Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Roll the dice and see where you land in this team challenge!

EARN ROLLS
For each book completed, the team must have at least 500 pages read OR 10 hours of audio listened in order to claim the prompt as completed. Your spreadsheet will keep track of rolls earned and used.

CLUE
- A book set in large house or mansion
- A book that includes a murder
- A book with a weapon of any kind on cover
- A book whose cover is predominantly white, green, mustard yellow, plum, peacock blue, or scarlet
- A book with a character that makes some kind of mistake

PARCHEESI
- A book set in India
- A book that contains a royal character
- A book whose page count contains any combination of 2, 3, and 4
- A book that has circle, square, cube, or cross shape on cover
- A book with a two-word title

RISK
- A book that takes place in at least 2 countries
- A book where war is involved
- A book with 2 or more authors
- A book with a character that takes a risk of any kind
- A book with a character who is military or ex-military

GAME OF LIFE
- A book that centers on a family
- A book that's set in school or college
- A book with a character gets or changes job
- A book featuring a wedding or childbirth
- A book with a character of retirement age

TRIVIAL PURSUIT
- A book relating to Science & Nature
- A book relating to History
- A book relating to Sports & Leisure
- A book relating to Entertainment & Arts
- Any nonfiction book

THE TEAM
CAPTAIN: Sophia
CAPTAIN: Sheena
Robin P
Alicia
Thomas
Samantha
Bec
Veronica

TEAM SPREADSHEET: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

TEAM TOP HAT
CAPTAIN: Sophia
CAPTAIN: Sheena
Robin P
Alicia
Thomas
Samantha
Bec

Hey Team !!! I'm so excited to be reading with everyone starting tomorrow!!
I just started The Family Game which seems to be a good fit for lots of prompts. I'll be sure to leave enough pages to count it as a read tomorrow :D
Happy reading :D

Hi team! Big thanks in advance to Sheena and Sophia for taking the role of captains.

Sheena I just finished The Family Game and thought it was great fun. I guess it isn't everyone's cup of tea but it worked for me.

I am a little over half way done with To Catch a Storm on audio and got a random bunch of books from the library so not sure how they will fit in. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of them are Audio but I have a lot of things that need to be done and I can listen while I do them.

I look forward to reading with you all.

Popping in to say that my book club read The Family Game back in April and when you get to the Krampus chapter... whew haha. Be prepared!

Spreadsheet is posted!

Well now I've added Family Game to my TBR. Not sure if I'll make it this readathon but i'm sold just for the Krampus category

I came up with this game idea months ago and didn't look at it again, so I hope the categories don't turn out to be too hard! I put a note on the Intro thread, saying that for the 2,3,4 in the page count, it can be any edition on GR, not just the exact one you read.

Hi team! Very excited to dig into these prompts, and let me know if you've got any questions/issues about the spreadsheet. Gonna try to read all of Hild this week and a lot of urban fantasy for when my brain can't take anymore Old English and 7th century politics, so we'll see how that goes!

Sophia wrote: "Hi team! Very excited to dig into these prompts, and let me know if you've got any questions/issues about the spreadsheet. Gonna try to read all of Hild this week and a lot of urban..."

Hild is a bit dense but very good. When I was reading it, I was struck by how much a historical fiction book can be similar to fantasy - the author has to create the whole world and make it believable.

I love the categories! You did a great job. I just wanted to make sure I understood the # prompt correctly.

Robin P wrote: "Sophia wrote: "Hi team! Very excited to dig into these prompts, and let me know if you've got any questions/issues about the spreadsheet. Gonna try to read all of Hild this week and..."

That's an excellent point that I hadn't considered! I'm trying to read along to the audiobook so that I don't have to figure out how anything is pronounced or let my brain get too bogged down in parsing the spelling on the page by hearing it instead. I'm only one chapter in though so maybe I won't need it by the end.

Hello hello team! I'm excited for the week.
This is going to be fun!

The planning spreadsheet seems to cut off and I can't work out how to add in my books. Can anyone help with that?

Where is everyone from? I'm from Adelaide, Australia.

Okay I've finished via audio. I had about 120 pages (equivalent) left and got into that today.
I've slotted it in - A book whose cover is predominantly white, green, mustard yellow, plum, peacock blue, or scarlet - assuming scarlet is red

But it also fits, two-word title and murder so can be moved if needed.

Bec wrote: "Hello hello team! I'm excited for the week.
This is going to be fun!

The planning spreadsheet seems to cut off and I can't work out how to add in my b ooks. Can anyone help with that?"

Hi Bec ...Thanks for the heads up on that one !I added a bunch more columns so you can slot in your plans! Let us know if you notice anything else that needs updating.

Re: Family Game .. I've read a lot this morning. Finding it a bit farfetched and a smidge predictable but I am loving the crazy-family. Krampus night was wild! I think it would be amazing to play this (in a less terrifying/gentler way!) Such a page turner!

Re: Robin/Theme ... I love this season's theme so much! Such creative prompts. Thanks for taking the time to help plan it for us.

Re; Sophia .. hi Sophia, nice to 'meet you' :D I'm looking forward to co-captaining with you this week

Re: Bec/About me ... I live in Ontario Canada. I always think it's neat when I think about Australia being seasonally opposite to us here. For you, this would really be Spring read-a-thon, right ;D


Reading plans ... my hubby and I are working on installing new flooring today and my new couches are being delivered (yay) so I plan to find an audio book to listen while I work. I'm about half way through Family Game, going to swill my last few mouthfuls of coffee, and get started on working and listening. I'll do more planning and update the spreadsheet with my books later today or tomorrow. I'm caught up with the main challenge, so plan to just match books with whatever R-A-T prompts need filling.

Go Team Top Hat!!

oohh ... tricky this time! I just read the rules more carefully and noticed we're going to need a lot more pages this time.

If I'm reading this correctly, we need 500 pages for every book rather than past 1000 pages per category. Right?! This a great challenge ... I'm off to read more now :D

We turned out to be an international team! I am in Wisconsin, north central US. We have Australia, Canada and England as well! Interesting, in the past the teams were often put together by time zone, but it's great to get different perspectives.

On Wed, I will be traveling and not be on internet much till evening. The next 3 days I will be intermittently available, it depends on activities planned by others. I'll be home late Saturday night in time for a big finish on Sunday, I hope. There should be a good amount of reading time in the evenings and some audiobook time while walking around. I just have to figure out which books I have on kindle/nook rather than lug physical books with me.

Hey all, I’m in California, US. I’m hoping to finish The Benevolent Society of I’ll Mannered Ladies today and maybe Age of Innocence.

Good morning form Washington state in the US.

I added some books to the spreadsheet, I always find it hard to know what categories will work prior to getting started but did my best.

Hope to get through most if not all of To Catch a Storm today.

Sheena wrote: "Re: Family Game .. I've read a lot this morning. Finding it a bit farfetched and a smidge predictable but I am loving the crazy-family. Krampus night was wild! I think it would be amazing to play t..."

I agree about it being farfetched and a little predictable but things like the Krampus night kept it interesting and fun. Not sure I would want to play but if you come up with a gentle way maybe I could take a road trip and join in :)

Alicia wrote: "Hey all, I’m in California, US. I’m hoping to finish The Benevolent Society of I’ll Mannered Ladies today and maybe Age of Innocence."

I don't like a lot of classics but loved Age of Innocence!

I finished Before the Coffee Gets Cold - whole book took under 2 hours to read. I put it under the colors/Clue one since the cover is white and peacock blue. But if somebody else needed that spot, it can go in several other places.

I read it probably a couple decades ago and remembered liking the movie. I’m really enjoying Newland’s progression and it’s very witty and funny.

Good morning from Texas! I originally meant to save Dance with the Devil but I finished the 2nd book on Thursday and the next one was right there so I didn't quite have 100 pages left by this morning, oops. Started Fourth Wing this morning which means I now have three ongoing books that are all 500+ pages so that should help with the page count at least.

Ooh but Fourth Wing is real good. You may get through it fast it’s a bit addicting in that way

I finished To Catch a Storm and put it under A book with a character that makes some kind of mistake but it could be moved to a few other prompts as well.

I am now reading Angel with a page count of 332, which will knock off the prompt about page numbers.

Mod Note: Pages read and hours listened are working a bit differently this Read-a-Thon. You must accrue "rolls" in order to officially fill prompts - which means each prompt read needs one book and one roll in order to mark it as completed. You earn rolls by reading 500 pages or 10 audio hours as a team. You assign rolls by marking a "1" in the Rolls Used column next to the prompt. This will tally on the Rolls tab on your spreadsheet, so you can keep track of how many rolls you have available and how many you have used. If you have any questions, please post on the Team Challenge Intro and FAQs thread!

Finished Benevolent Society of Ill Mannered Ladies and put it under where a character gets/changes a job.

Reading a bit of Age of Innocence now, but won’t finish till tomorrow.

I've been busy finishing off my book today so haven't got onto the computer until now.
I moved The Maid to book with 2 word title. And I finished The Three of Us and put it in book with a focus on family.

I'm listening to an audio book called Once More With Feeling which fits for character of retirement age...and need to decided which book I'll read next.

I haven't updated my pages read or hours listened to for yesterday yet but will get to it when I work it out.

Mod Note: (Hopefully this is the last one lol) I have lowered the requirements to earn rolls. It is now at 400 pages or 6 hours of audio. Your spreadsheets have already been updated!

Morning Team!
I've finished The Family Game (so wild!) and listened to Holidays on Ice for a few audio hours. I don't think it will count as prompt, but will help boost our rolls.

I've slotted in our completed rolls to and we've got 5 prompts checked off already - that's amazing team!!

Note, there is a small formula issue on the spreadsheet for the tallying of 'rolls used' but I'm going back to fix that now.

Alicia wrote: "Ooh but Fourth Wing is real good. You may get through it fast it’s a bit addicting in that way"

I loved Fourth Wing. Iron Wing will be an immediate purchase when released. I need to know what happens next!!!

In order to earn the rolls, we need to keep track of our pages everyday, which wasn't so important before.

Finished The Age of Innocence and put it under character that takes a risk. Not sure what I'll read next. Maybe Things We Lost in the Fire

Hi everyone! I'm a late addition to the team but excited to be here. I have 140 pages left in King's Cage and want to finish the series this week by reading War Storm but I can switch amd read something that fits a needed spot.

Robin P wrote: "In order to earn the rolls, we need to keep track of our pages everyday, which wasn't so important before."
Okay thanks. I'm up to date on the spreadsheet for Saturday and Sunday. So is it okay if we add in the pages the next day?

Veronica wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm a late addition to the team but excited to be here. I have 140 pages left in King's Cage and want to finish the series this week by reading [book:War Storm|27188596..."

Welcome Veronica!

Y'all were right, Fourth Wing was a very fast read! Put it under "set in school or college" and I'm going off the page numbers in my e-reader since the page numbers listed on GR vary wildly. Going to keep chipping at Hild and The Sea, The Sea for a history slot and a retired character slot respectively.

If anyone's not sure what they want to read next, it looks like the Trivial Pursuit categories could use a little love!

Bec wrote: "Robin P wrote: "In order to earn the rolls, we need to keep track of our pages everyday, which wasn't so important before."
Okay thanks. I'm up to date on the spreadsheet for Saturday and Sunday. S..."

There's usually a grace period so you can add pages the next morning if that's easier for you.

I am not able to update the spreadsheet from my iPad so will put my final numbers in tomorrow. I started California Goldenwhich will work for the sports and leisure prompt. I should finish it tomorrow.

I’ll finish Things We Lost in the Fire tonight. I don’t think it fits any trivial pursuit subject, but will start I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings tomorrow which can go in non-fiction

I've startedThe Karma Map especially as it fits a few prompts (was going to read it later in the year!).
It fits for 2 countries as it starts in America and then they fly to India, and set in India. Also 3 of the characters start a new holiday job (travel guide) - but I see that one's taken.
It's a shortish book at 241 pages, so hopefully won't take me too long to finish off.

Samantha wrote: "I am not able to update the spreadsheet from my iPad so will put my final numbers in tomorrow. I started California Goldenwhich will work for the sports and leisure prompt. I should..."

I think I will have that problem later this week. I will be traveling Wed-Sat and can't always access spreadsheets on my iPad. If that happens, I'll just post a comment with the amounts and I hope one of our valiant Team Leads can fill in the info.

If anyone is unable to get to the spreadsheet (or just doesn't want to) post here and I'm happy to add for you. It's probably a little odd, but I love messing around with spreadsheets :D

Welcome Veronica!! Happy to have you join us!

I generally read myself to sleep so will be adding my page count and updates the next morning. I finished And Then There Were None yesterday and will pick my next book after I've had a look at the spreadsheet.

I likely won't get much reading in today - busy day at work and a football (American) party tonight but I'll make it up during the rest of the week which is much quieter.

Sheena wrote: "I generally read myself to sleep so will be adding my page count and updates the next morning. ..."

Yep me too. Always reading in bed.
I've just finished listening to Once More With Feeling and added it for - - A book with a character of retirement age. If we can get a roll for that one it will finish off Game of Life.

I finished Angel which has the page #s for the 2, 3, 4 prompt. I think that could be a hard one. We had a roll available, so I took it. If somebody had other plans, feel free to change it.

I finished California Golden and added to the completed section under trivial pursuit - sports and leisure.

I am not sure I understand the rolls or how they should be as a team so didn't do anything further. Thus demonstrating why I never want to be a captain. I always seem to be lost!

Getting started on Happiness Falls now.