Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "It's really hard for me to judge how many books I read a month because it really depends on the period and on my mood... and it can vary A LOT from months to months."

I have that same problem. There's good and bad months then I end up scrambling to catch up for challenges

Sammy wrote: "Also, I use this database for my books:

https://www.librarything.com/home

Got a lifetime membership because I have far too many to use the free version, but it wasn't expensive, so well worth it...."

Do I need to buy their barcodes?? Cause I'm all about a cat scanner even though I don't have that many physical books on my shelves anymore. I have hundreds of books to give away because I culled the shelves due to room.

✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "It's really hard for me to judge how many books I read a month because it really depends on the period and on my mood... and it can vary A LOT from months to months."

That's where it's handy to play with the size of the books.

If you realise you're going to be reading way more than you thought you would, you go for bigger books and if you don't have a lot of time, you go for the shorter ones, so you can approximately stick to the number of books you signed up with. Otherwise teams end up being unbalanced.

At least ideally that's what people should do ;-)

Eldarwen wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "It's really hard for me to judge how many books I read a month because it really depends on the period and on my mood... and it can vary A LOT from months to months."

That's whe..."

That is exactly why I asked to lower my books read per month count, because 25 books is a big number. I don't want to have to resort to shorter books just to reach my quota if the reading mood is evading me. And on the contrary if I feel like I'm reading too fast I can just get a start on my bigger books. :)

Mods - can you change my books per month from 9 to 10? I was averaging 9.5 when I answered, but I'm reading more since then.

Stacie wrote: "Do I need to buy their barcodes?? Cause I'm all about a cat scanner even though I don't have that many physical books on my shelves anymore. I have hundreds of books to give away because I culled the shelves due to room."

I bought the scanner (didn't cost much!), and you use that to scan the barcodes on your books, and it then automatically pops it into your database. Speeds things up considerably! lol

And it turns out they have now dropped the membership fee! So you don't need to pay anything to catalogue your books any more! (Though I didn't mind the $25 lifetime fee. Small price to pay for keeping track of my books, lol)

Ooh, is that a glimpse of the new Wheel in the Newsletter... or just a decoy. Enquiring minds want to know, LOL. If it's the real thing some of those words are going to .... challenging.

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Ooh, is that a glimpse of the new Wheel in the Newsletter... or just a decoy. Enquiring minds want to know, LOL. If it's the real thing some of those words are going to .... challenging."

I saw that too and was thinking the same thing, lol.

"Zoom call"! Haha

I'm not sure if there's any books published so far where Zoom calls are a thing

Zoom - as in fast? Read as fast as you can? Hmmm slow readers doomed!

Zoom - as in zoom in? Make bigger? Read a large print book? Now even I could do that 😂😂😂

Zoom - as in no idea but the mods can be tricky? Very likely 😂😂😀

Sally906 wrote: "Zoom - as in fast? Read as fast as you can? Hmmm slow readers doomed!

Zoom - as in zoom in? Make bigger? Read a large print book? Now even I could do that 😂😂😂

Zoom - as in no idea but the mods ca..."

lol. if it needs to have a zoom call in the book, it's going to be super tricky. I guess only recently published self-help books on working from home during the pandemic will work

Diane ~Firefly~ wrote: "Mods - can you change my books per month from 9 to 10? I was averaging 9.5 when I answered, but I'm reading more since then."

Done!

Chava wrote: "lol. if it needs to have a zoom call in the book, it's going to be super tricky. I guess only recently published self-help books on working from home during the pandemic will work..."

You know, I haven’t read any self-help books during lock down. I decided as I am now retired and no longer work I obviously know everything - so don’t need any help - LOL!

Sally906 wrote: "Chava wrote: "lol. if it needs to have a zoom call in the book, it's going to be super tricky. I guess only recently published self-help books on working from home during the pandemic will work..."..."

Good decision!

Sally906 wrote: "Zoom - as in fast? Read as fast as you can? Hmmm slow readers doomed!

Zoom - as in zoom in? Make bigger? Read a large print book? Now even I could do that 😂😂😂

Zoom - as in no idea but the mods ca..."

Love it! 😂

Can't remember any books I've recently read mentionin zoom, only FaceTime. :)

Melindam wrote: "Can't remember any books I've recently read mentionin zoom, only FaceTime. :)"

I'm up for it! There must be something

Oh my word! You guys really think we are evil, don't you?!

We don't (well, didn't! ;-P ) want you to find books with zoom calls in, don't worry!

Awwww. That disappoints me! I was already looking for those (no luck so far)

I'm not so secretly relieved. Not too many zoom meetings in historicals/ mysteries or paranormals, LOL.

Cat wrote: "Oh my word! You guys really think we are evil, don't you?!

We don't (well, didn't! ;-P ) want you to find books with zoom calls in, don't worry!"

LOL - that was actually the only zoom I didn’t think of 😂😂

The selection of letters in those words isn't exactly kind! Can't wait to get started now (or at least know the teams).

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "I'm not so secretly relieved. Not too many zoom meetings in historicals/ mysteries or paranormals, LOL."

Yeah I kinda agree, but I'm totally up for total evilness with this pandemic. LOL

The Wheel has been revealed.

Confession - When I come across books with Z< Q< U< or X , I make a note of them for Wheel a thon to read then. And there are a few this time round. Hee Hee.

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "The Wheel has been revealed.

Confession - When I come across books with Z< Q< U< or X , I make a note of them for Wheel a thon to read then. And there are a few this time round. Hee Hee."

I really need to start doing that. I'm always scrambling come wheel time.

I have a very weird mental problem for a week or two after Wheel ends, where I see random stuff out in the world -- like the name of a store or restaurant or something -- and for a moment, I'm like, "That would work for M! Oh... wait..."

I recently created an X spell out shelf. I should do the same for a few other letters. But X is usually the one that really stumps me.

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "The Wheel has been revealed.

Confession - When I come across books with Z< Q< U< or X , I make a note of them for Wheel a thon to read then. And there are a few this time round. Hee Hee."

will have to go into archives and check how this all works - I don't think I've played a wheel a then before

Alysa, lol that’s too funny.

Alysa wrote: "I have a very weird mental problem for a week or two after Wheel ends, where I see random stuff out in the world -- like the name of a store or restaurant or something -- and for a moment, I'm like..."

I do that with item on cover after TTs

I love seeing notifications from this feed pop up in my app. With all that has been going on in 2020, I know I can’t be the only one who could use the distraction of a reading challenge. Especially when other social media feeds are clogged with so many drastically differing opinions and twice as much anger.
The scope of good reads is so wonderfully limited: no matter what genre, it’s simply a love of literature uniting us. My mental health will greatly benefit from a team challenge - and the time focused on reading and on others who love it as much as I do.
With that said my team is winning and you’re all going down :P

Ah. A throw down challenge couched in the language of love.

If we are on the same team, I totally agree with you, you lovely, wonderful person.
If we are on opposing teams, watch your back! What's behind you? Puppies? Maybe. Or, maybe horrible horrible monsters with brilliant reading and scavenger hunt skills.

And I agree that a distraction is oh so needed right now. My brain hurts, and I don't even look at facebook or twitter.

Peace!

megan wrote: "I love seeing notifications from this feed pop up in my app. With all that has been going on in 2020, I know I can’t be the only one who could use the distraction of a reading challenge. Especially..."

Ditto to your post, megan!!!

Except for the part about winning. I have no idea who will end up winning, and tbh, I don’t care that much this time around*, I just want to read books and have fun with all of you.


*Reserving right to take back this statement when I inevitability start to become competitive again. Because y’all know this is more likely than not. 😉

Sammy wrote: "Also, I use this database for my books:

https://www.librarything.com/home

There's lots of ways to search the database, which can be useful for finding challenge titles!...."

DO you have to cultivate the things you search for? I know trying to find books on GR that fit challenges is a PIA! if the tasks is not something super easy.

Challenges.......


well then...

Plethora wrote: "Sammy wrote: "Also, I use this database for my books:

https://www.librarything.com/home

There's lots of ways to search the database, which can be useful for finding challenge titles!...."

DO you..."

As standard you can arrange your books by title, author, publication date, etc. you can also do a search of your books with a key word, which would bring up all the titles that have it in, as well as descriptions it may turn up in (good for "word in text" challenges!). It also brings up books by character names (usually only characters with large parts will be listed), so if I type in "Dirk", for example, it'll immediately list all my Clive Cussler books, because of their main character, Dirk Pitt :)

As the database adds your edition of the book as you scan it or enter the isbn if not using a scanner (this works about 95% of the time. occasionally it picks a different one, but you can always manually add the edition you want instead if need be), it's very easy to scan through your books for cover colours.

There's also a tag feature, where you can add any tag you like to a book. If you were willing to put in the time, you could put "items on cover" tags onto your books for easy search, or pretty much anything else you can think of.
I'm slowly building up my tags, but mostly I use the "search my books" feature, or glance through covers looking for certain colours :)

I stopped using social media (besides GR and such, which don't count, lol) years ago, because I was sick of all the hate and negativity, (not to mention the sheer stupidity) of people posting stuff on FB and whatnot. I dread to think what it'd be like right now, and have no real urge to go find out!
I can quite honestly say, my life is considerably happier without social media in it! Not to mention the extra reading time it frees up, lol.

Bring on the wheel!

As for teams, I know I'll end up on the awesomest one. Looking forward to finding out which that will be! :)

Eldarwen wrote: "Challenges.......


well then...


"

I freaking love that movie! Never fails to make me laugh.

Sammy wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "Challenges.......


well then...


"

I freaking
love
that movie! Never fails to make me laugh."

Sammy, what movie is that, please? I could use a good laugh out loud!

It’s Robin Hood: Men in Tights!
LOVE that movie!

Yep, it is indeed Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

I saw it in the cinema on my first date with my childhood sweetheart... I feel really, really old now, lol.

Alysa wrote: "I have a very weird mental problem for a week or two after Wheel ends, where I see random stuff out in the world -- like the name of a store or restaurant or something -- and for a moment, I'm like..."

That's me!!!! Yes I totally do this. So glad I'm not the only one LOL

Sammy wrote: "Yep, it is indeed Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

I saw it in the cinema on my first date with my childhood sweetheart... I feel really, really old now, lol."

Awesome movie indeed!! :-D
I think I may just have given myself the urge to watch it tonight.

Eldarwen wrote: "I think I may just have given myself the urge to watch it tonight."

I think I may just have to do the same, lol.

Maybe we should do a Robin Hood wheel next, Cat ;-)

Is there a list of potential tasks and genres somewhere?

Nope, not yet!

Hi Mods! I have rethunk my monthly book count. LOL I’d like to change it to 12. Thank you!😁

Eldarwen wrote: "Maybe we should do a Robin Hood wheel next, Cat ;-)"

You do know most of us will play regardless of theme?

Sophie wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "Maybe we should do a Robin Hood wheel next, Cat ;-)"

You do know most of us will play regardless of theme?"

Yes, but themes are fun! :)