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Fall 2024 Read-a-Thon: Team Bears
Go Team Bears!! So excited to read with you all! I'm headed over to the spreadsheet to get started adding my current books. Remember, as long as you have 100 pages left to finish when we officially start tomorrow morning*, you may claim it!
*for our new readers, many of us intentionally stop reading at just over 100 pages so we can get a little jump start on day one :D
I've got lots of options on my TBR so, I'll pick my next books based on what prompts need filling once everyone has a chance to check in.
If you have any questions or need help with spreadsheet, just let me know.
Happy reading team!
Hi team! This is my first one of these so thanks in advance for all help figuring things out. And thanks for getting the spreadsheet started, Sheena, it was useful to see what you did.So, for any book I read I X off all the categories it applies to. Who then decides which to actually use it for? The captains?
My plan for tonight is to finish up two of my currently readings that have less than 100 pages to go so I can 'clear the decks', but if I can I'll get a head start on my next read.
And I guess I should ask, just to confirm - this starts when I wake up tomorrow morning, not at midnight, if I'm still up and reading then?
Hi Joanna, Welcome! Great to have you for your first read-a-thon! They're a lot of fun!
For the spreadsheet, you can either move it over to the completed sheet and claim any open prompt (I usually choose the one with the least options) or get the captains to do it for you by marking it complete on the plans page and we'll move it for you . I love messing with spreadsheet so will check it over regularly to make sure everything is where it's supposed to go.
It will seem a bit confusing at first but we will copy the whole entire column (with all your x's) and then highlight the prompt we're using it for on the completed sheet. I'll add an example temporarily until we get rolling. Edited to add: And also add it to individual subject tabs.
When we get further along Kim or I may swap things around after if it helps to fill in missing prompt but don't worry too much about picking the right one at first. We'll probably/hopefully? complete more than one round :D
And yes, past expectation was you officially start when you wake up tomorrow, and end when you go to sleep on the last day so I would assume that still applied.
Happy reading and just give a shout if you need help with anything!
Thanks, Sheena.What about the spreadsheet pages that are titled after the various categories (i.e. literature)? Do we do anything with those?
Oh, and also remember to add your daily pages and audio minutes to the first tab so we can collect our pencils. :D
Re: categories... Yes, when adding to completed tab, we also add the title to the individual tabs. this is where the captains will allocate pencils to fully complete each subject once all the prompts have been filled.
Mod
Bruins! Bruins! Hats off to thee! (I know we're team bears, but my high school was bruins and bruins are bears anyway.)I'm excited about this read-a-thon! I have a pile of books that there is no way I will get to given my busy life this week, but first I have to finish The Heart's Invisible Furies for my book club next Thursday. We skipped August so we decided on a longer book for September, but of course the extra time did not make me get an early start. I have well over 100 pages to go, no matter how much more I read tonight. After that I'm hoping to read If Beale Street Could Talk for a James Baldwin event at the library.
I also appreciate that math is the subject that needs the most pencils. That certainly rings true with my experience. The day I embraced mechanical was life changing.
I love that cheer, Abbie! Totally with you on the excitement of a push to get reading. I'm behind on the main challenge and my yearly goal so hoping to read lots and get caught up. Happy reading!
Let's do this Bears :) I was trying to sleep in a smidge this morning but kept thinking of the reading time I was wasting!!
So I'm up and caffeinating and finishing the last pages of my book!
ps. where's everyone from? sometimes they group by time zones sometimes not and we get a fun time warp :D
I'm in Ontario Canada.
Good Morning Bears, I'm very excited to get started. Good Luck everyone.
Does this cover have a geometric shape? It looks geometric to me but I can't name it.
For sure! I see several rectangles (the angle makes it looks like a parallelogram) in the roof and balcony. even if you don't count the cut off ones, the two roof supports are perfect intact rectangles
I tried to update my complete book and typed out a whole message .. and my laptop died before I hit send. lolPopping out for a bit (it's 27C, airshow weekend so time to hit a patio for a pint!!) but I'll check in by phone later. And update my half finished book log :D
Hi all, So I dreamt about this last night - all through my sleep, I was like I need to be reading and tracking.
A question - I don't like audiobooks, I don't follow them well. But one of the podcasts I do listen to is Levar Burton Reads, where he reads out a short story. Could I count listening to that as audio book time? Obviously just for pencils, they wouldn't meet the page count for anything topical.
I'm also in Ontario, Sheena.
Hi! I finished my first book and updated the spreadsheet. If someone could check if I did it correctly, that would be great.
Good Morning Everyone. I only have 41 minutes left on The Celebrantsso I will finish it today. I only read 10 pages yesterday spending my time listening.
Log looks perfect Joanna! I also added it to the Geography tab. Re: Podcasts, Let's check in the FAQ thread, I think something similar was asked before it and it was no, doesn't count but I'm not positive.
Sherri wrote: "Good Morning Everyone. I only have 41 minutes left on The Celebrantsso I will finish it today. I only read 10 pages yesterday spending my time listening."Awesome Sherri, Did you like it? how was the audio version? I feel like it's been on my TBR forever!
Sheena wrote: "Log looks perfect Joanna! I also added it to the Geography tab. Re: Podcasts, Let's check in the FAQ thread, I think something similar was asked before it and it was no, doesn't count but I'm not..."
Thanks! I saw the answer in FAQ. He does do a brief intro where he talks about what he likes about the story and there are ad breaks, so I think I will just not do that so there are no issues.
I thought I could turn some of my chore doing + podcast listening time into pencils, but I guess not. Maybe I just need to save all my chores for next week and read more!
Good Afternoon, I finished The Celebrants. I did like it. The author narrated & he was good. He also narrated The Guncle & The Guncle Abroad.I put it under the arts a protagonist that works in the arts or something like that. I don't have the prompts in front of me. I left the column under plans because I didn't see where people removed their completed reads. I did copy the column to the completed tab.
Good Morning Everyone. Yesterday was busy but I did manage to complete The Celebrants. I've started Can't Spell Treason Without Tea on audible.I'm moving very slowly on my book.
Joanna wrote: "Sheena wrote: "Log looks perfect Joanna! I also added it to the Geography tab. Re: Podcasts, Let's check in the FAQ thread, I think something similar was asked before it and it was no, doesn't co..."
Priorities, right!! LOL I'm picky about audio books but have a found a few that I really like. I can't do anything too plot heavy, but comedies, light mysteries work. Susan Juby has a few that really like on audio so I spend most of yesterday cooking/meal prep, cleaning and listening to Mindful of Murder (not my fav, but good)
Sherri wrote: "Good Afternoon, I finished The Celebrants. I did like it. The author narrated & he was good. He also narrated The Guncle & The Guncle Abroad.I put it under the arts a protagonist t..."
I loved Guncle! I need to catch up and read both Abroad and Celebrants.
Sherri wrote: "Good Afternoon, I finished The Celebrants. I did like it. The author narrated & he was good. He also narrated The Guncle & The Guncle Abroad.I put it under the arts a protagonist t..."
Thanks for noting that Sherri, I think I unintentionally started that when my laptop died just before I left the house. I cleaned up the sheet, removed the completed and highlighted the plans tab to mark the completed books so it's more in line with what we usually do.
Trying to read in accordance with the prompts - does anyone know if Anxious People or Zone One would fit anything we need? Both are due back at the library soon so I'd like to get them in if I can. I know Anxious People could be in translation, but I had planned to use my current read of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead there unless it ends up being a strong fit for something else. Why oh why couldn't Anxious People have some red on the cover too?
Joanna wrote: "Trying to read in accordance with the prompts - does anyone know if Anxious People or Zone One would fit anything we need? Both are due back at the library soon so I..."It's been ages since I read Anxious People but thinking it might have multiple points of view, maybe??
I also forget details of Drive your plow, but does it involve nature enough to claim? Then you could use AP for translated? I also think there's a storm in Drive your plow? If so you could take the weather event and I can switch Twisted Crowns to YA. I was torn which one would be easier to fill ;)
I don't know anything abut Zone One but wondering from the description if there might be a STEM character?
And if none of that works, it's cool to just read for pencils. We often end up short on those by the end of the challenge.
Thanks, Sheena. I'll try finishing Drive Your Plow first and seeing where else I can fit it in. I think leaving YA open might make sense - it should be a fairly quick read to fill in close to the end if we still need it.
I finished reading The Heart's Invisible Furies (and not ten minutes before book club starts - thanks read-a-thon) and added it for the over 500 pages category. I started reading Beale Street and also picked out an audio book to listen to while cooking. I like nonfiction and memoirs best on audio - I feel like I miss too much in a novel if I have a lapse in attention - so I picked an available, not too long memoir with red, blue, and yellow on the cover:
Hi Everyone, I hope everyone else is having as much fun reading as I am. I thought I'd have more time but time is funny. I will continue to read my paperback & listen to my other book.
@Abbie, perfect! And your book will be fresh in your mind for the discussion :D I'm the opposite with my IRL bookclub, I always read the book immediately after we pick it. Then we meet a month later, and I've read 8 other books forget half the things I wanted to talk about. LOL
@Sherri, with you! I thought my week was relatively free but all kinds of things popping up. I'm trying to keep several audiobooks on deck because finding them easier to fit it.
Interim Report Card History F
Literature F
Math D
Science F
Geography D
Art F
Recess F
We're a third of the way through our challenge, and sorry to say friends, but I think we might need a tutor {hahahaha}
I couldn't resist the fun of the school theme so I made us a little report card to track our grades. It's below the individual daily tracking on the pencil tracker tab and will auto update as we add our completed books :D
Enjoy your reads today everyone
Now thinking I'll use Drive Your Plow for either nature (her working theory is that (wild) animals are taking revenge for being hunted) or hobby (astrology). Hoping to finish that tonight. I'm also headed to the library today, so I'll see if I can find a book of poetry or play that entices.
Great plan Joanna!Is there any particular prompt everyone wants to avoid? I'm not to fussy about what I read next so can pick up one of our harder to fill options as well. I should be done both my audio and paper book today.
So far we've got zero options for ..
A science fiction book
A book featuring a real historical figure
A book set in the southern hemisphere
A play, screenplay, or book of poetry - Joanna looking for one.
And several recess (but I feel like these are all pretty easy)
A children's book (can be less than 100 pages)
A young adult book
A humorous book
Sci-fi is easy for me to fulfill too. I can plan on that after I finish either my current digital or physical read. And after the play I guess.
Went to the library and thought "it's so hard to find a book or play over 200 pages!" Finally went with The Poems of Emily Dickinson. However, as I walked out, I remembered that it's a 100 limit, not 200, so I went back and grabbed The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One, since I wanted to check out Amanda Lovelace. (I checked the intro thread, but didn't see it, can someone confirm that I'm right that it doesn't need to be over 200?)
Another book caught my eye as perfect for the red yellow blue cover:
. I know we have an option for that, but it's a backup + it's also sci-fi.
No, sorry Poetry is over 200 pages. There was talk about one prompt being between 100-200 pages, and the children's book has no minimum page count, but poetry was sill 200 pageshttps://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
... but I I think I saw some audio books that I could use for that if you don't feel like reading that much poetry ;) I'll double check later and see what I can find.
Good find for the red/yellow/blue!
Sheena wrote: "No, sorry Poetry is over 200 pages. There was talk about one prompt being between 100-200 pages, and the children's book has no minimum page count, but poetry was sill 200 pageshttps://www.goodre..."
Ah boo, well, guess that's why it was in my head. Too bad - the Lovelace is 191. I'll have a go at the Dickenson later and advise if I think it will be too much of a slog.
Joanna wrote: "Sheena wrote: "No, sorry Poetry is over 200 pages. There was talk about one prompt being between 100-200 pages, and the children's book has no minimum page count, but poetry was sill 200 pageshtt..."
I just found Remember Love: Words for Tender Times audio copy at my library. You're right about the limit being hard to fill, it was the only one of 5 poetry books available that was over 200 pages! I've downloaded to have available but will continue on with my other picks first and read\listen later in the week if we still haven't filled the prompt.
@Sheena - I love the report card, although I really hope we don't fail recess!For the hard to fill categories, I'm definitely hoping someone else takes poetry/play, especially if it has to be over 200 pages. I probably wouldn't pick humor either.
However, one of the books in my pile is My Salty Mary which has the pirate Mary Read as a character. Pirates are historical figures, right? As long as she actually existed? It's also YA and has multiple authors so there are some other prompts it could fill. Mostly I just thought My Imaginary Mary was fun so I thought I would try some of their other ones. Sometimes you just need to read something fun.
Abbie - I absolutely think Mary Read would count, as a real historical figure. Would be nice to get that prompt filled, I was a little baffled as to what might fit, other than non-fiction.Finished two today - Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (used for nature) and The Big Book of Modern Fantasy (multiple authors).
Started the Dickinson, think I will be able to get through it for our poetry prompt + also going to start Anxious People for in translation.
Doing this is certainly prompting me to read!
I know it doesn't really matter in the end, but where we have options, is it better to fill prompts we've started well to get some A's, or to try to go to new subject areas, so we're middle grades across the board?
Good Morning. I haven't had a report card in a long long time. Looks about right. I'm listening to a lot of audio hours but not reading too much. I'm stuck on my book. It's a book club read that I'm not enjoying. It's also a library book that others in my book club are waiting on. I must get going on the book. We're doing great. Keep up the good work.
I just looked at all the categories. I had put The Celebrants under the arts. You can move it to math & a geometric shape on the cover where it will help.
Abbie wrote: "@Sheena - I love the report card, although I really hope we don't fail recess!For the hard to fill categories, I'm definitely hoping someone else takes poetry/play, especially if it has to be ove..."
What ever we do, we will HAVE to bang out recess before the end of the challenge! LOL
Mary Read would definitely count for historical! I discovered after I finished and logged that the Manings in Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge were historical figures as well, so we have some room for swaps later on if needed.
Joanna wrote: " -I know it doesn't really matter in the end, but where we have options, is it better to fill prompts we've started well to get some A's, or to try to go to new subject areas, so we're middle grades across the board?.Finishe..."
Totally up to the team, I think there are pros and cons to both. Sometimes it gives you a little boost to complete a whole category, but then it's daunting to try and complete an entire category. My strategy is to just try and prioritize the harder prompts that have the least options regardless of category so we aren't stuck with a bunch hard to fill ones at the end.
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For this team challenge, you will be tackling all the major school subjects, with the goal of making all As!
Completing one prompt in each category will increase your grade by one letter. Here's how the grades are given:
Completing one prompt for the subject: F
Completing two prompts for the subject: D
Completing three prompts for the subject: C
Completing four prompts for the subject: B
Completing five prompts for the subject (plus required pencils): A
Pencils can be earned by reading 1500 pages or listening to 25 hours of audiobooks as a team.
Literature
Two Pencils
A book about books
A book featuring a student, teacher, writer or librarian
A book that is a retelling
A book that has been translated into English
A book with a title of 5 words or more
Math
Three Pencils
A book with a geometric shape on the cover
A book with more than one author
A book with over 500 pages
A book with under 200 pages
A book with multiple points of view
Science
One Pencil
A book involving nature
A book involving a person in a STEM field
A science fiction book
A book with an animal on the cover
A book with a plant on the cover
History
Two Pencils
A historical fiction book
A book published at least 50 years ago
A book featuring a real historical figure
A memoir, biography or autobiography
A book taking place during a war
Geography
One Pencil
A book set on an island
A book written by an Asian author
A book set in the southern hemisphere
A book involving travel
A book containing a weather event (storm, quake, blizzard, etc.)
The Arts
One Pencil
A play, screenplay, or book of poetry
A book featuring a protagonist who has a career in the arts
A book with all three primary colors on the cover (red, blue, yellow)
A book whose title starts with a letter in EGOT
A book containing a map or illustrations
Recess
A book featuring sports
A book featuring a hobby
A children's book (can be less than 100 pages)
A young adult book
A humorous book
THE TEAM
Captain: Sheena
Captain: Kim
Sherri
Joanna
Alisa
Abbie
THE SPREADSHEET
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...