The Bookworm Challenge discussion

Since we seem to have lost (or misplaced) the Bookworm, does anyone want to participate in a 2015 challenge?

If yes, please suggest some challenge categories, and we'll post them for the group. I think somewhere between 12 and 20 categories should be enough.

Any other ideas or suggestions for a 2015 challenge are much appreciated!

I would keep some of the most popular challenges - Western, Dystopian, Graphic Novels and Finger Crunchers.

I was also very fond of the monthly challenges. Maybe they could revolve around holidays or seasons...

Thanks, Melki! So the first four will be:

Western
Dystopian
Graphic Novels
Finger Crunchers (book with 500 or more pages)

What about these:

Prize Winners - Pulitzer, Printz, Man Booker, National Book Award, etc
Historical Fiction
Anthologies
Books set in a Foreign (to you) country

I also like the monthly specials and the idea of having one significant for that month is good. So how about we come up with one per month based on a holiday or other special/historical date for that month?

January - Book about MLK or Civil Rights?
February - Book set during Mardi Gras or in New Orleans?
March - ...

Stephanie

Let's go with Civil Rights for January. That's a little broader.

We could push people (well, some in this group) by making February's read sleazy romance :)

Trashy Romance novels work for February, too!

Any other suggestions for the yearly challenge? So far we have eight categories, five book limit for each category:

Western
Dystopian
Graphic Novels
Finger Crunchers (book with 500 or more pages)
Prize Winners - Pulitzer, Printz, Man Booker, National Book Award, etc
Historical Fiction
Anthologies
Books set in a Foreign (to you) country

Four more and we'll call it a Challenge!

I liked Color in the Title from last year. Why don't we add it to the list?

Yeah, that was a monthly special but it will make a good category. I think can scrounge up five of those...

How do you feel about:

Books with an Animal as a main character? Too difficult?
Books with single word title?
Books set at the beach? or in a snowy place?
Books by an author with your initials? (first and last)
Humorous books? Too broad?

Books written by an author from a different continent?

Humorous books is too broad, I think. The others work.

Ok, that sounds good. To keep this to 12, here are the ones I suggest we use:

1. Western
2. Dystopian
3. Graphic Novels
4. Finger Crunchers (book with 500 or more pages)
5. Prize Winners - Pulitzer, Printz, Man Booker, National Book Award, etc
6. Historical Fiction
7. Anthologies
8. Books set in a Foreign (to you) country
9. Books with a Color in the Title
10. Books with an Animal as a main character
11. Books with single word title
12. Books by an author with your initials (first and last)

And then a variety of monthly specials based on holidays or seasonal events:

January - Civil Rights
February - Romance Novel (sleazy or otherwise)
March thru Dec - TBD

Does that sound okay with you guys? If yes, then I will add these topics under the Challenges Topic list. I am not too familiar with how groups work, so if any of you are more experienced and want to post them, please do!

That all works for me :-D

And how did we misplace Bookworm...hope the Bookbird didn't strike ;-)

The Worm is still out there--he commented on my blog yesterday. He just isn't coming here anymore.

Rebecca wrote: "The Worm is still out there--he commented on my blog yesterday. He just isn't coming here anymore."

Unless Bookworm comes back long enough to make Stephanie a moderator, we should maybe consider creating a new group. Without moderator status, our new leader won't be able to delete old challenges, or, heaven forbid - banish unruly members. (You know how Rebecca is after she's been drinking...)

I vote NEW GROUP!

Stephanie wrote: "Thanks, Melki! So the first four will be:

Western
Dystopian
Graphic Novels
Finger Crunchers (book with 500 or more pages)

What about these:

Prize Winners - Pulitzer, Printz, Man Booker, National..."

I was wondering if we could do two month challenge periods rather than single months. This would give us six additional special categories and may be a little easier on a moderator. Just a thought.

I am also okay with a new group if Bookworm is indeed out of the picture. More than one moderator? Maybe an overall moderator with co-moderators in charge of one to three challenges each?

I agree, moderating will be a problem without a replacement moderator or setting up a new group. I don't mind taking it on if Bookworm wants to turn it over.

Or I can set up a new group if someone else wants to volunteer to co-moderate. And we would need a catchy new group name! Any suggestions?

Category suggestions: satire or parody, space opera, urban fantasy - the others listed all sound pretty good (except for the trashy romance).

This group with a change of mod, or a new group - makes no difference to me. I'll still read a lot. Maybe a revolving moderator would work, lighten the load on any one person.

Maybe we can convince The Worm to come back long enough to confer Mod status on Stephanie. Otherwise, we can be the Bookworm2 Challenge :D
Or The Wise Guys Reading Challenges

Is there not a way that GR can add Stephanie as a moderator if we can't get hold of Worm?

I'm sure I've seen that come up in the feedback group before...

Found it, GR can add you Stephanie just drop them a message via the 'contact us' bit and include a link to the group and they can add you. :-D

Perfect! That would be best--then we don't all have to go hunting a new group, and Worm can return if he wants to.

Great sleuthing, Sam! I will send them a message.

Stephanie

Happy to help Stephanie, glad my trawling of the threads has come in useful :-)

Mathew wrote: "Category suggestions: satire or parody, space opera, urban fantasy - the others listed all sound pretty good (except for the trashy romance).

This group with a change of mod, or a new group - mak..."

Hi Mathew, thanks for chiming in! How about we change "Author with your initials" to Urban Fantasy?

I'm working on getting added to the mod position, which hopefully will be done fairly soon. I'd like to get the 12 main categories decided ASAP so we can start updating with our reads. As it stands now, this is the proposed list:

1. Western
2. Dystopian
3. Graphic Novels
4. Finger Crunchers (book with 500 or more pages)
5. Prize Winners - Pulitzer, Printz, Man Booker, National Book Award, etc
6. Historical Fiction
7. Anthologies
8. Books set in a Foreign (to you) country
9. Books with a Color in the Title
10. Books with an Animal as a main character
11. Books with single word title
12. Urban Fantasy

Any disagreement? If no, then these will be posted under the new 2015 Challenges (once I can add it).

As for the monthly special, Michael has suggested bi-monthly instead to make it a little simpler. Does anyone else have an opinion? I don't mind either way...

I think bi-monthly is a good idea. I get going on a lot of group reads, and it can be hard to shoehorn in everything I want to read.

I suggest we revert to Civil Rights for January and February.

Year long topics sound good. Monthly or bi-monthly challenges, makes no difference to me. Starting the year by diving into Civil Rights for two months, though - I'll pass. I want to read stuff that's going to get me excited about the future, not lament the past.

I have posted the new Challenge topics under The Challenges discussion and the first bi-monthly special under the Monthly Specials discussion. You can start posting your reads anytime.

And... GO!!!

Excellent work Stephanie :-D

Sam wrote: "Excellent work Stephanie :-D"

Thanks, Sam! Now get busy, we've got a lot of reading to do!

I'd say looking at those challenges...can't wait!

Is there any way to archive last year's postings - leaderboards and challenges and whatnot? Maybe move them to "The Past" section heading or maybe a "2014" section?

Mathew wrote: "Is there any way to archive last year's postings - leaderboards and challenges and whatnot? Maybe move them to "The Past" section heading or maybe a "2014" section?"

I can't do it yet because I don't have moderator status. The Goodreads Team tells me they have sent a request to Bookworm to add me as a mod but they have to wait for his permission before I can be given the moderator "super powers". Once I have them, I will be sure to clean up the old stuff.

Hey everyone, I received a lovely email from Goodreads saying I was being overthrown!

Probably a good thing.

I have been busy working on many other projects (mostly my blog http://bookwormsfeastofbooks.blogspot...) and work stuff (I'm actually writing for work related things, yay!) and just couldn't find the time to keep up with the bookworm challenge. Sorry.

That being said, I've given mod control over to Stephanie. Please be nice to her ;)

I'll try to pop over if I get a chance. Happy readings....Melki are you really going for 365 books this year?!

Thanks for dropping in, Bookworm! Glad to hear all is well with you, and feel free to join in our challenges, even if you have been overthrown as leader of the group you created!

Bookworm wrote: "I'll try to pop over if I get a chance. Happy readings....Melki are you really going for 365 books this year?! "

Glad you're doing something work related that you enjoy, but please try to stay in touch. And, yep, I'm going for it full steam this year.

Did the Urban Fantasy challenge get pulled?

Mathew wrote: "Did the Urban Fantasy challenge get pulled?"

No, it's listed. You might need to click on The Challenges to see the full list. Urban Fantasy is listed after Animal as MC.

365 books - wow. I'm aiming for a mere 25 this year.

So new to the group, can I just jump right in and start posting books I've read so far this year on categories to catch up?

Jackie wrote: "So new to the group, can I just jump right in and start posting books I've read so far this year on categories to catch up?"

Hi Jackie, welcome to the group! Since we are still close the beginning of the year, yes, any book that you have read this year will count.

Great!

Hey guys, we need to come up with the bi-monthly special for March/April. Any ideas? We were trying to go with something related to an event or season for those months...

Books set in Ireland (St. Patrick's Day)
Books with a queen in them (Queen's Birthday, UK)

Send me your ideas!

4/20? Books about counterculture or drug culture?

Mathew wrote: "4/20? Books about counterculture or drug culture?"

Ahhh, that's a fun one!

In spite of the snow on the ground, spring is just around the corner - maybe a gardening/outdoors special?

Here in Houston it's rodeo season:

Memoir or Biography about a country music singer
Book about life on a ranch or farm

That would be good, too. I went to the Houston rodeo in 2001 - saw Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen, Jr.

And let's not forget March also has St David's Day (1st March) who is the patron saint of Wales so books set in Wales could be an option but probably a little difficult if your outside the UK...

A spring theme sounds a good one, could be stories based in the great outdoors or about the environment?...

I'm no help. All of those sound good, though I'm more likely to go play in the garden than to read a book about it.

My garden is frozen right now. I'd have to shovel snow if I wanted to get my hands in the dirt right now. I'm happy reading up on gardening ideas until spring.