars on the cover. Or is set in outer space.
• “May he rest in peace.” - Read a book with ghosts. Or where someone dies. Or has a graveyard or tombstone on the cover.
• “May I be excused?” - Read a book that is written in the first person POV. (Point of View.)
• “May I count on you?” - Read a book with a number in the title. (Examples found on listopia’s Nothing But Numbers.)
• “May I take a message?” - Read an inspirational book.
• “May I take your order?” - Read a book where the protagonist is a waitress, or short-order cook, or takes orders of some kind. (Just a few examples on listopia’s Waitress Heroine in Romance.)
• “May Pole” (AKA May Poll) - Read a book on a listopia list. Or is set in Poland. Or written by a Polish writer. Or won one of our BOM polls (past or current). (Examples found on listopia’s Best Polish Books.)
• “May the road rise to meet you...” - Read a book with a road on the cover. Or someone takes a road trip.
• “May you live in interesting times...” - Read a book where someone is cursed. Or one with lots of danger, uncertainty, and chaos.
• “Maybe, maybe not.” - Read a book that you’ve been pondering for awhile.
• “Mayday! Mayday!” - Read a book where the protagonist works as some type of emergency personnel: fireman, policeman, paramedic. Or someone makes or receives a distress call. Or where someone uses a radio. Since this word may derive from the French expression “venez m'aider” - which translates to “come help me” - we’ll also take any book set in France. Also, in The Handmaid's Tale, they used “Mayday” as a code to identify themselves as part of the resistance - so, we’ll take a protagonist that is part of one, or any plot involving some hidden code.
• “The merry month of May.” - Read a book that is humorous.
• “Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are.” - Read a book with a mirror or car on the cover. Or one where the protagonist is an illusionist, magician, or interacts with mirrors in some way.
• “Seven Days in May.” - Read a book that is seventh in a series. Or has the word “day(s)” in the title, series, author, or character name. We will take the alternate spelling of “Daye,” as in the series October Daye.
• “Sticks and stones may break my bones.” - Read a book with a word in the title that rhymes with “may” -- or where the title rhymes alone. (Examples: Double Play (“play” rhymes with “may” -- or Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, where title is a rhyme itself.)
• “Terms & conditions may apply.” - Read a book that fits another challenge.
• “Things may look good on the surface...” - Read a book with an attractive cover.
• “To whom it may concern.” - Read a book with a stand-alone “letter” in the title. Or by an author with a stand-alone “letter” in their name. Or read a book of memoirs. Or one that has a letter or envelope on the cover. (Examples: C, by Tom McCarthy; author J.R. Ward; All Creatures Great and Small; or maybe something like these found on this listopia .)
• “Try as I may.” - Read a book that was published any day in May, of any year.
• “Warning: May be hazardous to your health.” - Read a book where someone finds themselves in a precarious situation. Or where a character gets an illness. Or is a cigarette smoker.
• “You may well ask!” - Read a book with a question mark -- or an exclamation mark -- in the title.

Mostly May Idioms:
~ May Expresses Itself ~
Duration: 5/1/25 - 5/31/25
Books: 10

Levels:
Easy Breezy = Read 3 to 4 books.
Moderate Winds = Read 5 to 7 books.
💐 Dust Devil = Read 8-12 books.
Heavy Gusts = 13-24 books.
Gale Force Winds = Read 25-35 books.
Rules: Read books from the following categories.

💐 “April showers bring May flowers.” - Read a book with flowers or rain on the cover.
by Nikki Erlick (5/25/25)
💐 “Be that as it may.” - Read a book with a title that starts with the letter “B”. Or has an author whose name (first or last) that begins with “B”. Or with a series names that begins with “B”. Or a character’s name (first or last) begins with “B”.
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (5/19/25)
💐 “Cinco de Mayo.” - Read a book that is fifth in a series, or has five words or letters in the title.
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean (5/29/25)
💐 “Come what may!” - Read a book with a futuristic setting.
The Girls From Alcyone by Cary Caffrey (5/11/25)
• “Devil-may-care attitude.” - Read a book where the protagonist has this attitude. (i.e. Heedless of caution; reckless. Jovial and rakish in manner.)
• “He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day.” - Read a book where someone gets bullied. Or where the protagonist is a professional fighter or gets in a fight. Or a story about survival.
💐 “How may I help you?” - Read a book where the protagonist helps someone out.
Mercy by Julie Garwood (5/5/25)
• “If I may be so bold...” - Reader’s Choice.
• “It may account for...” - Read a book with an accountant protagonist, or someone who deals with numbers. Or is an account based on a true historical event.
💐 “I may be crazy, but...” - Read a book where the protagonist gets “Gaslighted”... or a little crazy, paranoid, spooked, or rattled.
Still Lives by Maria Hummel (5/5/25)
• “Let the chips fall where they may.” - Read a book that has the words from this expression found in the title, series name, or author’s, or character’s name [i.e. “let,” “chip(s),” “fall,” “where,” “they,” or “may”].
• Mae West. - Read a book with a black & white cover. Or is set in Hollywood. Or where the protagonist is a vamp.
• “May the better man win!” - Read a book where a competition takes place.
• “May Day!” - Read a book that is first in a series. Or where the protagonist attends a fair.
• “May-December Relationship.” - Read a book with quite a gap in years between protagonists’ ages. This does NOT have to be a Romance book.
• “May the force be with you.” - Read a book with stars on the cover. Or is set in outer space.
• “May he rest in peace.” - Read a book with ghosts. Or where someone dies. Or has a graveyard or tombstone on the cover.
• “May I be excused?” - Read a book that is written in the first person POV. (Point of View.)
• “May I count on you?” - Read a book with a number in the title. (Examples found on listopia’s Nothing But Numbers.)
💐 “May I take a message?” - Read an inspirational book.
Becoming Women of the Word: How to Answer God's Call with Purpose and Joy by Sarah Christmyer (5/9/25)
• “May I take your order?” - Read a book where the protagonist is a waitress, or short-order cook, or takes orders of some kind. (Just a few examples on listopia’s Waitress Heroine in Romance.)
• “May Pole” (AKA May Poll) - Read a book on a listopia list. Or is set in Poland. Or written by a Polish writer. Or won one of our BOM polls (past or current). (Examples found on listopia’s Best Polish Books.)
• “May the road rise to meet you...” - Read a book with a road on the cover. Or someone takes a road trip.
• “May you live in interesting times...” - Read a book where someone is cursed. Or one with lots of danger, uncertainty, and chaos.
• “Maybe, maybe not.” - Read a book that you’ve been pondering for awhile.
• “Mayday! Mayday!” - Read a book where the protagonist works as some type of emergency personnel: fireman, policeman, paramedic. Or someone makes or receives a distress call. Or where someone uses a radio. Since this word may derive from the French expression “venez m'aider” - which translates to “come help me” - we’ll also take any book set in France. Also, in The Handmaid's Tale, they used “Mayday” as a code to identify themselves as part of the resistance - so, we’ll take a protagonist that is part of one, or any plot involving some hidden code.
• “The merry month of May.” - Read a book that is humorous.
• “Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are.” - Read a book with a mirror or car on the cover. Or one where the protagonist is an illusionist, magician, or interacts with mirrors in some way.
• “Seven Days in May.” - Read a book that is seventh in a series. Or has the word “day(s)” in the title, series, author, or character name. We will take the alternate spelling of “Daye,” as in the series October Daye.
💐 “Sticks and stones may break my bones.” - Read a book with a word in the title that rhymes with “may” -- or where the title rhymes alone. (Examples: Double Play (“play” rhymes with “may” -- or Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, where title is a rhyme itself.)
Eat Prey Love by Kerrelyn Sparks (5/26/25)
• “Terms & conditions may apply.” - Read a book that fits another challenge.
💐 “Things may look good on the surface...” - Read a book with an attractive cover.
by Ilona Andrews (5/8/25)
• “To whom it may concern.” - Read a book with a stand-alone “letter” in the title. Or by an author with a stand-alone “letter” in their name. Or read a book of memoirs. Or one that has a letter or envelope on the cover. (Examples: C, by Tom McCarthy; author J.R. Ward; All Creatures Great and Small; or maybe something like these found on this listopia .)
• “Try as I may.” - Read a book that was published any day in May, of any year.
💐 “Warning: May be hazardous to your health.” - Read a book where someone finds themselves in a precarious situation. Or where a character gets an illness. Or is a cigarette smoker.
The Fix by David Baldacci (5/13/25)
• “You may well ask!” - Read a book with a question mark -- or an exclamation mark -- in the title.