Vicki and Trisha's Relay Marathon Challenge

[Trisha]

Completion Post:

Final completion for a series

Book: Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice
Author: Elle Cosimano
Read: 9/27
Rating: 4 stars
How it works: #4 in the Finlay Donovan series

[Trisha]

We've completed Training #3

and I rolled the dice:

2 & 1 for a total of 3

[Erica, Quality Control Supervisor]

3 works, but I only have prompts through 6. So next time set the dice roll to just roll a single die... ;-)

3 = You get lost on the way to a race so you start a bit late, and now there's no way you can set a PR (Personal Record). Spell out MISSED CHANCE -or- read a book with the word Lost in the title.
Relay teams must each read the optional book listed as an alternate if they opt not to do the spell out.

[Vicki]

Team Tracking Post:
MISSED CHANCE Spell Out

M-
I-
S- Sleep Tight
S-
E-
D-

C-
H-
A-
N-
C-
E-

[Vicki]

I assumed you're OK with the spell it out, but if you want to "read a book with the word Lost in the title" instead just let me know and I can change the above post. Less books but you know we do well with SIO anyway. Up to you.

[Trisha]

I have and I plan to read it this week! Is it okay if we flip to the word Lost?

[Trisha]

Completion Post: Missed Chance

Task: read a book with the word Lost in the title.
Book: The Night We Lost Him
Author: Laura Dave
Read: 10/12
Rating: 3 stars
How it works: Lost in title

Flipped to spell out

[Trisha]

I think it might be quicker/easier to flip it back to spell out - completion see below

[Trisha]

Trisha Completion post: MISSED CHANCE Spell Out

Letter: M:
Book: Red in Tooth and Claw
Author: Lish McBride
Read: 10/15
How it works: M in author last name

Letter: S
Book: The Suffering
Author: M.J. Mars
Read: 10/5
How it works: title starts with S

Letter: D
Book: Off the Map
Author: Trish Doller
Read: 10/10
How it works: Author last name starts with D

Letter: H
Book: Such Sharp Teeth
author: Rachel Harrison
Read: 10/8
How it works: author last name starts with H

Letter: N
Book: The Angel Maker
Author: Alex North
Read: 10/16
How it works: author last name starts with N

Letter: C
Book: Nanny Needed
Author: Georgina Cross
Read: 10/9
How it works: author last name starts with C

[Trisha]

Vicki Completion post: MISSED CHANCE Spell Out

Letter: I
Book: I'll Be Waiting
Author: Kelley Armstrong
read: 10/9
How it works: Title starts with I

Letter: S
Book: The Suffering
Author: M.J. Mars
Read: 10/5
How it works: title starts with S

Letter: E
Book: Trouble on the Books
Author: Essie Lang
read: 10/10
How it works: author first name starts with E

Letter: C
Book: Silver
Author: Cheree Alsop
Read: 10/15
How it works: author first name starts with C

Letter: A
Book: The Angel Maker
Author: Alex North
Read: 10/15
How it works: title starts with A

Letter: E
Book: Weyward
Author: Emilia Hart
read: 10/4
How it works: author first name starts with E

[Trisha]

I believe our spell out is completed. Please see two posts above - I posted Vicki's completions on her behalf 😊😊

[Erica, Quality Control Supervisor]

You have done all of the hard work getting ready for your event. It's the night before the race - now you just need to set up for tomorrow and get out there and do it! To complete this section, read one book for each task. Relay teams may divide the tasks between them as they see fit.
After these 5 books are completed, roll a single die for your next prompt. Relay teams only roll once for the team.

https://www.random.org/dice/

1. Race expo - most marathons have a large expo where lots of running gear is sold - read a book where a character goes to or works at an expo.
2. Pasta dinner - read a book where the MC cooks or eats a lot of pasta.
3. Set your alarm - read a book that is alarming to you in some way (explain how).
4. Lay out your clothes - read a book where the MC is a real clothes hound.
5. Morning ritual (beverage, food, gear) - read a book where any character has a set ritual for something that they always do (explain what).

[Trisha]

Completion Post:

Task: 2. Pasta dinner - read a book where the MC cooks or eats a lot of pasta.
Book: Diavola
Author: Jennifer Marie Thorne
Read: 10/22
Rating: 4 stars
How it works: Anna is visiting Italy with her family - she eats pasta at almost every meal

[Trisha]

Completion Post

Task: 5. Morning ritual (beverage, food, gear) - read a book where any character has a set ritual for something that they always do (explain what).
Book: A Game of Lies
Author; Clare Mackintosh
Read: 11/8
Rating: 3 stars
How it works: Miles goes for a run every morning at 10 am

[Trisha]

Completion Post

Task: 3. Set your alarm - read a book that is alarming to you in some way (explain how).
Book: You Know What You Did
Author: K.T. Nguyen
Read: 11/9
Rating: 2 stars
How it works: the MC has OCD and she's spiraling the whole story, getting worse each chapter - it's was alarming and scary

[Vicki]

Oh gosh! I will try updating today! Sorry I got so behind!!

[Vicki]

Completion Post:

Task: 4. Lay out your clothes - read a book where the MC is a real clothes hound.
Book: A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder
Author: Dianne Freeman
Read: 4 November 2024
Rating: 4 stars
How it works: Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, is into high fashion and how she presents herself.

[Trisha]

*sigh* still looking for that expo book! lol

[Erica, Quality Control Supervisor]

Try typing expo in the book search bar. There are lots of pages of books that work. Any large fair - like a craft fair or industry showcase (cars, boats, etc.) will work. Or the World Fair.

[Trisha]

I just went through the 50+ books I read in December and only 1 book mentioned an Expo - and it was a throw away comment about how stupid the news was (The Business Trip - I finished it today.)

I typically read closed room or isolated thrillers and suspense books or horror. I don't typically read cozy mysteries, romances or others that might have more expos.

I'm sure we'll find one in January!! We're bound to stumble on it!!

[Vicki]

OK, I will start looking for some of those things suggested. What is the book search bar though? Is that just like when you try finding words on Amazon and the search feature in books?

[Erica, Quality Control Supervisor]

This list has a lot of books that deal with expos. Think large state or county fair - anywhere a lot of vendors are showing their things in one common area.

https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Ex...

[Trisha]

Vicki wrote: "OK, I will start looking for some of those things suggested.

It's just the search function on Goodreads - searching for a book or series with the word expo in it.

But I'm sure we'll eventually stumble on it.

I know you and I have a bunch of buddy reads scheduled plus a few books that we've added for our group challenges! I'm positive we'll stumble on it and you don't have to add a book to your TBR that you don't really want to read!!

I'm not worried about it at all lol We'll find it!

[Trisha]

Erica wrote: "This list has a lot of books that deal with expos. Think large state or county fair - anywhere a lot of vendors are showing their things in one common area.

https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Expo..."

oh, you posted it. Thx!

[Vicki]

I'm still looking...can't believe I still haven't found it. Ugh

[Vicki]

Completion Post:

Task: 1. Race expo - most marathons have a large expo where lots of running gear is sold - read a book where a character goes to or works at an expo.
Book: Rules of Civility
Author: Amor Towles
Read: 12 January 2025
Rating: 4 stars
How it works: "On the night of October 4th, 1966, Val and I...attended the opening of Many Are Called at the Museum of Modern Art - the first exhibit of the portraits taken by Walker Evans in the late 1930s on the New York City subways with a hidden camera" (1).

[Vicki]

I rolled a 5 for us.

Trisha, t hanks for your patience!

Erica, thanks for accepting my "stretch"! :)

[Erica, Quality Control Supervisor]

5 = It's raining hard on race morning, so you have to wear a garbage bag with hole cut-outs for your head and arms to the race start. Spell out GARBAGE BAG -or- read a book with a character who has to deal with a lot of garbage (say who).

[Trisha]

I vote we spell out but I'm prepared to do either you want to

[Trisha]

Prepping for spell out

GARBAGE BAG

G - Dead Point (author: LaVonne Griffin-Valade)
A - All the Water in the World
R - Definitely Better Now (Ava Robinson)
B - Sweet Fury (Sash Bischoff
A - Not What She Seems (Yasmin Angoe)
G - Stay Awake (Megan Goldin)
E - Trust Issues (Elizabeth McCullough Keenan)

B - Blood Like Mine
A - Not What She Seems (Yasmin Angoe)
G - Famous Last Words (Gillian McAllister)

[Trisha]

Letter A

Read by: Trisha
Book: All the Water in the World
Author: Eiren Caffall
Read: 1/18
Rating: 4 stars
How it works: title starts with A

[Trisha]

Letter: E

Read by: Trisha
Book: Trust Issues
Author: Elizabeth McCullough Keenan
Read: 1/17
Rating: 3 stars
How it works: author first name starts with E

[Trisha]

Letter: G

Read by: Trisha
Book: Dead Point
Author: LaVonne Griffin-Valade
Read: 1/17
Rating: 3 stars
How it works: author last name starts with G

[Trisha]

Letter: B

Read by: Trisha
Book: Blood Like Mine
Author: Stuart Neville
Read: 1/19
Rating: 3 stars
How it works: title starts with B

[Trisha]

Letter: A

Read by: Vicki
Book: Not What She Seems
Author: Yasmin Angoe
Read: 1/19
Rating: 2 stars
How it works: author last name starts with A

[Vicki]

You're too fast! lol Thanks :)

[Vicki]

I'm going to read Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson so I can cover the R

[Trisha]

Letter: R

Read by: Vicki
Book: Definitely Better Now
Author: Ava Robinson
Read: 1/21
Rating: 3 stars
How it works: author last name starts with R

[Trisha]

Letter: A

Read by: Trisha
Book: Not What She Seems
Author: Yasmin Angoe
Read: 1/21
Rating: 1 star
How it works: author last name starts with A

[Trisha]

Letter: B

Read by: Trisha
Book: Sweet Fury
Author: Sash Bischoff
Read: 1/21
Rating: 4 stars
how it works: author last name starts with B

[Trisha]

I'm currently reading another G so I'll update as soon as I'm done later today! yay! almost done!

[Vicki]

Woo hoo! I don't know how you do what you do, but thank you my friend. :)

[Erica, Quality Control Supervisor]

Almost there!!

[Vicki]

Trisha, I'll read the other G book today and knock out a NetGalley book. Then we'll be done!

[Vicki]

Erica wrote: "Almost there!!"

Yippee!

[Vicki]

Letter: G

Read by: Vicki
Book: Stay Awake
Author: Megan Goldin
Read: 1/22
Rating: 4 stars
how it works: Author's last name starts with G

[Trisha]

Letter G

Read by: Trisha
Book: Famous Last Words
Author: Gillian McAllister
Read: 1/24
Rating: 4 stars
How it works: author first name starts with G

[Trisha]

Done! Yay!

[Erica, Quality Control Supervisor]

Today is the big day!! You have worked long and hard for this. To complete this section, read one book for each task. Relay teams may divide the tasks between them as they see fit.
After these 4 books are completed, roll a single die for your next prompt. Relay teams only roll once for the team.

https://www.random.org/dice/

1. Early miles: Smiling - at the beginning of a marathon everyone is generally very excited and happy because today is the BIG DAY. Read a book where one or more characters are very excited and happy about an event. Say what the event is.
2. Mid miles: This is getting hard - as the race miles build up, most runners start to experience some fatigue. The body definitely sends signals that it is working much harder. Read a book where a character gets into a situation that becomes progressively more difficult as time wears on. Say what the situation is.
3. 20 miles: Why did I sign up for this??? There is often a point in a marathon where runners begin to doubt themselves and have serious second thoughts about what in the world they are doing out there. Read a book where a character has serious self doubt about a course of action they have set out on. Say what it is.
4. Race finish: Exhultation, hunger and exhaustion. You have DONE IT! At the end of a marathon you are depleted of all energy stores but also ecstatic because of your accomplishment. Read a book where a character completes some monumental effort and is now wiped out but also happy. Say what it is. NOTE: There is one more die roll following this step.

5. (optional - after your die roll is complete...) Sign up for another race! Lots of runners feel a let down after the intense cycle of training for and running a marathon. One common result is that many will start looking for their next race challenge shortly after their marathon finish. If you are among this infected group, simply go back to Section I and start again!

[Vicki]

Completion Post

Task: 2. Mid miles: Read a book where a character gets into a situation that becomes progressively more difficult as time wears on. Say what the situation is.
Book: The Dagger and the Flame
Author: Catherine Doyle
Read: 5 February 2025
Rating: 3 stars
How it works: The MC, Seraphina (aka Sera) is a Cloak and her rival gang is the Daggers (assassins). She chases after the killer(s) of her mother and things get progressively more dangerous as she's been targeted by the leader and assigned an assassin to kill her.