The Bookworm Challenge discussion

Hi All,

Once again, the year has flown by and it's time to start considering our challenges for 2018! I had a great time working through all the fun challenges and specials. This is a great group of readers!

For all who would like to participate next year, please start sending your suggestions for themes, genres, etc for both the year-long challenges and monthly specials. I will collect your responses and create another survey like the one we did for 2017 and we'll all vote on the ones we'd like to see for 2018. The top twelve will become the year-long challenges and the remaining options will be our list of possible monthly specials.

I'm also interested in your suggestions about other fun ideas we can consider adding to the group. We're not a particular chatty group but would adding a monthly fun topic, question, etc stimulate more conversation? Is anyone interested in helping in the group with some extra topics or fun short challenges? Connie has graciously agreed to continue as the moderator for the monthly specials (Yea, Connie!) but if some of you others would like to help out, let me know!

I look forward to seeing all your suggestions. Let's see how creative we can get!

Stephanie

I'm sorry. I am not prepared for 2017 to be ending. I refuse to cooperate in this absurd violation of my rights!

A book written by someone under or over a certain age
Book based on a true story
A book more than a hundred yrs old
Translated book
A book with magic
Book by an author with your initials!
Books with a certain coloured spine lol
A book you saw a stranger reading!

Also my fav challenges this year are the colour in the title, retellings, and rereads!

Rebecca wrote: "I'm sorry. I am not prepared for 2017 to be ending. I refuse to cooperate in this absurd violation of my rights!"

Lol, Rebecca! I know, it's shocking that 2017 is nearly over and what a crazy year to say goodbye to...

We'll be here for you when you're ready to face the reality! ;-)

Michelle wrote: "A book written by someone under or over a certain age
Book based on a true story
A book more than a hundred yrs old
Translated book
A book with magic
Book by an author with your initials!
Books wit..."

Oooh, you've got some great ideas, Michelle!

I like the translated book idea. Would this be a book that you read in a language other than the original language? I think we have to be specific with this one as it seems many, if not most, books are eventually published in other languages. So would it be something like any of the "Nordic Noir" genre books which were written in Swedish or Norwegian like the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc? Or a translation from Haruki Murakami? Or just any book that has been translated into another language or languages?

I like "Books with Magic" too, because it could be fantasy or magical realism, any kind of magic. That would be fun!

Google has lots of ideas! The last one was my own though haha and it's my favourite! Just pick a book that a stranger is reading, so sometimes it might be a book you've never heard of and know nothing about! Surprise book!

I love a lot of these ideas.
As far as the translated book, My thoughts would be any book you are reading in a language in which it was not originally published.
I also like the idea of books of a certain age.
Some of my suggestions would be:
Fantasy
Memoir or biography
Holiday stories or a holiday in the title
Food in the title
Book adapted for movie or television (loved that one this year)
Day or month in title
Set in different countries or continents
Book that is part of a series
Also like the ones with various genres such as thriller, western, dystopian, etc.

I do like the idea of a chat or question section. It would be nice to know a little more about the people who all share a love of reading!
Keep up the good work Stephanie. I love choosing the monthly specials and am always open to suggestions.

I like the ideas so far. I would love to try the author with the same initials. I don't have common initials but would enjoy the challenge. I'm not sure about the book a stranger was reading. I never see anyone reading. Even on an airplane most people are watching a movie not reading. Other suggestions:
Book set in decade you were born
Author born same year as you
Post-apocalyptic
Pulitzer or Nobel Prize winner
Murder mystery

Wanda wrote: "I like the ideas so far. I would love to try the author with the same initials. ."

Does that mean I could read my own? :D

I like lots of these ideas, including the idea for a social section.

The 7 continents challenge is always a good one (I'm currently working on Antarctica, though it's a re-read off my shelves).

I'd vote for a book in translation, too (i.e., read in a language other than the original). That fits nicely with my life-time challenge to read a book from every country.

I’d like to read some more biographies this year and maybe some self-help?

I really enjoyed the June challenge, reading books from the same author and also characters with a disability.
I have some suggestions for next year.

1. Read 5 star rated books from our group members
2. set in medieval times
3. Child protagonist
4. Goodreads award winners

I also would like to read more non-fiction, but i think it would be a good year-long challenge rather than a monthly challenge. I know it goes by voting though, but just a thought!

Michelle wrote: "I also would like to read more non-fiction, but i think it would be a good year-long challenge rather than a monthly challenge. I know it goes by voting though, but just a thought!"

Agree about that. Non-fiction often takes me a longer time to get through, though that's partly because I usually read it along with a bunch of fiction.

Rebecca wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I also would like to read more non-fiction, but i think it would be a good year-long challenge rather than a monthly challenge. I know it goes by voting though, but just a thought!..."

exactly! i enjoy non-fiction, but i cant sit and read one non fiction book for hours the way i can with a fictional book.

Could we possibly have a section for discussing particular books? I often finish a book and want to talk about it with someone, but nobody I know has read it. I know that's not the nature of this group, but just a suggestion.

Rhonda wrote: "Could we possibly have a section for discussing particular books? I often finish a book and want to talk about it with someone, but nobody I know has read it. I know that's not the nature of this g..."
Good idea! maybe when a person starts reading a book they could write it in the section, and then anyone who has it on their list might be like "well i was going to read it eventually anyway" and then they might choose to read it at the same time as the person who posted, so it could be discussed! And anyone who has already read the book can join the discussion too!

Michelle wrote: "Rhonda wrote: "Could we possibly have a section for discussing particular books? I often finish a book and want to talk about it with someone, but nobody I know has read it. I know that's not the n..."

I like it! I'll set up a "Book Chat" folder and when you have a book to discuss, or maybe want to buddy-read with someone, just add the title and author as a new topic in the folder. So fun! Great idea, Rhonda!

Stephanie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Rhonda wrote: "Could we possibly have a section for discussing particular books? I often finish a book and want to talk about it with someone, but nobody I know has read it. I know..."

I like this idea.

Awesome! I like the idea of a buddy read on occasion, too!

Okay, last call!!!

I'm going to pull all the challenge suggestions on Sunday and put the new survey together for us to vote. So excited to see what we'll be reading next year!

And thanks to all who've made suggestions, they all sound like fun!

Stephanie wrote: "Okay, last call!!!

I'm going to pull all the challenge suggestions on Sunday and put the new survey together for us to vote. So excited to see what we'll be reading next year!

And thanks to all w..."
Sounds good Stephanie. Can't wait for the new challenges!

A book you started but never finished (may need to have a min time since read)
Unread book you’ve owned or been on your TBR for more than a year

Sea stories

Obscure novels - maybe has under a certain number of ratings or something? Something not well known or read by many people?

Paranormal fiction

Detective books

A 5-book series

Michelle wrote: "Sea stories

Obscure novels - maybe has under a certain number of ratings or something? Something not well known or read by many people?

Paranormal fiction

Detective books

A 5-book series"

I like these but what about making the series one more open such as a series with at least 5 books as opposed to specifically 5? Just a suggestion.

I like a lot of the ideas shared. I would like to see one for the finger crushers. Books over 500 pages.

Connie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Sea stories

Obscure novels - maybe has under a certain number of ratings or something? Something not well known or read by many people?

Paranormal fiction

Detective books

A 5-b..."

Yea i dont even know any series with 5 books specifically lol maybe that could be part of the challenge haha like "GOOD LUCK FINDING A 5 BOOK SERIES" lol just kidding, whatever everyone will like best is fine by me

Rick Riordan has a couple of 5 book series - Percy Jackson and The Heroes of Olympus