Fall Read-a-thon 2021: Individual Challenge

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Do you like to read? Then this is the individual challenge for you! This read-a-thon’s individual challenge comes with a special prize: an entry to win the ability to create a prompt for the 2022 ATY Challenge.*

How this one works: We're building castles! Different parts of the castle are worth different numbers of points. Read a book that satisfies a prompt for that castle part, and collect the points. Get at least 1000 points to earn a raffle entry. You can go for more points for your personal happiness, but you only get one raffle entry, which can be submitted over in this thread.

Raffle Rules

1. You can only use one prompt per book, no double dipping.
2. Each castle part can be built as many times as you want, and can be done in any order.
3. You need a minimum of 1000 points to earn a raffle entry
4. Only one entry per person.
5. Books need to be at least 100 pages long, except for graphic novels which need to be at least 200 pages. For audiobooks, the printed version of the book will be used to check length.
6. Picture books or other books that are majority illustrations can’t be counted.
7. The whole of the book must be read during the read-a-thon: September 11 - 19. Books started before Sept 11th must have at least 100 pages left.


If you have any questions about the challenge then you can post them here. The FAQs in post three below will also be updated as people ask questions so you might find your question has been answered there. If you’d like to check that a book will work for one of the tasks before you read it then you can ask here and we’ll confirm if it does.

Happy reading, and we hope you enjoy the challenge!

*Subject to the mods approval. For example the prompt can’t be the same or extremely similar to one already voted in and it must not be something that’s impossible for some readers to complete. If the winner is unresponsive to the message sent from the mods, there will be a redraw.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Castle Building Individual Challenge

The Castle Review Committee is coming! Time to build a castle that will leave them agog with wonder and jealousy!

100 pts - Castle Defenses

* A book with water on the cover
* A book whose title starts with a letter in GATEHOUSE
* A book set primarily outdoors
* A mystery or thriller

200 pts - Storerooms

* A book related to food
* A book you borrowed
* A book published at least 5 years ago
* A book from a favorite author

300 pts - The Armory

* A book with a weapon on the cover
* A book whose main character is a fighter
* A book whose title contains the letters FIRE in any order
* An adventure book

400 pts - Great Hall

* A book with a cover showing more than 2 people
* A book that includes a character who can do magic
* A humorous book
* A book published in the last year

500 pts - Treasure Room

* A book with a gemstone on the cover
* A book by an author whose initials can be found in SPARKLING DIAMONDS
* An award winning book
* A book over 400 pages

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When do I need to submit my entry to the raffle?
A: Since the read-a-thon goes until whenever you go to bed on Sept 19th, and that is definitionally different for everyone, entries can be submitted through Sept 20th.

Q: Can books overlap between the main Around the Year challenge and the fall read-a-thon?
A: Yes, absolutely! Some of the tasks are designed to be easy for you to fit in books you’re planning to read for AtY.

Q: Can a book be used for more than one fall readathon challenge prompt?
A: Each book can only be used for one prompt in the fall readathon challenge.

Q: Can books started before Sept 11 or in progress on Sept 19 be counted?
A: You may count a book started before the challenge begins as long as you read at least 100 pages of the book on or after Sept 11. You must have completed a book by Sept 19 to count it.

Q: For a task requiring a title beginning with a particular letter, do A, An and The count?
A: You can choose whether or not to count them as suits your needs.

Q: For prompts concerning publication date, page numbers, or covers, how do you handle reprints/multiple editions?
A: We will use the edition you tag in your completion post. For example, let's say you needed a book published in June. This edition of Pride and Prejudice was published in June 1998, which would fulfill the prompt, but this version of Pride and Prejudice was published in October 2000, so it would not fulfill the prompt. If you are getting a book from the library and aren't sure which edition you will get, you can just use the default edition (meaning the first one that comes up when you search for the book). In this case, the October 2000 publication is the default edition, so Pride and Prejudice would not be used for this prompt (unless you read and tagged an alternative edition). We are using an honor system here, so please make sure you are tagging properly!

Q: For prompts requiring a certain number of words or a certain set of letters in the title, does the subtitle count?
A: The subtitle doesn't count. If the prompt requires something to be in the title, it needs to be in the title itself.

[Roxana]

I understand you can do the same castle part more than once, and can only use one prompt per book, but can you use the same specific prompt more than once with different books? e.g., two different books that both have gemstones on their covers?

[Pearl]

* A book published in the last year
Does this mean 2021, or in the last 12 months?

Is there a listopia for gemstones on the cover?

[Kendra]

So we have to read 4 books for each of the prompts to build each part or just 1 book that satisfies 1 of the 4 prompts?

[Deborah]

Can one book be used for both the team and individual read-a-thon challenges?

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Roxana wrote: "I understand you can do the same castle part more than once, and can only use one prompt per book, but can you use the same specific prompt more than once with different books? e.g., two different ..."

Yes!

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Kendra wrote: "So we have to read 4 books for each of the prompts to build each part or just 1 book that satisfies 1 of the 4 prompts?"

Just 1 book that satisfies one of the four prompts for that part!

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Deborah wrote: "Can one book be used for both the team and individual read-a-thon challenges?"

Absolutely! You can choose to participate in the team challenge, the individual challenge, or both, and books can be applied to either or both.

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Pearl wrote: "* A book published in the last year
Does this mean 2021, or in the last 12 months?
"

I'll take the whole last 12 months, but if you happen to have an advance copy for a book coming out in the next couple months of 2021, I'd accept that too.

Is there a listopia for gemstones on the cover?

I don't have one, but if someone finds one, feel free to share.

[Pearl]

Thanks.

Can a prompt be used twice? For instance can I read two different award winning books to earn 1000 points in the Treasure Room? Or two different books with gemstones?

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Pearl wrote: "Thanks.

Can a prompt be used twice? For instance can I read two different award winning books to earn 1000 points in the Treasure Room? Or two different books with gemstones?"

Yes! Prompts may be re-used! If you want to read 10 mysteries in the next week you go for it. As long as you don't use a book more than once, you are good to go.

[L Y N N]

For a book with a gemstone on the cover, can that be either the image of a gemstone or the word spelled out? As in The Moonstone?

[Irene]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but for the "book you borrowed," does this include library loans? Or just books you've actually borrowed from another person?

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Irene wrote: "Sorry if this is a dumb question, but for the "book you borrowed," does this include library loans? Or just books you've actually borrowed from another person?"

Library definitely counts, I'm using that!

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Lynn wrote: "For a book with a gemstone on the cover, can that be either the image of a gemstone or the word spelled out? As in The Moonstone?"

Sure, I'll take gemstones that appear as words on the cover.

[L Y N N]

Jackie wrote: "Lynn wrote: "For a book with a gemstone on the cover, can that be either the image of a gemstone or the word spelled out? As in The Moonstone?"

Sure, I'll take gemstones that appear as..."
Thanks, Jackie!

[NancyJ]

Note - The Suggestions Thread for 2022 has stalled with many suggestions needing seconding. Please take a look to see if you can
second one of the new topics.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Aimee]

Hi mods, a quick question - for "A book whose main character is a fighter", does it have to be someone who physically fights with a weapon, or can it be more metaphorical?
I'm reading Cinderella Is Dead and the MC is fighting against an unjust government, would that count?

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Yes, for the 'fighter' you are free to interpret that in whatever way you wish. Fighter can be physical, metaphorical, figurative, whatever. Fighting an unjust government works fine for me!

[Aimee]

Thanks Jackie!