2015 Year Long Challenge - Serial Killers

[Danny]

A lot of the series I have are being converted into omnibuses and it is generally a lot cheaper to buy 3 or 4 books in a series packaged as one. So my question is basically if those omnibuses will still count as the same number of individual books for the series? For example I have a series with 8 books which was recently packaged as 2 omnibuses for books 1-3/3-6 with the final 2 books separately. Would that still count as a 8 book series or would I have to count it only as a 4 book series?

[Janice, Moderator]

If the books are listed separately on the series page, they are counted as individual books even though they may be compiled into an omnibus.

[Danny]

Janice wrote: "If the books are listed separately on the series page, they are counted as individual books even though they may be compiled into an omnibus."

Ok thanks a ton Janice!

[Camilla]

Umm, Janice, probably this has been asked earlier, I did try to look through all the messages but got frustrated somewhere along the way... So I need to ask this: what about "series within series", do I get killing points if I kill the smaller series instead of the larger one? I'll be reading Brimstone during the spring. It is Pendergast series #5, but it is also Diogenes series #1, of which I've read #2 and #3 earlier. Can I kill the Diogenes trilogy this way, even if I will not be killing the Pendergast series?

[Janice, Moderator]

The answer to your question is buried in the thread somewhere. I don't blame you for feeling frustrated trying to find it.

Yes, you can kill Diogenes trilogy by reading Brimstone. Of course, if you decide to knock off the Pendergast series, you'll only get to count the book points once.

[Camilla]

Janice wrote: "The answer to your question is buried in the thread somewhere. I don't blame you for feeling frustrated trying to find it.

Yes, you can kill Diogenes trilogy by reading Brimstone. Of course, if ..."

Great, thanks Janice! Then I will just kill the Diogenes trilogy, as I have no hope of ever finishing the Pendergast series (for some obscure reason our library doesn't have the first two books, grrrr!).

[Peggy]

Hey Janice, I'm considering closing the Walsh Family series. It's set in Ireland so it fits the monthly read as well and it will give me a reasonable amount of points :D I have to admit I'm mostly reading it for series closure, not because I'm overly excited about the book ;-)

Anyway, I have a question. There are 6 books in the series, but I'm not sure if the 6th can be considered an actual book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

It has only 66 kindle-pages, and it seems more like a glossary than a story. I might read it if I can find it, it's been years since the other books so it can refresh my memory a bit maybe, but I'm not sure if I'm also allowed to count it for points.

[Janice, Moderator]

It does fit the style of a .5 short story or add-on, doesn't it? And it's only 66 kindle pages. I didn't make a ruling for page length (unless it's buried somewhere in this lengthy thread). I'm really on the fence about this. I personally don't consider 66 kindle pages to be a book. It does sound like it's a glossary. But, I have made the ruling that if Goodreads lists it as a whole numbered book in the series page, and it's published, it needs to be included. So, I'm going to stick with that ruling.

[Peggy]

Thanks Janice. It does indeed sound more like a .5 book, it's also described as something to read before book 5, to refresh your memory. I don't mind reading it though, it's easy points ;-)

[Sarah]

I know the .5 question has come up a lot and I understand those aren't included. But what about a book which is listed as 0 in a series? Or not listed as a number at all? The book I am thinking about (it is a book rather than a novella or short story) was just released as a prequel to the series. It was showing up as #0 in the Shadow Ops series but now it doesn't have a number at all - https://www.goodreads.com/series/6922...

EDIT: It's Gemini Cell

[Janice, Moderator]

Funny you should ask! I was just looking at Red Country and it's the same situation. I think in both our cases, Gemini Cell and Red Country are not part of the same series, but set in the same world. Yours is a prequel set many years prior.

I'm going to say they are not required to be included in the series.

Same with #0's. We'll consider them as .5's because they are not whole numbers. Who would have thought series would get so complicated. LOL!

[Sarah]

Thanks Janice. It's these authors (and publishers) who confuse matters for us ;-)

[Amanda]

Well, after packing and moving house over the last 3 weeks, I finally got back to reading my first book for my challenge!

Because I was not sure if I would be able to read very many books this year (with the moving and such) I didn't make my list very long. Is it possible to add to my reading list through the year, or is it set with what I selected at the beginning of the challenge.

[Peggy]

You can change/add/remove whatever you want Amanda :)

How are things at your new house? Did you settle in completely?

[Amanda]

Peggy wrote: "You can change/add/remove whatever you want Amanda :)

How are things at your new house? Did you settle in completely?"

Thanks Peggy!

We have not moved into the new house yet. We don't close on the new house until mid-March. We close on the sell of our current house on Friday! We moved in with my parents for the next 3 weeks! I hope it goes by very fast!!

[Janice, Moderator]

I've already changed, added and deleted books and series in my challenge lists.

It will be exciting for you when you move into your house, Amanda.

[Amanda]

Janice wrote: "I've already changed, added and deleted books and series in my challenge lists.

It will be exciting for you when you move into your house, Amanda."

Thanks! I am excited to get the new house! :)

I updated my challenge thread.

[Cherie]

Janice - after Level 5, you are not giving out badges, but do you want us to keep reporting kills? Or do we just quietly go about killing them off, like Rebecca, and amusing ourselves until we get tired of it, or the year ends, whichever comes first?

Do you want us to report our status after Level 5?
# of series killed, # of books read, # of pages, # of books read in a series or what? Or do you just want me to shut up and quit bugging you until the end of the year? ☺

[Janice, Moderator]

Hehehe... I think it would be pretty hard to be quiet for 10 months.

Yes, go ahead and report when you are finished another level in the reporting thread. Maybe link to your thread so people can see what you are reading and what you've accomplished.

I really didn't expect that people would have finished off 5 levels so quickly and I kind of based my decision to do 5 badges on last year's challenge. Do keep track of your successes because there may be additional rewards at the end of the year.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I just realized that I may be doing this wrong! We do not start level 2 before completing level 1, correct? So, our series are broken up if you are reading multiple series at once?

I think I was trying to keep my series together in the same level. That way if I plan to read a series, but don't complete it, it won't mess up previous levels where I added points for reading one of the books. (I have a bad track record of planning to finish a series and not getting to the end of it.) Does that make sense? That, however, would mean that I have multiple series & levels going at once. I can shift it around to fix it though.

Another question I have that probably has already been answered multiple times (sorry!) is that the books have to have been started after Jan 1st, correct? Not just finished in 2015.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

You're right in the fact that you have to finish Level 1, before starting Level 2. You are not restricted to having to finish the whole of one series in a level.

I'm a chaotic reader, so I plan on reading a book for a series in level 1 and then maybe reading another in the same series in level 3. If you don't finish the series for the challenge, you still get points for reading the book/s.

Also, I have found out, that if you start reading a book in Level 1, but you finish reading books to complete Level 1 before you finish that book, you can't count it for Level 2. I'm an epically slow audiobook listener so this happened to me. Just to keep in mind.

What you do need to do is finish one series to complete the level, as well as hitting 100 points.

Re: 1 Jan - that depends on when you signed up to the challenge (sorry too lazy to find your thread). From Janice's original challenge post:
"You may start the challenge at any time during the year, but you start at level one and work forward. You may not go back to January 1 and plug in series you've read prior to joining the challenge.

[Sandra, Moderator]

You don't need to read the series together. You can read more than one series at the same time. You'll close a level as soon as you finish a series and get 100 points. When this happens you will be with 0 points again. Not sure if this answers your whole question. :)

[Sandra, Moderator]

Never mind. Rusalka answered it much better. :)

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thank you! I was concerned that if I didn't finish a series the 5 points in prior levels would mess me up. I think I've got it now. I'll re-order my challenge, so it's correct.

As for dates, I joined the challenge in December, as soon as I saw it. If I started a book after that date, but prior to January, and finished it in January, it still counts? I think I skipped one or two that I started a few days before January because I thought they only counted if they were started in January.

[Canadian Dragon]

Kristie, technically it is a yearly challenge so even though the challenge rules were posted in December. The challenge didn't begin until Jan 1. So no books began in December count for points.

[Kristie, Moderator]

That's what I thought. Thanks, Tasha.

[Janice, Moderator]

What they all said. :)

[Berit]

Good news Janice! I figured out how to start a folder, so I will do this a little later in the day. However, I think it gets thrown into the general area, so if you could move it for me that would be great. Baby steps right?

[Janice, Moderator]

Yes, I will move it for you.

[Berit]

I will let you know when I have created it :-) thanks in advance!

[Berit]

I created it :-) it was there, and then it was gone ;-) thanks again!

[Janice, Moderator]

I moved it into the folder for the Year Long Challenges. It's all good.

[Berit]

Thanks :-)

[Camilla]

Another question: what about books that are part of a series, but none of the books in the series are numbered? I'm currently reading Bending the Landscape: Original Gay and Lesbian Horror Writing, which according to GR is part of "Bending the Landscape" series (currently a trilogy). However, the books are not numbered as #1, #2 etc. Do they still count as series books? Here's the link to the series page: https://www.goodreads.com/series/1198...

[Janice, Moderator]

Camilla wrote: "Another question: what about books that are part of a series, but none of the books in the series are numbered? I'm currently reading [book:Bending the Landscape: Original Gay and Lesbian Horror Wr..."

This will be the third time I've tried to respond to this message. I type away, the cursor magically repositions itself and the next character I type deletes the whole thing. Has anyone else had that happen? It happens quite frequently for me. I don't know if it's my mouse being overly sensitive.

Let's try again.

I am currently reading The First Law which has numbered and unnumbered books. I have disallowed the unnumbered books. I'm thinking to be consistent I would need to disallow all unnumbered books.

Your series makes me think of a National Geographic series on tv where they explore a different ocean each episode loosely connected by the overall topic of climate. Each book in your series is a collection of short stories by various authors, and focuses on a particular genre - fantasy, science fiction, and horror. It falls outside of what my intentions were for this challenge.

Based on being consistent with other series with unnumbered books, and that the series is atypical from what I had envisioned, I'm going to say no.

[Peggy]

I have that often Janice, but only on my laptop. Sometimes Ctrl+Z will give you your text back :)

[Camilla]

Janice wrote: "Based on being consistent with other series with unnumbered books, and that the series is atypical from what I had envisioned, I'm going to say no."

Thanks for the answer Janice! No problem, I was sort of expecting that, but just had to try, LOL! What we wouldn't do for five points...

[Cherie]

Camilla wrote: "Janice wrote: "Based on being consistent with other series with unnumbered books, and that the series is atypical from what I had envisioned, I'm going to say no."

Thanks for the answer Janice! No..."

But I am glad you asked because I would like to read two of them. I cannot recall ever seeing them before. Not into the horror stories, but the other two books look interesting. Interesting how they are shelved. They look like series books and one even has a 2.9 series title after it. Guess GR cannot make up their minds either.

[Cherie]

Janice - my edit box messes up on my tablet, but I have never had a problem on my lap-top, unless GR is overbooked. If there are too many people on-line, it takes forever for the comments to be accepted and I have thought they disappeared only to find - after I wrote the 2nd one, that the first was there. It can never do it on the short ones, so maybe they are trying to discourage long comments.

[Peggy]

For me the problem is not just GR by the way, it's just this weird red thing in the middle of the keyboard that I accidentally touch to often.

[Camilla]

Cherie wrote: "But I am glad you asked because I would like to read two of them. I cannot recall ever seeing them before. Not into the horror stories, but the other two books look interesting."

I haven't gotten very far with the book yet (got sidetracked by The Ask and the Answer), but based on the three stories that I've read so far, they are not very strongly horror. I think I'd classify them more as spefi or just plain strange. But I've liked them all, hope the rest is as good.

[Janice, Moderator]

I'll try the Ctl-Z next time. It's not just Goodreads that I have the problem on. If the mouse moves, the cursor repositions without me clicking the mouse. I should be able to move the mouse without the cursor shifting position. Sometimes, I'll be typing in one spot and all of a sudden, I'm typing in another. It's very frustrating.

[Canadian Dragon]

too funny does this happen to anyone else. I sit to read the next book in the series and completely forget the book I have read. Time to do a reread. So I begin again

[Janice, Moderator]

It depends on how long ago I read it.

[Lara]

Happens to me all the time :-)

[Amanda]

Yikes! Now that I have moved closer to work, my commute is cut in half and it is taking me longer to listen to my books!

[Lara]

Amanda wrote: "Yikes! Now that I have moved closer to work, my commute is cut in half and it is taking me longer to listen to my books!"

I've had the same experience, I went from 45 min+ each way to less than 10 min. I don't even put my audiobooks on in the car anymore. That means I have to listen at home when DH wants attention. Sigh, decisions, decisions... ;-)

[Amanda]

Lara wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Yikes! Now that I have moved closer to work, my commute is cut in half and it is taking me longer to listen to my books!"

I've had the same experience, I went from 45 min+ each way..."

I still start the book. My commute is about 20 minutes. We are in the process of unpacking so maybe after all that I can start listening at home. I tried listening at work, but I get too distracted. Listening to documentaries on Netflix is much easier.

[Elinaly]

Do Terry Pratchett's Discworld so called "inner-series" qualify?

For example I'm reading books in Discworld - Ankh-Morpork City Watch series (total 8 books)
Link is HERE

Discworld series in total has ca 40 books...

[Dawn]

If I recall correctly, you can use any series listed on GR's. Whether it's a part of a larger series or not. The caveat being that you are not permitted to claim series with overlapping books. In your case, you could claim the City Watch series but that would mean that you couldn't claim the entire Discworld series later in the year.