The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Thanks for the clarification. :)

I think I was on page 350 out of 426 on December 1.

Camille wrote: "I think I was on page 350 out of 426 on December 1."

You can only start reading a book that is over 500 pages before the challenge starts, so this one can't be claimed for the winter challenge.

Camille wrote: "I think I was on page 350 out of 426 on December 1."

From the Rules of the Challenge: Effective Winter 2014

10. Pre-reading: Books longer than 499 pages that were started any time before the beginning of a challenge can be used to fulfill a task if more than half the book is read during the challenge.
For example, if you were to read 249 pages (or less) of a 500 page book before the start of a challenge, this book would count if it met a task requirement. However, if you had read 250 pages (or more) of a 500 page book before the start of a challenge, this book would not count. Books less than 500 pages should NOT be begun before the start of a challenge.

thank you for your help

After seeing this mentioned on the Questions/Problems thread, I wanted to confirm that this rule from Fall was meant to be deleted:

e) ONE book with the IL designation of MG or MY (in UK) with a BL of at least 5.0 OR AR Pts of at least 5.0 will be allowed for ONE 5-point task

(I was hoping to use this exception to read one Newbery winner per challenge, as most of them no longer qualify under the regular AR Bookfinder rule.)

Ann A wrote: "After seeing this mentioned on the Questions/Problems thread, I wanted to confirm that this rule from Fall was meant to be deleted:

e) ONE book with the IL designation of MG or MY (in UK) with a B..."

Yes, please see the Rules Announcement

Since the 7th has come and gone, does that mean there won't be tasks # 20.4 and 20.5? If so, I can stop hanging around my computer trying to catch the latest updates and go get something useful done. :)

tasks are still coming, sometimes it takes longer

the task creator has 5 days (I think) from notification to let the mods know, then if there is back/forth and discussions over parts of the task it can take longer

OK. The calendar said the deadline for them was the 7th, so I wasn't sure if that meant they were all in or not. I'll keep my eye on thread, then.

Teri-k wrote: "OK. The calendar said the deadline for them was the 7th, so I wasn't sure if that meant they were all in or not. I'll keep my eye on thread, then."

That's the date we hope for! However, especially with the 20 pointers, it can take longer - sometimes people don't respond at all, so we have to wait 3 days, then move on to the next person in line, then they need time to create a task, and so on.

That makes sense. Thanks for explaining. I'm afraid I'm one of those annoying people who likes to understand what's going on behind the scenes. :)

I think my message 36 above was overlooked....can someone please advise? Thank you.

I'm trying to confirm which number in a series this book can be counted as.

Game of Love shows as Love in Bloom #10, but also The Remingtons #1 (a spin off series).

https://www.goodreads.com/series/1171...

Would this count as either #10 or #1, or will it go by the "main" listing of #10. Thanks in advance for clarification.

Tara Jo wrote: "I think my message 36 above was overlooked....can someone please advise? Thank you.

I'm trying to confirm which number in a series this book can be counted as.

Game of Love show..."

Sorry not to answer sooner. Looks like your question slipped by. The general rule is that we go with what's on the GR main page - so this book would be #10 in a series.

I was just wondering actually and could not find the answer anywhere. How have some persons only 1 or 2 points? I thought the minimun was 5 points

are you looking at points or the GR Author tally or big books tally, which would be smaller increments

the points. I was going through the readerboard and saw some people started with 1 or 2 points

Bellagbear wrote: "the points. I was going through the readerboard and saw some people started with 1 or 2 points"

The readerboard also includes posts for people collecting tickets, like Dee said. It's impossible for people to have 1 or 2 points, as the tasks start at 5 and they are all or nothing. You either get the points or you don't, there's no partial task doing or something. The 1 or 2, I can only assume then, is you reading the boards for the other collecting of big book or goodreads author tickets.

The readerboard starts at 5 points, that's the lowest score for the 5 point tasks. The BB and GRA tally do start at 1 point.

you mean this post?

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

this is goodreads authors; the one below is it Big Book Tickets - they are separate to points

there are no points on the board less than 5

Bellagbear wrote: "the points. I was going through the readerboard and saw some people started with 1 or 2 points"

The only 1s and 2s on the Readerboard are in messages 3 and 4, which are the Goodreads Author and Big Book ticket tallies. Messages 1 and 2 in that tread contain the points, the lowest of which is 5.

Sandy wrote: "Tara Jo wrote: "I think my message 36 above was overlooked....can someone please advise? Thank you.

I'm trying to confirm which number in a series this book can be counted as.

[book:Game of Lov..."

Thanks for confirming, Sandy....I was guessing that is was the case. It threw me off because in my kindle it shows #1 but when I pulled it up it shows #10. Makes sense to go with the main page as there's already so much for you to verify.

Ah now I understand! Thanks for the explanation :)

I want to read the book The Snow Queen. It does have children's on its main page- however on AR Bookfinder- they only list a condensed version of the book (23 pages versus 130 pages). What do I do in this situation to be allowed to read it?

(The edition I'm reading is the kindle edition- but there is also a hardcover addition here: The Snow Queen)

Elissa wrote: "I want to read the book The Snow Queen. It does have children's on its main page- however on AR Bookfinder- they only list a condensed version of the book (23 pages versus 130 pages..."

UK AR Bookfinder has it listed as Lower Years (LY), which may not be used for the SRC.

It's also noted as being a childrens picture book, which also rules it out.

If you look at the details for the book though- you'll see that it isn't even the same. I believe what AR bookfinder shows is a completely different version- made for children.

The AR Bookfinder doesn't have the ISBN for the Snow Queen on file. If you enter it- nothing comes up.
ISBN: 9780375415128 The Snow Queen

The pages are also dramatically different
Pages on Goodreads: 96-139 depending on edition
Pages on AR Bookfinder: 26 (listed as "creative edition)
Pages on UK AR Bookfinder: 48

But, just because some people have sorted it as a "picture book"- it is automatically completely ruled out? It isn't a picture book- but it does have some illustrations.

Thank you for your help. This is only my second challenge- so I'm still learning.

I have a question about what is defined as a "series". Are two books enough or are at least three books required to make a series?

I seem to remember that the latter option was true, but I couldn't find a definite answer. I'm also not quite certain whether I'm confusing this with another challenge.

The book I'm thinking about in particular is Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott. It's listed together with Rose in Bloom as part of the Eight Cousins series.

Isabell wrote: "I have a question about what is defined as a "series". Are two books enough or are at least three books required to make a series?

I seem to remember that the latter option was true, but I couldn'..."

A series is whatever is noted on GR as being part of a series, in parentheses after the title. Sometimes task creators have specified that a series had to have a certain number of books, but there's no general requirement about it.

Please keep in mind the childrens book rules.

Elissa wrote: "If you look at the details for the book though- you'll see that it isn't even the same. I believe what AR bookfinder shows is a completely different version- made for children.

The AR Bookfinder d..."

The book appears to be very heavily illustrated - looking at the list of illustrations and the "look inside" on amazon, particularly compared to the total pages, and it is a childrens book.

I'm sure this has been answered before, but I thought I'd ask, just in case. I'm reading something I hadn't realised was Young Adult, but it isn't on the AR list. As I understand it, childrens' and kids need the AR Bookfinder data, but young adult doesn't? Is that correct? Or do I need to get the book verified?

young adult doesn't, but if it is shelved as children's then yes it does

Dee wrote: "young adult doesn't, but if it is shelved as children's then yes it does"

Thankfully not obviously!

Wow. There are already people with over 250pt only 15 days into the challenge, and one over 400pt. I'm seriously impressed. What's your secret? Do you even sleep? :-) :-)

Sandy wrote: "Isabell wrote: "I have a question about what is defined as a "series". Are two books enough or are at least three books required to make a series?

I seem to remember that the latter option was tru..."

Thanks for clarifying!

audiobooks ;)

Hi! My "secret" is insomnia for the first three nights of the Challenge. Currently I have no job, just some volunteer work. Plus I'm a widow and my kids are married and have their own homes/lives. Also, I'm a fast reader and I don't get TV reception out here. So lots of reading time. :)

My life will get busier in January, so I knew I needed to get as many books read as I could as quickly as possible. And I get many of my books from the library, so I read them as soon as they come in so I can return them quickly. It all adds up to lots of books. But I salute everyone who is much busier than me and still has time to read, too.

Trish wrote: "Wow. There are already people with over 250pt only 15 days into the challenge, and one over 400pt. I'm seriously impressed. What's your secret? Do you even sleep? :-) :-)"

I read on public transportation since I don't drive and I read while waiting for my public transportation and I read while watching tv. :)

This challenge started just as the semester ended so I have a month of just part-time work. I have a Kindle, tablet, and phone - all of which have the book downloaded. I read on the phone when away from the house and switch between the Kindle Fire and the tablet depending on battery. I average about 100 pages an hour so if left alone I could read about 1200 pages in a day - morning to night. But those days don't happen often lol. So my goal is a book a day. In addition to school starting up again the middle of January, I have been interviewing for a full-time position the last two weeks, so will lose a lot of reading time if that job comes in play.

Teri-k, I have been in awe of your score. I was close to you at one point and then you left me way behind lol.

You'll catch up again, as I get busier and slow down. For instance, though I finished one book today I have no points to report for the first time since we started. shock! :)

Teresa Jo wrote: "This challenge started just as the semester ended so I have a month of just part-time work. I have a Kindle, tablet, and phone - all of which have the book downloaded. I read on the phone when aw..."

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I read on public transportation since I don't drive and I read while waiting for my public transportation and I read while watching tv. :)"

The Tube is my main reading place as well (40 mins each way), although I try to get at least half an hour in at lunchtime as well. Although I only manage 40-50 pages an hour, depending on the book.

I took a glance at my 2015 TBR, and I have LOADS of books that probably qualify for task 20.5, for having opposites in their title.

Obviously I'll only be using one for that purpose. But would it be polite to list all of the books in that tasks help thread to assist other readers? Or would it be a nuisance to the task creator?

Happy wrote: "I took a glance at my 2015 TBR, and I have LOADS of books that probably qualify for task 20.5, for having opposites in their title.

Obviously I'll only be using one for that purpose. But would it ..."

I'd ask the task creator.

If a book didn't have any main page genres when I started reading it, but after I finished it the genre that I shelved it with showed up, does that count? Or did the genre need to be already on the main page before I shelved it?

Hi Mods--I am reading an ebook and I wanted to clarify before I posted for my points that I was posting correctly.

I am reading A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Stories which is an ebook with 114 pages.

According to the rules, I must use the MMPB edition to determine page count, but when I search for that format, the first title in the list does not have a page count at all. The other two MMPB editions are not the same exact book.

If I switch to PB edition, the first book in the list isn't the same exact book, but the second one seems to match.

Should I use the second PB edition to establish page count or what?

Sorry for the long post, but wanted to get it right when I posted.

THANK YOU! :)

Julia wrote: "If a book didn't have any main page genres when I started reading it, but after I finished it the genre that I shelved it with showed up, does that count? Or did the genre need to be already on th..."

From the Rules for Winter 2014:

"4. For tasks that require books within specified genres the main book page's front page genre list will be used to determine suitability. Unless explicitly limited by the task creator, reasonable variations of genres will be accepted: ex. genre- mythology: myths, myths-and-legends, mythological, etc. would be accepted genre variations. The genre must appear on the list when you access it and the player may not shelve a book as a genre in order to use the book for that task."

So basically, it needs to be there when you choose it, not after you shelve it as something.

Hope that helps!

Thanks Morgan for finding the rule. I was surprised to see the genre show up after I shelved it, but figured it was worth checking. I'll use the book for a different task.

Julia wrote: "Thanks Morgan for finding the rule. I was surprised to see the genre show up after I shelved it, but figured it was worth checking. I'll use the book for a different task."

It's quite possible that it was your shelving that pushed it up to the main page.

Julie wrote: "Hi Mods--I am reading an ebook and I wanted to clarify before I posted for my points that I was posting correctly.

I am reading A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Stories which i..."

The closest equivalent to this version seems to be the MMPB with 223 pages. Unfortunately, they seem to lump together any collection with A Christmas Carol as the lead, regardless of what else is put with it. It is pretty clear that the ebook you read is much shorter than most of the paper books listed here, but it seems to make the 100 page cutoff for basic acceptability, so you're okay for basic SRC use.

Sandy wrote: "Julie wrote: "Hi Mods--I am reading an ebook and I wanted to clarify before I posted for my points that I was posting correctly.

I am reading [book:A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Stories|71..."

Thanks Sandy.....the intro & afterword (both of which I don't typically read) are so long, that the actual stories are only 99 pages of reading. I am only using it for a 5-point task though, so I'm fine. I will link to the MMPB you referenced in your reply.