Introduction, Rules and Qs (FA or O)

[John]

For those who like competition, this is our the group's main point challenge for the year. The winner gets honors, accolades and beaucoup respect (and usually not a few questions about whether they are really human or are perhaps a computer).

This thread is for the rules and questions. With a little luck we might find some answers too.


Annual Read

The Story of the Stone. Points will be awarded for reading and participation in discussion for each of the novel's five volumes. Reading a volume will earn you 3 points. Participating in discussion for that volume will earn you an extra 1 point. Reading and participating in discussion for all five volumes will earn you a completion bonus of 5 points, for a grand total of 25 points for The Story of the Stone as a whole.

(3+1 points) Volume I: The Golden Days
(3+1 points) Volume II: The Crab-Flower Club
(3+1 points) Volume III: The Warning Voice
(3+1 points) Volume IV: The Debt of Tears
(3+1 points) Volume V: The Dreamer Wakes
(5 points) Bonus for completing all five volumes

Seasonal Reads

(9+1 points) 1Q (January, February, March) - Cloudsplitter, by Russell Banks
(9+1 points) 2Q (April, May, June) - House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski
(9+1 points) 3Q (July, August, September) - Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy
(9+1 points) 4Q (October, November, December) - The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Completing a Seasonal Read in 2016 will garner you a base of 9 points. Participating in discussions with the rest of the group will net you the remaining 1 point. If you've previously read one of the titles, don't fret; you can re-read with the rest of the group for the full points or just pop in for discussions for the follow-up point.


Book of the Month

(2+1 points) Book of the Month - Popular Vote Winner
(2+1 points) Book of the Month - Weighted Vote Winner
(2+1 points) Book of the Month - Random Selection
Bonus: (1 point) All three BotM for any given month

This year you can grab 2 points for reading a BotM and 1 point for participating in discussions. If you've already read one of the BotM, again, don't sweat it. Re-read with the group for the base points or participate in discussions and get yourself the follow-up point! Competitors are only eligible for the 1-point bonus for any given month if they read/re-read all three BotM during 2016.


Randomized Read

First of all, if you haven't been drawn a Randomized Reading List and want one, let The List know here: TBD

(1+1 points) Each Randomized Read

Scoring is similar here, as well. You'll earn 1 point for completing a Random Read and 1 point for posting a review in the current Reviews discussion thread. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be a professional review. A rating and a handful of words will suffice.


Other 1,001 Read

Don't feel like reading along with the group or trying a Randomized Reading List? Great! You can read other 1,001 titles and still grab a few points.

(1 point) Other 1,001 Read

Monthly Calendar Challenge

See the rules for this challenge here: TBD
This challenge employs progressive scoring. A book read in January, or in any month in which you didn't read a designated book in the prior month, and reviewed in the Current Reviews thread is worth 1 point, the book read in the second consecutive month is worth 2, the third, 3, etc. If you skip a month, the next book you read is again worth 1 point, and then progresses from there.

Start your own thread below to keep track of your points.

Halloween Group Read
You may take two points for reading and reviewing the Halloween Group Read.

[John]

When you look at the standings, you will see that the names are hyperlinks. Click on your name and you will pop right to your thread.

[Wolf]

Not to be greedy, but how about the really voluminous ones? If someone were to read something like the Arabian Nights or In Search of Lost Time as an "Other 1001 read", shouldn't that be worth more than 1 point? I know, reading them should be its own reward, but wouldn't it be a nice motivation to award one point per volume (or, say, 1000 pages) read or something? Also thinking of the poor people the randomizer might select those for? I think something like Lord of the Rings, 1Q84, or 2666 can be balanced by really short ones like the Poe stories etc., but these two (and maybe others I'm not aware of?) are really out of proportion and wouldn't it be a pity if people reading with half an eye on the Challenge (like, sadly, me, atm) would only read them as Annual Reads? Just a thought.

[Kristel]

Wolf wrote: "Not to be greedy, but how about the really voluminous ones? If someone were to read something like the Arabian Nights or In Search of Lost Time as an "Other 1001 read", shouldn't that be worth more..."

We do the longer books as year long and seasonal reads and then the reward is worked into the scoring of points otherwise, just 1 pt. It's tradition--it's how we do it.

[John]

Wolf wrote: "Not to be greedy, but how about the really voluminous ones? If someone were to read something like the Arabian Nights or In Search of Lost Time as an "Other 1001 read", shouldn't that be worth more..."

This is not just a theoretical issue, Wolf. I won the Points competition in 2013. In 2014, the second shortest book on my initial Random List was Gone with the Wind - it was the only one I read. The shortest was a Byatt - I picked it up several times, but just couldn't do it.

As Kristel said, all books over 1500 pages are on a rotation to be read on an annual basis - we started with Proust and are working our way towards 1500. Those books are getting roughly 1 point per hundred pages, though that's not a firm rule, just what seems to work

Seasonal Reads are voted on each year at the end of the year - books between 700 and 1500 pages are eligible. Once a book has been read it is not eligible for consideration as a Seasonal Read for 5 years (that way we don't read Anna Karenina every year).

Part of the reason the points are structured the way they are is too encourage the competitive readers to read with the group, and not just award the crown to the fastest reader.

Like Kristel said, it's how we do it, and it has seemed to work pretty well. Which is not to say that change isn't possible. We did it differently before we did it this way and change is certainly possible. Try it for a year or so this way and if you have suggestions for improvements we are happy to discuss them.

[Tracy]

Hahaha! Unfortunately, I've already read most of the Becketts. But boycotting Bellow sounds good to me!

[Wolf]

Thanks for explaining! Encouraging people to read with the group is actually a pretty convincing explanation. I'm apparently not quite ready to do so (I see that from the way I keep putting the monthly/seasonal/annual reads aside) as I'm enjoying my freshly regained reading freedom to much, but I will certainly get there. I was just astonished how competitive I'd gotten about those points and a little sad how easily the motivation to finally tackle Proust gained from our short conversation faded when I considered it in points. Well, maybe I'll get over that, too. :) ((Btw, for me it's Mann and Bernhard I'd want double points for; but there are enough tempting books on the list to let you avoid the ones you can't stand. At least for a while. ))

[[deleted user]]

Wolf wrote: "Thanks for explaining! Encouraging people to read with the group is actually a pretty convincing explanation. I'm apparently not quite ready to do so (I see that from the way I keep putting the mon..."

If only you were with us last year when Proust was the yearly read lol I could quite happily have died without having read it but that's just me and yes the only reason I stuck with it was my need for points...my name is Book Worm I am a book addict....

[Wolf]

I was, actually. Well, I was a member of the shelfari group, but sadly unable to really participate. I'm still amazed that studying literature leaves you so little time to READ. Must be some kind of irony. Well, I'm here now and reading with a vengeance.

[Kristel]

Manda wrote: "Question re book of the month please and points.......does the both have to be read in given month to get the initial two points or just in the year? Thanks"
They have to be read during that year (2016). You can't read it in 2015 and count it and you must respond even a little to one or more of discussion, review or rating. It really does not need to be much. If you read the book, it is 2 points, if you read and discuss its 1+2 points and if you just discuss the book because it is a reread and you don't want to reread it's one point. Hope that makes sense.

[Anna]

Hey John, I somehow managed to delete my post for the challenge. Therefore, my link no longer works. I remade it though.

Sorry!!

[Diane]

I am new to the group, and was wondering if I could count books I read in 2016, prior to joining.

[Kristel]

Diane wrote: "I am new to the group, and was wondering if I could count books I read in 2016, prior to joining."
Books read during 2016 count, You do have to do a review of sorts in the folder for other 1001 books. You can not get credit for BOTM if you read them a previous year but if you join the discussion, you get a point for that. Make sense?

[Jen]

Diane wrote: "I am new to the group, and was wondering if I could count books I read in 2016, prior to joining."

When you say "count books" do you mean for the points challenge? If so, then Kristel is correct, you only get points for the challenges if you read the book in the year of the challenge.

However, if you mean for the overall challenge count (in our challenge tab), then you are welcome to keep your full tally there.

[Diane]

Kristel wrote: "Diane wrote: "I am new to the group, and was wondering if I could count books I read in 2016, prior to joining."
Books read during 2016 count, You do have to do a review of sorts in the folder for ..."

I think I understand. I have not read any of the annual reads, seasonal reads, etc. this year, but I have read quite a few of the "other 1001 read". So, basically, I have to write a review for each of those books in order to claim a point for each.

[Jen]

I guess I was a little unclear. We do lots of things here. One thing is the challenge that starts jan 1 and ends dec 31. To get points for anything, you must read it this calendar year.

However, if you are just tracking your books, and we have a list tracker as part of the challenge tab the. You can count all books you've read (your 400+). This doesn't get you points, its just a way to track progress.

Anything you see about points refers to books you have read in the 2016 calendar year. Sorry it's confusing at first but once you've been active for a bit, it should all start to make sense -- and of course ask as many questions as you need.

When book worm gives you a random list, if there are books you've already read on that list, I believe you can ask her to trade them out for unread books.

[Diane]

Jen wrote: "I guess I was a little unclear. We do lots of things here. One thing is the challenge that starts jan 1 and ends dec 31. To get points for anything, you must read it this calendar year.

However, i..."

Apparently my previous post was not very clear. I was not talking about all of the books I read, just those read in 2016. I am also referring specifically to the challenge in this thread and not the tracking challenge. I have read quite a few 1001 in 2016, just none of the bigger point books. I am inquiring about how to go about claiming points for the "other 1001 books read" this year. My main question is do I have to write a review for each book in order to earn a point?

[Jen]

Oh, yes then those would count. You do have to review them for them to count. You can link to your original reviews or copy and paste if that is easiest. You can put the reviews in the 1001 book reviews folder if they aren't BOTM or seasonal reads.

[Jen]

Diane wrote: "Jen wrote: "I guess I was a little unclear. We do lots of things here. One thing is the challenge that starts jan 1 and ends dec 31. To get points for anything, you must read it this calendar year...."

Just start a topic for yourself under this folder with your name and then you can track all the points from the books you have read or will read in 2016. You'll get 1 point for every "other read" for which you post your review and those reviews will go under the 1001 book review folder.

[Diane]

Do books read that are part of a grouping of books count separately? For example, can you receive a point for reading one of the books in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, or do you have to read all three in order to receive a point on the Random 1001 list?

[Kristel]

All three because they are one but if you read rabbitt run grouping, they are considered separate.

[Diane]

Kristel wrote: "All three because they are one but if you read rabbitt run grouping, they are considered separate."

What is rabbitt run grouping?

[Jen]

I assume she means the John Updike books.

[Diane]

Jen wrote: "I assume she means the John Updike books."

That makes sense. The spelling threw me off.

[John]

Please note the points for participating in the Halloween read.