Challenges for 2025: Q&A

[Nicole]

I don’t know if this has been mentioned yet, but I think it would be a fun possibility to make unofficial teams for the Compass game and set a team goal.

Example: Each team member reads books from different countries with the overall goal of reading as many books as possible from around the world. You could break it down into team members taking on an entire continents, etc. Many possibilities for making this into an unofficial team game or even to set full PBT goals - very flexible which I think is really fun!

All 50 states?
Every European capital?
Every country in Asia?

[Karin]

Anita wrote: "Booknblues and I are each working to develop some challenges for next year.

We have decided that our members will vote for one challenge from Anita's ideas and one challenge from Booknblues ideas..."

What a great idea for voting! That way neither of you has to moderate two games.

[Karin]

Joy D wrote: "I understand the tag tie-in for PBT, but I also read lots of new books and less popular books, which have fewer tags in general. I am glad it will be optional."

Same with me for less popular books.

I love the fact that some of these games are more low key. I'm not big on too much randomizer stuff, but haven't ruled any of those out just yet. I'll take a better look when it's time to vote.

[Theresa]

Question on Fun with Tags: I'm not sure how the tag availability period works. Does it mean that you start a book in the period but you can't start another until you finish and review the one you started -- and then you pick a book to start that matches the tag that's available in that time period. Example: Tag is Historical Mystery for 3 days. I start a Wrexford & Sloane on day 2 that the tag is available but I don't finish it for 10 days. During that 10 days, Cozy is picked for 1 day, then Science for 7 days, then History for 20 days. After I review my Historical Mystery book, I can pick a History book to start or wait until a tag I like better comes along - right?

Presumably you can only be reading and claiming 1 book at a time, not start, using my example, an historical mystery and also a cozy before that historical mystery is finished.

Also just a comment about the Secret Teams aspect. Initially it didn't appeal to me - but that was very much just a visceral reaction after being reporter on my BWF team for a year and struggling since Thursday to finish and publish out team tracking while having a really bad cold. Given I love mysteries and puzzles, I can see how it would in a way be like the game of Clue -- rather than identifying who what where for a murderer, you are trying to see who might be your teammates. By now, certainly after BWF, the admins must have an excellent idea of who the high volume readers are and can scatter them among the teams so that everyone, even a one book a month reader, has a chance to be on a winning team. Question: will there be clues given at any time during the year that we can use to try to see what team we are assigned to?

[Theresa]

Haven't really had the mental clarity (due toa really really bad cold and needing to finish BWF tracking for S & F) to consider BooknBlue's last 2 suggestions properly.

I do have a question about all 3 of them -- or maybe it's just my foggy brain isn't reading clearly - but none of the 3 require you to have your book read match a specific tag 5x? That only is an option or one of a set of choices? For example:

Compass - I get East from NYC - I choose to read a book set in Istanbul, Turkey but I don't actually need it to have 5 tags that are Istanbul or Turkey? I just need to provide a quote or something from book to indicate that's where it is? I read a lot of older books that don't have a lot of tagging here, especially when I'm reading from my massive collection of TBR Towers.

Words - I read it as there are 3 ways you can count the book you pick for your word:
1. word is Turkey and is in the title -- example: Noun Turkey is my word - so Turkey Trot Murder would count. or
2. word is Turkey and the book read has been tagged at least 5 times 'Turkey' - Last Train to Istanbul has been tagged 'Turkey' 117 times, or
3. the word is 'rain' and it is in the author's name - read Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains whose last name has 'rain' in it.

Answer the Question: I've really not read this sufficiently yet to sort it out fully or try a beta test of it or even have any specific question. While initially a little intimidated by writing a story at the end using all the 'words', I got over that quickly. I mean look at the story telling in Steeplechase and Subdue?! All just for fun! And you can do the challenge without writing a story at the end I believe, if a little creative writing isn't for you.

Do want to mention to all that, having done both ATY and PS challenges for years, where a prompt can be read a book with a blue cover or a insect, I am often surprised by how often I can find a shelves with very specific words -- such as

blue - https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

insect - https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

bread (this cracked me up) - https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Doesn't mean you will find books with 5 tags though.

I'm fading and starting to ramble, not make sense. Great work, Anita and BnB, and each are very different from each other. I like the more relaxed feeling these challenges seem to have - well until this group starts doing them!

[Theresa]

I for one like just picking 1 from Anita's 3 and 1 from BnB's 3. Each admin has a unique style and vibe to their respective challenge suggestions. It's complimentary, and for any doing both, gives a nice balance as we saw this year with Steeplechase and BWF.

It also means that for those who only do one challenge a year, they pick the style and vibe that suits each PBT member best.

Rather than some kind of weighted voting -maybe just ranking each set of challenges 1st 2nd and 3rd? Whichever in each set gets the most 1st place votes wins?

[Booknblues]

Theresa wrote: "Compass - I get East from NYC - I choose to read a book set in Istanbul, Turkey but I don't actually need it to have 5 tags that are Istanbul or Turkey? I just need to provide a quote or something from book to indicate that's where it is? I read a lot of older books that don't have a lot of tagging here, especially when I'm reading from my massive collection of TBR Towers. ..."

As I said to Holly, here - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

"While it won't be required, there will be a tag component built in with points, depending on 5, 25, or 50 tags. For those people who may be using books set in small town locations, or locations which may not have tags, a quote about the setting will be required. This location should not be an incidental part of the book, but the setting of the book.

One exception can be a travel book. For instance if your last location is San Diego CA, and you were given north for direction, you might read Alta California: From San Diego to San Francisco, A Journey on Foot to Rediscover the Golden State in which the author walks north from San Diego to San Francisco. In this case you would need quotes of both start and finish locations."

Theresa wrote "Words - I read it as there are 3 ways you can count the book you pick for your word:
1. word is Turkey and is in the title -- example: Noun Turkey is my word - so Turkey Trot Murder would count. or
2. word is Turkey and the book read has been tagged at least 5 times 'Turkey' - Last Train to Istanbul has been tagged 'Turkey' 117 times, or
3. the word is 'rain' and it is in the author's name - read Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains whose last name has 'rain' in it...

That is correct but

"Extra points will be given for matching tag of the month, and for being on the shelf. "

As much as possible I'd like words to represent existing shelves, but I'm sure there are not all that many for verbs, adverbs and adjectives.

[Linda C]

Anita wrote: "Fun with Tags

Everyone submits three favorite tags. We kick off the game by drawing one tag (from the list of member submissions) using the randomizer.

1. Read any book that fits the tag before the tag flips to a new one. - 5 pts
2. Read a long book (600+ pages) before the tag flips to a new one – 5 additional pts (10 pts total)
3. Read a book that fits the special tag and the monthly tag. - 5 additional pts (10 pts total)"

What about points if you can do both 2 and 3? (15 pts total)?
{not saying that I could find such a qualifier and read it}

[Book Concierge]

Anita wrote: "Play Harder

A common challenge that I have seen around often is a list of different categories and the object is to try to select ..."

I think I like this one the best, so far. I'm just a fool for challenge prompts.

[Anita]

Linda C wrote: "Anita wrote: "Fun with Tags

Everyone submits three favorite tags. We kick off the game by drawing one tag (from the list of member submissions) using the randomizer.

1. Read any book that fits t..."

You would get 25 points if you read a book that fit both 2 and 3.

[Anita]

PBT Palate

I had one final idea, but I'll admit this is more of a shared activity than an actual challenge.

For the first three quarters of the year, you will collect food items while you read for the tag. Only books that fit the tag for that month are eligible and only fiction books are eligible.

You will keep a running tally of the foods you find in a specially designated thread. For every food you find, you'll receive 2 participation points.

In the fourth quarter, you will be tasked with selecting THREE ingredients from your food list. Once you have chosen those three ingredients, I will use your list (if possible) to add two more ingredients. If someone doesn't have enough ingredients or their ingredients can't possibly create a dish, I'll add two ingredients that will round out their selections.

(I cook so my goal is for you to be successful, not to make things impossible!).

Then, you must find a recipe that has those five ingredients and that you think will be delicious to share with the rest of the group. You can find the recipe online or make your own!

You do NOT have to cook the recipe, but we will welcome photos for those of you who try and there will be 20 participation points for each person who submits a photo of their efforts.

Then, participants will vote for their favorite recipe. A prize will go to the member with our favorite recipe and there will also be a prize given in a random drawing from amongst everyone who submits a recipe.

[Anita]

Theresa wrote: "Question on Fun with Tags: I'm not sure how the tag availability period works. Does it mean that you start a book in the period but you can't start another until you finish and review the one you s..."

Sorry, I did make an error in my Fun with Tags posting. It should have been 7 to 45 days. I had initially had 1 day, and my fellow admin, Cindy, pointed out to me that 1 day was going to be absurd.

As to your question. You ask:

Does it mean that you start a book in the period but you can't start another until you finish and review the one you started -- and then you pick a book to start that matches the tag that's available in that time period.

Yes, your selections must be sequential. You select a book to start, and whatever monthly tag is in place when you start it is the monthly tag you need to match (if you wish to claim those points).

You must review your first book before moving on to another one.

You are not obligated to read for every tag. But the reading and reviewing needs to take place within the timeline that the tag is available. So you'll either have 7 days to select, read, and review the book or up to 45 days to get it done. But if you end up outside the window when you finish, you'll still get the 1 point.

Does that answer the question you had? If so, I'll add this stuff to the rules for additional clarity! Good question.

[Anita]

Theresa wrote: "Question on Fun with Tags: I'm not sure how the tag availability period works. Does it mean that you start a book in the period but you can't start another until you finish and review the one you s..."

I like the idea of clues, but I also don't want the teams to drive competition . . .I think there might be clues from the scores themselves as it is, but I will consider clues. But I may not explicitly say "here's a clue everyone". I may just drop them in unexpected ways. Like a puzzle.

[Theresa]

Anita wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Question on Fun with Tags: I'm not sure how the tag availability period works. Does it mean that you start a book in the period but you can't start another until you finish and revi..."

Yes that does. Length of book and available reading time will govern selection for this one much of the time, I think.

And while I can read up to a 300 page book in a single day, it's not often I have a single day available for that! So agree with Cindy, it is absurd.

[Theresa]

A very entertaining concept, Anita!

[Anita]

Theresa wrote: ".And while I can read up to a 300 page book in a single day, it's not often I have a single day available for that! So agree with Cindy, it is absurd.."

I also thought it was absurd. I just wasn't thinking straight right there.

[Anita]

Theresa wrote: "A very entertaining concept, Anita!"

Thank you! Mixing my two favorite things - reading and food lol.

[Joanne]

My 2 favorite things too, Anita! Will this one be in the running for voting?

[Anita]

Joanne wrote: "My 2 favorite things too, Anita! Will this one be in the running for voting?"

Yes, it will be part of my grouping for the vote. So my group will have four choices.

[LibraryCin]

Anita wrote: "Tmy fellow admin, Cindy, pointed out to me that 1 day was going to be absurd...."

LOL! I just wanted to add that I didn't use that exact word, but I did suggest a bit more time would be better. :-)

[Anita]

LibraryCin wrote: "Anita wrote: "Tmy fellow admin, Cindy, pointed out to me that 1 day was going to be absurd...."

LOL! I just wanted to add that I didn't use that exact word, but I did suggest a bit more time would..."

That's true! You didn't say absurd. You were much nicer. I recognized it was absurd though.

[Joanne]

Diana wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "So I would start in NYC, and say I was given East -- I would head 'across the pond' - would there be parameters of the compass directions - is east just UK Europe..."

Great idea Diana!

[Anita]

Here is the link for voting. Please be careful with your math, lol.

Voting needs to be completed by noon EST on November 27th.

https://forms.gle/evBNpMjSTGTQ9AVc9

[Heather Reads Books]

Looked these over and voted today and I just want to say these all look super fun! Thank you for your creativity as always and I hope to be able to do whatever challenges are picked.