Reading Challenge #10: Tasks & Discussion

[Maree]

Here we go! These are all the details for Reading Challenge #10. If you have any questions or clarifications, please ask below!

1. The Challenge begins at 12:00 A.M. local time on October 1, 2011 and ends at 11:59 P.M. local time on December 31, 2011. Happy New Year!
2. This Challenge is just for fun, so make sure you enjoy yourself and all the books you will be reading!
3. All books must be classified as Young Adult or Juvenile Fiction, unless otherwise noted in the task. If you local library classifies the book you chose as such, then the book may be included.
4. All books must be at least 100 pages long to count for any of the tasks, unless otherwise noted in the task.
5. Re-reads count, unless otherwise noted in the task.
6. Audio books and electronic books (unabridged), such as Kindle, all count for this Challenge. Page counts will be according to the Good Reads page count.

Each task is worth 10 points, except where noted. Completion of Sections 1-5 will earn you 50 additional points!

Section 1 "Involve Yourself"
1.1 Read any book discussed in one of the discussion threads here at Wild Things, and contribute to the discussion.
1.2 Read one of the group reads chosen during October, November, or December and contribute to the discussion.
1.3 Read a book that's at least 4 star-rated on goodreads and with your post tell us if you think it deserves the rank.
1.4 Read a book from the WT Top Novel list and discuss why you think it should or should not be on the list.
1.5 (20 Points) Read two books from a "listopia" list and post the link to the list you chose

Section 2 "Author Appreciation"
2.1 Read a book by an author born in October and list their birth date with your post (examples: Phillip Pullman 10/19, Ursula Le Guin 10/21, Laurie Halse Anderson 10/23) +5 Bonus points for reading it in their birthday month
2.2 Read a book by an author born in November and list their birth date with your post (examples: Holly Black 11/10, Neil Gaiman 11/10, Neal Shusterman 11/12, Maggie Stiefvater 11/18, C.S. Lewis 11/29) +5 Bonus points for reading it in their birthday month
2.3 Read a book by an author born in December and list their birth date with your post (examples: Cornelia Funke 12/10, Carrie Jones 12/13, Rachel Cohn 12/14) +5 Bonus points for reading it in their birthday month
2.4 Read a book by an author you enjoy (in your post, explain why you are a fan)
2.5 (20 Points) Read two books by authors you have never read

Section 3 "Scavenger Hunt"
3.1 Read a book with one of the following on the cover: Snow, Holly/Pines, Wreath, Candles, Fireplace
3.2 Read a book with food pictured on the cover (in honor of Thanksgiving)
3.3 Read a book with one of the following on the cover: Candy, Ghosts, Graveyard/Tombstone
3.4 Read a book with one of the following on the cover: Leaf/Leaves, Pumpkin, Apple
3.5 (20 Points) Since this time of year is focused on family, read two books with the following on the cover: Trees (as in family tree), Hearts, House(s)

Section 4 "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" (if you have never seen this movie it's hilarious, and about traveling home for the holidays)
4.1 Read a book that is set during the winter holidays
4.2 Read a book that is set during the fall holidays (Halloween or Thanksgiving)
4.3 Read a book where the main character visits family or friends on a holiday break
4.4 Read a book where the main character travels across state or country lines
4.5 (20 Points) Read two books with some mode of transportation on the cover or in the title (Plane, Train, Bus, Car, Boat/Ship, Bike, Foot/feet, Walk, Run)

Section 5 “Simple Gifts”
5.1 “Today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present” – cliché, but so true: Read a book that takes places in the present day
5.2 Read a book that has something you like to be given on the cover (i.e. chocolate, flowers, etc.)
5.3 Read a book where the main character has a “gift” or ability (could range from paranormal abilities to being smart and in the “gifted” program at school)
5.4 Read a book you think would make a good gift (post your reasons why with your task)
5.5 (20 Points) Read two books that have the words: simple, gift, give, present, (to)day, or now in the title - or pictures of a gift(s) on the cover

BONUS Section "Awareness"
6.1 Read a book that has a LGBT main character (Gay and Lesbian History Month)
6.2 Read a book about a person with a disability (International Day of Disabled Persons; this can be physical, like deafness or wheelchair confinement, or mental, like autistic)
6.3 Read a book where a main character is subject to domestic or dating violence (Domestic Violence Awareness Month; Rules of Survival, Speak, and Dreamland would be examples)
6.4 Read a book about slavery or being kept prisoner (International Day for Abolition of Slavery; Poison Study, Chains, and Sold would examples)
6.5 (20 Points) Read two books for the heritage months in this challenge period: one that either takes place in a Hispanic country or has a Hispanic main character (Hispanic Heritage Month), and one that takes place on a reservation or whose main character is an American Indian (American Indian Heritage Month)

Extra points:

*For 2 points per book you may read multiple books that fit any of the challenges after you've completed that specific challenge.

***Genre Points Bonus***

The whole goal of the challenges is to get you to pick up something new and different. So, for each different genre you read, you will earn 5 points. This is only available once per genre. Only one genre can be claimed per book. (i.e. you can't claim both paranormal and romance for Twilight.) Check out our discussion boards to find some books in other genres that may fit into your A-Z!

Here's a list of the genres we'll accept for this challenge:

Action/Adventure
Classic
Dystopian/Apocalyptic/Post-Apocolyptic
Folk/Fairy Tale (including retellings)
Fantasy/Supernatural
Graphic Novel
Historical Fiction
Horror/Thriller/Suspense
Humor
LGBT
Manga
Multicultural
Music
Mystery
Nonfiction
Paranormal
Poetry
Realistic Fiction/Contemporary
Religious
Romance
Sci-Fi
Sports
Short Stories
War

[Miss Bookiverse]

This is my first time in the challenges section so I have 2 questions.

If I read a book that falls into 2 of the categories, does it only count for one?

The tasks that involve covers: if I look for a cover with a pumpkin/apple/whatever on it, do I have to owe that specific copy of the book or can I read one that looks different? I hope you know what I mean.

Looking forward to your answers :)

[Maree]

Glad to have you reading with us, IP!

Yes, you can only count a book for one category (and for one bonus genre as well). You can pick which one you want where, though.

If one of the covers contains the image, you're welcome to read a version that has a different color, as long as it's still the same story. :)

[Miss Bookiverse]

Okay, thanks for clearing that up :)
But one single book can count for one category and for one genre at the same time, right?

[Beth]

Has anyone made a spreadsheet that they are willing to share? I'm not sure if I'll make it through 36+ books in three months, but I don't even stand a chance without a spreadsheet to help me get organized. :-)

[Angela Sunshine]

Infinite Playlist wrote: "Okay, thanks for clearing that up :)
But one single book can count for one category and for one genre at the same time, right?"

Right!

[Maree]

I don't have a spreadsheet, but I tend to copy and past the entire thing and then put bullet points for books that I read for each. I'll put them in italics for ideas of books that might fit, and then bold when I've finished them and have counted them. It works for me!

[Angela Sunshine]

Anyone care to post their reading list? I'm having trouble find books for section 4 (1-3) and could use some recommendations!

[Stephanie]

If you read Vampire Academy, a good portion of book 2 (Frostbite) takes place over the winter holidays. Other than that, Im pretty clueless also.

And you could technically use book 1 for 5.3 =)

[Amy]

I haven't actually started a reading list. I just read and see if the book will fit into the challenge. Not the best way to earn a lot of points, but I can never seem to stick to the list anyway. The last challenge I sort of gave up at the beginning of September. So hoping to make it through this one. As for a sheet, I just print out the whole challenge and note the books I read next to it. I don't really care for spreadsheets.

[Kellee]

AngelaSunshine wrote: "Anyone care to post their reading list? I'm having trouble find books for section 4 (1-3) and could use some recommendations!"

I'm not doing the challenge, but I know that Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson would work for 4.1

I'm not sure for the other two...4.2 is going to be TOUGH! There has to be some for 4.3....

[Stephanie]

Torment does have Thanksgiving in it, but its not really...set around Thanksgiving...

[Kristen]

I'll post my list after I make it today! :) HOpefully I'll get more reading done this time than the last challenge.

[Angela Sunshine]

Stephanie wrote: "If you read Vampire Academy, a good portion of book 2 (Frostbite) takes place over the winter holidays. Other than that, Im pretty clueless also.

And you could technically use book 1 for 5.3 =)"

Yay! Thank you!

[Angela Sunshine]

Kellee wrote: "AngelaSunshine wrote: "Anyone care to post their reading list? I'm having trouble find books for section 4 (1-3) and could use some recommendations!"

I'm not doing the challenge, but I know that ..."

That's one book I don't own yet. We just bought a new house so I'm not allowed to purchase anything new! It should be easy to use my own books since I have so many, but it's not!

[Cristen]

For 4.2 I'm reading The Halloween Tree

[Angela Sunshine]

Cristen wrote: "For 4.2 I'm reading The Halloween Tree"

Thanks! I just searched "Thanksgiving" and "Halloween" as keywords on L.A. County's library website and it gave me a couple other books that will work for 4.2. Thought I'd share them:

Halloween
Burnout by Adrienne Maria Vrettos
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
Tempted by Cecily von Ziegesar
A Fast and Brutal Wing by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson
Thanksgiving
Some Kind of Wonderful by J. Minter
Secrets by Lauren Kunze
Maximum Ride, Vol. 4 by James Patterson
Infamous by Cecily von Ziegesar

[Angela Sunshine]

For task 4.1 I found:

Holiday Princess: A Princess Diaries Book by Meg Cabot
Confessions Of The Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn
Kiss It by Erin Downing
Ex-mas by Kate Brian

[Jennifer]

I've been trying to make my list and these are what I've found for section 4, but I'm not sure if they'll all work.

4.1-Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting
4.2-Ready or Not
4.3-A Christmas Carol (I know it's lame, but that's all I could think of)
4.4-13 Little Blue Envelopes
4.5-Hogfather (mine has a picture of a sleigh...that's a mode of transport right?) : )
and Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You

What a challenging challenge! : )

Happy Reading!

[Jennifer]

Beth wrote: "Has anyone made a spreadsheet that they are willing to share? I'm not sure if I'll make it through 36+ books in three months, but I don't even stand a chance without a spreadsheet to help me get o..."

Oh, great idea!! I can put one together. Where can I post it for everyone?

[Maree]

I'm not sure how to (or if you can) post spreadsheets here, but I know you can always make a googledoc and make it public to everyone and then share the link maybe? Would that work?

[Lydia]

For all the challenges, I have just made a personal Excel spreadsheet. I have Task (in a basic abbreviated format), Book Title, Author, Pages, Points, Genre (these I may switch), Date, and Comments (which is where I may put things like I had requested the book from the library, had to do an ILL, extra information about the task, etc.). Then I list the genres on the side. When I complete a genre, I delete it so I can't use it again.

When I post my completions, I highlight them so I know. I've found this works for me. I also have a separate document with all the taska listed, so if I need to personally refer to them I can.

This is just the way I do it.

[Kellee]

Lydia wrote: "For all the challenges, I have just made a personal Excel spreadsheet. I have Task (in a basic abbreviated format), Book Title, Author, Pages, Points, Genre (these I may switch), Date, and Comments..."

That's how I do it too :)

[Angela Sunshine]

When I ran the challenge I used a spreadsheet to track everyone in the same style as Lydia and Kellee. Now I just copy and paste the challenge into a Word doc and write in the books in a different color after the task and any applicable genre. Once I've completed the task I strikethrough it.

[Angela Sunshine]

Okay, I finally got my reading list settled! (Nevermind that half of October is finished and I've only read one book!!)

1.1 Entwined
1.2 Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
1.3 A Monster Calls
1.4 The Wednesday Wars
1.5 Jekel Loves Hyde and A Match Made in High School

2.1 Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
2.2 Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales
2.3 Kiss & Blog
2.4 Dust & Decay
2.5 The Center of the Universe and Blood Red Road

3.1 The Call of the Wild
3.2 Eggs
3.3 The Lipstick Laws
3.4 Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller
3.5 When It Happens and Elephant Run

4.1 Oblivion Road
4.2 Wondrous Strange
4.3 Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
4.4 Hole in My Life
4.5 Shift and Rules of the Road

5.1 Unraveling
5.2 Losing Faith
5.3 White Cat
5.4 Jane
5.5 Here Today, Gone Tomorrow and Now You See Her

6.1 Shine
6.2 Savant
6.3 Because I am Furniture
6.4 Solitary
6.5 Boy Kills Man and Flight

The best part is that all but two genres are covered in this list and I didn't have to buy one single new book. Yay!!

[Stephanie]

I dont like how I can find a ton of authors born in November, but I cant really find any for October. Blah.


**yay it turns out I do own a Dan Gutman book!**

[Jennifer W, WT Moderator]

In case any of you also take part in our on-going challenge (1 topic per month), the themes for November and December are up for a vote!

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/17...

[Cristen]

We forgot to add it to the original challenge, here is the link to the list of WT Top Reads for task 1.4

WT Top Reads

[Angela Sunshine]

What are you guys using for 3.2?

I'm using for 3.2 and for 3.4.

Our bookmark swap for November has a "food" theme and we can use some more book ideas!

[Cristen]

I'm using for 3.4 so I'll probably use it for the bookmark theme, but I'm also considering

[Beth]

For 3.3, since the pictoral theme seems to be halloween-y things, could I read a book with a skeleton on the cover? Or are we limited to these 4 specific items?

(Read a book with one of the following on the cover: Candy, Ghosts, Graveyard/Tombstone)

[Cristen]

Beth wrote: "For 3.3, since the pictoral theme seems to be halloween-y things, could I read a book with a skeleton on the cover? Or are we limited to these 4 specific items?

(Read a book with one of the fol..."

Skeleton is close enough to ghost, go for it

[Cristen]

In order to help out with monthly challenge participation numbers, we will be adding bonus points for those who read books that fit the November and December challenges. If you read a book that works for the current or next month's challenge you can add 5 bonus points to your post for the seasonal challenge. (Limit of 10 total bonus points, once per month)

[Ann]

I'm not entirely clear. Is this sort of an entire new category (like the bonus section on Awareness) or are you adding points to a book you've already read for the seasonal challenge (like the genre point bonus)?

[Cristen]

It's like the genre point bonus, you can add 5 points to a book task that fits the monthly challenge for November and December (one time per month)

Does that make it clear?

[Maree]

The challenge for the month of November is to read a book classified as "Juvenile" or "Middle Grade". So if you read a book that fits that, as part of Challenge #10, you get five bonus points (limit one). We'll let you know in December what the additional challenge is once Kellee decides.