Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

Stressful first few weeks of work! Hoping to get some reading done on my small mountain vacation this weekend!

Enjoy your trips everyone!

Weekend trips sound great, have fun!

I'm wrapping things up at my current job and getting ready to start a new job. I'm super excited because I'll be moving from NC back to Oregon (where I'm from). Due to COVID, I haven't seen my family in a year and a half.

I've been getting some reading done, but will be able to go a little quicker in the next couple of weeks!

Awesome you get to finally see your family Jen!!

Hello! Just checking in.

I spent most of last weekend dealing with post-nasal drip. It's sort of funny because I periodically review my health and force myself to feel grateful when I'm not dealing with a stuffy nose, earache, or stomachache since, you know, it sucks when you're dealing with it. xD I had done a periodic "grateful to be healthy" review the other week and, let me tell you, I was not grateful enough. I'll be happy to be over this!

I've been working with house renovations and they're going well. Painting for upstairs has finished and I love the colors I went with (teal for the master bed and dark grey for the computer room.) Today, some carpet is being installed, so I'll be able to finally move stuff into the bedrooms! Plus A/C has been installed, just in time for this heat wave! I've been sleeping in my living room for the last two and a half months, so I'm excited to finally separate my living space from my sleeping space. Lol.

I'm hosting my baby sister and her boyfriend this weekend for a week (07.04 - 07.12) and, in that time, I will be getting married, too. So you might not see an update in here from me until she's left. I should finish Mort by the end of this month (I've done 4 days of DQs already) and you should see me updating my progress on all of the books I've put on the sheet throughout next week, so I think I'm all set up for our last month(!!) of this reading challenge!

Keely wrote: "I will be reading it but probably won't start for a day or two yet.

I'm hoping to catch up on my reading over the next few days as I've fallen behind due to some health problems and starting work."

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you that your health improves! Did you manage to start Mort? I'm really interested to know your thoughts on the book so far. I'm already 76% through, so feel free to shoot me a personal message so we don't spoil the book for anyone else! =)

I hope your trip is the ultimate in relaxation. Ahaha. It's alright to take a break from books and zone out watching TV. <3

Jen wrote: "I'm wrapping things up at my current job and getting ready to start a new job. I'm super excited because I'll be moving from NC back to Oregon (where I'm from). Due to COVID, I haven't seen my fami..."

Ahhhh! I'm glad you get to see your family. Do you have any sort of special traditions that you enjoy doing when you guys get together? Like family game nights?

Kirby wrote: "Stressful first few weeks of work! Hoping to get some reading done on my small mountain vacation this weekend!"

Hoping your work stress eases off as you get used to the workload. A mountain vacation sounds lovely. How was it?

Redshirt, I hope you have a lovely week with family and congrats on getting married. Do not worry about checking in here at all.

Also, hope you all are staying cool in Washington and glad you have AC.

Just a reminder if anyone is still planning on reading and answering BOM questions for The Midnight Library, you have until July 2 to answer them.

We captains have been chatting a bit and wanted to take a pill of the team.

As most of you are aware, we are close to having all the tasks done with a month to go. The captains could come up with some team only tasks. They wouldn’t be for bonus points, just for fun.

This team seems to enjoy tasks but we can do whatever people want. The captains just want to make sure people stay engaged and are having fun.

What are people’s preferences? Would you like some just for fun tasks or just keep things as is and collect book page points?

I am for keeping things the same and collect book page points.

I was able to get a copy of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue from library. So I will be able to help with doing questions. I just don't know how they work i.e. How long I have to post them.

Joyce, you never signed up in the BOM thread to volunteer to post questions, so I got it covered (Judith was my backup). No worries, my library copy is here too. I hope you enjoy the book.

Lexi wrote: "Just a reminder if anyone is still planning on reading and answering BOM questions for The Midnight Library, you have until July 2 to answer them."

I'm bummed my hold on Overdrive still hasn't come in - it stays 4 more weeks, so it doesn't look like I'll get to this one. :-(

Judith wrote: "We captains have been chatting a bit and wanted to take a pill of the team.

As most of you are aware, we are close to having all the tasks done with a month to go. The captains could come up with..."

I like having tasks, but only if we're getting points for them, so if they are team only I probably won't do them. I've got other challenges I'm also reading for, so they'll provide direction on finding things to read.

Redshirt wrote: "Hello! Just checking in.

I spent most of last weekend dealing with post-nasal drip. It's sort of funny because I periodically review my health and force myself to feel grateful when I'm not deali..."

Congrats on your upcoming wedding, Redshirt!!! And enjoy your time with your sister.

Yes, congratulations for your wedding, Redshirt! I hope the day goes exactly as you hope.

My weekend wasn't as relaxing as I had hoped due to the pain I've been having. I'm going to the doctors in a bit so hopefully they will be able to help me with it this time.

In regards to reading, I did very little over the weekend. I will try to finish a few books this week though.
I enjoy tasks, but I probably would still stick to what I plan to read anyway, especially if we won't get any extra points for them.

Keely wrote: "Yes, congratulations for your wedding, Redshirt! I hope the day goes exactly as you hope. "

SandyL wrote: "Congrats on your upcoming wedding, Redshirt!!! And enjoy your time with your sister."

Lexi wrote: "Redshirt, I hope you have a lovely week with family and congrats on getting married. Do not worry about checking in here at all."

Thanks everyone! I absolutely adore all of you. <3 My wedding is really non-traditional and I'll probably be in pjs as I sign the wedding documents. My baby sister, who'll be one of my two witness to my marriage, is an amazing woman and I'm fortunate to be so close to her. (There's a 14 year age gap between the two of us!) Washington's weather was bad enough that most businesses closed down. Having lived in Texas, it's pretty incredible that any state would close down due to a heat wave! I'm really glad that everyone here is taking care of themselves since Washington's infrastructure isn't built around hot weather.

Keely, I hope the doctor's visit is effective in managing your pain. :c

Judith wrote: "What are people’s preferences? Would you like some just for fun tasks or just keep things as is and collect book page points?"

I think maxing out our story spots would be fun! Then everyone who wants to read books for only book points can simply do that and then those that want to can participate in creatively finding a way to fit their book into the TT8 challenge, or they can try to fit their book in the given sections as a sort of captain-assigned team-oriented task (i.e. protagonist, plot twist.)

That sounds like a good wedding to me! Got to be comfortable. 14 years is a big gap, but it doesn't matter if you get on well. I'm glad you are close to your sister.

It's been rather wet but warm here in the UK. We had a few weeks of hot, dry weather but now it's just hot-ish and wet. We usually get a heat wave sometime in July, August or September but nothing as bad as what some of you seem to be having!

My doctor's appointment went well. I've got to go have some tests done, but in the meantime I've been given some pills until we can figure out the root cause.

Stay safe (and cool) everyone!

All the best for your wedding, Redshirt! I wish you every happiness.

And as Keely says, stay safe and cool.

Congratulations Redshirt!!

Lexi wrote: "Joyce, you never signed up in the BOM thread to volunteer to post questions, so I got it covered (Judith was my backup). No worries, my library copy is here too. I hope you enjoy the book."

I'm sorry, I answered here. I didn't know I had to sign up there too. I will know for the future though. At least I will be able to answer questions at least. I am really enjoying it so far

Its always weird to me when the temperatures are higher in the north than in South Florida. As an ex-NYer I don't remember anything closing for hot weather.

Have a great wedding Redshirt.

Joyce wrote: "Its always weird to me when the temperatures are higher in the north than in South Florida. As an ex-NYer I don't remember anything closing for hot weather.

Have a great wedding Redshirt."

As Redshirt mentioned, the NW area just do not have the infrastructure for that type of heat. 108 is very real. I have worked in it in Texas and India, and it is rough. I have a friend who works as a vet and the number of heat stroke cases she treated and many she lost was heartbreaking. I lived in Boston with no AC, which is normal in older houses there, and the house would get over 85 degrees. Most of the NW area also has no AC.

Also, thank you, Joyce. I need to start it next so glad you are enjoying it.

Welcome to July Update
(Also, how are we half way done with 2021?)

Update:
Tasks
- 7 left to complete – 6 of which are claimed
- All claimed but “Book Set in South Africa”
Bingo
- 1 left to complete and 1 claimed
- Great job
Jackanory
- 17 left to complete and 4 claimed
- 13 still unclaimed
- 1 for protagonist
- 2 for antagonist,
- 5 for cameo – what is Murderbot doing and the party -- Need a leaves early book here and a watches TV book
- 2 for protagonist reacts
- 1 for secondaries up to (romance and hanging out by pool)
- 2 for protagonist overcome obstacles

I found a book set in South Africa but it's on loan until the 15th. I have reserved it and it'll give me a chance to finish up my other books. If someone else finds a book that can cover it before I do, then that's great, but if not I've can cover it.

The book is An Elephant in My Kitchen.

Could someone please fill 7/4 for Mort on the sheet for me? Thanks!

Sure! I'm logging books right now, so good timing

I have a bookish question for everyone. Does anyone here annotate their books in any way (highlighting, writing, book darks, tabs, anything). If yes, could you share your system and how you got started.

No, sorry. About the only time I take any sort of notes is when I'm writing BOM questions. I just kind of wing it and it's only during the section I need to write the questions on.

I have internet again. I hope everyone in the US had a good holiday weekend. (Which in my case involved avoiding all fireworks).

Judith wrote: "No, sorry. About the only time I take any sort of notes is when I'm writing BOM questions. I just kind of wing it and it's only during the section I need to write the questions on."

I am the same as Judith and only take notes if reading BOM ahead of when the day before me wrote their questions.

Jen wrote: "I have a bookish question for everyone. Does anyone here annotate their books in any way (highlighting, writing, book darks, tabs, anything). If yes, could you share your system and how you got sta..."

The only times I annotated my books was when I was in education. I studied English Literature in my A levels (the UK equivalent of college) and I made a lot of annotations in the books I needed to study for my exams. At the time it was mostly quotes for themes that could come up in the exams.
When I got to uni and studied history, I didn't really annotate the books. Most of them were borrowed from the library so I would have a word document for quotes that I could use later and analyse for my essays.

I don't really do anything now with the books I read. I mostly just enjoy reading them. The most I do now is maybe put tabs into books that are more difficult to read (mostly my history books) but I use that as more of a goal to read to those points in a certain time frame otherwise I would forget about the books and they would just sit there staring at me.

I did my BOM questions for the first 4 days. Can we count the days 4,5,6 Participation as well?

It’s 20 points flat for participation in BOM discussions with the requirement to answer at least 3 sets of questions. We’ve had issues in the past of people making one random post and calling that participation. So we instituted the 3 set rule.

This Addie LaRue is longer than the typical BOM so there are just more days of questions.

Answer them if you like but don’t feel obligated too

Things have been pretty busy for me this week. I've been doing full days at work in preparation for the big summer sale starting on Saturday. I was able to listen to quite a bit of Addie LaRue on Tuesday as I was alone in the stockroom, but then my manager appeared and put really loud music on so I wasn't able to listen to anymore.
I have lots of work scheduled for the rest of July, but I will definitely finish my books already on the list and hopefully a couple more audiobooks too. I plan to use my next Audible credit for The House in the Cerulean Sea and I will read Guards! Guards! too for the BOM points.

I hope everyone is well.

Judith wrote: "It’s 20 points flat for participation in BOM discussions with the requirement to answer at least 3 sets of questions. We’ve had issues in the past of people making one random post and calling that ..."

Okay thank you. I am enjoying the book though.

I started a book for the set in South Africa task. It is not long so it should not take long The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Joyce wrote: "I started a book for the set in South Africa task. It is not long so it should not take long The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"

Joyce, I pretty sure that is set in Botswana and not South Africa. Over 50% of the book would need to be set in South Africa.

I can do the book set in South Africa. I just stumbled upon Damon Galgut and he is from South Africa. Many of his novels take place there and four are available at my libraries.

I'm hoping to read a couple books this week. I've been really busy with packing for my move the last couple of weeks so I had to slow down on my reading.

On Sunday, I will be starting my move. I'll be driving about 10-12 hours for 4 days so plenty of time to polish off a few audiobooks!

Have a safe drive, Jen!!! It brings back memories - a number of years back I drove from VA to CA with my 3 dogs. It was an adventure!!!

Jen wrote: "I'm hoping to read a couple books this week. I've been really busy with packing for my move the last couple of weeks so I had to slow down on my reading.

On Sunday, I will be starting my move. I'..."

Safe travels and good luck!

Hello Sandy,

When you get a chance, can you add The Knitting Diaries to your TT shelf?

Thank you!

Judith wrote: "Hello Sandy,

When you get a chance, can you add The Knitting Diaries to your TT shelf?

Thank you!"

Sorry - done!

Thank you, that was fast :)

It happens to all of us (even me!!)

Lexi wrote: "Joyce wrote: "I started a book for the set in South Africa task. It is not long so it should not take long The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"

Joyce, I pretty sure that is set in Botsw..."

Oh I thought that was part of South Africa. Geography is not my best subject. Lol

Joyce wrote: "Lexi wrote: "Joyce wrote: "I started a book for the set in South Africa task. It is not long so it should not take long The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"

Joyce, I pretty sure that is..."

No worries, enjoy the book

Life has gotten in the way, so behind on BOMs...fingers crossed I'll get to them this weekend :)