Point Challenge: October 2014

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Karen suggested a point system as a fun addition to our 2015 offerings. We've concocted a mini-challenged to "calculate" interest in this type of challenge, perhaps on a larger, Group-Wide scale next year.

For the purpose of a mini-challenge, I will post a point system below. Those interested may calculate and post the points they accrue during the month of October. It's all for the fun of pushing ourselves to get a little more reading into our lives. This particular challenge is nice, because it "plays well with others." :)

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

POINT SYSTEM


Read a general book: 1 point per book
Read a "shortie" (short story, poem, play): 0.5 points per
Read a group read book: 5 points per book
Read a buddy read book: 5 points per book you read with a buddy
Read a book for the genre challenge: 3 points per book
Read a book for a mini-challenge: 3 points per book
Complete a multi-book mini-challenge: 10 extra points
Sign up and take part in the October readathon: 25 points (plus the points for each book you read, calculated by type, ie. group, genre, mini, buddy)

Definitions:

A GENERAL book is any book you read this month (not covered by another category).

A GROUP READ book is limited to the books nominated and chosen by the group and discussed in the Group Read folder.

A GENRE Challenge book is any book that fits the Genre of the Month.

MINI-CHALLENGE books are 3 points each. There is an additional 10 point bonus for completing a challenge that involves several books.
So, the Creepy, Crawly Challenge is a 3 pointer, because it only requires one book. But something like the Continental Challenge could get you 34 points upon completion. (3 for each category, plus 10 point bonus for finishing)

*Edited to include "shorties."

[Amber]

So far I got 25 points as I am def doing the October readathon all month long and already signed up plus 3 points as I am reading books for the genre challenge for this month which is horror.

So altogether: 28 points

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Renee's October Point Tally
TOTAL POINTS TO DATE: 54

GENERAL (1pt):
-Alice in Wonderland-1
-Through The Looking-Glass-1

SHORTIES (0.5pt):
"The Birthmark"
"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment"
"Rappaccini's Daughter"
"The Artist of the Beautiful"

GROUP READ (5pt):
-Wizard of Oz-5
-Dracula-5

BUDDY (5pt):

GENRE: Horror (3pt):
-The Abbot's Ghost-3

MINI-CHALLENGE (3pt):
-Phineas Redux-3
(Buy A Vowel Challenge)
-The Abbot's Ghost-3
(Creepy Crawly Challenge)
-Hard Times-3
(Continental Challenge)
-Moving the Mountain-3
(Continental Challenge)

READATHON- 25 points

[Colleen]

I would be interested, but it would be nice to do a summer one also. I work in education and usually work 10-12 hours a day. It seriously cuts into my reading time; whereas in the summer, I read several hours everyday.

[Holly, That Geeky One]

Colleen, we're planning on making it a monthly all year thing in 2015 if this goes well.

[Cindy (BKind2Books)]

Cindy's point tally for October:38

Read a general book: 1 point
Into the Mist
Outlander
Read a group read book: 5 points
Dracula
Read a buddy read book: 5 points
Read a book for the genre challenge: 3 points
Dracula
Interview with the Vampire
Sign up and take part in the October readathon: 25 points (done)

I'm not sure this month with be very good for me - I work full time and we are in the home stretch of my husband's campaign (he is running for mayor of the city we live in), my daughter is getting married in January (in another state), and I'm trying to train for a half-marathon in December (not very well I may add) - my spare time is spent sleeping. :) I manage to read in cars and at work at lunch.

[Melissa]

Melissa's October Point Tally:


General: (1 point)
-One of Us (1)
-Marguerite makes a Book (1)
-Memoir of the Sunday Brunch (1)
-Peter Pan (1)
-The White Tiger (1)

Group Read: (5 points)
-A Monster Calls (5)
-Dracula (5)

Buddy Read: (5 points)

Genre Challenge: (3 Points)
-The Witches by Roald Dahl; (3)
-The Raven; (3)
-The Tell-Tale Heart; (3)
-The Pit and The Pendulum; (3)
-The Black Cat; (3)
-A Good Man is Hard to Find; (3)
-Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?; (3)
-The Body; (3)

Mini Challenge: (3 Points)
-Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (Creepy-Crawly) (3)
-Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes (Creepy-Crawly) (3)

Multi Mini Book Challenge (10 points)
-I'd Like to Buy A Vowel (10)

October Readathon: (25 Points) -- Joined 25 pts.

TOTAL TALLY: 80 POINTS

[Melissa]

Renee, how many points for each book in the Readathon Challenge?

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Iasa-
I'll edit the opening thread to make it more obvious that it is __ points per book. Thanks.

Melissa-
The books you read during the Readathon will be counted as per usual. ie. 1 point per general, 3 points per genre, etc.

Thanks guys. It really helps to get feedback especially now since this is a kind of test run for next year.

Colleen-
I hear ya! As an elementary ed teacher, I'm putting in those same long days every day as you are. Hopefully, this experiment will prove successful and we can do it every month in 2015. :)

[Holly, That Geeky One]

Cindy, it's just a fun casual thing to do. No pressure! :)

[Holly, That Geeky One]

Holly's October Point Tally:

TOTAL: 51 POINTS

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Genre (3)
The Turn of the Screw - Genre (3)
Maurice - Mini Challenge (Banned Book Challenge) (3)
The Shadow of the Wind - General (1)
Dracula - Group Read (5)
Henry V - General (1)
Antony and Cleopatra - General (1)
Romeo and Juliet - General (1)
Heat Wave - General (1)
Carmilla - Genre (3)

Completed 'I'd Like To Buy A Vowel' Challenge (10)
Joined Readathon (25)

[Kimberley]

Kimberley's October Point Tally (hey, why not?):
TOTAL: 31 points

READATHON: 25 points

GENERAL: 3/? - 3 points
Slaves of the Mastery
Firesong
Tiger, Tiger

MINI-CHALLENGE: 1/1 - 3 points
Operation Red Jericho-Creepy Crawly Challenge

[Roseanne]

@Renee if a book falls into more than one category do you add all the points together? Specifically The Wizard of Oz was a group read but it was also banned by the Chicago Public Library in the 50s. So would you get 8 points for it? I am thinking 5 points for it being a group read plus 3 points for mini challenge. Yep I love points.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Personally, I don't think Group Read books should count toward. Mini-Challenges, since the goal is to encourage ourselves to expand our reading. You'll have to use your own judgement on that one. I don't want to become the Point Police.

[Cindy (BKind2Books)]

Holly wrote: "Cindy, it's just a fun casual thing to do. No pressure! :)"

Oh I know - but I am competitive (with myself if nothing else). Give me points or a mark to achieve and I will work like a dog to make that goal.

[Kassandra]

Kassandra's Point Tally: October
Total Points (updating as I go along): 69

GENERAL (1pt each):
-The Book of Joe
-Daisy Miller
-The War of the Roses
-The Expats

GROUP READ (5 pts each):
-The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

GENRE: Horror (3pts each):
-Zombicorns
-Nightmares!
-Sharp Objects

MINI-CHALLENGE (3pt each):
-banned book challenge The Call of the Wild
-banned book challenge The Outsiders

Complete a multi-book mini-challenge: 10 extra points
-banned book challenge (2 books) (10 points)
-I'd Like to Buy a Vowel Challenge (10 points)

READATHON:
-joined 25 points

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Yes. We're using the Mini-Challenge folder for the Point Challenge as a test run. Next year it would have its own folder or something like that. (Maybe even on the Header.) So everything has an assigned point value, but a Group Read (5 points) doesn't also get 3 points as a Mini-Challenge book. In my opinion.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

This is another idea from the brilliant mind of Karen. :D

[Stephanie]

Stephanie's Point Tally: October
Total Points: 61

General: 12 points

The Lord of the Rings
The Warrior's Stone
Something Borrowed
The Ripple Effect
Spore
The Beast of Babylon
The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage
Nothing O'Clock
Doctor Who: Blackout
Doctor Who: The Ring of Steel
Doctor Who: The Jade Pyramid
Doctor Who: The Gemini Contagion

Genre (Horror): 12 points
Ticktock
Pet Sematary
Chibi Vampire, Vol. 01
Chibi Vampire, Vol. 02

Mini-challenge: 3 points
Chibi Vampire, Vol. 01 (Creepy, Crawly Challenge)

October Readathon: 25 points + 9 points
Ticktock
Pet Sematary
Chibi Vampire, Vol. 02

[Lucy]

Lucy's October Point Tally!

A Feast for Crows - "I'd Like to Buy a Vowel" mini-challenge (3)
Hodd - "I'd Like to Buy a Vowel" mini-challenge (3)
King Lear - "I'd Like to Buy a Vowel" mini-challenge (3)
A Thousand Acres - general (1)
Dracula - Group Read (5)

October Readathon - (25)
Completed "I'd Like to Buy a Vowel" mini-challenge - (10)

[Melissa]

Do we get points from Group Reads or Challenges from other Book Groups? :)

[Kassandra]

Melissa - unfortunately, it's just for this group. Not everyone within the group participates in other groups, so we are trying to keep it fair for everyone.

Having said that, you could always influence try to influence what your other groups are reading so that you will be able to use the books that you are reading for both!

[Roseanne]

Renee wrote: "Personally, I don't think Group Read books should count toward. Mini-Challenges, since the goal is to encourage ourselves to expand our reading. You'll have to use your own judgement on that one. I..."

I wouldn't want anyone to have the job of point police. Sometimes doubling up is ok. Just checking.

[Melissa]

Thanks, Kassandra! Just making sure. :)

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Okay, Roseanne. We're all sorting still out the details. :)

[Karen]

I'm late to the party only to realize somebody thinks I have a brilliant mind *blushes furiously*. Not sure how accurate that is, but thanks!

[Karen]

OCTOBER POINTS TALLY: 69

My record:
Read a general book: 1 point per book
1. One Salt Sea
2. Before They Are Hanged
3. Sandman Slim
4. The Secret Place
5. The Paper Magician
6. The Mirror Empire

Read a group read book: 5 points per book

Read a buddy read book: 5 points per book

Read a book for the genre challenge: 3 points per book
1. We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Read a book for a mini-challenge: 3 points per book
1. A Discovery of Witches (Creepy Crawly Challenge)
2. Howl's Moving Castle (Creepy Crawly Challenge)
3. Kindred (Haunted by the Unread Challenge)
4. Dead Witch Walking (Creepy Crawly Challenge)
5. The Lathe of Heaven (Book Bingo Challenge)

Complete a multi-book mini-challenge: 10 extra points
1. Creepy Crawly Challenge
2. Book Bingo Challenge

Sign up and take part in the October readathon: 25 points
CHECK

[Tracey]

OCTOBER POINTS TALLY: 44

My record:
Read a general book: 1 point per book
1. The Supernatural Enhancements
2. Throne of Glass
3. Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected
4. The Invention of Wings
5. The Magicians
6. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
7. Little Women

Read a group read book: 5 points per book

Read a buddy read book: 5 points per book

Read a book for the genre challenge: 3 points per book
1. Between the Spark and the Burn
2. Carrie
3. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Read a book for a mini-challenge: 3 points per book
1. The Black Dahlia (Creepy Crawly Challenge)

Complete a multi-book mini-challenge: 10 extra points

Sign up and take part in the October readathon: 25 points
Check

Total:

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Actually, Karen, we all do! :D

[Alessandra]

OCTOBER POINTS TALLY: 41

Read a general book: 1 point per book
Poison Study (1)
Fangirl (1)
The Knife of Never Letting Go (1)
Lola and the Boy Next Door (1)
Isla and the Happily Ever After (1)

Read a group read book: 5 points per book
A Monstr Calls (5)

Read a buddy read book: 5 points per book you read with a buddy

Read a book for the genre challenge: 3 points per book
The Sacrifice (3)

Read a book for a mini-challenge: 3 points per book
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Banned Book Challenge (3)

Complete a multi-book mini-challenge: 10 extra points

Sign up and take part in the October readathon: 25 points
Check

Let's see how many points I can get. I probably won't get as many as you guys though *laughs*

[Camille]

Camille's October Point Tally:

- Read a general book (1 point per book)
1. Après La Rafle
2. Heat and Dust
3. Maggie: A Girl of the Streets
4. The Pearl
5. Wide Sargasso Sea
6. Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer's Life
7. The Unknown Unknown: Bookshops and the Delight of Not Getting What You Wanted
8. Tisha: The Wonderful True Love Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaskan Wilderness
9. Norwegian Wood
10. Pattern of Shadows
11. Wench
12. Anne of Green Gables
13. Anne of Avonlea
Total: 13

- Read a group read book (5 points per book)
1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Total: 5

- Read a buddy read book (5 points per book you read with a buddy)
Total: 0

- Read a book for the genre challenge (3 points per book)
Total: 0

- Read a book for a mini-challenge (3 points per book)
1. Après La Rafle for the Vowel Challenge.
2. Heat and Dust for the Vowel Challenge.
3. The Unknown Unknown: Bookshops and the Delight of Not Getting What You Wanted for the Alphabet Soup Challenge.
Total: 9

- Complete a multi-book mini-challenge (10 extra points)
Completed the Vowel Challenge.
Total: 10.

- Sign up and take part in the October readathon (25 points (plus the points for each book you read, calculated by type, ie. group, genre, mini, buddy))
1. Wench
2. Anne of Green Gables
3. Anne of Avonlea
Total: 28.

Total: 65 points

[Melissa]

So can your book fit into different challenges and rack up points that way? :D

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Hmm. Sure, Melissa. If you do one of the larger mini- challenges and there's some cross over titles. I think that would be okay. Like, maybe you do the Alphabet Challenge and you read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as both a Banned Book and your "W." As long as you can keep your point calculations straight!

(Some of the mini-challenges only run for short periods; while others run for months. )

[Camille]

Why, thanks. The 25 points are for saying you'll do it, not actually doing it ;-)

[Rob]

Just a suggestion for 2015: Award bonus points for a book that exceed X number of pages.

[Holly, That Geeky One]

Great idea, Rob! :D

[Melissa]

I added big time to my point challenge! 10 points for a multi-mini book challenge and also 3 points for genre.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Woohoo! Great Job, Melissa!

[Melissa]

Thanks, Renee!

[Kassandra]

Good question Sandy! Over to you Renee. What do you think about doing another point challenge in November?

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Sounds good. I'm on my phone but I'll try to get to a computer thiS weekend. :)

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Finished for October.
Final Tally: 54 points
7 Books
Plus, several short stories.

[Kassandra]

Finished October with 69 points and 11 books. Looking forward to November!

[Holly, That Geeky One]

Finished with 57 and 10 books! Although still hideously behind my needed books for my challenge!

[Stephanie]

Finished October with 61 points and 16 books.

[Melissa]

Finished with a total of 80 points.

[Aitziber]

Melissa wrote: "Finished with a total of 80 points."

Melissa, you are on fire!

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Yeah. Melissa was a reading machine!!

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Nice finishes, Everyone!!

I just posted a new thread for gathering our monthly point totals. :D