Reading with Style discussion

Apologies, I did the last updates and had a headache return before I could run the reports to confirm. I can only guess I entered your post score instead of the total. It will be fixed when we run the checks

Looks like we have two Kathleens on the Readerboard and both of them are you :)
As Apple says, it should be fixed on the next run through.

Thank you

Is anyone else itching to start planning for summer?

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Is anyone else itching to start planning for summer?"

Yes! :)

Definitely!

It’s going to be a blast, can’t wait to see the plans!

I am currently away and have visited 3 bookshops in 2 days, so it doesn’t need to be said that I have spent my daughter’s inheritance!

( Actually travelling to see a Frida Kahlo exhibition, the bookshops have just been a bonus. The walking, not do much for my arthritic knee!)

I loved traveling when I could. Bookshops were always on the list to visit!

Plan away -- the subchallenge summer is now posted!

Joanna wrote: "Plan away -- the subchallenge summer is now posted!"


Yay, for not keeping us in cruel suspense Joanna! :)

Thank you, thank you!

Thanks, Joanna!

Here is a link to summer:

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

Subchallenge Summer sounds like fun!

I've already picked one subchallenge to do:
WI 18-19 Backpacking through Europe
As an 'Air Traveler'

Not sure what my second subchallenge will be .....

There are so many good choices for summer! I'm going to pick Traveling in the United States for one subchallenge. Then I'll play Scrabble because I'm also reading some Classic and British books this summer, and there are lots of options.

Yes, so many good choices so little time! It was hard to narrow it down.

Deedee wrote: "WI 18-19 Backpacking through Europe
As an 'Air Traveler'"

From the rules, I think the bonuses from the original challenges will not apply this summer. One can read in any order.

And I wasn't in on any of the idea/decision-making for this. I'm just a player like the rest of you.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Deedee wrote: "WI 18-19 Backpacking through Europe
As an 'Air Traveler'"

From the rules, I think the bonuses from the original challenges will not apply this summer. One can read in any order."

Yes that's right. All tasks are 15 pts and the only bonuses are +5 for Big (500+ pages) and +5 for Old (2000 or earlier). Finisher bonuses as Joanna posted in the summer rules, not as in the original challenge.

This is because our heads (and maybe the database) would explode if having to deal with lots of different bonuses from the original subchallenges ;)

We have agreed that graphic novels will be allowed for the summer challenges, even if not allowed in the original subchallenge rules.

Lexile requirement will stay at 700 for books that are YA at the Brooklyn libraries website.

Nick wrote: "I’ll go for 6 continents, even though the 100 point bonus will not apply (Darn it). (I can’t go for 7 because Antarctica and Australia begin with the same letter and only have one country.)"

Nick - if you're really hankering to go for 7 continents, I think we at RwS consider Australia as part of Oceania. So, instead of Australia as the country you could choose New Zealand, for example. There are islands that are part of a different country - Hawaii is US, of course, but there also island nations for which our group project still needs books.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceania...

Thanks Elizabeth, I am doing Around the World, and have Australia and VANUATU ( a country yet to finish!!!) for Oceania, although I noted that for some reason on the circumnavigator spreadsheet it is listed as Australasia.

Whilst we are a single island continent, the grouping of Oceania should be the correct consideration for any task regarding continents.

And no one steal my Vanuatu!!!! 🤪

I have quite a number of countries pencilled in for summer. Rest assured, though, that Vanuatu is not one of them. 😂

I have lots of countries, but I am pretty sure that is the only one on the list

I have books for 8 list countries in my possession and planned with a couple of others marked as potential.

Oh man! There are all sorts of things I should be doing including finishing my last book for this season and I am trolling through past sub challenges!

Well, I'm at the 1/2 way point of The Tale of Genji early - due to bad math (I feel silly about this, but this is probably to my advantage!).

Here is the update:
I found the second quarter of the book a bit more tedious than the first. Here Genji is living the dream - he seems to have unending wealth, a beautiful estate with all of his women stabled there, and a life of leisure. I did find this change in the story interesting, and I wondered if Shikibu's audience had changed in composition - perhaps the ladies she is entertaining with her tale(s) are at the stage of their lives where they would like to hear about beautiful surroundings, beautiful clothing, and being 'well taken care of'. As a reader, I did enjoy hearing about the carefully thought out gardens and vistas (I have to manage a large garden by myself, so I'm envious of Genji's army of gardeners). I also found the focus on clothing interesting, I appreciate beautiful fabric and coloring/patterns. I do wonder why there is little mention of food though (when it is so important in other novels).

I hope when readers have a book that fits one of the countries still to go, that, in addition to posting in the completed tasks thread, they will also post in the Countries discussion thread. It's easy to miss when the post is made, but in the countries still to go thread, we're more likely to learn that a country has been upgraded.

And, even in the completed tasks thread, it would be helpful if you'd mention that the book is set in one of the countries still to go.

Happy Independence Day to our American members!

Thank you, Joanna. Also Happy Canada Day to our northern neighbors who celebrated Canada Day on July 1st!

Thanks, Joanna.

I am starting to think about book challenges 2026 and I’m going to read one word titles for each letter of the alphabet.

One of my GR friends just posted this. Such an interesting challenge. I'm unlikely to follow in her footsteps, but title sub-challenges can be interesting. I'd definitely have to check my shelves should something like this come up.

It's halfway through Subchallenge Summer, how is everyone going?

Am I the only person in the group who reaches this point and no longer wants to read any of the books they chose at the start, and is now looking at how they can change it all up? It happens every season!

At least it gives me something to do on those days / nights when my husband is working, my now-adult daughter is locked up in her own room, and the cats don't feel like being cuddled, lol

I'm on track for the 2 finishes I'd hoped for.

It is a *very* unusual season when I read more than 25 books, but I always have something close to 50 or 60 titles on my list of possibles. So no, by this time in the season I'm never looking around for something else. BUT, I know your feeling. 10-15 days before end of season I'm often thinking nothing on my list looks good anymore. I'm guessing that's because I've been working on the next season's list and been getting excited about those titles.

I started out well buti fumbled on the by different authors rule.

I've been vicariously enjoying Elizabeth's 'around the world in 120 days' reading journey!

I don't normally get to that point you are describing, Apple, until into the 3rd month when I fall into the thinking Elizabeth described.

I think I will be able to stick with my 3rd plan. I tried to mix 'fun' reads with the more "literary fiction" which should help. Although, I actually did cheat on RwS and listen to a (very) fun book that was off plan and didn't fit anywhere! As of this evening, I have the 'problem' of finally getting the new Elly Griffiths mystery which I had been on hold for. It also doesn't fit in my plan.

Valerie, I recently put Elly Griffiths new book on my TBR too, and hope to read it in the fall. I've been reading so many Victorian and Regency classics this year that I would like to see how she handles time travel to Victorian times.

I am right there with you, Apple. One of my two is the Half and Half, finding authors whose first and last initials are in the same half of the alphabet. I am on my last book for A-M, but I have nothing I want to read at the moment that belongs in L-M. It is hilarious that things I do want to read, the letters do not follow each other. It is always, initials are M and L, in that order!!

Joanne - I don't think you need an L-M, just not one of the 4 you've read and that fits in the A-M half of the alphabet.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Joanne - I don't think you need an L-M, just not one of the 4 you've read and that fits in the A-M half of the alphabet."

Yes, this is right - it could be D J, for example. The first initial needs to come earlier in the alphabet than the last initial, but they don't need to be together, and you can use letters you have used before (without repeating an author).

I did not explain myself at all with that example. Thank you both. though. What I meant to say was that the initials that I need for the second half of the alphabet are not popping up for me, except in reverse order.

Joanne wrote: "I did not explain myself at all with that example. Thank you both. though. What I meant to say was that the initials that I need for the second half of the alphabet are not popping up for me, excep..."

Ah, you meant you couldn't find authors for N-Z. I guess that means you won't complete that challenge.

An idea is for you to change the already posted books/authors to a different challenge. Because it's so wide open is the reason I'm doing

Summer 2023: FAVORITES
Favorites
Read 10 books that fit your favorite 20-point tasks from prior seasons. You must state the season and the task (number and brief description) when posting your book claim.
NOTE: The bonuses for this challenge allowed us to repeat tasks

I note that 3 of your posted authors for Half and Half would work for

Fall 2022:
20.9 ABCs (Kate S's Task)

Read a book in which the author's initials appear in alphabetical order. Double letters do not count. Authors who work: Dean Koontz, José Saramago, Anne Rivers Siddons.

I feel certain you could find a 20-pointer that would fit Guy Gavriel Kay, though I haven't looked.

Yesterday we had a family fun day out, which involved 2 op shops, and 2 book shops, the second of which I have been trying to get to for quite a while as it focuses on BIPOC authors (https://amplifybookstore.com ).

Needless to say, I picked up a few books, which were:
Secondhand books:
The Book of Goose
The Colour of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
Long Island
Me Talk Pretty One Day
Red Mars
Truth & Beauty
The Bridge on the Drina

New Books:
Excellent Women
Letter from an Unknown Woman and Other Stories
Crossing the Mangrove
The Wretched of the Earth
Pink Slime
So Long a LetterNo Sweetness Here and Other Stories
A Carnival of Atrocities

So I was definitely able to add some of the harder to find countries to my list of future reading!

Apple wrote: "Yesterday we had a family fun day out, which involved 2 op shops, and 2 book shops, the second of which I have been trying to get to for quite a while as it focuses on BIPOC authors (https://amplif..."

Looks like it was definitely a fun day out! ;)

Haha, Apple, I hope that the bookstore was the last stop, quite a haul you have there! And, it is great that you can share a day like this with your family!

Thanks for the lists; you have given me some research to do, such an out-of-the-box list for me to look at!

What is an "op shop"?

Opportunity shop. I believe you call them thrift stores.

Yes, we do. And a good place to pick up well-priced used books!

I think the books were all $2 or $3 each, and I don't mind paying that even if I don't like the book and just pass it on.

Apple wrote: "It's halfway through Subchallenge Summer, how is everyone going?

Am I the only person in the group who reaches this point and no longer wants to read any of the books they chose at the start, and is now looking at how they can change it all up? It happens every season!"

LOL I'm the same way! Probably why I rarely complete all the tasks.

This time around, I'll complete one of the sub-challenges. I just posted book #7 for the subchallenge, and I'm almost finished with book #8.