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

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

30.3 - Robin (Saturndoo)'s Task: The Importance of December 7th

December 7th is known for several significant reasons. On December 7, 1941 the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked US forces at Pearl Harbor and other locations in Hawaii. This attack immediately brought the US into WWII by declaring war on Japan. On this day, please remember to fly your US flag(s) at half mast in honor and remembrance of the service members and civilians that were killed in this unprovoked attack. December 7th is also National Letter Writing day. With today's technology, I do miss going to the mailbox and finding a letter from a loved one. This day has another important meaning to me, in that, it is my oldest son's birthday. Happy Birthday Jason!

Read two books, one each from 2 different options. REQUIRED: State the options you used. ONE graphic novel may be used.

Option 1: Ultrasounds verified I was having a boy. My doctor was adamant that if the baby was a girl it would be named Pearl. He loved joking me about this because he knew I was dead set on a boy that would be named "Jason."

Read a book by an author whose first, middle or last name is Pearl. Hyphenated names are permissible, but no other variations.
e.g: Pearl S. Buck, Matthew Pearl, Pearl Cleage, Nancy Pearl, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Option 2: Have a sweet tooth? December 7th is National Cotton Candy Day! Dig in and enjoy!

Read a book with the word "COTTON" or "CANDY" in the title or subtitle. EXACT match only -no plurals or possessives.

e.g: A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton, The Candy House, The Summer of Cotton Candy.

Option 3: Jessie James became well known on December 7,1869 when he robbed the Daviess County Savings Bank in Gallatin Missouri.

Read a book with the MPG of True Crime. Genre may be embedded.

Option 4: December 7th is National Letter Writing Day. If you can't celebrate by writing a letter, enjoy reading an epistolary novel : )

Read a book from the following list: Epistolary Novels Books
REQUIRED: State the page on which your book is found

Option 5: This year is the 81st Commemoration of Pearl Harbor and Jason's 32nd birthday. A "49" year difference. Those two numbers are also in the year,1941, that the attack occurred.

Read a book with a page count that contains a "4" AND a "9"

Option 6: The attack on Pearl Harbor is an important historic event. It was the catalyst that brought the US into WWII and helped the Allies achieve victory. A favorite genre of Jason's is WWII historical fiction.

Read a book from this list: WWII Historic Fiction
REQUIRED: State the page on which your book is found.

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

The bonus theme is Decades: 20s

As in past challenges some tasks may revolve around the seasonal theme of winter. 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 November 11. Winter tasks will begin to be posted on November 12. We look forward to seeing what you come up with!

30.2 - Teri-k's Task: Happy Birthday, Grandkids!

I have two grandchildren and another I've practically adopted. Each of them will have a birthday during this challenge, but in different months. These tasks celebrate their interests.

Chose two different options and read a book for each.
There is a minimum of 600 pages total for this task.

Option 1. December
Read a book where all the letters in ANIME are found in the title only, not including subtitle.

Option 2. January
Read a book with MPG Math, Mathematics, or Science.
The word must stand alone but can be embedded.
It may not be part of a phrase, so "Science Fiction" or "Social Science" will NOT work.
(An example of an embedded MPG is Nonfiction > Science.)

Option 3. February
Read a book that is part of a series AND has an MPG Humor.
The series name must be indicated in the GR main page listing.

30.1 - Katrisa's Task: The Sandman

This task is based on the classic graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman. This is a two book task. Choose 2 different options. Since this task is based on graphic novels, you may use one graphic novel/comic. The combined page total should be at least 500 pages.
REQUIRED: State the options you used when you post.

1. The Author - Read a book by Neil Gaiman. For this task co-authored books or anthologies are acceptable as long as Neil Gaiman is listed

2, The Endless - The Sandman series centers around Dream, but there are 7 of the Endless, anthropomorphic beings that embody natural forces. The 7 Endless are: Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium/Delight. Delirium and Delight are considered separately for this task, so there are eight choices.
Read a book with one of the names of the Endless found in the TITLE. Plurals or possessives are acceptable, but no other variations.

3. Adaptations - In the last few years The Sandman has seen some really great adaptations. Audible has done a fantastic job making an audiobook series and I loved the Netflix series that came out this year.

Read a book with an MPG of retellings.

4. Enter Sandman - I can’t think of Sandman without recalling the 1991 Metallica song “Enter Sandman” Read a book with a word of at least 4 letters from the lyrics of “Enter Sandman” in the TITLE. Word must match exactly.
https://genius.com/Metallica-enter-sa...

REQUIRED: State the word used.

5. Better to Rule in Hell - One of my favorite scenes is when Dream travels to Hell to get back his stolen Helm from a demon. Spend some time with either Angels or Demons and read a book from one of these lists:
Books with Angels, Gods, or Demons
Angels & Demons

REQUIRED: In your post, specify the list and the page number on which your book is found.

6. By the Gods! - Many of Neil Gaiman’s books explore different mythologies and their gods and goddesses. Read a book with an MPG of Mythology.

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).

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 Dlmrose a message for help. The logo should reflect in some way the season, bonus theme or purpose of the group.

The Winter 2022 bonus theme is: Decades: 20s

This thread is open for submissions and it will close at Midnight EST on November 12, 2022 - voting will start the next day and run until the end of the GR day on November 30. The winning submission will replace the current logo on December 1st. Good Luck To Everyone!

The bonus themes for the next year have been chosen!
Decades: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s
Thanks to all who participated.

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 November 12, 2022. Voting will start the next day and run until the end of the GR day on November 30. The person whose review gets the most votes will have the opportunity to design a 20 point task for the Winter Challenge.

To be eligible for this task opportunity you must have achieved at least 100 points on the Fall 2022 Challenge Readerboard by midnight Eastern Time on November 11, 2022. 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 help thread is open

50.1 - Jen B's Task: Monopoly!
Help Thread
Monopoly is a classic board game in which players try to collect and build as many properties as they can so they can charge their fellow players "rent." The goal is to collect 2-3 of the same color properties to create a "monopoly."

Let's bend the rules and play with books!

Roll one six-sided die to determine your reading category. Roll only ONCE.
https://virtualdiceroll.com/1/en/one-die
Then, create your monopoly by reading three different books that share this connection.
The three books must total at least 750 pages.
No books with children, kids or related genres on the main book page may be used.
Books in the same series MAY be used for a roll of 2-6.
Required: State the number rolled.

Roll a 1: Author Name (first or last)
Read three books by three different authors who share the same first or last name. Spelling must match exactly. The name of all 3 authors must be in the same position for each author.
Required: State the name.

Roll a 2: Word in the title
Read three books whose titles share a common word of 4 or more letters. Words must match exactly. If plurals or possessives are used, the word must appear that way in all three titles. Subtitles are excluded.
Required: State the word.

Roll a 3: Token
Read three books that all have the same popular Monopoly token object on the cover from this list: Scottie dog/dog, top hat/hat, battleship/boat, racecar/car, horse & rider, train, thimble, shoe/shoes
Required: Include the cover and state the token.

Roll a 4: MPG
Read three books that share the same main page genre. The genres should appear the same way for all three books, such as standalone genre "Mystery" or embedded genre "Mystery > Cozy Mystery" on each of the traditional GR book pages,
or genres "Mystery" or "Cozy Mystery" on the beta GR book pages.
Required: State the MPG.

Roll a 5: Setting
Read three books that all have the same setting. For books set in the U.S., the books should be in the same U.S. state. If set in a country other than the U.S., the books should be set in the same country. If set in a place outside the world map, such as the Moon, Outer Space, or a fictional/fantasy setting, the three settings must match.
Required: State the setting. If setting is not obvious according to GR description or metadata, provide a reference.

Roll a 6: Year of publication
Read three books that were all FIRST published in the same year..
Required: State the year.

The Final Round bonus theme poll is open.
This poll is open until the end of the day on Oct 20.

50.1 - Jen B's Task: Monopoly!

Monopoly is a classic board game in which players try to collect and build as many properties as they can so they can charge their fellow players "rent." The goal is to collect 2-3 of the same color properties to create a "monopoly."

Let's bend the rules and play with books!

Roll one six-sided die to determine your reading category. Roll only ONCE.
https://virtualdiceroll.com/1/en/one-die
Then, create your monopoly by reading three different books that share this connection.
The three books must total at least 750 pages.
No books with children, kids or related genres on the main book page may be used.
Books in the same series MAY be used for a roll of 2-6.
Required: State the number rolled.

Roll a 1: Author Name (first or last)
Read three books by three different authors who share the same first or last name. Spelling must match exactly. The name of all 3 authors must be in the same position for each author.
Required: State the name.

Roll a 2: Word in the title
Read three books whose titles share a common word of 4 or more letters. Words must match exactly. If plurals or possessives are used, the word must appear that way in all three titles. Subtitles are excluded.
Required: State the word.

Roll a 3: Token
Read three books that all have the same popular Monopoly token object on the cover from this list: Scottie dog/dog, top hat/hat, battleship/boat, racecar/car, horse & rider, train, thimble, shoe/shoes
Required: Include the cover and state the token.

Roll a 4: MPG
Read three books that share the same main page genre. The genres should appear the same way for all three books, such as standalone genre "Mystery" or embedded genre "Mystery > Cozy Mystery" on each of the traditional GR book pages,
or genres "Mystery" or "Cozy Mystery" on the beta GR book pages.
Required: State the MPG.

Roll a 5: Setting
Read three books that all have the same setting. For books set in the U.S., the books should be in the same U.S. state. If set in a country other than the U.S., the books should be set in the same country. If set in a place outside the world map, such as the Moon, Outer Space, or a fictional/fantasy setting, the three settings must match.
Required: State the setting. If setting is not obvious according to GR description or metadata, provide a reference.

Roll a 6: Year of publication
Read three books that were all FIRST published in the same year..
Required: State the year.

The Round One bonus theme poll is open.
This poll is open until the end of the day on 10/13.
The final round with the top contenders will open be open from 10/14 until 10/20.

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 October 5. Voting will start the next day, October 6 and will close at the end of the day on October 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 Fall 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.

Task descriptions are final.

16 AUG Midnight EST = 30 Point Task Creators Identified
17 AUG= 5/10/15 Point Tasks posted
17 AUG – 7 SEP = 25/30 Point Tasks posted for next challenge when available
18 AUG Midnight EST = Best Review Contest Cutoff
18 AUG Midnight EST = Logo Contest Cutoff
15 – 31 AUG = Best Review poll
15– 31 AUG = Logo poll (no poll)

1 SEP 12:01am EST = FALL 2021 Challenge starts
1 SEP = 20/25 Point Task Creators identified
2 – 7 SEP = 20/25 Point Tasks posted
12 SEP = All Tasks proofread and FINAL (or 5 days after last task posted)

15 SEP - 5 OCT = 50 Point Task Idea Submission Thread Open
6 - 12 OCT = 50 Point Task Idea Poll
13-15 OCT = 50 Point Task Idea Poll Runoff if needed

12 SEP - 30 SEP = Challenge Theme Brainstorming for 2022-2023
1 OCT- 13 OCT = Challenge Theme poll - round 1
14 OCT - 20 OCT = Challenge Theme poll - final round

15 OCT Midnight EST = Midpoint Cutoff
15 – 21 OCT = 50.1 Midpoint Task posted
16 – 31 OCT= Group Reads Books nominated for next challenge

16 OCT = Logo Contest for Next Challenge begins
16 OCT = Best Review Contest for Next Challenge begins

1 – 14 NOV = Group Reads poll for next challenge
1 – 11 NOV = Task Ideas brainstorming for next challenge
11 NOV Midnight EST = Cutoff for 30 Point Early Finishers
12 NOV = 30 Point Task Creators Identified
12 NOV = 5/10/15 Point Tasks posted for next challenge
30 NOV Midnight EST = FALL Challenge Ends
1 DEC = 20/25 Point Task Creators identified for next challenge

12 NOV Midnight EST = Best Review Contest Cutoff
12 NOV Midnight EST = Logo Contest Cutoff
13 – 30 NOV = Best Review poll for next challenge
13 – 30 NOV = Logo poll for next challenge

13 NOV – 7 DEC = 20/25/30 Point Tasks posted for next challenge when available

It's time to starting thinking about the bonus themes for the next year of challenges. The moderators and task creators base some of the challenge's tasks on the bonus themes. Other tasks will be based on seasonal motifs and some will be added just for fun.

Bonus themes we've used so far include:

2010-2011 — Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa
2011-2012 — Earth, Fire, Wind/Air, and Water
2012-2013 — The Chinese Four Symbols
2013-2014 — A Year of Board Games: Clue, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Risk
2014-2015 — Mythologies of the World - Classical, Asia, Nordic, Americas
2015-2016 — A Year of Art: Impressionist, Pop, Abstract, Folk
2016-2017 — Wonders of the World: Ancient, Modern, Medieval, Natural
2017-2018 — That's Entertainment!: Animals, Museums, Theatre, Recreation
2018-2019 — Characters: Heroes, Villains, Rogues, Damsels
2019-2020 — Awards: Books, Music, Movies, Theatre
2020-2021 — Decades: 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s
2021-2022 — Wizard of Oz: Dorothy, Scarecrow, Lion, Tinman

These themes have brought extra inspiration to the SRC and have given us some really fun tasks. Ideally, the overall theme would be composed of 4 related components, but feel free to get creative and submit your ideas here! This thread will be open for ideas until September 30. A poll will then be created from the popular, workable ideas in order to select our next bonus themes. We're looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Book Concierge wrote: "Thanks, Dlmrose ... I did finally find it.

The FAQs mention both GO and BB tickets, but have no mention of It's a Fact tickets."

The use of It's A Fact tickets is something new we've been trying for a couple seasons, unlike GO and BB tickets. The IAF tickets are explained in the Rewards section and the Posting Requirements and that should be sufficient. If this becomes a permanent thing, we can revamp other rules to cover it.

Cat wrote: "hello! any chance you could pin the Readerboard thread (and tasks) please?"

done

Book Concierge wrote: "The word in the list is "fruit and flowers"
Flowers is plural but your list is singular ...

Please clarify."

done

The Fall Challenge tasks have been posted.
All tasks are draft until September 12. Clarifications may be made to the task descriptions until then. Please review the task descriptions carefully as things may change during the review period.