Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

Team St. Mary's Institute




Challenge Status Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Team Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

• Lexi (Captain)
• Sophie (Co-Captain)
• Maddy
• SandyL
• Lisa - Aussie Girl
• Sana Zameer
• Sally906
• Susan
• Jenn

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Duration: 5 weeks. Beginning October 9th, 9pm UK time and ending December 16th, 9pm UK time.

All Books Must be Started after October 9th, 9pm UK time

Check your timezones here: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...

Important Links:
Rules and Announcements
General Chat
Team Max Official Spreadsheet - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Planning Spreadsheet - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Team Shelf Links:
TBA

BOMs:
October BOM: House of Hollow, by Krystal Sutherland (YA BOM)
Starts: 16 Oct, 2021 DQs Here

November BOM:
Adult: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Starts: 2 Nov, 2021 DQs Here

YA: The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
Starts: 16 Nov, 2021 DQs Here

Dec BOM Poll is open: END 5 Nov
Adult

Points
Participating in BOM = 20 points
Writing a DQ set in BOM = 40 points

Wheel Spins:
Each round lasts for two weeks.

 Round 1 - NEON CARROT - Bonus Points: wheel on the cover (need 5)
 Round 2 - GRIM REAPER - Genre: Urban Fantasy
 Round 3 - EXPLORING - Genre: Horror (White)
 Round 4 -
 Round 5 - 

Point System
Books less than 160 pages = 0 points
Books between 160 and 1000 pages = 0.1 points/page
Books over 1000 pages = 100 points

Spell-it-out Rules
Find the letters needed using the first letter in:
◈ book / series title*
◈ author first/last name
◈ FICTION ONLY: character name**
◈ If listening to the audio book: audio narrator first/last name
◈ If you are reading a translation: translator first/last name

Over-reading Penalty ** NEW**
As a Team, so we an help each other out if someone reads under, someone can read over:

 % over 	Penalty
0-109%	 	1 * page points
110-124% 	0.9 * page points
125-149% 	0.8 * page points
150+%	 	0.75 * page points 

Page and Word Count
◈ Books must be at least 160 pages in length
◈ Books with MPGs Childrens / Kids / Poetry / Play / Graphic Novel / Illustrated / Photography / Art (or which have "Illustrated" in the title or an "Illustrator" contributor in the metadata) must have at least 40,000 words
◈ Sophie and Lexi can help you check wordcount if this is unclear before you read
◈ Can check audio using amazing or https://www.arbookfind.com/ (https://www.arbookfind.co.uk/ and www.arbookfind.com.au)
◈ "Re-reads" will be allowed, if it has been six months (this includes both audio and print)

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Hi all, My name is Lexi (she/her/hers). I just moved to Northern Indiana (EST), and started a postdoc. I especially enjoy reading fantasy, sci-fi, and mysteries and am trying to read authors from a wider range of countries this year. This is my 4th Wheel.

Welcome to team Team St. Mary's Institute (aka Team Max). Please introduce yourself (include your preferred pronouns), your shelf name and if you have played wheel before.

My shelf is: WheeloWheels2021

Also, just a reminder that all books must be started after Wheel starts, so you have over a week to finish anything you already started and catch up on those books under 160 pages or less than 40,000 words before we start.

Please feel free to ask any question now and throughout. You can ask here in the thread of message me.

Hello, I'm Jenn (she/her/hers). I'm in Arizona. My favorite genre is fantasy but I'll read just about anything. This is my first Wheel, and my second team challenge.

My shelf: wheel-6

Hi, I'm Sophie (she), your Co-Captain and group mod. I live about 60mins outside London and have just qualified as a GP (starting a new job on 9th Nov). I have 2 preschool children who both have birthdays during the challenge. I enjoy mysteries, fantasy, sci-fi, romance... Basically anything that isn’t horror. I've played a few wheels but this is the first I've helped to create.

I'll create my shelf soon.

I'm on here pretty frequently unless I'm at work, so either pop questions here or message me. Please don't stay confused if things aren't making sense - I've looked at the rules so often I presume things are obvious when they probably aren't!

Hi everyone, Lisa here, I'm from Sydney Australia and we also have a dairy farm in country NSW. Looks like we have team members from all over which is great.

This is my sixth Wheel, I am an enthusiastic player and Wheel is just about my favourite challenge. I will read absolutely anything in a challenge which means I have read some great books and some not so great ones to finish a task, LOL. Traditionally a romance reader I have branched out to historical mysteries and thrillers/ paranormal, but really words on a page I read it.

I'm a Mum of 3 and grandmother of 5, I do the administration for our farming business and am a full time carer of our adult son with Autism. Other than reading, I love travelling and can't wait to get back to it. Our international borders are re-opening soon and just can't wait. Hoping to re-plan a few cancelled trips , the first being a driving trip to Cornwall and Wales, UK.

My shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list.....

Looking forward to playing with you all. 😊

Hi all

I am Sally and I live in Queensland Australia - been married for 43 years, we have 2 daughters and between them 3 grandchildren.

I’m retired and was sadly mistaken when I thought retirement meant more reading time - na ah - busier than ever.

I’ve set up notifications for this thread - but usually around on Goodreads twice a day as I suffer an incurable complaint - acute challengeitis 😂😂😂😂

I’m an eclectic reader as far as genre goes - don’t do horror or anything that includes gruesome deaths with blood dripping from page to page.

Have to confess since covid started I’ve leaned towards the lighter side of literature.

Happy to see a few of my friends already in here - and looking forwards to getting to know the rest of you.

Oh - forgot.

My shelf - My Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Sally906 wrote: "Oh - forgot.

My shelf - My Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list..."

Hi Sally, Yay, we're on the same team again. And Maddy is here too! Always great when there is a mix of familiar old faces and some new people to get to know. Can't wait to start. I've been saving up a few Q books I'm looking forward to read. And knowing the wheel Gods, we probably won't spin them, LOL.

Hi everyone! I'm Sandy and I live near Los Angeles CA. I think I've done challenges with many of you in the past, and I'm excited for this latest Wheel!! I read mostly romance, but when I need it for a challenge, I'll read almost any book (but, like Sally and Sophie I'm not a fan of horror.) For the next two weeks I'll be busier with work - I do taxes and in the US the final deadline is 10/15. After that I'm off for the rest of the year.

My wheel shelf is https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

BTW - how does our team name fit with this year's theme?

SandyL wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm Sandy and I live near Los Angeles CA. I think I've done challenges with many of you in the past, and I'm excited for this latest Wheel!! I read mostly romance, but when I need it f..."

Hi Sandy, I'm sure we've been on a team together sometime..

St Mary's Institute is a series about a time travelling team
"History is just one damned thing after another."

Behind the seemingly innocuous façade of St Mary's, a different kind of historical research is taking place. They don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'. Maintaining the appearance of harmless eccentrics is not always within their power - especially given their propensity for causing loud explosions when things get too quiet.

Meet the disaster-magnets of St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around History. Their aim is to observe and document - to try and find the answers to many of History's unanswered questions...and not to die in the process. But one wrong move and History will fight back - to the death. And, as they soon discover - it's not just History they're fighting.

Follow the catastrophe curve from 11th-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. For wherever Historians go, chaos is sure to follow in their wake.... (less)

The St Mary’s chronicles is a great series - the first book is Just One Dammed Thing after Another

Sorry on app so can’t link.

I have the whole series.

Welcome, everyone

Yes, we are based of the series and the main character is Max so you will also see us referred to as Team Max (so much shorter to write)

Hi, I'm Sana. Happily married for 17 years and mother of two boys who enjoy reading as much as their mom.

I live in a small country in South Asia. I enjoy reading urban fantasy, paranormal romance, thrillers, historical romance. This is my first wheel and second team challenge and am very excited to read with you all!

My shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Hi everyone! Lovely to see so many people I know even if we haven't been on teams together before. The mix of places everyone is from is great.

I'm another lover of St Mary's. The audiobooks are fantastic.

Sana, enjoy your first wheel! Just ask about anything you aren't sure about.

Love that our team is from all different parts of the world.

By the way, I've volunteered for BOM DQ's for

I've just requested it from my library. Unfortunately it's horror and ya which isn't a great combination from my perspective but will give it a go. Certainly won't be the worst thing I've read for points!

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "Love that our team is from all different parts of the world.

By the way, I've volunteered for BOM DQ's for "

Great, I'll be your backup

So I'm Susan, aka Lexi's mom, and I do challenges with her ever since I joined Goodreads in 2018. I've always read alot but wanted to read more intentionally across genres and authors. This is my second Wheel. I live in Louisville Kentucky, which is home more than any of the other places we've lived here and overseas.

Oh, so many familiar people! :)

Lexi, thanks for the PM :)

I am Maddy, live in Latvia, Europe. Pronouns she/her. I read mostly mm romance in different sub-genres. I also read a lot of cozy mysteries, because they are a mindless relaxation for me, especially in audio. Since I started a new job a few months back, my reading during work days is limited, but I try to catch up on the weekends. I mostly read arcs, so I am afraid they are not very long books, but they are a lot in quantity if not page count. This is my second wheelathon :)

shelf link - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I think that's everyone here! Well done for arriving at St Mary's promptly, ready to start!

Welcome everyone,

We will use a planning spreadsheet as a team. You all just need to add your books to the SS with date read and add them to your Wheel shelf. Please put down reasons for any letters that work, and Sophie and I will spell out the words. (Our first-round word is Neon Carrot). I added my first two books as an example. If anyone needs help or has any questions about using Google spreadsheets, feel free to ask.

Here is the link to the sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

As well as spelling Neon Carrot (from the first wheel of crayola colours), we can also pick up bonus points for 5 books with a wheel on the cover.

Great we're all eager to play.

Captains, do you want us to post our read books here as well or just on the Spreadsheet?

Just spreadsheet please

So basically - every book I finish reading after the 9th I add to my wheel shelf and to spreadsheet?

Yes please!

Sophie wrote: "Yes please!"

👍

The November BOM's are up.

I'm really pleased because the one I chose for YA got chosen. So I nominated for DQ's as well.

Can we use anthologies and the name of the editor?

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "The November BOM's are up.

I'm really pleased because the one I chose for YA got chosen. So I nominated for DQ's as well. "

Nice, my nominations came in 3rd for both, but I want to read both already so that's good. I can be your backup just in case.

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "The November BOM's are up.

I'm really pleased because the one I chose for YA got chosen. So I nominated for DQ's as well. "

Yay Lisa!!! I've requested it through Overdrive - I'm not much into YA or fantasy, but I'll try it.

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "The November BOM's are up.

I'm really pleased because the one I chose for YA got chosen. So I nominated for DQ's as well. "

My daughter recommended it to me - my local library has an electronic version Which I’ve put a reserve on as due back at end of October.

Great everyone. Hope we all enjoy reading it together. 😍

I just put a library hold for as well if anyone wants to volunteer for backup DQs

Sana wrote: "Can we use anthologies and the name of the editor?"

Which anthology is it? Normally you can use the author names within an anthology, but editors aren't mentioned in the spellout rules so wouldn’t be useable.

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "The November BOM's are up.

I'm really pleased because the one I chose for YA got chosen. So I nominated for DQ's as well. "

My library doesn’t have this one. I'm going to have to decide whether to buy it or sit that one out.

The other is available at the moment, but I'm going to wait to take it out or will have to return it before we get to read it.

2 days left before we start!

Sophie wrote: "Sana wrote: "Can we use anthologies and the name of the editor?"

Which anthology is it? Normally you can use the author names within an anthology, but editors aren't mentioned in the spellout rule..."

edited by Rick Riordan who also contributed a story about Irish mythical hero. So I can use his name as one of the authors?

Between that and one of the characters being called Riley, it would be usable BUT it's tagged as a children's book which means we have to be able to verify the word count is over 40,000 words. Unfortunately it's been published so recently that it isn't in arbookfind (uk or us) so I can't verify it.

Sophie wrote: "Between that and one of the characters being called Riley, it would be usable BUT it's tagged as a children's book which means we have to be able to verify the word count is over 40,000 words. Unfo..."

I also checked and there is no audio so you would need to wait and see if it gets added to arbooks if you want to use it.

How is everyone doing? Anyone got any last minute book plans before Wheel starts? I have a comic I mean to read since I cannot prove word count - Aya: Life in Yop City.

Hi everyone, excited for the challenge to start. I'm just finishing off my last book to coincide with reading a fresh book for the challenge. What is everyone's first book going to be be? Mine is by Lucinda Riley. It's the second book in The Seven Sisters series. I really enjoy these family stories set over generations. Happy reading all.