Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

A Bookworm Reading (Plethora) wrote: "Those with small library systems it might be worth looking into the Pennsylvania Free Library System,. They offer a card for $50 to those outside of the state, which you can use to borrow ebooks. I..."

Thanks, Bookworm! I'll check it out the next time I need a book that my local library system doesn't have available. :-)

Kazen wrote: "Just curious, will time zones be considered when making teams? I loved working with people on my side of the world in previous challenges :)"

We take in consideration time-zones and average of books read to keep teams balanced. Specially when Wheelathon is involved.

We cannot guarantee you all be from the same TZ, but we will try not to have an Aussie all alone in a European team - because that's one of the worse combinations, specially if members can only be online at night time.

Sonia, thank you! I'm in Japan and therefore Aussie-esque time zone wise, hehe. The care you guys put into these challenges is much appreciated!

I'd love to sign up! I have a few challenges:
1. I was a little confused when, on the Info thread, it said you can start reading from the start date of the challenge even if you don't have a team... Why would we not have a team?

2. Do only books started after the challenge start date count? Or is it books finished after the date that count?

3. Can we count the largest page count on GR, or must we count the page number we've read? Same for the editions. If we read a book in English but that has a different language (most for Spell-It-Out) can we count it as an unusual letter if need be?

Kazen wrote: "Sonia, thank you! I'm in Japan and therefore Aussie-esque time zone wise, hehe. The care you guys put into these challenges is much appreciated!"

Yeah, I remember the big spider vs cat pic *giggles*

It helps when we have mods from the three major time-zones... we do need to be able to talk to each other.

I remember a few years ago, when me and Karen were brand new and I only could be at night, that the time we all were online was around my midnight... that sucked big time!

So yeah, when doing teams we try to do it in a way that works. Specially when team-work is needed.

Maddison wrote: "I'd love to sign up! I have a few challenges:

1. I was a little confused when, on the Info thread, it said you can start reading from the start date of the challenge even if you don't have a team... Why would we not have a team?"
Because for this challenge we need to guarantee captains/co-captains first, then teams. Means if we don't have enough experienced captains, members can be put on the waiting for a team list. We hope not, since we had very good captains in the past, and they probably can't resist the team challenge appealing, but since this one is a bit demanding... we cannot do like tower teams, assign a volunteer and hope for the best.

2. Do only books started after the challenge start date count? Or is it books finished after the date that count?
Is the start date that counts.

3. Can we count the largest page count on GR, or must we count the page number we've read? Same for the editions. If we read a book in English but that has a different language (most for Spell-It-Out) can we count it as an unusual letter if need be?
The edition read. Or the standard goodreads edition. Translation titles can be used as long as it was the read edition.

For example, If I read the portuguese edition of Bad Karma - (Maldito karma) I can use the M for title, or the author's name David Safier , or the translators names: Artur Costa (Translator), Emília Ferreira (Translator).

@Sonia: Thanks! But we can't count say Maldita Karma (Portugese edition) if we read the English one?

And will those without teams be backups? Is that why they can start reading books without being on a team?

Maddison wrote: "@Sonia: Thanks! But we can't count say Maldita Karma (Portugese edition) if we read the English one?

Nope. If you read the English edition, you can only use the English version of the name.

And will those without teams be backups? Is that why they can start reading books without being on a team?
Yes.

Ah alright. But we just wouldn't get specific tasks to read for?

Maddison wrote: "Ah alright. But we just wouldn't get specific tasks to read for?"

Not really, no.

Plus, we are going to be very picky with captains this time.... And books will only count for current challenge in progress... Meaning read during Battleship time-frame cannot be used for Wheelathon challenge. Even if the member is a replacement.

Ah alright. So for those without teams, the books read during the individual challenge time-frames will only count for those individual challenges?

Cait wrote: "My only concern with it all at this point is the sheer size of the library book stack I'm going to need to make sure I can fill anything at any time.

I'm going to have to have lunch delivered for ..."

Cait you and me both I am going to be doing several round tours of Leeds visiting every library i know

I have captained before but this sounds huge - I can manage google sheets but no good at creating them - thinking maybe co-captain if needed?

is there sign ups for the readathon yet?

Maddison wrote: "Ah alright. So for those without teams, the books read during the individual challenge time-frames will only count for those individual challenges?"

Which individual challenge?

Marie wrote: "I have captained before but this sounds huge - I can manage google sheets but no good at creating them - thinking maybe co-captain if needed?"

You may be right. This one will be a little heavy with spreadsheets. And since rules change a bit every 2 to 3 weeks, adaptation needs to be quick. Some captains will manage to handle pretty much whatever we throw at them - I even know a few that may improve whatever we give them - but others take a little longer to adapt.

But it will be a lot of fun. And we'll be around too :)

Marie wrote: "is there sign ups for the readathon yet?"

I don't think we need to sign up... just show... But I'll check with the readathon mastermind.. aka Karsyn... when she gets online. It's 6 AM in NC, so still a little early.

Sonia wrote: "Maddison wrote: "Ah alright. So for those without teams, the books read during the individual challenge time-frames will only count for those individual challenges?"

Which individual challenge?"

Eg: Battleships/Wheel/Bookules. Only books read within those challenge time-frames count towards those specific challenges?

Maddison wrote: "Sonia wrote: "Maddison wrote: "Ah alright. So for those without teams, the books read during the individual challenge time-frames will only count for those individual challenges?"

Which individual..."

Yes. I got confused because those are not individual challenges. Wobble is a team challenge, that has 6 different components. All of them are done with the same team. And one component at a time.

As said in the rules, books read during Battleship, can be used on Battleship only.

It's the same concept we already used in past Wheelathon or Gladiator Games editions. Books finished in a round only count towards that round.

Start date of a book needs to be after W.O.B.B.L.E. start date to count.

Finish date of a book will determine in which part of W.O.B.B.L.E. it can be applied for.

So imagine you start a book in middle July and it's so long you only finish it in September. If it can be fit into the current theme, good, if not, it will be discarded after said theme ends.

can I sign up now? i am ready freddy!!!! sign me up now!!!!rofl

LOL

Not yet. Rules need to be read first.

Yes, we are evil like that. We expect that in a reading challenge, people actually read the rules.

I may have missed this, but when is the actual start date? I just want to see how close to finished I will be with some other involved challenge before I sign up.

I can't wait for this to start and I'm actually really looking forward to the variety of challenges.

I've become such a reading challenge slut and I don't even care :)

Stacey wrote: "I may have missed this, but when is the actual start date? I just want to see how close to finished I will be with some other involved challenge before I sign up."

June 17th, I think. At least it was last talked date.

I'm excited for this challenge to begin.

Marie wrote: "is there sign ups for the readathon yet?"

There really won't be signups, just the read-a-thon. I guess I can open up a goals page, so like signups, a day or two before hand.

It'll just be reading times for whoever can.

As a veteran captain, I wanted to drop a note for all the people who are considering being a captain/co-captain but are worried about how involved it is. I've been a co/captain for probably 5 or 6 teams (including being simultaneously a co-captain of the team I was playing on and a secret identity captain for TT2, which sounds crazy but wasn't nearly as crazy as the Gladiator Games!).

Honestly, if you're logging into Goodreads once a day (and, let's be honest, most of us are logging in multiple times a day) it isn't difficult to keep up with. The mods provide us with great tracking spreadsheets that are easy to use. The last Tower Teams every team had at least one co-captain and 90% of them had two co-captains, with more people volunteering to help out the chance is almost nill that you'll end up having to do it all on your own.

My work schedule is super unpredictable, and there were days where I couldn't log in to the update. But I had great co-captains, so I was able to set things up and get things moving and leave the day to day updating to them. I still popped in daily to check the threads and make sure they weren't waiting for me to answer a question, but they had the day to day updating under control.

If you're super hesitant about having the responsibility of being the captain, but still want to help, volunteer to be a co-captain! Co-captains are truly invaluable members of a team and you can still be involved without feeling like you have all the responsibility and it's a really great way to gauge whether you think you can handle being the captain for the next challenge! :D

Vicky wrote: "As a veteran captain, I wanted to drop a note for all the people who are considering being a captain/co-captain but are worried about how involved it is. I've been a co/captain for probably 5 or 6 ..."

Thanks Vicky, that's great advice :)

Vicky wrote: "As a veteran captain, I wanted to drop a note for all the people who are considering being a captain/co-captain but are worried about how involved it is. I've been a co/captain for probably 5 or 6 ..."

Yes, thank you, Vicky! That IS great advice. :-) My only hesitation is. . .how involved will being a captain be for W.O.B.B.L.E. Will the Captains have time to actually read, or would most of their time be spent "Captaining"?

I've Captained a number of team challenges across a few different communities. And I've found, personally, that the amount of time spent doing Captain duties really depends on the kind of team you get.

The times I've had really responsive members who are super involved in working together and organizing their stuff, it's been no problem at all. When the information is readily and easily available for the captains from their team members, it's very easy. Also very fun!

When I was having to chase people down who weren't responding or disappeared with no word or didn't submit their stuff on time... Then yeah, it was a little more time consuming. But this is rare. Most everyone knows what they're getting into when they sign up so we all do our parts.

I can't speak for this challenge specifically but overall being a Captain really doesn't take up very much of your time, in my opinion. Most of the questions needing to be answered and things needing to be updated can be done within a couple minutes. And more often than not, the group talks among themselves and works things out too so you aren't 100% responsible for every little thing that comes up :)

I have taken over the duties of captain for our UNO team after our captain just had too much going on in her real life. :) I enjoy it, but it does cut into my reading time. Maybe I'm just a bit obsessed about checking into GR multiple times a day! Anyway, after UNO I'm going to be ready to take a lower profile. Also, I'm going to be out of the country for 3 weeks, so co-captain will work better for me.

Oh so the start date isn't this month?

Maddison wrote: "Oh so the start date isn't this month?"

The rules and intro posts say June to October, 18 weeks. :)

Ah okay. Man that's ages away :/

It'll go by fast!

There's more info to come and then signups next week.

Then the mods have the crazy task of putting everyone in their teams, and as the baby mod of the group, OMG does it take a lot of work. I didn't really realize!

There's the Read-a-Thon to help y'all wait. Then you'll get teams and get chatting and it'll go quick!

Here's to hoping we have a lot of good active and chatty teams. For Tower Teams we had mostly really great teams then 3-4 that just never got going.

Only sign up if you are going to be active, y'all. It makes it so much more fun!! :D

I hope the sign up form is like the previous TT where we were asked if we preferred a chatty group or not. :D

Oh that's a good idea!

And when's the readathon?

The more fun you have the better the team seems to do. I don't know why, but it always works out that way. I'm always just in it for the fun anyway and I love meeting lots of new people.

So....chat away, Peeps! Meme's always help get things rolling, too. That reminds me...I better stock up...BWHAHAHAHA!!!

A Bookworm Reading (Plethora) wrote: "Those with small library systems it might be worth looking into the Pennsylvania Free Library System,. They offer a card for $50 to those outside of the state, which you can use to borrow ebooks. I..."

Thanks so much for posting this. They have a lot of the books that my library doesn't. (In Death series for one...).

Yes, the Philly library is pretty amazing, as is the Brooklyn Library. I love that both offer $50 annual memberships to non-residents. They also have tons of audiobooks! And I've had a lot of success in requesting books (audio & ebooks) and getting them purchased! You can do both of these all online with sending in copy of ID

If you're close enough to Cincinnati, OH Library they too have an amazing ebook/audiobook catalog! You do have to go in initially to a branch to signup but don't have to be a resident...I've been told to renew annually after that you can do online (I haven't yet reached my 1 year end!)

Vicky wrote: "As a veteran captain, I wanted to drop a note for all the people who are considering being a captain/co-captain but are worried about how involved it is. I've been a co/captain for probably 5 or 6 ..."

Thanks Vicky. Great summation

I really would love to be a captain. Especially if I get a chatty team like I did with tower teams this last time! But I'm just not sure if I will have time to commit the whole way through. Definitely signing up for co-captain though because I love helping with challenges :D

Kazen wrote: "For those in the US, do you have access to e-library books via Overdrive? Check your local library, of course, but also your state library. For example, the New York Public Library (NYPL in New Yor..."

overdrive is available in the UK too but only in your area so the choice is not as vast but i now get 60-70% of my reading material from the library

Karsyn wrote: "Marie wrote: "is there sign ups for the readathon yet?"

There really won't be signups, just the read-a-thon. I guess I can open up a goals page, so like signups, a day or two before hand.

It'll ..."

thanks Karyn

Tara Jo, I didn't know that about those libraries. Thanks for sharing that info! Our libraries here (Virginia) are very good, but sometimes the wait for books can be really long.

I'm all about chatty teams too and hope I can get one to co-captain. So much more fun and I really enjoy getting to know people from all over the world.

Marie wrote: "overdrive is available in the UK too but only in your area so the choice is not as vast but i now get 60-70% of my reading material from the library"

Thanks for the heads up - so glad you have that awesome resource now! :)

What will be considered a week? Are we talking Sunday to Saturday? Or will it be like, Wednesday to Tuesday?

If y'all haven't decided yet, I know I'd prefer Saturday as a starting day for the week. That's when I can get to the bookstore most easily, and I wouldn't have to put off reading just because I can't get a book haha.

I'm so excited for this! Thanks, mods, for taking so much time to put this together!

It starts on Fri the 17th, so the weeks are running Friday-Thursday.

PLEASE READ the newest post about Wobble.

If you are concerned about joining or can't decide on being a captain, please see what is required of you by clicking the link and reading the newest post.

One book a week IS required.
Communication with your team IS required.

Please think long and hard before signing up. Most teams do great, but then there are always one or two that by the time the challenge starts, people don't show up and captains have to beg people to put their read books on their shelves.

Let's make this the BEST team challenge yet! :D

Sooo I can't actually remember if I've captained or co captained teams here or if that's only been in other groups. With the new requirement of having to have been a captain here, Should I just plan on not signing up to captain? I'm not sure how to go about finding out lol