Fall '20 Read-a-Thon: The Weasley Family

[Steven]

My wife got the gentleman part, I provided the Moscow.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

PUZZLE 4: THINGS
These book titles will all start with the word "The".

[Pam]

I didn’t even had a chance to look at the last puzzle! Good job! I’ll take a look at this one when I post tonight. I still have a few hours of reading, while watching football.

[Pam]

Sure. I’m almost done with my book and then I’ll get online and check out the puzzle!

[Maggie]

You all are good! Also I seem to be asleep when all of you are awake and vice versa, haha.

Sure, let's start with T, and N as well for that 2-letter word.

[Pam]

I put in a guess for T and N.

[Pam]

What time zones are you all in? I'm in Mountain.

[Steven]

Pacific, but with the 3 month old time is a relative concept.

[Maggie]

I'm in +8.
I'm impressed you can get any reading done with a 3 month old, Steven.

[Steven]

Fortunately I've got fairly long arms and big hands, so I can hold her while she sleeps on me with one hand and hold my phone with my kindle app in the other. Not much else I can do during that time

[Maggie]

Could it be the fellowship of the ring? I’ll guess L if nobody minds!

[Pam]

Go for it Maggie! I think we have 10 guesses left. I’m not out of bed yet so I haven’t seen the updated puzzle.

[Maggie]

Okay, it looks like the fellowship of the ring. I’ll finish up the guessing and we should have 8 guesses available to start puzzle 5 with.

[Pam]

Thanks Maggie!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

PUZZLE 5: RHYME TIME
The puzzle is a phrase with rhyming words in it or a list of thematically similar things whose names rhyme. In this case, the book title will have a rhyme or alliteration within the title.

[Pam]

I went ahead and guessed T, N, and R on the new puzzle.

[Maggie]

Thanks for guessing, Pam. This is a tough one! I don't think it's a rhyme, because then both words would have a T. So it's likely an alliteration. I'll try L.

[Pam]

Maybe an H to follow the T?

[Maggie]

It's worth a try Pam!

[Perri]

Steven wrote: "Pacific, but with the 3 month old time is a relative concept."

Pacific too. Are you doing OK with the smoke and fires? Congrats on your little one. At least one great thing for you this year!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I think most of y'all are Pacific or Mountain (except for Maggie, who joined later)... I tried to keep the time zones as close together as possible since y'all would have to coordinate guesses :)

[Perri]

Emily wrote: "I think most of y'all are Pacific or Mountain (except for Maggie, who joined later)... I tried to keep the time zones as close together as possible since y'all would have to coordinate guesses :)"

I hadn't noticed that, how nice!

[Pam]

I haven’t had a chance to check the puzzle but will in a couple of hours after dinner. I haven’t had time to read today. Hopefully I will get in an hour or so tonight! Are you guys reading anything good?!

[Pam]

I’m ok with whatever letters you think. I can ck the puzzle in an hour. Still making dinner!

I’m listening to Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead. I saw that my aunt was reading it (and said it was good) and I had visited some family there so I thought it might be interesting. I don’t usually like audiobooks but I try to do a few every year. It’s ok. Parts are funny. It’s easy to listen to.

[Perri]

I just finished listening the The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America's 16th President—and Why It Failed and loved it, I had no idea there was a plot to assassinate him when he was traveling to DC as President-elect. It reads like an action thriller. I can't count it for a book read since I started it before the read-a-thon.

I'm also reading A Discovery of Witches to fulfill the ATY prompt of the genre in your name. Paranormal Romance with a vampire and a witch haha.

Tomorrow I plant to start Me by Elton John. I'm a fan and have heard good things about it. Also doesn't include letters ATY in the title :)

[Pam]

I think its Black Beauty!

[Pam]

Should I guess that??

[Perri]

Good guess!

[Pam]

Perri wrote: "Tomorrow I plant to start Me by Elton John. ..."

I read Me earlier this year and really enjoyed it! Then I watched Rocket Man, after reading the book. I was a big fan in the
early 70s. I think the 2nd album I bought with my own money was Caribou. Hope you like it!

[Pam]

Ok, thanks Perri and Devin! I submitted it.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

PUZZLE 6: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
The book title will (sort of) answer this question.

[Pam]

What letters do we want to start with for the next puzzle?! Want to suggest 3?

[Maggie]

Nice work on black beauty! That one stumped me.
Go ahead Devin, T and N look good.

[Pam]

Sounds good!!

[Perri]

Devin wrote: "Yay! Good guess, Pam. My mom is happy too, because she suggested we guess that lol"

Go Devin's mom! What does she suggest We Are Doing? I'm just trying to hang in there!

Pam , I loved Rocket Man too and thought it was a great film

[Jax]

I put in guesses for T and N since I figure it's late and we can hit the ground running in the morning.

[Irene]

Hi - I'm sorry for being out of the loop! (I had to evacuate due to the fires and just got back home yesterday). I finished 1 book and have started my second.

I'm fine with whatever everyone else wants letter-wise; you guys are doing so good!!

[Pam]

Irene- Sorry that you had to evacuate but glad you could go back home! I can’t imagine how scary it is having to evacuate for any reason. Stay safe!

[Maggie]

Happy to hear you’re back to safety Irene. Was the place you were staying at damaged by the fire?

I wonder if puzzle 6 is How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. I can’t find anything else that fits, but every other book in this challenge has been fiction.

[Irene]

Thanks Pam and Maggie!! This is actually the 3rd time we've had to evacuate this summer, so I'm more or less used to it by now - we have overnight bags with all of our important documents/valuables ready whenever there's a fire nearby. Thankfully our actual house has never been damaged! I think since we're at the base of a mountain (and in a valley) we're just at high-risk of not being able to get out if the fire blocks our exit.

Hope the rest of you stay safe and healthy!!

[Irene]

And Maggie - I think you could be right!! It definitely looks right, and it would also fit the question in the prompt itself.

[Maggie]

That sounds really disruptive to daily life, having to always be prepared to evacuate. I hope this will be your last time.

I’ll guess H, and if that works, we can guess a fourth letter and then the whole title.

[Pam]

That’s probably it. I don’t know what else it could be. ?? Great guess!

[Perri]

Oh gosh Irene. I don't know which is worse, you're having to evacuate or that you're getting used to it! This year I wouldn't be surprised to see zombies shuffling by next! I'm glad you're staying safe

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Since you made it through the first six puzzles I had planned in record speed, you are now entering our LIGHTNING ROUND!

New Rules for the Lightning Round:
- You must get either 2000 pages, 10 audio hours, or 2 books in order to earn one guess.
- In addition to vowels, you are not allowed to guess R, S, or T!

*All previously earned guesses will carry over into the lightning round.

PUZZLE 7: BEST SELLER
This book has been in the first place spot on the NY Times Best Sellers list.

[Steven]

Glad you are safe Irene. We haven’t been evacuated but we are staying indoors because the smoke is bad

[Pam]

We are supposed to get some of that smoke later today in NM. Nothing like the west cost though!

[Pam]

Maybe it is Gone Girl. I was looking through the NY Times Bestsellers. I will guess G and N.

[Pam]

It’s not Gone Girl, so what do you guys want to guess?! No G. Maybe a T or L?

[Perri]

Lightening Round haha Love it. How about L for Blue Moon (Huge Jack Reacher fan here )