International Spelling Bee Contest (August)

[Lanelle, Production Chief]

The Challenge Factory has decided to host a spelling bee. The winner will have the opportunity to compete in the 2027 International Spelling Bee. (Just pretending :)


How it works:
Each month, five spelling words will be posted. Each word will have 7 or 8 letters. Choose one word to spell out.

You do not need to read 7 or 8 books to spell out your word. A book can generate a lot of letters.

How your book might generate a letter:
the publisher's name
the author's first, middle, or last initial
the MC's first, middle, or last initial
the narrator's first, middle, or last initial
the month that the book was published
the first word of the title (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the first word of the series name (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the name of the location where the majority of the book is set
the book's MPG (like: Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Romance)

Example:
If the word I am spelling is EMPATHY, and I choose to read Pride and Prejudice, the version of the book I read would produce -
E - set in England, or MC's first name (Elizabeth)
M -
P - first word of the title, or publisher's name (Peter Pauper Press)
A - author's last name (Austen)
T -
H - tagged 'Historical"
Y -

* If I can find a book that will fit all the remaining letters (M, T, Y), then I am finished for the month.

The next month:
Each month you participate in the Spelling Bee challenge, the higher your score will be and the more likely you will win the Spelling Bee. If you don't really care about points, feel free to participate as often as you would like.

At the end of the year the person with the highest points will be our (pretend) delegate the 2027 International Spelling Bee.

[Lanelle, Production Chief]

Scoring:
If you are able to spell out the word, you will receive the total amount of points, plus a 10-point bonus.

If you are unable to spell out the word for the month, you will still receive points for the letters that you managed to complete.

The letters will receive points depending on how it would score in a Scrabble game.


Extra points:
If you find the word you are spelling out in one (1) of the books you read during the month, you will get an extra 10 points. The word cannot be changed; i.e., from singular to plural, from present to past tense, or to a possessive form.

Please indicate in your signup post your final score for the month.

Rules
Books must be 140 pages.
Graphic/anime books are okay but must be 240+ pages.
Audio books must be at least 3 hours long.

[Lanelle, Production Chief]

August's spelling words are:
papyrus, divinely, academy, harmony, campaign

[Meg]

Spelling Bee
August 2026

A Adriana Licio - A Fair Time For Death 08/15
C Carolyn Hart - Dead by Midnight 08/08
A Alyssa Maxwell - Murder at Crossways 08/18
D Dawn Brookes - Murder in the Highlands 08/16
E Ellis Peters - The Pilgrim of Hate 08/10
M Maddie Please - Maddie Please - The Old Ducks' Club 08/05
Y Margaret Yorke - Dead in the Morning 08/21

Letters +15
All words found +10
Word found in sentence +10
"...a favorite on the old-movie channel during Academy Awards week." page 239

Total from previous months: 216
Total this month: 35
Grand total: 251

[Aspa]

International Spelling Bee Contest (August)


☑ C: (3) title (Children, the)
☑ A: (1) author (Ellery Adams)
☑ M: (3) title/series (Magic & Mystery)
☑ P: (3) author (Suzanne Palmer)
☑ A: (1) title (Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter)
☑ I: (1) title (Inverted World, the)
☑ G: (2) mc (Geralt)
☑ N: (1) narrator (Nicole Lewis)

word in text:
➲ Inverted World (94% in ebook):
❝... they had started a second campaign to educate the non-guildsmen ...❞

August Points: letters ➛ 15 of 15 | word found in text ➛ 10 | word completion ➛ 10
Yearly Total ➛ 311
(view spoiler)[
Jan 39 | Feb 38 | Mar 40| Apr 41 | May 40 | Jun 38| Jul 40 | Aug 35| Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
(hide spoiler)]

[Lanelle, Production Chief]

I'm in.
Duration: August 1 - 31, 2026

H - tagged 'Historical' North By Northanger 8/21 ***
A - Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil 8/2 ***
R - tagged 'Romance' Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil 8/2 ***
M - tagged 'Mystery' Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil 8/2 ***
O - pub. Oct. Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil 8/2 ***
N - AFN Nancy Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil 8/2 ***
Y - tagged Young Adult Dangerous 8/18 ****

'harmony' in the text: "My harmony with General Tilney is not so simply restored." 63%
This month's score: 15+10+10= 35
Total score so far: 39+37+40+37+40+38+40+35= 306

[Catsalive]

August International Spelling Bee Contest

C- Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie 2/8 4.5★
A- Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie 2/8 4.5★
M- Marple - Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie 2/8 4.5★
P- Piatkus - Golden in Death by J.D. Robb 6/8 4★
A- Keener Bunks Off by T.M. Alexander 14/8 3★
I- Idaho - Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 5/8 3★
G- Golden in Death by J.D. Robb 6/8 4★
N- Natalie - Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 5/8 3★

"campaign" in text - "Doug's current senatorial campaign" p.80
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 5/8 3★

Score: 15 + 10 + 10 = 35

(YTD: 39 + 38 + 40 + 37 + 40 + 38 + 40 +35 = 307)

[Gabby]

August International Spelling Bee Contest

★A(1) Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar: Series 1-3: The BBC Radio 4 Comedy 3/8
★C(3) MPG Crime: Strange Houses 2/8
★A(1) MPG Asian Literature: Sweet Bean Paste 4/8
★D(2) Druid Vices and a Vodka 1/8
★E(1) The Exorcist Code 4: Possession 3/8
★M(3) MPG Memoir: Shadows of the Workhouse 3/8
★Y(4) MPG Young Adult: Wizards at War 11/8

"academy" in text - "My dad runs Koshima Academy." p187
Mark of the Crijik 27/8

This month's score: 15 + 10 + 10
Yearly Total = 276
Jan 39 | Feb 38 | Mar 40 | Apr 41 | May 40| Jun 38 | Jul 40 | Aug 35| Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

[Zenobia2016]

Spelling Bee
August 2026

H -Dominic Hoffman James by Percival Everett 8/7/26 =4
A -
R - The Reckoning by John Grisham 8/5/26 =1
M -(Location: Mississippi) The Reckoning by John Grisham 8/5/26 =3

O -
N -
Y - (Locaton: Yukon) To Build a Fire by jack London 8/10/26

'harmony' in the text:
This month's score: 12 Points

[Susan]

International Spelling Bee Contest
August 2026

A(1) - Anthony Horowitz - A Deadly Episode - 8/1/26
C(3) - (Cozy Mystery MPG) - Death of a Flapper - 8/4/26
A(1) - April 23, 2026 (Pub Date) - A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz - 8/1/26
D(2) - A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz - 8/1/26
E(1) - Elston, Ashley - First Lie Wins - 8/15/26
M(3) - (Mystery MPG) - A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz - 8/1/26
Y(4) - (Young Adult MPG) - Westfallen by Ann Brashares - 8/11/26

Academy in text +10
Academy point total +15

Total from previous months: 27
Total this month: 15

[Mrs W]

AUGUST - SPELLING BEE
How your book might generate a letter:
the publisher's name
the author's first, middle, or last initial
the MC's first, middle, or last initial
the narrator's first, middle, or last initial
the month that the book was published
the first word of the title (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the first word of the series name (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the name of the location where the majority of the book is set
the book's MPG (like: Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Romance)

by Erika Wilde ebook Hoopla Read 8/2/26 ⭐⭐⭐
by Valerie Burns ebook Hoopla Read 8/5/26 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
by Hannah Beckerman Read 8/21/26 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
DIVINELY

D - ( 2) Daisy - MC in Tall, Dark and Charming Daisy Parker watched the Director of Sales and Marketing for Roth Owens Agency p8
I - ( 1) If - If Only I Could Tell You
V - ( 4) Valerie - author Valerie Burns to Murder at First Slice
I - ( 1)
N - ( 1)
E - ( 1) Erika - author Erika Wilde to the book Tall, Dark and Charming
L - ( 1 ) London - setting - A simple exchange of north London for west. p7
Y - ( 4)


(possible 25pts ---15 for letters + 10 complete all letters)

Use divinely in the text - 10 pts.

PTS - 3 + 4 = 7 + 2 = 9

Jan - 24
Feb - 37
Mar - 29
Apr - 39
May - 15
June - 6
July - 14

YTD: 169

[LaurLa]

International Spelling Bee Contest
August 2026

My International Spelling Bee Challenge (msg 12)

Books Read ❱❱ 8

Scoring Total ❱❱ 35
Word points ❱❱ 15
Word completion ❱❱ 10
Word in text ❱❱ 10

Year Running Total ❱❱ 311

CAMPAIGN



💥C ❱❱ Child, Maureen ❱❱ Beguiled ❱❱ 08.17 ★★★
💥A ❱❱ An Article Of Lies ❱❱ 08.27 ★★★★
💥M ❱❱ Monsoon Wedding Fever ❱❱ 08.03 ★★★
💥P ❱❱ The Pecker Briefs ❱❱ 08.08 ★★★★
💥A ❱❱ An American Werewolf in Hoboken ❱❱ 08.24 ★★★
💥I ❱❱ In Death [series] ❱❱ Glory in Death ❱❱ 08.29 ★★★★★
💥G ❱❱ Game Changer ❱❱ 08.09 ★★★
💥N ❱❱ Neal, Xavier ❱❱ Picnic Perfect ❱❱ 08.10 ★★★

campaign ❱❱ New campaign for Gillette. [loc 163.9]
💥Game Changer ❱❱ 08.09 ★★★

[Becky Q.]

International Spelling Bee Contest (August)
Duration: August 1, 2026 - August 31, 2026

How your book might generate a letter:
the publisher's name
the author's first, middle, or last initial
the MC's first, middle, or last initial
the narrator's first, middle, or last initial
the month that the book was published
the first word of the title (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the first word of the series name (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the name of the location where the majority of the book is set
the book's MPG (like: Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Romance)

Extra points:
If you find the word you are spelling out in one (1) of the books you read during the month, you will get an extra 10 points. The word cannot be changed; i.e., from singular to plural, from present to past tense, or to a possessive form.

H (4) - House - The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune 8/3
A (1) - Arikawa - The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa 8/11
R (1) - Rayne - Chasing Love by Piper Rayne 8/6
M (3) - Marie - I Was Told There Would Be Romance by Marie Arnold 8/15
O (1) - Oh - ASAP by Axie Oh 8/7
N (1) - Nascosta - Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta 8/9
Y (4) - Yesteryear - Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 8/18

"Harmony" In Text: 10/10
One Hundred Years of Solitude 8/5
17% - "The newfound harmony was interrupted..."
All Letters Complete: 10/10

Total From Previous Months: 144
Total This Month: 35
Grand Total: 179

[Denise]

August
HARMONY
H: HUGO Expiration Dates Rebecca Serle 8 Aug
A: PUBLISHER ATRIA: Expiration Dates Rebecca Serle 8 Aug
R: AFN One Italian Summer Rebecca Serle 3 Aug
M: pub March: One Italian Summer Rebecca Serle 3 Aug
O: One Italian Summer Rebecca Serle 3 Aug
N: MPG NONFICTION Slouching Towards Bethlehem Joan Didion 15 Aug
Y: YOUNG ADULT Anne of Windy Poplars L.M. Montgomery 31 Aug

[Elle]

Spelling Bee
August 2026

A: TITLE - Alchemy of Souls | Adriana Mather Aug 7
C: CFN - Clara Graysword | Prince of Swords | Elise Kova Aug 5
A: AFN - Adriana Mather | Alchemy of Souls Aug 7
D: CFN - Decima Stockingham | The Murder at World's End | Ross Montgomery Aug 1
E: AFN - Elise Kova | Prince of Swords Aug 5
M: AFN - Ross Montgomery | The Murder at World's End Aug 1
Y: ALN - Samantha Young | Fall from India Place Aug 12

Academy nut in the text: the perpetual chill of the academy p. 209
Prince of Swords | Elise Kova Aug 5

August Points: 15 + 10 + 10 = 35
YTD: 190

[Jamie]

International Spelling Bee Contest - August
August 1-31, 2026
- 15 points possible (campaign)

★

C - Corvin (narrator)|Souls In Ruin|8/1/26|★★★★
A - Adrian (ALN)|A Touch of Midnight|8/1/26|★★★
M - Madison (ALN)|Something So Perfect|8/6/26|★★★★★
P - Paranormal (MPG)|Dire Bound|8/4/26|★★★★
A - title|A Touch of Midnight|8/1/26|★★★
I - title|Inner Demons|8/8/26|★★★★
G - Gabriel (narrator)|Dire Bound|8/4/26|★★★★
N - Natasha (AFN)|Something So Perfect|8/6/26|★★★★★

Word in text:Something So Perfect|8/6/26|★★★★★|pg.2 "Weren't you the one who started this fucking dumb campaign?"

*Completion bonus = 10 pts
*maximum in book = 10 pts

Total Points: 15+10+10 = 35

YTD: 39 (Jan) + 37 (Feb) + 40 (Mar) + 37 (Apr) + 40 (May) + 38 (Jun) + 40 (Jul) 35 (Aug) = 306

How your book might generate a letter:
the publisher's name
the author's first, middle, or last initial
the MC's first, middle, or last initial
the narrator's first, middle, or last initial
the month that the book was published
the first word of the title (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the first word of the series name (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the name of the location where the majority of the book is set
the book's MPG (like: Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Romance)

[Caraina]

International Spelling Bee Contest (August)
Duration: August 1, 2026 - August 31, 2026

You do not need to read 7 or 8 books to spell out your word. A book can generate a lot of letters.

How your book might generate a letter:
the publisher's name
the author's first, middle, or last initial
the MC's first, middle, or last initial
the narrator's first, middle, or last initial
the month that the book was published
the first word of the title (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the first word of the series name (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the name of the location where the majority of the book is set
the book's MPG (like: Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Romance)

Extra points:
If you find the word you are spelling out in one (1) of the books you read during the month, you will get an extra 10 points. The word cannot be changed; i.e., from singular to plural, from present to past tense, or to a possessive form.

Rules:
Books must be 140 pages.
Graphic/anime books are okay but must be 240+ pages.
Audio books must be at least 3 hours long.

Total Monthly Points: 35
YTD Points: 300

H (4): Heartless - Elsie Silver 8/9/26
A (1): Abandon - Meg Cabot 8/20/26
R (1): Rex Stout - Fer-de-Lance 8/4/26
M (3): Mirror, Mirror - Jen Calonita 8/1/26
O (1): One More to Die - Joy Ellis 8/27/26
N (1): No Place to Run - Maya Banks 8/7/26
Y (4): Young Adult Genre - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins 8/23/26

[Jamie]

Month complete :)

msg 17 - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Suzanne]

The Challenge Factory
International Spelling Bee Contest (August)
Duration: August 2026

Progress: 4 out of 7

The Challenge Factory has decided to host a spelling bee. The winner will have the opportunity to compete in the 2027 International Spelling Bee. (Just pretending :)

How it works:
Each month, five spelling words will be posted. Each word will have 7 or 8 letters. Choose one word to spell out.

You do not need to read 7 or 8 books to spell out your word. A book can generate a lot of letters.

How your book might generate a letter:
the publisher's name
the author's first, middle, or last initial
the MC's first, middle, or last initial
the narrator's first, middle, or last initial
the month that the book was published
the first word of the title (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the first word of the series name (you can use or ignore A, An, The)
the name of the location where the majority of the book is set
the book's MPG (like: Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Romance)

Extra points:
If you find the word you are spelling out in one (1) of the books you read during the month, you will get an extra 10 points. The word cannot be changed; i.e., from singular to plural, from present to past tense, or to a possessive form.

H (4)
A (1): Andy Griffiths; The 26-Storey Treehouse - ***** - 8/9/2026 - 348 Pages
R (1): MC: Cash Rivers: Cash by Jessica Peterson - ***** - 8/10/2026 - 432 Pages
M (3): Madeline Miller; The Song of Achilles - ***** - 8/12/2026 - 408 Pages
O (1)
N (1): MC: Nicole: Tell Me You're Mine by J.S. Scott - ***** - 8/21/2026 - 272 Pages
Y (4)



"Harmony" In Text: 0/10
All Letters Complete: 0/10

[Laura]

Prior months: 271 points

✔️ C The Teller of Small Fortunes 8/20 (MPG: cozy fantasy)
✔️ A The Mad Ship 8/17 (MPG: adventure)
✔️ M Fourth Wing (month published: May)
✔️ P The Peculiar Gift of July 8/31 (title)
✔️ A Master of Poisons 8/31 (author's first name: Andrea)
✔️ I Beasts of No Nation (author's last name: Iweala)
✔️ G C is for Corpse 8/3 (author's last name: Grafton)
✔️ N Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 8/29 (MC's last name: Norrell)

Extra points: "Anyway, point is - back during the campaign, we saw some bad things." - from page 110 of The Teller of Small Fortunes

August Points: 15 + 10 + 10 = 35
YTD Points: 271 + 35 = 306

[Denise]

COMPLETED:
August
HARMONY
H: HUGO Expiration Dates Rebecca Serle 8 Aug
A: PUBLISHER ATRIA: Expiration Dates Rebecca Serle 8 Aug
R: AFN One Italian Summer Rebecca Serle 3 Aug
M: pub March: One Italian Summer Rebecca Serle 3 Aug
O: One Italian Summer Rebecca Serle 3 Aug
N: MPG NONFICTION Slouching Towards Bethlehem Joan Didion 15 Aug
Y: YOUNG ADULT Anne of Windy Poplars L.M. Montgomery 31 Aug

YTD: 158