The Challenge Factory discussion

You and three friends are about to embark on a perilous journey. You will be traveling by wagon from Independence, Missouri, to the Willamette Valley, Oregon. It is going to be a long, long 1,960-mile walk.

You will face wildlife, starvation, disease, thieves, severe weather, accidents, and worst of all, no libraries :)

But you can do it together with your companions. (I promise you will not die of dysentery.)

Team members
Sharon
Amanda
Kati
Jamie

* miles traveled - 1,680

*Supply Cards available*


*Supply Cards used*

For Week 1 each team member will read for one (1) Supply Card.

Supply Cards
Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text
Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first
Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)
Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.

For Weeks 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10, you will be traveling. Each team member will read a book that will get you 70 miles along the trail.

To go 70 miles, read a book:
with the numbers 7 and 0 in the publication date - OR -
written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES - OR -
with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')

For Weeks 4 and 7, you can read any 140+ page book you'd like.

First of all, pick a name for your family, group, or company.

Second, decide who will read for which Supply Card.

Third, decide who will make the team's Completion Posts. (It can be one person, or you can take turns. The team's Completion Post can be posted as soon as everyone has reported. The latest the team Completion Post can be posted is early Monday morning.)

Fourth, sit back and wait for Day One of the most incredible journey.

Hi team!

Here's some name ideas:
Pioneering Page Readers
Westward Wordsmiths
The Dysentery Dames

I check in at least once a day to update some challenges I'm a mod for so I could do a team completion post if we want. I don't mind :)

Hey new friends! I think this is my team. I'm Kati (no E, but I don't see another Katie playing the game).

I vote for the Pioneering Page Readers but love all your name suggestions. Looking forward to playing along with you all.

Oh, and I can read for any of the supply cards this week. Are there are that seem more important to take along with us than others?

Hi ya'll! Looking forward to reading with ya'll. I've never played this one before but it seems relatively simple.

I also like Pioneering Page Readers for a team name.

I'm also good if Amanda wants to be the person who posts the completion post each week.

Hello everyone!

I am good wit Pioneering Page Readers and if Amanda wants to and can do the completion post, I am good with it :)

Also, would it be possible for me to do the spare parts for Week 1. I am working on a couple fantasy series books right now

This is Week 1 of your journey West to Oregon. Each team member will read for a Supply Card. You need to decide which Supply Cards you want to begin your journey with, and who will read for which Card.

Supply Cards
Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text
Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first
Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)
Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.

Calamities
Broken Arm (needs Medicine card)
Snake Bite (needs Medicine card)
Starvation (needs Food card)
Extreme Cold (needs Clothes card)
Bad Water (needs Clean Water card)
Broken Wheel (needs Spare Parts card)


Rules
You can't begin reading your book until Monday morning, 12:01 a.m. your time.
You must finish and report your book by Sunday night 11:59 p.m. your time.
Books must be 140 pages or more.
Audio books must be at least 3 hours long.
Graphic Novels must be at least 200 pages.

Alright team! Let's pick our cards! I'm good with going last if we want, does anyone have an idea of what we should leave out?

Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text
Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first-Sharon
Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)
Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.

I have no idea which things are better to take along with us but I just started a book that will work for either clothes or food so Im happy to do either one of those!

Kati wrote: "I have no idea which things are better to take along with us but I just started a book that will work for either clothes or food so Im happy to do either one of those!"

We can't start reading it till Monday though, right?

This is my first time playing this challenge. Is there a method to figuring out what to take and what not?

Clean Water might be harder for me, so I'm good with reading for Food, Clothes, or Medicine.

Jamie wrote: "Kati wrote: "I have no idea which things are better to take along with us but I just started a book that will work for either clothes or food so Im happy to do either one of those!"

We can't start..."

You are correct! I thought it was finish date that matters but a book has to be started Monday or later

Jamie wrote: "This is my first time playing this challenge. Is there a method to figuring out what to take and what not?

Clean Water might be harder for me, so I'm good with reading for Food, Clothes, or Medic..."

No method. You can see the possible calamity's, but we wont actually be hit with anything until week 2 so we're trying to supply to prevent getting "hurt" from it. However there's multiple for each supply so I think best to just each pick a different one!

Ah, I thought I was finish date too. But I haven’t actually started it yet so I’ll just wait until Monday. Thanks for the reminder! :)

Ok that makes sense. Thanks Amanda!

I'll go look through my TBR now and see what books I can come up with for each of them to make it work.

Kati - Which prompt are you taking then with your book? Clothes or food?

Let’s go with clothes

I just realized that we have these same supply cards every time we have to read for them, huh?

If that's the case, anyone know the easiest way to find books that are set by water? I'm finding this one a bit harder to pin down books for.

Jamie wrote: "I just realized that we have these same supply cards every time we have to read for them, huh?

If that's the case, anyone know the easiest way to find books that are set by water? I'm finding this..."

I was probably going to look for books that either have water on the cover, mention the beach, are set in places I already know are near water (Florida, Islands, Etc.), or that say "Coastal" somewhere in the blurb

I can take either Medicine or Food. Either will work for me.

Jamie wrote: "I can take either Medicine or Food. Either will work for me."

I'll take clean water!

So we have (with Jamie choosing between 2)
Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text-Jamie
Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first-Sharon
Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover-Kati
Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)-Amanda
Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.-Jamie

Completion Post:

Book/Author: Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
Pages: 401
Started/Finished: 1/13/25
Task: Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the tex
How It Fits: pg.86 "You're a doctor?"

[*book:Part of Your World|58706519]

Let me know if this works for the completion post or if you need more.

Completion Post Week 1-Supply Card-Clean Water
Book: Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel
Pages: 352
Date Read: 1/13
Task: read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50% of the time)
How it fits: Book is set in Seattle and Florida which are along the Ocean

Completion Post Week 1-Supply Card-Clothes
Book: Mr Heartbreaker by Piper Rayne
Pages: 310
Date Read: 1/14
Task: read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
How it fits: cover has character in clothes

Completion Post Week 1 - Suppy Card - Spare Parts
Book: Sally's Lament by Mari Mancusi
Pages: 348
Date Read: 1/16
Task: Read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first
How it Fits: Sally's Lament is #19 in the Twisted Tales series and authors last name (first and last initial) is in the word MILES

We're all checked in :)

For Week 2 of your journey West to Oregon, each team member will read a book that will take them 70 miles.

To go 70 miles, read a book:
with the numbers 7 and 0 in the publication date - OR -
written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES - OR -
with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')

*******************************************************

You received the Broken Wheel Calamity Card.

Hopefully you will have earned the Supply Card that blocks this Calamity in Week 1.

If you don't have the Supply Card, one team member will need to read the task to counteract the Calamity. You will miss out on the 70 miles that that team member's book would add to the total mileage for that week.

Option 2 - a team member can read two (2) books during the week to make up the 70 miles that the person reading for the Supply Card will not accomplish. The two books must both meet the criteria for traveling the 70 miles.

Option 3 - two or more team members can 'buddy read' a book. The book must meet the criteria for traveling or the Supply Card for the Calamity. The one (1) book will counteract the Calamity and travel the necessary 70 miles.


Rules
You can't begin reading your book until Monday morning, 12:01 a.m. your time.
You must finish and report your book by Sunday night 11:59 p.m. your time.
Books must be 140 pages or more.
Audio books must be at least 3 hours long.
Graphic Novels must be at least 200 pages.

Good thing we have those spare parts!

Just a quick question - Do we need to state what book we are reading? Or do we just post when we are completed?

You can just post when you're finished :)

Completion Post Week 2 - 70 Miles
Book: Imperfect Bonds: Kolton's Story by Lisa Oliver
Pages: 211
Date Read: 1/21
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it fits: Author first initial L

So sorry I am late this week! been sick

Completion Post Week 2 - 70 Miles
Book: The Break-Up Pact by: Emma Lord
Pages: 320
Date Read: 1/22
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it fits: Author last name starts with L

Week 2: Completion Post - 70 miles
Book: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Pages: 779
Date Read: 1/22/25
Task: with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL
How it fits: Title starts with an "O"

Sharon wrote: "So sorry I am late this week! been sick"

The week just started! Don't even worry about it :)

Week 2: Completion Post
Book: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Pages: 779
Date Read: 1/24/25
Task: with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL
How it fits: Title starts with an "O"

This is Week 3 of your journey West to Oregon. Each team member will read a book that will take them 70 miles.

To go 70 miles, read a book:
with the numbers 7 and 0 in the publication date - OR -
written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES - OR -
with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')

*******************************************************

You received the Starvation Calamity Card.

Hopefully you will have earned the Supply Card that blocks this Calamity in Week 1.

If you don't have the Supply Card, one team member will need to read the task to counteract the Calamity. You will miss out on the 70 miles that that team member's book would add to the total mileage for that week.

Option 2 - a team member can read two (2) books during the week to make up the 70 miles that the person reading for the Supply Card will not accomplish. The two books must both meet the criteria for traveling the 70 miles.

Option 3 - two or more team members can 'buddy read' a book. The book must meet the criteria for traveling or the Supply Card for the Calamity. The one (1) book will counteract the Calamity and travel the necessary 70 miles.


Rules
You can't begin reading your book until Monday morning, 12:01 a.m. your time.
You must finish and report your book by Sunday night 11:59 p.m. your time.
Books must be 140 pages or more.
Audio books must be at least 3 hours long.
Graphic Novels must be at least 200 pages.

So I'd be happy to either read for the supply card OR do the 2 70 mile books to make up for it if someone else wants to do food. (THe task is a word with double letters in the title)

I have books for either as well, Amanda, so I'm good with whichever one.

Is it just one set of double letters? I'm about to start An Appetite for Murder if that works I can do the food.

If not, I can find something else :)

You can do that one if you have it ready Sharon.

I have a couple other books that would work if the rest of us have to read for the 70 miles.

Okay, sounds good to me. About to make some coffee and then I will get on it :)

Completion Post Week 3 - 70 Miles
Book: She Doesn't Have a Clue By: Jenny Elder Moke
Pages: 336
Date Read: 1/28
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it fits: Author last name starts with M

Okay Sharon can do the food, I can do 2 70 mile tasks and everyone else can do 1 70 mile task :)

Completion Post Week 3 - 70 Miles
Book: Sanctuary by Sam Burns
Pages: 340
Date Read: 1/28
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it fits: Author first initial S

Completion Post Week 3 - 70 Miles
Book: Spirited Situation by Louisa Masters
Pages: 264
Date Read: 1/28
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it fits: Author first initial L

Week 3: Completion Post - 70 miles
Book: Nocticadia by Keri Lake
Pages: 682
Date Read: 1/29/25
Task: written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it fits: Author last name initial L