SRC Moderator’s Comments (group member since Aug 19, 2016)

SRC Moderator’s comments from the The Seasonal Reading Challenge group.

5.4 - Apocalypse Not

The first edition of Nostradamus’ The Prophecies was published in 1555, with 53 prophecies predicting events over three centuries. Two more editions would also be published in the 1550s, with additional prophecies spanning another 300 years. Several of the prophecies have been interpreted as predicting disasters, with some even going as far to declare doomsday - one of which notably failed to occur in 1999, leading to a newspaper headline reading "Nostradamus wrong (please ignore if the world ended yesterday)"!

Read a book with the MPG Post Apocalyptic or Apocalyptic.

5.3 - Hot off the Press

Is there any historical invention more important to a book lover than that of the printing press? 1450 was the beginning of Johannes Gutenberg’s commercial operation in Mainz, Germany, revolutionising access to literature. Such is his influence that he lends his name to Project Gutenberg, the online library that gathers out-of-copyright texts as ebooks, which are available to anyone for free. As of 2023, most books dated to 1927 or earlier are eligible to be distributed via Project Gutenberg.

Read a book first published in 1927 or earlier.

5.2 – Back to School

Corpus Christi college, one of Cambridge University’s 31 colleges, was founded on November 7th 1352. Autumn also sees the start of the academic year in many education systems across the world – and perhaps unsurprisingly, also tends to herald a resurgence of the Dark Academia genre in books!

Read a book from the first 25 pages of this Dark Academia shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Required: state the page of the list the book is found on.

5.1 – For the Horde!

The 1250s saw the spread of the Mongolian empire into parts of China, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Vietnam, Korea, Lithuania and Poland.

Read a book set at least 50% in one of the above countries. For Korea, both North and South Korea are acceptable.

Required: if the setting is not obvious from the GR metadata or description, provide a reference.

It’s time to start thinking about fun ideas for the Fall Challenge.

The bonus theme is Decades: 50s

As in past challenges some tasks may revolve around the seasonal theme of fall. Others may reflect the bonus theme. Other tasks may have nothing to do with either of those themes, they’re just fun or unique ideas to stimulate your reading.

Feel free to post as many ideas as you can come up with. Don’t worry about repeating what someone else has might have already suggested. The more ideas, the better!

The moderators will draw from these ideas as well as their own to create the 5, 10 and 15 point tasks. This thread will be open for ideas until August 13. Fall tasks will begin to be posted on August 15. We look forward to seeing what you come up with!

The Fall 2023 Group Reads Polls are open! The categories are:

Fiction: Books made into TV shows
Fiction: Families
Non-Fiction: Medicine


Voting will be open until the end of the Goodreads day on August 11.

Click on "comments and details" to get to the book links to learn more about the titles.

Navigate to the polls on the right of the group home page or click here.

50 Point Tasks

50.1 - Jen B 's Task: Vacation Time!
Help Thread

Does anyone else get hit with the travel bug in the summer time? Whether you're staying close to home, or going somewhere far away, summer travel always brings its own kind of fun.

Pack your bags and grab your passport, we're going on a summer adventure!

This task requires three books totaling at least 750 pages.
No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.
Books whose main page lists any of these genres: Sequential Art, Comics, Comic Book, or Manga may not be used.

Required: For books 1 and 2, state which sub-option you are using.

Book 1: Economy
Get your tunes and your snacks, because we're keeping it cheap by road tripping!

Option 1: Read a book set in the country where you reside. If the setting of the book is not obvious from the GR metadata or description, provide a reference.
Required: State the country where you live.

- OR -

Option 2: Read a book with a motor vehicle on the cover. It must be a vehicle that can be driven on a road/highway (no planes, boats, etc). This may be a photo or a graphic, old-timey or modern, but it must be identifiable as a full-sized vehicle which an adult human can drive or ride in (i.e. not a model or toy).

Examples:

Required: Post the cover.

Book 2: Business Class
Pack your carry on and your travel pillow, and don't forget your passport! We're taking to the skies!

Option 1: Read a book set on a continent that is different than the one where you reside. If the setting is not obvious in the GR description or metadata, provide a reference.
Required: State where you live.

- OR -

Option 2: Read a book with the name of a capital city found intact in the title. The city must currently be a capital city (i.e. no former capitals such as St. Petersburg). Previous names of cities will be accepted (e.g. Peking for Beijing, Kiev for Kyiv). If you need ideas, a list can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

Required: State the city and the country it is capital of.

Examples: The Paris Package, Hanoi Spring

Book 3: First Class
Luxury mode unlocked! Stretch out in your first class seat and sip on some champagne because you're going to your dream destination!

Read a book set in your dream travel destination, where you have never been. This must be a real place on Earth (no trips to Martian colonies or the Moon!)
Required: State the location and that you have never been.
Optional: Explain why you want to travel there!

Example: Exiles This book takes place in Australia. I've never visited Australia, but I've always wanted to go. It's so far away (literally on the other side of the world), and every Australian I've ever met has been so kind and lovely, so I'd love to go experience the country for myself. (Also, Koalas.)

50.1 - Jen B 's Task: Vacation Time!

Does anyone else get hit with the travel bug in the summer time? Whether you're staying close to home, or going somewhere far away, summer travel always brings its own kind of fun.

Pack your bags and grab your passport, we're going on a summer adventure!

This task requires three books totaling at least 750 pages.
No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.
Books whose main page lists any of these genres: Sequential Art, Comics, Comic Book, or Manga may not be used.

Required: For books 1 and 2, state which sub-option you are using.

Book 1: Economy
Get your tunes and your snacks, because we're keeping it cheap by road tripping!

Option 1: Read a book set in the country where you reside. If the setting of the book is not obvious from the GR metadata or description, provide a reference.
Required: State the country where you live.

- OR -

Option 2: Read a book with a motor vehicle on the cover. It must be a vehicle that can be driven on a road/highway (no planes, boats, etc). This may be a photo or a graphic, old-timey or modern, but it must be identifiable as a full-sized vehicle which an adult human can drive or ride in (i.e. not a model or toy).

Examples:

Required: Post the cover.

Book 2: Business Class
Pack your carry on and your travel pillow, and don't forget your passport! We're taking to the skies!

Option 1: Read a book set on a continent that is different than the one where you reside. If the setting is not obvious in the GR description or metadata, provide a reference.
Required: State where you live.

- OR -

Option 2: Read a book with the name of a capital city found intact in the title. The city must currently be a capital city (i.e. no former capitals such as St. Petersburg). Previous names of cities will be accepted (e.g. Peking for Beijing, Kiev for Kyiv). If you need ideas, a list can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

Required: State the city and the country it is capital of.

Examples: The Paris Package, Hanoi Spring

Book 3: First Class
Luxury mode unlocked! Stretch out in your first class seat and sip on some champagne because you're going to your dream destination!

Read a book set in your dream travel destination, where you have never been. This must be a real place on Earth (no trips to Martian colonies or the Moon!)
Required: State the location and that you have never been.
Optional: Explain why you want to travel there!

Example: Exiles This book takes place in Australia. I've never visited Australia, but I've always wanted to go. It's so far away (literally on the other side of the world), and every Australian I've ever met has been so kind and lovely, so I'd love to go experience the country for myself. (Also, Koalas.)

This is the thread where you can submit reviews for the Best Review contest. The thread is open for submissions and will close at Midnight EST on August 15, 2023. Voting will start the next day and run until the end of the GR day on August 31. The person whose review gets the most votes will have the opportunity to design a 20 point task for the Fall Challenge.

To be eligible for this task opportunity you must have achieved at least 100 points on the Summer 2023 Challenge Readerboard by midnight Eastern Time on August 14, 2023. Only one task per person per challenge.

Just a reminder that each person can only submit one review - but you can make edits to your review up until the end. The review does not have to be any particular length and doesn't have to be a positive one (i.e. you can choose to review a book you didn't like).
Please include your Readerboard Name.

PLEASE DO NOT comment on people's reviews in this thread - this is for submissions only. You will be able to comment when voting begins.

SPOILER ALERT! These reviews may include spoilers.

This is the thread for the logo design contest. Each season, group members will have the opportunity to design a new logo that will represent the group during the duration of the following challenge. You may submit a masthead banner design to accompany your logo.

Pictures and anything used to create the logo should be original material (i.e. no copyrighted images, including AI generated art).

Images must be between 1KB and 6MB and of type: jpg/jpeg/gif/png/tiff/tif
Logos are best in square or slightly rectangular (either vertical or horizontal) shapes. Some images may be cropped by GR.
A working size would be approximately 340px X 340px.
Mastheads are 3:1 or 970px wide by 245px high
On the group's homepage the logo overlaps the masthead at the lower left.

You can post a picture directly in this thread, provide a link to the image or send one of the moderators a message for help. The logo should reflect in some way the season, bonus theme or purpose of the group.

The Fall 2023 bonus theme is: Decades: 50s

This thread is open for submissions and it will close at Midnight EST on August 15, 2023 - voting will start the next day and run until the end of the GR day on August 31. The winning submission will replace the current logo on September 1st. Good luck to everyone!

This is the thread where you can submit a task idea for the 50 Point Task contest. The thread is now open for submissions and will close at Midnight Eastern time on July 5. Voting will start the next day, July 6 and will close at the end of the day on July 12. If the moderators determine that the vote is close, a 3-day runoff poll will be held. The person whose idea gets the most votes will host the 50 point task for the Summer Challenge.

The 50 point task will require:
1. Only 3 options. These options may not include more than 2 "sub options" - 6 total in the task.
2. One book per option.
3. Three books totaling at least 750 pages. Your task idea may require a higher page threshold but this must be disclosed in your entry.
4. No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.
5. Books whose main page lists any of these genres: Sequential Art, Comics, Comic Book, or Manga may not be used.
6. No “free choice” options will be allowed. This is a challenge, so tasks that have no element of challenge do not fit the purpose.
7. A task must be accessible to the majority of players, i.e. not limited to a specific format, edition, publisher, etc. and reviewable by the moderators.

Anyone eligible* to design a task may submit an idea for a task that follows the general guidelines above. Your idea should be a sketch that may be developed with the moderators.

* To be eligible to create a task, the player’s profile must be set up to accept Goodreads messages, and they must not have a task in the current challenge. Only one task per person per challenge.


The group will vote to determine the 50 point task. All ideas that fit the general guidelines will be included in a poll. The poll winner will develop their idea with the moderators to refine their task. The final task may differ from the original idea submission. The task will be posted as close to the midpoint as reasonably possible. The task creator will monitor and answer questions in the help thread.

Please include your Readerboard name and a title for your task. The entries will be listed by Readerboard name and task title in the poll. Please include only one task idea entry per post.

PLEASE DO NOT comment on people's entries in this thread - this is for submissions only - you will be able to comment when voting begins. Comments in this thread will be deleted.

Fiona (Titch) wrote: "Fated: Cinderella's Story This is Kindle only, can I get this listed as it's 252 pages for a 5 point task?

If I understand the way I am meant to ask.

Many thanks"

the link to the book you provided shows it is a paperback version. So you are good.

Fiona (Titch) wrote: "Can I have Adventures of a Wimpy Werewolf: Hairy But Not Scary?

*I was just thinking of the first 5 words and not the last four words.

If not, I was thinking [book:Assault with a ..."


Adventures of a Wimpy Werewolf: Hairy But Not Scary? is a children's book, to read this one make sure it follows the SRC rules for children's books.

It's A Fact

From the Challenge Rules:

20.6 IT'S A FACT - Players may earn a ticket for each NONFICTION book read.
A random ticket will be drawn to determine who creates this task. Challenge finishers are not eligible for the drawing. Players must specifically request a ticket in the post by claiming "It's A Fact". See the current season's Posting Requirements for more information.

** You will receive one ticket for each NONFICTION book.
** You must specifically mention in your completed task post that a book is nonfiction. Updating a tally at the top or bottom of your post is NOT enough.


EXAMPLE POST:
Avid Reader

15.6 - Wrens and Riveters
Becoming by Michelle Obama
**I'd like an It's A Fact ticket for Becoming (nonfiction)**

Total points to date = 45 points

IAFs this post: 1
Total IAFs to date: 14

**If you forget to mention that a book qualifies for an It's A Fact ticket, you may post another message in the Completed Task thread explaining that you forgot to mention its It's A Fact status and include the number of the post in which the book was claimed for points, the task number the book was read for, and a link to the book.

SAMPLE REPOST:
Avid Reader
This post is to claim It's A Fact tickets ONLY. No new points.
Points originally claimed in post #115.

15.6 - Wrens and Riveters
Becoming by Michelle Obama
**I'd like an It's A Fact ticket for Becoming (nonfiction)**

IAFs this post: 1
Total IAFs to date: 14

Have a book and don't know what tasks it may work for? Ask here.

20.9 - Moderator's Pet - Maria Jo's Task: Wedding Time

I am getting married during this season of SRC! This task is dedicated to my relationship with my soon-to-be husband.

Choose one option.
Required State the option.

Option 1: When we met, I lived in Nebraska and he lived in Kansas. Read a book set 50% in either or both of those US states.
Required: If the setting is not clear from the GR description or the metadata, provide a reference.

Option 2: We are both teachers. Read a biography about a teacher. Anyone who taught at a school or university will work, as well as a private tutor such as Anne Sullivan, who taught Helen Keller.
Required: If the academic setting is not clear from the GR description or the metadata, provide a reference.

Option 3: We are getting married on June 10, 2023, a year to the day of our first date. Read a book first published between June 10, 2022 and June 10, 2023 (inclusive).

Option 4: Our wedding color is navy blue.
Read a book with a cover that is (according to Tineye) at least 75% blue
https://labs.tineye.com/color/
Complete directions for using Tineye can be found here: How Do I Use Tineye?
Required: Post the cover.

Option 5: Our wedding is at a church, and the reception is at a former train station. Read a book with a church or a train on the cover. Trains must be full-size locomotives, not children's toys or models, and either the engine or one of the cars must be visible. For the purposes of this task, a church is defined as a place of worship of any faith or denomination, but it must be recognisable as a building.
Required: Post the cover.

20.8 - Nickels & Dimes- Lauren Jodi's task: Lost Cities

My lifelong fascination with the folklore of various cultures began when my mother gifted me a book of Greek myths. As an educator, I am also able to share my love of these tales with my students. One topic that is always popular in class is that of lost cities, i.e., cities that once existed and subsequently disappeared. They can be classified into two types: Ones that have been rediscovered, such as Troy, Pompeii and Xanadu, and those that have remained shrouded in mystery like Atlantis, El Dorado and Shangri-La. This task is dedicated to some of these lost cities.

This is a one book task, choose an option and read one book for that option.
REQUIRED: State the option you chose when posting.

Option 1: TROY
Renowned for being the focus of the Trojan War as depicted in Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, Troy, known as Wilusa in the late Bronze Age, was repeatedly built and destroyed over the centuries. It was ultimately abandoned and relegated to the realm of legend until it was rediscovered in Hisarlik in present-day Turkey in 1871.

Read a book set at least 50% in Greece or Turkey.

REQUIRED: If the setting is not stated in the Goodreads main page description, provide a reference when posting.

Option 2: MACHU PICHU
Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Pichu is a 15th-century citadel located in southern Peru. It was constructed around 1420 only to be abandoned during the Spanish Conquest. While the American historian and explorer Hiram Bingham is credited with its rediscovery in 1911, there is cartographic evidence of the site as early as 1874.

Read a book with a 3 digit page count that is comprised of 3 of the following digits in any configuration - 0, 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, or 9. The numbers 1 and 4 can be repeated.

For example 141, 244, 409, 480

Option 3: ATLANTIS
Perhaps the most legendary lost city, Atlantis was described by Plato as either a maritime power submerged for attacking Athens or as an advanced civilization descended from Poseidon and destroyed due to its depravity. The theories of its location range from the Bahamas to Malta and even the North Pole. The most promising, however, is the ancient Minoan civilization on Crete, which was destroyed in the volcanic eruption of Thera and its subsequent tsunami.

Read a book shelved on the following list:
Atlantis Books

Required: State the page

Option 4: EL DORADO
El Dorado, or alternatively El Hombre Dorado ("The Golden Man") or El Rey Dorado ("The Golden King"), was a term used in the 16th century by the Spanish to describe the mythical ruler of the Muisca people of Colombia who, as part of an initiation rite, would cover himself in gold dust. The legend was ultimately expanded to encompass an entire city or kingdom of gold.

Read a book with "gold" or golden" in the title. Words must match exactly.

20.7 Shorter is sweeter- Inge's Task: Enjoying Scotland

I am a passionate bookcrosser, where I like to let my books that I’ve read roam free and let them find a new reader. Bookcrossing is an international group, and they like to get together for meetings. This year there will be a convention in Scotland where I will be joining an international convention for the first time. In addition, a friend of mine moved to Scotland almost a year ago. I love to see pictures of all the nature she is hiking in now. This task will therefore be a task about Scotland!

This is a one book task. Choose an option from below and read one book for that option
Required: State the option

No books with the genre children/kids will be allowed for this challenge.

Option A) Read a book where all the letters of SCOTLAND can be found in the title. Subtitles are excluded.

Option B) Read a book that takes place for at least 50% in Scotland.
Required: If the setting not be clear from the description or Goodreads metadata, provide a reference.

Option C) Whisky or in Gaelic Uisge Beatha is a drink that they call ‘aqua vitae’ or water of life, and deeply founded in the culture of Scotland.

Read a book where both the first AND last name initials can be found in whisky OR uisge beatha.

20.6 - It's A Fact- Julia103's Task: This is Jeopardy!

I enjoy watching the quiz show Jeopardy! and especially enjoyed Jeopardy! Masters which aired last month with 6 returning players who got to play multiple games before anyone was eliminated.

This is a one book task. Choose one option and read a book from that option.

Option 1: The contestants were: James Holzhauer, Mattea Roach, Matt Amodio, Andrew He, Amy Schneider, and Sam Buttrey. The show was hosted by Ken Jennings who won over 70 games during his time as a Jeopardy! contestant.

Read a book by an author whose first or last name matches the first or last name of any of these contestants or host. The name position does not matter (i.e. a book by Henry James could be used to match James Holzhauer.) However, the name used must be an exact match (i.e. Sam, not Samuel).

Required: State the name of the contestant

Option 2: Amy Schneider, who won 40 consecutive games in the regular season, is a trans woman. Mattea Roach, who won 23 games in the regular season and came in second in Jeopardy! Masters, identifies as non-binary.

To honor them, read a book from one of these lists:

A Book By a Trans or Non-Binary Author
Non-Binary (Genderqueer, Genderfluid, Gender-Unspecified, etc) Fiction and Memoirs
Gender Non-Binary Fantasy & Science Fiction
Novels by Trans Authors with Trans Protagonists

Required: State the list and the page of the list you found the book on.

20.5 - Bigger is Better - Tammy AZ Task: The Compelling and Delights of Travel

I've been travelling with my husband in an RV this Spring, touring the Southeastern states. In our travels we've visited many Civil War and Civil Rights sites and monuments. I've also been reading and buying related books and learning a lot.

For this task I'd like you to join me on the reading journey and read one book from one of the options below

No books with the MPG children or kids may be used.
MPG Sequential Art, Comics, Comic Book, or Manga are allowed


Option 1: Read a book from one of the following lists:

Civil Rights & Law: Then and Now (fiction and nonfiction)

War has no winners

American Civil War Books

Required: State the list and page

Option 2: Besides all the touring, we visited many local bars and pubs. Imagine my surprise when in a small Irish pub, in walks Robert Plant, it was truly a highlight. Read a book where the author initials can be found in ROBERT PLANT