You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Alexandra
Almeta
Amanda (Lily)
Aya
Janice
Jayme
Marnie
Nix
Saar the Book Owl
Grainne

This looks like a fun one.

We need
an organizer
a scorekeeper

I volunteer to be scorekeeper unless someone else wants it.

Off to gopher.

Hello teammates, I have not participated in a Toppler in a while. Looking forward to reading with you all.

I am willing to partner with Marnie and keep us organized..

Here are some suggestions for a team name. What have YOU got?

Oddballs
Betting on the Odds
Odd Couples {Pairs}
Odd Squad

Opposites Attract Main Page

Task: Read books from this Opposites list with opposite words in the title. (view spoiler)[

Black
White

Hot
Cold

Summer
Winter

Love
Hate

Up
Down

On
Off

Wet
Dry

Top
Bottom

Front
Back

Big
Small

First
Last

Right
Left

Open
Close

Clean
Dirty

Empty
Full

Fast
Slow

Tall
Short

In
Out

Day
Night

Happy
Sad

Soft
Hard

Thick
Thin

Always
Never

All
None

Yes
No

Beginning
End

Loud
Quiet

Old
New
(hide spoiler)]

Thanks for setting up our team page, Marnie.
I like the team name Oddballs, Almeta. And thanks for being our team gurus Marnie and Almeta.

Update:
From my gophering I have the following books. It doesn't matter to me which ones I read, so I can read to match opposites. I can commit to 5 books for sure.

On - Sober On A Drunk Planet: Giving Up Alcohol
Out - Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out - with Almeta
Cold - Cold Comfort Farm
Love - Love & Saffron, Of Love and Shadows
First - First Lie Wins - with Almeta
White - The Girl in White

Will read:
Night - Night Watch 6/11
Day - A Bad Day for Sunshine 6/7

On Pause:
First - First Degree
Last - The Last Flight

Up/Down - I also have a 2 for 1 book Float Up, Sing Down: Stories if we need points towards the end, or need to slate it somewhere.

Wouldn't you know, I just read Never Flinch by Stephen King and so can't use it! Maybe someone else could.

Another suggestion: The Cat Who Turned On and Off by Lillian Jackson Braun

Alexandra wrote: "Hello team Odd, I’m looking forward to doing this toppler with you.

Thank you very much for being team captains, Marnie and Almeta!!! I also like the name „Oddballs“, I would definitely identify m..."

Hey Alexandra - I don' think you can use I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban because "up" is in the subtitle. 🥲 It is a really good book though.

Hi hi! I don't read as many as before, so maybe I can commit to 2-3 books.

Night: The Night Diary
On: Five on Kirrin Island Again
Full: A Head Full of Ghosts

Jayme wrote: "Alexandra wrote: "Hello team Odd, I’m looking forward to doing this toppler with you.

Thank you very much for being team captains, Marnie and Almeta!!! I also like the name „Oddballs“, I would def..."

Oh no, damn. I was so excited when I found it on my TBR, but you’re absolutely right, Jayme. Thanks for mentioning. I’m off to gopher again…

Gophering was fun! Any match ups?

Cold Cold Storage, Alaska
Last The Last Bookstore on Earth w/Jayme
Fast Dead Fast
Night Second Night Stand
All Mistress of All Evil w/Alexandra
In In the Shadow of the Glacier
in Muppets in Moscow
in The Second-Worst Restaurant in France
In In Other Rooms, Other Wonders w/Jayme
Out Odd Girl Out w/Alexandra

Jayme wrote: "From my gophering I have the following books. It doesn't matter to me which ones I read, so I can read to match opposites. I can commit to 5/6 books for sure...."

@Jayme

??? You want to team up with me for:
IN/OUT
In ~ In Other Rooms, Other Wonders
Out - Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out

Good morning everyone. Thanks to Marnie & Almeta for starting the ball rolling and organizing this bunch of oddballs (I like that team title as well).

Here is what I can do. (maybe 5 books all totaled if I can sneak in two print books)

I can take the Black and White category with:
The Black Loch (audiobook)
White Rose, Black Forest (print)

I can match Day Night with
Day Zero

If I finish White Rose, I can take always
Always You and Me

I have other books I've gophered, but I'll hold off to see what needs matching. These books are my preferenes.

Oh yeah - the White Rose, Black Forest gives us bonus points.

Almeta wrote: "Jayme wrote: "From my gophering I have the following books. It doesn't matter to me which ones I read, so I can read to match opposites. I can commit to 5/6 books for sure...."

@Jayme

??? You wa..."

Yes, I'll team up for in/out. I will read First Lie Wins to match your last book (I want to make sure I get to it because it works for the annual challenge too. :) . I'll put my other first/last pairing on pause to read if I have time.

Update:
What I am reading for sure:

Out - Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out teaming with Almeta's In Other Rooms, Other Wonders
First - First Lie Wins teaming with Almeta's The Last Bookstore on Earth

My own pair:
Night/Day - Night Watch & A Bad Day for Sunshine

I can also pick up one or two more reads - depending on the length - but will wait to see what needs to be plugged in as the week progresses.

Janice wrote: "Oh yeah - the White Rose, Black Forest gives us bonus points."

Does it give us bonus points? I read it that we don't get the 1 extra bonus point for it - just 2 points? I guess that is a bonus because it isn't two books :)

Hi team!

I want to commit to the 2 below, I might add more later

End - The End of October
Last - The Last White Man

Hello all! I can commit to at least 2 books, I usually read more but I don't want to over-commit and not come through.

I'm willing to read any of these books, just slot me in wherever is needed.

Black - Black Woods Blue Sky
Cold - A Killing Cold
Love - Love and the Silver Lining
Up - All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir
Dry - The Dry
Big - One Big Happy Family
Small - Small Angels
First - First, Become Ashes
Last - Famous Last Words
Right - The Right Sort of Man
Left - None Left to Tell
Close - Close Your Eyes and Count to 10
Day - A Bad Day for Sunshine
Night - Middle of the Night
Happy - One Big Happy Family
Always - It's Always the Husband
Never - What Never Happened
End - The Last Murder at the End of the World
New - The New Couple in 5B

Oh no, I accidentally deleted my other post regarding the books I wanted to commit to. So here again:

Love - Die Liebe an miesen Tagen unfortunately there is no English Version available but „Liebe“ means „love“
In - The Girl in the Ice
Hard - Hard Land

I will continue gophering for a fourth book so maybe I can match some of yours.

Almeta, I could read And Then There Were None and match your „all“?

I’m going to commit to 4 books then add after if I have time- which I should.

Day-Dog Day Afternoon
Night- Night School

All- We Won't All Survive
None- Harm None

I’ve already borrowed them from the library so all set.

PS I like the name Oddballs

Jayme wrote: "Janice wrote: "Oh yeah - the White Rose, Black Forest gives us bonus points."

Does it give us bonus points? I read it that we don't get the 1 extra bonus point for it - just 2 points? I guess that..."

Apparently not. It helps if I read through things a little closer. I guess I could count it for both Black and White, but we'd get no bonus points for the pair. Not an issue since I'll read it for "white". With the Black Loch for Black, we'll get three points.

We are officially Oddballs. :)

Janice wrote: "Oh yeah - the White Rose, Black Forest gives us bonus points."

I thought that at first as well. No we don't get the bonus for that. We DO get two points for the one book, when both words are in the one title.

We get the bonus when two team members work together to form the pair. (Or when one member reads two books that make a pair.)

Jayme wrote: "....First - First Lie Wins teaming with Almeta's The Last Bookstore on Earth..."

Yes, I agree to that.

Alexandra wrote: "Almeta, I could read And Then There Were None and match your „all“?"

Okay, I will read for All
Mistress of All Evil

Almeta wrote: "Janice wrote: "Oh yeah - the White Rose, Black Forest gives us bonus points."

I thought that at first as well. No we don't get the bonus for that. We DO get two points for the one book, when both ..."

I just say "fun bonus" and read no further, assuming we'd get a bonus if a title had two words of the pair in it. Bad mod!

Ayacchi wrote: "Hi hi! I don't read as many as before, so maybe I can commit to 2-3 books.

Night: The Night Diary
On: Five on Kirrin Island Again
Full: A Head Full of Ghosts with Janice's Day Zero

We will work on pairing the others up. Thanks.

@Janice

I have paired Day Zero with Aya's The Night Diary

Perfect!

I don't want to rush you, but is there a spreadsheet in progress, or do you need someone to help in that respect?

Amanda wrote: "Hello all! I can commit to at least 2 books, I usually read more but I don't want to over-commit and not come through.

I'm willing to read any of these books, just slot me in wherever is needed.
..."

Thank you for your EXTENSIVE list!

I am going to wait for Saar to check in before I work with you to match some pairs.

Janice wrote: "Perfect!

I don't want to rush you, but is there a spreadsheet in progress, or do you need someone to help in that respect?"

I am almost done with the spreadsheet. I am fine tuning some of the formats now. Thanks for the offer though.

I just sent a private message with the link.

@Alexandra

I paired The Girl in the Ice with Odd Girl Out

Almeta wrote: "@Alexandra

I paired The Girl in the Ice with Odd Girl Out"

Perfect, thank you!

@Amanda,

I haven't heard from Saar yet, but there are books on your list that we could use to complete pairs right now.

Will you read these?

First - First, Become Ashes
Day - A Bad Day for Sunshine
Never - What Never Happened

Grainne will be joining your team.

@Oddballs

If you find that you have room for one more book, we could use titles with these words to make a pair and earn a bonus.

WHITE
HOT claimed by Grainne
HATE
OFF
SLOW
EMPTY
SOFT
BEGINNING claimed by Alexandra
OUT claimed by Grainne

Kristie wrote: "Grainne will be joining your team."

WONDERFUL!

Kristie wrote: "Grainne will be joining your team."

Yay!

Almeta wrote: "@Amanda,

I haven't heard from Saar yet, but there are books on your list that we could use to complete pairs right now.

Will you read these?

First - First, Become Ashes
Day - A Bad Day for Suns..."

Yes, sounds good!

For those of you who are accepting messages, I have sent the link to the Oddball Spreadsheet.

Almeta

That list of words for a bonus is so helpful!!! I will definitely use it as I add books. Thank you!!!

Almeta wrote: "For those of you who are accepting messages, I have sent the link to the Oddball Spreadsheet."

Um, for the ones who are not sure if they would get said messages, how and where could one change it for the purpose of receiving this spreadsheet? Im asking for a friend…

Hey Oddballs!

I am glad to be joining you.
I can read for
HOT The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks
and
OUT A Light That Never Goes Out: A Memoir

Grainne wrote: "Hey Oddballs!

I am glad to be joining you.
I can read for
HOT The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks
and
OUT A Light That Never Goes Out: A Memoir"


Welcome!

And thanks for jumping right in.

Almeta wrote: "@Oddballs

If you find that you have room for one more book, we could use titles with these words to make a pair and earn a bonus.

HOT claimed by Grainne
HATE
OFF
SLOW
EMPTY
SOFT
BEGINNING
OUT cl..."

I can read A Curious Beginning

Hi everyone, I totally forgot about the topler and was messaging Almet what that link was in my mail. Halfway the mail my brains started to work. Of course, the topler! Glad I didn't send the message.

I can commit to 2, maybe 3 books if they are not big:
- Winter: Een winter in Parijs (Sorry, it's a Dutch translation)
- Summer: One Italian Summer
- Black: Black Beauty

Saar The Book owl wrote: "Hi everyone, I totally forgot about the topler and was messaging Almet what that link was in my mail. Halfway the mail my brains started to work. Of course, the topler! Glad I didn't send the message..."

Good to see you Saar.

I added Winter and Summer as "committed" and Black as "tentative".

The gang's all here. Yay!

Alexandra wrote: "Almeta wrote: "For those of you who are accepting messages, I have sent the link to the Oddball Spreadsheet."

Um, for the ones who are not sure if they would get said messages, how and where could one change it for the purpose of receiving this spreadsheet? Im asking for a friend…..."

I believe messages are not allowed when a person's profile is set to private and the sender is not a FRIEND.

If any Oddball not receiving my private message about the spreadsheet links wants it, I will send out a FRIEND REQUEST for their approval. Then I can send out the link and other private messages.

Almeta wrote: "Alexandra wrote: "Almeta wrote: "For those of you who are accepting messages, I have sent the link to the Oddball Spreadsheet."

Um, for the ones who are not sure if they would get said messages, h..."

Thank you, Almeta. I checked the settings and discovered that I have set them to private. But I am embarrassingly bad when it comes to tech things („technically challenged“ to put it mildly).