Reading with Style discussion

Please post any questions about our Fall sub-challenge, Half and Half, here.

Do we have to read books by all males or all females or can we read from both? You just get extra points if all authors are male or female.

Yes, you just get extra points for all of one gender. You can mix them up if you wish, and you can repeat letters if you wish - but no extra points if you do.

ok

Does Charles de Lint count as "C D" or as "C L" or not at all?

What about John le Carré? Does it count as "J L" or not count because it is "J C"?

Thanks

Deedee wrote: "Does Charles de Lint count as "C D" or as "C L" or not at all?

What about John le Carré? Does it count as "J L" or not count because it is "J C"?

Thanks"

From the rules: "Authors with multiple word surnames will be considered as normally alphabetized ..."

I checked BPL for a title for each of these and they are:

de Lint, Charles
le Carré, John

So both would work ("C D" and "J L")

Feel free to ask about any others in this thread.

Can we read both halves at the same time?

Valerie wrote: "Can we read both halves at the same time?"

Yes, that is fine. Just make sure to be diligent in your numbering when posting. 15.1-15.5 are for A-M and 15.6-15.10 are N-Z.

Kate S wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Can we read both halves at the same time?"

Yes, that is fine. Just make sure to be diligent in your numbering when posting. 15.1-15.5 are for A-M and 15.6-15.10 are N-Z."

Right, thanks!

What fun! Just starting to plan.

Do the usual subchallenge rules about YA, graphic novels etc apply?

Yes, the usual YA/Graphic Novel rules apply. I will go add that to the post now. Thanks for the nudge.

How about Zhang Xianliang? Zhang is his family name, it's just written first in Chinese.

And another question ... to get the gender bonus points, do we have to do one half male and one half female? Or could both halves be female for example?

Rosemary wrote: "And another question ... to get the gender bonus points, do we have to do one half male and one half female? Or could both halves be female for example?"

Just the halves have to be one gender, so you could do all 10 one gender if you choose.

Rosemary wrote: "How about Zhang Xianliang? Zhang is his family name, it's just written first in Chinese."

BPL is alphabetizing Zhang, Xianliang so it will work X-Z.

Nice job on finding an X and a Z!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rosemary wrote: "How about Zhang Xianliang? Zhang is his family name, it's just written first in Chinese."

BPL is alphabetizing Zhang, Xianliang so it will work X-Z.

Nice job on ..."

YAY! I was having so much trouble with that second half, but he is a big help :)

Would a book with two authors work if both fitted the requirements? I am looking at The Garden of Rama by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee for A-C and G-L, both in first half.

Coralie wrote: "Would a book with two authors work if both fitted the requirements? I am looking at The Garden of Rama by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee for A-C and G-L,..."

Sorry for the delayed response. Yes, you can use this book for the A-M half.

Thank you.

Can single name authors count? Xinran for example?

Rebekah wrote: "Can single name authors count? Xinran for example?"

No, sorry, must have a given name and family name.

So...just want to make extra sure....
E.M. Foster counts as E.F.
H.L. Lovecraft counts as H.L
and Mark Richard Zubro counts as M.Z.?

Ed wrote: "So...just want to make extra sure....
E.M. Foster counts as E.F.
H.L. Lovecraft counts as H.L
and Mark Richard Zubro counts as M.Z.?"

Exactly. (But Mark Zubro can't be used because M and Z are in different halves of the alphabet.)

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Ed wrote: "So...just want to make extra sure....
E.M. Foster counts as E.F.
H.L. Lovecraft counts as H.L
and Mark Richard Zubro counts as M.Z.?"

Exactly. (But Mark Zubro can't be used because M an..."
Wow...Glad you caught that with Zubro...guess I was too excited to get my Z...for alphabetical authors challenge...LOL
Thanks

Does Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o get recorded as NW? or NT?

Ed wrote: "Does Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o get recorded as NW? or NT?"

Another hard one. His family name is Ngugi, and he is alphabetized under N. He is backwards for Half and Half.

ok

Does the The Crescent Moon by Rabindranath Tagore work for Half and Half?

Ed wrote: "Does the The Crescent Moon by Rabindranath Tagore work for Half and Half?"

LOL - you've had a time of it, Ed. Yes, he is R-T, right direction, all one half.

I'm pretty sure I've seen it posted with style points before, but I want to double check before reading: does The Mysterious Affaire at Styles by Agatha Christie work? I did check BPL and didn't see a YA assignment, but sometimes it displays a little weird on my phone!

Sam wrote: "I'm pretty sure I've seen it posted with style points before, but I want to double check before reading: does The Mysterious Affaire at Styles by Agatha Christie work? I did check BPL and didn't se..."

You're ok with that one - no YA designation.

Perfect, thanks! :)

What about Treasure Island? Some versions have lexiles of 400, others are 1000+.

Sam wrote: "What about Treasure Island? Some versions have lexiles of 400, others are 1000+."

It's on the Canon, so the YA/Lexile rule is ignored. (But we always use the highest score in any case.)

Ah, I always forget to check the canon! Thanks :)

I'm having a really hard time putting together my second half without doubles. I thought I had it only to find that I'd repeated my R. Grr!

I planned my HaH early but am just now getting around to checking. Crank is YA at BPL but has not Lexile. Rather it is rated NP for non-prose. Can I use it?

Bea wrote: "I planned my HaH early but am just now getting around to checking. Crank is YA at BPL but has not Lexile. Rather it is rated NP for non-prose. Can I use it?"

Sorry, Bea. If a book does not have a Lexile score it is not eligible for style points nor can it be used for a sub-challenge.

Nevermind...I found a substitute Haunted Ground by Erin Hart (same initials as Ellen Hopkins).

Actually, I did very well in planning, since only three books came up YA in my whole plan.

ok...Bea inspired me to check my HaH plans....and I have a question about A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde. The BPL only has it in the French edition....and it isn't on assignment or rated YA. However, in English it is only found in an anthology of Wilde's complete fairy tales and the anthology IS on YA assignment.
Am I still good to go with this one?

Ed wrote: "ok...Bea inspired me to check my HaH plans....and I have a question about A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde. The BPL only has it in the French edition....and it is..."

We won't look at an anthology for the individual stories contained in it. There is no way we can tell if the individual story of interest is the one the teachers intend to use in the classroom.

I have found it interesting that more often than expected BPL will have only the foreign language edition of a book originally written in English. I've never been to Brooklyn, but that library certainly serves a diverse population!

An old chestnut of a question, but still struggling to get it straight in my head....

From the Group FAQs: : "YA cannot be used for the sub-challenges (15-point tasks), unless otherwise specified."

From the Half-and-Half Rules: "Also, books designated as "YA", "Assignment", or "Juv" by the Brooklyn Public Library with a Lexile score less than 800 are not allowed."

So, is a YA Ass book with Lexile above 800 ok for Half-and Half?

Lagullande wrote: "So, is a YA Ass book with Lexile above 800 ok for Half-and Half? "

Yes. You can think of the rule about Lexile and the sub-challenges this way: books that will not qualify for styles will not qualify for the sub-challenge.

Thank you, Elizabeth. I'll try and make it stick in my brain this time.

If we are doing one half, can those authors listed in the half be read in any order?

Rebekah wrote: "If we are doing one half, can those authors listed in the half be read in any order?"

Yes. There is no imposed reading order for Half and Half.

Thank You

Oh man, I'm having a hard time planning the second half of my HaH.
I'm trying to get an all-female-romance-writers cast, and there just doesn't seem to be that many letters to work with.
Right now I've got:
Nora Roberts
Paige Toon
Susan Wiggs
I'll get the rest fillied somehow, but I'm pretty sure that there is disproportionate amount of romance novelists that have their names in inverse alphabetical order!

Anyway, the rant is over, thank you for your time...

Louise Bro wrote: "I'll get the rest fillied somehow"

Is that fillies getting fillied in?

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Louise Bro wrote: "I'll get the rest fillied somehow"

Is that fillies getting fillied in?"

He he, you're telling me you don't know that word?
I'll let the slip stand, it sounds like it might actually mean something.

Just a seemingly apropos slip - and I enjoyed it!