The Challenge Factory discussion

Each month a weird, unusual, or odd news story will be featured. Your task will be to read a book associated with words pulled from the account. You choose how the book connects with the word.

No page limit. Re-reads and audio books are okay.
You can read as many or as few as you want.
You can read one of each or focus on two or three words.
Duration : April 1 - 30, 2018

Dead man balking: Court rejects Romanian man's claim that he is, in fact, alive
by Associated Press/Mar.16.2018

BUCHAREST, Romania — Constantin Reliu learned in January that he was dead.

After more than 20 years of working as a cook in Turkey, the 63-year-old returned home to Romania to discover that his wife had had him officially registered as dead. He has since been living a legalistic nightmare of trying to prove to authorities that he is, in fact, alive.

He faced a major setback Thursday when a court in the northeastern city of Vaslui refused to overturn his death certificate because his request was filed "too late." The decision, the court said, is final.

"I am a living ghost," Reliu told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday from his home in Barlad, northeastern Romania.

Words from the story:
January
dead
20
cook
Turkey
home
discover
wife
officially
nightmare
prove
authorities
alive
major
court
overturn
too late
decision
living
ghost

What a headline. Hope they issue him another birth certificate or something to rectify the mistake...

Ripped from the Headlines May 2018
May 1 - 31, 2018

Words from the story:
A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa 5/5 - 6
January
The old ma watched as January rose up and closed in around the Kuvale people like a trap. p. 100
dead
My mom used to say that the dead suffer from amnesia. p. 90
20
A little over twenty years old, persecuted by the regime... p. 53
cook
...but to cook them used up a lot of water... p. 72
wife
His wife was combing her hair... p. 82
nightmare
...to the left plunged into an even thicker, sharper-pointed nightmare of wild bushes... p. 100
alive
A few of his comrades in the struggle even seemed a little disappointed to be reunited with him quite so alive. p. 54
too late
I think it's too late for you to turn against us now. p. 84
decision
It was a good decision. p. 85
living
...he had earned his living producing and dealing in porcelain roses. p. 85
ghost
I thought, 'It's the Holy Ghost.' p. 42

The Burning of the World: A Memoir of 1914 by Béla Zombory-Moldován 5/15 - 22
officially
Plain "Bela Moldovan" until 933, in that year he officially took his mother's family name as a prefix to his own. p. 18
court
He had crowned the Empress Elisabeth queen of Hungary in 1867, as a consequence of which the court had heaped favors upon him. p. 42
authorities
The military authorities immediately saw through the patriotic plan, put a stop to it, and called them all in for conscription. p. 115
home
Anyway, I'm starting to find that curiosity is becoming the new version of politeness here at home. p. 115
major
A major engagement is expected tomorrow. p. 66
Turkey
Here and there, among the great bluish-gray trunks of beech trees, flashed the occasional vivid green, mossy trunk of a Turkey oak. p. 145

Rumble by Ellen Hopkins 5/28 - 30

prove
But for once it would be nice to prove to him that his disappointment of a son is not only good at something besides academics, but he is, in fact, the absolute best. p. 148
discover
Can you randomly discover it, or does it require faith? p. 496

overturn

That is nuts! I didn't see that piece of news!

My spot! :)

No page limit. Re-reads and audio books are okay.
You can read as many or as few as you want.
You can read one of each or focus on two or three words.
Duration : April 1 - 30, 2018

Dead man balking: Court rejects Romanian man's claim that he is, in fact, alive
by Associated Press/Mar.16.2018

(view spoiler)[BUCHAREST, Romania — Constantin Reliu learned in January that he was dead.

After more than 20 years of working as a cook in Turkey, the 63-year-old returned home to Romania to discover that his wife had had him officially registered as dead. He has since been living a legalistic nightmare of trying to prove to authorities that he is, in fact, alive.

He faced a major setback Thursday when a court in the northeastern city of Vaslui refused to overturn his death certificate because his request was filed "too late." The decision, the court said, is final.

"I am a living ghost," Reliu told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday from his home in Barlad, northeastern Romania. (hide spoiler)]

Words from the story: FINISHED 6!
January - first published on January 2010 - Midsummer Curse - finished 5/13/2018
dead - one of the mc's wife is dead - It Takes Two to Tumble - finished 5/3/2018
20
cook - one of the mc likes to cook - His Quiet Agent - finished 5/1/2018
Turkey
home
discover - anthology: "discovered" a lot of new authors to me - Summer Bigger Than Others - finished 5/11/2018
wife
officially
nightmare
prove
authorities
alive - one of the mc was found alive after a fire at his house - The Fireman's Pole - finished 5/16/2018
major
court
overturn
too late
decision
living - living in LA, CA - Julian: The Outtakes - finished 5/3/2018
ghost

Words from the story:
January
dead
20
cook
Turkey
home
discover
wife
officially
nightmare
prove
authorities
alive
major
court
overturn
too late
decision
living
ghost

The Challenge Factory
Ripped From the Headlines - May 2018
Duration: May 1st - May 31st

Progress: 20 out of 20

Each month a weird, unusual, or odd news story will be featured. Your task will be to read a book associated with words pulled from the account. You choose how the book connects with the word.
No page limit. Re-reads and audio books are okay.
You can read as many or as few as you want.
You can read one of each or focus on two or three words.

Dead man balking: Court rejects Romanian man's claim that he is, in fact, alive
by Associated Press/Mar.16.2018

BUCHAREST, Romania — Constantin Reliu learned in January that he was dead.

After more than 20 years of working as a cook in Turkey, the 63-year-old returned home to Romania to discover that his wife had had him officially registered as dead. He has since been living a legalistic nightmare of trying to prove to authorities that he is, in fact, alive.

He faced a major setback Thursday when a court in the northeastern city of Vaslui refused to overturn his death certificate because his request was filed "too late." The decision, the court said, is final.

"I am a living ghost," Reliu told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday from his home in Barlad, northeastern Romania.

Words from the story:

January = "I thought this was how the Pack normally celebrated Christmas, when they didn’t have an angry new female werewolf to contend with. It wasn’t until January that I learned the truth." Loc 5508
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

Dead = "To Sarah Manges and Carole DeSanti at Viking for their enthusiasm and dead-on editorial suggestions." Loc 62
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

20 = The Emerald City of OzEric Shanower - **** - 5/1/2018 - 120 Pages - 20 in page count

Cook = "The only person who could have made them was Jeremy, but Jeremy didn’t cook." Loc 846
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

Turkey = "Crows or turkey vultures had found him first, lying exposed in the clearing." Loc 2842
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

home = "Every day I’d come home from work, pause outside the apartment door, and brace myself to open it and find him gone." Loc 311
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

Discover = Giant Days, Vol. 4 by John Allison - ***** - 5/2/2018 - 112 Pages - Discovered her Ex had moved on
Wife = My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding by P.N. Elrod - ***** - 5/3/2018 - 310 Pages - Lots of Soon-to-be-Wives in the story
officially = John Adams by David McCullough - **** - 5/1/2018 - 751 Pages - led an "OFFICIAL" life

nightmare = "Waking up in my room at Stonehaven was like awakening into a Victorian romance nightmare." Loc 794
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

Prove = On the Edge by Ilona Andrews - ***** - 5/4/2018 - 309 Pages - Declan had to prove himself

authorities = "If he’s caught, what will prevent him from telling the authorities about us?” Loc 1049
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

alive = "One doesn’t call the sensation of being flayed alive “painful.”" Loc 100
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

major = "No major argument or rebellion precipitated his departure." Loc 1220
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

court = “He had to fly to Los Angeles for a court case." Loc 932
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

overturn = "People milled around the overturned tables, collecting coats and purses..." Loc 2025
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

too late = "Three days ago the woman’s body had been found, but by then it was too late." Loc 1003
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

decision = "I’d opted to go and now stood there wondering if that was the right decision." Loc 262
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

living = "Come into the living room, Elena." Loc 284
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

ghost = "He drew a new line over the ghost of the last, then erased it." Loc 864
Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - ***** - 5/8/2018 - 436 Pages

Each month a weird, unusual, or odd news story will be featured. Your task will be to read a book associated with words pulled from the account. You choose how the book connects with the word.

No page limit. Re-reads and audio books are okay.
You can read as many or as few as you want.
You can read one of each or focus on two or three words.
Duration : May 1 - 31, 2018
Words completed: 20

Dead man balking: Court rejects Romanian man's claim that he is, in fact, alive
by Associated Press/Mar.16.2018

BUCHAREST, Romania — Constantin Reliu learned in January that he was dead.

After more than 20 years of working as a cook in Turkey, the 63-year-old returned home to Romania to discover that his wife had had him officially registered as dead. He has since been living a legalistic nightmare of trying to prove to authorities that he is, in fact, alive.

He faced a major setback Thursday when a court in the northeastern city of Vaslui refused to overturn his death certificate because his request was filed "too late." The decision, the court said, is final.

"I am a living ghost," Reliu told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday from his home in Barlad, northeastern Romania.

Words from the story:
January Lost and Found e-book pg 20 It's January.
dead Blood Bound e-book pg 40 "I don't need a blanket. I'm not going to be sleeping, I'm going to be dead."
20 Parasite audiobook chapter 2 In less than 20 minutes . . .
cook Blood Bound e-book pg 161 When I'm upset I cook, or clean.
Turkey Animal Farm audiobook @ :15 minutes in "Beasts of England" song
home Blood Bound e-book pg 4 they find someone who won't be missed and bring them home
discover Twin Dragon’s Destiny e-book 1253 only to discover that they were gone.
wife Blood Bound e-book pg 125 My wife told me she gouged a hole in the cement.
officially Blood Bound e-book pg 113 Tomorrow was Saturday when I was officially closed.
nightmare Blood Bound e-book pg 46 Granted his paperwork nightmare had taken a long time to settle.
prove Blood Bound e-book pg 2 I have buckshot scars on my backside to prove it.
authorities Blood Bound e-book pg 77 The local authorities have accepted the story we manufactured.
alive Blood Bound e-book pg 17 If I got out of this alive, I'd never let anyone put a leash on me again.
major Blood Bound e-book pg 116 his website offering online tarot readings for a mere $19.95, all major credit cards accepted.
court Blood Bound e-book pg 38 I'll be asked about this night in full court.
overturn Animal Farm audiobook @ 2:15 overturned a pot of white paint
too late Blood Bound e-book pg 253 I took it as a sign that he would be too late to help.
decision Twin Dragon’s Destiny e-book 2942 The decision to leave was hard.
living Blood Bound e-book pg 95 Who never knew what was living in their midst.
ghost Blood Bound e-book pg 237 I wonder how a vampire could be a ghost

Rissa wrote: "That is nuts! I didn't see that piece of news!"

I can't even imagine what it would be like. You'd be in limbo. Invisible. Helpless.

Ripped from the Headlines
Begins: 01May18 / Ends: 31May18

13 completed

Words from the story: (I alphabetized the list)

20

alive - Libby survives in Dark Places ✔ – 25May18

authorities

cook - M.C. is a cook - The Beauty of Humanity Movement ✔ – 23May18

court - Courtroom scenes - The Rooster Bar ✔ – 01May18

dead - Bones of child discovered in City of Bones ✔ – 22May18

decision - Several characters have to make decisions in Espresso Tales ✔ – 29May18

discover - Ludlum must discover futurist's password in Origin ✔ – 10May18

ghost - Atticus reads The Grey GHOST in To Kill a Mockingbird ✔ – 30May18

home - Cover - ✔ – 17May18

January - Set in January - Smilla's Sense of Snow ✔ – 12May18

living

major - Major teen drama in Mad Love ✔ – 30May18

nightmare - Every hospital's "nightmare: a killer nurse - The Good Nurse ✔ – 05May18

officially

overturn

prove - MC has to prove friend's innocence in Dead, Bath, and Beyond ✔ – 27May18

too late

Turkey

wife - Abby is a wife in A Spool of Blue Thread ✔ – 15May18

It's the best and so far all of the articles were amazing :-)

Ripped From the Headlines - May
Duration: 5/1/18 - 5/31/18
Completed: 20/20

discover: Das Mädchen aus Brooklyn by Guillaume Musso 6* 5/2 lit. translation: The Girl form Brooklyn - shortly before their marriage the male MC discovered some shocking information about his fiancée

prove: Too Hard to Handle by Julie Ann Walker 4* 5/3 - male MC has to prove his love for the female MC

living: One Night with her Roommate by Noelle Adams 4* 5/4 - the MCs live in one house owned by the male MC

nightmare: Erbarmen=The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen 3* 5/5 - a women lives for several lives a nightmare

home: Wenn der Wind singt=Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami 3* 5/8 the MC comes home for study break

cook: The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver 5* 5/9 the perp is an avid hobby cook

officially: Wild Ride by Julie Ann Walker 5* 5/10 officially the Black Knights are custom motorcycle mechanics - in fact an ultra-secret black-ops unit for the American president and the Joint Chiefs

dead: Der Vollstrecker=The Executioner by Chris Carter 3* 5/11 the MCs are working to find out what links the dead people they deal with - so they can find the perp

too late: Lethal Homecoming by Lynette Eason 3* 5/11 female MC finds out almost too late who's trying to kill her

alive: Stim by Kevin Berry 5* 5/13 - after overdosing his medication the male MC feels for the first time in life trully alive

authorities: Explicit by Roxy Sloane 6* 5/15 “It did seem odd because of the amount, and they want a cash sale. But I found out it’s going to be handled through some lawyers in England, so I checked them out with the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority. They’re legit.” loc. 2960-2962

ghost: Naughty Boss by Whitney G. 4* 5/16 I looked up and noticed Brad staring at me as if he’d just seen a ghost. loc. 894

wife: Falling for Her Brother's Best Friend by Noelle Adams 4* 5/16 It was strange being back. It made him feel vulnerable. Like seeing his father’s wife yesterday and embarrassing himself over it with Emma. p 62

Turkey: The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths 3* 5/18 They even went on holiday together, to Italy, Greece and Turkey. p 222

20: A Night With Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Erotic Tale 1* 5/18 a 20 page short story and most likely the longest 20 pages I ever read :-(

major, decision & court: Bedding the Bachelors Boxed Set - Books 1-3 by Virna DePaul:
major: Bedding the Wrong Brother 4* 5/19 the jealousy of the MC's twin-brother leads to a major misunderstanding and it takes 12 years to clear it up
decision: Bedding the Bad Boy 4* 5/20 after being accused of sexual misconduct by a student the female MC is awaiting the decision of the ethic board's hearing
court: Bedding the Billionaire 4* 5/21 They’ve already filed a motion with the court asking that custody of Milly remain with Mason’s sister. loc. 6799-6800

January: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline 5* 5/29 Molly has birthday in January and is awaiting her next birthday urgently so she can leave the forster care system

overturn: No Such Thing As A Secret by Shelly Fredman 4* 5/17 ...theoretically, if you found something at John’s that could help me solve this case, would you turn it over to me? p. 105 *grins* - I'm aware it's a different meaning but still over + turn is part of the expression - this was the closest I came to the word


Dead man balking: Court rejects Romanian man's claim that he is, in fact, alive
by Associated Press/Mar.16.2018

BUCHAREST, Romania — Constantin Reliu learned in January that he was dead.

After more than 20 years of working as a cook in Turkey, the 63-year-old returned home to Romania to discover that his wife had had him officially registered as dead. He has since been living a legalistic nightmare of trying to prove to authorities that he is, in fact, alive.

He faced a major setback Thursday when a court in the northeastern city of Vaslui refused to overturn his death certificate because his request was filed "too late." The decision, the court said, is final.

"I am a living ghost," Reliu told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday from his home in Barlad, northeastern Romania.

Ripped from the Headlines May 2018
May 1 - 31, 2018

January
dead
20
cook MC short order cook Resume Speed 5/5
Turkey
home
discover
wife
officially
nightmare
prove
authorities
alive
major
court
overturn
too late
decision
living
ghost

With some big stretching (for the last word) I completed the challenge. This was so fun - once again :-)

Ripped From the Headlines - May
Duration: 5/1/18 - 5/31/18
Completed: 20/20

discover: Das Mädchen aus Brooklyn by Guillaume Musso 6* 5/2 lit. translation: The Girl form Brooklyn - shortly before their marriage the male MC discovered some shocking information about his fiancée

prove: Too Hard to Handle by Julie Ann Walker 4* 5/3 - male MC has to prove his love for the female MC

living: One Night with her Roommate by Noelle Adams 4* 5/4 - the MCs live in one house owned by the male MC

nightmare: Erbarmen=The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen 3* 5/5 - a women lives for several lives a nightmare

home: Wenn der Wind singt=Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami 3* 5/8 the MC comes home for study break

cook: The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver 5* 5/9 the perp is an avid hobby cook

officially: Wild Ride by Julie Ann Walker 5* 5/10 officially the Black Knights are custom motorcycle mechanics - in fact an ultra-secret black-ops unit for the American president and the Joint Chiefs

dead: Der Vollstrecker=The Executioner by Chris Carter 3* 5/11 the MCs are working to find out what links the dead people they deal with - so they can find the perp

too late: Lethal Homecoming by Lynette Eason 3* 5/11 female MC finds out almost too late who's trying to kill her

alive: Stim by Kevin Berry 5* 5/13 - after overdosing his medication the male MC feels for the first time in life trully alive

authorities: Explicit by Roxy Sloane 6* 5/15 “It did seem odd because of the amount, and they want a cash sale. But I found out it’s going to be handled through some lawyers in England, so I checked them out with the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority. They’re legit.” loc. 2960-2962

ghost: Naughty Boss by Whitney G. 4* 5/16 I looked up and noticed Brad staring at me as if he’d just seen a ghost. loc. 894

wife: Falling for Her Brother's Best Friend by Noelle Adams 4* 5/16 It was strange being back. It made him feel vulnerable. Like seeing his father’s wife yesterday and embarrassing himself over it with Emma. p 62

Turkey: The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths 3* 5/18 They even went on holiday together, to Italy, Greece and Turkey. p 222

20: A Night With Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Erotic Tale 1* 5/18 a 20 page short story and most likely the longest 20 pages I ever read :-(

major, decision & court: Bedding the Bachelors Boxed Set - Books 1-3 by Virna DePaul:
major: Bedding the Wrong Brother 4* 5/19 the jealousy of the MC's twin-brother leads to a major misunderstanding and it takes 12 years to clear it up
decision: Bedding the Bad Boy 4* 5/20 after being accused of sexual misconduct by a student the female MC is awaiting the decision of the ethic board's hearing
court: Bedding the Billionaire 4* 5/21 They’ve already filed a motion with the court asking that custody of Milly remain with Mason’s sister. loc. 6799-6800

January: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline 5* 5/29 Molly has birthday in January and is awaiting her next birthday urgently so she can leave the forster care system

overturn: No Such Thing As A Secret by Shelly Fredman 4* 5/17 ...theoretically, if you found something at John’s that could help me solve this case, would you turn it over to me? p. 105 *grins* - I'm aware it's a different meaning but still over + turn is part of the expression - this was the closest I came to the word

I'm going to say I'm done over on message2. Excepting for the word overturn, I found all the other words.

Update Message 8 = 13 tasks completed

Finished! See message 3! :)