Joanna’s
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(group member since Nov 17, 2010)
Joanna’s
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from the Reading with Style group.
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10.9 Surgery best wishes (Coralie's task):I will be out of action for most of April as I am having surgery. Read a book where a main character works in medicine.
10.8 Vietnam (Tien's task):In honor of my mother-in-law, who recently passed away - She ran away from the Vietnam War (riding bicycle/walking in the forest hiding from plain view whilst heavily pregnant with my husband); read a book set 75% or more in Vietnam.
10.7 Singing Season (Karen Michele's task):I love music all year round and when the birds start singing in the spring it fills me with joy! Read a book about music or a musician(s) or a book with any word related to music in the title.
General questions about the Spring 2025 season.
Final:Anika - 1560*&^
Rosemary - 1500*&^
Karen Michele - 1405*&^
Valerie - 1130*&
Marie - 1075*&^
Claire - 965
Connie - 885*
Joanna - 875*
Apple - 870
Norma - 780*
Mary - 605*
Bucket - 565
Nick - 425*
Kathleen (itpdx) - 330
Deedee - 320
Joanne - 315
Jayme - 255
Tien - 185
Katy - 160
Ed - 70
Coralie - 45
* - CYOA Finisher
& - Midway Finisher
^ - Mega Finisher
This Spring 2025 season, we are reading books based on MIT's Climate Grand Challenges (found here: https://climategrandchallenges.mit.ed...)20.1 Adaptation and Resilience:
Read a book which has been made into a movie, miniseries, TV series, or which is a retelling of a previous book or story.
20.2 Carbon Removal:
In honor of the XPrize for Carbon Removal, read a book that has won at least two prizes.
20.3 Climate Policy:
Read a book that features a politician or political event. A political event refers to a moment or occurrence in history that has a profound impact on the political landscape, shaping policies, ideologies, and the overall direction of governance. This generally includes wars, elections, assassinations, landmark court decisions, political protests or protest movements (e.g., the civil rights protests in the United States), and military actions (e.g., the 1973 Chilean Coup d'état).
20.4 Climate Science:
Read a book that has been shelved at least 2 times as climate-change-fiction, at least 4 times as cli-fi, or appears in the top 100 of this list of popular climate books.
20.5 Human Impacts:
Read a book which has been nominated for or won the Aspen Words Literary Prize which awards "$35,000 annually to an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.”
20.6 Reducing Emissions:
Read a book where each subsequent word of the title is shorter than the previous word. A, An, and The at the start of a title may be ignored, as can subtitles. One-word titles do not work for this task.
20.7 Senior Sleuth's (Owlette's task):
Thanks to Elizabeth (Alaska) for mentioning the cozy-mystery.com website and for passing her task creation to me. Read any series mentioned in one of these lists:
SENIOR SLEUTHS:
Authors beginning with A – F https://cozy-mystery.com/blog/mystery...
Authors beginning with G – P https://cozy-mystery.com/blog/mystery...
Authors beginning with Q – W https://cozy-mystery.com/blog/mystery...
20.8 Temple Bar Pub (Anika's task):
In recognition of my favorite Irish exports, Guinness and Jameson, read a book where a character drinks either beer or whiskey.
20.9 I Bless the Rains Down in Africa...(Apple's task):
Read a book by an author born in any African country or which is set at least 51% in Africa. For books posted to this task only, reward yourself with a +5 bonus if your book is set in one of the remaining non-green African countries on the RwS Group Project (Spreadsheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...). See the help thread for more details.
20.10 True/False (Joanna's task):
In honor of True/False, the documentary film festival, read a book of narrative non-fiction. "Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives."
Completion Bonuses1. Half-way Finish (50 points): Complete all of the 10-point tasks OR all of the 20-point Reading with Style tasks. (Using a book for combo points for a task does not qualify as completing that task).
2. Mega Finish (200 points): Complete all Reading with Style tasks and the 15-point tasks. (30 book minimum -- at least one book claimed for task points for each task. Using a book for combo points for a task does not qualify as completing that task and a book may only be claimed for task points once).
Other Rewards*:
1. Group Reads -- the Fall 2025 "group reads" books will be chosen by a combination of moderators, mega-finishers, and members that read at least 5 books and earn the highest number of Not-a-Novel points in the Spring 2025 Challenge.
2. 10-point task creation: the top three readers for the Spring 2025 Challenge, as determined by overall points, will each get to create a 10-point task for the Fall 2025 Challenge.
3. 20-point task creation: the "most strategic" reader, the member that, on average, earns the most points per book (with a 5 book minimum) will have the opportunity to create a 20-point task for the Fall 2025 Challenge. In calculating this number, we are taking into account the Task & Style points for the RwS tasks, and the Task and Completion points for the sub-challenge. The Halfway Finish(es) & the Mega-finish will not be included in the calculation, so that members who are unable to read more than 20 books in three months have an equal chance at being the "most strategic reader" as our fastest readers.
* although participants may be eligible for multiple rewards, only one will be granted per challenge.
* Participants that create tasks for three consecutive challenges are ineligible for a task-creation reward on the fourth. Instead, the member will be asked to submit a group read book. Eligibility is reinstated on the following challenge.
Note: Our usual Lexile rules will apply (we have reverted to a lexile score of 700).
Spring 2025 Styles1. Combo: Read a book for one task that could have applied to another task as well. If a book applies to one other task, you will receive 5 style points. If it applies to two other tasks, you will receive 10 points...and so on.
2. Review (10 points): Inquiring minds want to know your thoughts about the books you’ve read, so help us grow our to-be-read lists by posting a 100+ word review with your completed task.
3. Not-a-Novel (10 points): Explore new forms by reading short story collections, non-fiction, plays, and poetry collections.
4. Oldies (5+ points): (5 to 25 points): Put down the bestseller list and read something with a bit more mileage on it. Based on a book's original publication date, style points will be awarded according to the following scale:
-25 to 75 years old: 5 points (1950-2000)
-76 to 150 years old: 10 points (1875-1949)
-151 to 250 years old: 15 points (1775-1874)
-251 to 400 years old: 20 points (1625-1774)
-400+ years old: 25 points (1624 and older).
5. Jumbo (5 to 25 points): Receive extra points for reading big books according to the following scale:
500-699 Pages: 5 Points
700-799 Pages: 10 Points
800-899 Pages: 15 Points
900-999 Pages: 20 Points
1000+ Pages: 25 Points
Also, for Task 20.9, there is a +5 bonus for reading a book set in one of the countries still needed for the Group Project. Please see the help thread for more details.
10.1 Member Lotto Kathleen (itpdx), "Back to Basics":Read a book which features a trip on foot or horseback (or other beast of burden that does not fly). A trip for this task means a visit to another town, city, or area that involves at least one overnight stay. Please describe the trip briefly when you post.
10.2 St Patrick's Day (March 17):
Read a book set in Ireland or by Irish author.
10.3 April showers:
Read a book whose title includes water or a water-related word (e.g., lake, sea, ocean)
10.4 Mother's Day:
Read one of the top 200 books from this list of Novels of Domestic Life.
10.5 Tom Robbins:
In honor of Tom Robbins, who passed away in February, read a novel with an MPG of Humor.
10.6 David Lodge:
In honor of David Lodge, who passed away in January, read a book that takes place at least 50% on a college campus or a nonfiction book about higher education.
10.7 Singing Season (Karen Michele's task):
I love music all year round and when the birds start singing in the spring it fills me with joy! Read a book about music or a musician(s) or a book with any word related to music in the title.
10.8 Vietnam (Tien's task):
In honor of my mother-in-law, who recently passed away - She ran away from the Vietnam War (riding bicycle/walking in the forest hiding from plain view whilst heavily pregnant with my husband); read a book set 75% or more in Vietnam.
10.9 Surgery best wishes (Coralie's task):
I will be out of action for most of April as I am having surgery. Read a book where a main character works in medicine.
10.10 Group Reads:
Read one of the following books OR any book by the author of one of these books recommended by fellow RwS readers:
Anika - The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Apple - The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat
Joanna - City Boy by Herman Wouk
Rosemary - Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Bucket: A History of the World in 10½ Chapters by Julian Barnes
Claire: Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Connie: The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
Denise:
Jayme: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Joanne: Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold
Marie: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
Nick: She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Norma: The Bowman by Rhys Dylan
Valerie: The Case of the Canterfell Codicil by P.J. Fitzsimmons
Post 534:Anika wrote: "10.3 New Year's Resolution
Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer by Rosita Arvigo
+10 Task, my NYR is to work towards completion of the group Countries of the W..."
+5 Oldies
Task 556:Jayme(theghostreader) wrote: "20.3 Franscine Pascal and Nelson Demille
Snow Flower and the Secret Fanby Lisa See
20+ works
Task +20
Combo (10.1-Historical, Historical fiction) +5
Book Total: 25
Gra..."
This does not seem to be a combo with 10.1, which requires an MPG of Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, or Science Fiction.
I also don't think that Lisa See qualifies for 20.3. As far as I can tell, she has only published 12 books.
It seems like this book fits under 20.2, so that's where I've scored it.
Post 538:Jayme(theghostreader) wrote: "20.3 Franscine Pascal and Nelson DeMille
Arrow's Fallby Mercedes Lackey
20+ books written
Task +20
Combo +10 (10.3 10.1)
Aged +10
Oldies +5
Book Total: 45
Grand Total: 360"
Task 10.3 can't be used for combo with another task.
20.9 That's Not How It HappenedBlood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik
+20 Task (wiki lists this series)
Task total: 20
Grand total: 795
20.8 International Women's YearThe Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
+20 Task (2021 Women's Prize nominee)
+5 Combo (20.2 - lots of conversations between the twins, between mother and daughter in more than one generation)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 725
+50 Halfway finish - 20pt tasks
Grand total: 775
10.4 Penguin Awareness DayDucks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
Graphic novel - no styles
+10 Task
Task total: 10
Grand total: 700
Connie (on semi-hiatus) wrote: "Joanna, did you design CYOA yourself? It looks so professional!"Anika did!
Thanks go to Anika for designing a fabulous Spring Subchallenge.Come check out Choose Your Own Adventure, RwS style.
Welcome back Rosemary as a moderator for Spring 2025! Thanks so much for agreeing to help out!
Lagullande wrote: "For the water-related task, would words such as ice, snow, rain etc count?"Yep!
Sample Path:15.1 - Science Fiction/Fantasy - Babel by R.F. Kuang - MPG Fantasy
15.2 - Far Future - The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
15.3 - Cat - The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami
15.4 - Persian - Guapa by Saleem Haddad
15.5 - Tabouleh - The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
15.6 - Mythology - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
15.7 - Noun - An Ocean in Iowa by Peter Hedges
15.8 - Pseudonym - Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire (also publishes as Mira Grant)
15.9 - <5k ratings - The Dragon Head of Hong Kong by Ian Hamilton
15.10 - Thriller - The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge
