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 10
LaurLa
Jessica
Fi
Trio

*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, checking in.

I'm happy to read for any of the cards (water seems the hardest, but I think we'll need it). For completion posts, maybe the last person can check us in?

Looking forward to this!

Hi everyone, I'm checking in...

I'd suggest that the last person to complete their task should be the person to do the check-in? Unless someone is dying to do it every week lol - that would be great too.

I'm looking forward to starting as well - I'll send friend requests to anyone here I'm not already friends with :)

I'd be happy to do any of the tasks as well... if anyone has a preference just let us know.

Hi all - checking in!


I agree, the last person to complete should do the check-in, that always seems to work out well. However, sometimes life happens and that person is posting on the run and unable to take the time or have the ability to do a full completion and check-in post. I'm happy to just be the back and make sure we've got it posted if needed.

Water does look like the hardest book to search but agree that we'll need it. But we need to decide which 4 supplies we want to start with. My votes are for Water, Food, Medicine and Clothes. Thoughts?

Also - any ideas on a team name?

LaurLa wrote: "Hi all - checking in!


I agree, the last person to complete should do the check-in, that always seems to work out well. However, sometimes life happens and that person is posting on the run and u..."

Thanks so much LaurLa, that'd be great!

I agree those are the essencials (if the wagon breaks and we don't have spare parts I guess we can always walk 😄)

I'm not great with names but I asked google:

Bookish Pioneers
Trailblazing Readers
Campfire Chronicles
Storytellers of the West
The Novel Navigators
Readers of the Wild West
Tales from the Trail
Whimsical Wagon Readers
Pages and Prairies
Chapters in the Wild
Quill & Compass Guild
Reads & Routes Expedition

I like these:


Tales from the Trail
Whimsical Wagon Readers
Pages and Prairies

I like Pages and Prairies and agree with Water, Medicine, Food and Clothes as our supplies.

I will be reading A Long Petal of the Sea where they take a ship from Spain to Chilli, but I don't know how much of the book is set along the sea so don't know if it will count.

Would anyone want to read Galaxies and Oceans by N.R. Walker ? I've already read it but can re-read if needed

Ignore the above, I will take water and read Hot Saltwater Kisses

Jessica wrote: "Ignore the above, I will take water and read Hot Saltwater Kisses"

Ooh adding this to my tbr

Great suggestions for team names Fi!
My favorites are:

Pages and Prairie
The Novel Navigators
Whimsical Wagon Readers
Quill & Compass Guild

I think it would be easiest for me to read for "Food" or "Clothed", but I'm sure I could find "Medicine" if needed.

just to keep track of who is reading for which category, I can update this post as folks claim tasks:

Water, loc. water - Jessica
Medicine, "doctor" in text - Fi
Food, double letter word in title -
Clothes, clothed person on cover -

I'll take whatever is left. I can read for any of those.

I can do medicine.

okay, thanks Fi

so it looks like everyone is okay with Pages and Prairies so I'll drop a note in the main thread to let them know.

can I grab Clothes then Laurla?

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.

Supply Cards


FI- Medicine - read a book with "doctor" found in the text
TRIO - Clothes - read a book with one fully clothed person on the cover
JESSICA - Clean Water - read a book that is set along a lake, sea, or ocean (50%)
LAURLA - Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title.

Spare Parts - read a book that is in a series, but is NOT the first

Completion Post
Book/Author: The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid
Pages: 336
Read: 15 Jan
Task: Clothes
How It Fits: fully clothed models on cover

Completion Post
Book/Author: Hot Saltwater Kisses by Zarah Detand
Pages: 230
Read: 16 Jan
Task: Water
How It Fits: Set at a beach resort

Lurla and Fi - how are you doing with your books? Hopefully everyone read a great one!

Trio wrote: "Lurla and Fi - how are you doing with your books? Hopefully everyone read a great one!"

I'm not having a lot of luck, first choice was a dnf and second one isn't much better, but I'm almost done.

I found Hot Saltwater Kisses so boring it was a rare 1 star for me. If it wasn't for the task I would have Dnf. Many people loved it so maybe its a me problem

I'll be finished today. I'm sorry you all are not having enjoyable books! It's taken me a minute or two to get to mine but it's really good!

Completion Post

Book/Author: No Good Deed by M.J. May
Pages: 319
Read: 18/01/25
Task: Medicine, "doctor" in text
How It Fits: 28% “The doctor called you?”

Jessica wrote: "I found Hot Saltwater Kisses so boring it was a rare 1 star for me. If it wasn't for the task I would have Dnf. Many people loved it so maybe its a me problem"

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that Jessica! Mine was the same, everybody seems to love that series but I would have dnfed if it wasn't for the challenge. The villains monologued. 😭

Laurla, so glad you're enjoying your book!

Completion Post ❱❱ Week 1


Task ❱❱ Food - read a book with double letters in a word in the title
Book ❱❱ You Can Kill
How it fits ❱❱ double L in Kill
Pages ❱❱ 432
Date ❱❱ 01.18 ★★★★

Okay - we're all checked in for Week 1!!

Here are our options for next week:

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')

REMINDER: can't start reading your book until Monday at 12:01 am. (This is mostly a reminder to myself!!)

7 or 0 in the publication date. Doesn't that mean every book published after 1999 will count? Or is it only the day, not month or year?

No, it's 7 AND 0, so 2007 would count or 2017 would count along with any date with 7 or July as the month... as long as the year portion had a 0 in it. Does this make sense?

LaurLa wrote: "No, it's 7 AND 0, so 2007 would count or 2017 would count along with any date with 7 or July as the month... as long as the year portion had a 0 in it. Does this make sense?"

Thanks LaurLa! Don't how my brain changed and to or 😩

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 Snake Bite 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.

Okay Pages and Prairies travelers... I double checked in Q&A that our medicine supply card counteracts the snakebite, so we're all clear to read for miles this week. Yay!


In week 4, we can restock our supply cards, but I'm not sure it that means we can all read for a supply card and not only replenish what we've used but add extra of those we haven't used.

Happy reading this week!

Completion Post: Week 2

Book/Author:Snow Falling by Davidson King
Pages: 247
Read: 20 Jan
Rating: 4 ⭐️
Task: with the numbers 7 and 0 in the publication date
How It Fits: Published 27th November 2017

so funny, the book I started this morning doesn't fit any of our options for this week 🤣
haha, of course. I'll find something...

Completion Post, Week 2

Cutie and the Beast by E.J. Russell
283 pages
Read: 23 Jan
Rating: 4 stars
Task: read a book written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it Fits: author's first initial is "E"

Completion Post ❱❱ Week 2


Task ❱❱ Read a book with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL
Book ❱❱ Avenged
How it fits ❱❱ title A
Pages ❱❱ 318
Date ❱❱ 01.23 ★★★★

Week 2
Team Name: Pages and Prairies (10)


Traveling 70 Miles:

FI-

TRIO - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

JESSICA - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

LAURLA - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

thank you for posting that LaurLa!

Trio wrote: "thank you for posting that LaurLa!"

😍

Completion Post

Book/Author: The Uncanny Aviator by Jenya Keefe
Pages: 259
Read: 25/01/25
Task: title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL (you can use or ignore 'A', 'An', 'The')
How It Fits: title T

Checked us in, thanks for the post LauLa. :)

did you enjoy The Uncanny Aviator Fi? I adore Jenya Keefe!

Trio wrote: "did you enjoy The Uncanny Aviator Fi? I adore Jenya Keefe!"

I did, it was really good! Well, Adrio needed throwing off a cliff a time or two, but I really liked it. Hoping for more fantasy books from this author.

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 Bad Water 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.

All right team! We traveled the full 280 miles last week - we're on our way.

We have the supply card for Clean Water to counteract the Water Calamity Card, so we are off for another 280 miles this week!

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')

Completion Post ❱❱ Week 3



Task ❱❱ Read a book written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
Book ❱❱ Bound
How it fits ❱❱ author first initial E
Pages ❱❱ 299
Date ❱❱ 01.29 ★★★★

Completion Post: Week 3

Book/Author: Heart of a Wolf by C.J. Ravenna
Pages: 293
Read: 30 Jan
Rating: 4 ⭐️
Task: with a title that begins with a letter found in THE OREGON TRAIL
How It Fits: Starts with H

Completion Post, Week 3
Fool Me Twice by J.L. Merrow
270 pages
Read: 1 Feb
Rating: 4 stars
Task: read a book written by an author whose first, middle, or last initial can be found in MILES
How it Fits: ALN starts with "M"