SU 2014 AtA Questions & Answers

[Liz M]

Author to Author (AtA): Read a chain of ten books by ten different authors chosen from the “Similar authors” pages.

Click on the link above to read the challenge description. Post questions about the AtA challenge here.

[Karen Michele]

Excellent as always! I'm close on my first chain. I will post it soon!

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Great mini-challenge, Liz. Two questions:
1) Must the books be read in order?
2) How do new members or others who did not do the Spring Challenge choose their starting point?

[Liz M]

Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Great mini-challenge, Liz. Two questions:
1) Must the books be read in order?
2) How do new members or others who did not do the Spring Challenge choose their starting point?"

Yes, the books must be read in order.

Members that did not participate in the Spring Challenge may choose an author read in March-April-May.

[Kazen]

Question - if a book has two authors listed may I choose either one, or must I choose the first?

eta: Thanks for posting this challenge early - it's kicking my butt in gear to read some great "seed authors" this month!

[Joanna]

One of the authors that keeps coming up on my lists is Ellen Datlow. Looking at her, it appears she's really an editor.

Can she be used for this?

[Kathleen (itpdx)]

Challenging:
Adam Hochschild is similar to Simon Winchester but not the other way around.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

itpdx wrote: "Challenging:
Adam Hochschild is similar to Simon Winchester but not the other way around."

I found a number of instances like that when working on my chain. I wanted to read a certain author and tried going backward. It didn't work often enough for me to use that strategy.

[Liz M]

Kazen wrote: "Question - if a book has two authors listed may I choose either one, or must I choose the first?..."

As per our Frequently Asked Questions:

For author-based tasks, how are books with multiple authors treated?
The primary author (the author listed first on the cover) must qualify for the task for the book to be eligible.

For the sake of consistency, only the author listed first can be used for Author-to-Author.

[Liz M]

Jayme

Your author chain is approved. As an FYI you have a lot of authors that write under multiple names, so be wary if you need to make adjustments in the future.

Miranda James = Dean James = Honor Hartman = Jimmie Ruth Evans
Lucy Arlington = J.B. Stanley = Sylvia May
Elise Hyatt = Sarah A. Hoyt = Sarah D'Almeida

[Liz M]

Kazen

FYI, you also have a handful of authors with many pen names:

Jennifer Ashley = Allyson James = Ashley Gardner
Elizabeth Hoyt = Julia Harper
Lorraine Heath = Rachel Hawthorne = Jade Parker = J.A. London

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

Liz M wrote: "Jayme

Your author chain is approved. As an FYI you have a lot of authors that write under multiple names, so be wary if you need to make adjustments in the future.

Miranda James = Dean James = H..."

When I looked under similar authors, it only gave the one name.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "When I looked under similar authors, it only gave the one name. "

Yes, the similar authors link only shows the one author name. We just want to make sure you're aware of the various names an author writes under.

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

ok noted

[Joy]

F. Author chains must be approved before posting in the completed task thread.

So, the entire 10-author chain must be approved prior to submitting 15.1 in the completed thread? Meaning, one cannot get one "link" in the chain approved at a time as one moves on to the next author?

[Liz M]

Joy wrote: "F. Author chains must be approved before posting in the completed task thread.

So, the entire 10-author chain must be approved prior to submitting 15.1 in the completed thread? Meaning, one canno..."

Correct.

[Liz M]

Joanna wrote: "One of the authors that keeps coming up on my lists is Ellen Datlow. Looking at her, it appears she's really an editor.

Can she be used for this?"

I'm going to say no to editors. This challenge is about individual authors and, in general, anthologies containing work by multiple authors should not qualify.

[Kazen]

Liz M wrote: "Kazen

FYI, you also have a handful of authors with many pen names:..."

Thanks for the heads up! If I do another run it'll be a non-romance chain, so hopefully everything will work out. ^_^

[Liz M]

Don your chain is good to go. FYI, one of your authors has a couple of pen names:

N.T. Wright = Tom Wright

[Liz M]

Wow, the posted author chains look fantastic, I am adding books to my tbr every time I review one! So far they are all approved.

Based on some of the questions asked that we did not consider, I've adjusted (and hopefully clarified) the rules, as follows:

E1. For this sub-challenge, anthologies containing work by multiple authors are not allowed. For books that have been co-authored, such as The Talisman or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, only the author listed first on the cover will qualify.

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

The general rules say that we can begin ONE book prior to the challenge, as long as less than 50% is read beforehand. I am reading Ulysses by James Joyce with a group in May and June. Can I use that for 15.5? I can arrange it so it's the 5th finish of my AtA chain. If not, I'll read another James Joyce book for the chain I'm about to post.

[Liz M]

Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "The general rules say that we can begin ONE book prior to the challenge, as long as less than 50% is read beforehand. I am reading Ulysses by James Joyce with a group i..."

Yes

[Jane from B.C.]

Hi,
I have not participated in a challenge for over a year. Should I go back to the last challenge I participated in and pick an authour from there?

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Jane from BC wrote: "Hi,
I have not participated in a challenge for over a year. Should I go back to the last challenge I participated in and pick an authour from there?"

You should choose your starting author from a book you read this Spring - in March, April, or May.

And we're glad to have you back!

[Jane from B.C.]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jane from BC wrote: "Hi,
I have not participated in a challenge for over a year. Should I go back to the last challenge I participated in and pick an authour from there?"

You should choose your ..."

Great! Thanks!!

[Rebekah]

Kazen wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Kazen

FYI, you also have a handful of authors with many pen names:..."

Thanks for the heads up! If I do another run it'll be a non-romance chain, so hopefully everything will work ..."

Ha-HA! I Always plan a second round, even a third with every good intention but I have yet to do it! I'm usually spending the last week of the challenge devoting myself to the last one or two books in the first challenge!

[Rebekah]

Every time I think the sub challenges can't get nay better, they do!
Now do I want familiar faces or all new?

I do have a couple of questions. For example if I use the book Wolf Hall to start and as I go through the chain I get to an author who has Hilary Mantel, then may I read one of her books?

Under similar authors to Hilary Mantel is Peter Carey. I had read Oscar and Lucinda for the Spring Challenge. May I still pick him as a similar author to Hilary Mantel?

[Liz M]

Rebekah wrote: "I do have a couple of questions. For example if I use the book Wolf Hall to start and as I go through the chain I get to an author who has Hilary Mantel, then may I read one of her books?

Under similar authors to Hilary Mantel is Peter Carey. I had read Oscar and Lucinda for the Spring Challenge. May I still pick him as a similar author to Hilary Mantel?..."

Yes to both. But in both of these cases you would only receive the 50-point "familiar faces" bonus.

[Liz M]

Amanda, that is quite the author chain! It looks good, but just so you are aware, Vernon Lee is the same person as Violet Paget.

I also deleted your first two attempts, to try to keep that thread tidy. It didn't occur to me to warn you before-hand, so I apologize if you needed to reference the broken chains.

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Liz, I've added a second chain of all new-to-me authors in message #18. Based on the Styles and the 20 point tasks posted for RwS Summer, it's likely that I'll read the books in the first chain for that, rather than AtA.

Can you wait, though, until more of the RwS tasks are posted before pulling my Classic Chain in message #14?

[Liz M]

Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Can you wait, though, until more of the RwS tasks are posted before pulling my Classic Chain in message #14? ..."

No problem.

I think you transposed two author names in Message 18; McMorris is not on Webb's similar author page.

However, Webb->Riley->McMorris->Furnivall does work. Once this correction is made, you are good to go.

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Liz, you're right about the transposition. I do have Webb->Riley->McMorris->Furnivall on my Summer spreadsheet. I've corrected Message #18.

[Liz M]

Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Liz, you're right about the transposition. I do have Webb->Riley->McMorris->Furnivall on my Summer spreadsheet. I've corrected Message #18."

Excellent, thanks!

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Heather - your chain in Post #22 is approved!

C.L. Moore also writes as Lewis Padgett.

(We'll be posting approvals here while Liz is away, and she will update the Chain thread on her return.)

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Joanna - post #23 is approved!

[Joy]

Liz M wrote: "Joy wrote: "So, the entire 10-author chain must be approved prior to submitting 15.1 in the completed thread? Meanin..."

That's what I thought, but was hoping otherwise :)

I love the idea for this challenge, but there's no way I could stick to an ordered plan of authors. I look forward to seeing others go through their plans, though! That's a great thing about this group; you can live vicariously through another's reading :)

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

itpdx - post #24 is approved!

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Nick - post #25 is approved!

[Rosemary]

Joy wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Joy wrote: "So, the entire 10-author chain must be approved prior to submitting 15.1 in the completed thread? Meanin..."

That's what I thought, but was hoping otherwise :)

I love th..."

But couldn't you have a chain approved, and then amend it later if you needed to?

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Rosemary wrote: "But couldn't you have a chain approved, and then amend it later if you needed to? "

Yes, you could. The scoring for Author to Author rewards the later books, and this is why they must be read in order. But, yes, you could decide later on a different chain, having incorporated the earlier books. Also, you do not have to read the 10 authors straight through - you can read other books in between - even though those 10 authors must be read in their own order.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Tien - Post #26 is approved!

Be aware that Loretta Hill also writes under the name Loretta Brabant.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

D - Post #27 is approved!

[Liz M]

Joy wrote: "That's what I thought, but was hoping otherwise :)

I love the idea for this challenge, but there's no way I could stick to an ordered plan of authors...."

Yeah, the 15-point task mini-challenges usually require planning and some measure of sticking-to-the-plan. That's what the extra bonuses are for. But I understand not wanting to to be constrained to a set of authors/books -- I don't always make it through my plan, either.

[Coralie]

After Eyes on the Prize I am reading lighter this coming season. I'm going through the box of children's books from my children, checking to see which are worth keeping for my grandchildren. Before I settle my author chain, I would like the following books confirmed as being eligible. I can't find any of them at BPL but I would like a second opinion.

Dragon Slayer: The Story of Beowulf by Rosemary Sutcliff
Peter Duck: A Treasure Hunt in the Caribbees by Arthur Ransome
Heidi Grows Up by Charles Tritten
The Head Girl of the Chalet School by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Peter's Room by Antonia Forest
The Family from One End Street: And Some of Their Adventures by Eve Garnett

Thank you.

[Liz M]

Jenifer, I had some trouble with both your author chains. :(

Lisa Gardner does not appear on the Nicci French's similar authors page. Luckily, Tess Gerritsen does. So if you don't mind some slight re-arranging, the following chain is approved:

Starting point: Nicci French

1. Tess Gerritsen
2. Karin Slaughter
3. Lisa Gardner ( = Alicia Scott, FYI)
4. Tami Hoag
5. Iris Johansen
6. Catherine Coulter
7. Julie Garwood
8. Judith McNaught
9. Lisa Kleypas
10. Sarah MacLean

Debbie Macomber is no longer on Meg Waite Clayton's similar authors page. I'll have more time tonight to play with this chain to see if there is another path that will get you the same authors.

[Liz M]

Jenifer,

Unfortunately you'll need to rework the second chain. I cannot find a way to create a list that includes more than 8 of your authors. Debbie Macomber does not appear on the similar authors page for any of your authors except Susan Wiggs. And then, the only author from your list that appears on Debbie Macomber's similar authors page is Susan Wiggs, so that doesn't work.

Also, I did not find an author that links Meg Waite Clayton to Susan Wiggs. (No author on Clayton's similar authors page has Wiggs on their similar authors page). So, the best chain I could create is:

1. Sarah Jio
2. Beth Hoffman
3. Susan Wiggs
4. Kristin Hannah
5. Elin Hilderbrand
6. Mary Kay Andrews
7. Patti Callahan Henry
8. Sarah Strohmeyer

[Liz M]

Jenifer wrote: "Oops! Let me try this again.

Starting: Susanna Kearsley..."

Much better! FYI, your starting point author, Susanna Kearsley = Emma Cole

And when you have a minute, can you please edit your post 28 with the adjustments I made above in my post 45.

[Liz M]

Mike,

Your chain is good, but please be aware that the correct author profile is William R. Manchester, not William Manchester.

[Liz M]

Louise,

Both your chains look good. Please be aware that many of your authors have pen names:

Nora Roberts = Jill March = J.D. Robb = Sarah Hardesty
JoAnna Carl = Eve K. Sandstrom
Rosamunde Pilcher = Jane Fraser
Reginald Hill = Patrick Ruell = Dick Morland = Charles Underhill
Jill McGown = Elizabeth Chaplin
Margery Allingham = Maxwell March

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Coralie wrote: "After Eyes on the Prize I am reading lighter this coming season. I'm going through the box of children's books from my children, checking to see which are worth keeping for my grandchildren. Before..."

Sorry for being so long in getting to this post, Coralie! You saw them correctly, and that none of them is shelved at BPL. The Lexile rule will not apply.