Readathon Team: Guardians of the Library

[Trisha]

So I was stalking all of your profiles (please don’t hate me) and out of all of us, Shari is the only one who has joined Goodreads before 2012. In fact, she has read hundreds of books in 2012. We can check with her if she is in a mood to reread one of those books; there’s a chance she may not be interested - a lot of readers don’t prefer re-reading (me too at times), in that case we can use a wild card. For all other prompts, I think we can do without using the wild cards. Hoping for the best!

[Snezana]

In relation to what Trisha has posted about book read in 2012, I have noticed on the tracking page that we also have a task to read a book we read when we were 25 years old. So does anybody have a book for that maybe?

[Alyana]

Snezana wrote: "In relation to what Trisha has posted about book read in 2012, I have noticed on the tracking page that we also have a task to read a book we read when we were 25 years old. So does anybody have a ..."

Hi Snezana, I chose the prompt A book you’d recommend to your 25-year-old self for my books that I put in the sheet. I don't remember myself have read something when I was 25 (am I that old? haha)

[Angie]

Hmm, yes. For this task we need to fill all three variations.

@everyone: Do we have (a) team member(s) who is/are 25/or younger?

[Trisha]

Snezana wrote: "In relation to what Trisha has posted about book read in 2012, I have noticed on the tracking page that we also have a task to read a book we read when we were 25 years old. So does anybody have a ..."

One of your books and two of Alyana’s books currently fill those prompts, although these are not yet finalised and these books could be used to fulfil more difficult prompts.

I feel this is an easy prompt to achieve. So for those of us who are above 25 like me (I’m 30), we can read any book that we’d like to recommend our younger selves. And those of us who are younger than 25, they are supposed to read a book that they had been looking forward to read by the time they turn 25. Don’t you think we can find a myriad of books to fit in this category?

If we don’t have any bidders for this one, I will reread one of my favourite books in week 2, perhaps we can have 2 more members doing the same.

[Trisha]

Angie wrote: "Hmm, yes. For this task we need to fill all three variations.

@everyone: Do we have (a) team member(s) who is/are 25/or younger?"

We need not fill all the 3 variations, Angie! We just need 3 members (any age) and let them read a book each that suits the prompt. Say we are all above 25, in that case, we all can read books that we would like to recommend to our 25 year old selves.

[Snezana]

I'm also 30, and I marked one of my books as something I'd recommend to my younger self, but if someone else is doing that, it can be assigned to some other task.

Also, I think that we should assign books tomorrow before the readathon starts since some of us are ahead with the time zones.

[Trisha]

Talking of being ahead, I’m based out of Malaysia. It’s already 24th March, 01:05 AM here. 😬

[Snezana]

Trisha wrote: "Angie wrote: "Hmm, yes. For this task we need to fill all three variations.

@everyone: Do we have (a) team member(s) who is/are 25/or younger?"

We need not fill all the 3 variations, Angie! We j..."

Oh, I thought we need to fill all variations for every prompt? So I interpreted that we need to read one book we read when we were 25.

[Alyana]

In the tracking page those are separate prompts?

[Trisha]

Okay, hang on, every one! Let me check and see if I can get this rectified. Please give me sometime.

[Karin]

Alyana wrote: "Karin wrote: "Also, I can easily read something that I added to my tbr in the first three months since I joined here, since I just started right around the New Year and already have books here for ..."

Great--Angie and I will be putting our heads together today. This is one of the great things about having two of us and I am happy to delegate some stuff to her and have her update the spreadsheet once we know :). Once this migraine ends (it's 72 hours) my head ought to work a bit more normally.

[Trisha]

Guardians, I have checked with the other members of the organising committee and they agree with me. This is an age-dependent task and we need not fulfil all 3 variants, but the ones that suit our ages.

So assuming all of us are 25+, we can have 3 members read 1 book each that they’d like to recommend to their 25-year-old selves.

On the tracking page, where this task is segregated into 3 different prompts, we will copy-paste the prompt we are fulfilling in all the 3 rows. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[Karin]

Also, to make it simpler for me, could everyone post the number of books they pledged for this game here? If what you can do has or does change, feel free to let us know and never feel badly if for some reason Real Life impinges, but by communicating it gives others a chance to read more if they are able :)

Above all, lets have fun!

[Karin]

PS--the spreadsheet--I'd like to colour code the x's and once someone starts a book, please mark that in purple--or let Angie and/or me know and one of us can change it.

I turn all intense with games and will probably do more reading than I said--I may read back up books or something UNLESS something happens in my "Real Life" to impinge--my eldest has true Asperger's (and I was told when she was a child not to put her on this new Austism Spectrum, so for several key reasons) and my younger two are still in college but live at home (even before covid--they commuted as there are a zillion universities and colleges in commuting distance even though we aren't in a college town ourselves) etc.

Last year I beat my previous GR year record of 150 books (with some really long ones) with 414 books (150 pp or longer) due to Covid and a long reading game...but I refuse to read 414 books this year.

[Trisha]

I pledged 6 books but as per my current planning, I will read at least 10 books.

414 books, Karin? That’s insane!

[Karin]

Avery wrote: "Thank you Angie!! Just wanted to clear some things up before I started to fill it in. I will work today on filling in the spreadsheet. Super excited to start this!"

FYI to all--Angie and I will assign the first 1-3 books per person (depending on how many people have pledged to read) so be sure to say what you'd like to read first. I plan to read an entire book Thursday because it is a fast read and I am a fairly fast reader. Since she is migraine-free and can use this site more than I can, she'll make the announcement for this first one.

[Karin]

Trisha wrote: "I pledged 6 books but as per my current planning, I will read at least 10 books.

414 books, Karin? That’s insane!"

Yes, and guess what--two women read more than I did!!!! I came in THIRD. One is retired and the other is single, lives alone and was stuck home at Covid--even in a normal year those women average a book a day. Plus there were a few close behind me and a lawyer who could have outread me if she wasn't reading The Swann's Way by Proust when the 9 month game started.

But some of those were audiobooks while driving or doing chores.

Once Covid restrictions are lifted, it will be back to 100-150 books per year for me.

[Karin]

I'm off to practise singing (not a pro, but have been taking lessons for a few years and have been asked to sing at my husband's church--suckers for punishment that they are. I'm not horrible anymore, but not that great, either.

I'll be back later today.

[Trisha]

Karin wrote: "FYI to all--Angie and I will assign the first 1-3 books per person (depending on how many people have pledged to read) so be sure to say what you'd like to read first..."

Karin, I’ve updated my reading plans in msg#102. I will be finishing 5 books in the first 3 days so I’d like to be assigned all 5 of those, although you both can choose which prompts are more befitting for those books.

[Trisha]

I’ll also call it a night now, good night all!😴

Good luck with the assignments!

[Alyana]

I pledged 2-3 books on the sign up, but I can probably read around 3-5 books. I started two books yesterday.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry - will recommend to my 25 year old self or has been translated into 25+ languages - started
Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin (Get Away from Me) - book for L
Yes No Maybe So - book for Y
And the 12th book from my TBR.
The Girls I've been - I don't know which prompt best fits this - started

@Karin and Angie, you can choose which prompts will fit better on my books :)

[Snezana]

I pledged at least 4 books, but I'll probably read closer to 6 maybe 7. These type of events always give me a boost of motivation!

I'm currently reading Kushiel's Dart and will leave around 200 pages to finish it after the readathon starts, probably on the first day, definitely on the second.
Then I'm going to start Tangle of Need. I'll be listening to this one on audio and it's little over 15 hours long so I didn't want to start it early in order to get a Wild Card out of it. It shouldn't take me more than 2 or 3 days to finish this.
After that I'm going to start Weather which is around 200 pages and that too should be done in a day or two.

[Karin]

Trisha wrote: "Karin wrote: "FYI to all--Angie and I will assign the first 1-3 books per person (depending on how many people have pledged to read) so be sure to say what you'd like to read first..."

Karin, I’ve..."

My concern is overlap of prompts, so if you are the only one reading those 5 prompts or they require more than one person reading them and we aren't over-subscribed, it shouldn't be a problem; I am waiting to hear back from Angie since she was going to look over that more carefully. I have no book budget, so rely on what I can get from my library and in my six month kindle unlimited deal, but it's really hard to find books I want to read in Kindle Unlimited.

We'll be updating that daily, so if we give you three, as soon as you finish one, we can assign another, but we have to be sure everyone gets to read something they already have.

The challenge lies in the fact that for some prompts, there are more people who want to read them than there are spots to be filled. Already there are several people who want to read for the same prompts I have planned for example, so it's not that easy.

This means I have almost nothing left to start with on Thurdsay and will have to wait over the weekend. This is one of the challenges inherent in learning teams so close to the start date :)

Bear in mind that once one book is read for a one book prompt, no other one read counts for that. I don't want to order any more library books until I see where the big gaps are, and if they aren't in my local branch or on my library's kindle via overdrive, then I might not get them in time.

[Karin]

Alyana wrote: "I pledged 2-3 books on the sign up, but I can probably read around 3-5 books. I started two books yesterday.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry - will recommend to my 25 year old sel..."

Thanks, Alyana--this is very helpful :) The challenge is that my Y book fits only one prompt as well that I know of and is due back within the first week of the challenge--I don't have to read my book for L since it won't be due until well after this readathon ends.

Do you know of anything else the L book could fit? Also, I loved My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry and it's my favourite Backman book (also, I read it first), but if you have read his other books, it's quite different.

[Karin]

Trisha wrote: "Guardians, I have checked with the other members of the organising committee and they agree with me. This is an age-dependent task and we need not fulfil all 3 variants, but the ones that suit our ..."

Right--I keep forgetting about the recommend part, and I only have to want to recommend it because I think it would have been a great choice for me then if it had been around, not necessarily if I would have been interested in reading it when I was 25 had that book been written. Time for me to loosen up a bit on that part. That's actually quite easy, then, and I am sure to have something here already, although not everything I have is something I'd recommend...

[Snezana]

Karin wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Karin wrote: "FYI to all--Angie and I will assign the first 1-3 books per person (depending on how many people have pledged to read) so be sure to say what you'd like to read first....."

I think this can be easily solved by assigning book to a prompt before we start reading it. That way we always know where it will be used and there will be no doubles. I think most of us have said that they can change books in order to fit the tasks that are left later on. First should be assigned the harder prompts cause we don't have many options for those. For some we have over 7 books possible, those should be done last. At least that's my thought on the matter.

[Alyana]

Karin wrote: "Thanks, Alyana--this is very helpful :) The challenge is that my Y book fits only one prompt as well that I know of and is due back within the first week of the challenge"

Hi Karin, I'm okay if you'll take the Y book prompt, I can maybe look for another prompt that will fit once I start to listen to it. :) With regards to the L book, I can't say yet since that author is known to have different writing style with all of his works, I'm only able to find a possible fit when I start reading it. It might fit for making friends or a party/anniversary celebration prompt.
With My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, I love all of Backman's books, this is my 6th book from him and this one is really different from his other books.

[Trisha]

Snezana wrote: "Karin wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Karin wrote: "FYI to all--Angie and I will assign the first 1-3 books per person (depending on how many people have pledged to read) so be sure to say what you'd like t..."

Second that!

Even though I have planned my books and read 3 of them half-way through, if those prompts are assigned to others, I will not finish those books during the readathon.

Desperately waiting for the assignments now!

[Angie]

Trisha wrote: "Snezana wrote: "Karin wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Karin wrote: "FYI to all--Angie and I will assign the first 1-3 books per person (depending on how many people have pledged to read) so be sure to say w..."

Morning Trisha,

sorry about the delay with the assignments. I'm currently putting the finishing touches to them but I'll be done in an hour or so.

The 3 books you're currently reading cover vital prompts ... so we need you and your books to tick those off our list. Please keep reading them! ;-)

Will be back with an update shortly.

[Trisha]

Yay! Hah, I’ve read those 3 as much as I could, have left nearly 150-200 pages in all of them because we need page count too!

Onto start my fourth book in a little while - I’ll try looking for a book that has a party; that prompt needs 3 more books. If nothing works out, I’ll read The Great Gatsby but I didn’t quite like the book when I read it a couple of years ago. But it’s short!!

[Snezana]

So, Trisha, I was inspired by the stalking you did yesterday (there's a sentence I never expected to say or write 😂), so I did some myself, I hope you don't mind. But I looked at your tbr shelf and found these that I have already read and know they have a party in them: Shadow and Bone, City of Bones, The Cruel Prince and Normal People.

I would recommend all except City of Bones, I didn't like that one at all. The rest are very fast reads and I read all of them in a day or two. I will be rereading Shadow and Bone for the readathon because the show comes out in a month.

Please don't read The Great Gatsby again if you disliked it the first time. If someone else wants I can look at their tbr shelves and see if I can find some book with a party in it.

[Trisha]

Snezana wrote: "So, Trisha, I was inspired by the stalking you did yesterday (there's a sentence I never expected to say or write 😂), so I did some myself, I hope you don't mind. But I looked at your tbr shelf and..."

Awesome, Snezana! Stalking on Goodreads is totally okay, just don’t do it anywhere else - I won’t take the blame for that! 😛

I’ve tried two audiobooks of The Great Gatsby since I last posted and they were both rubbish. I’ve copies of all the books you’ve mentioned, I’ll just check the number of pages and pick the one with the least.

Thank you! 💗

[Trisha]

Angie wrote: "Assignments have been made! I'm currently writing up a post in which I explain what I've done. This may take a short while (some stuff is long and complicated to put into words), so stay tuned!"

Yayyyyy! 🎉

Editing to add:
The spready looks so neat now! Thanks Angie for all you’ve done! 💗

PS: I do have questions, but I’ll wait for your explanation first.

[Alyana]

Angie wrote: " Assignments and Spreadsheet update:

*long post alert*

Hi lovely Guardians,

I finished assigning prompts to books/people. What I tried to do, is match all the books you proposed to read to th..."

Hi Angie!! This is more than enough! THANK YOU!!! :)

Edit: Before I forget, do we change the font color or bold it the "Assigned" once we start reading that book?

[Shari]

Okay, so I messed up before this even started! I thought it started yesterday and I finished my first book last night! BUMMER! So, I guess I will need to remove it from the spreadsheet. I will find another book to read that will fill the same assigned spot, which was a book written in 2012. I have lot's on my TBR list, so no worries. So sorry about that!

[Karin]

Angie wrote: " Assignments and Spreadsheet update:

*long post alert*

Hi lovely Guardians,

I finished assigning prompts to books/people. What I tried to do, is match all the books you proposed to read to th..."Wait--you didn't wait for my reply!

[Karin]

ANNOUNCEMENT

It's great that everyone is so enthusiastic, but his spreadsheet is hard to read because people started making changes before Angie and I could chime in together. I am sorry that I had such a humdinger of a migraine and that I had a really busy weekend to boot, but by the time I came here it was rather confusing, even with my brain back in order.

Please set up ONE message thread to enter your books similar to how we do it for the monthly, quarterly and yearly challenges, I'll note them in a list and put your suggestions. Then you can add another message referencing the first one when you finish books or have new ones to mention.

We need to enter our names alphabetically at the top similarly to how it was before, but in order so we can just mark things in the column under the person's name.

Once Angie and I FINISH discussing this, she will fix the spreadsheet this way--with our names on top instead of that list of books, and the assignments under our names in green, but put into purple when you are reading them and then blue when completed.

[Karin]

ALSO the readathon starts THURSDAY, so don't start books yet--it's one thing if you have already been reading a long one, but at this rate I will have nothing to read because my list in a message was overlooked and I did not have time to put every book on the top of the spreadsheet.

[Angie]

Sorry, we need to backtrack. I've been too fast. Everybody please wait for Karin's announcement/final call!!!
I'm very sorry about the confusion.

[Karin]

Angie wrote: "Sorry, we need to backtrack. I've been too fast. Everybody please wait for Karin's announcement/final call!!!
I'm very sorry about the confusion."

Not to worry--I know it was done with enthusiasm :)!!

Everyone--Trish originally said we are to enter our names at the top. I have cleared the spreadsheet and put in our names in alphabetical order--the other way was confusing, to say the least.

Angie will be back and will post the list since I have to teach piano this afternoon--she is really doing a great job of looking things over :)

As soon as the books are assigned, Angie can enter assigned in the tasks below each person's name so we can tell at a glance who is doing which task by looking at the spreadsheet. Every day I will come and check our numbers pages and hours numbers plus tasks finished and will do this BEFORE 6 pm New York City time for the day before (Eastern Daylight Time), so if possible, please post your numbers as early in the day as you are able to get on, given your schedules :)

When you finish a task, please put FINISHED on the spreadsheet where it said ASSIGNED, but it would be great if you could also post a message here along the lines of:



Finished task #1 Read a book that includes a party or anniversary celebration and marked completed on spreadsheet.

[Karin]

Karin's List FYI (I have an easier set up in a Word file, but so you know what I have so far and might be able to use

ASSIGNED AND STARTED - Read a book with a title starting with “Y,” the 25th letter of the alphabet (ignore “a” and “the”). Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo: The Secret History of Yodeling Around the World

COMPLETED - Read a book with the word ‘silver’ in the title or with a silver cover. The Silver Pigs

COMPLETED - . Read a book published in 1996 (25 years ago). Part of a 4 book series Sign of the Dove, 3rd book in dragon series and on hold

ASSIGNED and more than half way through- A Dangerous Stage by Camy Tang- book published in 2012

ASSIGNED and reading Furia a book you shelved the first month you joined

Possiblities of books I have from the library:

Read 4 books about making new friends. THE PENDERWICKS
Read 4 books that include a party or anniversary celebration. THE ANNIVERSARY by Moriarty - have
Read 4 books that feature a bibliophile, bookworm, librarian, or bookshop. THE WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK –

****Read 3 books by an author who has written for 25 or more years, OR over 25,000 ratjngs on Goodreads. THREE MUSKETEERS already reading from before, more than 100 pages left (5 disks left—have on CD and in print)


Read 3 books by an author who has written 25 or more books. TRIPLE CHOCOLATE DESSERT MURDER have

Read 3 books: one you wish to read at 25 (if you’re under 25), one you read at that age, and one you'd recommend to your 25-year-old self, OR over 25,000 ratings on Goodreads. OLIVE KITTERIDGE or another I have here.

[Trisha]

Trish's list
Please note that most books fulfil 4+ prompts, but I'm only writing down the prompt which is more difficult/rarer to fill.

1. Magpie Murders ✅
Read 4 books that feature a bibliophile, bookworm, librarian, or bookshop. -> ASSIGNED
Read a book with at least 25 chapters or sections.
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads.
Read 3 books by an author who has written for 25+ years.

2. Never Let Me Go ✅
Read 3 books you shelved during the month you joined this group. -> ASSIGNED
Read a book with at least 25 chapters or sections.
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads.
Read 3 books by an author who has written for 25+ years.
Read 4 books about making new friends.

3. Wonder ✅
Read 2 books either published in 2012 or in the Best Books of 2012 listopia. -> ASSIGNED
Read a book with at least 25 chapters or sections.
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads.
Read 4 books about making new friends.
Read 4 books featuring a bibliophile, bookworm, librarian, or bookshop.

4. Beneath the Sugar Sky ✅
Read 3 books by an author who has written 25 or more books. -> ASSIGNED
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads.
Read 4 books about making new friends.

5. The Broken Girls ✅
Read 4 books about making new friends. -> ASSIGNED
Read a book with at least 25 chapters or sections.
Read 2 books with a scene of two or more people reading together.
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads.
Read 4 books that feature a bibliophile, bookworm, librarian, or bookshop.

6. The Push ✅
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads. -> ASSIGNED
Read 4 books about making new friends.
Read a book with at least 25 chapters or sections.
Read 4 books that feature a bibliophile, bookworm, librarian, or bookshop.

7. Normal People ✅
Read 4 books that include a party or anniversary celebration.-> ASSIGNED
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads.
Read 4 books that feature a bibliophile, bookworm, librarian, or bookshop.

8. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay ✅
Read 2 books with a title consisting of 25 characters minimum, excluding spaces.-> ASSIGNED
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads.

9. The Giver ✅
Read 4 books in a series of 4 (25% of a series).-> ASSIGNED
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads.
Read 3 books by an author who has written for 25 or more years.
Read 3 books by an author who has written 25 or more books.

10. Gathering Blue ✅
Read 3 books by an author who has written for 25 or more years.-> ASSIGNED
Read 3 books by an author who has written 25 or more books.
Read 4 books in a series of 4 (25% of a series).
Read 2 books with 25,000+ ratings each on Goodreads.

11. A GATHERING OF FRIENDS:
MY FAVOURITE STORIES ✅
Read a book you'd recommend to your 25-year-old self. -> ASSIGNED

Possibility:
Real Life
Read the 12th and 25th books on your TBR list.

[Angie]

Angie's list

Finished
✔ Twelve Red Herrings (March 27)
book with a 12 in the title - ASSIGNED
book by author who has written 25 or more books
book by author who has written for 25+ years

✔ The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
book with a scene of 2+ people reading together - ASSIGNED
book with at least 25 chapters
book with 25 000+ ratings on GR
book about making new friends
book about bibliophile, bookworm etc.

✔ Magpie Murders
Read by a teammate for this readathon - ASSIGNED
book featuring a bibliophile, bookworm etc..
book with 25 000+ ratings on GR
book by author who has written 25 or more books
book by author who has written for 25+ years

✔ Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
book about making new friends - ASSIGNED



Possibilities:
Winter [all prompts filled]
book in a series of 4
book by an author who has written for 25+ years

[Trisha]

Karin & Angie,
For some of you the event may be starting later, for me it's starting in the next 30 minutes. This is why I've been meticulously planning from the last 4-5 days. I will be finishing my first book by tomorrow morning and second by evening. The sooner you can post the assignments, the better for members like me who live in time-zones way ahead of the US.

[Karin]

Trisha wrote: "Karin & Angie,
For some of you the event may be starting later, for me it's starting in the next 30 minutes. This is why I've been meticulously planning from the last 4-5 days. I will be finishing ..."

Okay, got it! I will mark yours ASAP!!

[Karin]

Trish--yours is posted on the spreadsheet

Thanks, Angie, for helping sort this out :)!

[Trisha]

Thank you both! I can sleep peacefully now. :)

Go Guardians! We need a motto!! 🤓

[Karin]

Okay, the spreadsheet is updated; we assigned 1-3 depending on how many you pledged, and Angie did much of this work with me finalizing, etc. You will see how much easier this is to read and understand now :)

There is one player who has "1 more" at the top--just waiting to know what the categories are.

[Karin]

Trisha wrote: "Go Guardians! We need a motto!! 🤓"

Since it's Guardians, what about borrowing the one from The Three Musketeers since D'Artagnan started in the guard?

"All for one and one for all."