Rob’s Comments (group member since Jul 06, 2012)

Rob’s comments from the The Sword and Laser group.

For my own personal challenges, I'm finished with:

Sword: 31/35 (89% complete, 1% behind)
Laser: 14/15 (93% complete, 2% ahead)
Comics: 8/10 (80% complete, 12% behind)


This month I've added 3 Sword, 1 Laser, 0 Graphic novels.

I figure I'll get at least 2 Sword and my final laser this month. I should also more than finish my Comics if I actually read the 13 titles I plan to (possibly even today). We'll see if I can make up those last 2 Sword or not. I already dropped my goal from 40 to 35. I don't plan to drop it to 30 just to be complete.

Right now my reading is just way down and I'm ok with that. I'm also way behind on my reviews. I'm just not that motivated to catch up. Maybe next weekend.

November Results:

Sword Challenge
Total Participants: 427 (+1)
Total Read: 6,334 (+434)
Average Books Read: 14 (+2)
Total Committed: 7,528 (+63)
Average Books pledged: 18 (0)
Total Challenges Completed : 12 (+3) NOTE: This number is terribly inaccurate. However there is no way for me to verify/get the correct numbers, so I have to take what Goodreads gives me.


Laser Challenge
Total Participants: 421 (+1)
Total Read: 5,040 (+368)
Average Books Read: 11 (+1)
Total Committed: 6,578 (-68)
Average Books pledged: 16 (0)
Total Challenges Completed (Goodreads): 6 (+1) NOTE: This number is terribly inaccurate. However there is no way for me to verify/get the correct numbers, so I have to take what Goodreads gives me.


Graphic Novel Challenge
Total Participants: 120 (0)
Total Read: 1,600 (+185)
Average Books Read: 12 (+2)
Total Committed: 2,741 (0)
Average Books pledged: 23 (0)
Total Challenges Completed : 5 (+1) NOTE: This number is terribly inaccurate. However there is no way for me to verify/get the correct numbers, so I have to take what Goodreads gives me.


Short Story Challenge
Total Participants: 44 (+1)
Total Read: 395 (+47)
Average Books Read: 9 (+1)
Total Committed: 580 (-9)
Average Books pledged: 14 (0)
Total Challenges Completed : 5 (3) NOTE: This number is terribly inaccurate. However there is no way for me to verify/get the correct numbers, so I have to take what Goodreads gives me.

The updated projections indicate we'll get about 6,900 fantasy books, short of both the pledged books of 7,528 and the goal of 10k books. Similarly we'll only get 5,500 sci-fi books short of the 6,578 pledged.

Here we are in December already. What books will you be trying to squeeze in before the end?

I feel like there is an every other episode thing going. Episode 1 and 3 were really good. 2/4 just OK.

This one borrowed way too heavily from Western tropes. I've seen that story far too many times. There wasn't much new there.

For me the highlight wasn't Gina Carano, but the widow. I really want to know her backstory.

(view spoiler)[Not only was she brave in rushing into danger to save her daughter, but she was smart too to hide them both in the water under a basket until danger passed.

Then we find out she's some kind of sharp shooter. I'd rather see more of her than Carano's former rebel trooper character.

I mean she was fine, but so far seems less interesting than the farmer. (hide spoiler)]

Awesome Sky! I was starting to worry our team would just have my own donation. lol.

I got some more details on Team thing from the Worldbuilder people but I won't have a team link to share until December 3rd when the the fundraiser goes live.

Thanks for getting back to me Wayne.

Yeah unfortunately I was out of town last weekend so I didn't prepare it several days in advance like normal. I prepared it a few hours in advance instead.

Generally speaking though it'd be helpful if someone from your group posts the next meeting in this thread once you have one scheduled, then I can simply point people to that. If not I'll try to ask in this thread each month as I'm preparing the monthly update.

Yeah, I still need to read Soul Music before this one.

Next up for me is Small Gods, so maybe I'll read that this month instead.

5/12, but they were the first 5 of the year:

Ninefox, Calculating Stars, HP, Theft of Swords, Martian Chronicles

I probably will be passing on this one. I want to read all the Discworld books in publication order (don't try to convince me otherwise, thanks).

I was thinking of giving it a go anyways but I haven't even read the previous Death book. I've only read the first two.

I'm sure I'll get to this one eventually. I keep hearing good things.

Our December pick shall be: Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

OK. I can just point them at your post and say a meetup for January is being discussed.

Glad you guys had fun!

Sorry for the short notice, but I'm sending out the monthly newsletter later today. Please let me know if you have an event you'd like me to include.

Sorry for the short notice, but I'm sending out the monthly newsletter later today. Please let me know if you have an event you'd like me to include.

I know you guys were meeting today, but any idea if you'll be meeting up again? If so when?

I'm working on writing up the monthly newsletter and I'd rather include a future date than to tell people they just missed your event today.

Thanks.

It looks like you're planning to meet Nov 31st, but I don't see a post/event I can link to.

Sorry for the short notice but I'm trying to put together the December newsletter. Please let me know if you have a link I can use with event details.

Thanks.

Sorry for the short notice, but I'm sending out the monthly newsletter later today. Please let me know if you have an event you'd like me to include.

Every year Patrick Rothfuss's Worldbuilders Charity does a big end of year fundraiser where you have a chance to win a bunch of books, games, and other stuff.

Last year we talked about creating a Worldbuilders group for Sword & Laser. Thanks to John (Nevets) for the reminder about it. I asked Tom & Veronica about it and they were on board with the idea.

The fundraiser will take place from December 3rd to the 17th.

Here is a Blog Post Patrick Rothfuss made about this year's fundraiser.

Here's a link to our team Sword & Laser World Builders

I wasn't sure how much of a goal to set for us, so after discussing with Tom & Veronica we went with $1000.

Any amount is helpful, and it's for a great cause.

If you're not familiar with how the lottery bit works, it's pretty simple; for every $10 you donate to our worldbuilders (that includes donations through the S&L page) you get entered into the lottery. You can see all the cool stuff you can win on the Worldbuilders Lottery page.

There are also auctions on Ebay. Those won't associate you with the S&L team, but it's another way to donate and one that guarantees you a prize (assuming you win of course). Right now there doesn't appear to be too many auctions up, but I think they add some as it goes on.

And as a (small) additional incentive Tom has agreed to read the names of all of the people who donate through the S&L team page on an upcoming Podcast.

Note: If anyone who donates would rather not be mentioned, or prefer a different name from the one it shows on the world builders site (ex if Tassie Dave would prefer to be mentioned as Tassie Dave rather than his first and last name) please let me know and I'll simply count you among the anonymous donors instead.

I'll be giving them your full names, so if you'd just prefer a first name let me know that too.

Those of you donate anonymously will forgo that honor but you very much appreciated too!

I was kind of disappointed with episode 2, but I LOVED episode 3. It actually moved the plot forward big time. Imagine if they had made that episode 2?

Episode 3 was only 39 minutes long. Take like 20 minutes from episode 2 that actually matter, add it to front of episode 3 and that would been way better for me.

Hopefully the rest of the season are more like 1/3 and 2 was the only "filler" episode.

(view spoiler)[
I really loved the scene with all the Mandalorians showing up to the rescue Mando.

While it had the same sort of "I'm playing with my star wars toys" feel as the attack on the Jawas in last episode, it actually moved the plot forward/made sense.
(hide spoiler)]

Welcome John

It felt like they just threw in all the stuff they wanted to see in a movie together in that episode. I read somewhere (i09 maybe?) where it felt like watching someone playing with their star wars toys?

I still enjoyed the episode, but with only 8 episodes in the season, the story won't be going anywhere if this is the pace of the plot.