Six-Month Challenges Recap

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Hi, friends! It was so much fun creating these six-month challenges for you this year.

I would love to hear your thoughts on them. Particularly, I would appreciate your input on ideas for new rounds for the ones listed in bold.

2022 Six-Month Challenges
I Spy
Genre Surprise
Connect the Books
Title Mania
Mix-N-Match Format

Thanks, y'all!

[Lauri]

I sometimes lose the link to these challenges and don't know how to find them so I can fill in more books. Title Mania and I Spy mostly. I do remember not having much success with Title Mania, not many of the books on my shelf had the words I needed to read.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Lauri, thank you! I appreciate your thoughts.

As for losing the links, we have a challenge catalogue (currently called Crunch Time. Every challenge we have is listed alphabetically beneath the appropriate section (monthly, quarterly, etc.). I am considering renaming this "Challenge Catalogue" beginning in January 2023. It will remain in the "Book Inquiries" folder. I hope this helps! Any time you need help finding something, please feel free to ask. We are happy to help you locate threads if they get lost in the shuffle.

Are there any words you'd like to toss in the mix for next year's Title Mania challenge? I'm not sure how many ideas I can weave in, but I will be happy to take a second look at my plans.

[Jenn]

I thought the challenges were fun, though I'm not sure I'll be able to finish Title Mania. I'm running out of time.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Thank you, Jenn! I'm grateful for your thoughts.

I haven't done very well with short-term reading goals this year. My ADD has spiked because of post-WuVi symptoms I'm still dealing with, so I've gotten way-too-easily sidetracked the past year and nine months.

[Crystal]

I really love Genre Surprise! I wouldn’t mind seeing that one get more specific. For example instead of just Western, Westerns that take place in Texas. Or instead of just Science Fiction, Science Fiction about artificial intelligence or dystopian. Even if it stayed the exact same, I’d still participate! There are so many books to read within just one months choice every month 😅

Title Mania-maybe more than 15?

[Katrina]

These challenges were very fun, though I didn't do connect the books.

I only did Genre 2.0 so I missed the first 6 months. I would be interested in Amish, though looks like you did that in the first 6 months. Other genres I would like are fairytale retelling, regency romance, and historical fiction maybe broken down by century (17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st etc).

Some words I would like in Title Mania:
Light, dance, park, marriage, smoke, plan, bridge, where

I spy is fun, I will have to think of things to spy...
how about - a mug, a dock, a purple dress, a mountain, a castle

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Crystal, thank you very much for your enthusiasm! I like where you're thinking on the more specific genres. I'll have to give that some thought.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Katrina, thank you for the ideas! It looks like you're also thinking more specific categories for the genre surprise challenge. I'll definitely give that more thought. I also love the creativity in those suggestions for title and i-spy challenges.

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

The Genre Surprise was a definite winner for me, though I can't think of any specific genres to suggest beyond what Crystal and Katrina have already mentioned.
I liked the Title Mania challenge, but didn't do the I Spy this year . . . I think I'd want to join in on both of those next year.

[Sherri]

I enjoyed the I Spy this year. It made me take a better look at the artwork that goes into covers.

[Brittany]

For Genre challenge, as it will be a new year, I think it would be fine to have some of the same categories as possibilities to be randomly chosen for the new months. Meaning that I would be happy to have the possibility of Amish, Contemporary, Western, etc be able to come up again.

For possible other categories: Regency, Medieval, any Historical, Suspense, True Crime Fiction (such as those True Colors series of books that Barbour did), Young Adult

[Brittany]

Title Mania possible words:

Sight
Stay
Me
Best
Home
Christmas
Dream
Once
Proposal
Buried
Marriage
Lost
Dark

[Brittany]

I spy ideas:

house
buggy or wagon or carriage
someone with grey hair
train
quilt
dress
piece of jewelry
dog
ice skates
shovel
dirt
mountain
snow

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Thank you, Kate, Sherri, and Brittany. I've made notes on your thoughts.

[Lauri]

I Spy ideas;
Fire (forest fire, campfire, building on fire etc)
Musical instrument
Basket
Umbrella/Parasol
Nest

Titles
When
Where
Sea
Home

[Lauri]

Sorry if this is a double post but I can't find my comments

I Spy
Musical Instrument
Church
Bird Nest
Umbrella/Parasol
Basket

Title Mania
When
Where
Sea
Me
I second the suggestion about someone with grey hair

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Thanks, Lauri! I've jotted those suggestions on my growing list.

[Brittany]

I had forgotten about the Connect the Books challenge since it was from the first half of the year. I really enjoyed that one, too.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Thanks, Brittany!

[Bonny]

I loved Connect the Books in the past, but had trouble with it this year because the options were so limited for how to connect the books. I'd like to do it again with more options of how to link them!

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Thanks, Bonny!