Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

District 12



Team Members

• Beth Captain
• Insiyah Co-captain
• Amanda Co-captain
• stuti
• MN Lisa
• Kirsten
• Jackie
• Janine
• Leanne
• Jade AKA Mrs Tosh
• Crossing Guard Caly



Team Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Status Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

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About this challenge
🏹 The arena is ready with challenges to complete as a team. If you want to survive then it is time to build up your supplies and get ready to battle.
🏹 This is for fun, however twists will occur to add an element of jeopardy to the points you are accruing - the spectators have to give their supplies somehow! Each team will have their fair share of these so the frustrations should be shared evenly.
🏹 As you read, your books should be allocated to one of 4 categories. These are: weapons, defense, food and shelter. While we have given suggestions to help with where to place each book, we encourage creativity. If a book isn’t allocated a category, then it won’t receive any points.
🏹 Starts on 15 May and runs for 3 months.
🏹 Books must be at least 100 pages in length.
🏹 Only books started after the challenge start date can be used.

Rules: Read first! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Basic Requirements
⚔️ Books must be at least 100 pages, or 3 hours audio.
⚔️ Some genres (including Children, Graphic Novels, Photography, Illustrated etc) require a minimum word count of 25k words
⚔️ Rereads are OK, provided it has been at least 6 months since the last read

Points
Points are awarded by page count, based on the edition read
⚔️ less than 100 pages 0 points
⚔️ 100 - 999 pages 0.1 points per page
⚔️ 1000 or more pages 100 points
⚔️ If you read an audio or large-print, use the default edition (or first edition that isn't audio or large print) for the page count
If the book is audio only, the page count must be set at 100 pages

Books of the Month
Points are available for participating in the BOM discussion during the challenge
⚔️ Writing a set of questions: 40 points
⚔️ Participating in discussions (at least three days): 20 points

Category Ideas
These are suggestions. Trust your gut and don’t overthink placement.

🏹 Weapons
-- weapon on cover
-- grey or metallic color on cover
-- weapon named in the book
-- letters of weapon in title
-- author or main character initials in weapons
-- features a character who is a blacksmith
-- battle in book
🏹 Shelter
-- shelter on cover (i.e. a building)
-- red, purple or pink on cover
-- a character you'd like to shelter with
-- shelter letters in title
-- author or main character initials in shelter
-- features a character who works in construction
-- finding / making shelter critical element in book
🏹 Food
-- food on cover
-- yellow, orange or white on cover
-- food or drink named in the book
-- food letters in title
-- author or main character initials in food
-- features a character who is a cook
-- cover is a "feast for your eyes"
🏹 Defense
-- defense on cover (i.e. a wall, a mountain or a river)
-- green, blue or brown on cover
-- books can be heaped into a wall to form a defense
-- defense letters in title
-- author or main character initials in defense
-- features a character who is a soldier/police officer/public defender
-- siege in book

Useful Links

🗡️ Tracking Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
This is our team's internal spreadsheet.

We'll use this working sheet to keep track of the books we claim and our completions.
If for some reason you cannot post your books to the SS, please use this format for completion posts in our thread.
1. Book read/author > share link for the version you read
2. Resource Type/how it fits: weapon, food, shelter, defense (see note)
3. Mini - how it fits (see note)

NOTE Please be as specific as possible. For example, if the task calls for text, share loc/pg and a sample of the text.

🗡️ Check cover colors at Tineye Labs: https://labs.tineye.com/color/4fc868e...

🗡️ Countdown to START-> https://www.tickcounter.com/countdown...
Note: Books cannot be started until AFTER the start of the challenge. Once the challenge has started, they can be carried over to other months.

🗡️ Books of the Month (BOM)
-- Our team earns 20 points for each member who participates in the in-thread book discussion for at least 3 times (it involves answering the discussion questions).
-- Our team earns 40 points for each member who writes a set of discussion questions (DQs) for one day of the initial reading dates. Only one member per team will be chosen to write DQs unless there are not enough volunteers otherwise.
-- Questions about how this group runs a BOM read? Check here!
--Want to nominate a BOM? Click here!

starts May 16 - The Malevolent Seven
starts May 25 (bonus BOM) - Salt & Broom

Team Book Game Shelves

✅ Beth, Captain - shelf - near Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA
✅ Amanda, Co-captain - shelf - Michigan, USA
✅ Insiyah, Co-captain - shelf - Dubai, UAE
✅ Caly☯CrazyBookLady (Caly) - shelf - Athens, Georgia, USA
✅ Jackie - shelf - North Carolina, USA
✅ JadeAKAMrsTosh (Jade) - shelf - Lancashire, UK
✅ Janeylou (Janine) - shelf - England
✅ Kirsten - shelf - USA
✅ Leanne shelf - northern Minnesota, USA
✅ MNLisa (Lisa) - shelf - northern Minnesota, USA
✅ stuti - shelf - Texas, USA

✅ = checked into thread

Round 1 Results

Books Read: 286
Book Points: 8643
BOM Points: 340
Mini Points: 190
Supply Sabotage (+15% food): 300
Total Points after Supply Bonus: 9473

Ranked Teams Points
District 11 9760
District 12 9473
District 7 8992
District 5 8591
District 1 8201
District 8 8183
District 4 8153
District 9 7971
District 13 7854
District 6 7798
District 2 7747
The Capitol 7428
District 10 7350
District 3 6725

Round 2

Arena Battle

Start
Jun 22, 9 AM UTC
Countdown clock: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

Our books
1. NTS - The Ants Are My Friends - Jackie
2. ARTH - Arthur & George - Amanda
3. TON- Tonight I Said Goodbye - Beth
4. ABY - Abysmal - Kirsten
5. ING - Inglorious Empire - Insiyah
6. REN - Rend - Janeylou
7. ANCE - The Ancestor - Crossing Guard Caly
8. ENT - Entangled - MN Lisa
9. YOU - You’re So Vine - JadeAKAMrsTosh
10. ONS - On Silver Wings - Beth

round 3

Welcome, friends, to District 12! I'm eager to begin this amazing challenge with you all!

Please introduce yourselves, and tell us a bit about yourselves!

I'm Beth, retired, living near Allentown, PA (of Billy Joel song fame). I have two grown sons and one 1-year-old grandson (that little cutie in my profile pic). I read a LOT and have a fairly wide range of interests. When given a choice, I'll pick up a crime/detective fiction novel.

If you haven't created your book shelf for this challenge yet, consider this a gentle reminder.

Looking forward to reading with you!

BOM

Mini challenges

Res

I'm Insiyah. I'm a data analyst based in Dubai (Gulf Standard Time or GMT + 4:00) at present. I'm in that annoying phase where I'm done with my studies and job hunting at the moment. The only good thing about it being that I have plenty of time to read and crochet. I occasionally branch out, but I mostly read literary fiction, classics, fantasy, and apparently historical according to my reading dashboard. I usually get in about 10 books a month, but I've input 5 for this challenge because I've reserved all my big books for this. So, The Count of Monte Cristo with your 1276 pages, here I come.

This is my fourth year doing team challenges - I got hooked on UNO like so many others and came to Tower Teams IX. I love doing these because they kick-start my competitive tendencies, and I get a lot of reading done because of it.

Really looking forward to playing Book Games with you all!

Book Games shelf - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Woo hoo 🎉🎉 were open , i cant wait to start this challenge but unfortunately im just on my way out as running everyone around today so will be back later for proper introductions 😁😁

Hi all!
I'm Caly and I live in Athens, GA with my wife and mini dachshund Annie. I am retired now but work part time as a school crossing guard hence my moniker ;-) . I have been around Goodreads for over 10 years and have been a Mod in the past but a few years ago I cut down on participating in challenges so I had more time for outdoor activities and other aspects of my life. However reading is still one of my loves, and challenges always help me read books that I might not have picked up otherwise and I have read some amazing books that way, so here I am.
My preferred genres are Historical Fiction and Fantasy but I enjoy Mysteries and Thrillers as well. About the only genre I avoid as much as possible is Romance. My reading amount varies depending on what is going on but I always finish at least 1 book a week.

I look forward to getting to know you all and having some fun!
My book shelf for the games is - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Oh and let's be proud ladies, we may be the poorest district but we also had the most famous winners! So let's win for them.

Hello, My name is Lisa and I'm from Northern Minnesota. I started with challenges, primarily in the MM Romance Group about 3 years ago and have only in the past about year and a half done outside that group. This was actually my first UNO year and I loved it. Some friends talked me into being a captain there. That was nerve racking.

I'm super busy in my out of work life. My 19-year old daughter is in an organization for Girl's called Job's Daughters and for whatever reason I decided I would be good on their leadership structure and in June, I become "The Grand Poohbah". Not the official name, but I'm the one in charge...ugh stressful.

I'm currently in 19 different reading challenges (OMG I can't believe that count). I like finding a book that works for at least 3 at a time. I currently read almost exclusively MM Romance. I like Romance because they have a happy ending and I need an escape from the stress of my job.

I actually know a few of these members already. Janine, Amanda, Jackie, and Kirsten I met through Goodreads and are good friends. Leanne is my mom. Hi Mom!!!

That's about it for now. Just excited to get started.

Caly ☯ Crazy Book Lady wrote: "Oh and let's be proud ladies, we may be the poorest district but we also had the most famous winners! So let's win for them."

I have never read any of the Hunger Games books nor seen any of the movies. We’re poor? Bummer. We shall make up for that in spirit!

Anything else I should know? 🤭

Hello team!!

I'm Amanda, I'm originally from California but have called Michigan my home for 11 years now (WOAH). I'm a lawyer, but not the type that goes to court ever so most of my day is spent looking at documents and listening to audiobooks. I have an 8.5 month old, a husband, and two dogs (one is also a dachshund Caly), so a very full house!

Like Lisa (and the rest of our crew) I'm a challenge addict! I'm currently in 13 (so now I need to know what Lisa is doing without me lol). I also mod (for the group Caly used to Mod for lol) and launched my first challenge last month. I mostly read MM Romance, but occasionally also pick up a suspense/thriller or whatever my non romance book club is reading.

Here's my shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Hi team 👋👋👋
Im Janine from England, so im usually just off to bed as the party's getting started 😄

I work part time in a coffee shop, which leaves me loads of spare time for reading, running around after my kids ,( 4 girls) taking grandson out somewhere...or reading .
I read pretty much MM romance exclusively apart from my library book club books ( ones a crime reading grouolp, the other is general).
Im addicted to challenges and got 16 on the go at the moment , but a few of those are individual ( which i dont do many of). I can usually manage to keep them all in check but come the end of the month im running around like a headless chicken 😄😄.

Im going to read the rules again and then start on the questions usually takes me a while to get my head around things
My shelf is
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Beth wrote: "Caly ☯ Crazy Book Lady wrote: "Oh and let's be proud ladies, we may be the poorest district but we also had the most famous winners! So let's win for them."

I have never read any of the Hunger Gam..."

Not sure how this challenge is going to work so I don't think you need a working knowledge of the Hunger Games to play ;-). But in the books Panem is divided into Districts and each has a particular role to play. District 12 is located in Appalachia and the people's job is coal mining but they are poorly paid and more or less on the fringes of society. However the eventual winners of the games that take place in the first book are Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Malark who are from District 12 and go on to become quite famous.

Okay Amanda I need to see a picture of your dachshund. *grin
This is our Annie and you can tell she rules the house LOL


OH and am I the only one on this team who doesn't read MM Romance? ROFL

I wouldn't be surprised if the mods have something special planned for District 12 in the upcoming rounds or Minis considering how important it is in the books.

Insiyah wrote: "I wouldn't be surprised if the mods have something special planned for District 12 in the upcoming rounds or Minis considering how important it is in the books."

Whoo Hoo!!

Caly ☯ Crazy Book Lady wrote: "OH and am I the only one on this team who doesn't read MM Romance? ROFL"

I dont much either - if a book I'm reading has that pairing, great, but I dont specifically gravitate towards MM


Okay, bedtime for me. Janine, you're not the earliest bedtime this time round - I am. Its nearly 11pm here in Dubai. And i have to wake up at 4:30. On Sunday. Ergh.

Caly ☯ Crazy Book Lady wrote: "Okay Amanda I need to see a picture of your dachshund. *grin
This is our Annie and you can tell she rules the house LOL


OH and am I the only one on this team who doesn't read MM Romance? ROFL"

She is so gorgeous 😍..i love dachshunds, my nan had one when we were little

Insiyah wrote: "Caly ☯ Crazy Book Lady wrote: "OH and am I the only one on this team who doesn't read MM Romance? ROFL"

I dont much either - if a book I'm reading has that pairing, great, but I dont specifically ..."

Night Insiyah...im up at 5am tomorrow as well 😔

Hi, team!

I'm Jackie from North Carolina. I'm retired and have three grown children. I do some volunteering but mainly I love retirement because I can read as much as I like. I also enjoy different forms of needlework, primarily crocheting. It's all fun!

My favorite genres are fantasy, mystery/thriller, horror, and science fiction but I also enjoy historical fiction and actually just about anything. I haven't gotten into MM Romance even though my very good friends on here are big into it. My least favorite genre is Romance in general.

I've never read the Hunger Games but this challenge may entice me to give them a try. It's good to be here with you all and I'm looking forward to getting started.

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

Hello, team!

Fortunately, I play with Jackie, Janine, Amanda, and Lisa all the time (I just finished captaining UNO with Lisa), so they let me know if I forget to check in somewhere. I am here.

I am trying to do fewer challenges and to take them less seriously and to spend more time on my garden and with my family. My partner and I are both professors and our daughter is just about to finish her junior year in high school. She'll be starting summer rec swimming in about a month, and I'll probably be talking about that a fair bit as we read.

I do read MM romance, especially hockey and I'm currently super into Drarry and McShep fan fiction (if you don't know what that is, you really, really don't need to). But I also like to read literary fiction and I've been doing a personal "48 for 24" challenge, modeled after last year's 23 for 23 BIPOC challenge started by Adriana Herrera and others.

I'm not a big YA reader but have seen most of the Hunger Games movies with my daughter.

Here's my shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Caly ☯ Crazy Book Lady wrote: "Okay Amanda I need to see a picture of your dachshund. *grin
This is our Annie and you can tell she rules the house LOL


OH and am I the only one on this team who doesn't read MM Romance? ROFL"

She's adorable!!

My current dachshund is mixed with beagle


And my dog growing up was a very fat dachshund lol

Amanda wrote: "Caly ☯ Crazy Book Lady wrote: "Okay Amanda I need to see a picture of your dachshund. *grin
This is our Annie and you can tell she rules the house LOL


OH and am I the only one on this team who ..."

Your Beagle mix looks like a sweetheart. Beagles are so friendly! And your childhood dog looks A LOT like Annie. I love it 8-)

I have dachshund trauma.

Kirsten wrote: "I have dachshund trauma."

Oh no! I've never met a mean dachshund

Me either.

Caly ☯ Crazy Book Lady wrote: "OH and am I the only one on this team who doesn't read MM Romance? ROFL"

It's not a focus of mine. If that's part of the plot, fine; but I don't follow it as a distinct genre.

You daschund lovers may (or may not) want to read Lily and the Octopus. I found it completely charming and, while sad, uplifting in the end.

Thank you, Caly, for your explanation of District 12. Woo hoo that we had some fabulous warriors!

We can each only hope to live up to the high ideals set before us.

Jackie wrote: "Me either."

When I was in high school, I babysat for a couple who had 2 dachshunds, Poppy and Pixie. The couple were in a country band and were out until 4am. Pixie wasn’t so bad, but if I didn’t continuously throw a rubber ball down the hall, Poppy would bite my hand until I did. And if I didn’t throw it straight, it would hit the wall and wake up the kids and they’d cry and I’d have to put them back to sleep and while I was doing that Poppy would pee in the house (I wasn’t allowed to just let the dogs out but had to take them out on a leash, in their sweaters, and they’d bite when I got them dressed and undressed.) And then it would start all over again.

And when I say bite, it was often just nips, but still annoying, and 4 hours of throwing the ball was awful and it would get all slobbery and my hand would be raw and itchy and generally he broke the skin at least once. I needed the money.

Kirsten wrote: "Jackie wrote: "Me either."

When I was in high school, I babysat for a couple who had 2 dachshunds, Poppy and Pixie. The couple were in a country band and were out until 4am. Pixie wasn’t so bad, b..."

Okay, that would give me dachshund trauma too! That's horrible!

MN Lisa wrote: "Hello, My name is Lisa and I'm from Northern Minnesota. I started with challenges, primarily in the MM Romance Group about 3 years ago and have only in the past about year and a half done outside t..."

Lisa would you please supply your bookshelf link for this challenge? Thank you!

Awww, Kristen, that sounds like a terrible babysitting job! Have your hands recovered? :)

Beth wrote: "MN Lisa wrote: "Hello, My name is Lisa and I'm from Northern Minnesota. I started with challenges, primarily in the MM Romance Group about 3 years ago and have only in the past about year and a hal..."

Whoops. Here is my shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Beth wrote: "You daschund lovers may (or may not) want to read Lily and the Octopus. I found it completely charming and, while sad, uplifting in the end."

I read it and it is one of my favorite books even if the ending is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I think all dog lovers regardless of the breed can relate.

Kirsten wrote: "Jackie wrote: "Me either."

When I was in high school, I babysat for a couple who had 2 dachshunds, Poppy and Pixie. The couple were in a country band and were out until 4am. Pixie wasn’t so bad, b..."

I am so sorry that happened, it sounds like they were not giving their dogs ANY kind of training which is wrong regardless of the breed and unfortunately dachshunds as cute as they are can be difficult to train because of their stubborn streak and are not for people that don't want to take the time to train them. Teething puppies bite but it needs to be corrected.

Hi everyone. I am Leanne. Hailing from Northern Minnesota. I have been retired for 8 years already, can't believe it. I spend most of my time reading, about 4 hours a day. My favorite spot to read is on my swing on my deck when the weather permits. I'm in heaven there. I have always read. Mostly crime, thrillers. I like to read series books in order one after the other. So when I find a new author I like, I'm in trouble. My latest is Kendra Elliot and she has a lot of books, so I had to set her aside for now. Since starting GR in November 2023 (my lovely daughter MN-Lisa encouraged me to join) I have read 15 new authors. Another favorite is Charlie Donlea. (new to me). He has only 9 books.

What else. I started a vegetable garden after I retired. Not huge but enough to get me outside and some veggies in the fall. No luck with corn so I'm skipping that this year. Will have a slew of rhubarb however. One year I made pickles. FAIL, to much garlic. I crochet, easy stuff, afghans, wash cloths. I also work with resin. Christmas balls, bowls, trinket bowls, key chains. Mostly gifts and give away to charities or Job's events. I'd like to get into memorial items. So many interests, too little time.

Enough. More than you probably care to know, but here I am. Looking forward to doing this challenge with all of you.

Bookshelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Beth wrote: "Awww, Kristen, that sounds like a terrible babysitting job! Have your hands recovered? :)"

Well, it was 40ish years ago, so my hands are healed but my psyche? Never.😉

Pet Photo Time!

I love that we’ve seen some cute puppers in the thread! So bring it on… introduce us to your animal babies!

Here is my Bingo. I got him last summer after he was abandoned by his original family. They were moving, didn’t want to take him with them, so just left him behind to fend for himself. Sigh. Fortunately there was a neighbor who looked after him until I decided to bring him home with me.

Yes. He is sitting on the side of the bathtub with his tail just dipped into the water.



Right now he is cuddling beside me in bed. It’s about 1 pm USET, but it’s a rainy day and he wants to cuddle. Who am I to argue?

Leanne wrote: "Hi everyone. I am Leanne. Hailing from Northern Minnesota. I have been retired for 8 years already, can't believe it. I spend most of my time reading, about 4 hours a day. My favorite spot to read ..."

Hi Leanne , heard so much about you thats its good to be on same team 😊.
I love my gardening as well

Beth wrote: "Pet Photo Time!

I love that we’ve seen some cute puppers in the thread! So bring it on… introduce us to your animal babies!

Here is my Bingo. I got him last summer after he was abandoned by his o..."

I dont know how to post photos , but all mine would be of guinea pigs 😍😍
I do fostering for the RSPCA so have looked after 100s over the years ..but i only have 1 left that is actually mine ..little Pancake