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[Zaz]

If you want to talk about anything significant (twist, end, death, major event, secret...), you should use the spoiler tags. Many members will read the topic before reading the book and it's really really disappointing when you learn something important without wanting it.

"I was very surprised that M chose N over T" or "I didn't like the fact that Z decided to do this" are really not ok without tags, but "I was surprised by the evolution of the romance" or "I didn't agree with Z's choices" are ok without tags. You can talk about something without revealing things to the new reader and the other readers will know what you're talking about.

I don't see problems with the spoiler tags when people discuss, it's just hard to resist to click on them :D

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Odette wrote: "Question: ive been on a binge reading spree these past 2 weeks that i could already tick off 5 of my reading list. can we do that? if so, we need to place the books we read on the a-z and comment a..."

I'm binge reading right now cause I know I'll slow down later in the year so I need to get ahead while I can. I'm recording them as I go. I've noticed people in later week threads have finished books for later weeks so either they're reading out of order or finishing ahead.

Right now I'm trying to get brave enough to walk to the library to pick up my next book that is on hold! Scared of cold.

[Zaz]

Yep, no problem in binge reading, just don't burn yourselves, the goal is 52 at the end of the year, not 20 at the beginning and nothing after ;)

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Zaz wrote: "Yep, no problem in binge reading, just don't burn yourselves, the goal is 52 at the end of the year, not 20 at the beginning and nothing after ;)"

But some of us have other challenges....

[Nicki]

Which A-Z folder should I put The 6th Target in please?

[Zaz]

6th goes to S (for six) :)

Pamela > yes, as I said, everyone is free to manage his/her rhythm, I just know that it can be difficult to keep the pace all the year, even when you're reading just one book per week.

[Odie]

thanks guys...will do so now..looking forward to posting some comments soon.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

So if I start a book, add it to the weekly challenge list and it is so boring, I quit it and do another book. Do I edit the original post or do a new one?

[Zaz]

The best is to post your (bad) opinion on the "do not finish" book and create a new topic (or join one) for the replacement book. If it happens to you often (many of us tend to choose the painful way and finish the horrible books), maybe it would be better to create the topic when you're 25% done with the book.

For the progress posts, it's as you wish.

[Stephanie]

Sorry if not the place to post but I am already falling behind still only on week one book. I do not have enough time to read. So sad.

[Amanda]

Pamela wrote: "So if I start a book, add it to the weekly challenge list and it is so boring, I quit it and do another book. Do I edit the original post or do a new one?"

I quit my week 2 book after about 35 pages. I deleted my progress post and made a new one for my new book. I left the book in the A-Z folder though since I may go back to it later or someone else may want to discuss it.

[Sophie]

Stephanie wrote: "Sorry if not the place to post but I am already falling behind still only on week one book. I do not have enough time to read. So sad."

Don't sweat it Stephanie, the challenge is flexible, some people need more than one week to finish a book and then read 3 in the next! The goal is to challenge yourself, not to burn you out!
If you think that you won't be able to read 52 books this year because of a lack of time, you could edit your challenge to plan less so you won't be too disappointed at the end of the year, and you would still have a goal challenging enough to motivate you to read more.

[Amy]

Such a great piece of advice, Sophie, and encouraging words for Stephanie. I worried the same way when I made my challenge and know there will be weeks I read more and some weeks might not be able to read anything at all. However, I am happy to just try my first challenge here in such a great group. I feel great encouragement from everyone here and such great vibes and kindness. I wish you luck Stephanie and hope you listen to the words Sophie said and feel better about it. No stress, just read and take pleasure in it when you can...I am hoping for you to have more time to yourself this year :)

[Francesca]

Stephanie wrote: "Sorry if not the place to post but I am already falling behind still only on week one book. I do not have enough time to read. So sad."

I wouldn't worry about it. Last year I only managed to read just over half of the books for my challenge. Initially, I stressed myself out over it and kept worrying about it but eventually I realised that it's not a race and it's not a competition and I relaxed and just let myself have fun. Honestly, I think it took me about 2 months to finish my first two books but then I got more into the flow of things and I had times throughout the year where I was able to read more and some when I was unable to read much at all. So don't worry about it, the important thing is that you enjoy yourself.

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

Stephanie, also remember that there are a few weeks that require short reads. So if this past week has been unusual for you, then the novella and short stories will allow you to make up for it. I know that my reading speeds fluctuate significantly with my schedule. Some weeks I manage to read two books and sometimes I only manage to finish one book every two weeks (maybe even three if it's a doorstop). I also managed to fit in quite a few novellas and short stories last year, so don't feel bad about doing that whenever you need to :)

[Stephanie]

Laura wrote: "Stephanie, also remember that there are a few weeks that require short reads. So if this past week has been unusual for you, then the novella and short stories will allow you to make up for it. I k..."

Part of my problem is that I am working on more than one challenge.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Laura wrote: "Stephanie, also remember that there are a few weeks that require short reads. So if this past week has been unusual for you, then the novella and short stories will allow you to make up for it. I k..."

I'm so thankful for those short weeks! I'm making great speed right now but am about to get to two doorstops and am scared they will stop all future progress. Having two short books next month is making me focus on "those will totally let me catch up"(I'm doing a novella the week before the novella week as well)

[Stacey]

I recently ordered 2 doorstops from the library, which had me low in the queue, so I thought I had some time before they became available.

Now they both showed up together, so I'm in a bit of a pickle. I'm still in the midst of another doorstop!

[Sophie]

Oh Stacey, that's some logistical problem! I wish you a very productive weekend reading-wise ;)

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Stacey wrote: "I recently ordered 2 doorstops from the library, which had me low in the queue, so I thought I had some time before they became available.

Now they both showed up together, so I'm in a bit of a p..."

HATE THAT! I have learned (if I remember) to put holds on holds if I'm reading a doorstop. My library gives ETAs on holds so you can plan.

[Valerie]

1. Still having trouble getting the author on the A-Z pages.
2. I am adding books as I begin them. I am not really reading in order, as library holds have not been fulfilled. Hope that adding as I begin them is okay. (for both the progress and the A-Z pages)

[Zaz]

Valerie, the easier/lazy way is:
- create a new topic
- use the "the book is about" box and select the book
- copy the "Title, by Author" appearing next to the cover and paste it in the title box.

You're doing the rest fine :)

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

Was your first point a question? What are you having a problem with?

Reading out of order is perfectly fine. There's actually a poll question and off-topic thread about it ;) Just create the thread when you start or finish a book. We only ask that you only create threads for your next 3-4 books (not your whole plan at the beginning of the year).

[Zaz]

I'm faster than Laura :p

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

Stephanie, last year I tried to the popsugar and A-Z title challenges. In the end, I had to read a few short books for the popsugar and extend the A-Z into 2016. In hindsight, I wish I would have just focused on popsugar and then started another challenge. But I do think that going back and forth helped prevent me from burning out on the one challenge. That's just my two cents, though ;) Just have fun with what challenges you do attempt! That's all we're here for in the end.

[Valerie]

Zaz wrote: "Valerie, the easier/lazy way is:
- create a new topic
- use the "the book is about" box and select the book
- copy the "Title, by Author" appearing next to the cover and paste it in the title box.
..."
Well, DUH, I finally get it! Thanks, Zaz, for your patience!

[JoJo]

Marina H wrote: "Joanne wrote: "No, take that back lol! I thought I did, but it's not working."

Where do you have problems?

You can rename your shelf, when your on the page "my books". Choose edit at the top, an..."

Yes thank you. It's all sorted now :)

[Stephanie]

I am thinking of changing some of my books, do they have to come form the suggestion links or can we pick from other list that we see or books we know of

[Michelle]

Stephanie, they can come from wherever you want. The suggestions are just there to help if you're stuck on a topic.

[Darlene]

HI! I am new to this group--- and it is my first time being a part of a Goodreads group. I must say that I am a bit overwhelmed a more than a little intimidated after seeing all the posts. Is there an easy way to step into the group that lets me take baby steps? I think it will be great for me to be a part of a group, but there are so many posts and sub-sections to the group I really don't know where to start. And that is not meant as a criticism by any means!!

[Zaz]

Darlene, welcome :)

1. Go there:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Copy the 52 list, then create your own plan, using "new topic" on the top-right of the topics. Paste the list and post the topic.

2: Select the books you want to read for each category (if you have no idea, there's a suggestion list in "Mod Corner"), edit your plan and add your books (need to be done on computer).

3. Look at the A-Z folder to see if your next 3-4 books are already there and if not, create new topics for them (see the Announcement posts in Mod Corner, Dec 8). If they are here, join the discussions (there's a search bar on the right).

4. Tell us what you're currently reading, in the Progress Posts (categories are numbered, so it's easy to find the one you want).

5. Have a look at the members' plans and A-Z books you're interested in or had read. There are some polls to answer if you want and some nice discussions in Off Topic :)

The group is very active, so the best is to disable the notifications (see "email" in your Goodreads profile) and then check the box at the bottom of a topic for the books/discussions you're interested in.

Using the "unread" link at the top right is also useful to see what's new and after having a look at what you're interested, you can click "mark all as read", so next time you'll have just the new posts highlighted.

[Michelle]

Don't sweat it, Darlene. You've picked a good group to start with because we have very helpful and very kind members. The very best! ;)

I'll give you a broad overview of what everything is around here and if you have more specific questions, well, feel free to ask. :)

If you're participating in the challenge, I'd suggest looking over the challenge tasks here. They're numbered for each week of the year but you're not required to read in order. Then most people work out what they're planning to read for the year. You can start a plan thread in this folder by clicking the new topic link near the top.

Sometimes people stick to their plans. Sometimes they change them as they go. Try not to be intimidated by that. Really, you should try not to be intimidated by anything because we're very laid back and the challenge is about challenging yourself. You can interpret tasks as you see fit, no one is going to police you. If you have any questions about the tasks you're always welcome to pop in here and ask.

As you read, we encourage you to jump into discussions (if that is your cup of tea). The A-Z folders are for posting your books. They're posted alphabetically by title. Before you post your book, check and see if it's already there and follow the same format as everyone else (Title, by Author). It's very simple once you get the hang of it. If someone has already posted your book then you can jump right into discussing. :)

The progress posts are pre-reading questions to let the group know what you're currently reading. If you're participating in those you just find the week/challenge task you're reading for and answer the questions/tell everyone what you're reading. Each challenge task has it's own progress post (whether you're reading in order or not).

We also are doing a book of the month though, really, it's more of a book every two months. This is a book that the group is reading together. If you'd like to join us in that, we'd be happy to have you! Our first choice was just voted on and decided. It's going to be Attachments by Rainbow Rowell and we'll begin reading that in February. There will be discussion questions for that also for members to participate in, if they like. We're big on discussion here. :)

We've also got the group reading map going on. This year, members are posting the settings for the books they're reading into that topic and we're mapping them on a Google map.

The other folders are for fun and games (little things to do here and there) and off-topic discussions (pretty much anything else you'd want to discuss with the group). There's also a folder for posting other challenge plans. A lot of our members participate in other challenges outside of this one and that's a place they can use to post their progress/plans for those challenges to share with the group.

[Michelle]

Damn. Zaz is always beating me to the punch. Well... now you've got two explanations! :D

[Zaz]

You're writing too much Emm, you're lucky we are not dueling in a Western :p

[Michelle]

Haha. That's my thing. Writing waaaaay too much. Bang! You got me.

[Darlene]

This is a great explanation!!! Thanks so much!!!!! I am going to spend some time on this later today. I really appreciate your help.... Both of you!! Lol!!! I am excited to be a part of this group! Thanks again!!!

[Darlene]

I am confused..... I started a new post under the B's for the book Beneath the Surface. Laura then kindly let me know that there was already a discussion going on that book. When I looked under the B's since I didn't see one, I didn't realize that I need to check the book to see if anything has been posted in the past? Is that correct? In other words, I should always check to make sure that the book hasn't previously been written about in a post, even if it is from another year??? Also, when I typed in Beneath the Surface in the discussion post, nothing came up???? I am confused and want to post correctly. Thanks for the correction and for info! :)

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

This group is only going for 2016 so all the posts should be from the current year. Some people started the challenge slightly early (in the end of December) but we are all working on the same list for 2016.

Make sure you copy and paste a small portion of the title, since the person may have formatted the author differently. When I search "Beneath the Surface" and check the "only topics" box then it shows both threads. If you have issues with the search function then you can just visually scan the "B" section. I just know that may become more difficult as the year progresses and there are a lot of books.

We're trying to keep the discussion to one thread per book, even if someone read it for a different challenge "week" just so that there can be more in-depth conversation.

I hope that answers your question! If not, let me know :)

[Michelle]

You can also open the B (or any letter) folder and hit CTRL+F on your keyboard and open your browser's search feature that way. Like Laura said, you probably want to stick to shorter search phrases like just the word "Beneath" or "Surface." And if there are multiple pages that particular search will only search the page you're on.

[Valerie]

Darlene wrote: "I am confused..... I started a new post under the B's for the book Beneath the Surface. Laura then kindly let me know that there was already a discussion going on that book. When I looked under the..."

Laura posted the link to the existing Beyond the Surface discussion in your original post,

[Bec]

Okay so my highest rated book (that has more than 20 reviews) is number 4 in a series that I haven't started yet!! What do I do here? Read 1-3 so that I can read number 4, or skip on over until I get to one that I don't need to read ones before it (e.g. the next few are also later ones in series that haven't read all the previous ones yet).

[Michelle]

Bec - Several of my highest rated books haven't been released yet and they're only getting that high rating because people are rating them high in anticipation so I skipped down to the highest rated book that was released. That one was a reference/coffee table book so I skipped down one more.

You can read all four books if you choose or you can just skip down to the next best option. Some people are very strict about their challenge some don't mind being a little looser with the criteria. It's totally up to you. I like mine to be a little flexible. ;)

[Jody]

I found that particular topic the most difficult to be strict about - so many of mine were further books in a series I hadn't started, or things like the Complete Works of Shakespeare (ahh, no thanks, not for one challenge week!). My highest ended up being the entire Redwall series, so I just chose the first book. I'm usually really strict about following the challenge cues, but I had to wiggle a bit with that one too.

[Darlene]

When I am posting my booklist, I can't seem to get my titles to be in bold or in a different color of ink. I've tried using google docs and word to copy and paste, but I can't figure out how to do it and it is driving me crazy! lol!! Can you please tell me how to fix it? Thanks!

[Zaz]

Color is not possible on Goodreads. You can use bold, italic, strike and underline. It's just html tags, so have a look at the link at the top right of the comment box ("some html is ok"), you'll find how to use them in your posts :)

[Valerie]

Darlene wrote: "When I am posting my booklist, I can't seem to get my titles to be in bold or in a different color of ink. I've tried using google docs and word to copy and paste, but I can't figure out how to do ..."

When you use the Add book/author link above the text box, it will make a hyperlink to your book page that will be in blue, I think.

[Jenna ✨DNF Queen✨Here, Sometimes...]

Jody wrote: "I found that particular topic the most difficult to be strict about - so many of mine were further books in a series I hadn't started, or things like the Complete Works of Shakespeare (ahh, no than..."

I own the entire red wall series.... They're fabulous. Dang maybe I should reread one for the children's book week! Decisions decisions...

[Jody]

I've heard that they're great - I'm really looking forward to trying the first!

[Rachel]

Jody wrote: "I found that particular topic the most difficult to be strict about - so many of mine were further books in a series I hadn't started, or things like the Complete Works of Shakespeare (ahh, no than..."

I agree, I found this topic a tricky one. The two highest rated on my list are books that have close to 5 star average ratings, but based on less than 10 ratings so I'm skipping those. The next highest after that is Lobster Is the Best Medicine: A Collection of Comics About Friendship, which I do want to read but it feels like a bit of a cheat.

After that, I have a tie between November 9 and The Nightingale, so pretty much opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of subject matter. I'm probably going for The Nightingale because it has been on my list for longer, and has way more ratings that gave it the same score (4.53 stars avg). For a while, November 9 was a couple of points ahead but I'm actually glad it evened out since I'm not even sure I want to keep that book on my list.

[Darlene]

What is the Rory Gilmore challenge and where do I find the list of books for it? Thanks!