Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

I have a long running argument w/my mother over the difference between tinsel and garland, just based on what we used to hang on the tree when I was a kid. Apparently those metallic garlands are also a form of tinsel, whereas I always thought that only that “loose” tinsel stuff that sticks to everything was called... tinsel.
Huh!

On another topic, we are still over 1100 points behind the leading team at this point. I don’t think there is any way we can close that gap, even if we all read a couple of 100-point books each, which isn’t going to happen. I had some long books planned for this week, but I think it makes more sense to focus on shorter books and just read as many as possible so we can rack up our Difficult Letters. We only have the one I this week, but the two teams above us (by 2 letters) have 1 and 2 difficult letters, respectively.
That category is shaping up to be our best chance, BOM notwithstanding.

I already stared 2 books (one short, one long) but I am going to change some of my stuff on the Spreadsheet...

Alysa wrote: "I have a long running argument w/my mother over the difference between tinsel and garland, just based on what we used to hang on the tree when I was a kid. Apparently those metallic garlands are al..."

I didn't know the metallic garland was called tinsel until I googled for images of tinsel. Nor did I realize there is such a thing as hair tinsel.

Hair tinsel!? That just sounds crazy 😜

Summary of Week 4

Number if books read: 50
Book points earned: 1315
Bonus points earned: 155
BOM points earned: 100

Current points standing: 4th

Harlequin Demon		6935
Sandy Claws		6605
Zombie Band		5965
Lock			5825
Barrel			5690
Zero			5505
Oogie Boogie		5485
Sally			5165
Igor			5005
Jack-in-the-box		4855
Giant Snake		4625
Mayor of Halloween Town	4310
Doctor Finkelstein	4300
Shock			3835
Jack			3725
Scary Teddy		3565

Current tough letters standing: 3rd

Barrel			55
Sally			55
Lock			53
Oogie Boogie		45
Scary Teddy		44
Igor			43
Jack-in-the-box		42
Sandy Claws		42
Harlequin Demon		38
Giant Snake		37
Mayor of Halloween Town	29
Shock			28
Zombie Band		28
Doctor Finkelstein	25
Jack			25
Zero			9

Current BOM standing: tied for 1st

Harlequin Demon	180
Lock	180
Barrel	140
Sandy Claws	140
Zombie Band	100
Jack-in-the-box	80
Doctor Finkelstein	60
Oogie Boogie	60
Scary Teddy	60
Giant Snake	40
Sally	40
Igor	20
Jack	20
Mayor of Halloween Town	20
Shock	20
Zero	20

Awesome job this week everyone!

Alysa wrote: "Hair tinsel!? That just sounds crazy 😜"


I thought this one looked fun.


This one manages to look classy.


I do think the full on tinsel wig qualifies as crazy though.

Yeah, those wigs are basically like a Rainbow Xmas Tree clown costume.

The small streak ones are indeed cute though!

Current Team Status - Saturday 11/24
Week 5: Spelling TINSEL

Bonuses - Complete
🔸word in text - Alysa
🔸word in title - Deanna
🔸word on cover - Deanna
🔸word as genre - Danielle

Spellings of TINSEL
🔸Spelling 1 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 2 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 3 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 4 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 5 - IE claimed, TNSL open
🔸Spelling 6 - All letters open

Deanna wrote: "Current Team Status - Saturday 11/24
Week 5: Spelling TINSEL

Bonuses - Complete
🔸word in text - Ashley"

I think you mean me 🙂

What do you about my strategy for us to focus on shorter books and go for the Diff Letters category, BTW?
It is a risk, especially what with our not knowing our final word yet; I just think we are too far behind by points to have a shot at the Traditional total # points category.

Alysa wrote: "Deanna wrote: "Current Team Status - Saturday 11/24
Week 5: Spelling TINSEL

Bonuses - Complete
🔸word in text - Ashley"

I think you mean me 🙂

What do you about my strategy for us to focus on shor..."

Sorry about that. I did manage to type the correct name on the spreadsheet.

As far as strategy, I don't mind focusing on the different letter category, but I'm wary of making the switch until we know what our last word will be. I personally have a few longer books that have to be finished for other challenges that I'll read at the beginning of this week. Once we know our last word, then I'm happy to switch to shorter books for the remainder of this week if we get a decent word for next week.

We obviously have the best chance with the BOM category. Brittany is reading The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein. Jan and I are both planning to read My True Love Gave to Me. It would be great if a few more of us could get hold of the last book.

I've got a few long books too, one I've already read a lot of and another somewhat long one that is for one of the tough letters, the other ones I have planned for this week after those two are short-ish.

I just got the next BOM book from the library, so I'm good to go for that!

I think I will go ahead and finish the long book that I started already, but I replaced my other long book with a bunch of short ones. We can always reevaluate in a few days.

I will look into the BOM but don’t know if I can get it, anyway.

Completion Post



Details on spreadsheet.

For the BOM, My true love gave to me, can we use the name of any of the contributing authors?

Completion Post

- details on spreadsheet

JanEyre9 wrote: "For the BOM, My true love gave to me, can we use the name of any of the contributing authors?"

Yes, any of the names listed on the Goodreads page as author will work.

Current Team Status - Sunday 11/25
Week 5: Spelling TINSEL

Bonuses - Complete
🔸word in text - Alysa
🔸word in title - Deanna ✓
🔸word on cover - Deanna
🔸word as genre - Danielle

Spellings of TINSEL
🔸Spelling 1 - TI complete, NSEL claimed
🔸Spelling 2 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 3 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 4 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 5 - IEL claimed, TNS open
🔸Spelling 6 - All letters open

completion post

details on ss

Completion Post



Details on spreadsheet.

Hey team sorry I was a fail for last week. Company in town and off of work resulted in zero reading or access to a computer

Brittany wrote: "Hey team sorry I was a fail for last week. Company in town and off of work resulted in zero reading or access to a computer"

No worries — I think all three of your books in progress will work for this week. Our word is TINSEL, if you haven’t figured it out yet 😁

Excellent! Yes I should do MUCH better with a semi normal life week haha

Current Team Status - Monday 11/26
Week 5: Spelling TINSEL

Bonuses - Complete
🔸word in text - Alysa
🔸word in title - Deanna ✓
🔸word on cover - Deanna
🔸word as genre - Danielle

Spellings of TINSEL
🔸Spelling 1 - TINSE complete, L claimed
🔸Spelling 2 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 3 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 4 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 5 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 6 - I claimed, All other letters open
🔸Spelling 7 - All letters open

Happy reading!! Go team!!

Completion Posts

Finished and - details on spreadsheet

Completion Post

Book: Better Than Chocolate
Author: J. Lynn Rowan
Pages: 170
Date Read: 11/26
Letters:

T - Tess (character)
N - Nelson (character)
S - Sadie (character)

Megan wrote: "Completion Post

Book: Better Than Chocolate
Author: J. Lynn Rowan
Pages: 170
Date Read: 11/26
Letters:

T - Tess (charac..."

I added it to the spreadsheet for you :)

Completion Post

on spreadsheet

Just finished

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Pages: 720
Works for:
L:Title
T:Tiberius Blackthorne
E:Emma

Current Team Status - Tuesday 11/27
Week 5: Spelling TINSEL

Bonuses - Complete
🔸word in text - Alysa
🔸word in title - Deanna ✓
🔸word on cover - Deanna
🔸word as genre - Danielle

Spellings of TINSEL
🔸Spelling 1 - Complete
🔸Spelling 2 - IN complete, TSEL claimed
🔸Spelling 3 - I complete, All other letters claimed
🔸Spelling 4 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 5 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 6 - INEL claimed, TS open
🔸Spelling 7 - I claimed, All other letters open

Brittany wrote: "Just finished

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Pages: 720
Works for:
L:Title
T:Tiberius Blackthorne
E:Emma"

I marked it complete on the spreadsheet. It still needs to be marked read and put on your wheel shelf when you get a chance.

Yeah posting it right now :) Had to finish posting results for a team game first :)

Completed books verified through here.

We've finished our first spelling of TINSEL! Way to go team!

Completion Post

Kidnapped by the Pirate
Date Read: 11/25

finished The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, info on SS

Just added the first spelling to the spreadsheet!

I hate when I finish books that don't work haha

Hopefully the book was good Brittany :)

Completion Post



Details on spreadsheet.

Completion Post

Finished and - details on spreadsheet

Completed books verified through here.

Our second spelling of TINSEL is done! Awesome job team!

Looks like Deanna is one of 6 (!) people doing DQ’s for the last BOM, so we are still in with a chance there.
I have library holds on both print and e versions. Something should arrive in time for me to use it next week :)

Mod Announcement - A Last Week Twist

From Sonia:
"Next week's spins will not be posted as usual.

*giggles*

Since it's the last week, we are giving it a new spin (yep, I'm terrible at puns)

What does it mean? It means, you'll have not one, not two, but three spun words. And you get to pick from the three of them which one you think it fits better your team goals.

For example, if you are on the top 3 teams, you might want shorter and easy to spell words to get those points ready. And if you are fighting for the toughest, you'll probably want a word filled with those pesky letters. And if you are trying to snatch the BOM, you'll want a word that works better with it.

If you're in a let's get creative kick, you may want the baddest of bad words to spell.

You're the one to pick.

As soon as you decide, please let us now so we can generate your spreadsheet tab.

If no choices are made known till the deadline, then the mods will pick it for you. Good luck with that.

I'll try to have all spins done during lunch hour. No promises though, since work is completely bonkers today."

Alysa wrote: "Looks like Deanna is one of 6 (!) people doing DQ’s for the last BOM, so we are still in with a chance there.
I have library holds on both print and e versions. Something should arrive in time for ..."

Yeah! I think Cat suggested one DQ person per story originally as a Christmas present. Six seems more doable, and I'm glad the mods moved the start date to 12/1.

Current Team Status - Wednesday 11/28
Week 5: Spelling TINSEL

Bonuses - Complete
🔸word in text - Alysa
🔸word in title - Deanna ✓
🔸word on cover - Deanna
🔸word as genre - Danielle

Spellings of TINSEL
🔸Spelling 1 - Complete
🔸Spelling 2 - Complete
🔸Spelling 3 - IN complete, All other letters claimed
🔸Spelling 4 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 5 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 6 - All letters claimed
🔸Spelling 7 - I claimed, All other letters open

Deanna wrote: "Mod Announcement - A Last Week Twist

From Sonia:
"Next week's spins will not be posted as usual.

*giggles*

Since it's the last week, we are giving it a new spin (yep, I'm terrible at puns)

Wha..."

I....nteresting...

JanEyre9 wrote: "Hopefully the book was good Brittany :)"

Really good!

I'm excited to see what words we get to chose from!

Completion Post
on spreadsheet

OMG, I so hope that we get Cookies or Goodwill... and that Sally and Barrel do not! ;D

What is the word count for a younger age book? I always forget, I have a book that is showing as: 34,585 words, is that enough?