Reading with Style discussion

Please post any general questions about our Fall 2019 challenge in this thread.

Could we have another thread for reading plans for the main challenge, please? I found very helpful to for Summer Challenge. It was easier to keep up having it at the same site as the challenge rather than my usual separate document document on Xcel. Thanks for that!

I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone knows which list I can find it on...would you please let me know...it would save me a lot of time....thanks!

Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone knows which list I can find it on...woul..."

Working on the master list this morning, I don't see it on any of the 4 list tasks: 10.5, 10.6, 20.1, and 20.10.

Also, to follow-up Rebekah's request in the 20.10 thread, all books that today fall within the parameters of the task are now locked in. If a book creeps up the list later in the season, please alert us.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone knows which list I can find i..."

ok....thanks for checking. Maybe it will fit an as yet unannounced task.

Ed wrote: "ok....thanks for checking. Maybe it will fit an as yet unannounced task. "

Ah! I forgot to check sub-sandwich. It *does* fit that task, Ed.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Ed wrote: "ok....thanks for checking. Maybe it will fit an as yet unannounced task. "

Ah! I forgot to check sub-sandwich. It *does* fit that task, Ed."

oh...great! Thanks.

Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone knows which list I can find it on...woul..."

i believe someone noted this book would fit as a non-linear narrative.

Jennifer wrote: "Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone knows which list I can find i..."

oh....that's good too...thanks. Maybe that is what I was remembering.

Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone knows which list I can find it on...woul..."

Not sure what RBC means, some kind of book club? But my book buddy and I in my non Internet life are planning to read that book next month. I got is a mom’s day gift and was going to use it in summer challenge until I found out that would be our September book. I had put in my plan for sub sandwich. I was also hoping might be picked for Group Reads!

So after reading mod announcement, does that mean our Fall 2019 challenge will have an end date of 1 November?

Rebekah wrote: "So after reading mod announcement, does that mean our Fall 2019 challenge will have an end date of 1 November?"

No, it still goes to November 30. Because of the 10-year celebration next season, the rewards are different this one time only. We thought you wouldn't want to wait until December to know the styles and vote on the polls. The November 1 date allows for the usual rollout of those.

Rebekah wrote: "Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone knows which list I can find i..."

RBC= Real Book Club

Ed wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone knows which l..."

I thought maybe that was it. :-)

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "So after reading mod announcement, does that mean our Fall 2019 challenge will have an end date of 1 November?"

No, it still goes to November 30. Because of the 10-year celebration..."

Just wanted to be sure. Thanks! Look forward to the anniversary!

I have a Group Reads Question. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is on our Bookshelf already as a Group Reads book from the Winter 2013 challenge. I know this happened before just last Spring with Tess of the D'Urbervilles which was on the Bookshelf from a challenge in 2014. I brought it to the mods attention because in the Spring Challenge, we also had as a task to read a book from the Bookshelf from past challenges. They decided to go ahead and let it go since it was a couple of weeks into the challenge.
I’m just wondering because there have been times when I got to choose a Group Reads and I had a book, in mind that I really liked but I always check the Bookshelf to make sure I cannot use it. I saw it had been a Group Reads pick before, so thought it wouldn’t be allowed and picked another. I think I got that in my head from the second challenge when Sam told me I had the honor to pick a Group Reads along with the mods because I was first to complete a mega finish, and I understood it had to be a book I enjoyed from the previous challenge but had not been used as a GR before.
Of course that was almost a decade ago and we’ve had lots of changes since then as our needs change.

I’m not complaining, I just want to see what the official decision will be. I understand that when those GroupReads were from challenges years ago, we get new people who might like to be able to read it as a groupreads. I think A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a beautiful book. I was the one that chose it in 2013.:-) I have no problem having another chance for it to be shared with the group.

So is it something we should never worry about? Or maybe have a time limit like maybe not the same book again until a year has passed, so we keep up our great variety? Or was it really a rule? Or an unspoken one?

PS I read The Glass Castle in Spring 2019 and was going to make it my GR pick for summer but saw it was part of the fall 2013 challenge, in case anyone was curious. (Smile) I highly recommend it and talked about so much, my kids rented the movie and then decided to read the book for themselves! (Fist pump! “Yes!”)

Ed wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone knows which l..."

Or maybe it stood for Rebekah’s Book Club and you were just trying to keep up with books on my reading list . 😆

Rebekah wrote: "I have a Group Reads Question. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is on our Bookshelf already as a Group Reads book from the Winter 2013 challenge. I know this happened before just last Spring w..."

My memory may be faulty, but I don't remember having a rule that it couldn't have been a group reads in a prior season. The only rule is that you should have read it in the immediately previous season, in this case June-August.

Rebekah wrote: "I have a Group Reads Question. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is on our Bookshelf already as a Group Reads book from the Winter 2013 challenge. I know this happened before just last Spring w..."

Historically, we did not allow books to be chosen more than once as a group read. In recent years, we have seen our membership change and make allowances for books to be recycled. I have allowed duplicates when there has been more than 15 seasons since the last use (almost 4 years). We have been doing this for a long time! And frankly, the duplicates I recall coming up (Crime and Punishment, Tess of D'Ubervilles and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) are all not only classics, but the definition of this group. These are the type of books this group was found to encourage.

I do not have a lot of hard and fast rules. I have asked for different recommendations from several people when they recommend a group read that has been used too recently. And, sometimes, if more than one person suggests a book already on our shelf (one repeat a season is enough.)

So, overall, I do not have a strict rule and yes, sometimes duplicates will be allowed. In a group such as this, I hope if you want to include a book, you would ask anyhow. With so many good books out there, we can't be hurt by a reminder of how good some of the old ones are. :)

Ha! See what I know?

Kate S wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "I have a Group Reads Question. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is on our Bookshelf already as a Group Reads book from the Winter 2013 challenge. I know this happened before ju..."

I like that! I totally agree that the 3 that were duplicated are well worth the repeat! Classics for me are the ones I would want to read again, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn being high up there on my list. I was thinking it would be great for the newer members to get to share some of those classics again. I understood a waiting period would be desirable, but my memory from a decade ago is an “unreliable narrator “ , not to mention the fact that as the group has grown and matured, we’ve changed guidelines or inserted new ones over the years as needed.

Thanks for the answer. I’m not really a rule stickler, believe it or not, but I didn’t want to keep following a rule that wasn’t anywhere but in my imagination! 😀

So, I’ll start selecting my choice then. I read so many great ones, hard to choose! I noticed someone else selected one from my Reads, so that eliminates one!

I thought that was a rule, too! Thanks Rebekah and Kate for clarifying!

Rebekah wrote: "Ed wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task lists. If someone kn..."

lol

Ed wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Ed wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fall task list..."

This one also fits 20.4. Although her birth date isn't listed on GR, she's on the Boomers spreadsheet linked from the help thread.

Rosemary wrote: "Ed wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Ed wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Ed wrote: "I just got a notice that my RBC will read Where the Crawdads Sing.... I seem to remember seeing it on one of the Fal..."

Thanks! I think I'll use it there.

Rosemary wrote: "I thought that was a rule, too! Thanks Rebekah and Kate for clarifying!"

Sorry my suggestion started all the questions. I did not know there had ever been a rule being a newby. Glad everyone is happy!

Lynn wrote: "Rosemary wrote: "I thought that was a rule, too! Thanks Rebekah and Kate for clarifying!"

Sorry my suggestion started all the questions. I did not know there had ever been a rule being a newby. Gl..."

Actually I had asked Kate about it when before when Tess of the D'Urbervilles had been picked again and there was a task involving older Group Reads books but I only asked as for that one time. I didn’t realize it had happened 2 times before now.
But it’s good you did that so we could get clarification and I’m glad to find out that if I get to choose a book and I read one I’m totally in love with, I can still select it even if it has been selected before!
And I highly admire your choice! ;-)

Rosemary wrote: "I thought that was a rule, too! Thanks Rebekah and Kate for clarifying!"

We are thinking alike this season. I responded to the question you asked in thread for Anika’s Task.
And thanks for finding the Boomer Combo for Where the Crawdads Sing.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Will this work for “Not a Novel”? I am reading a prose version, but it really doesn’t strike me as the same thing as a novel!

Mary wrote: "The Epic of Gilgamesh

Will this work for “Not a Novel”? I am reading a prose version, but it really doesn’t strike me as the same thing as a novel!"

Yes, we are carrying that as poetry.

Thanks!

Question, I wanted to use for the sub challenge. It has young adult on its main page but I can't find a lexile score for it.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Question, I wanted to use for the sub challenge. It has young adult on its main page but I can't find a lexile score for it."

Just took a look over at BPL (because I've been considering this series as well), and they're shelved as SF/Fantasy, not YA, so you should be good to go on this title!

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Question, I wanted to use for the sub challenge. It has young adult on its main page but I can't find a lexile score for it."

You're OK with that Jayme. It isn't shelved as YA at BPL.

Yeah! Thanks!

Has anyone read Bliss by Peter Carey and can tell me where the story takes place? I began reading it for the subchallenge as an Australian setting but shortly into the book I came across this
“Here on the outposts of the American Empire, he conducted his business more or less in the....”

Amazon said Fraser Island but when I looked up the place in Wikipedia I found that it is mostly National Park with a population of 194. That doesn’t work with what I’m reading in the book. There is a city with a hospital, a fancy restaurant, a cannery, and other businesses and offices and lots of people with verandas on their houses.

Rebekah wrote: "Has anyone read Bliss by Peter Carey and can tell me where the story takes place? I began reading it for the subchallenge as an Australian setting but shortly into the ..."

This Kirkus Review says he is an unnamed Australian city.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Has anyone read Bliss by Peter Carey and can tell me where the story takes place? I began reading it for the subchallenge as an Australian setting but s..."

Thanks. When I hit that sentence, I tried to find out more and all I found was Fraser Island which definitely did not fit what I was reading. So I’ll continue then as you will accept it for Australia?

Rebekah wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Has anyone read Bliss by Peter Carey and can tell me where the story takes place? I began reading it for the subchallenge as ..."

Yes.

I could have sworn Scrublands was one of our Group Reads but now I don’t see it on the bookshelf. Am I losing my mind, or bad eyesight or was it removed?

Rebekah wrote: "I could have sworn Scrublands was one of our Group Reads but now I don’t see it on the bookshelf. Am I losing my mind, or bad eyesight or was it removed?"

Yes, that is one of this season's group reads.

Don (The Book Guy) wrote: "If I add more points to my total in November what would they count towards? I at first thought we were cutting everything off at Nov. 1st, but I see from some of the posts the Fall Challenge doesn'..."

I am working on finalizing the scores for rewards. The month of November is for bragging rights. We will continue to tabulate, but in a few days I will contact the highest scorers and the most strategic reader through post 625 to get their input for the winter challenge.