Historical Fictionistas discussion

Hi again all! As usual, I'm running late, and it's past time to post the new challenge. So, we're doing a mini-challenge to get back into the swing of things. :)

Anyway, here's the challenge! Enjoy! :D
And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask 'em!


Mini-Challenge #4 - January 2012

How this challenge works:
Each book read must touch at least one task from at least one of the category lists below. Each book can have multiple tasks counted, if eligible, but no duplicates. (If there are two of the same thing, points are only counted once.)

RULES:
Participants may join at any time during the challenge. The challenge last from January 1st until January 31st, 2012. All points must be reported by 11:59pm EST on January 31st, 2012 to be counted.

1) Books must be at least 200 pages long. Eligibility for this is determined by the most popular edition on Goodreads. If the most popular edition is 197 pages, it will not count, even if the edition read is 215 pages.

2) ALL books must be completed and points recorded by 11:59p EST on January 31st, 2012 to count. Books started prior to January 1st will not be counted.

4) Re-reads and audiobooks are accepted. Audiobook page counts will be determined by the most popular edition on Goodreads.

SCORING:
***Please report all points in the Reporting Points Thread*** (This thread will be opened closer to the challenge start.)

5) To obtain points your book must touch at least one task in one or more of the challenge categories. Each item underneath the category is worth one point unless otherwise noted. Categories and items can be repeated as many times as you want throughout the course of the challenge, but cannot be duplicated for a single book. It is your responsibility to tell us what items came up in your book.

6) Bonus points will be awarded based on the length of each book read, as follows:
200 to 300 pages = 2 bonus points
301 to 500 pages = 4 bonus points
501 to 750 pages = 6 bonus points
751 to 1,000 pages = 8 bonus points
1,000+ = 10 bonus points

Bonus points will be awarded PER BOOK READ.

7) Page length used to determine task bonus points is determined by the most popular edition on Goodreads -- NOT the edition you actually read.

8) Cover requirements will be determined by the most popular edition on Goodreads. (This is a change from the last mini-challenge to make it more consistent for reporting and verification purposes.)

9) Extras scoring:
- If you review the book, include a link to your review and receive 5 bonus points. Must be a legitimate review, and this will be determined by Jackie and myself. "Good book", "I liked it" or "It was crap" won't cut it for the bonus points! ;)

- If the book was recommended to you from a member of Historical Fictionistas, link to the review page showing their name in the "Recommended by" field and receive 2 bonus points.

Please note that for recommendations, it is OK to request book recs for a certain genre, time period, theme, etc, but you cannot request a recommendation for a specific title in order to receive the bonus points.

10) HAVE FUN!!!
---------------------------------------------

The Tasks:
--Setting Time Period--
Ancient
1800s
1900s
Future

--Genre--
Historical Fiction
Poetry
Non-fiction
Science Fiction
Crime/Police Procedural
Fantasy

--Themes/Features--
New Beginnings
Overcoming adversity
Awareness (social or political issue)
Quest
Humor

--Title--
Proper name
Contains a type of metal (Iron, Steel, Aluminum, etc)
One word title
Contains a type of profession (Doctor, Merchant, etc)
Contains a color
All numbers, No letters (1984, 1776, 300, etc)

--Book Cover--
A Mosaic
Only one person
A Cross
A Bridge
A monument or statue

--Random Tasks--
# of Pages contains 12 (121, 212, 712, etc)
Read a book about an invention or inventor
Best of 2002 http://www.goodreads.com/list/best_of...
Read a book by an author with a colorful name
Read a book about a secret society

--Locale--
England
France
Japan
Middle East
Germany
Washington State, USA
Georgia, USA

--Extras--
Reviewed +5
Recommended to you from a Historical Fictionistas member + 2

====================

Any questions, ask 'em here! :D

Please explain read a book by an author with a colorful name. Can you explain the colorful name part, like their last name has a color like White, Black, Mustard, etc?

OOh OOh I have one!

Does Stephen King's latest book count as HF? (sorry if this is a dumb question) 11/22/63

PS - The Challenge looks really good Becky!

Laura wrote: "OOh OOh I have one!

Does Stephen King's latest book count as HF? (sorry if this is a dumb question) 11/22/63

PS - The Challenge looks really good Becky!"

I think it does as about 50% of the book takes place before 1961.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Please explain read a book by an author with a colorful name. Can you explain the colorful name part, like their last name has a color like White, Black, Mustard, etc?"

Yep, exactly.

Shay wrote: "I think it does as about 50% of the book takes place before 1961. "

Yep - 11/22/63 would be fine.

By "Georgia", you mean my Georgia (USA) rather than the one over there by Armenia?

**WOOT**

Becky wrote: "Shay wrote: "I think it does as about 50% of the book takes place before 1961. "

Yep - 11/22/63 would be fine."

But it wouldn't count for the "Title" point: All numbers, No letters? Because it does have characters that aren't numbers- the "/"'s.

Shay wrote: "Becky wrote: "Shay wrote: "I think it does as about 50% of the book takes place before 1961. "

Yep - 11/22/63 would be fine."

But it wouldn't count for the "Title" point: All numbers, No letters?..."

I'd accept it for the all numbers task too. :)

Chris wrote: "By "Georgia", you mean my Georgia (USA) rather than the one over there by Armenia?"

I did mean Georgia, USA, yes.

It's really not a stupid question. You know how there are people out there that look for wording loopholes.

notme

LOL I know... ;)

So how many point per section? Only one? never done this befor I want to make sure I do it right

As many as the book fits, usually about 10-12pts per book.

If someone mentioned the book in a thread and I got it because of that would that count as being a recommendation?

Melissa wrote: "If someone mentioned the book in a thread and I got it because of that would that count as being a recommendation?"

No. It would need to be a personal recommendation made specifically to you. However, if you ASK for a rec in the Recommendations folder, that would count.

Sarah (Loudog) Louise wrote: "So how many point per section? Only one? never done this befor I want to make sure I do it right"

You have to hit at least ONE category to count a book, so your minimum points can be one point per book, plus the page bonus. There's no max.

So let's say you read Gone with the Wind. Your score would look something like this:
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
1011 pages (According to the most popular version on GR) - 10 points
Setting - 1800s: 1 point
Genre - HF: 1 point
Theme - New Beginnings: 1 point / Overcoming Adversity: 1 point
Locale - Georgia, USA: 1 point
Review (if applicable) - 5 points
Recommendation (if applicable) - 2 points

Total: 22 points

Should we list our challenge information in this folder?

Great categories - looking forward.

Becky wrote: "Sarah (Loudog) Louise wrote: "So how many point per section? Only one? never done this befor I want to make sure I do it right"

You have to hit at least ONE category to count a book, so your minim..."

So if it hits two things under a category you count 2 points i'm guessing?
Thanks for the help, Now I can get started finding my book(s)

Nancy wrote: "Should we list our challenge information in this folder?

Great categories - looking forward."

There will be a thread for reporting your points. I'll set it up January 1st.

Sarah (Loudog) Louise wrote: "Becky wrote: "Sarah (Loudog) Louise wrote: "So how many point per section? Only one? never done this befor I want to make sure I do it right"

You have to hit at least ONE category to count a book,..."

Yup!

Thanks Becky.

Nancy wrote: "Thanks Becky."

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

If you want to look at a thread for the last minichallenge. It'll probably give you a better idea of how to report points on a book.

Is it okay if you are reading the book for another challenge? I would love to do this as I've never done a challenge that counts points.

Leslie wrote: "Is it okay if you are reading the book for another challenge? I would love to do this as I've never done a challenge that counts points."

Of course! You can read, re-read, listen, absorb by osmosis anything you want. We just have a minimum page count for eligibility. Anything else is up to you. It's just for fun and motivation, there's not going to be an award ceremony or anything. Though that would be cool! :P

under "Review +5" what do you mean? Do you mean it's been reviewed 5 or more times? Do you mean the reader reviewing it and giving it 5 stars?

Gayle wrote: "under "Review +5" what do you mean? Do you mean it's been reviewed 5 or more times? Do you mean the reader reviewing it and giving it 5 stars?"

Neither. I've added extra bonus points this time, so reviewing the book will net you an additional 5 points.

"9) Extras scoring:
- If you review the book, include a link to your review and receive 5 bonus points. Must be a legitimate review, and this will be determined by Jackie and myself. "Good book", "I liked it" or "It was crap" won't cut it for the bonus points! ;)"

Oh wow, this is the first challenge I have been able to particpate in! Yay, it is like a hunt for great books from one's past! Awesome job on the Challenge.

Looks like a lot of fun to me! :)

I am looking to re-read Pope Joan & it looks like it'll fit nicely into this challenge. Would you consider the upper echelons of the Roman Church c. 844 to be a secret society?

If they have a group name ("Skull and Bones" or something) and if they have a secret handshake or other identifying indicator, then yes.

Dang it, Pope Joan was going to be one of the books I used as well! Still, what a fantastic read...

Tami wrote: "Dang it, Pope Joan was going to be one of the books I used as well! Still, what a fantastic read..."

Exactly! It's good for multiple readings...not like I don't have a ton of books on my TBR list. We can both read it and see if we come up with the same number of points! :)

How do we post a link to our review? I review all my books so it will not be a problem, but I have never linked to my reviews.

Just post the URL to the review page. Like this: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Rachel wrote: "Tami wrote: "Dang it, Pope Joan was going to be one of the books I used as well! Still, what a fantastic read..."

Exactly! It's good for multiple readings...not like I don't have a ton of books on..."

That sounds like extra credit if I ever heard it!

Becky wrote: "Just post the URL to the review page. Like this: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

Thanks.

First time to try a challenge. For items that are based on the book characteristics (page numbers, cover), how does this work? I think you use the edition that comes up when you search for the book. However, one of the books that I was considering, the most poplar comes up as an audio book and the page number seems to be the number of hours. Do you just take the next edition showing?

JoLene wrote: "First time to try a challenge. For items that are based on the book characteristics (page numbers, cover), how does this work? I think you use the edition that comes up when you search for the b..."

Yes JoLene, that's fine.

seems a little complicated so maybe ill read the books and not do the challenge.

Chakara - is there something I can explain to make it less complicated? Basically, this challenge is all about reading whatever you'd be reading otherwise, and then just counting up the matching task hits.

So if you read a book of humorous poetry which features a person and a cross on the cover, you've just earned 4 points. That's really all there is to it.

Soo.. Im reading

its a little over 200 pages, set in Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. It has one person on the front and a name in the title.

I love this mini challenge. I'm looking forward to it. I've not done one in quite awhile.

Chakara wrote: "Soo.. Im reading

its a little over 200 pages, set in Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. It has one person on the front and a name in the ..."

Yup - that's pretty much how you'd do it. :)

The challenge starts tomorrow, and anything you read after that would be reported.

southpaw285 wrote: "I love this mini challenge. I'm looking forward to it. I've not done one in quite awhile."

Well welcome back, SP!

If I started a book yesterday and finished it in the January challenge, can I count it?

Where do we post ?

I think in this thread.

Woe its already so long. I'll give it a try nothing wrong with trying something new.

I will be opening a scoring thread for reporting points when the challenge starts tomorrow.

Jayme, no, that book will not count. Books have to be started on January 1 to count for the challenge.