The Challenge Factory discussion

October 2024
Team Challenge

You may name your ghostbusting team. Let me know in the check-in thread what you want your ghostbusting team to be known as.

Team
Alicja
Lisa
Marty
DeeDee
Zoe
Joyce

Important Links
Ghost Containment Unit (Check-in)
Ask Bloody Mary (Q&A)

Challenge Rules
👻Books must be a minimum of 140 pgs
👻Rereads are allowed if more than 6 months
👻Audiobooks should be a minimum of 3 hours long
👻Books may be started before the challenge starts if they are completed AFTER the start date
👻Graphic Novels must be a minimum of 200 pgs
👻No poetry or cookbooks will be accepted

Hello team! I'm just checking in. I'm looking forward to starting this challenge in a couple of days. :)

Hi there folks. Checking in, like Lisa.

Hello! Checking in!
I'll repeat what I said when I signed up: the week of October 8 I may not be able to participate - I'm having surgery - if all goes well (and all is expected to go well) I'll be home in 2 days -

Deedee wrote: "Hello! Checking in!
I'll repeat what I said when I signed up: the week of October 8 I may not be able to participate - I'm having surgery - if all goes well (and all is expected to go well) I'll be..."

Oh boy, best of luck with your surgery! I hope you heal up fast.

Yes - best of luck for your surgery! I'm guessing Donna will let one of us cover your book(s) while you're out as I feel that's what's happened in past challenges but we can ask to confirm if she doesn't comment here.

Do we have any team name ideas? Fang-tastic Four? Ghoulish Girls? (I think we're all girls?) Witchy Women? I was trying to think of something with the number "3" in it since that is our team number, but I don't know that that is needed....

I kinda like Fang-tastic Four. Also, we could go with Witchy Women and fiddle with the spelling: Wytchy Wymyn

Well ... since it's ghosts and the Halloween Season ... I looked at the witches from MacBeth, Act Four Scene 1

FIRST WITCH
Thrice the brinded cat hath mewed.
SECOND WITCH
Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whined.
THIRD WITCH
Harpier cries “’Tis time, ’tis time!”
FIRST WITCH
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poisoned entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Sweltered venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ th’ charmèd pot.
The Witches circle the cauldron.
ALL
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Maybe a phrase from there?
The Brinded Cats
Double, double toil and trouble
The Bubbling Cauldron

I'd be fine with whatever everyone wants

Brinded Cats is unique. Venomous Vamps comes to mind too

I like Brinded Cats too - it is unique! should we submit so we can get our prompts?

Also, I sent a message to Alicja last night to see if she still wanted to play- I haven't heard back from her but it hasn't been even a full day yet....

I vote for submitting!

Marty wrote: "I vote for submitting!"

sounds good to me :)

Library Ghost:

The team is called to the library to investigate a ghost sighting. Wandering through the library, you notice symmetrical book stacking, ectoplasmic residue on card catalog drawers, and bookshelves falling over. Knowing you are getting close, your team continues exploring the library. As you round the corner, you see a female apparition. She is an older woman wearing a purple dress. She is reading a book and obviously thinks you guys are too loud. She shushes you. You attempt to talk to her and she scares your team away. Your team needs a plan to capture her.

Tasks (Reminder: Each of you must choose a different task)
👻Read a book with books stacked on the cover
👻Read a book with a female MC
👻Read a book with a purple cover (min 50 %)
👻Read a book where a character visits or works in a library

Do you guys have a preference for which prompt you'd like? I have checked out from the library and their are some books stacked on the cover at the end of the book shelves. But I'm sure I could find something to fit most of the other prompts too.

I have a book with a female MC: I can also find something for the other prompts.

Any word from Alicja?

I can do
👻Read a book where a character visits or works in a library

my short list includes fantasy libraries and cozy mysteries -- I'm a mood reader, so when I sit down to read, I'll see how the mood strikes -- fantasy? (The Masked City) or reality? (Booked for Trouble) or maybe a little of both? (Buried in the Stacks)?

I have messaged Alicja. Let me know if she doesn't check in within 48 hours.

No Alicja? I have to step out for a bit but I will be back after her time is up. If she isn't here by then, I will get you a backup player.

I have requested that Zoe join your team.

I can do that!

Hi Zoe - welcome! Are you able to cover the prompt for the purple cover? If not, you could have books stacked on cover and I could switch. I've had my eye on A Marvellous Light. According to TinEye it is >50% violet.

Hi Zoe, welcome!

Hopefully Zoe is okay with doing the purple cover prompt as I've finished my stacked books prompt...

Completion Post
TASK: stacked books on cover
BOOK: Apprentice to the Villain
AUTHOR: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
DATE FINISHED: 10/5/24
HOW IT FITS PROMPT: there are two stacks of books; one at the end of each slanted bookshelf

Copying your completion form, Lisa!

TASK: Female MC
BOOK: Emily's House
AUTHOR: Amy Belding Brown
DATE FINISHED: 10/5/24
HOW IT FITS PROMPT: The MC is Margaret Maher, the housekeeper for Emily Dickinson's family and friend of the poet.

Hi! Sorry, I didn't hear back from Donna in our messages and then didn't realize that this was the actual team chat. aahhh sorry. I am here now though and have turned on notifications for the chat :)

I am assuming purple cover is supposed to have been read by today? I wish it was an easier task because I've read several books this week but no purple covers!

If anyone has a purple cover my books this week could work for female MC or library.
If we have more time I can find a purple cover and get it done ASAP!

I am finishing a book today and will start on a purple cover and wait to hear from you all :)

Okay I found a book that I could probably finish today and I already own the kindle version! I have to head out for a couple hours but then was just planning on reading this evening. I will keep you updated!

Glad you found us Zoe! I don't have any purple covered books read this week, so I'm glad you found one. I don't think it *needs* to be done by today. Once we've all finished our books and made completion posts on this thread one of us can go to the check in thread and update Donna with the links to our completion posts and she'll post our next ghost (with the prompts) here. So the schedule is kind of flexible.

DeeDee - how is your book going? Do you think you'll finish before your surgery, which I think is Tuesday?

Oh great! Okay well I should finish the purple book tomorrow I would think. Its a short one so it shouldn’t take me too long. I’ll update here when I finish. Thanks!

Lisa wrote: "Glad you found us Zoe! I don't have any purple covered books read this week, so I'm glad you found one. I don't think it *needs* to be done by today. Once we've all finished our books and made comp..."

I'll finish my book tomorrow - less than 100 pages now!

Next week I'll be out of commission Tuesday-Thursday for my surgery. Thinking positively, I should be able to log on to this group next weekend. Probably means I won't be here for Task #2, but, with luck, I'll be back for Task #3.

Deedee wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Glad you found us Zoe! I don't have any purple covered books read this week, so I'm glad you found one. I don't think it *needs* to be done by today. Once we've all finished our books ..."

Sounds great DeeDee! When I talked to Donna earlier in the week, she suggested we just wait for you instead of cover for you while you're out since it will be a short time. So hopefully we'll get our next set of tasks by tomorrow and you could have first dibs since it will be a hard week for you. And if it takes you a little longer, don't worry about it - your recovery is more important!

TASK: Read a book where a character visits or works in a library
BOOK: Buried in the Stacks
AUTHOR: Allison Brook
DATE FINISHED: 10/07/24
HOW IT FITS PROMPT: The MC works in the town library. The library is also the setting for several events in the novel.

And, thanks Lisa, I've copied the format from your post also!

Lisa wrote: "Deedee wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Glad you found us Zoe! I don't have any purple covered books read this week, so I'm glad you found one. I don't think it *needs* to be done by today. Once we've all fini..."

Sounds good to me!

COMPLETION POST


TASK: Read a book with a purple cover
BOOK: The Eyes of the Killer Robot
AUTHOR: John Bellairs
DATE FINISHED: 10/07/24
HOW IT FITS PROMPT: Kindle edition has purple cover

I checked us in!

Zoë wrote: "I checked us in!"

Can't wait to see what we get next.

Slimer:

The team is called to the hotel to investigate a ghost sighting on the 12th floor. Team member 2 sees it eating. It is a small green, slimy, see-through ghost. You try to catch him but miss and catch the wall on fire. It takes off. Team member 1 sights it in the hallway and is slimed as it runs straight through him/her. The ghost is then found in the ballroom. Your team is making quite a mess of the ballroom as it attempts to capture this ghost. There are small fires all around the room. broken furniture and food is strewn around. Don't forget that you shouldn't cross your streams! That could be very dangerous! Can you capture him or will he get away?

Tasks (Reminder: You must each choose a different task)
👻Read a book with a green cover (min 50%)
👻Read a book with fire on the cover
👻Read a book with a food item in the title
👻Read a book that starts with a letter in BALLROOM

I might be able to do the food item task. I asked in the Q & A group to see if cornfield would work since it has the word corn in it.

If not I could probably find something for any of the other ones easily too!

The food item in the title prompt is the hardest one for me, so I'm hoping the verdict is yes for cornfield (it seems like it should be....).

Looking at my TBR, I can do one of the first two prompts quite easily as I need to read both of these by the end of the year for another challenge:
(green cover)
(fire on the cover).

Book starting with a letter in BALLROOM also feels like it should be easy to find something for....

I think I'll start reading Salvage the Bones as while I've been wanting to try something by Jesmyn Ward for a few years, I'm also not excited about reading this book...so it will be nice to knock off the list earlier rather than later. If someone else wants this prompt, go ahead and take it as I'll be able to find something else easily for one of the other prompts!

I have some food item titles on my TBR if Zoe's book isn't accepted.

I can take one of the others too.
Here's what I have on my TBR:

Fire on cover:
Food in title:
Title beginning with BALLROOM letter:

Okay Cornfield works for food!! So I can use my book that I finished yesterday!

Deedee, do you have a preference for either fire or BALLROOM?

Marty wrote: "Deedee, do you have a preference for either fire or BALLROOM?"

I'll take BALLROOM

DeeDee - good to hear from you already! That seems like a good sign that your surgery went well. I hope this is the case and I am happy for you.

Deedee wrote: "Marty wrote: "Deedee, do you have a preference for either fire or BALLROOM?"

I'll take BALLROOM"

Great! I'm actually excited for my fire book. I'll go ahead with it.

Lisa wrote: "DeeDee - good to hear from you already! That seems like a good sign that your surgery went well. I hope this is the case and I am happy for you."

Yep, doctors said surgery went well :). The current medical consensus is to send patients home as soon as possible, so I was there only overnight. It will take a week or two to recover fully but after that I should be fine (for awhile). All part of being a Senior Citizen.

Completion Post - Slimer

TASK: green cover
BOOK: Salvage the Bones
AUTHOR: Jesmyn Ward
DATE FINISHED: 10/10/24
HOW IT FITS PROMPT: according to tineye, book is 68% green

I finished Salvage the Bones! It was good - some heavy topics which made it a more difficult read, but good writing.

I'll be traveling this weekend, but I'll try to watch what is going on in the group on my phone and if needed I should be able to borrow someone's computer to leave a quick comment.

Completion Post - Slimer

TASK: food item in title
BOOK: Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives
AUTHOR: Adam Cesare
DATE FINISHED: 10/8/2024
HOW IT FITS PROMPT: “corn” in title.