Pick-a-Shelf discussion
Shelf Bender (2024)
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Challenge Instructions
Is there a reason "Memoirs" isn't included in non-fiction? Seems like a pretty big category to omit. Not complaining, just asking.
Tien wrote: "Sorry, Pat, the book must be found on the shelves' pages to qualify so that book won't qualify for this."That's ok. I found another place to fit it in.
I have a clarification to ask as I see other people talking about a book not showing up on the first 25 pages for a particular genre list. Does it have to be on those 25 pages? Or can we search the book's actual shelf/tags for the genre tag and note how many times tagged and the page? I hope my question makes sense. It seems unfair to limit to the first 25 pages of the genre list since many many books don't get tagged enough to hit page 25 but it might actually be on the book's main page as a top shelf.
Mod
I did think that will probably focus on more popular books but I think it really is more about shelving those books... I'm one who don't shelf as much as I should!
So to be clear, if my fantasy book is tagged 1000 times as fantasy I can't use it because it won't be on the 25th page of fantasy (1823 is the lowest number). Okay. Brain recalculating... Fantasy is a simple example because fantasy is easy for me and I could probably find something I haven't read yet AND am interested in reading on those 25 shelves. But not sure the same could be said for the genres I'm not so crazy about. I'm thinking horror. A lot of softer horror books are tagged horror but certainly aren't going to appear on the top 25 pages. I guess I'll have to wait and see what comes up when I start planning. I may end up just accepting I won't read for all the genres and have it be unfinished at the end.I know you said 'that's just the challenge' but it still feels restrictive and like you said, end up focusing on the more popular books. I'm not sure I care about the most popular books.
I don't want to sound whiny and I should wait to reserve my concerns until I'm able to actually start planning. Sorry if I come off that way.
Mod
Please do let me know how you go as we'll take that feedback on for future reference :)
Tien wrote: "The challenge is really for participants to pick and choose how they want to play - as in, just go for ones you like or if you really want to be challenged then go for the ones outside your comfort..."Thanks for being kind to my grumpiness last night! You're completely right in that I have a "problem" with not working a challenge to completion (completist sounds much better than obsessive...) and I usually love challenges here because they are so unique and interesting, so I was reacting to maybe being a little tiny bit disappointed that I might not be able to finish something here at PaS 😢
Happy New Year and please ignore my grumpiness!
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I am now excited about this challenge. I hope the same comes true for you.
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I hope you'd have fun with this challenge anyway :D
So, after much pushing, shoving, pigeonholing, and manipulating of various challenges and tasks, I've come to the unhappy conclusion that as much fun as this particular challenge looks, it's just not going to lend itself well to the others that I want to play this year, so I'm going to politely exit the field. You all have lots of fun!
:-)
Mod
I thought it was flexible but I see it's not very - will keep this in mind for next year :)
Tien wrote: "Aw, sorry to hear that, Pat!I thought it was flexible but I see it's not very - will keep this in mind for next year :)"
Oh, that's ok. I'm not unhappy. I'm sticking with PAS for the Moving Mountain and By The Month!
Life is always about choices, and this year I'm focused on two major challenges - the 52 Around The Year and the You'll Love This One 2024 Hike, and the 25 page listopia feeds just don't lend themselves to the books that I need to read for those two.
It's obvious that you put a LOT of work into putting this challenge together, and I'm just sorry that it didn't fit my needs this year. But if you are considering adjustments for next year, maybe consider using "first page of tags" with the listopias as suggested starting points.
That would eliminate the requirement of the 25 page limit that GR imposes. New releases very often don't make the list for a couple of years. And lots of readers don't even TAG their books because they don't want to clutter up their shelves (I'm one of them).
The broad headings are great, and the concept of this challenge is wonderful because it definitely pushes readers out of their traditional selections and comfort zones, but the 25 page limit just imposes too much rigidity.
Anyway - have fun with this one this year! I'll keep an eye out for it next time!
I agree it could be hard to fit in some books - particularly Australian ones that have less shelvers.I really like this challenge though - I had SOOO much fun planning it! I was able to find enough books on my TBR to work for everything (except a bit of a stretch for romance lol).
I have just noticed that the readers also enjoyed and similar authors seem to change quite a lot. It is even different if I look on the app vs the website at the same time. So I guess, if you don't find something you like for those picks, just check back again until you do!
Mod
This might be an obvious question but you know me... It's okay to read a "Next Pick" book before we read the books we picked for the Shelf, right?And another that might be wishful thinking... If a book from a series is on the first 25 pages of the shelf but that is not where we are in the series, can we substitute in the book we are on? (AKA as the 'series substitute rule' around and about GR, albeit usually regarding listopias). The answer is probably no but can't hurt to ask, right?
Mod
and you know it, no... sorry, but as I already said no to books not on the pages then we can't do this either.
I'm a little late but love this challenge. I'll have to take a closer look at this one
I'm noticing, as I'm doing my (over)planning, that the "Readers also enjoyed" and the "Similar authors" can both change. It's to be expected, I guess, once you think about the purpose of those links, but a couple of mine changed within a day of me looking at them and making a book/author choice.Just thought I'd mention it - I'm hoping that it doesn't change anything. If the book/author is there the day I make my choice and it later disappears, I'm assuming I don't need to make a new choice...
Mod
Tien wrote: "All good, LaurLa - on the flip side, if you don't feel like reading your original planned reads, you are welcome to change with the new ones or keep your old ones. That's up to you. The Next Picks ..."Yeah, I was thinking about that for a couple of authors/books where nothing in those categories appealed… I can come back and check to see if something new populated!
When you say:*Selection criteria requires that there is at least 5 or more shelves
does this mean the books we pick have to have been shelved that way more than 5 times? and if yes, then the comedy>standup shelf has issues - because only the top 6 books on the shelf meet that requirement
Mod
*Selection criteria requires that there is at least 5 or more shelves"
This is referring to selection of the 'Genres' and the 5 or more shelves refer to 'Related Genres'
so it's got nothing to do with books...
I hope that makes sense.
yep it does - i just had a bit of a mental panic
Mod
hey Tien - one more quick question - for the item on bookcover - say its a pencil - does the cover have to be a pencil or could a writing implement (pen, marker) also work - trying to figure out how close to matching I need to be
Hi Tien... thought you were done with me, didn't you. Ha! I'm back! 🤪I think I might have messed up in my planning. For Next Picks, do we have to choose different tasks? What I mean is that if for Shelf Pick book A I chose to do the Readers Also Enjoyed task, do my other Next Picks have to be different?
I picked my Next Pick options based solely off the Shelf Book I was looking at and didn't pay attention if I used that Next Pick option already... and now I'm wondering if I have to go back and re-think things.
Mod
Each Next Pick option is only to be used once for each genre.
Tien wrote: "If I'm understanding it correctly, you've used the Next Pick option as repeat for the same genre? If so then yes, you'll have to revise this plan of yours, sorry!Each Next Pick option is only to ..."
That's what I figured. Luckily I spent time finding books that would work for any of the Next Pick options for each book in each genre during planning, so it wasn't too hard to re-arrange things. Though there are some really great object on the cover correlations I found that I won't get to use now 😁😜
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Mod
"Best of" Lists so it's supposed to be from one of those lists listed on that page that's related to your book's publication date/year
Tien wrote: "There's actually a link for this task?"Best of" Lists so it's supposed to be from one of those lists listed on that page that's related to your book's publication date/year"
I see that "month" is also listed on this page. Could we choose a book from those listed as being published in the same month and year of the chosen book?
Mod
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If you go to that "best of lists" link, then click on the link for any century the page you get shows a number of additional "Best ..." lists. For example, 20th century: https://www.goodreads.com/list/best_o.... That's where I saw https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1.... So it seemed like it might be included, but might not.
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Sounds reasonable. But alas, the book I was hoping to read for this spot isn't likely to make the first 25 pages of the 20th century list, and it wasn't published in the same decade as the pick I'd like to pair it with. I'm sure I'll find another book more easily someplace else rather than searching all those 25 pages.
Has goodreads changed the format on the author’s page? I can’t seem to find the Similar authors list,
Mod
still there... unless you're author is too new or not as popular so maybe they don't have a listing for this?
Mod
It is in small print just above the list of books
Bea wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Has goodreads changed the format on the author’s page? I can’t seem to find the Similar authors list,"It is in small print just above the list of books"
You are right! Found it. As I looked back over previous questions, I saw I wasn’t the only one looking for it. Its that teeny tiny print, I guess
A few more questions . 1.For book covers, do you have to use a particular edition like MPE or the most recent? I have one that is audiobook and CD cover of book appears unique to audio versions only. May I still use it?
2. Once a plan is posted, and the books chosen are picked, is it alright to change them?
3. I saw someone asked before about posting plans and finished books and answer seemed to be - we trust you on your own. But I noticed there is a list of people participating with a link where finished books are posted. Were we supposed to use such a link for official use? I had just posted a plan at the end of each genre’s thread.
4. After signifying we completed a book, is there anything else to be done? Is a review required?
5. I am going minimum for this challenge, with three categories per genre, however for non-fiction my TBR pile seems especially high and having trouble picking only 3 categories. Is it possible to complete 5 tasks for a particular genre when all other genres only 3 books and their next books read?
6. I thought I read this somewhere else but just want to be sure, there is no lexile or certain reading level required for books? Books such as Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder accepted for example?
Are plays, poetry and books of essays acceptable?
Is there a minimum page requirement?
Sorry to be a nuisance but I certainly appreciate the time you take with me.
Mod
1.For book covers, do you have to use a particular edition like MPE or the most recent? I have one that is audiobook and CD cover of book appears unique to audio versions on..."
We just use the cover of the edition you are reading
2. Once a plan is posted, and the books chosen are picked, is it alright to change them?
Yes - definitely; all is flexible
3. I saw someone asked before about posting plans and finished books and answer seemed to be - we trust you on your own. But I noticed there is a list of people participating with a link where finished books are posted. Were we supposed to use such a link for official use? I had just posted a plan at the end of each genre’s thread.
oops! That's my bad! I'm supposed to create a thread for completed tasks but with the limits on posting threads, that was the last thing on my mind when starting all these. That'll be for the weekend.
4. After signifying we completed a book, is there anything else to be done? Is a review required?
No, we don't require reviews here. We try to be the least stressful as possible as not everyone is keen on writing reviews.
5. I am going minimum for this challenge, with three categories per genre, however for non-fiction my TBR pile seems especially high and having trouble picking only 3 categories. Is it possible to complete 5 tasks for a particular genre when all other genres only 3 books and their next books read?
I'd recommend finishing all first then you can go back and do more on what you'd like
6. I thought I read this somewhere else but just want to be sure, there is no lexile or certain reading level required for books? Books such as Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder accepted for example?
Are plays, poetry and books of essays acceptable?
Is there a minimum page requirement?
Nope - no lexile or anything like that and there is also NO minimum page requirement. Anything you read that fits a task, you're welcome to fit them in there ;)
Tien wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "A few more questions . 1.For book covers, do you have to use a particular edition like MPE or the most recent? I have one that is audiobook and CD cover of book appears unique to a..."
Thank you so much for your answers. So this weekend you will be making a thread for completed books in a genre or one for me?
Mod
Oh gee, I’m confused…..again. There is a completion thread for everyone now? I have completed the Historical genre. Are we supposed to post somewhere when a genre is completed?
Mod
I know Tien meant to set one up, but I suspect she hasn't had a chance yet. I'm sure she'll let us know when she does.
Susan wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Oh gee, I’m confused…..again. There is a completion thread for everyone now? I have completed the Historical genre. Are we supposed to post somewhere when a genre is completed?"I ..."
But its okay if we don’t post there, right? Its okay I’m just posting in the genre thread with a ✅ when I finish? No one is keeping score or anything?
Mod
It's fine - we're not scorekeeping or any such thing. It's only bragging rights, if anything :)
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That's ok. I thought it would probably be unqualified, but I also figured it would not hurt to ask, because you can't get a "yes" unless you do.