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R13: SS Team 6 - Watch Your Six
Mod
Dice Roll: https://www.random.org/dice/ (2 dice on Fridays, US Central Time)
R13 SS Post Your Spot
R13 SS Discussion Thread
Time Zone Converter: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...
Mod
**titles exclude leading articles (a, an, the)
2. Male Author
3. Cover: Red
4. MC has a pet
5. Mystery/Thriller
6. Set in space
7. Cover: Orange
8. Cover Item: One person
9. Several authors
10. Cover: Pink
11. Author 'N'
12. Cover Item: Book
13. Title 'B'
14. Two Word Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) Deadly Silence, The Hunger Games
15. Cover Item: Sun/Moon
16. Asia
17. Title 'D'
18. Set in a place you've visited
19. Less than 100 ratings
20. Set in a Fictional Location/Universe
21. Favorite Author
22. Set anytime between 1837-1901
23. South America
24. Book to Movie/TV (must state how book qualifies: listopia, imdb, precis)
25. Published 2011-2015
26. Four or More Words Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
27. Title 'Y'
28. Europe
29. MC is older than 60
30. Author 'E'
31. Set on an island
32. Title 'L'
33. Cover Item: Hat/Helmet/Other Headwear
34. MC travels by airplane
35. New to You Author
36. Author uses their middle name/initial (e.g. Robert J. Sawyer, Rita Mae Brown)
37. Title 'M'
38. Book that a teammate rated 5 stars
39. Three Word Title (excludes articles like A, An, The) Behind Closed Doors or Etched in Bone
40. Cover Item: Building
41. Author 'V'
42. MC travels by train
43. Set anytime between 1600-1837
44. Book with a funeral in it
45. Title has a subtitle
46. Cover: Yellow/Gold
47. Science Fiction
48. Cover Item: Lamp/Candle
49. Author 'Z'
50. MC has at least one child
51. Title 'O'
52. Originally published in a language other than English
53. Cover: Purple
54. Australia
55. Cover Item: Umbrella/Parasol
56. Author uses a pseudonym
57. Young Adult/New Adult
58. Cover Item: Jewelry
59. Non-Fiction
60. Cover: Brown
61. Title 'H'
62. North America
63. Set in the future
64. Published 2021
65. Author 'G'
66. Fantasy
67. Cover Item: Food/Drink
68. LGBTQ+
69. One Word Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) The Witness or Divergent
70. Published 2016-2019
71. Author 'F'
72. Romance
73. Africa
74. Title 'S'
75. Published 2001-2010
76. Cover Item: Animal
77. Author 'L'
78. MC is in their 20's
79. Number in the Title (Third Grave Dead Ahead or Every Fifteen Minutes)
80. Published before 1950
81. Title 'P'
82. Author 'B'
83. Published between 1950 and 1999
84. Title 'W'
85. Cover Item: Hands/Arms/Feet/Legs (no other body parts visible)
86. Seasonal Theme (i.e Christmas, Halloween etc)
87. Title 'R'
88. Cover Item: Mode of Transportation
89. Set sometime before 1600 AD
90. Author 'G'
91. GR average rating >4.0
92. Cover: Blue
93. Award Winner (must state which/when)
94. Cover Item: Weapon
95. Author 'T'
96. Published 2020
97. Title 'I'
98. Book with a wedding in it
99. Cover: Black
100. Author 'J'
101. Cover: White
102. Female Author
103. Title 'F'
104. Cover Item: Water
105. Cover Item: Two or more people
106. Published the year you were born
107. Cover Item: Furniture
108. Author 'C'
109. Debut Novel or Debut Author
110. Cover Item: Dress
111. Cover: Green
112. School/College/University
Mod
✸ Communication is key. Please make sure to check in regularly with your team.
✸ Let your team know if it looks like you won't get your review posted by Thursday, 11:59pm. You do have all of Friday to submit your review, but it can be intensely frustrating for your captain if they don't know when or if they can expect your review before the deadline.
✸ If you know beforehand that you won't be able to read and review a book during a certain week, you can request a pre-arranged absence from me, either by posting the request in the discussion thread or by sending me a pm. The request has to be submitted before the team rolls for the week in question, can only be approved by me as the mod in charge of running the game, and has to state a reason for the absence. (Reasons for pre-arranged absences can include e.g. going on vacation or work trips, planned hospital stays, exam period, etc.)
✸ If you do not have a pre-arranged absence and won't be able to finish your book in time for an unforeseen reason, please let your team know as soon as possible. If the team has earned the free pass, it can be used to cover the missing review. Without a free pass, the team has to sit out the next roll.
✸ We all know that real life gets in the way sometimes, be it through family emergencies, work emergencies, natural disasters, technical problems making it impossible to get online, or in other ways. That being said, please do keep in mind that this is a team challenge and your team relies on you to do your part unless an emergency occurs.
✸ If you find that the pressure of keeping up with the pace of the game gets too much for you or you wish to stop playing for any other reason, you can drop out of the challenge at any time. In that case, please let your team captain and/or me know that you wish to drop out rather than just disappearing without a word so your team won't be penalized when you fail to turn in your review. Thank you!
Captain's Handbook
✸ The team's captain is its chief organizer. This includes rolling the dice, posting the team's new spot to the team thread and the Post Your Spot thread, collecting links to team members' review posts in a single post to be linked in the Post Your Spot thread, doublechecking that books and review posts comply with requirements, reminding team members to post their reviews in time if necessary, etc.
✸ The captain may delegate some tasks, such as rolling and posting the new spot to the team thread, to another team member if they so choose. (Either a designated roller who fulfills this role every week, or whichever team member is online first once rolling is possible.) Collecting reviews into a single post and posting to the Post Your Spot thread should always be handled by the captain.
✸ Instead of having everything handled by a single team captain, teams can also choose two co-captains to handle the workload.
✸ Selection posts are not strictly required by the game's rules and I won't be checking for them. It's up to the team captain to decide whether they want them.
✸ If the team captain requests a pre-arranged absence, it's their responsibility to arrange for another team member to step in as temporary captain.
✸ The team captain is my primary point of contact for the team and should allow receiving private messages.
Hello! Just checking in. This challenge is so useful to me in my never ending series battle.✸ One point can be earned for reading three or more books in a series.
✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages.
✸ One point can be earned for starting and finishing a series. There must be at least 4 books in that series. Series + spin-off totalling ≥4 books also counts. For series with >9 books, point will be awarded for reading books 1-9. For still ongoing series, all books published to date (OR up to #9 in longer series) must be read.~ No re-reads on this one.
✸ 2 in 1: One point can be earned for reading a book that fits both the series number and the alternate for the spot you are on.
✸ One point can be earned for never picking a book from the alternate lists. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
✸ Valentine's Bonus: One point can be earned for reading a Romance book for the roll on 02/11.
Hello all! Can't wait to get started!!!
Hi, y'all. Can't wait to start this challenge.
Week 1Designated Roller: Suzanne
Number Rolled: 11
Space: 11
Tasks:
1st in a series
11th in a series
Standalone book
Alternative: 11. Author 'N'
Week 2
Designated Roller: Michelle
Number Rolled: 8
Space: 19
Tasks Available
Book # 19 in a series
Book # 1 in a Series
Book # 9 in a series
Standalone Book
Alternate Task - Less than 100 ratings
Week 3
Designated Roller: Wolf
Number Rolled: 5
Space: 24
Tasks Available:
# 24 in a series
# 2 in a series
# 4 in a series
Alternate:
Book to Movie/TV (must state how book qualifies: listopia, imdb, precis)
Week 4
Designated Roller: Brittany
Number Rolled: 4
Space: 28
Task Available:
# 28 in a series
# 2 in a series
# 8 in a Series
Alternate:
28. Europe
Week 5
Designated Roller: LaurLa
Number Rolled: 10
Space: 39
Task: Series # 39
Series # 3
Series # 9
Alternate Task: 39. Three Word Title (excludes articles like A, An, The) (example Behind Closed Doors or Etched in Bone)
Week 6
Designated Roller: n/a
Number Rolled: n/a
Space: n/a
Task: n/a
Week 7
Designated Roller: Vicki
Number Rolled: 11
Space: 50
Task: Series # 50
Series # 5
Standalone
Alternate - 50. MC has at least one child
Week 8
Designated Roller: Suzanne
Number Rolled: 8
Space: 58
Task: Series # 5
Series #8
Series #58
Alternate Task: Cover item: Jewelry
Week 9
Designated Roller: Michelle
Number Rolled: 6
Space: 64
Task: Series # 64
Series # 6
Series # 4
Alternative - 64. Published 2021
Week 10
Designated Roller: Brittany
Number Rolled: 8
Space: 72
Task:
# 72 in a series
# 7 of a series
# 2 in a series
Alternate - Romance
Week 11
Designated Roller: Michelle filling in for (LaurLa)
Number Rolled: 7
Space: 79
Task: Series # 79
Series # 7
Series # 9
Alternate - 79. Number in the Title (Third Grave Dead Ahead or Every Fifteen Minutes)
Week 12
Designated Roller: Vicki
Number Rolled:
Space:
Task:
Week 13
Designated Roller: Suzanne
Number Rolled:
Space:
Task:
Week 14
Designated Roller: Laurla
Number Rolled:
Space:
Task:
Week 15
Designated Roller: Brittany
Number Rolled:
Space:
Task:
Completion Post FormatBook -
Author -
Date Completed -
Spot -
How it fits -
Alternative (Y/N) -
Player -
Bonus (Y/N) (Which one)
Review
Week 1 Completion Posts
Player - Suzanne
Completion Post ~ Week 1
Book - Chopping Spree
Author - Diane Mott Davidson
Date Completed - 01/24/22
Spot - 11
How it fits - #11 in "A Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery" series
Alternative (Y/N) - n
Player - Suzanne
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review
I tend to go to this type of book when I don't want to think too much. I've read a lot of them, so I must often not want to think!
In this story, Goldy's 15-year-old son is acting like a total brat, and Goldy is swamped with events. When an old friend is killed, and Julian is blamed, of course Goldy has to investigate.
I really want to eat all of the food in this, but I don't want to MAKE it. I guess I need a caterer.
Player - Laurla
Completion Post ➺ Week 1
Spot: 11
Book: Born of Embers
Author - Quinn Arthurs
How it fits: #1 Phoenix Rising
Date Read: 01.22 ★★★★
Review:
I've never read Reverse Harem before. Well that's not true, I have read multi-partner books but it was before RH was really a thing. I was surprised at the care and depth of this book, I don't know if this is true of most authors/books in the genre, but I was impressed. While it is RH and multi-partner, the focus wasn't on kink and there were no actual sex scenes in this one. That may change as the series progresses but it's an example of the care the author took to build the relationships and character arcs. I'm glad I read it and will probably keep going and maybe try other authors in the genre
Player - Brittany
Book - The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women
Author - Nancy Marie Brown
Date Completed - 01/23/22
Spot - 11
How it fits - Standalone Novel
Alternative (Y/N) - N
Player - Brittany
Review
This was very well researched and laid out in both an exploratory and narrative fashion. While it is clearly non-fiction, it is an enjoyable read from beginning to end.
This isn't a reference style format, but rather a biographical style of the Viking Warrior Women.
Nancy Marie Brown set out to change the perspective of Viking Women, and she did a wonderful job of it here.
Solid 4 Stars.
PLayer - Vicki
Completion Post ~ Week 1
Book - The Wish
Author - Nicholas Sparks
Date Completed - 01/22/22
Spot - 11
How it fits - Author's initial N
Alternative (Y/N) - Y
Player - Vicki
Review
This book was an absolute tear-jerker for me! I should have known with Nicholas Sparks to get out my tissue. In fact, the author himself said it's a tear-jerker but I still wasn't prepared.
The MC Maggie Dawes is 16 and pregnant so her family ships her off to her aunt's in Ocracoke where Maggie meets Bryce Trickett, a young teenager also. He falls for her and vice-versa and he accepts her pregnancy and all. They know that they will both pursue their own plans and will have to say their goodbyes in a few months or will they decide something different? Can a young teen couple be ready for a life together?
Maggie tells her story to a young boy who is an assistant at her gallery and as she does she reminisces and her various anecdotes brought me to tears. It was heartwarming, tear-jerking, and an emotional read for me. But I loved it and I would highly recommend it.
Player - Michelle
Completion Post Week 1
Book - Elevation
Author - Stephen King
Date Completed - 1/27/22
Spot - 11
How it fits - Standalone
Alternative (Y/N) - N
Player - Michelle
Review - I'm going to be honest and admit that I didn't see the point of either story in the book. I swear Stephen King is drinking again, but I don't think it matters to the publishers because he is the king of horror so whatever he writes will automatically get published. The audio version came with a bonus story called, Laurie and I will review both.
Elevation Story - This takes place in Castle Rock, Maine. The MC, Scott seems to be losing weight, but he's not losing body mass. Instead of going to see a professional doctor, you know the kind that can try and do something for you, he goes to a retired doctor that he plays tennis with and tells him what is happening. Now this is the part I don't get. Why he didn't seek medical help is baffling, but he doesn't. The side story in Elevation is about a same sex married couple who are new to town and have opened up a vegetarian mexican restaurant, Scott and one of the ladies butt heads because their dogs poop on his lawn. One is apologetic and the other has a chip on her shoulder a mile long and is incredibly rude to him. In the end he and the women wind up friends and he tells them about his "weight loss". In the end Scott floats away into the sky. There's a bit of a lesson in the story, but it's not that interesting
The story, "Laurie, is even more boring the first. An older gentlemans wife dies so his sister gets him a dog, that he doesn't really want. He winds up really liking the dog and the dog winds up kinda saving him from an alligator that ate one of his friends. I mean, dogs in stories are cute, but once again this was a bit of a snooze factor,
Player - Wolf
Week 1
Spot 11
Book: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Date Read: 1/27/22
How It Fits: #1 in series
Review:
I definitely loved this book. I loved reading about Ruby and how she survived when she was in the camp. I love how she always tries to do whats right even when she wants to really hurt someone. I loved that she escaped and was able to help others. This was just like reading the script to the movie.
Nope, but pretty nice that everyone is checked in!Is anyone wanting/able to captain? I can do it if needed, but I'd be more than happy not to :)
I don't care who is captain. Just not me lol
I could captain. If anyone wants to help that would be awesome.Has anyone played this before?
I have played it before. It's a good challenge and pretty straighforward.Thanks for being willing to captain - I'm happy to help with whatever you need/want.
Suzanne wrote: "I have played it before. It's a good challenge and pretty straighforward.Thanks for being willing to captain - I'm happy to help with whatever you need/want."
That would be awesome. Thank you.
Thanks for volunteering to steer us! I have played many times so I'm happy to help as well. My life's been a little crazy lately... then again, whose hasn't, right? Regardless, let me know if I can answer any questions.
Here are the bonus points available. Only one person has to do each thing, and we can only do each point once (if that makes sense). I'm going to copy them to my first post too, just because I kept reading right past them in the rules!✸ One point can be earned for reading three or more books in a series.
✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages.
✸ One point can be earned for starting and finishing a series. There must be at least 4 books in that series. Series + spin-off totalling ≥4 books also counts. For series with >9 books, point will be awarded for reading books 1-9. For still ongoing series, all books published to date (OR up to #9 in longer series) must be read.~ No re-reads on this one.
✸ 2 in 1: One point can be earned for reading a book that fits both the series number and the alternate for the spot you are on.
✸ One point can be earned for never picking a book from the alternate lists. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
✸ Valentine's Bonus: One point can be earned for reading a Romance book for the roll on 02/11.
A couple of questions:1. Do we want to take turns in rolling the dice or just designate 1 person? If you want to take turns I can make up a list for each week.
2. Do you want me to keep one post designated to keeping track of what we roll and what tasks or will everyone be able to keep up with posts that are made each week? (I hope that made sense).
3. Any other suggestions or ideas that I have not thought of that will make this run smoother and not confuse everyone?
4. Is Thursday at Midnight a good time to make sure everyone has their completion posts in?
Michelle I like #2 for sure. and I am good with whatever on Dice rolls. We could also each roll and then post those in order and just use them each week. If that is allowed.
I'm happy with whatever with rolling. I'm not sure if Brittany's idea is allowed, but that would make it easy. It might not be allowed though since it would allow us to plan ahead too easily.For #2 - that sounds brilliant if you are ok with doing that. It would keep us very organized.
For #4 - I agree Thursday at midnight is optimal. So much less stress when everyone finishes by then. Good idea.
I'm pretty sure Brittany's idea isn't allowed either. It's nice to try and plan but the idea is to roll as you go, I think. If all the teams rolled ahead of time (and read in order) then we'd already know who would win on which week (assuming all readers finished on time each week)... so then it would be like why bother to play the game?
I originally posted my check in on Post 9. I think I will use that to keep track of what we are doing so it's all in one spot. As for rolling the dice I thought it would be nice if everyone could get a chance, that's if you want to. We could go in the order that we are listed on message 1.
I'll set the post up tonight so that we have everything ready to go on Friday!
Message 9 will be where we will keep track of the rolls, who is rolling, the space we land on, and taskMessage 11 will be where I will keep track of the completion posts. I have also posted a sample completion post format that you can copy and paste to use for yourself.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you think I'm missing anything.
Now I'm antsy and can't wait to play.Does everyone have lots of series that you have been reading?
Me...Yes. I took a look the other day and wondered how in the world I have been keeping track of whats going on in what world and with which characters.
Have you done anything to quickly look for a series to fit a number?
Me...I made a quick google doc with tabs 1 - 10 and listed books under the numbers. Once I got up to 10 I just listed them in numerical order. I don't have many that go past 10.
That seems like really great organization with tracking, Michelle. Thanks for setting everything up! And speaking of great organization - great idea with series too! I have so many series I need to finish - and sadly I have also lost track of a lot of them, especially with remembering what happened. I'm glad for challenges like this that help me progress a bit.Now we just need Friday to come so we know our first number!
Suzanne wrote: "That seems like really great organization with tracking, Michelle. Thanks for setting everything up! And speaking of great organization - great idea with series too! I have so many series I need to..."One of my biggest problems is that I keep starting new series..lol
Anyone have a good idea for a team name?
Here some I came up withSixth Sensers
Half Dozen Serie-ous Readers
Six Degrees of Series Separation
Six Ways to Series
Watch Your Six
Laurla - great team names! Last night I couldn't think of a single thing that sounded even half as good. I like them all but my two favorites are Watch Your Six and Sixth Sensers.
Mod
In case this may have been a question that you may have had, I asked and received the following answer:Michelle wrote: "Do books have to be started after the roll or can we use a book that we may be reading at the time and use that after we finish?"
Books have to be started after the roll.
Thanks Michelle. That is good (and important) to know!
Hello Team 6! I wanted to play this challenge from the get-go but had planned to go to Florida to visit family on January 24 for a month, but our flight ended up getting canceled which was a blessing in disguise because my sister just tested positive today for Covid. So thankfully there was room for me when I asked Denise if there is a team I could join at the last minute, so here I am and very excited to participate in this challenge. I wanted to check in right now but I am on my phone so I will go through and read the messages later and see what I need to respond to. Excited to play!
I also vote for Watch Your SixAnd welcome Vicki
Thank you everyone for welcoming me to the team. I like Watch the Six too. Actually, I think they’re all good name ideas!
Vicki wrote: "Hello Team 6! I wanted to play this challenge from the get-go but had planned to go to Florida to visit family on January 24 for a month, but our flight ended up getting canceled which was a blessi..."We are very glad to have you here. I hope your sister gets well soon.
Thank you so much, Michelle. I appreciate that.
It looks like we can start.Suzanne...You are the first roller. Whenever you are ready.
Vicki...We decided to take turns rolling. I will add you in tomorrow on Post 9 where we have the list of who goes when. I just got out of work and my brain hurts tonight. I need sleep..lol
Welcome Vicki!I'm glad you all liked the name options. Seems like most liked Watch Your Six the best?
Thank you, LaurLa. Good to “see” you again. :)
The Challenge Factory
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Jackie Collins (other topics)
Margaret Mizushima (other topics)
Jeaniene Frost (other topics)
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Co-Captains: Michelle & Suzanne
Wolf (Alpha)Brittany
LaurLa
Vicki
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Used for Week 5 roll (hide spoiler)]
Bonus Points:
Earned: 3
Used: 0