Round 15: SS How to Play, Help & Discussion

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

ROUND 15: SUPER SERIES CHALLENGE

✸ This is a team challenge that requires 1 book a week . The object of the game is to roll the dice and move along the board. To win a team must roll past 100. Teams will roll on Fridays.

✸ R15 Super Series Sign Ups are open 02/04 through 02/11. Then teams will be formed and the game will officially start on 02/16.

✸ Teams are formed at random.

✸ Teams will roll the dice by clicking "https://www.random.org/dice/" on Fridays once their team has completed their reads. Please note you will be using two dice for each roll.


**VERY IMPORTANT**
A team CANNOT advance if all the reviews are not complete and in by the deadline. Reviews are due at the latest by end of day on Friday - 11.59pm Central Time. Without a free pass to cover a review still missing by deadline, the team will have to sit out the next roll. That being said, players should have their reviews in on Thursday as your team captain cannot roll until ALL of the team reviews have been posted.

❖If a player fails to have their book done two times throughout the game (excluding a prearranged absence) they will no longer be a part of the team.

✸ Prearranged absence must be requested from the moderator in charge by pm or in your team thread before the team rolls for the week you need to skip.


HOW TO PICK A BOOK:
✸ Books are based on the spot you're on, not the roll of the dice.
If you land on single digit spot, for example let's say you land on spot 5, then you have to read a book that's #5 in a series. For double digit numbers, for example you land on spot 48, you can read either a #4 or a #8 in a series.
✸ Standalone books can be used for a 1 or a 0
✸ First in a series can be used for a 1
✸ I don't expect anyone to read a series out of order and for people that don't read series books that still want to play there will be an alternate option. There will be an alternate option for each spot.
✸Half books: ½ or .5 count only if they meet the page requirement AND will be judged by preceding whole number numeral on Goodreads.
Example: Spot 8: A MacKenzie Clan Gathering (MacKenzies & McBrides, #8.5) would count for spot 8 because it meets the page limit.
✸ Books in multiple series can be used for ANY of the series. An example: Azagoth (1001 Dark Nights, #6; Lords of Deliverance, #5.5; Demonica, #10.5) can be used for spot 6 for 1001 Dark Nights, spot 5 for LoD or spot 10 for Demonica because it meets the page limit.


✸ There will be a separate thread for captains to post their place on the board after rolling and a link to the team's completed reviews.


FREE PASS
✸ Teams will have a chance to earn 1 Free Pass to roll. To earn your free pass your team has to complete their reads a day before the next roll (i.e. 11:59pm Thursday). Once your team has done this you will have 1 free pass. The free pass will allow a team to roll if they are missing a review(s) before the cutoff. Once you've used it, you can't earn another one. It's a one-time shot. NOTE:
✸ The free pass may not be used for the win.
✸ If the player whose review the free pass is covering for has already previously missed a deadline, they must submit the missing review within one day after the deadline if they wish to retain their place on the team.


BONUS POINTS:

✸ 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 list. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
✸ One point can be earned for always picking a book from the alternate list. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
NOTE:
✸ Each point can only be earned once per team.
✸ The series-specific bonus points (3 or more books/ starting and finishing a series) must be two different series.
✸ Single book bonuses (>500 pages/ 2 in 1) may overlap with a series bonus.

How to use bonus points:
✸ Bonus points can be added to your roll to move you further along the board. Each bonus point can only be earned once and spent once.
✸ Bonus points may be used for the win. Example: Your team rolls and lands on spot 97. Your team has earned 4 bonus points. You can use your bonus points to move to spot 101 and compete for the win.
✸ You don't have to use all your bonus points at the same time.
✸ You can also use your bonus points earlier in the game. Example: Your team has earned 3 bonus points. Your team rolls and lands on spot 88. A team member doesn't have a book that is either #8 in a series or fits the alternate. They do however have a #9. Your team may decide to use 1 bonus point to move to spot 89 and have 2 bonus points remaining for later use.


✸ Re-reads are allowed ( ~EXCEPT on Winning Spots, no re-reads to win)
✸ Page limit: min. 140 pages
✸ When using an anthology you may use any of the numbers in the book except for the .5 since this means ½. But you must read each story in the anthology. The same applies to short story collections.
✸ Series # will be based on how GR has it listed.
✸ Comics, graphic novels and manga don't count for this challenge
✸ Deadline cutoffs are based on US Central time zone

✸✸✸ Any questions please feel free to ask!

Round 15 SS Sign Ups

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

ALTERNATE LIST:
**titles exclude leading articles (a, an, the)

2. Author 'G'
3. Title 'O'
4. Number in the Title (Third Grave Dead Ahead or Every Fifteen Minutes)
5. Cover Item: Building
6. Asia
7. Author 'Z'
8. LGBTQ+
9. Book with a funeral in it
10. Set on an island
11. Title 'I'
12. Cover: Blue
13. Set in the future
14. Title 'M'
15. Author uses their middle name/initial (e.g. Robert J. Sawyer, Rita Mae Brown)
16. Cover Item: Food/Drink
17. MC has at least one child
18. Three Word Title (excludes articles like A, An, The) Behind Closed Doors or Etched in Bone
19. Cover Item: Jewelry
20. Author uses a pseudonym
21. Europe
22. Title 'S'
23. Cover Item: Book
24. MC is in their 20's
25. Book with a wedding in it
26. Cover: Red
27. Debut Novel or Debut Author
28. Author 'T'
29. Cover Item: Mode of Transportation
30. Title 'F'
31. Set in a Fictional Location/Universe
32. MC has a pet
33. Cover Item: Money or other form of payment
34. Non-Fiction
35. Two Word Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) Deadly Silence, The Hunger Games
36. Author 'E'
37. Set anytime between 1600-1900
38. Title 'Y'
39. 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
40. Set in the 20th century
41. Author 'L'
42. Cover Item: Hands/Arms/Feet/Legs (no other body parts visible)
43. Cover: Purple
44. Set in a place you've visited
45. Published 2021
46. Cover Item: One person
47. Seasonal Theme (i.e Christmas, Halloween etc)
48. Cover: Brown
49. Title 'P'
50. Fantasy
51. Book to Movie/TV (must state how book qualifies: listopia, imdb, precis)
52. Published 2023
53. Cover Item: Weapon
54. Young Adult/New Adult
55. Book that a teammate rated 5 stars
56. Author 'G'
57. Published 2016-2020
58. Cover Item: Furniture
59. Originally published in a language other than English
60. GR average rating >4.0
61. Cover: Yellow/Gold
62. Author 'B'
63. Less than 100 ratings
64. Oceania
65. Science Fiction
66. Published the year you were born
67. Africa
68. Set in space
69. Cover Item: Lamp/Candle
70. Published 2022
71. Cover: Orange
72. Title has a subtitle
73. Set sometime before 1600
74. Cover Item: Hat/Helmet/Other Headwear
75. MC is older than 60
76. Title 'W'
77. MC travels by train
78. Title 'D'
79. School/College/University setting
80. Cover Item: Two or more people
81. Mystery/Thriller
82. Author 'J'
83. MC travels by airplane
84. Published 2001-2010
85. South America
86. Cover Item: Water
87. Award Winner (must state which/when)
88. Cover: Green
89. Cover Item: Animal
90. Author 'B'
91. Published 1950-1999
92. Cover: White
93. Re-read
94. Published before 1950
95. Title 'F'
96. Published 2011-2015
97. Cover Item: Sun/Moon
98. Several authors
99. Cover: Black
100. Title 'R'
101. New to You Author
102. Cover Item: Umbrella/Parasol
103. Cover: Pink
104. Favorite Author
105. Author 'C'
106. One Word Title (excluding articles like A, An, The) The Witness or Divergent
107. Romance
108. Title 'N'
109. North America
110. Author 'H'
111. Title 'V'
112. Author 'S'

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

★ You can use any edition of the book you read.
★ Books must be started after your team has rolled.
★ Review posts MUST include the following: Book title, author, cover, how it qualifies for the spot you're on, date finished, rating, review (min. 3 sentences)

Alternates:
★ Publication years: any edition so long as the book was originally published in the given year
★ Cover Colour: must be at least 50% (see guidelines in post below)
★ Cover Item: must have the given item on the cover
★ Locations: book must be set at least partially in the given location
★ Author letters: author's first, middle, or last name must start with the given letter
★ Title letters: first word in the title starts with the given letter, excluding the lead ARTICLE (The, A, An...)


FOR THOSE PLAYING BOTH
★YES, you can use the same book in both challenges.


EXAMPLE OF AN ACCEPTABLE POST

Week 2
Spot: 13

Book: Hell & High Water by Charlie Cochet
Qualification: THIRDS #1
Finished: 11 Jun 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Review:
Testifying against his partner and getting him locked up for murder leaves Detective Dex Daley deserted by his friends and colleagues as well as his boyfriend, a repeat target of violence, and on his way out of the job at the Human Police Force he loves. Instead of fired, however, he is recruited to join the elite Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron (THIRDS), working side by side with shapeshifters as a Defense Agent. Tossed right into the middle of a murder investigation, Dex has to get accustomed to his new situation quickly - and the fact that his new team is still reeling from the loss of one of their own and not at all happy to integrate his replacement really doesn't help. Neither does the fact that Dex's new teamleader may be a jerk, but he's a very attractive one.

These books have been on my TBR for ages, and I'm glad to finally get around to reading them. It took me a while to get into the story, familiarise myself with the universe (I'm really, really not a fan of "let me explain the entirety of my worldbuilding to you textbook-style" prologues, so I was immediately a little dubious about the whole thing), get to know the characters and pick up the terminology, but after a few chapters I was thoroughly hooked. Looking forward to continuing this series.

When using the alternate that involves cover items, colors, or publications years, please be sure to link the correct edition to show how the book qualifies.

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Guideline for Alternate Category Cover Colour

Cover colour alternates tend to be a little tricky, since it can be very hard to tell whether something is 50% a certain colour. Here's a handy little 3-step guide for figuring out whether your chosen book qualifies.

1) Use your own judgment. If a book cover is quite clearly overwhelmingly the colour in question, you don't need additional verification.

Examples:
Blue:
Grey:
Yellow:

2) When in doubt, you can use this tool "http://labs.tineye.com/color/" to check a cover. If TinEye confirms your cover is at least 50% the colour in question, go ahead and use it.
Note: You may need to uncheck "Exclude background color from extracted colors" to get a proper result.

Example:
White: (50.3% white according to TinEye)

3) If it's a close call (say, 40-49.9% the right colour according to TinEye), or TinEye gives you a result you vehemently disagree with (apparently it does that sometimes, unfortunately), or you have trouble using the site/ would generally prefer a human opinion, post the book cover in question to the discussion thread and ask me. I reserve the right to overrule TinEye in cases of a close call or dodgy result.

Examples:
Grey: (44.9% grey according to TinEye. I chose to overrule and let the player use it.)
Orange: (41.1% orange according to TinEye. I would probably choose to overrule.)

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

*reserved

[Mandy]

Team 2 is going to be "Touch My Shelf"

I'm going to be our fearless leader aka Captain this round.

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Mandy wrote: "Team 2 is going to be "Touch My Shelf"

I'm going to be our fearless leader aka Captain this round."

That's a great team name! :D

[Joyce]

Team 3 is going to be Chapter Chasers and I will be the Captain with Jade and Carrie filling in when necessary as being Co-Captain.

[Kayla]

Team 4 will be 4ever Reading Books and I will be captaining with Loriidae.

[Namita]

Team 6 would like to be called Series-Us Readers and our Captain is Eunice!

Thanks :)

[Karen ♐]

I'll be captain for Team 7

[Shan ~A~]

I'll be captain for Team 5. Thanks!

[Shan ~A~]

Denise, after we roll we post our spot and then come back and edit that post with the link to completion post? Or do we wait to post it once we have books completed?

[Michelle]

Team 1 is going to be Ready Reader One and I am Captain

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Shan ~A~ wrote: "Denise, after we roll we post our spot and then come back and edit that post with the link to completion post? Or do we wait to post it once we have books completed?"

Today, just roll and post the new spot. Next Friday include the link to this week's completion post in your post for the next roll.

[Shan ~A~]

Thank you!

[Karen ♐]

Team 7 is going to be Reading in Seventh Heaven

[Shan ~A~]

Team 5 would like to be Serial Readers

[Melanie]

Forgot to post this earlier, Team 8 is going to be Party of Eight and I am captain.

[Eunice]

Hi, can I ask what happens if there are members who didn't post their review on time? Does that mean we'll be skipping a roll?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Eunice wrote: "Hi, can I ask what happens if there are members who didn't post their review on time? Does that mean we'll be skipping a roll?"

Still plenty of time left, deadline is 11:59pm tonight - so no need to stress yet, they still have about 23 hours. :)

If you're still missing reviews after that, you'll skip a roll.

[Eunice]

Oh! I'm one day early. That was my bad.

[Michelle]

I forgot to post the bonus we got to the Post your Spot thread. Can I still do it (The Player actually added it to her completion post to which I copied and pasted to the main completion post on our thread.)

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Michelle wrote: "I forgot to post the bonus we got to the Post your Spot thread. Can I still do it (The Player actually added it to her completion post to which I copied and pasted to the main completion post on ou..."

Sure, you can always claim a bonus point in retrospect if you forgot to add it to your post. Just make sure to let me know if you edit your post, so I know to have a look at it again. I'll add your bonus point to your thread. :)

[Michelle]

Denise wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I forgot to post the bonus we got to the Post your Spot thread. Can I still do it (The Player actually added it to her completion post to which I copied and pasted to the main comp..."

Thanks!

[Eunice]

Hi Denise. I also forgot to post the bonus point. I edited my check in post

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Eunice wrote: "Hi Denise. I also forgot to post the bonus point. I edited my check in post"

Thanks for letting me know, added it to your thread!

[Melanie]

Denise, one of my team members had a question about Alternate task 15. Author uses their middle name/initial.

Is 2 initials ok for the alternate, as for J.D. Robb?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Melanie wrote: "Denise, one of my team members had a question about Alternate task 15. Author uses their middle name/initial.

Is 2 initials ok for the alternate, as for J.D. Robb?"

Sure, that works!

[Joyce]

I was wondering if a book that is over 500 pages and fits in both the series and alternate would earn 2 bonus points or do I have to pick just one?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Joyce wrote: "I was wondering if a book that is over 500 pages and fits in both the series and alternate would earn 2 bonus points or do I have to pick just one?"

Two birds with one stone? That's very efficient of you! There's no rule that says you can't do that, so go ahead and claim both. :D

[Janeylou]

So
27 ..debut novel/ debut author

So can i re read a book as long as it was a debut novel ( when realeased ) and does debut author mean a new author to me ?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Janeylou wrote: "So
27 ..debut novel/ debut author

So can i re read a book as long as it was a debut novel ( when realeased ) and does debut author mean a new author to me ?"

Yes, a re-read of a novel that was a debut is fine.
New to you author is its own category, debut author just means it's their first book. I phrased it as debut novel/debut author to make it clear that nonfiction books are also an option.

[Janeylou]

Got ya ..thanks 😁

[Celia]

Do subtitles count for number of words in title tasks?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Yes, subtitles count.

[Michelle]

In week 8 our spot was 57. In week 9 our spot was 68 but because we were missing a review we had to sit out week 10. for our roll this week do we start back at 57 or 68?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Michelle wrote: "In week 8 our spot was 57. In week 9 our spot was 68 but because we were missing a review we had to sit out week 10. for our roll this week do we start back at 57 or 68?"

Start at 68.

[MN Lisa]

✸ When using an anthology you may use any of the numbers in the book except for the .5 since this means ½. But you must read each story in the anthology. The same applies to short story collections.
This means that if an anthology is volume 7, I can use it for #7 in a series?

Heart2Heart: A Contemporary Charity Anthology (Collection), Volume 7

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

MN Lisa wrote: "✸ When using an anthology you may use any of the numbers in the book except for the .5 since this means ½. But you must read each story in the anthology. The same applies to short story collections..."

Sure, that works!
(Also: Thank you for this greatly appreciated reminder that I haven't read this one yet! :D)

[MN Lisa]

Denise wrote: "MN Lisa wrote: "✸ When using an anthology you may use any of the numbers in the book except for the .5 since this means ½. But you must read each story in the anthology. The same applies to short s..."

They have a paranormal one too

Heart2Heart: A Paranormal Charity Anthology (Collection), Volume 7

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

MN Lisa wrote: "Denise wrote: "MN Lisa wrote: "✸ When using an anthology you may use any of the numbers in the book except for the .5 since this means ½. But you must read each story in the anthology. The same app..."

Oooh... this one I hadn't even seen yet!

[Karen ♐]

For a spot over 100, example 101, can you use a 10?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Karen ♐ wrote: "For a spot over 100, example 101, can you use a 10?"

Can't remember if the question's come up before, so I'll just go with: Sure!

[Karen ♐]

I have posted our Week 12 Reviews (for the win) in Post Your Spot. Is that all I need to do?

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

Karen ♐ wrote: "I have posted our Week 12 Reviews (for the win) in Post Your Spot. Is that all I need to do?"

It is, congrats to you guys! :D

[Denise, Manufacturing Director]

*** Attention everyone: We have a winner!! ***

Congratulations to Team 7 - Reading in Seventh Heaven, who have made it all the way to spot 101 and finished all their books!

Officially this marks the end of the game, though of course everyone wanting to finish their reads for their current spot or even seeing it through until they've crossed the finish line are welcome to do so. The threads will remain open for a while. :)