Sub-Challenge Conversation

[Kate S]

For the Spring 2020 season, we want your input!

Before we design our sub-challenge (the 10 15-point tasks), we would like to open a discussion about what our members like, don't like, and would prefer for this season. At the end of an open week or so, we will post a poll based on the information gleaned from this thread.

We are interested in all things sub-challenge in this thread: scoring, type of challenge, bonuses, new ideas, recycled ideas, anything. Please feel free to share your preferences in a respectful manner.

For the curious, here is a link to a basic history of our previous sub-challenges.

[Ed]

I'm not a fan of the challenges that require books to be read in a certain order.....just because I can't rely on the library to deliver the books in proper order.
Also why not Jumbo or Oldie bonus points in the sub-challenge...maybe not the same structure as the RwS challenge....but something. Maybe one combo bonus allowed per book too?

[Valerie]

I agree with Ed. I prefer the sub-challenge to be one were we can read in any order, since I am in the same boat (re: the library). The only one I was able to read in order was the "Page count" one.

I noticed that the Listopia challenge had fun bonuses:
+5 per book for 1979 or older
+5 for not a novel
+5 jumbo (500+)
+100 finish bonus

as did the Ratings game:
over 500 pg +5
NF +5
pub before 1995 +5
+100 finish bonus

[Connie]

I also get most of my books from the library, and need to read them in any order. Extra points for jumbo books is a great idea. I sometimes cannot find the birth date of contemporary authors, but am open to almost any other ideas in the sub-challenge.

[Rosemary]

I like challenges based on dates (publication or author), page count, or alphabet.

I don't so much like challenges based on geography, genre, or prizes. This is because I mostly want to fit my existing TBR into challenges. I do appreciate being pushed out of my comfort zone in new directions from time to time, but I don't want to keep being pushed in the same directions over and over, which is what seems to happen when I do challenges in several different groups. ("Oh no, not magical realism AGAIN...")

I also like the bonuses! and generally, I love RwS and the subchallenges :)

[Karen Michele]

I do appreciate challenges that allow me to read in any order as others have said. Otherwise, I love the surprise of the sub challenges. I am trying to read books I own, but I can usually find fits because I own so darn many!

[Valerie]

Karen Michele wrote: "I do appreciate challenges that allow me to read in any order as others have said. Otherwise, I love the surprise of the sub challenges. I am trying to read books I own, but I can usually find fits..."

Yes! That's it.... 'the surprise of the sub challenges' - that is fun!

[Connie]

I really enjoy the planning stage of the sub-challenges so I appreciate that the mods come up with so many different ideas.

[Joanna]

I don't mind reading books in a certain order.

I especially like the sub-challenges like the current one that involve matching up several characteristics. I like the planning part of that.

I also find that one of the most fun parts about RWS generally is the bonus points system. I love finding combos and picking books to get the extra points per book. When there are bonuses available in a subchallenge, I like that as well.

Also, sometimes the subchallenge turns out to be off in terms of whether the books for the subchallenge are worth a similar number of points as the books in the RWS tasks generally. This season, my RWS books are averaging slightly more than 50 points each, while the maximum for the subchallenge is 30 points each. That's discouraged me from completing the subchallenge because I get more points by just repeating the RWS tasks so I ended up shifting most of the books I'd picked for the CYOA over to a RWS task instead.

[Kathleen (itpdx)]

Yes, I do get frustrated by birth dates of contemporary authors. I wouldn’t publish my birthdate either. It is used as part of ID too often. I also find the sub challenges that have to be read in order not to be among my favorites. Often I read my RL book group books as part of the challenge and the timing can be off.
I like the ones that have subject categories or genres. They usually give me an opportunity to read in favorite areas and explore something new in the same season. I like geography because I like to explore the world vicariously. But there seem to be a lot of stumbling blocks with citizenship, birth place and changing country boundaries.

[Deedee]

Connie wrote: "I really enjoy the planning stage of the sub-challenges so I appreciate that the mods come up with so many different ideas."

Me too!

I enjoyed planning for the Roulette Sub-Challenge we did a while back.

The challenges that push me past American & British writers has broadened my reading.

Reading books in a set order is unnecessarily difficult for me as most of my books I get from the library --

Thanks to our moderators for running this group so well!!!

[Rebekah]

I still would like to do some kind of linking sub challenge whether by words in the title or by author’s name, and it could be going to a different title word each time, or all 10 titles share a word
Or linking authors names from first to last or all the authors share a name.

Example 1 linking by a new word in title each time
The Girl on the Train
Gone Girl
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
The Speed of Dark
Etc

Example 2 author shares last name, then author shares first name
Yvette Walker
Alice Walker
Alice Adams
Richard Adams
Etc

Example 3 ( an easier version of example 2) same as above only with initials rather than actual name
Delia Owens
Oliver Sacks
Sarah Waters
Wayne Caldwell
Etc

Example 4 all titles have the same word in them
October Light
All the Light We Cannot See
How the Light Gets In
The Light Between Oceans
Etc

Example 5 all the authors share the same last name
Zadie Smith
Tom Rob Smith
Betty Smith
Lee Smith
Etc

Example 6 ( different version of above) all the authors share the same first name
Rebecca West
Rebecca Wells
Rebecca Skloot
Rebecca Makkai
Etc

[Anika]

Rebekah wrote: "I still would like to do some kind of linking sub challenge whether by words in the title or by author’s name, and it could be going to a different title word each time, or all 10 titles share a wo..."

I love this idea! Takes me back to junior high: my best friend and i played a game where we had to link as many celebrity names as possible (Babe Ruth/Ruth Bader Ginsberg/Allen Ginsberg/Woody Allen/Woody Harrelson...) We should have been paying attention in history class at the time, but we found this far more intellectually stimulating :-D

[Rebekah]

Why cant we do a linking title words subchallenge? While still a challenge, its a lot less complicated than some of the sub-challenges we’ve had.

[Joanne]

Like others I depend on the library for a lot of my reads, so linking has to be pretty varied in order to work for me. I have enjoyed my first six months here and thank the mods for whatever you come up with.