The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

This is where you will need to post information about completed tasks - updates to the readerboard will be based on what is posted HERE AND ONLY HERE. The things that must be included in your post are: the title/author of the book (or a link to that book) and what task it is for (either a description of the task or the number associated with the tasks (exe. 5 point task number 3). If the task involves an activity (a required review or watching a related film) details of that activity MUST also be posted. How you choose to post that information and and other details you want to include is up to you.

NEW FOR THIS CHALLENGE
In response to some of the ideas from the suggestion box I have decided that in addition to the tasks created by challenge finishers/high scorers and for the rookie of the season and most improved there will be 7 additional 20 point tasks that participants can earn the chance to design a task for. The categories for which challenge participants can earn the chance to design a task for are as follows...

BEST REVIEW CONTEST - One of the things that people mentioned in the suggestion box is wanting to see more of people's actual opinions about the books they have read so I thought this would be a way to encourage that without mandating it for every task. I will create a thread in which each person may submit a review for a book they have read during the course of the challenge (one that fits a task not for outside reading). Each person may submit only one review to be voted on and reviews can be posted up until 2 weeks prior to the end of the challenge. At that point I will post a poll and the person whose review earns the most votes will get to design a task.

ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID NEVER THE BRIDE - Another thing that various people suggested is that those people who never finish but participate faithfully challenge after challenge deserve a chance to design a task and I agree. So for each SUCCESSIVE CHALLENGE that players have participated in they will earn a "ticket" in a random drawing for this task - i.e. if this Winter Challenge is your second challenge you will have 2 chances, if it's your third challenge you will have 3 chances and so forth. If you have completed a challenge in the past but not the most recent challenge you will still be eligible to design this task. (Note: The first challenge that will be included in this count will be the Winter 2008-20009 Challenge - while there were 2 "challenges" that occurred prior to that I didn't start keeping a record of participation until that first winter challenge.)

JUST JOINED IN - To counterbalance the previous task a random new participant from each challenge will be selected to design a task for the next challenge. So if the Winter Challenge is your first challenge and you complete one task your name will added to the drawing to design a task for Spring - this person must still be active group member at the time the new challenge starts to be selected. Each task completed will earn you an additional chance to be selected to design this task.

SUPPORTING GOODREADS AUTHORS - Without Goodreads this challenge wouldn't exist and I think it's important to support those authors who participate on this wonderful site so for each book you read that was written by a Goodreads author you will earn one "ticket" in a random drawing for this task. To be credited ( i.e. earn a "ticket" for this task) you have to specifically mention in your post that the book was written by a Goodreads author. If you read 2 or more books by the same author you will earn one chance per book.

I LIKE BIG BOOKS AND I CANNOT LIE - Another concern that was voiced in the suggestion box was people might avoid reading long books (especially when there are a large number of tasks) because it might prevent them from finishing - but if they did choose to read one there should be some sort of bonus so this is my solution to that. If you read a book that is 500+ pages you will earn once chance for this task; if then you read another book that is 750+ pages you will earn a second chance; if you read a third book that is 1000+ places you will a third and final chance for this task.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! - If your birthday falls during the duration of the upcoming challenge your name will be into a random drawing to design a task. I will start a folder for people to post their birthdays and will keep a list. Once you have been selected for this task you will not be eligible again.

LUCK OF THE DRAW - Just as the title indicates - the person chosen to design this task will be chosen purely at random - the only thing you have to do to get your name in the drawing is complete and post about one task. Everyone who does so will have an equal chance of being selected. Again once you have been selected for this task you will not be eligible again.

Each person can only design one task per challenge so if the same person was randomly chosen/voted on for two tasks another person would then be selected. Ex. If the person with the best review also was randomly picked for the birthday challenge - I would pull another name out of the "birthday hat".

CHANGE TO THE GROUP READS - The group reads will still be determined by popular vote but the books that will be put to the vote will be determined in a new way. At the midway challenge the top 30 people on the leaderboard (not including the actual midway winner) will be the ones to pick the books. If there is a tie at the bottom of that list all of those people will included as well (i.e. if the 30th person had 240 points but so did the 31st and 32nd those two people would also get to select a book). The first 3 people will also be ones who decide the categories. Each of those 30 people will then pick one book that fits one of the 3 categories (10 books in each category) and then they will be voted on by the group. The people whose books are actually chosen for the official group reads task will not be eligible to pick books for this task again and people will not be allowed to pick a book 2 challenges in a row.

On top of that we will also have a....
LOGO DESIGN CONTEST - I myself am not very artistic but I am sure there are a bunch of you out there that are and I would like to see that talent put to use. Each challenge we will run a new contest where people can design a LOGO for the next challenge i.e. in this case you will be designing logos for the spring challenge. Again I will post a thread where people can post their logo design (or a link to the design and one logo per person) up until the two week point at that point we will put it to a vote. The winners design will become the new logo.

Also anyone who earns the right to design a task by finishing the challenge/being a high scorer may now choose to design the task themselves or give the task to the group member of their choice.

I hope these changes/new tasks will open it up so that more people will have the opportunity to shape future challenges. Good luck to everyone!

I will open this post for comments when the new challenge begins.

Let the challenge begin!!!

5 POINT TASKS
1. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
2. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
3. 1984 by George Orwell
4. The Tattoo Artist: A Novel by Jill Ciment (2005 Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize)
5. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
6. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
7. The Music of Chance by Paul Auster
8. Fudge Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen Mystery, Book 5) by Joanne Fluke
9. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
10. Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison


10 POINT TASKS
1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
2. The Story of My Life (Bantam Classic) by Helen Keller
3. Double Dutch by Sharon M. Draper
4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (DIANE)
5. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
6. East of Eden (Centennial Edition) by John Steinbeck
7. When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-R-You, #1) by Meg Cabot 12/1/09 (series 1-800-the-missing on life time)
8. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
9. Honor Killing: Race, Rape, and Clarence Darrow's Spectacular Last Case by David E. Stannard
10. The House of the Dead (Dover Thrift Editions.) by Fyodor Dostoevsky


15 POINT TASKS
1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
2 Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks (Editor ), Anonymous and The Wizard of Oz (Great Illustrated Classics) by L. Frank Baum
3. Sugar Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen Mystery, Book 6) by Joanne Fluke and My Point...and I Do Have One by Ellen DeGeneres
4. The Clue of the Broken Locket (Nancy Drew, #11) by Carolyn Keene
5. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (AMY RWANDA) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling ( SCOTT Réunion)
6. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
7. Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke
8. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
9. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls and Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
10. Bech: A Book by John Updike

20 PONT TASKS
1.
2.
3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel

25 POINT TASKS
1. Blonde: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates and Oliver Twist (Barnes & Noble Classics) by Charles Dickens
2.
3.
4.
5.Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse, #2) by Charlaine Harris
6. Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough
7. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
8. The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey and Carrie by Stephen King
9. The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1) by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Family Tree: A Novel by Carole Cadwalladr
10. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert and V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, David Lloyd

30 POINT TASKS
1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross, Book 1) by James Patterson
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling
3. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer and Breaking Dawn By Stephanie Meyer
4. I am Legend by Richard Matheson
5. The Afterlife by Gary Soto and Persuasion by Jane Austen
6. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
7. Cherry Cheesecake Murder (Hannah Swensen Mystery, Book 8) by Joanne Fluke (Will fit task 15.7, 5.8 and 10.8)
8. Sacajawea (Lewis & Clark Expedition) by Joseph Bruchac and Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell, 1847 by Kristiana Gregory
9. Holes by Louis Sachar and A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
10. The Color Purple by Alice Walker and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

35 POINT TASKS
1. Music, Physics and Engineering by Harry F. Olson and The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel by Gaston Leroux
2. The Beach House by James Patterson, Peter de Jonge and Warm Bodies, Cold Hearts by Rachel Rice
3. Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell
4. Size 12 Is Not Fat (Heather Wells, #1) by Meg Cabot and The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle by Cheryl Forberg RD, Melissa Roberson

50 POINT TASKS

272/24430 Pages Read
10/1075 Total Points

I am so confused... how have you completed 4 tasks in 30 minutes???

Jayme wrote: "I started early"
Rules of the Challenge:
3. Also if you started reading a book but had not finished more than of half of it prior to the beginning of a new challenge it can still be used to complete a task. Ex. If you were on page 100 of a 300 page book at the end of the day on August 31st but it fits a task for The Fall challenge you can use it.

Ugh. And I'm behind again! lol
I used to think that I was a fast reader until I started these challenges.

i finished my first task! :)

35.3: DLM ROSE'S TASK - IT'S ABOUT TIME: Fables: The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham

total points: 35

Man some of you must do nothing but read?! I'm also confused at how you can complete 5 tasks in 30 minutes when you can't have read more than half the book before the challenge starts!

And so it begins...

10.7--THE WILLOW FILES VOL. 1:BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER by Yvonne Navarro (Fave show and fave character)

I came to BTVS after the first season, but was hooked after my first episode and my favorite character from the beginning was the shy, bookish Wicca Willow Rosenburg who's stories are told in this compilation of novelizations of TV episodes.

30.6--Wendy/AUNT DIMITY AND THE NEXT OF KIN by Nancy Atherton

While volunteering at the local hospital Lori Shepherd befriends Elizabeth Beacham, a dying woman, only to learn after her passing that the woman had much more wealth than she appeared to have. The mystery ensues as Lori, with a little of Aunt Dimity's help tries to find Miss Beacham lost brother who is her only next of kin. A sweet mystery without any murder.

My dream is to visit Great Britain and the idea of staying in a quiet village is exactly what I would wish for. I hope someday to rent a country house while I scour the countryside.

35.3--DAY OF THE IGUANA by Henry Winkler

Hank Zipzer is not having a great week. His science project is due and although he came up with a great idea involving his family's cable box, his sister's pet iguana has now made the gutted box into a nest
and Hank did not get permission from his folks to tear apart the box! Now what is he going to do??

I thought this one would be a fun read and I really wanted to read a book written by "The Fonz". It was a cute children's book and I would recommend the series to parents.

This brings me to 75 points!

How have so many of you completed so many tasks? It has been like 6 hours since the challenge started. I understand that Jaime got confused but Rhiannon completed a task 5 minutes after the challenge started?

Here goes....

Task 10.5 Popularity (November 2009)
Matchless A Christmas Story (112 pgs)

Tasks Completed: 1
Points thus far: 10/1100
Books read: 3
Pages read: 640

Oh, Sara, I love your ticker!

10.7 Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Total points: 10

Kathryn wrote: "Oh, Sara, I love your ticker!"

Thanks Kathryn! I love snow!

Sara☺ wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Oh, Sara, I love your ticker!"

Thanks Kathryn! I love snow!"

Me too... but there isn't really any in southern california...

Kathryn wrote: "Sara☺ wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Oh, Sara, I love your ticker!"

Thanks Kathryn! I love snow!"

Me too... but there isn't really any in southern california..."

We don't get a ton here in VA either, but I love it just the same ;-) Keeps me in the holiday spirit!

<3 Sara. She calculated total points so I now I don't have to in my bleary waking morning state. YAY!

15.6 This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. The best gift I have gotten was from my now husband. He gave me CD of his favorite songs. For giving back, I am driving over to Salvation Army right now to donate some of the old clothes. Sarah Dessen is a Goodreads author

New Point Total: 15
Task Completed: 1
Books Read: 1
Pages Read: 345

I read The Angel's Game for task 10.5 (books for June 2009). I checked this out from the library on a whim and absolutely adored it! I haven't read many 5 star books in a while, so this was a great treat.

That brings me to 10 points

Roseann wrote: "And so it begins...

10.7--THE WILLOW FILES VOL. 1:BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER by Yvonne Navarro (Fave show and fave character)

I came to BTVS after the first season, but was hooked after my firs..."

Is The Willow Files good? I haven't heard of it. BTVS is my favorite show as well and my favorite board game so I'll be reading a lot of Buffy related material this challenge!

where do you get one of those tickers?

It's only a few hours into the day and already some of you have read MULTIPLE books! I am once again a slacker!

10.2 LOUIS LOUIS - Vathek by William Beckford. The princess had 50 female servants in her court who were deaf mutes and were also blinded in their right eyes.

Total Points: 10
Tasks Completed: 1

Emily wrote: "Roseann wrote: "And so it begins...

10.7--THE WILLOW FILES VOL. 1:BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER by Yvonne Navarro (Fave show and fave character)

I came to BTVS after the first season, but was hooked a..."

It was basically the novelization of "Gingerbread", "Doppelganger", and "Choices" from the series. I liked it alot, it brought back memories and now I want to watch the episodes again.

Jayme wrote: "where do you get one of those tickers?
"

Click on one of the tickers and it will take you to the site where you can create your own.

Kathryn wrote: "How have so many of you completed so many tasks? It has been like 6 hours since the challenge started. I understand that Jaime got confused but Rhiannon completed a task 5 minutes after the challen..."

I'm wondering the same thing!

What is the correct point total possible for this challenge? I see 1100 and 1150 both used here. (Sorry, it's too early for my brain to add up the LONG list of tasks.)

Thanks! :-)

I do know that the number of books needed to finish this challenge will be variable because of the task we have that can use one or multiple books.

Krista wrote: "What is the correct point total possible for this challenge? I see 1100 and 1150 both used here. (Sorry, it's too early for my brain to add up the LONG list of tasks.)

Thanks! :-)

I do k..."

I got 1100:

5*10=50
10*10=100
15*10=150
20*3=60
25*10=250
30*10=300
35*4=140
50*1=50

50+100+150+60+250+300+140+50=1100

Please correct me if I am wrong!

The most points you can get according to my calculations is 1100 (5*10 + 10*10 + 15*10 + 20*3 + 25*10 + 30*10 + 35*4 +50)

Kathryn wrote: "Krista wrote: "What is the correct point total possible for this challenge? I see 1100 and 1150 both used here. (Sorry, it's too early for my brain to add up the LONG list of tasks.)

Thanks! ..."

According to my spreadsheet I also get 1100 points.

Sandra wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Krista wrote: "What is the correct point total possible for this challenge? I see 1100 and 1150 both used here. (Sorry, it's too early for my brain to add up the LONG list of task..."

The consensus seems to be 1100. Thanks! I haven't set up my spreadsheet yet. I've just keep track of the tasks in a Word document until the task positions settle to their final point categories.

How many books are there in total?

Sara ♥ wrote: "How many books are there in total?"

Okay, my counting could be totally wrong, but I get at the very least 64, and that isn't including the 50 point or however many books to complete 850 pages.

I changed my ticker, guess that's what I get for adding so early in the AM.

Two more done--

15.8--THE GIFT by Nora Roberts (also watch Christmas movie)

I almost never (except for challenges) read romance novels, or short stories for that matter, but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Included are two stories: "HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" a tale of a man returning home after achieving fame to try to rekindle love with the girl he left behind; and "THE GIFT" Zeke and Zack want nothing more than a mother for Christmas, so they send a letter to Santa requesting one then Nell, the new music teacher, shows up and she fits their description completely, but will dad go along with the wish?

I also watched THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (I fully recommend the Blue Ray if you have a player) one of my favorite holiday movies.

and

15.10--RUNNING WILD by J G Ballard

A fairly troubling story about a massacre that happens at a gated community. One morning at 8:30am all of the adults are dead, but where are the children? I especially liked the way the author wrote the story. It was like reading an investigator's file and showed how the final conclusion came to be.

This brings me to 105 points!

As everyone knows who has been in previous challenges I am a rabid, very quick reader and I voraciously attack these challenges as do many others here. My husband goes along with my addiction as it means more computer and Halo time for him ;-).





Forgot about the movie--I went ahead and watched GHOST with Patrick Swayze who died in 2009.

Wow! I can't believe people have so many points already. How did you manage to read that many books AND watch a movie? The challenge has only been open like 13 hours.

Katerina wrote: "Wow! I can't believe people have so many points already. How did you manage to read that many books AND watch a movie? The challenge has only been open like 13 hours.

"

The ones I finished yesterday (and one today) I had started on the 30th of Nov. and I tend to watch TV and read at the same time, so that's what I did with the movie.

Kathryn wrote: "Sara ♥ wrote: "How many books are there in total?"

Okay, my counting could be totally wrong, but I get at the very least 64, and that isn't including the 50 point or however many books to complete..."

I might be wrong too, but I got 78 with my spreadsheet backing me up:
10 5-pts
10 10-pts
14 15-pts (not counting if you read extra kids books to add up to 100 pages)
3 20-pts
17 25-pts
16 30-pts
7 35-pts
1 (or more) 50-pts

10+10+14+3+17+16+7+1 = 78

WOW.

I personally have 79 (not counting the 50 point task) because I have 3 books slated for BJ Rose's task. So by my calculations minimum should be 77 (not counting the 50 point task)!

I think my eyes jumped and I repeated the same number over again (possibly the entire 60s. Thanks for freaking me out even more then before!

Roseann wrote: "Katerina wrote: "Wow! I can't believe people have so many points already. How did you manage to read that many books AND watch a movie? The challenge has only been open like 13 hours.

"

Th..."

I wish I had the attention span to do that! Even when my boyfriend has something on that I don't want to watch, I end up watching it and not reading!

I guess I don't have that kind of attention span either. I couldn't watch a DVD movie (something without commercials) and read a book and count that as watching the movie as I wouldn't be paying attention to the movie itself but get absorbed in the book (or vice versa). I can read during regular TV programs during the commercial breaks.

Petra wrote: "I guess I don't have that kind of attention span either. I couldn't watch a DVD movie (something without commercials) and read a book and count that as watching the movie as I wouldn't be paying at..."

I was actually singing along to the movie as I was reading, my husband says my brain is not normal ;-).

Roseann wrote: "I am a rabid, very quick reader and I voraciously attack these challenges..."

It's funny how in reading everyone's posts I have developed mental pictures of people based on the way they type. Roseann, this sentence completely changed my mental picture of you. You now resemble Cujo in my head, you rabid voracious attack reader!

Roseann wrote: "Petra wrote: "I guess I don't have that kind of attention span either. I couldn't watch a DVD movie (something without commercials) and read a book and count that as watching the movie as I wouldn'..."

Haha that's funny. I'm always impressed of people who can multitask like that. I am certainly not one of those but I have friends who can do that kind of stuff. My brain just goes crazy!

Katie wrote: "Roseann wrote: "I am a rabid, very quick reader and I voraciously attack these challenges..."

It's funny how in reading everyone's posts I have developed mental pictures of people based on the way..."

LOL!!!!!

10.4 WINNERS CHOICE
--> PJREADS - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Total points : 10

Roseann wrote: "Katerina wrote: "Wow! I can't believe people have so many points already. How did you manage to read that many books AND watch a movie? The challenge has only been open like 13 hours.

Roseann - how are you counting books that you finished yesterday? No books were able to be ready more than 50% until today, so only books starting today can be counted?

Unless i am just confused?

Bridgit wrote: "Roseann - how are you counting books that you finished yesterday? No books were able to be ready more than 50% until today, so only books starting today can be counted?"

Bridgit, you are not confused, books can only be partially read (less than 50%) before the challenge begins. However, Roseann is in California so anything she read after 9 pm her time yesterday was finished after midnight EST. I am guessing that is why she referred to finishing books "yesterday".

Liz wrote: "Bridgit, you are not confused, books can only be partially read (less than 50%) before the challenge begins. However, Roseann is in California so anything she read after 9 pm her time yesterday was finished after midnight EST. I am guessing that is why she referred to finishing books "yesterday". "

So the cut-off then for west coasters, for example, on the final day of the challenges would also be 9 p.m.?

35.3 DLM Rose -it's about time: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. A delightful, quick read.

Pages read: 234
Books read: 1
Tasks completed: 1
Total Points: 35
Liz (Bklyn)

El wrote: "Liz wrote: "Bridgit, you are not confused, books can only be partially read (less than 50%) before the challenge begins. However, Roseann is in California so anything she read after 9 pm her time y..."

El - yes, the cutoff is 9 pm for those of us on the West Coast. Actually, I was kicking myself last night because I forgot to post my final updates in time.