2014 Year Long Challenge - Connect the Chunksters

[Janice, Moderator]

Chris wrote: "Just wondering about the shorter books. When you pair two books shorter than 500 pages do they have to be by the same author? Or can they connect in the same way the 500+ books are allowed to con..."

Connect them in that same way you would 500+ page books.

[Janice, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "Yeah, we're real jerks like that."

ROFL! I'm sure they heard me out in the hallway laughing and snorting!

Yes, Almeta... we made you acquire all those books. We are all powerful... and mean.

[Janice, Moderator]

Laura wrote: "I have a question about pairing a chunkster with a smaller book. Lets say I read a book that is 800 pp - could I pair that with a shorter book and count that as two? Many of my chunksters are ..."

500 is the minimum. There is no maximum. So while you can combine two 250 page books to make 500, you can't combine a 800 with a 200 and count as 2 books. Nor can you count a 1000 page book as 2 books.

[Laura]

Janice wrote: "Laura wrote: "I have a question about pairing a chunkster with a smaller book. Lets say I read a book that is 800 pp - could I pair that with a shorter book and count that as two? Many of my c..."

Ok. Bummah! But ok.

[Janice, Moderator]

E :) wrote: "Another question about pairing..
if I have a novel that just misses the mark -- say it's 450 p. -- would it be legit to pair this with a novella by the same author to get to 500+?

Ty :)"

I didn't specify a minimum page number for the combo books, so I would allow that.

(Quick! Someone revive Almeta! I think she may have passed out from shock. Teehee!)

[Janice, Moderator]

Laura wrote: "Ok. Bummah! But ok."

Sorry!

Did you know they call me Meany One? I think we've just been introduced. :)

[Laura]

Janice wrote: "Laura wrote: "Ok. Bummah! But ok."

Sorry!

Did you know they call me Meany One? I think we've just been introduced. :)"

Haha, nice to make your acquaintance. :)

Well, or not lol. :D

[Janice, Moderator]

LOL!

[Almeta]

Janice wrote: "I didn't specify a minimum page number for the combo books, so I would allow that.

(Quick! Someone revive Almeta! I think she may have passed out from shock. Teehee!)
..."

I know! What's come over you?

[Janice, Moderator]

Almeta wrote: "I know! What's come over you?"

I must be sick. Does someone have a thermometer? I think I need to check if I have a fever.

[Kat]

Kirila wrote: "Esther wrote: "You know, the 2nd of the nesbo series (cockroaches??) is 497p. This is sooooo frustrating. Couldn't the translator have chosen longer words?"

Esther, you can look for a different e..."

Don't forget this part of the rules :)

6. The page length of the books is based on the edition you read. If you are reading an ebook/Kindle, we will accept the page number listed on the ebook/Kindle Edition, if available. If no page numbers are available, we will go with the hardcover edition.

[Naomi]

Kat wrote: "Kirila wrote: "Esther wrote: "You know, the 2nd of the nesbo series (cockroaches??) is 497p. This is sooooo frustrating. Couldn't the translator have chosen longer words?"

Esther, you can look fo..."



The edition Amazon shows being released in Feb. in the US says 384 pages.

[Esther]

Kat wrote: "Don't forget this part of the rules :)

6. The page length of the books is based on the edition you read. If you are reading an ebook/Kindle, we will accept the page number listed on the ebook/Kindle Edition, if available. If no page numbers are available, we will go with the hardcover editio."

I do not. it's the edition my library owns. It took me 6 years to finish the first, I am not willing to buy the 2nd. But it's funny that I have quite a few on my tbr like this, that are so close. Ah well.

[Kat]

Esther wrote: "But it's funny that I have quite a few on my tbr like this, that are so close. Ah well. "

You think those authors could have written just a handful more pages to make their books 'chunksters'!

[Esther]

Kat wrote: "Esther wrote: "But it's funny that I have quite a few on my tbr like this, that are so close. Ah well. "

You think those authors could have written just a handful more pages to make their books 'c..."

...or chosen longer words.

[Janice, Moderator]

You can combine it with another book to bring it up to the 500 page minimum.

[Sarah]

I recently bought The Gargoyle which I so want to read and is 499 pages. So if I want to read it for the challenge I'll have to combine it with another book. For 1 page! How selfish of the authors!

[Peggy]

Maybe editors (or publishers, I don't know who decides) tell their authors to try to not make books longer than 499 pages, as a number over 500 might scare people away ;-)

[Cherie]

Sarah wrote: "I recently bought The Gargoyle which I so want to read and is 499 pages. So if I want to read it for the challenge I'll have to combine it with another book. For 1 page! How selfish ..."

Maybe you could read Disney's the Hunchback of Notre Dame and push the pages over the 500 mark. As long as gargoyles are mentioned, you could link it. :)

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "I recently bought The Gargoyle which I so want to read and is 499 pages. So if I want to read it for the challenge I'll have to combine it with another book. For 1 page! How selfish ..."

Do you own the book already? Or get it from the library? Because there are editions that are more than the 500 pages...

It's this kind of situation that makes me cringe.

[Marcus]

Amazing....as someone who generally reads only tomes, I can't wait to sink my teeth into this challenge :) Great job! This is going to be fun.

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm glad you're going to join us, Marcus.

[Sarah]

I already own it Janice. I can either just read it "Just Because" which is fine or I was thinking of combining it with The Time Machine which is pretty short and linking it by "Covers are predominantly a primary colour" ;-)

[Sarah]

In the alphabet, we could start book A then start book B before finishing book A. Can we do the same with this challenge? I'm thinking of how I could fit audiobooks in at the same time as my normal books?!?

[Alexandra]

This is a great challnge, Janice! I can´t wait to assemble my list. Thank you very much for all your effort!

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "In the alphabet, we could start book A then start book B before finishing book A. Can we do the same with this challenge? I'm thinking of how I could fit audiobooks in at the same time as my normal..."

You may read books out of order as long as you stay within each milestone. So, if you are on Slick's team, you may read those 6 books in any order. You can't jump to any of the books in Mickey's team until you've finished ALL six books in Slick's team.

That's why I recommend that you plan your lists so that you at least have all 6 books with their links figured out. Then you can read them out of order.

[Peggy]

Oh that's great Janice! You can still read a bit according to what you most fancy at that moment. Good to know!

[Laura]

That is good to know, because I tend to be such a mood reader.

I think we may have to change your nickname to Teenie Weenie Meanie, Janice, lol!

[Jess :)]

Janice,

I love the milestone idea! For especially long books I like to have multiple going at once. This rule really makes the challenge accommodating. :)

[Janice, Moderator]

I tried to make the challenge more accommodating. One of the things that people complained about with the alphabet challenge was the requirement to read in order of the alphabet. So I adjusted that a bit this year.

I'm so ingrained in that philosophy that when Esther suggested we do a buddy read for Cockroaches, I thought, "She has it first on her list and I have it second on mine, and I won't get to it till February..... WAIT! I can read it first." Yippee! (I hate when I have to abide by my own rules.)

[Wanda]

I have read through the questions and perhaps this has been answered but I could not find it. Do all the choices have to be one page number category? I might select one book that had 500 pages and my next selection would be 2 books with a total of 500 pages. Would this be acceptable?

[Janice, Moderator]

Wanda wrote: "I might select one book that had 500 pages and my next selection would be 2 books with a total of 500 pages. Would this be acceptable?"

Yes! I did that myself on my challenge. My first few "books" are a combination of 2 books totalling 500, and then a couple of individual books that are greater than 500 pages.

[Snoozie Suzie]

Greater than 2 pages eh?

[Travis]

Snoozie Suzie wrote: "Greater than 2 pages eh?"

I've been in this group for a while I think the answer will be blame it on too much wine . Lol

[Janice, Moderator]

I'll blame it on my keyboard. It does some amazing things! Hehehehe!

Message above fixed.

[Sarah]

Thanks Janice. That's good to know that I don't have to read them in order.

[Jkmays]

I am excited about this challenge. And not having to do them all in order makes it much easier to get books from the library that we have to wait on.

[Travis]

Grrr I've tried 5 times to link my first 6 and halfway through change my mind that I want to read something else. I don't think planning ahead works for me.

[Laura]

I have the same problem.....such a mood reader. I feel like I need to plan but at the same time....don't wanna plan.

[Wanda]

Okay, I am now truly having a Senior Moment--rather confused and dazed! I understand that we have to connect our books. My question is can we change the connection theme when we move from one category to another. Do we have to maintain the the same connection throughout all the group of books? My first group is connected because they are all part of series. When I move to Marchers could I maintain the 'serie' but change from mysteries to historical fiction? Hope you understand what I am trying to ask---not sure I do.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Not a silly question at all. My understanding is you can read whatever you like genre wise within and without each "group". As long as you link your last historical fiction book with your first mystery book somehow, you should be golden.

[Janice, Moderator]

Further to what Rusalka said, as long as the book you read links in some way to the next book and so on, you can change the linking criteria as many times as you want. The easiest way to link is to read series or all one genre.

[Kat]

Laura wrote: "I have the same problem.....such a mood reader. I feel like I need to plan but at the same time....don't wanna plan."

I like having a plan to give me a structure to begin with, but then I go completely off-plan when it comes to the crunch. Try having variety in each group - then you have six to choose from, depending on your mood ;)

[Laura]

That's a really good idea, Kat. Just what I needed. Thank you!

[Snoozie Suzie]

Am I correct in thinking that as long as book 1 links to book 2 which links to book 3 and so on then I'm ok? There doesn't need to be a theme linking the books for each section (as some have done)? But book 6 must link to book 7 to crops the border from slick to mick?

[Snoozie Suzie]

Oh and regarding the thicker chunkier that don't count as two book if they are +1000 pages, if I were to read a 1100 page book and a 400 page book can I count those together then to make 3 books if they link like we can make smaller books add to 500? If not it seems a bit it's ok for small ones but not big ones. I know you said you can't carry pages over, but it seems a bit silly to waste 600 pages especially as the aim is to read the fat books. And it's slightly different to carrying pages over from +1 skinny.

[Laura]

Snoozie Suzie wrote: "Oh and regarding the thicker chunkier that don't count as two book if they are +1000 pages, if I were to read a 1100 page book and a 400 page book can I count those together then to make 3 books if..."

I second Suzie's motion, it'd be a great incentive to read the really long ones I've put off forever, and carries the pairing concept through also.

[Sarah]

I have just bought The Sword of Shannara Trilogy which is the first three books in the Shannara series combined in to one omnibus edition - does this count as one book (because it is the edition I'm reading) or can I count it as three - each book individually is over 500 pages according to Goodreads?!

[Jess :)]

I'm happy with whatever Janice decides for the rules. However I completely agree with Suzie. The rules, as they are written now, actually encourage the reading of smaller books, not chunksters. I'll only read 1000+ p books that I have a strong interest in, so I really don't see the 500 p as "wasted" either way.

[Amanda]

ooh sounds fun! I am getting the rest of the A Game of Thronesseries for Christmas - Perfect! I might have to find some other larger books to slot in between though :-)