Pick-a-Shelf discussion

This is based on the "spelling" challenges however with twists that I'm fond of.

We'll be "spelling" PICK A SHELF

🕯️ Title (exclude subtitle)
Option 1:
Read books with at least 2 words in title where first letter of each word can be found in PICK A SHELF. Letters can only be used as often as they appear (which means once as there is no repeat). To complete this task you would have used all the letters in PICK A SHELF.

Option 2
Read one-word-title books where first letter of word can be found in PICK A SHELF. To complete this task, you would have read 10 books

🕯️ Author
Option 1
Read books where author's initials (all) can be found in PICK A SHELF. Letters can only be used as often as they appear (which means once as there is no repeat). To complete this task you would have used all the letters in PICK A SHELF.

Option 2
Read books where author's first OR last initial can be found in PICK A SHELF but their first/last (whichever you opted to do) names must have exactly 5 letters.

🧁 Extra:
A combo of Options 1 from Title & Author: ie. Read books with at least 2 words in title where first letter of each word can be found in PICK A SHELF AND where author's initials (all) can be found in PICK A SHELF. Letters can only be used as often as they appear (which means once as there is no repeat). To complete this task you would have used all the letters in PICK A SHELF.
Example Sign Here by Claudia Lux
Letters found in title & author's initials: S H C L
can be found in piCk a SHeLf
then you are left to read for PI K A E F

You may pick one option or you may do ALL the options and you may do them whenever you wish (ie. one after the other or all at the same time).

The Birthday Game (2023)

TITLE (Option 1)
P
I
C
K

A

S
H
E
L
F

AUTHOR (Option 1)
PICK A SHELF
📖
📖
📖

EXTRA COMBO (Option 1)
PICK A SHELF
📖
📖
📖

Sounds fun!
Reserving this spot.
Is this challenge open ended or is there an end date?

TITLE (Option 1)
P Planets Invisible Planets✔️
I Invisible Invisible Planets✔️
C Cat She and Her Cat✔️
K Knows Elena Knows✔️

A And She and Her Cat✔️

S She She and Her Cat✔️
H Her She and Her Cat✔️
E Elena Elena Knows✔️
L Little Little Family✔️
F Family Little Family✔️

TITLE (Option 2)
P Prophet✔️
I Inheritance✔️
C Cut✔️
K Kindred✔️

A Atlas✔️

S Saga, Volume 10 ✔️
H Heartstopper ✔️
E Elektra✔️
L Landline ✔️
F Flyaway✔️

AUTHOR (Option 1)

P Penny The Cruellest Month✔️
I Itami Fault Lines✔️
C Claire Foster✔️
K Keegan Foster✔️

A Ali Companion Piece✔️

S Smith Companion Piece✔️
H Helen Mad About the Boy ✔️
E Emily Fault Lines✔️
L Louise The Cruellest Month✔️
F Fielding Mad About the Boy ✔️

AUTHOR (Option 2)

P Penny A Rule Against Murder✔️
I India The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels✔️
C Colum TransAtlantic✔️
K Karen Swamplandia!✔️

A Annie Happening✔️

S Sally The Hating Game
H Homes Days of Awe: Stories✔️
E Emezi You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty✔️
L Laura The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World✔️
F Fiona A Family of Strangers✔️

EXTRA COMBO
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim✔️
Little by Edward Carey ✔️
Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough✔️

Title (Option 2)
P Porgy
I Intangible
C Coraline
K Kate : the Journal of a Confederate Nurse

A A-List

S StarCrossed
H Hourglass
E Exile
L Lirael
F Foundation

Author (Option 2 - last initial)
P Louise Penny - The Long Way Home
I Claude Izner - Murder on the Eiffel Tower
C Cassandra Clark - Hangman Blind
K Rochelle Majer Krich - Fertile Ground

A Ellery Adams - The Secret, Book & Scone Society

S Marilyn Sue Shank - Child of the Mountains
H T.L. Huchu - The Library of the Dead
E Joy Ellis - The Murderer's Son
L Pam Lewis - A Young Wife
F Agatha Frost - Pancakes and Corpses

As always, I want to join. We'll see how this goes.

The Birthday Game (2023)

TITLE (Option 1)
P
I
C -
K

A

S
H
E
L
F

AUTHOR (Option 1)
PICK A SHELF
📖
📖
📖

EXTRA COMBO (Option 1)
PICK A SHELF
📖
📖
📖

If I understand this correctly, title option one must have every word in the title fit into the letters that you have open for pick a shelf. So Lessons In Chemistry would work, but The Raging Storm would not because there is no R.

Also, what are we thinking about titles beginning with A, The, etc?

Yes, your examples are correct, Lyn,

All words (including A, The, etc) are counted

@Meg: it's open ended

Title (option 1)
P-
I-
C-
K-

A-

S-
H-
E-
L-
F-
Author- (option 2 last initial)
P-
I-
C-
K-

A-

S-
H
E-
L-
F-

Tien wrote: "Yes, your examples are correct, Lyn,

All words (including A, The, etc) are counted

@Meg: it's open ended"

So glad that there is no time frame on this one. I was at the library and decided to check the shelves for an I author with 5 letters in the last name as I had none that fit on my lists. Found it and checked it out only to wonder if the game could start so soon! I think I will hold it and start the game October 1.

Thanks Tien! Can you confirm I've got it right (apart from still needing to add one author CK and a few titles)?

Meg wrote: "Thanks Tien! Can you confirm I've got it right (apart from still needing to add one author CK and a few titles)?"

All good, Meg! and Well done on finding the combos! I thought they were hard lol

Tien wrote: "Meg wrote: "Thanks Tien! Can you confirm I've got it right (apart from still needing to add one author CK and a few titles)?"

All good, Meg! and Well done on finding the combos! I thought they wer..."

Yes it was hard! I went through my whole 1400+ tbr and managed to find two different combinations that worked

Wow, that's even more amazing, 2 different combinations! I'm not even sure I could ha ha ha

Do subtitles count, or do we ignore them?

Tien wrote: "Wow, that's even more amazing, 2 different combinations! I'm not even sure I could ha ha ha"

If anyone is looking for ideas, here's my other combo option:
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
Lioness by Emily Perkins
Apartment 303 by Kelli Hawkins
(If it's OK to ignore the number)

Lagullande wrote: "Do subtitles count, or do we ignore them?"

Just title so no subtitles for this

My spot

🕯️ Title (exclude subtitle)
✔ Option 1
Read books with at least 2 words in title where first letter of each word can be found in PICK A SHELF. Letters can only be used as often as they appear (which means once as there is no repeat). To complete this task you would have used all the letters in PICK A SHELF.
P - Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope, 7 Nov 23
I - Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, 3 Mar 24
C - Sohwa la Chamane by Jo Jung-Rae, 27 Feb 24
K - Killing Floor by Lee Child, 17 Nov 23
A - All Change by Elizabeth Jane Howard, 19 May 24
S - Sohwa la Chamane by Jo Jung-Rae, 27 Feb 24
H - Hallucinating Foucault by Patricia Duncker, 9 Nov 23
E - Love in Excess by Eliza Fowler Haywood, 22 Sep 24
L - Sohwa la Chamane by Jo Jung-Rae, 27 Feb 24
F - Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope, 7 Nov 23

✔ Option 2
Read one-word-title books where first letter of word can be found in PICK A SHELF. To complete this task, you would have read 10 books
P - Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter, 19 May 24
I - Indigo by Marina Warner, 16 July 24
C - Chaka by Thomas Mofolo, 21 Dec 23
K - Kokoro by Natsume Soseki, 13 Aug 24
A - Ask by Ryan Levesque, 30 Dec 23
S - Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd, 26 Jan 24
H - Heller by J.D. Nixon, 30 Jun 24
E - Enquiry by Dick Francis, 5 Jan 24
L - Lamentation by C.J. Sansom, 27 Sep 23
F - Foe by J.M. Coetzee, 20 Oct 23

🕯️ Author
✔ Option 1
Read books where author's initials (all) can be found in PICK A SHELF. Letters can only be used as often as they appear (which means once as there is no repeat). To complete this task you would have used all the letters in PICK A SHELF.
P - Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield, 30 Sep 23
I - Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, 3 Mar 24
C - The Glimpses of the Moon by Edmund Crispin, 22 Nov 23
K - The Melancholy of Resistance by László Krasznahorkai, 17 Nov 23
A - Eyeless in Gaza by Aldous Huxley, 11 Oct 23
S - Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield, 30 Sep 23
H - Eyeless in Gaza by Aldous Huxley, 11 Oct 23
E - The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart, 22 Oct 23
L - Reputation by Lex Croucher, 29 Sep 23
F - The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa, 26 Apr 24

✔ Option 2
Read books where author's first OR last initial can be found in PICK A SHELF but their first/last (whichever you opted to do) names must have exactly 5 letters.
P - If This Is a Man by Primo Levi, 2 Feb 24
I - Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, 3 Mar 24
C - Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken, 20 Oct 23
K - War with the Newts by Karel Čapek, 20 Nov 23
A - The Caravaners by Elizabeth von Arnim, 11 May 24
S - Death Goes on Skis by Nancy Spain, 15 Dec 23
H - Call It Sleep by Henry Roth, 11 Mar 24
E - Love in Excess by Eliza Fowler Haywood, 22 Sep 24
L - Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington, 20 Feb 24
F - Full Hearts and Empty Bellies vy Winifred Foley, 31 Oct 24

Birthday Game

Authors - Option 1 - DONE!

P - The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave - 12/9/23

I - The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende - 12/4/23

C - The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave - 12/9/23

K - After That Night by Karin Slaughter - 10/17/23

A - The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende - 12/4/23

S - After That Night by Karin Slaughter - 10/17/23

H - Book Lovers by Emily Henry - 11/19/23

E - Book Lovers by Emily Henry - 11/19/23

L - Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein - 12/7/23

F - Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein - 12/7/23

Read: 11/11

Title (Option 1):
✅ Killing Floor - Nov. 2024
✅ Peony in Love - Jan 2024
✅Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady - May 2025
✅ System Collapse - May 2024

Author (Option 1):
✅ Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie - 10/22/23
✅The Dragon Head of Hong Kong by Ian Hamilton - 3/17/25
✅ The Hidden Girl and Other Stories by Ken Liu - 2/19/24
✅ Gateway by Frederik Pohl - 7/30/24
✅ This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub - 11/23/24

Extra: Completed Aug.
✅ A Killing for Christ by Pete Hamill - 5/15/24
✅ Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson - 8/8/24

i'm going for the spell the words

Book Titles:
P
I
C
K
A
S
H
E
L
F

Author Name
P
I
C
K
A
S
H
E
L
F

Jayme wrote: "Title (option 1)

L-Magic's Promiseby Mercedes Lackey 09/23/23
F-"

Is this spelled wrong, Jayme? If not, "Lackey" has 6 letters rather than five. I've been having trouble with spotting 5 vs 6 myself.

Susan wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Title (option 1)

L-Magic's Promiseby Mercedes Lackey 09/23/23
F-"

Is this spelled wrong, Jayme? If not, "Lackey" has 6 letters rather than five. I've been..."
I will take it off.

I will give this try. Knowing my gluttony for challenges, I'll probably come back and do both options for each!😁

The Birthday Game (2023)
October 2023 -- October 2024

My The Birthday Game Challenge (msg 24)

Books read🚦27

Title🚦Option 1
Read books with at least 2 words in title & the first letter of each word is in PICK A SHELF



✅P 🚦Penmort🚦Penmort Castle🚦11.12 ★★★★
✅I🚦I🚦For I Have Sinned 🚦0.04 ★★★
✅C🚦Castle🚦Penmort Castle🚦11.12 ★★★★
✅K🚦Knight🚦Knight Awakened🚦02.06 ★★★★

✅A🚦Awakened🚦Knight Awakened🚦02.06 ★★★★

✅S🚦Sinned🚦For I Have Sinned🚦10.04 ★★★
✅H🚦Have🚦For I Have Sinned🚦10.04 ★★★
✅E🚦Ends🚦Loose Ends🚦07.23 ★★★★
✅L🚦Loose🚦Loose Ends🚦07.23 ★★★★
✅F🚦For🚦For I Have Sinned🚦10.04 ★★★


Author🚦Option 1
Read books where author's initials (all) can be found in PICK A SHELF



✅P🚦Phillips, Carly🚦Destiny🚦12.10 ★★★★
✅I🚦Ivy, Alexandra🚦A Very Levet Christmas🚦05.01 ★★★
✅C🚦Carly Phillips🚦Destiny🚦12.10 ★★★★
✅K🚦Kim Fox🚦Axel🚦01.22 ★★★

✅A🚦Alexandra Ivy🚦A Very Levet Christmas🚦05.01 ★★★

✅S🚦Shelly Laurenston🚦Badger to the Bone🚦10.16 ★★★★
✅H🚦Hunter, Elizabeth🚦Psychic Dreams🚦11.09 ★★★★
✅E🚦Elizabeth Hunter🚦Psychic Dreams🚦11.09 ★★★★
✅L🚦Laurenston, Shelly🚦Badger to the Bone🚦10.16 ★★★★
✅F🚦Fox, Kim🚦Axel🚦01.22 ★★★


Title 🚦Option 2
Read one-word-title books where first letter of word can be found in PICK A SHELF



✅P🚦Play🚦10.10 ★★★★
✅I🚦Identity🚦02.24 ★★★★
✅C🚦Cakewalk🚦05.29 ★★★★
✅K🚦Kyle🚦12.02 ★★★

✅A🚦April🚦03.27 ★★★

✅S🚦Sawyer🚦02.11 ★★★
✅H🚦Hawke🚦04.03 ★★★★
✅E🚦Exposed🚦12.22 ★★★★
✅L🚦Lucas🚦03.15 ★★★
✅F🚦Faefever🚦10.12 ★★★★


Author🚦Option 2
Read books where author's first OR last initial is in PICK A SHELF & has only 5 letters



✅P🚦Paige Tyler🚦To Love a Wolf🚦10.31 ★★★★
✅I🚦Ilona Andrews🚦Magic Claims🚦11.22 ★★★★
✅C🚦Chloe Liese🚦Better Hate than Never🚦06.06 ★★★★
✅K🚦Kylie Scott🚦Deep🚦03.02 ★★★★

✅A🚦Arden, Susan🚦Twice Tempted🚦07.18 ★★★

✅S🚦Susan Arden🚦Twice Tempted🚦07.18 ★★★
✅H🚦Hanna, Rachel🚦Loving Tessa🚦02.27 ★★★
✅E🚦Erica Spindler🚦Cause for Alarm🚦01.11 ★★★★
✅L🚦Liese, Chloe🚦Better Hate than Never🚦06.06 ★★★★
✅F🚦Force, Marie🚦How Much I Love🚦06.09 ★★★★

LaurLa wrote: "I will give this try. Knowing my gluttony for challenges, I'll probably come back and do both options for each!😁"

You and I both LOL

🕯️ Title (exclude subtitle)
Option 1:
Read books with at least 2 words in title where first letter of each word can be found in PICK A SHELF.
P-
I-
C- Apple Cider Slaying (A Cider Shop Mystery #1) by Julie Anne Lindsey -Read 10/17
K-

A- Apple Cider Slaying (A Cider Shop Mystery #1) by Julie Anne Lindsey -Read 10/17

S- Apple Cider Slaying (A Cider Shop Mystery #1) by Julie Anne Lindsey -Read 10/17
H-
E-
L-
F-

Option 2
Read one-word-title books where first letter of word can be found in PICK A SHELF. To complete this task, you would have read 10 books
P- Poesi by Helen Gade -Read 12/22
I- Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby -Read 03/02
C- Crash by J.G. Ballard -Read 02/03
K-

A-

S- Snow by Orhan Pamuk -Read 12/4
H- Hunted by Meagan Spooner -Read 10/14
E-
L- Limberlost by Robbie Arnott -Read 10/20
F-

🕯️ Author
Option 1
Read books where author's initials (all) can be found in PICK A SHELF.
P- Penny Farmer - Dead In The Water -Read 01/08/24
I- Arnaldur Indriðason - Reykjavik Nights -Read 10/06
C- Cristina Sanders - Displaced -Read 10/09
K- Hisashi Kashiwai - The Kamogawa Food Detectives -Read 10/13

A- Arnaldur Indriðason - Reykjavik Nights -Read 10/06

S- Cristina Sanders - Displaced -Read 10/09
H- Hisashi Kashiwai - The Kamogawa Food Detectives -Read 10/13
E- Eleanor Limprecht - The Passengers -Read 01/02
L- Eleanor Limprecht - The Passengers -Read 01/02
F- Penny Farmer - Dead In The Water -Read 01/08/24

Option 2
Read books where author's first OR last initial can be found in PICK A SHELF but their first/last (whichever you opted to do) names must have exactly 5 letters.
P-
I-
C- Jung Chang - Empress Dowager Cixi -Read 11/03

K- Kiran Millwood Hargrave - The Deathless Girls -Read 01/18

A- Katharine J. Adams - Tonight, I Burn (Thorn Witch #1) -Read 11/21

S- Luanne G. Smith - The Witch’s Lens (The Order of the Seven Stars #1) -Read 11/24
H- Helen H. Durrant - Dead Silent (Calladine & Bayliss #2) -Read 12/27
E- Erica Ferencik - Into the Jungle -Read 12/22
L- Logan Ryles - Point Blank (A Mason Sharpe Thriller #1) -Read 12/15
F- Farah Oomerbhoy - The Last of the Firedrakes (The Avalonia Chronicles #1) -Read 11/28

🧁 Extra:
PICK A SHELF

1. Highfire by Eoin Colfer -Read 11/19
Letters used: C H E
Letters left: PIK A SLF

The Birthday Game

Title (exclude subtitle)
Option 2:
Read one-word-title books where first letter of word can be found in PICK A SHELF. To complete this task, you would have read 10 books.

✔P Provenance - fin 10/28
✔I Ink - fin 12/17
✔C Closure- fin 12/23
✔K Keeper - fin 11/22

✔A Agency - fin 1/18/24

✔S Spark - fin 4/7
✔H Hana - fin 11/6
✔E Extinct - fin 11/2
✔L Lost BTM Jan - fin 1/23
✔F Freshwater BTM Feb - fin 2/24

AUTHOR
Option 1:
Read books where author's initials (all) can be found in PICK A SHELF. Letters can only be used as often as they appear (which means once as there is no repeat). To complete this task you would have used all the letters in PICK A SHELF.

PICK A SHELF
📖 Dancing with Myself, by {a:Charles Sheffield|32276] - fin 10/17
📖 Godless, by Pete Hautman - fin 11/1
📖 Grave Goods (Mistress of the Art of Death #3) - fin 11/3
📖 The Lost Code - fin 12/31
📖 This Perfect Day (Ira Levin) - fin 12/23

✔P Pete Hautman
✔I Ira Levin
✔C Charles Sheffield (Dancing With Myself)
✔K Kevin Emerson (The Lost Code)]

✔A Ariana Franklin (Grave Goods)

✔S Charles Sheffield
✔H Pete Hautman
✔E Kevin Emerson
✔L Ira Levin
✔F Ariana Franklin

AUTHOR OPTION COMPLETED 12/23/31
TITLE OPTION - COMPLETED 4/7/24

I have a couple questions about Authors (Option 1).

First, when you say "author's initials (all)," does that mean the middle initial also, if that is commonly used? For example, Laurie R. King.

Second, can I use an author who meets the requirements even if I only need to count one of their initials? For example, if I've already recorded Ann Leckie for "A" and "L," may I also use Louise Penny for "P," even though I don't need her for "L"?

LaurLa wrote: "I will give this try. Knowing my gluttony for challenges, I'll probably come back and do both options for each!😁"

Great idea!

I gave up trying to find combos for the Extra. I kept coming across the same combo of letters! I did have some luck with single word titles but then realized I couldn't use those. I also would think I'd have it with the title letters then realize I still needed to use the author initials, and that's when I would fail because inevitably one of the letters was already used.

It's an interesting (and fun-ish) idea. I might come back later and try again to find the Extra combo task after I've finished the others. I didn't exhaust my TBR looking, pretty close though, so there may be combos lurking I just got too tired to keep looking for.

Susan wrote: "I have a couple questions about Authors (Option 1).

First, when you say "author's initials (all)," does that mean the middle initial also, if that is commonly used? For example, Laurie R. King.

S..."

Yes to your first question and No to your second

LaurLa wrote: "I gave up trying to find combos for the Extra. I kept coming across the same combo of letters! I did have some luck with single word titles but then realized I couldn't use those. I also would thin..."

I'm not even planning, LaurLa! I reckon I'd just get too frustrated!! I'm just gonna try my luck for now lol

Tien wrote: "Yes to your first question and No to your second
"

That's what I was afraid of. That makes it so much harder, especially question 2. Oh, well. Back to the drawing board.

I've been struggling with a few letters for Option 2 for Titles, after realizing I had planned Option 1 entirely wrong and giving up on it. And I found there are lists of one-word titles in Listopia - here's one: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...

Wow! I forgot about this game. Now to see if anything I have read will help me work on it.

I completely forgot I was doing this game! I was wondering why I had added all these books to my read next list. But I read them anyway and I've finished a full set! I am also going to go for the other title/author options, so I'm not totally finished yet.

TITLE (Option 2)
P Prophet✔️
I Inheritance✔️
C Cut✔️
K Kindred✔️

A Atlas✔️

S Saga, Volume 10 ✔️
H Heartstopper ✔️
E Elektra✔️
L Landline ✔️
F Flyaway✔️

AUTHOR (Option 1)

P Penny The Cruellest Month✔️
I Itami Fault Lines✔️
C Claire Foster✔️
K Keegan Foster✔️

A Ali Companion Piece✔️

S Smith Companion Piece✔️
H Helen Mad About the Boy ✔️
E Emily Fault Lines✔️
L Louise The Cruellest Month✔️
F Fielding Mad About the Boy ✔️


EXTRA COMBO
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim✔️
Little by Edward Carey ✔️
Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough✔️

Finally finished this one!!

I just edited message # 27.

I'm still plugging away at my second round. 4 books to go

Meg wrote: "I'm still plugging away at my second round. 4 books to go"

Meg, I am with you. I finished the second round but am plugging away at the first round.

I managed to finish in under a year!
My last group:

TITLE (Option 1)
P Planets Invisible Planets✔️
I Invisible Invisible Planets✔️
C Cat She and Her Cat✔️
K Knows Elena Knows✔️

A And She and Her Cat✔️

S She She and Her Cat✔️
H Her She and Her Cat✔️
E Elena Elena Knows✔️
L Little Little Family✔️
F Family Little Family✔️

Well, I took me a full year (mostly because I forgot to check on it at certain points), but I finally finished!
Updated post: My The Birthday Game Challenge (msg 24)

Books read🚦27

It took me a year and 5 weeks, I finished on October 31. I think I read 32 books, but I didn't really keep track of the books that were used more than once. The option that took me longest was the authors with 5 letter names.

Finally finished the last book from this game. I don't know why, but I really wanted to finish this one and kept carrying it over year to year.