Reading with Style discussion

Not you at all. I'm getting excited to see what they have in store for us!

On another note ... Today marks my 15th Anniversary of Goodreads Membership. Time flies!

I been on Goodreads since 2009 so 15 years

Congratulations Elizabeth and Jayme! I discovered Goodreads only 13 years ago.

My lips are sealed regarding the potential subchallenge ;)

Congratulations Elizabeth and Jayme!

And Rosemary, it’s fine, you can tell me here about the sun-challenge, I promise I won’t tell anyone ! 🤪😂🤪

Wow, congrats Elizabeth and Jayme!

However, your posts made me curious, and so I looked at my own date. I joined GR in November 2008.

Just a year before me Bea. :)

And I will have my 10 year anniversary here in April-

I joined Goodreads in October and RWS in November.

I joined Goodreads in April 2010, so almost 14 years ago ---- unbelievable!

Is 2010 when RwS became a separate challenge from the Seasonal Reading Challenge?
It would be fun to see how many members are still here and joined early on.

That sounds about right for RWS.

I'm so excited to see threads opening up for the Spring challenge. This was exciting when I was a moderator, and it seems, in that regard, nothing has changed. So looking forward to seeing what's in store for us!

Thank you again to Joanna, Rosemary and Anika for taking up the mantle of RwS. Opening the 20-pointers yesterday was like opening a gift.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Thank you again to Joanna, Rosemary and Anika for taking up the mantle of RwS. Opening the 20-pointers yesterday was like opening a gift."

I’m so happy to hear this!! Hope you enjoy the tasks we cobbled together 🤗

Polls end tonight - last chance to vote!

Finally, after only a 3 month wait from the library, I have System Collapse cued up in Libby! So, even though I doubt I have any influence :) - I am hoping there is a chance that one of the winners of task creation for spring will craft a task that it fits in!

No harm in asking, eh.... ha, ha

I am so glad I could sign up to multiple libraries on Libby. Originally I had a 5 month wait as there was only one copy at one library, then last minute a second library added multiple copies, and Libby very kindly let me know, so I got it straight away. Love the deep search option which will point me to the best library to get the books I need for challenges sooner 😉

Valerie wrote: "Finally, after only a 3 month wait from the library, I have System Collapse cued up in Libby! So, even though I doubt I have any influence :) - I am hoping there is a chance that on..."

I have this one too! It works for 10.3 - published 2023 :)

Apple wrote: "I am so glad I could sign up to multiple libraries on Libby. Originally I had a 5 month wait as there was only one copy at one library, then last minute a second library added multiple copies, and ..."


You are lucky you can access different books through different library's Libby. In Ontario (I live in the Niagara Region) the libraries purchase the licences from Libby as a consortium, so the offerings are all the same no matter which local library you use (which also can mean long hold times).

The good news is that Hoopla is paid for and programmed by each individual library system. So, when our little library cut back (way back) on Hoopla I just went down the road to the neighbouring community and signed up for a card from them to use their Hoopla!

Rosemary wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Finally, after only a 3 month wait from the library, I have System Collapse cued up in Libby! So, even though I doubt I have any influence :) - I am hoping there is ..."


Ah, Rosemary - you're a genius!

I think Libby and Overdrive are the same? I still use it as Overdrive. There are some newer books with wait times over 250 days. But my library has a physical copy sitting on its shelf just waiting for me. And apparently only me. 😂

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I think Libby and Overdrive are the same? I still use it as Overdrive. There are some newer books with wait times over 250 days. But my library has a physical copy sitting on its shelf just waiting..."


Yes, they are the same. A couple of years ago 'overdrive' rebranded as Libby. I still have overdrive on my laptop, I wasn't 100% convinced that switching over to Libby would retain my wish list.

I have an addon for Chrome that shows me on Goodreads - both on the book page and on my shelves - if Overdrive has an edition, how many holds, and how long the estimated wait time, if any. I know the extension was updated a few months ago to include it as Libby.

I also have an Overdrive shelf here.

All of the tasks are posted for Spring. I love this moment when I can make the final decisions on how to allocate the books I want to read to cover all the tasks. I'm pretty happy with my plan this season, although I had to put a couple of Jumbo 1001 books into the subchallenge where they won't get so many points, because I don't think they will fit any RwS tasks. I'm hoping for cats.

Rosemary wrote: "I'm hoping for cats."

Ha! And I was glad to move a book into that task to make room for another.

This full season is wonderful!

Rosemary wrote: "All of the tasks are posted for Spring. I love this moment when I can make the final decisions on how to allocate the books I want to read to cover all the tasks. I'm pretty happy with my plan this..."

Ha, ha..... that made me laugh because that thought has crossed my mind as well!

Karen Michele wrote: "15.1 HDYGG?

13 Plants this post
13 Total plants in the garden"

Just wow! 13 plants for one title!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Karen Michele wrote: "15.1 HDYGG?

13 Plants this post
13 Total plants in the garden"

Just wow! 13 plants for one title!"

I just happened on the book by chance, and it was a fun read as well as having all of those letters!

As I left the hairdresser today, I noticed a clapboard sign in the arcade next door - two years after a fire out local secondhand bookshop is open again! He specialises in Golden Age crime fiction and Westerns, his own personal favourites, and after a 5 minute peruse of the 4 shelves he has managed to set up I left with 7 books. So happy to have it back!

(No Westerns or crime books were purchased this time, I am on a non fiction kick.)

Apple wrote: "As I left the hairdresser today, I noticed a clapboard sign in the arcade next door - two years after a fire out local secondhand bookshop is open again! He specialises in Golden Age crime fiction ..."

That's exciting! I'm torn with feeling jealous you have a 2nd hand book shop with my faves near you and being glad I don't (otherwise, the books would finally take over the house!).

Apple wrote: "As I left the hairdresser today, I noticed a clapboard sign in the arcade next door - two years after a fire out local secondhand bookshop is open again! He specialises in Golden Age crime fiction ..."

Wonderful! The world needs more second-hand bookshops.

Do you have a favorite task this season? Top 2-3?

I thought there might be some discussion on my question above.

I have the most titles pencilled in for 20.5 Surprised!

I think 20.10 World of Crime and 20.9 Ides of March are close seconds.

That said, I have something for every task. I have only 1 time gotten a Mega, and I don't anticipate one this time. Still, planning is so much fun!

I have a book pencilled for every task, but for 3 so far I have used a different book due to what I have read for another group.

I am also keeping an eye on what others are posting, in case my unallocated, other challenge group reads pop up, so I know where to slot them without having to think about it 😉

Apple wrote: "I am also keeping an eye on what others are posting"

I still look at and read every single post. I probably always will. What members read in this group has always fascinated me. 😁

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I thought there might be some discussion on my question above.

I have the most titles pencilled in for 20.5 Surprised!

I think 20.10 World of Crime and 20.9 Ides of March are close seconds.

Tha..."


I'm still thinking about this! :) I have the most titles listed for 30.1, but haven't read a single one. I seem to have had a bunch of library holds that suddenly showed up - which kind of mixed up my plan.

I also read all the posts, and am glad to know I'm not the only one! However, it is detrimental to my TBR list!

I am currently reading my Guernsey and Timor-Leste for 30.1. I think I have 5 books marked for that task, so that is probably the most. I am a bit iffy on one, I don’t know until I read it if it will work, but it will work for international travel if it doesn’t.

So I have Guernsey, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Namibia (maybe), and also Fiji.

The irony of Anika calling me a master gardener, in the context of HDYGG, makes me laugh. This morning when I got back from my walk, I saw that my carefully laid out seed sprouting tray had been knocked over by my cats! I suspect a 'master gardener' would have put the tray in a safer place..... ha, ha....

Valerie wrote: "The irony of Anika calling me a master gardener, in the context of HDYGG, makes me laugh. This morning when I got back from my walk, I saw that my carefully laid out seed sprouting tray had been kn..."

😂 😂 😂

Apple wrote: "20.3 The Madonna of the Cat

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Nana is named for the shape of his tail, which is shaped like the number 7..."

I loved this one! I also highly recommend The Goodbye Cat by the same author.
It's a collection of short stories and you encounter some of the characters from The Travelling Cat Chronicles in the last two stories so it'd fit for 20.8...

Valerie wrote: "The irony of Anika calling me a master gardener, in the context of HDYGG, makes me laugh. This morning when I got back from my walk, I saw that my carefully laid out seed sprouting tray had been kn..."

LOL! Since reading that, I've been extra careful to harden off my seedlings in a place where my cats can't muck them up--my cats are notoriously naughty. Mother Nature is having a say in my efforts, though: woke to SNOW!? I'm ready for proper spring already!

It's halfway Monday. How is everyone doing?

I have finished How Does Your Garden Grow? This was such a fun challenge and I mostly loved all of the books read for it. In addition, I think I have a slim chance of scoring a Mega this season. I've achieved that only twice in over a dozen years of participating, so even if I don't get there, I'm extra excited about the possibility.

Woo.... halfway! I am about where I hoped to be (if that makes sense!). I've finished the sub-challenge - partially because I really focused on those books and partially due to my book choices. Only The Quest for Christa T. was a dud which slowed me down; but the others were readable and/or fun!

I am doing ok on the rest of challenge. I am slowly reading H(A)PPY,which is capital L literature. Even though I see what Barker is doing and think the premise is kind of genius I haven't found it compelling. Luckily, it is the type of novel that you can put down to read something fun without ruining the flow of the narrative. I am hoping the rest of my book choices are more readable - in which case I should get a mega.

I've only finished two books so far this month, so I'm behind schedule. But I have started several others... they're just proving slow.

I have 11 books left for a Mega, but the next five weeks are gonna be painfully busy for me....so: high hopes, low expectations?

Rosemary wrote: "I've only finished two books so far this month, so I'm behind schedule. But I have started several others... they're just proving slow."

I'm finishing everything at once now and catching up!

Rosemary wrote: "I'm finishing everything at once now and catching up!"

Yay!

Heather, I’m so glad to see you back!

Ha! Between Posts 529 and 535, 3 members all posted the same book:

System Collapse by Martha Wells

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Ha! Between Posts 529 and 535, 3 members all posted the same book:

System Collapse by Martha Wells"

Yes and we are a little divided in our views of it, as passionate fans of a series often become ;) I also noticed we have not all claimed the same styles, but we will sort that out in the scoring sessions.

Summer is coming! Color me excited!