Over the next five weeks, the Weekly Book Club is hosting discussions of five bestselling authors' new novels, including "Nth Degree", to help members decide whether to buy the books as holiday gifts. Each club meeting will be at a different member's house, with one at Ms. Arnold's residence; and each will feature a different one of the five books.

It is known that:

1. The Weekly Book Club's meeting at Jane's house is one week before the meeting at Mrs. Dennis's residence, which is one week before the meeting where author Stephen Meyer's new novel will be discussed.

2. One week after Ms. Edgar has the book club at her house, the members will discuss the new novel by Paula Roth.

3. "Pizza in Paradise" will be discussed by the club one week before the new novel by author Natalie Sparks.

4. One week after the book lovers discuss "The Night Runner", Laurie will be hostess to the club meeting.

5. The discussion of Michael Albom's latest book isn't the one at Jane's house.

6. The club's discussion of "Rough and Tumble 21" isn't the one at Monica's house.

7. In three consecutive club meetings first-to-last, Ms. Bradley will be hostess, the group will discuss "Mindfield", and Kate will welcome the members into her home.

8. Discussion of Jack Grissom's new novel isn't scheduled for Ms. Charles's residence.

9. Nicole is hosting the club one week before the group talks about Michael Albom's novel.

10. Natalie Sparks's new novel, which isn't "Mindfield", isn't the book scheduled for discussion at the club meeting at Ms. Bradley's residence.

11. Kate, who isn't Ms. Dennis, isn't hostess for the discussion of Stephen Meyer's book.

From the abovementioned clues, determine the Weekly Book Club's pre-holiday schedule: at whose home each meeting from first to fifth will be held and the novel and its author who will be discussed at each meeting.

As four of the authors follow prior events by at least a week (from 1, 2, 7 and 9), only Grissom is left for week 1 (which from 8 is not at Ms. Charles house). 

From 1, Jane could only host weeks 1, 2 or 3, followed in weekly order by Ms. Dennis and Meyer's book.  From 7, Kate can only host weeks 3, 4 or 5, preceeded by 'Mindfield' the week before and Ms. Bradley the week before that.  Assume Jane hosts week 3.  From 11, however, Kate can't be Ms. Dennis in week 4 or host Meyer's book in week 5.  This scenario fails and Jane doesn't host week 3.

Assume Jane is week 2's hostess.  If Kate hosted week 5, we'd have a 'scheduling conflict' with both Ms. Dennis and Ms. Bradley hosting week 3.  Kate also can't host Meyer's book in week 4 or be Ms. Dennis in week 3.  This scenario also fails, so Jane is definitely the week 1 hostess, Ms. Dennis is the week 2 hostess and Meyer's book is in week 3.  Ms. Bradley can now only be the week 3 hostess, 'Mindfield' is discussed in week 4 and Kate is week 5's hostess.

With this much of the order known, Sparks and Roth can be eliminated (given 10 and 2) as week 4 authors, leaving only Michael Albom.  Similarly, 'Pizza in Paradise' can be eliminated from week 2 as well (given 3), and so can now only be weeks 1 or 3.  Options remaining for Natalie Sparkes, however, are now just weeks 2 or 5.  From 3 again, the order must be 'Pizza' in week 1 and author Sparkes in week 2, leaving only Paula Roth's book for week 5.  From 2, Ms. Edgar must be week 4's hostess, leaving only Ms. (Jane) Arnold in week 1 and by elimination, Ms. (Kate) Charles in week 5.

From 9, and knowing author Albom is week 4, Nicole (Bradley) must be week 3's hostess.  Options remaining for Laurie are now just weeks 2 or 4.  Since 'Pizza' is week 1 and from 4, Laurie can't be week 2, she must now be week 4's hostess (Edgar) with 'The Night Runner' hosted by Nicole (Bradley) in week 3.

Only Monica (Dennis) as hostess and the 'Rough and Tumble 21' and 'Nth Degree' books now remain for week 2.  From 6, it can't be the former book so week 2 is 'Nth Degree', leaving 'Rough and Tumble 21' hosted by Kate Charles in week 5.   

Edited on November 30, 2009, 5:46 pm

Edited on November 30, 2009, 5:47 pm

Posted by rod hines on 2009-11-30 17:42:44