Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion
Tower Teams VI
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Team Nymphadora Tonks
Mod
Mod
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Welcome to Team Nymphadora Tonks!When
Starts: May 12th, at Midnight (WEST Time)
Ends: July 31st
Useful Links
Tower Teams VI Discussion
Owl Mail
All About Team Towers Challenge VI
Leaky Cauldron (Pre-challenge chat)
Scoreboard
Books Read Discussion Page (Post the books you've read here)
Our Planning Spreadsheet (You can also add your books here)
Classes Information
Spells Information
Let’s Play Quidditch
List of Buddy Reads Spreadsheet
Request a Buddy Read
Characters
TriWizard Team Tasks
Nymphadora Tonks Official Spreadsheet
Tower Teams VI Status
Huff Puff Houses:
Cedric Diggory
Newt Scamander
Pomona Sprout
Rules
(view spoiler)
POINT SYSTEMFor reading books
05 points = 100 and 160 pages (100 pages or 25,000 words is the minimum)
20 points = 161 pages and 350 pages
40 points = 351 and 500 pages
60 points = 501 and 650 pages
80 points = 651 and 800 pages
100 points = 801 and 900 page
130 points = +901 pages
📖 Book of the Month
For current BOM (Book of the Month) discussions
- Writing a day's worth of discussion questions = 40 points
- Participating in a current BOM (participating in discussion) = 20 points
(view spoiler)
Books of the Month
May
1. Children of Blood and Bone (May 1 - 10)
Tina
2. Lilac Girls (May 16 - May)
Brooklyn
June
1. Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli (Young Adult BOM) (June 02)
Halli
Brooklyn
2. Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (Adult Sci-fi/Fantasy) (June 16)
Tina
Eunice
Teri
July
1. Mod takeover - Link to Rosemary and Rue, by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #1) Start: July 2
2. Link to I Hunt Killers, by Barry Lyga Start: July 12
3. Link to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris Start: July 22
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📖 For NBRC Buddy Reads
Participating in a buddy read with a member from a different team, or with a member of NBRC who isn't on a Tower Team = 30 points
Participating in a Harry Potter buddy read with a member from a different team, or with a member of NBRC who isn't on a Tower Team = 40 points
*There are plenty of Buddy Reads to look through in this link.
**You can request a Buddy Read here
May
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
These are all informal
Starts: May 12
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews
Starts: May 12
Book 1 is a relaxed buddy read; Books 2-9 are informal buddy reads
1. Magic Bites
2. Magic Burns
3. Magic Strikes
4. Magic Bleeds
5. Magic Slays
6. Magic Rises
7. Magic Breaks
8. Magic Shifts
9. Magic Binds
(view spoiler)
📖
Classes and Spells
Classes
We're going to attend classes. That means maybe you'll have to transform cups into mouses, transplant baby mandragoras or brew potions, among other things.
Astronomy
Use of telescopes to chronicle the stars and the movement of planets. Its homework, assigned by Professor Sinistra, involved learning the names of stars, planets and moons and filling in blank star charts.
Read 7 books with a Celestial Element on the title per Hogwarts year
- List celestial object
Care of Magical Creatures
They study the life cycles of various magical creatures, some of which can be rather dangerous.
They learn to care for, feed, and manage the creatures, and also learn lore about them and how to use them (or parts of them) for magical purposes.
Describe your Magical Creature using book covers.
- List 5 body parts
- Using aspects from the book, tell us more about the Magic Creature (Classification, Localization, Feeding Habits, Uses)
Charms
Read Pairs of books that represent the Charm you are trying to master
Read two books per charm. Justify your book relation as well.
- Levitation Charm
- Cheering Charm
- Mending Charm
- Summoning Charm
- Banishing Charm
- Fire-making Spell
- Water-Making Spell
Defence Against the Dark Arts
Class for teaching defensive magic to students so they can protect themselves against the Dark Arts. Often simply referred to as DADA class
- Read 7 Pairs of books that represent the Dark Art and the way of defending against it per Hogwarts year
Example:
Book 1: Mentions a Dark Art / Creature
Example: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (Werewolves)
Book 2: Title contains a way of defense
Example: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs (Silver)
Divination
Divination is magic which attempts to foresee future events. Many in the wizarding world consider this branch of magic to be imprecise at best
- Read three books where a character uses fortuneteller/divination tools
- Read three books where a prophecy/vision is described/felt
- Read three to be published books (ARC/eARC)
Herbology
Herbology class at Hogwarts is the study of magical plants and fungi, including their care and their magical properties and uses
Repotting a baby Mandragora
- Dragon dung compost: Read two books with dirt, dung or compost on the cover/title
- Get a large pot: Read a brown cover book with 500+ pages
- Dragon hide gloves: Read two hardcover books
- Ear Muffs: Read two fluffy/chick-lit books
History of Magic
Consists of lectures on various aspects of magical history. It is extremely boring, but this is due to the teacher, Professor Binns’, teaching style, not the material itself, which seems to emphasize vicious goblin riots, goblin rebellions, and giant wars.
- Read one book per Hogwarts year
- Using the book titles above, write an essay for the class
Potions
Potions class is the study of potion-making
- Collect your Equipment (Cauldron, Knife, Mortar and Pestle, Scale)
- Collect the Ingredients (Salamander blood, Lionfish spines, Flobberworm mucus, Honey water, Boom berry juice)
- Brew The Potion (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green Turquoise, Indigo, Pink, Red, Yellow, Purple, Red, Orange, Yellow, Turquoise)
Spells
Start: May 12
End: July 31
This is a Spell-it-out challenge - For each letter read books with titles, series names, authors (first or last names) that begin with letters that correspond to the word you choose. You also can use main or secondary characters (first or last names, and also nicknames). You may ignore the indefinite and definite articles (a, an, the, etc.)
Here is the link to our spreadsheet for Spells
Spells
2 Points per letter
5 Points per completed word
-1 Point per missing letter
List
Accio
Alohomora
Confundo
Expecto Patronum
Expelliarmus
Lumos
Nox
Obliviate
Petrificus Totalus
Priori Incantatem
Protego
Riddikulus
Stupefy
Wingardium Leviosa
Obscure Spells
5 Points per letter
10 Points per completed word
-2 Point per missing letter
List
Sectumsempra
Morsmordre
Unforgivable Curses
10 Points per letter
20 Points per completed word
-5 Points per missing letter
List
Avada Kedavra - To be completed first
Cruciatus
Imperius
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📖 Quidditch Tournament
Start:
End:
Teams within same house will need to work together to select 7 players for the game. (3 chasers, 1 keeper, 2 beaters and 1 seeker). Each position will have specific rules and tasks to emulate a quidditch game. Is a speed challenge and it needs some planning and talking, and is quite dynamic.
Since we have 4 houses, there will be played 3 matches, that will last for a max of 2 weeks, or till the snitch is caught - whatever happens first.
Rules and points and game dates will have their designated folder. They will be posted soon. Stay Tuned.
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📖 Tri-Wizard Tournament
Starts: May 30
Ends: July 31
Three daunting quest to be done in order.
Based on the real Tri-Wizard (both book and movie). For each quest each team can chose which champion path to choose, or not, it all depends on the quest at hand.
WINNER CATEGORIESOrdinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.)
Highest number of books read by the end of the challenge
Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (N.E.W.T)
Highest number of points by the end of the challenge
(view spoiler)
Hogwarts House Cup
House scoring higher at the end of the three Quidditch Matches
Tri-Wizard Tournament Cup
Team with the most points won on the Tri-Wizard Tournament at the end of the challenge
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS◈ Q: Do we need to write reviews for the book to count?
A: No, you just need to have them marked as "read"
◈ Q: Do I post all of my books to a special shelf or just ones as I read?
A: Your choice. Some captains may like just all "read" books on the special shelf, so just check with them once teams are assigned
◈ Q: What does it mean "Participating in a BOM" ? Answering a set or comment? Or do we need to answer all days to get the 20 points? Or is a 20 points per set of questions?
A:Provided you add to the discussion at some stage through the book. It doesn't need to be answering a set of questions if that doesn't appeal to you. You may just pop over and give some thoughts at different stages. It is just one set of points per book. However you do need to interact with others in the BOM thread for it to be considered “participation”.
◈ Q: To get points for a buddy read, does it have to be one of the upcoming buddy reads or can it one that has already been done? Is there a limit to how many buddy reads you can participate in?
A: You can request a new buddy read is set up ; the "buddy reads request" thread is the best place to find a buddy.
There is no limit to the number of buddy reads you can participate in, but there does need to be some participation. If someone requests a BR and then just says "oh I liked that book", then we wouldn't consider that participation. As with the BOMs, you do need to interact with others in the BOM thread for it to be considered “participation”.
◈ Q:Can we get the points if let's say we read a book that has already been done but go to the thread to answer the old questions or discuss our thoughts? An already done BOM or buddy read?
A:We are looking for some kind of discussion and input with others, so that can include past BOMs and BRs provided that you get someone interacting with you. Going back to an old thread and just leaving a sentence or two isn't really what we are aiming for as TT should be about interaction and discussion of books.
◈ Q: For page counts, do we use the most popular edition on GR or the edition that we actually read?
A: Edition you've read.
Default edition will be used for audiobooks and large print editions
◈ Q: If you read a BOM or a buddy read do you get points for the book size (say 5 if's 150 pages) plus additional as its a BOM or buddy read? (Say 30 if it's a buddy read) would equal 35 points? Do I have that right?
A: You get points for page count with or without BR/BOM points. BR/BOM points are extra points.
◈ Q: One of the scheduled upcoming Buddy Reads is a book I recently read a couple months ago. I realize that I can't get points for this book since I read it prior to the challenge start date, but if I participate in the discussion can I get points for participating in a Buddy Read?
A: To try and keep things simple points count for BRs and BOMs once the book is marked as "read" by the member. This would mean the answer to your question is 'no'.
◈ Q: I know this has been mentioned a million times but I just want to clarify -- if we read a past BOM (*not* buddy read) and actually go through and participate in the Q&A that are posted, we get points? Or do we only get them if an opposing team member plays along with us? And if it has to be an opposing team member, do they have to be new to the BOM, as well, or could it be someone who has read the book and answered the Q&A already but are now sharing in a discussion with myself/whomever?
A: Yes, if you go to a past BOM and answer questions, it would 'count' if someone else pops up and interacts with you. This could be a past reader of the book, or a new one. I think you will find most of the mods will interact with you.
◈ Q: If I have to abandon a book because I just can't get through it - does my Team still get points for the pages I've read? Say, the book has in total 600 pages. I've read 405 pages before I've abandoned it - does my Team get the 20 points?
A: No, sorry, it is only books marked as "read" that count. So you either need to bail out of the book early or push through to the end!
◈ Q: Do characters in non-fiction books count?
A: Typically no. For example, if it is a historical account of WWII and the story is about Winston Churchill, he is not considered a 'character'.
Exceptions would be something like a memoir, ( e.g. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness) where someone is recounting events and situations ; then it is possible there would be characters.
◈ Q: Where there are multiple authors, can they be used?
A: If attributed on Goodreads, then yes. For example, Eternity's Wheel. Where it is a book with a collection of stories and Goodreads shows one author as the "editor", then you can only use the editor. (e.g. Dog is My Co-Pilot: Great Writers on the World's Oldest Friendship)
◈Spells
For the letters X, Y and V, you can also use translators names and or audion narrator names, providing the edition you are reading allows for it.
Meaning, you'll have to read the translated version to use translator's name or listening to the audio version to use the narrator's name.
Tower Team Shelves:Halli
Amanda A
Karishma
Jackie
Heather
Talia
Brooklyn
Zee
Tina
Nicole
Teri
Countdown to the start of the challenge
Tracking Spreadsheet
Hi team! I'm Amanda and I live in South Carolina. Can't wait to play this round of Tower Teams with you!
Hey guys! I'm so excited to get started :) After a quick identity crisis when I first took the Pottermore quiz, I'm now a VERY proud Hufflepuff!
I'm Halli, 28 in South Carolina. In RL I work in HR & have a 3 month old baby girl who helps me get in some late night reading.
Tower Teams Shelf
Amanda A wrote: "Hi team! I'm Amanda and I live in South Carolina. Can't wait to play this round of Tower Teams with you!"What part of SC?!
Halli wrote: "What part of SC?!"Spartanburg, what part do you live in?
Amanda A wrote: "Halli wrote: "What part of SC?!"Spartanburg, what part do you live in?"
I almost went to college there. My dad & his dad both went to Wofford!
I'm in the Florence(ish) area. Actually Darlington, where the NASCAR racetrack is.
Hi team! I’m Talia, a new Michigan resident, recently transplanted from Arizona. This past winter was my first full winter in a snowy climate! It was beautiful, but our last snowfall was just in April! So I’m happy to see the trees and flowers finally blooming around here.
Looking forward to getting started! I’ll post a link to my shelf when I’m at a computer later today.
Looking forward to getting started! I’ll post a link to my shelf when I’m at a computer later today.
Hi! Teri here-this is my first year with a lot of challenges and I am having a blast! I live in Virginia, I am a teacher and I have 3 superfun children. I have named my shelf but cannot figure out how to link it while on my phone because these phones are a little too advanced for me-will post it when I get home! Super excited!!
Halli wrote: "I almost went to college there. My dad & his dad both went to Wofford!I'm in the Florence(ish) area. Actually Darlington, where the NASCAR racetrack is."
That is awesome! I used to work at Wofford and my sister went there. I work for a school district now as an accountant.
I have driven through your area on the way to Myrtle Beach. :-)
Hi all! I'm Heather, and I live just outside of Los Angeles. I work in research for one of the movie studios and have two little kids who are 2 and 5. We're starting kinder next year!! I just finished UNO (with Halli!) and I'm excited to have another challenge to keep me reading!my shelf
I'm so glad threads are open now and people are finding their way here :) I've been anxiously waiting for it since they announced teams yesterday.I'll be out of town this weekend on family vacation when TT officially starts (in the mountains with no service), but I'm bringing some books so I can start as soon as it's "go time". I know it's going to be harder to finish as many books as I once did since I've got a tiny human to take care of, but I always love these mountain trips where RL can't get in the way & I can bunker down with some good books while the rest of the family fishes / swims / whatever.
Hi all! I’m Nicole from Australia. Looking forward to getting started! Got HP & the half blood prince ready to go. I’ll post my shelf when I can get to a computer.
Hello fellow hufflepuffs from team Cedric
Marie (UK) wrote: "Hello fellow hufflepuffs from team Cedric"Hi Marie!
Hi all! Welcome to the Tower Teams Challenge and to Hufflepuff! I'm glad to meet you all.I'm Tina from Australia. I'm at uni and I work a few days a week. I'm going to be busy with assignments and exams until after the 5th of June so I apologise in advance if I'm slow to respond or haven't read many books for this until after my exams.
Here's my shelf
Hi team, I'm Zee and I'm from Yorkshire in the UK. A long time Harry Potter fan and proud Hufflepuff! I'm a teacher and work long hours so I enjoy team challenges because they give me the push to find extra time for reading.My shelf
Hello Fellow Huffpuffs!A big wave from Team Cedric! :)
Let's make our House proud of us!!!
Have a lovely challenge!
Hello fellow Tonks!! I'm Brooklyn and I live in Alabama. Yeehaw! I'm a software developer so I spend all day in front of a computer. Which means lots of access to GR during the week, but not a whole lot on weekends.I'm Hufflepuff, of course, and excited to play. It's my first time doing a team challenge in this group, although I've done a ton in the past with another GR group.
It's been over 10 years since I last read the HP books (I've got them all on paperback), and although it would be nice to do a another read through, I don't usually reread books. There are just too many new ones to spend time on one I've already read. Of course saying that, I'm actually rereading The Lightning Thief, but only because my daughter is reading it for school, so I'm reading along with her.
My shelf
Hooray! It looks like almost everyone has found their way to the group & we're only waiting for one more person to check in!
Brooklyn wrote: "Hello fellow Tonks!! I'm Brooklyn and I live in Alabama. Yeehaw! I'm a software developer so I spend all day in front of a computer. Which means lots of access to GR during the week, but not a whol..."Brooklyn, I just read the Lightning Thief for the first time about a month ago, and I loved it! I got sucked into the series when I found the audio books for free on Youtube. I finished all of the Percy Jackson ones, but I think I'm going to keep going with the rest of Rick Riordan's books once I finish the book I'm currently listening to.
Zee wrote: "Hi team, I'm Zee and I'm from Yorkshire in the UK. A long time Harry Potter fan and proud Hufflepuff! I'm a teacher and work long hours so I enjoy team challenges because they give me the push to f..."Zee, I'm trying to figure out why you're familiar. Were we in a challenge together before, or do you do NRPG?
Halli wrote: "Zee wrote: "Hi team, I'm Zee and I'm from Yorkshire in the UK. A long time Harry Potter fan and proud Hufflepuff! I'm a teacher and work long hours so I enjoy team challenges because they give me t..."I did do NRPG for quite a long while although I haven't recently. That could be it although I've done a lot of team challenges in my time!
I asked in pre-chat but what is NRPG? I feel like such a newbie! Lol! I don’t know half of what you all are talking about. I’m coming over from the MM group where I was a bit of a challenge whore for about 4 years. So I feel so lost and behind here.
I’m trying to break out of the mm rut and read more and find new challenges hence why I am here.
Oh yeah. Saturday I won’t be around probably at all. I’m chaperoning a band field trip to a music festival and Six Flags so it will be a very long day.
Posting this here & in the pre-challenge :)A Novel Role Playing Game
Here's my spreadsheet for NRPG...
I've hidden the quests I've already completed, & color coded the rest so I know what I'm actively working on vs. quests that I want to complete eventually (where I can stick books that don't fit my priority quests).
Most people just track theirs in a thread (mine), but I think it's way easier to keep track in a spreadsheet so I use that instead.
Spells & rules are posted!! SpellsMy thoughts are that we start with the unforgivable curses & then work our way backwards .. Since they have the most points, we can do those, then do the obscure, then the normal ones.
There were some questions about whether or not we would do the words as a team or individuals did their own words.. the answer is we do them as a team.
I'd like to get started on a tracking spreadsheet, but I'm not really sure what we should add to it at this point. I'll definitely at least get the spell-it-out words in there at least and then let Tina see what needs to be added when she wakes up :)
Halli wrote: "Posting this here & in the pre-challenge :)A Novel Role Playing Game
Here's my spreadsheet for NRPG...
I've hidden the quests I've already completed, & color coded the rest so I know what I'm a..."
OMG! That looks like so much fun!!! I may have to try that, but I have no idea where to start. Ha!
Brooklyn wrote: "Halli wrote: "Posting this here & in the pre-challenge :)A Novel Role Playing Game
Here's my spreadsheet for NRPG...
I've hidden the quests I've already completed, & color coded the rest so I k..."
I love it because I can read pretty much anything I want and just find a place to slot the book. Sometimes I'm really motivated and focus on certain tasks and other times I forget about it for months at a time and then go back and add my read books and figure out where to place them. I've been doing it for a couple of years now!
Are the spells team spells (we spell as a team), or individual spells (we each spell out the words)?Disregard. I totally missed your post above about this. duh! Note to self...read all posts first.
Brooklyn wrote: "Are the spells team spells (we spell as a team), or individual spells (we each spell out the words)?"Team spells! So we could each read a different letter for the same word.
And what are the rules for the spell it out? Just title and author (first or last name)?
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Literally Offed (other topics)Literally Offed (other topics)
Perfekt Order (other topics)
Undertaking Irene (other topics)
Perfekt Order (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Paula Hawkins (other topics)Ilona Andrews (other topics)
Wendy Spinale (other topics)
Carly Phillips (other topics)
Rick Riordan (other topics)
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• Tina (Captain)
• Halli Vause (Co-captain)
• Brooklyn
• Amanda A
• Jackie Freeman
• Talia
• Zee
• Nicole
• Eunice
• Teri
• Karishma Newar
• Heather
• Jodie
May
Annie K.
• Kate