2019 Read-A-Thon #4: Team Challenge Introduction and FAQs

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

It's time for our final team challenge of the year, and in honor of the holidays, we will be looking at books that fit each and every holiday from December 1st through January 20th!

Because it is the holidays and lots of us will be traveling and/or quite busy, we thought this could be a simpler Read-A-Thon. Teams will be given the prompts ahead of time, so they can plan and work through them as a team.

If you haven't signed up for the team challenge yet, head to this thread to be added to a team.

The goal of this team challenge is, of course, to read! But, in the spirit of competition, we have three different levels of this challenge, with each getting progressively harder. You must finish the first set of prompts before moving on to the next! For example, you must finish the Bronze Level (December 1-15) before moving on to the Silver Level (December 16-31). There will be badges for each team as they complete the levels.

The tasks are as follows:

Bronze Level
December 1: World AIDS Day - Read a book where someone is sick
December 2: Cyber Monday - Read a book where the first letter of the title is found in the words AMAZON or EBAY
December 3: Giving Tuesday - Read a book rated 5 stars by a friend on Goodreads
December 4: National Dice Day - Read a book with a 6 in the page number
December 5: International Ninja Day - Read a book set in Asia
December 6: Free Read!
December 7: National Cotton Candy Day - Read a “light and fluffy” book
December 8: Pretend To Be A Time Traveler Day - Read a book relating to time in some way
December 9: National Pastry Day - Read a book with a yellow cover
December 10: International Human Rights Day - Read a book by an author whose first or last initial can be found in HUMAN RIGHTS
December 11: National App Day - Read a book whose cover is the same color as your favorite app
December 12: Free Read!
December 13: Friday the 13th - Read a spooky book
December 14: National Postal Worker Day - Read a book that features a letter
December 15: Bill of Rights Day - Read a historical fiction or history book set in the US

Silver Level
December 16: National Chocolate Covered Anything Day - Read a book by an author whose first or last initial can be found in CHOCOLATE
December 17: Wright Brothers Day - Read a book that features a plane or brothers
December 18: International Migrants Day - Read a book that features an immigrant or someone migrating from their home country
December 19: National Emo Day - Read a dark and depressing book
December 20: National Ugly Sweater Day - Read a book with an ugly cover
December 21: Winter Solstice - Read a book with less than 200 pages
December 22: Free Read!
December 23: First Day of Hanukkah - Read a book with a light source on the cover
December 24: Christmas Eve - Read a book centered around family
December 25: Christmas Day - Read a book related to Christmas
December 26: Boxing Day - Read a book that you received as a gift or that you would give as a gift
December 27: National Fruitcake Day - Read a book with a fruit on the cover
December 28: National Short Film Day - Read a book related to a TV show or movie
December 29: Free Read!
December 30: National Bacon Day - Read a book starting with a letter in the words BACON or PIG
December 31: New Years’ Eve - Read a book by an author you’ve read before

Gold Level
January 1: New Years Day - Read a book by a new-to-you author
January 2: National Science Fiction Day - Read a sci-fi book
January 3: Free Read!
January 4: World Braille Day - Read a book featuring someone with a disability
January 5: National Screenwriters Day - Read a book that is not a novel (nonfiction, poetry, play, etc.)
January 6: Three Kings Day - Read a book with three words in the title
January 7: National Bobblehead Day - Read a book with a larger than life character
January 8: Elvis Presley’s Birthday - Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in THE KING
January 9: National Apricot Day - Read a book with a red or orange cover
January 10: National Houseplant Appreciation Day - Read a book with a plant on the cover
January 11: National Vision Board Day - Read a book with multiple timelines
January 12: National Youth Day - Read a YA or Middle Grade book
January 13: Free Read!
January 14: National Dress Up Your Pet Day - Read a book by an author whose first or last initial can be found in DOG, CAT, or FISH
January 15: National Hat Day - Read a book with a hat on the cover
January 16: National Nothing Day - Read a book with a 0 in the page count
January 17: Free Read!
January 18: National Thesaurus Day - Read a book that has a word with 7+ letters in the title
January 19: National Popcorn Day - Read a book with a snack on the cover
January 20: Heroes' Day - Read a book featuring someone who is a hero

If a team finishes all of these prompts, they will be given a *Platinum Level* to complete January holidays.

If you have any questions, please ask below!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

TEAM CANDY CANE
Co-Captain: Kathryn
Co-Captain: Trish
Vish
Bec
Lieke
Hannah (Message 30)
Hilde
Erica
Hannah (Message 4)
Johanne
Ira
Mini

TEAM TWINKLE LIGHTS
Captain: Chrissy
Devin
Samantha (Message 8)
Perri
MKay
Kathy
Jackie
Edie
Kelly
Alaina
Kathy Jo
Elzecat

TEAM TACKY SWEATER
Co-Captain: Suzanne
Co-Captain: Samantha (Message 17)
dalex
Joan
Jen K
Sara
Chelsey
Jkmays
ZeeJane
Ebony
Karissa
Veronica

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

FAQs

Q: I started reading a book before the Read-A-Thon. Does it still count?

A: Yes! As long as you have at least 100 pages left at the start of the challenge, you may count the book.

Q: What does it mean when the prompt says there needs to be a 6 in the page count?

A: Any page number that contains a 6 will work for this prompt. If the book is 162 pages, 653 pages, or 267 pages, for example, these would work. You can use the page count of the edition you're reading, or use the default page count on the book's page.

Q: What does "Free Read" mean?

A: Any book can be slotted in for this day! It's meant to give you an opportunity to read a book you may have planned but that doesn't necessarily fit anywhere else.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Team threads are posted!

[Suzanne]

Is there a minimum page requirement for books to count?

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Suzanne wrote: "Is there a minimum page requirement for books to count?"

They must be 100 pages unless the prompt specifies otherwise!

[[deleted user]]

Question for mods-looking ahead to the Gold section, for January 1, read a book from a new-to-you author: if I'm reading a short story anthology that has a mix of previously read and then new-to-me authors, can I count that book for this category? Currently reading How the Dukes Stole Christmas, which is composed by 4 authors and 2 of them are new to me.

Thanks!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I think 50% is fine enough to count!

[[deleted user]]

Emily wrote: "I think 50% is fine enough to count!"

Thanks :)

[Hilde]

One more question for the mods:
For the January 5th prompt under Gold (Read a book that is not a novel (nonfiction, poetry, play, etc.)), does the book have to be 100 pages here as well? I have a Christmas collection that includes poems, short stories, art etc, but it's only 88 pages. Might that work, or is it too short?

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

It should be 100 pages!

[[deleted user]]

Looking ahead to the possibility of my team doing the platinum round and looking at what books I still have on hand, (the read-a-thon has wiped out my library book stash, LOL), Question: are re-reads allowed? I have the first Discworld book on hand, which is for a personal challenge I'm doing, and I'm wondering if I can use it for the team challenge if I need to read something else this weekend.

Thanks!

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Rereads are allowed, as long as you haven’t already read it during this Read-A-Thon!

[Suzanne]

Team Tacky Sweater has finished the Gold level. Can we get the Platinum level prompts?

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Working on it now!

[Suzanne]

Emily wrote: "Working on it now!"

Thanks!

[[deleted user]]

Emily wrote: "Rereads are allowed, as long as you haven’t already read it during this Read-A-Thon!"

Perfect, thanks!

[Suzanne]

Emily, thank you so much for organizing the Read-a-thon. I really appreciate your work to make it happen.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Suzanne wrote: "Emily, thank you so much for organizing the Read-a-thon. I really appreciate your work to make it happen."

No problem, Suzanne! It was fun!