Team Captivating Cryptic Conquerors - chat and planning

[Gail]

I'm not sure that a book about a seamstress would count, because the task is to have a main character who does some sort of craft for a hobby, whereas a seamstress does sewing for a living, not as a hobby. It's a shame - because I just remembered I have the book Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, which is a short book but just over 175 pages, so would have been ideal for a Toppler.

[Gail]

Elsbeth, I'll put you down for the alien world - for some reason I hadn't added you to any task yet. I think this will be a lot easier to work out once I make a spreadsheet.

[Elsbeth]

Gail wrote: "Elsbeth, I'll put you down for the alien world - for some reason I hadn't added you to any task yet. I think this will be a lot easier to work out once I make a spreadsheet."

Okay, that's fine!

[Gail]

Okay, we just have crafting to do now. It has to be a craft that a main character does for a hobby.

Kerri, I can't remember if Miss Marple knits - I read all the Miss Marple books years ago, and can't remember knitting playing a part, but there may have been an occasional mention of it. Probably not in every book though, even if she did. Does anyone else know?

[Sandra, Moderator]

We are doing great! Only one day and we have many task potentially covered.

[Kerri]

I have found lots of books for crafting but unfortunately my library doesn't carry them. I went to listopia and looked up knitting, quilting and scrapbooking, there are quite a few there. Maybe someone else will have better luck with their library.

[Tejas Janet]

I remembered some quilting books by Austin-author Spike Gillespie - but they're both just under 175 pages so won't work for the toppler : (

Back into the gopher hole!

[Dawn]

Gail wrote: "I read all the Miss Marple books years ago, and can't remember knitting playing a part, but there may have been an occasional mention of it. Probably not in every book though, even if she did. Does anyone else know?..."

It's definitely a reoccurring item in the Miss Marple books. She always has her knitting with her.

[Esther]

Hey folks! Sorry i missed out on the first stages but ive updated in the other thread what i have gophered. I can slot in anywhere at all, whatever helps the team. I havent finished gophering completely so I may be able to find more yet. Aim is between 3-5 books.

[Gail]

Hi EstaAmelia - welcome to the group. :-) No worries, there's no rush. We only found out the rules yesterday, and so not all the team has turned up yet.

Thanks for listing books you could read. We've actually got all the bonus tasks covered except for the crafting one, but some people's book choices fit into several categories, so I can jiggle them around a bit, so we have more categories covered in general. Do any of your books fit into other categories as well?

I'll make a spreadsheet later, and then hopefully it will be easier to manage.

[Gail]

Also, everyone, if you've listed more books than you can read, so you can choose from them, do let me know which of those books you most want to read (if you have a preference) because it would be nice if everyone could read the books they really want to, and I'm sure we can juggle it that way, as there are so many categories. :-)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Gail wrote: "I'm not sure that a book about a seamstress would count, because the task is to have a main character who does some sort of craft for a hobby, whereas a seamstress does sewing for a living, not as ..."

I'd check that one with Jmom. Maybe be calling a rockmelon a cantaloupe. It's crafty, so it may count (lived with a seamstress, who call themselves dressmakers or tailors these days, for many many years. I've seen the cupboards to prove it).

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Gail wrote: "Also, everyone, if you've listed more books than you can read, so you can choose from them, do let me know which of those books you most want to read (if you have a preference) because it would be ..."

Problem with lurking on peoples threads at 2am, I tend to comment.

Remember there is no limit to how many people read each task. And besides the bonus points... I'll leave you all to fill in the rest ;) Can't help you TOO much.

[Gail]

Ah, thanks, Rusalka - if we can count seamstresses, I'd love to read Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.

I know there's no limit to how many people can read each task - I just figured that the mystery bonus might be about how many tasks are completed in total. Although I suppose it could equally be about how many people did each bonus task! I have no idea - I was trying to ask jmom whether it is best to read as many categories as possible, but she didn't say.

[Gail]

What I mean is, I can easily put several people per task on quite a few of the bouns tasks - or I can spread them out onto several of the other tasks, as the books can fit several categories. I have no idea which option is best, because I don't know what the mystery bonus is. Is it just a game of chance which we decide?

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Gail wrote: "Ah, thanks, Rusalka - if we can count seamstresses, I'd love to read Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.

I know there's no limit to how many people can read each task - I just ..."

I don't know about the "seamstress". I think that's worth asking in the other thread though. _disclaimer_ I have been known to be wrong, so please don't be annoyed if this is the case again :P

Re: bonus points. Who knows! Could be literally anything.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Gail wrote: "What I mean is, I can easily put several people per task on quite a few of the bouns tasks - or I can spread them out onto several of the other tasks, as the books can fit several categories. I hav..."

My opinion is do whatever you wish and see what happens. You as a team can do whatever you would like of course :D

[Gail]

Hehe - so it is a bit of a game of chance. :-)

[Gail]

Well, I've put together a basic spreadsheet - I haven't yet put people's book choices in there, but just to show you so you see how it is organised. You have to scroll to the side to see everyone's names.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

[Gail]

As before, other teams are welcome to use the spreadsheet if they want to.

[Elsbeth]

Looks good, Gail! Thanks!

[Gail]

Thanks, Elsbeth.

Everyone, what shall our strategy be? Shall we try to cover as many tasks as possible, or shall we have several people doing the same task?

[Kerri]

I have put down that I will read 4 books on the other thread and the ones I have listed are the ones I really want to read. They are all reasonably short and I should easily manage that number. If I need to change to accomodate someone or cover a different task I will, but I'd really like to nail down my books so I can be organised. I was thinking the bonus points might go to the team that completes all of the listed tasks.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I would say that cover as many tasks as possible sounds wiser.

The spread sheet looks great, Gail. Thank you for all your time and effort!

[Gail]

Kerri wrote: "I was thinking the bonus points might go to the team that completes all of the listed tasks."

That's what I'd thought, Kerri, but whenever I mention anything about spreading the tasks out, so we do as many as possible, a moderator points out it's fine for several people to do one task, and it's only the bonus points that need to be all covered - so I have no idea!

[Kerri]

Yes Gail, thanks for all the work you've put in, it would do my head in trying to organise it all. I think we just have to figure out what we plan to do and jgo for it. My vote is for covering all the tasks. Those mods all all on different teams they could be just messing with us, trying to throw is into a state of confusion?

[Elsbeth]

Well, there are 45 tasks. We are with 12 people. Most of us plan to read 3 or 4 books. So I should say we could try to cover all the tasks or at least as many as possible.

I'm pretty flexible, so maybe we should first look at the people who already know what books they would like to read, and for whom it is more difficult to change those, like Kerri, and fill in the empty spots later?

[Gail]

Yes, I've put Kerri's into the spreadsheet, because she said she could do four and she posted the four she wanted to do. Others have posted they can do three or four, but have posted lots of options, so I'd like to know which are the three they'd prefer to do, rather than choose for them. All the bonus tasks are covered now, except for the crafting one, so it doesn't matter which people do now.

Everyone, take a look at the spreadsheet, find your name and look down the list to see which I've put you down for, and tell me what other tasks you'd like to do. It's just the purple section (plus the crafting task) that needs to be filled.

[Gail]

And Elsbeth, you are another who's given a list of four, so I'll fit your four in too. :-)

[Elsbeth]

That's fine, Gail. Then if there should be anyone who wants to swap, I could always do that, if necessary!

[Sandra, Moderator]

My column looks good, Gail. Thank you.

[Kerri]

Thank you Gail. I read 6 books in the last toppler, and I am confident that I should be able to read 5 for this one, even though I've only committed to 4 at this stage. If you are not allowed to read the book you wanted to that fits crafting, I will read the first in the Miss Marple series for it. It is under 300 pages, so use me as a back-up plan for that if you need to, that way all the bonus points are covered.

[Gail]

Thanks, Kerri - I still have to ask jmom if a seamstress would count, so we'll see what she says.

[Gail]

I think what is most helpful now is if people who still have more books to be added will list the books they want to read, looking for tasks in the purple section which haven't yet been taken.

If you've listed books to go into tasks that have already been taken, I can still slot you in those tasks if you like, as more than one person can do a task, but if those books might also fit into tasks from the purple section, can you add to your post which other tasks they might go under? For instance, EstaAmelia, one of the books you've listed for a task already taken would also fit into 'forbidden love'. Although I don't want to say which one, because that's sort of a spoiler! But if there are other books you've listed where you know they could fit into another task, let me know.

[Gail]

Tasks not yet claimed are now coloured bright red in the spreadsheet, so they are easy to find.

[Paakhi]

Some brilliant minds doing great work!! Thanks guys for taking care of things so far..I am very busy till 29th, after that I can contribute..hope you guys do not mind and carry on with scheming and planning.

[Tan]

sorry, I'm a litte late but I posted a list of tasks I would be able to do. The spreadsheet is awesome! :)

[Elsbeth]

Don't worry about that, Paakhi! There is still enough time after that and we are having fun scheming and planning! :D

[Gail]

Hi Paakhi. :-) I've put you down for The Bell Jar and The Color of Magic, as that's what you initially volunteered for, but let me know if you want to change your mind.

[Gail]

Hi Tanita - thanks for posting your list, and specifying your preferred ones. I've put in your three preferred ones.

[Gail]

EstaAmelia, I've added two of yours - let me know if you're okay with those, and which other book(s) you'd like me to add (and if they fit any of the untaken tasks).

[Gail]

I think everyone in the group has posted except Azalea - when she signed up she said she hadn't done a Toppler before, so I hope she isn't too confused by all these threads!

[Ava Catherine]

Gail, your spreadsheet is AWESOME!! Thank you so much for keeping us organized. :)

I have decided on my shooting/weapon book and would like to add these books to my list if possible.

2.Shooting – Read a book with some serious gunplay, or some type of weapon being used
The Fifth Woman
3. classic, forbidden love: Lady Chatterley's Lover
4. YA: Esperanza Rising
5. murder mystery or book in a series Nemesis by Agatha Christie (This is a Miss Marple mystery, so it may help with the craft/hobby category if you are still trying to fill that slot.)

I'll add more later when I have time to sort out more books.

[Gail]

Thanks, Connie. I think I'll categorise Nemesis under the crafting task if you're okay with that, because we already have someone doing both the 'murder mystery' and 'book in a series' tasks (not that two people can't do a task - but we do need the crafting task covered to get a bonus. And Miss Marple apparently does lots of knitting!).

[Ava Catherine]

That sounds great to me. I am glad that it works out so well. : )

[Gail]

Yes, I think we're doing well. :-) There are only 16 tasks not yet claimed.

By the way, I've highlighted the unclaimed tasks in red on the spreadsheet for clarity, but if people find it hard to read the task with a red background, just let me know, and I can change it to white. I wasn't sure which would be clearer - red stands out, but white shows it's not filled in.

[Ava Catherine]

I can take "read a nonfiction book." I can read Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free
or
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

[Gail]

That's great, Connie - I've added that to the list. :-)

[Ava Catherine]

I think I'll read Deep Down Dark.
Glad I can help.

[Gail]

Oh, oops - you'd only added that one to your post when I first saw it, so that's the one I put on the list! If you'd rather do the other one, just let me know and I'll change it! :-)