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2021 Read-a-Thon #1: Team Sunflower
Good morning. This is my first read-a-thon but I am ready to read a lot. I just need a little direction and have a couple questions. Can everyone add to the spreadsheet or only the team leader? In other words, how do record what we have read and which prompt has been met?
How do we want to organize who is reading which prompts? I plan to focus on getting as many prompts as possible checked off and have a lot of books available to meet the task.
Mod
Hello sunflowers! This is your captain speaking.As Rachel asked: Yes I think everyone should write in the spreadsheet. The last couple of team challenge readathons I've been in hasn't needed much leading, just maybe someone who read the rules a bit closer, and smoothed things along, so let's just see how it goes.
I have some long books lined up, and I'm not entirely sure how they fit, but they can always be used as wildcards.
Strategising: I think using the planning tab on the spreadsheet will go a long way. We are allowed to read for all prompts from the beginning, so we can fill them out as we go.
I'm in Denmark, and I'll check in regularly in my waking hours.
Happy reading!
I'm currently reading The Left-Handed Booksellers of London and I'll have more than 100 pages left come tomorrow, and added it to the plan tab on the spreadsheet. Some of the prompts are sort of anything goes, like the pair under two books "one book by a woman and one book by a man". I say those kind of prompts just goes to the first books that don't fit anywhere else. And remember if your book doesn't fit it will still count towards wildcards that we can use where needed.
I did not see on the plans section a spot for Two books whose titles start with "L". I have one book available for this prompt. I plan to start Saturday with Premeditated Myrtle to be used for one of the Four books that have the letter "P" in the title.
P for perfect ;)I also have an extensive tbr shelf and piles with shorter books and graphic novels to choose from. Excited to get started!
Oh, I wonder if 'the' can be ignorer, if so the Lefthanded etc can be used for starts with an L.
Hello Captain and teammates of Team Sunflower!I am also new to team readathons but I'm wildly excited to start!
As Johanne suggest, I've done my thing on the Planning tab.
Q1: If I finish a book (100+ pages) for the readathon that I start today, do I count all its pages or just the pages I read from Feb 13?
Q2: Where do we keep track of our individual and team page counts?
Q3: Our spreadsheet is missing the first prompt under the "2 Books" category (Two books whose titles start with "L")
What to do about this? Fix it ourselves, inform Emily? I will await further instructions.
You count the number of pages you read from you wake up on the 13th, but can count the book for a prompt if you have more than 100 pages left. So, if your book is 400 pages and you read the last 120 tomorrow, you note 120 in the pages read AND note if it fits a prompt. It's easier to see how when we start filling the spreadsheet.
Correct me if I'm wrong, Emily.
In general, the team challenge introduction and FAQ thread is a great place to look if you're in doubt.
Oshizu, great spotted! If it doesn't mess with the coding, please go ahead. I'm not a spreadsheet wiz, Emily made it.And you don't need to track your pages here, unless it's helpful for you, just in the spreadsheet.
Thank you for your response! I deleted my previous post since all that info's in my personal spreadsheet.I got so hyped about the Planning tab that I forgot to look at the Tracking tab. *blushes
I'll go ahead and add the Starts with the letter "L" prompt now.
Done!
Also, one more noob question then I'll zip it for today and go read, haha.
Is our team's goal to check as many unique prompts as possible?
So if multiple teammates plan to fill a one-book prompt, should I try to fill another prompt with my planned book?
Or does duplicating prompts also count (or only for Wild Cards)?
Mod
2. You only count the pages you read during the read-a-thon period
3. You can use the team spreadsheet to keep track of individual and group page counts. The formulas automatically add them up for you. There will also be an individual tracking post if you want to keep track for yourself.
4. The spreadsheet is fixed with the "L" prompt.
5. Your team's goal is to fill all of the prompts once through. So you don't want to keep reading books for the same one-book prompt if you can help it (although pages read can earn wild cards, which can fill in prompts, so it wouldn't hurt you, necessarily, to read a book you want to read that doesn't fill the available prompts)
For future reference, asking questions in the FAQs thread is the best way to do it because I won't be checking these team threads as much once the reading begins!
Hi Team Sunflower! I look forward to reading with you all. I have several books picked out not really sure how they will fit into the prompts but updated the planning the best I could.
Mod
Emily wrote: "Just a suggestion: On your Planning spreadsheet, you may want to use the blue bar at the top to list the books you are planning to read, then marking that it fits each prompt with an X. Johanne's u..."Emily
My humble apologies for being so dense but do you mean that I should create a second column for myself if I plan to read two books for the "Two LGBTQIA+ books featuring a love story" prompt, inputting each title in the top blue bar?
Does this mean that we eventually add a separate column for ourselves for every additional book we read for the same prompt category (single, 2, 3, or 4)?
Edited to add:
I'll stop fretting over the logistics and wait until the readathon starts to see how the big girls do things. Sorry for being such a pest!
Mod
Ooooh, that makes perfect sense!Thank you so much for taking the time to explain it to me!
Looking forward to staring this read-a-thon and delighted to be on the Sunflower team. For once, I have quite a few books available to read. It remains to be seen how many of them I get through. Happy reading!
Oshizu and others, the advantage of crossing off everything a book might fit in the planning tab is that it quickly becomes clear what prompts there are few options for and use those first, as books are finished. We are usually good at working together to figure out where books fit and how things work, so don't hesitate to post.
I'm curious to know where in the world you all are reading in.
Happy reading!
I am starting to think that I am putting too much thought into planning. I am sure we will have no problem once we start recording our completed books. We are getting ready for snow in the Seattle, Washington region where I live.
I like to plan very losely, to figure out some options without getting stuck on it. Things tend to change rapidly when a bunch of people read together. Here in Copenhagen, Denmark, it's been freezing and clear blue skies for days and will continue, I think . Really beautiful and my favourite winter weather.
I'm off to bed soon, goodnight!
Hi team Sunflower! I am already well into Saturday here in sunny Western Australia, and should finish my first book today as I only have 144 pages left. However it is going to be hot today (34C) so I have to spend time watering my garden before settling down to some serious reading. Good luck everyone!
Exciting to have such an international team! I am reading in Nashville, Tennessee (USA) Still just over 2 hours before the official start for me.
I'm reading in a little town in West Yorkshire, UK. We've had much colder weather and more snow than usual. I'm not allowed to leave my house until next Saturday though so no excuses to not get some reading done.
I love how we are all over the world! I'm currently working from home most days, and I have thursday and friday off. It's a school holiday next week so I expect we'll be off on some outdoors trips. The kids are also remote learning so we are in need of adventures. But in all, I expect it to be a good reading week.
Oh I forgot the most important bit: Good morning and go sunflowers!!!
Good morning Team Sunflower! I'm looking forward to reading with you all in this read-a-thon.I've added the three books I'm currently reading to the spreadsheet and where I think they fit, although as I've only read a chapter or two of each book, they might work for other categories as well.
It's half-term this week so I'm not at work, and as we are in a lockdown, I will have lots of reading time, which is great as I am reading my book for the ATY Long Book prompt, and at just under 1,500 pages, it really is a long book!
I was up very early this morning because the wind was so loud and have completed my first book of the day. I should be able to read at least one more by the end of the day. Should I add the pages I have completed so far to the spreadsheet or wait until I am finished for the day?
Rachel wrote: "I was up very early this morning because the wind was so loud and have completed my first book of the day. I should be able to read at least one more by the end of the day. Should I add the pages I..."I would say, do whatever is easier for you to keep track of. Once a day is fine. I tend to add pages whenever I have finished a book, since that is what works for me.
Good morning, Team Sunflower!I hope everyone's weekend has started out well!
Here in Montana, snow covers the ground though it's not currently snowing. Brrrrr. I've lived in Montana for the past 2 years, but lived most of life in Japan and California.
I've finished my first book or, I should say, its last 124 pages.
I've added it to the "3 books featuring the theme of friendship" since it had the fewest options among the book's eligible prompts.
As I am The Noob, I would appreciate someone checking that I did the Tracking stuff okay.
Question: What do I do in the Planning tab for a completed book? Do I leave in all the checkmarks in case the book could be moved elsewhere later?
Also, I hope it's okay, but I froze the first row (Page Tracking) of the Tracking worksheet so that we can see our names no matter where we are on that page.
I will unfreeze it if y'all think it's not needed, though.
Go, Team Sunflower!
Thanks for freezing that on the spreadsheet. I'd write out the name of the book in the tracking sheet.
A couple of people have written books for prompts on the tracking sheet (not the planning), but haven't marked them completed in the right hand column. Are they finished?
I'm currently on an ipad and it sometimes show spreadsheets strangely, but I don't see a total count of finished prompts. Can you fix that Oshizu? As I said, spreadsheets are not my strong suit. Otherwise we'll ask Emily.
As I recall it we usually leave the books in the planning tab as you say, so it's easier to switch books around if needed. Just mark the column another colour, or some indication that it's finished, and mark the chosen prompt with a fat x or something, so it's clear what it's used for.
And great work finishing books everyone!
Johanne wrote: "I'm currently on an ipad and it sometimes show spreadsheets strangely, but I don't see a total count of finished prompts. Can you fix that Oshizu? As I said, spreadsheets are not my strong suit. Otherwise we'll ask Emily.."Johanne
I'm happy to help with the spreadsheet but, since this is my first readathon, I don't know where the total count of finished prompts should go.
We haven't completed an entire prompt yet and I see nothing on the Tracking Sheet where such a value would go. My apologies!
Thank you for explaining what to do with my finished book in the Planning tab. :D
Oh, maybe that's it. I'll ask Emily later.
oshizu wrote: "Good morning, Team Sunflower!I hope everyone's weekend has started out well!
Here in Montana, snow covers the ground though it's not currently snowing. Brrrrr. I've lived in Montana for the past 2..."
I’ve also highlighted the prompt on the tracking sheet and the book on the planning sheet in bright green, so that it really stands out that those are done.
I wonder if we should move this book to the far right of the planning sheet, so we can more easily see the books that are currently being read, and which prompts they work for?
Hannah wrote: "I’ve also highlighted the prompt on the tracking sheet and the book on the planning sheet in bright green, so that it really stands out that those are done.I wonder if we should move this book to the far right of the planning sheet, so we can more easily see the books that are currently being read, and which prompts they work for?.."
Thank you, Hannah!
Since Johanne agreed, I've gone ahead and move Summer of the Big Bachi to the very right. :)
You can absolutely make sensible decisions without me :)
Johanne wrote: "You can absolutely make sensible decisions without me :)"LOL, I'm the last member of this team that you want making independent decisions. I will always ask first.
I have completed two books now and believe I marked them completed on the sheet but my WiFi is out so I am having to do everything thing on my phone. I really like the highlight for complete prompts because it is noticeable right away.
They were marked completed Rachel, I just highlighted them as well. There's a book by Sue that I think she finished, but she's in Australia right? Which means she's probably sleeping.
I finished the The Left-Handed Booksellers of London and put it under connected to Shakespeare (it mentions and losely cites Shakespeare).Going to have a look at my double-stacked tbr shelf and piles for a short book that we need. I think I have a children's book (not a picture book) that fit 'the person with a pet'.
I have added to my reading list the shortish Japanese novella The Guest Cat so that we have a fourth "person with a pet" book. :D
Around the Year in 52 Books
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This week, you will be working together to complete a series of prompts. While some prompts only require one single book, others will require 2 or 3 or 4!
Use your spreadsheet to track which prompts you've completed, as well as any Wild Cards you've earned. Please place only completed books on the Tracking tab, and use the Planning tab for planning purposes.
*Wild Cards: For every 1000 pages read or 15 hours of audio listened, you will earned one Wild Card, which can be used in the place of one book. Your spreadsheet will track how many Wild Cards you've earned and used.
MEMBERS:
Team Captain: Johanne
Samantha (Message 8)
oshizu
Sue
Poppet
Edie
Kat
Rachel G (Message 52)
Hannah
Alicia
THE PROMPTS:
Single Book Prompts
For those who are rocking it solo this Valentine's Day
A coming-of-age book
A book with themes related to hope, self-love, or self-respect
A book with an inspiring title or cover
A debut author
A book featuring an activity you consider "self care" (i.e. travel, pets, video games, reading, cooking, etc.)
A book about fresh starts
A travel book
A book where the character moves to a new home
A book with just one person on the cover
A book with the word "one" in the title (can include "someone", "no one", "everyone", etc)
2 Book Prompts
For those of us in love
Two books whose titles start with "L"
Two LGBTQIA+ books featuring a love story
A book written by a male and a book written by a female
Two books featuring elderly characters
Two books with "matching" covers (however you define that)
Two books with two people on the cover
Two books with hearts on the cover
Two books featuring the enemies-turned-lovers trope
Two YA rom-coms
Two books connected to Shakespeare
3 Book Prompts
Grab a friend and share a book
Three books featuring a theme of friendship
Three books that span more than 10 years
Three books in which a romantic love story is not featured
Three books featuring protagonists at different stages of life (one YA, one new parent, one elderly character, for example)
Three books that feature roommates who are not romantically involved
4 Book Prompts
We love our four-legged friends
Four books featuring characters who have pets
Four books that make you feel "warm and fuzzy"
Four books that have the letter "P" in the title
5 Book Prompts
We will be there at 5 for our Valentine's date
Five books related to food, cooking, restaurants, or culinary hobbies
Five books in which the main character goes on a date
Five books with flowers on the cover