Read-a-Thon #2 - Team Butterfly

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

Hello Team Butterfly! This topic is just for you to discuss your strategy and progress throughout the week. Make sure to take a moment to read over the rules of the challenge here before you dive in.

Team Roster:
Ellie (co-captain)
Emily (co-captain)
Kathryn
Kelly
Samantha
Jackie
Jill
June
Ira
Deena
Johanne
Brittany
Alex
Christy
Nancy
Sarah
Tracy
Deborah
Meg
Shelley
Edie
WVrambler
Bec
Dina
Cindy
Kathy
Danielle

✔Bucket 1:
- Read 1,000 pages total
- A book by a woman
- A book that starts with S

✔Bucket 2:
- Read 3,000 pages total
- 2 books set on different continents
- 2 books published in different decades

✔Bucket 3:
- Read 5,000 pages total
- 2 books in different formats (eg an audiobook and a kindle book, etc)
- 2 books published in 2019

✔Bucket 4:
- Read 7,500 pages total
- 3 books that count for the AtY challenge
- 3 books by authors that are new to you

✔Bucket 5:
- Read 9,000 pages total
- 2 books related to nature (i.e. cover setting, title, etc.)
- A book where main character's name begins with J, U, N, or E

✔Bucket 6:
- Read 11,000 pages total
- 2 books originally published in the summer (June, July, or August
- A book discovered during the read-a-thon (in the group or elsewhere)

✔Bucket 7:
- Read 12,500 pages total
- 2 books inspired by a "quirky" summer holiday (June, July, or August)*
- To celebrate PRIDE month, A book with an LGBTQ+ character or author

✔Bucket 8:
- Read 15,000 pages total
- A book on page 6 of your TBR (sorted by date added, oldest-newest)
- Read the rainbow (a book with a cover for each color - red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)

✔Bucket 9:
- Read 16,500 pages total
- 2 books that span several years
- 1 book in which any kind of sport/game is important to the story

✔Bucket 10:
- Read 18,000 pages total
- In honor of June's birthstone, a book with a celestial body in the title or on the cover
- 2 books with a child as a main character

✔Bucket 11
- Read 20,000 pages total
- A book with a interesting or beautiful spine
- A book with an epilogue

✔Bucket 12:
- Read 21,000 pages total
- A book about a person who travels to another country
- A book by an author from an island

✔Bucket 13:
- Read 22,000 pages total
- Two books with a matching word in the title
- A debut novel

✔Bucket 14:
- Read 23,000 pages total
- A book another member of this group recommended to you
- A book that takes place in the summer

✔Bucket 15:
- Read 25,000 pages total
- A book with a major plot twist or twist ending
- A chick-lit book or a book with a romantic element

✔Bucket 16:
- Read 29,000 pages total
- A book with a heart on the cover/in title
- 2 books set in countries you've never been to

✔Bucket 17:
- Read 31,000 pages total
- A book involving an animal/with animal on cover
- 2 books by an author of color

✔Bucket 18:
- Read 32,000 pages total
- A book with more than 20 letters in title
- A graphic novel/book with illustrations

Bucket 19:
- Read 33,500 pages total
✔ A book related to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan
✔ A book related to a NASA mission name

Bucket 20:
- Read 35,00 pages total
- A book published in the last three years (2017, 2018, 2019) that had a lot of buzz but that you didn't read
- A book with a synopsis that includes a question



TEAM SPREADSHEET

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Yay team butterfly!

Here's our spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

I currently have it set so that I'm the only one with editing capabilities (and I'll share with Ellie!)... would y'all rather post your data here and have me input it, or open it up for everyone to add their data as you wish? I want to make it easier on everyone!

[Kelly]

Hello everyone! Happy to be reading with all of you this week. I would like to thank Ellie and Emily for being our captains. I am on the east coast of the US, so the read a thon will be starting for me soon.

I am starting with Recursion by Blake Crouch. It can fit many categories, published in June, yellow cover, book for the aty challenge, etc, but unforunately, not the first bucket except for page count.

I look forward to having a fun week with all of you!

[Brittany]

I started Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered,l and am about 1/3 through. I held off on finishing so we could use it for the first bucket because it works for S title and the authors are women. I’m on vacation so I’m on the west coast until Sunday afternoon, but I’ll finish it when I wake up in the morning. It’s been a super quick read so far so it shouldn’t take long.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Yay Kelly! I'm central time, but I will definitely be going to sleep before the Read-A-Thon begins haha.

For my non-sleeping teammates, how should we strategize on this one? We shouldn't have too much trouble until we get to the later buckets, so... I don't know.

My initial thought was to each claim a spot and just start the book for the spot we claim when it looks like we are getting closer to that bucket... for instance, I have an LGBTQ+ on deck for this week, so I can claim that prompt and just wait until Tuesday (or when we get to bucket 5 or 6) to start it.. if that makes sense?

We can start books in any order, but we cannot finish a book for a bucket until the previous buckets are complete.

Do y'all have thoughts?

Edited to Add: Brittany! We will slot in that book when we see who else is reading what... I am reading Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, which works for a book written by a woman, but someone else will probably finish a book before I finish this chunky one.

[Kathryn]

I agree - big thanks to Emily and Ellie! This is my first read-a-thon, so I have no idea what I'm doing! I would say leave the spreadsheet as read only since I would be worried I'd add something in wrongly!! But maybe once I see how things work, it would make sense... What would be easiest for you and Ellie, Emily?

I'm in Australia (and having a day off sick, so am doing some reading!), so the read-a-thon started about 6 hours ago for me. I'm currently finishing off the last 110 pages of my audiobook, The One Who Got Away by Caroline Overington, and I've started Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty today.

[Brittany]

We are definitely going to need to strategize with this one. I’m finishing something that works for bucket 1 tomorrow and then I will probably work on my next book for AtY.

[Kathryn]

I just read your post Emily after I'd posted mine - snap!! Nine Perfect Strangers is just under 500 pages, which surprised me - I thought it looked like more!

And I have no thoughts on strategising, but will have a think about it...

[Nancy]

Hi - just logged on and see that teams have been set :) Yay!
This is my first read-a-thon so not sure how this works. But here is what I can do so far.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle published in 1962 so works for Bucket 2 different decades.

Descendant of the Crane for Bucket 5 nature themed cover

If I understand this correctly that should space out well to be completed when needed. And then can pick up a color for Bucket 8. Can easily do a blue, orange or red

I am excited - hope this is how it works out.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Ah yay Kathryn! I just started it.. my copy is right at 450 pages, which feels like so much, but I know Moriarty's writing style is quick.

Maybe I'll start a master list of who is claiming which prompt and we can fill it in from there?

Katheryn's The One Who Got Away will fit for a book by a woman, and Brittany's Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered will work for a book that starts with S. So we just need to get to the 1,000 pages before we can move on to bucket 2!

Me or Kathryn can claim one of the continent books with Nine Perfect Strangers for Australia... so if someone else is working on a US or European book (as most books seem to be), that will cover our two continents.

The two decades will be a bit more difficult, so if you're reading something that's not a currently published book, let me know! We will need a book that's at least not from the 2010s.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

If Ellie and I are keeping up with the spreadsheet, we will need everyone to post at the end of the day pages read and read-a-thon games participated in. Plus, if you finish a book that fits one of the current prompts, let us know that at the end of the day as well. Keeping the pages confined to one post per day will work best!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Nancy, I just saw your post. The only problem will be that we need to finish them in order.. so as long as you finish We Have Always Lived in the Castle AFTER we finish bucket 1, we should be ok to use it for bucket 2!

For Descendent of the Crane, you will have to finish that one once we get through buckets 1-4, so we still have some time before you finish that one! That will be a fairly easy prompt, though, so if you want to read it before we get to bucket 5, feel free to do so.

[Jill]

I can contribute a book set n another continent. I am currently about 30% done with The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding which is set in England. I should finish either late tomorrow or on Saturday.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Ok Jill! You'll have to wait to finish that one until we finish Bucket 1 (and get to 1000 pages read), so keep an eye on our totals before you finish it up if you want it to count... but that's one we shouldn't have too much trouble filling, so don't feel like you need to wait if you don't want to. It looks like we will have more trouble getting to the page count instead of the prompts!

Ok... I'm going to sleep so I can wake up and start reading haha! Goodnight everyone!

[Jill]

I think we will get to 1000 pages really quick. With 20 of us in the team it will only take 50.pages a person to get there. I am here in California so I won’t start for a while! Happy reading everyone and go Team Butterfly!

[Tracy]

hey all! I'm also reading a book by a woman at the moment: You've Been So Lucky Already: A Memoir, with just over 100 pages left and its going by quick. Probably will fall asleep soon though and tomorrow is a busy day so my reading will be at night. We can always use what my book towards page counts for the bucket.

Going to check my plans for a book that starts with S in case that would be helpful.

FYI: I read Nine Perfect Strangers a few months ago and it was a super quick read :-)

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

Your graphic has now been posted above.

Wide flasks = page count
Thin flasks = book count

As you fill the initial flasks, the water will move down the line, in order to fill the large beaker below. You will fill small test tubes by earning questions (4 per tube).

Win the game by filling the large beaker and guessing the author name. This will light your team's lightbulb.

The team to light their bulb first will earn a special badge :)

[Deborah]

Yay butterflies! I have books by women in progress, but I'm sure that will be checked off by the time I get going in CA. Sounds like bucket one is more than covered.

I'm working on books set in Australia and Europe next if we need them for bucket 2 and have an ebook and audiobook I want to get in on the weekend too. I'll hold off finishing anything until I can check where we are bucket wise!

[Sarah]

Wow we look like we have bucket 1 pretty much covered now. I just started reading/ listening to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, but it looks like we will only need my page count for bucket one for this book.

We can count it for Bucket 3, 2 books in different formats (eg an audiobook and a kindle book, etc), bucket 4= 3 books that count for the AtY challenge or bucket 6 = 2 books originally published in the summer (June, July, or August) just let me know and I will make sure to not finish till we are on the right bucket.

Also I plan to read Appointment with death by Agatha Christie which was published in 1937 so we could use that for bucket 2 = 2 books published in different decades.

[Deena]

I think I have books to cover almost all the prompts except book published in 2019. I think it would be great if each of us is assigned a prompt to fulfill so that we can then concentrate on pages. That way we don't have to much overlap and end up missing out on a prompt.

[Ira]

Hi team. I am in halfway through a couple of books.
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. All books count for the AtY Challenge. I am reading American Gods in papaerback and listening to An echo of things to come. I have 300 pages left of American Gods to count towars the pages.

[Kathryn]

Emily wrote: "Katheryn's The One Who Got Away will fit for a book by a woman..."

Yes - I've got less than 2hrs of this one left, so will have that knocked over this evening.

I'll post my total pages read for all my books today once I've finished The One Who Got Away.

[Ellie]

Good morning team! Annoyingly I have a busy day at work today, but I will get caught up with what I need later on. I'm assuming most of you are asleep now anyway ;)

I have 100+ pages left of:
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (ebook)
Superior: The Return of Race Science (audiobook)
Aurora Rising (hardback)

[Johanne]

Hi everyone!
It´s my birthday today, and guests are coming over after work, so I won´t be reading today...

I have a plethora of books standing around, waiting to be read - so I´ll see tomorrow where we are bucket-wise and try to strategise from there. I am currently at work (library) and will bring a couple 2019 releases home with me (I usually always have some review books going on, but of course none right now).

I am 1/3 in Mordet på kommandanten #1 - En ide viser sig (Killing Commendatore 1/2) by Haruki Murakami. Set in Japan, works for ATY, hardcover.

One chapter in, in Accidental Thief on ebook.

[Ellie]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHANNE!

I'm going to have to explain this challenge to my other half or he'll be wondering why I keep muttering about buckets.

[Kathryn]

OK, I finished The One Who Got Away by Caroline Overington for a book written by a woman - 109 pages.

I've started Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty and read 80 pages.

I've read 32 pages of The Pearl Thief by Fiona McIntosh (I've still got 300 pages to read of this and it is set in Europe, published 2018 (not so helpful!), reading as an e-book, and it will count for my AtY challenge - in case any of that is helpful).

Total pages read today: 221 pages

[Kathryn]

Johanne wrote: "Hi everyone!
It´s my birthday today, and guests are coming over after work, so I won´t be reading today...

I have a plethora of books standing around, waiting to be read - so I´ll see tomorrow whe..."

Happy birthday, Johanne!! Hope you enjoy your birthday party!

[Ellie]

So I'm caught up now. I think we're good for the first 3 buckets, I can easily cover 2019 releases (but I also don't mind if someone gets there first).

If you're confused, remember your page count is important too!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Good morning (and happy birthday Johanne!!)

I've updated through here with Kathryn's page totals and her book finished.

Agreed with what Ellie said! If this is all too overwhelming (buckets and buckets of overwhelm), just read :) the page counts will be tough as we get further along.

[Kath]

Hey everybody! I started reading This Book Is Full of Spiders by David Wong (AtY challenge) and Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (could work for bucket 7 inspired by a "quirky" summer holiday (30. August is apparently Frankenstein Day)). And I'm halfway through Uprooted by Naomi Novik.

And happy birthday Johanne!

[Tracy]

Happy Birthday Johanne!!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

PROMPTS TO FILL

Tentative, with allowances for books finished sooner to slot in

Bucket 1
Book that Starts with S - Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide - Brittany

Bucket 2
Book set on Continent A - Nine Perfect Strangers - Australia - Emily or Kathryn
Book set on Continent B - The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding - Europe - Jill
Book published in X decade - We Have Always Lived in the Castle - 1960s - Nancy
Book published in Y decade - Appointment with Death - 1930s - Sarah

Bucket 3

Book in X format - Swing- Audiobook - Deena
Book in Y format - Any print book or ebook read
Book 1 published in 2019 - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women - Meg
Book 2 published in 2019

It's so hard to plan for this, because I'm not sure if the books you have all posted are going to be finished before we reach Bucket 3 or not... So I think we will just take it one or two buckets at a time. When we finish Bucket 1, we will look at where we stand and me or Ellie can offer up to see who can fill anything from Bucket 3... then when Bucket 2 is done, we will open up Bucket 4.

[Tawallah]

Good morning team.
I’m currently reading Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon at page 105 of 502. It works for title with S or book by a woman. I’ll try and concentrate on listening to it over the weekend. But I will definitely post pages read over this weekend as well. 50 pages is easily do-able for me.

[Tracy]

Good morning team!

Pages read: 116

of You've Been So Lucky Already: A Memoir this morning. Book completed. Its by a woman but we already have a taker for that category so you can just add my page counts. I'm just going to move onto the next book and pages since it looks like weve planned things out so far. Not sure what I'm going to pick up next. I have a few started or planned to catch up on my GRs goal because I am soooooo behind ( like 14 books behind omg...how did that happen? I might have to change my goal number). I havent picked up a book in months. Thank goodness for read a thons :-)

Off to re-read the challenge rules because I am having a lot of difficulty processing and remembering lately. My brains broken, lol. I couldnt figure out how to help my 3rd grader with her math homework the other night. So frustrating.

[Deena]

Finished reading 304 pages
Also Completed the Kickoff challenge

[Kelly]

Good morning team!! Happy birthday Johanne!

Emily- message 32 is perfect! It made it a lot easier to understand who is reading what. Thank you!

Hope everyone has a pleasant day (or night). I will update tonight with page count. I am off to read.

[Edie]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHANNE!

I am late to this party, so I am still getting oriented. I just started Silver Star which can go to Bucket 4 (when we get there) since it is an ATY read. It also is a new to me author and has a blue cover (3 of the books I have out from the library have blue covers).

Looking forward to being part of team Butterfly!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Edie, I'm similar... it looks like nearly every book I slotted in for this month is blue!



I've updated the spreadsheet through here!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Don't forget to do the kick off and let me know so we can record it!

[Meg]

I'm super excited for my first Read-a-Thon. Just did the kickoff, and plan on getting in plenty of reading while I watch my students take exams today. :)

ALSO - I have Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Graphic Novel: A Modern Retelling of Little Women waiting for me this week, it works for Bucket 3 (Published in Feb 2019)

[Deena]

I got Swing Audio Book for Bucket 3

[Dina]

Good morning everyone!

I currently have 5 books started, and 3 of them are 600+ page books. I can prioritize the books according to what is needed for the challenge.

1. The Woman in the Water - set in 1850, set in the UK, blue cover, ATY challenge
2. 11/22/63 - set in different decade, main character whose first name starts with J (Jake - this is bucket 5, but the book is a chunker!), format ebook
3. True Evil - red cover, format ebook
4. Elantris
5. The Waste Lands - ATY challenge

This is my first read-a-thon, so I am excited and nervous. If nothing else, I will be contributing a huge page count :)

[Cindy]

Good morning, Team Butterfly!
I am currently reading:
Pulling Home, by Mary Campisi (female author, purple cover, kindle, 278 pages)
Love of the Witch, by Deanna Chase (female author, yellow cover, kindle, 218 pages, published in June)
First Test by Tamara Pierce (female author, audiobook)

The kindle books shouldn't take me too long to read, so I should be able to start others soon. This is also my first read-a-thon and I'm excited. :D

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Yay! Welcome!

Let's focus on page count... I have a feeling that most of the prompts will be read without too much struggle, but if we get to that point, we can figure out who is taking on what.

[Edie]

I finished the kick-off activity! Back from PT so now to reading. Since my new book isn't needed for Bucket 1, I will get some pages done by finishing up the two books I was reading before this read-a-thon began.

[Edie]

Emily wrote: "Edie, I'm similar... it looks like nearly every book I slotted in for this month is blue!



And here are my blue covers

[Jackie]

I'm currently reading:
The Gilda Stories 252 pages, 122 pages read before challenge
I'm going to attempt also:
Ambassador 240 pages
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead 126 pages
The Worst Witch 107 pages
Antares Dawn 300 pages
All the above are new authors to me. The last three are all for ATY, so I'm ready for Bucket 4.

[Brittany]

Hi guys, I finished Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide (208 pages cause I had finished 92 before the read-a-thon started). I also did the kickoff.

[Deborah]

I finished the kick off post!

I'm going to be out and about a lot today, so getting some pages done via audio with Gone with the Wind for a buddy read. I will not be finishing this during the read-a-thon, but it counts for pages.

Tonight I'm prioritizing Those People in print which I can likely finish tomorrow if it is needed for anything. I will leave a chapter or two until I see if it is needed for a bucket, though I do want to finish it this weekend since it releases Tuesday.

Happy reading everyone!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Perfect, everyone! We are updated through here.

We are just three people doing the kickoff short of getting to ask our first question. We will also definitely finish Bucket 1 today!

So the next question is... what questions do we want to ask? I figured the first one would be if the author is a female? Any other questions that you feel are must-asks?