WI 10-11 General Challenge Questions & Answers

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

colleen wrote: "Sam wrote: "I've made a change to the task specifying that an author be used only once. "

Awww, I could knock out many Janet Evanovitch books that way. :)

[Coralie]

I think it would be a good idea, in future challenges, to have every task to be limited to only once for each author.

[Joanna]

Sara Grace wrote: "It seems like limiting each task to "once per author" creates a philosophical conflict with the relatively new "series" style points. The former making the statement that reading the same author ov..."

Although, the series points only apply if you read different books in the same series for different tasks. So, in some ways, it seems like a reward for creatively finding ways to include the same series in different tasks, which would be allowed if there were a once-per-task limit to authors.

That said, I'm not sure such a limit is really necessary for most tasks.

[Karen Michele]

Joanna wrote: "Sara Grace wrote: "It seems like limiting each task to "once per author" creates a philosophical conflict with the relatively new "series" style points. The former making the statement that reading..."

For me, part of the reason I like rws so much is the flexibility to read many books for the same task. I wouldn't want to see limits like one book by an author put on all of the tasks because it would limit the ability to apply the tasks creatively to each person's reading list and preferences.

[Joanna]

Sara Grace wrote: "Rachelccameron: Thanks for the suggestion but it was published 1998 according to the inside cover of the book. So he was trotting along the trail in the early to mid-nineties.

Hmm, maybe that boo..."

I think Bryson is from the UK, so you could use it for a Backpacking stop if you visit the UK.

[Cassandra]

Joanna wrote: "Sara Grace wrote: "Rachelccameron: Thanks for the suggestion but it was published 1998 according to the inside cover of the book. So he was trotting along the trail in the early to mid-nineties.
..."

It's iffy whether he's from the United States or the UK since he's spent around equal time in each country. He was born in the US but lives in the UK right now. I think an argument for the UK would be better if the book took place in UK, but it doesn't.

You might be able to make a case for him being an elected official and use the book for 10.4 since he's chancellor of Durham University. That's only if the chancellors at Durham are actually elected though, and I had trouble finding information about the process. I'm not sure if it would fit the spirit of the task either.

This source says he was 'elected'-
http://www.dur.ac.uk/bill.bryson/role...

This source says they're going to 'nominate' a new candidate when he steps down, which implies a vote.-
http://www.dur.ac.uk/news/newsitem/?i...

[Rebekah]

Rhea wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Sara Grace wrote: "Rachelccameron: Thanks for the suggestion but it was published 1998 according to the inside cover of the book. So he was trotting along the trail in the early to m..."

Bill Bryson was from Iowa which he wrote about in The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid A Memoir. I don't think he's given up his American citizenship as I believe I read his children had dual citizenship. His wife is British.
He was made an officer according to wikipedia as the President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Would that count? President means there was some sort of election, right?

[Rebekah]

Can a book from Goodreads Book Swap count as a Given book for task 10.1?

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Question re: 10.1

Would Olive Kitteridge work for this one? I see no other place it would fit and another club will be reading it for February. It is one of the few I'm interested in re-reading, and I'd love to get some points for it.

[Sam]

Rebekah wrote: "Can a book from Goodreads Book Swap count as a Given book for task 10.1?"

I don't think Bill Bryson works for the U.K.

However, a Book Swap book will be fine for 10.2.

[Sam]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Question re: 10.1

Would Olive Kitteridge work for this one? I see no other place it would fit and another club will be reading it for February. It is one of the few I'm interested..."

Good suggestion...it definietly works.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Thanks, Sam!

[Karen Michele]

For 20.6 – African-America History Month, is it ok to read a nonfiction book by an author on the list? I want to read On Writing for Children & Other People by Julius Lester because I've read almost all of his fiction. Thanks for letting me know.

[Rebekah]

For 10.4 can the book be about a consort such as Prince Albert? Does the Prince of Wales count?

[Krista]

Karen GHHS wrote: "For 20.6 – African-America History Month, is it ok to read a nonfiction book by an author on the list? I want to read On Writing for Children & Other People by [author:Julius Lester|8..."

Yes, as long as the author is on the list, you can read any of their books.

[Krista]

Rebekah wrote: "For 10.4 can the book be about a consort such as Prince Albert? Does the Prince of Wales count?"

They both work for me. If they've married into the royal family, then I they'd be considered royalty. The Price of Wales counts since he's been born into royalty and is next in line to the throne.

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

I have a question regarding the one word titled book. My book has subtitle. The main title is one word. Is that still accepted?

[Krista]

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I have a question regarding the one word titled book. My book has subtitle. The main title is one word. Is that still accepted?"

Hi Jayme: See message numbers 52 and 53 in this folder for more explanation about the task. You can also post the book title here to get a specific ruling.

Basically if it has Title: A Novel, or Title: Stories, something generic like that it's okay. If it is Title: More explanation about book, then it's not okay.

For example: Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell is not acceptable.

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

I have another question. I am reading a book that is nonfiction. It is about ghost hunting and written by the two co founders to T.A.P.S. The book is about some of their cases and I was wondering if I could use it for task 20.7. Some of the cases take place between 2000-2008. Would that work or would the whole book have to take place in that 00-10 decade?

[Cassandra]

Sara Grace wrote: "Question about the Paulo Coelho trilogy (By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept,Veronika Decides to Die, and The Devil and Miss Prym): I can't seem to find a home for Veronika (unless the setting ..."

Veronika is set in Slovenia, not Brazil, so it won't work.

I'd say you don't need to read them in order at all. I didn't. I think the only reason that people know they're a trilogy is because Coelho tells you so in an author's note in The Devil and Miss Prym. The plots are similar, but they don't interconnect at all.

[Krista]

Sara Grace wrote: "Soooo, more questions from me...

I read Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

The book is formatted like an encyclopedia with entries ranging from a few sentences to 2-3 pages..."

Hi Sara Grace: That works for me. The entries could be considered very short --- Short Stories. :-)

[Rebekah]

Does Napoleon count for task 10.4, Will and Kate?

[Krista]

Rebekah wrote: "Does Napoleon count for task 10.4, Will and Kate?"

Yep.