Questions? Ask the Concierge

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Goodo. It is hard to explain and I never know the best way 😉

[Rina]

For January task 4 is it sufficient that the movie has been filmed in Australia? I was thinking about The Light Between Oceans - it is set in Australia and was filmed in Australia, but it is an international co-production between 4 countries.

[Rayne]

I’m a bit confused about Jan task 19 - the spin-off. Would this book work? Peter Darling

[Keli]

I've got two questions. First, with an epistolary novel, does the whole thing need to be in a correspondence format? I've just read The Diva Runs Out of Thyme and each chapter is headed with a letter to one of the two MCs. Will this count?
Second question, #54 is for a "simple" cover, no people and only 1 object. Will this work? It only has a bridge on it.

[Lexi]

Keli wrote: "I've got two questions. First, with an epistolary novel, does the whole thing need to be in a correspondence format? I've just read The Diva Runs Out of Thyme and each chapter is hea..."

I can help with the first question: It needs to be the entire book.

This is from the FAQ spreadsheet:
a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs, and e-mails are also accepted. The ENTIRE book must be in this format to be considered an epistolary novel

[Keli]

Lexi wrote: "Keli wrote: "I've got two questions. First, with an epistolary novel, does the whole thing need to be in a correspondence format? I've just read The Diva Runs Out of Thyme and each c..."

Thank you. I failed to read the FAQ s/s. 😳

[Lexi]

Keli wrote: "Lexi wrote: "Keli wrote: "I've got two questions. First, with an epistolary novel, does the whole thing need to be in a correspondence format? I've just read [book:The Diva Runs Out of Thyme|626776..."

I failed as well earlier. I didn't understand the bonuses at all.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Rina wrote: "For January task 4 is it sufficient that the movie has been filmed in Australia? I was thinking about The Light Between Oceans - it is set in Australia and was filmed in Australia, but it is an int..."

That was one of the goals suggested from a player, but I'm ok to accept it because it is filmed fully in Aus and NZ

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Brooklyn wrote: "I’m a bit confused about Jan task 19 - the spin-off. Would this book work? Peter Darling"

It sounds from the synopsis like it would work as it is not a straight retelling of Peter Pan - it is a new book using the Peter Pan characters

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Keli wrote: "Second question, #54 is for a "simple" cover, no people and only 1 object. Will this work?..."

I can see a bridge, and water, and clouds, and lightning and some land...
;)


Just looking at some past BOMs, and these two are good examples

[❀Tea❀]

Am I only one here who isn't looking and planning books for January tasks?!
I haven't even looked at the tasks yet *bows head in shame*

[SandyL]

❀Tea❀ wrote: "Am I only one here who isn't looking and planning books for January tasks?!
I haven't even looked at the tasks yet *bows head in shame*"

No - I haven't looked either, Tea!

[Joanne]

❀Tea❀ wrote: "Am I only one here who isn't looking and planning books for January tasks?!
I haven't even looked at the tasks yet *bows head in shame*"

I haven't looked yet either. I just read whatever and when I'm done, fit it wherever it goes best. Of course I don't read very many books (beach level) so it's easier to fit books in.

[❀Tea❀]

Yay! I'm not only one! :)
With all this planning and asking questions, I started to feel like odd one :P

I'm like you Joanne, read first and then try to fit it somewhere. Probably why, almost everyone in my level has more points than me (but I don't care) *grins*

[Cat]

I looked at the tasks, but over Christmas? no way any planning was going to get done!

I'm currently madly reading A Little Life as the last of my December books. It's good, but heart-rending, so I keep having to put down for a breath of normality...

[Maritza]

❀Tea❀ wrote: "Am I only one here who isn't looking and planning books for January tasks?!
I haven't even looked at the tasks yet *bows head in shame*"

Me neither. For a second there I didn't know what they were talking about.

[Keli]

Moderators of NBRC wrote: "Keli wrote: "Second question, #54 is for a "simple" cover, no people and only 1 object. Will this work?..."

I can see a bridge, and water, and clouds, and lightning and some land...
;)

Ah, yes I see. Thanks for the clarification.
Just look..."

[Alysa]

Alysa wrote: "Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "No worries Alysa, just let us know when you are ready and back safely on dry land :) and we will lock yours up then"

Thank you so much! 🥰
All of the books I have in progress or p..."

FYI — my Dec spreadsheet tab can definitely be locked at the official time. I have finished all my planned books — the one short extra that I was thinking about squeezing in, I am going to delete from my TBR instead, as the first couple of pages were ugh. ;)

See y’all in January!

[Rayne]

My sheet can be locked at normal time. I’m done with December books. I’m working on January books now.

Happy New Year everyone!!

[Jane]

I’ve read 26 books this month but I don’t want to move up to Cocktail since the only reason I can read that much is because I’m on holiday which means I have tons of spare time, but when school starts I will read fewer books. Is this allowed?

[Cat]

task 7... i don't have even 51 let alone 251 books on my TBR shelf. Can I read the last one on the list?

ETA or one off the NBRC bookshelf?

[Laura]

Happy New Year Brooklyn (and everyone else)!!

Karen is in a different time zone so she is asleep and Tea is unavailable for a few days; your questions will be answered when Karen is available again!

[Deanna]

For task 39 - read a book that has a title with opposite pairings (e.g. Big Little, North South)

Would Hell Bay work? I'm thinking hell is a place of heat and fire while bay is a place of cool water. Or I can look for something a bit less abstract if needed.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Cat wrote: "task 7... i don't have even 51 let alone 251 books on my TBR shelf. Can I read the last one on the list?

ETA or one off the NBRC bookshelf?"

Check out this post. It has also been updated in the FAQ at the start of the thread

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Jane wrote: "I’ve read 26 books this month but I don’t want to move up to Cocktail since the only reason I can read that much is because I’m on holiday which means I have tons of spare time, but when school sta..."

Please see this post which came about from the January player announcement or refer to the FAQs at the start of this thread

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Deanna wrote: "For task 39 - read a book that has a title with opposite pairings (e.g. Big Little, North South)

Would Hell Bay work? I'm thinking hell is a place of heat and fire while bay is a p..."

hmmm. I think it is a little abstract

[Marie (UK)]

Task 7 - i have nowhere near 251 books on my TBR

[Lexi]

Marie (UK) wrote: "Task 7 - i have nowhere near 251 books on my TBR"

See message 326 (4 above this one) or the FAQ at the start of this thread

[Rayne]

The formula that calculates points for the tasks is still checking for December Bonus instead of January Bonus. I changed mine on the line for that task, but I wanted to let the mods know and give everyone a heads up.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Brooklyn wrote: "The formula that calculates points for the tasks is still checking for December Bonus instead of January Bonus. I changed mine on the line for that task, but I wanted to let the mods know and give ..."

bugger. thanks. all fixed now

[Carrie]

Quick question for the January bonus task - I am reading a book where the character was born and lived in Ireland and then moves to Australia BUT in the present narrative she is already living in Australia and has returned to Ireland for her mother's funeral. The book talks about the move (for example - "They had stayed with her in Brookside, the bungalow Isabelle bought when Elena moved to Australia." There are other references to her move to Australia.
Does this count?

[Roger - president of NBR United -]

December tasks all book that were finished before Australia's New Year are done. So you can lock my December spreadsheet.

Question December didn't affect me because by the time I finished the first book is was December 1 in my time zone Central United States daylight Savings time. but I completed three or four books before Jan 1 my time but after Challenge time Jan 1: how do I do the date done because I used CDT for all of December tasks do I have to do Jan 1 or will it accept December 2018 dates for the books I finished?

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Carrie wrote: "Quick question for the January bonus task - I am reading a book where the character was born and lived in Ireland and then moves to Australia BUT in the present narrative she is already living in A..."

Please refer to the FAQ at the start of this thread:

◈Q: For the January bonus, do they have to move during the course of the book or can it be talked about? Example from the text: Tex had moved to Australia when he was 5 after his parents died.
◈A: Yes they need to move during the book. It is worth lots of points so is meant to be a bit difficult 😉

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Roger - president of NBR United - wrote: "December tasks all book that were finished before Australia's New Year are done. So you can lock my December spreadsheet.

Question December didn't affect me because by the time I finished the firs..."

You can use your time or GR time. (I have seen some s/sheets where "Dec 31" is on the Jan s/sheet for that reason.)

[Roger - president of NBR United -]

Moderators of NBRC wrote: "Roger - president of NBR United - wrote: "December tasks all book that were finished before Australia's New Year are done. So you can lock my December spreadsheet.

Question December didn't affect ..."

Thanks!

[Roger - president of NBR United -]

Looking at January tasks shouldn't it be January 2019 Book of the month for task 12 and not January 2018?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Roger - president of NBR United - wrote: "Looking at January tasks shouldn't it be January 2019 Book of the month for task 12 and not January 2018?"

Yes :)
It is so hard to get accustomed to writing the new year!!

[Rayne]

For the purposes of this challenge, what is considered a novella - in page length? I didn't find anything in the goals spreadsheet.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

There’s no hard and fast rule. Anything that describes itself as a novella ; or generally a novella is 60-120 pages in length

[Alysa]

Jan Task #4:
Read a book based in Australia or New Zealand that was turned into a movie produced in Aus/NZ

I would like to use A Long Way Home: A Memoir, which was made into the movie Lion. It seems to be mainly Australian on both counts, but also has significant parts set in India. Is it Australian enough?

ETA: if it isn’t Australian enough for Task #4, I guess that would mean it would fit for the Bonus Task instead (i.e., Indian orphan gets taken to live in Australia). I had already found another book for that, but I guess it would be good to have two options ;)

[Jane]

In task 82 and 83 it says read a book that has the word pink/hug in the text or title. The “text” here means inside of the book right?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Jane wrote: "In task 82 and 83 it says read a book that has the word pink/hug in the text or title. The “text” here means inside of the book right?"

That's right :)

[Stacie]

Plurals are okay for words in texts? Tomatoes instead of tomato? Thanks.

[❀Tea❀]

Stacie wrote: "Plurals are okay for words in texts? Tomatoes instead of tomato? Thanks."

Yes :)

[Alison]

I seem to be confusing myself with the 251+ on the TBR task. I have more than enough books on my TBR but am getting confused on the order. When I use the app on my phone or tablet there aren't any numbers (and I have no plans to count them) so switched to my laptop. I sorted by date added but the ones numbered 250+ seem to be my most recent additions which I'm assuming isn't right?? It should be a book that's been on your tbr the longest shouldn't it?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

That is right Alison.
It’s my fault as I think in an earlier comment I said that, but I was confusing myself with another task 😉
Depending on the size of your TBR they could be very recent additions

[Rayne]

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "That is right Alison.
It’s my fault as I think in an earlier comment I said that, but I was confusing myself with another task 😉
Depending on the size of your TBR they could be very recent additions"

I had the same confusion when I started looking. Are we going with over 250, which is a more recent entry or under 250 which is an older addition?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

It is number 251 or higher.
So it depends on the size of your TBR how recent your books will be. Mine is only 400-ish so my #251 is May 2017 through to what I added this week ;)

[Alysa]

So... Re message #342...
Can I use A Long Way Home: A Memoir for Jan Task #4, or is it not Australian enough?

[Roger - president of NBR United -]

can I use this book for opposing pair in title Right Kind of Wrong