AlphaKIT for 2019

Cheli did the picking and here are the letters for each month, with X and Z continuing as yearlong letters:

Jan: Q, A January thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/300228
Feb: K, O February thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/302398
Mar: U, L March thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/303842
Apr: B, M April Thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/304804
May: H, V May thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/305923
Jun: J, D June alphaKIT is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/307000
Jul: C, P July thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/308046
Aug: N, I August thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/309050
Sep: F, W September thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/310209
Oct: G, T October thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/311202
Nov: S, Y November thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/312073
Dec: E, R December thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/313016

Yearlong X and Z: https://www.librarything.com/topic/300531

I've created the AlphaKIT WIKI for this KIT: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2019_AlphaKIT#2019_AlphaKIT

It includes the quarterly suggestions but those, as are all the others, are optional. Ignore them if you so choose.

I'd enjoy an AlphaKIT. I hope you don't mind running it.

I'd participate again, if it were to run.

I would participate again. It is helpful in making choices.

Me, too - I really like the AlphaKIT!

I would love AlphaKIT again! It really helps me in plowing through my TBR stacks!
Even though it has been a couple of years running, I really just this past year figured out how to make it "work" for me in my peculiar decision-making matrix of what to read each month! :-)

It is certainly easy enough to run. And I'm planning on using it for me, so I'll set it up for the group again for 2019.

I love the AlphaKIT. Some months it's the only extra challenge I'm able to do. Thank you for running it!

YES! It is the one CAT/KIT that I use every month!

I am very happy that the AlphaKit is going to set up for 2019, I also try to participate every month with this one.

Thank you Jean, for taking care of this, Don't know what I'd do without AlphaKit!

Do you want any help with letter selection?

>11 cyderry: If you are dying to do it, go for it!

I think I got some great combos!

Jan: Q, A
Feb: K, O
Mar: U, L
Apr: B, M
May: H, V
Jun: J, D
Jul: C, P
Aug: N, I
Sep: F, W
Oct: G, T
Nov: S, Y
Dec: E, R

I didn't realize until I looked at them closer some are funny - Q & A, KO, BM, JD - LOL

I was wondering if we might try a twist with our letters this year - how about an extra 3rd letter per quarter? We could chose the most frequently used R,S, T, N so that if someone had trouble finding something that month they could use the extra. What do you think?

I will plan to participate again!

>13 cyderry: I didn't realize until I looked at them closer some are funny - Q & A, KO, BM, JD - LOL

Also, ER

Good combos Chèli.

As for the extras for a quarter, I confess I do get frustrated when a common letter has disappeared already and i have a zillion books in the TBR for it.

Thoughts from those doing AlphaKIT on Cheli's idea regarding adding a common letter for each quarter?

My whole reading plan for 2019 is centered around the number "19" and the letter, "S" (the nineteenth letter of the alphabet) so if I have a gap in my stacks, I'll always return to the home letter "S." The extra letter every quarter, if implemented, will go largely ignored by me but I have no argument against it for the group and will roll with whatever the consensus is.

One of my categories in 2019 is going to be alphabetical and I will match my reads to whatever letters the AlphaKit is featuring, but I also have no problem with adding a common letter for each quarter.

>13 cyderry: not to mention PC and G & T

>14 cyderry: No strong feelings about extra letters

The AlphaKIT is my favorite! I have no strong feelings about having the extra quarterly letter; I will go with whatever the group decides.

Thanks for setting it up! I also have no real feelings about the extra letters.

I also have no feelings about the extra letters. I will probably not use them myself, but if others want them...

I don't think I would use extra letters either.

We can set up the extra letters and folks can use or not as they wish. No rules in the ALPHAKIT IS THE ONLY RULE!

AlphaKit is my favorite too. I am not opposed to the extra letter, use it or lose it.

Now that I've finally come up with an idea for a theme, I think I'll probably be doing the alpha kit this year. I had a couple of years where I used the alphabet for my theme so didn't participate but I did like it.

>29 dudes22: Welcome back!

I've created the AlphaKIT WIKI for this KIT: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2019_AlphaKIT#2019_AlphaKIT

It includes the quarterly suggestions but those, as are all the others, are optional. Ignore them if you so choose.

Question from a newbie: Is the letter the first letter from the author's name or the title of the book?

>32 Tess_W:, I think it is either, first name, last name or somewhere in the title. And you can have your own rules if you want.

>32 Tess_W: like >33 Kristelh: said, you can set your own rules of what counts for this one. For me, I count first or last name of the author or the first letter in the title (after a, the, etc). I also would count the first letter in the series title and maybe even the main character's name.

For example:

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich, I'd count it for O, J, or E. But I would also count S or P for Stephanie Plum.

This one is loads if fun to me because it's so open to how strict or not you want it to be.

>32 Tess_W: As everyone has already pointed out, the rules are: No Rules. Use the letters as you like. :)

TY TY TY, I must have missed the no rules thing; that's my kind of category!

I find Q a lot tougher than Z. Would it be possible to swap Q and Z? What do others think about this?

>37 sushicat:, I feel the same way. I think this got brought up last year, too, or maybe the year before, and then the discussion just sort of fizzled out...

I, for one, would LOVE to make Q year-round rather than Z.

>39 majkia: :)

I think Z is pretty easy to fulfill so agree.

I'm the opposite - Q is quite easy for me to fill and I always struggle with Z. X is actually pretty easy for me to since I found a mystery series by an author whose last name starts with an X. I'll be able to fill X for a couple of years easily. :)

I find Q easy to fill, while it is always a problem to find Z, so I'd prefer to leave things as they are. Like >42 LittleTaiko: I have two mystery series that fills X.

See, and I find Q not all that difficult, since I read so much historical fiction (There are lots of books that start with "Queen"). :-)

I really don't have much for Z at all. But X is the toughest of all, for sure.

I use Alphakit to pick book titles by author name from Orange prize winners/shortlist (or whatever they're calling it now). In which case there have been no winners with Q or U as the start of their names. X has 1, Z has 1 author with 3 books. I realise I'm an extreme case, and therefore am not venturing an opinion either way!

I have a lot of trouble with X, so appreciate any suggestions!

>46 LadyoftheLodge: I think it was whitewavedarling who recommended mysteries set in China by Qiu Xiaolong. I've only read Don't cry, Tai Lake but enjoyed it so that I've no hesitation picking up another. He captures modern China very well. This year I read the first in a cozy mystery series set on the Isle of Man by Diana Xarissa. It had a few minor issues but I love the island and I'll look for more in the series.

edited to correct spelling of author's name

The Good Women of China by Xinran
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo

I remember somebody pointing out last year (I'm afraid I don't remember who!!!) that the Xanth novels by Piers Anthony offer a whole series of books that would work for X, for fantasy-lovers, anyway! I LOVED his work when I was growing up, and somehow never got around to those books--I think because my local used bookstore never seemed to have the first two in the series in stock--so I plan to get around to them sooner or later. I ventured into one of his sci-fi books recently, and while it felt a little dated for sci-fi, it definitely reminded me of why I liked him so much.

>47 VivienneR:, it probably was--I recommend them all the time. I kind of love those books, and they've been my 'X' author books for the last few years! I'm not sure I would have tried to parcel them out year by year so carefully if not for wanting to read an 'x' author each year!

>49 whitewavedarling: I had a look at the Xanth series in the library catalogue and noticed the subject was dragons. That would also fit January's Dragon Appreciation Day for CalendarCAT. :)

>50 VivienneR: There's a Dragon Appreciation Day?????

There a ton of X-Files books and Goodreads has a list of 30 books that begin with the letter X: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6946.Titles_That_Begin_With_X

Also another list:
https://www.inkitt.com/d/books-start-with-x

Wow, thanks so much for these ideas. I did read the Xanth novels long ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

The mystery series I've been reading is by Diana Xarissa. She's written some non-mystery books as well but I haven't read any of those yet.

There is also a mystery series by A.X. Ahmad. I haven't read this author but there have been a lot of positive comments on LT about the series.

>51 majkia: Yes! Dragon Appreciation Day is on January 16. I'll include it in the list of suggestions for January's CalendarCAT.

And a reminder - we still have two months that need volunteer hosts. Drop in at the planning thread https://www.librarything.com/topic/298617 if interested.

Hoping to try this challenge for the first time. Is everyone going through their TBR stacks now and sorting through them all before the beginning of the year? : )

>57 Samqua: Good luck with it. I'm not scanning the stacks, no. While I like a plan, I tend to read much more as the mood takes me. I tend to plan each month just before it starts, but even then take the view the plans are made to be upset. >:-) Use the challenge as it suits you.

>57 Samqua: I generally select for the first two or so months, then play things more by ear after that, but always keep the letters in mind as I decide what to read further down the line.

Good luck with it, and hope it works well for you. Remember, the only rule is 'there are no rules!'

>57 Samqua: I don't really "read the lists" so much as sort through my options! I hoard books and even with a cataloging system, trying to remember the book I want when I want can be a frustrating thing for me. In the end, I end up reading only about a third of the books I've pulled from my stacks, but that's more than in years past when I forgot what I had!

>39 majkia: Looks like we're sticking with the current setup. Remind me to revisit this question in 2020!

>61 majkia:, No reason to revisit it every year, so far as I'm concerned. I'm glad we put it to a vote and got a consensus, though, so thank you for setting it up!

>57 Samqua: - I'm one of those type "A" people who pretty much plan out my year of reading on a spreadsheet before the year starts. I like to try and use as much of my TBR pile as I can. Although sometimes I will make changes depending on what I see others reading or if something is not available at the library.

>57 Samqua: I'm a month by month planner. Once each month's challenges are up I start looking through the TBR shelves to see what fits. Of course I feel free to abandon the plan during the month if something else catches my eye.

>57 Samqua: Oh, I don't consider my TBR just my piles here at home, but it's my TBR list here on LT that counts for me. But, I only plan a couple of weeks ahead for each one. I have other groups with monthly challenges where the theme is only decided on/announced about a week before the new month, so I've just gotten into that habit.

>62 whitewavedarling: I agree. I would let it rest until someone brings it up again.

>57 Samqua: I usually do it month by month, but I am trying something different this year--I am trying to read Newberry Award winners and honor books, so I cross referenced them to the AlphaKIT list and made my list for 2019. Always subject to change, of course!

January thread is up! : https://www.librarything.com/topic/300228

>68 majkia: can you edit that url, add an "s" to the http?

Thanks. :)

>69 fuzzi: done.

Thanks!

Makes sense! I agree on using the TBR pile as much as possible. I'm almost done with my first letter "A:". I already have Q next to my chair.

Thanks ! I just think it's a fun idea and a way to get through the TBR stack.

Whoops.... off to go find the January thread to post the books read so far. ;-)

February thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/302398

March thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/303842

>78 majkia: thank you!

April thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/304804

May thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/305923

June alphaKIT is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/307000

>82 majkia: yippee!

July thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/308046

August thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/309050

>85 majkia: as always, thank you!

September thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/310209

October thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/311202

Thank you for your faithfulness!

November thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/312073

The 2020 Planning Thread for CATs next year has started here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/312074#6945930

>90 majkia: thanks and >91 kac522: thanks!

FYI: 2020 AlphaKIT is up, wiki is ready, and letters are selected. The 2020 Challenge group has also voted on the regular CATs.

The 2020 AlphaKIT main thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/312224

>93 majkia: Must now resist spending the rest of my 2019 reading time planning for next year!

December thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/313016

I cannot find the thread for X and Z. It there on, and I am just not seeing it?

https://www.librarything.com/topic/300531 Here it is.

>97 majkia:, thank you!