The Challenge Factory discussion

The Race to 100 is a competitive contest to see which team can read their way to 100 first. This is a 10-week race, but it's possible to finish in less time.

Can you and your team get to 100 before the other teams?


team 1
Jamie
LaurLa
Susan A
Megan

Details:
You have six (6) days to read one (1) book.
Your book must match a task in a category. Your team will reach 100 sooner if your book fits more tasks. Your book can match up to three (3) tasks.

Week 1: April 9 - 14
Week 2: April 16 - 21
Week 3: April 23 - 28
Week 4: April 30 - May 5
Week 5: May 7 - 12
Week 6: May 14 - 19
Week 7: May 21 - 26
Week 8: May 28 - June 2
Week 9: June 4 - 9
Week 10: June 11 - 16


Rules:
You can't begin reading your book until Wednesday morning, 12:01 a.m. your time.
You must finish and report your book by Monday 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.

Sample Completion Post
Name:
Book and Author:
Pages:
Date Read:
Task:
How It Fits:
2nd Task:
How It Fits:
3rd Task:
How It Fits:

(omit 2nd and/or 3rd task information if not using them)

There are 20 tasks in 5 categories that will need to be read for.
* Each task needs to be completed once to win the race. *

Task Count: 87/100

Numbers (series # or in the publication date; double digits need to be intact)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Letters (first word of the title or author's initial; do not ignore A, An, The)
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, V, W

Tags (does not need to be on the book's main page)
Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Young Adult (or YA), History or Historical, classic(s), standalone, reread (or re-read), audiobook(s), favorite or favourite, library, tbr, dnf, 5 star(s), 4 star(s), 3 star(s), 2024, 2023, own (or owned)

Settings (must be at least 50% of the story)
Africa, Australia or New Zealand, Canada, Central or South America, mainland Europe,
a Mediterranean country, the UK, California, New York, Texas, Washington state, on a farm, on a small island, at a school, in space or a different planet, on or in a vehicle, 1925 or earlier, in the future, a fantasy world, very near to where you live

Scavenger Words: (borrowed words from Deb's Scavenger Hunt. Thanks, Deb!)
You may change the word by adding an S, ED, or ING)
bowtie, bronze, carve, crust, dread, drain, field, foundation, grease, hint, instrument, legend, lock, opal, orange, partridge, railroad, stall, stout, trophy

Sabotages and Boosts
* Each sabotage or boost can only be used once.
* Sabotaging is optional. It is not mandatory.
* No sabotages on Week 10.
* Only 1 sabotage will be effective for a receiving team each week. (In other words, if Teams 2, 3 and 7 all send a sabotage to Team 5, only 1 will be in effect. The first sabotage submitted for a specific team in the sabotaging team's weekly Completion Post will be accepted. You will lose your sabotage even if it doesn't affect a team.)


Flat Tire - this sabotage will limit 1 player on a team to read for 2 tasks


Rain Delay - this sabotage prevents 1 player from beginning to read on Wednesday; that player cannot begin reading until Friday



High Octane Fuel - this boost allows 2 players to read for a 4th task



USED Guest Driver - this boost adds a player to your team for 1 week (in other words, a player can read a 2nd book for up to 3 more tasks)

First of all, pick a name for your team, group, or squad.

Second, decide who will keep track of the team's claimed and completed tasks. It can be on a spreadsheet or here in a post.

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 Tuesday morning.)

Fourth, decide what strategy or method your team will use to read for the tasks.

Last of all, check your engine and tires, gather your crew (check out library books and charge your devices), purchase fuel (snacks and soda), and get ready for a great race!

Hi team! Excited to play this!

This challege reminds me a little of the card game Mille Bornes, so I thought that Coup Fourré might be a fun team name.

Hi team! Looking forward to starting this one!

I think that's a great team name, Megan. I'm horrible coming up with them, lol

Hi team! I have no idea what Mille Bornes or Coup Fourre is, but it sounds fine to me.

Hi all - looking forward to starting.... although I'm not sure I completely understand the rules. I think we try to pick a book each week that works for up to 3 of the tasks and that by the end of the race, every task must have been completed? As fast as possible, of course!

LaurLa wrote: "Hi all - looking forward to starting.... although I'm not sure I completely understand the rules. I think we try to pick a book each week that works for up to 3 of the tasks and that by the end of ..."

That's my understanding.

There are 10 weeks, 4 players = 40 books

20 books * 3 tasks = 60
20 books * 2 tasks = 40

So, not every book needs to fit 3

LaurLa wrote: "...we try to pick a book each week that works for up to 3 of the tasks and that by the end of the race, every task must have been completed..."

Exactly. You said it clearly and concisely. I'm hiring you to write the rules for any future challenges that I create. :D

FYI

I asked this question:
Can you unclaim tasks?

Let's say in week 1 I post a book and claim #12, letter B and opal. It also works for New Zealand, but I don't claim it.

Now it's week 8 and I read a book that works for opal again. Can I change week 1 from opal to New Zealand, and use opal in week 8?

And here is the answer
That is a very good question! My first inclination was no. It would be a hassle for recordkeeping. But I don't think it will happen often enough to get irritating.

So, yes, you can swap out tasks as long as you are very, very clear in your Completion Post(s), and that you only do it once or twice

Well, that's helpful!

One of the players, FI, posted a spreadhseet in the QA

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

Does anyone plan to make a spreadsheet, or would you rather ask to share this one?

Susan - I copied the SS Fi made and altered if with our team and player names. It's pretty sophisticated in that as we track, it will create a completion post you can copy/paste into this thread as well as overall task tracking on the first tab.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

I set the sharing to anyone who has a link but it may still prompt you to request access - I'll keep an eye on my email just in case.

Does anyone have any thoughts on strategy. That is not my forte... I'm happy to be the reporter and making sure we've got all our completions but I don't know if I have any great thoughts on how to work through this... except maybe we try to tackle the 'harder' tasks first.

Another question I asked -
Do the 3 tasks have to come from 3 different categories?

And the answer is no. So, for example, you can read a book with 3 scavenger hunt words, or 2 tags and 1 location.

I requested access

Okay - you should be able to get in now.

I requested access to the spreadsheet.

I requested access too :)

You should be able to jump in now.

1. Do we want to submit Coup Fourré as the team name?

2. I put a book in for week 1. I used Column R for notes on other tasks that this book works (as noted above, we are allowed to unclaim tasks and re-post)

3. Do we want to allow posting books and task for future weeks? This could help us focus our searches better.

4. Any thought on the the sabotage/bonuses?

I say go with Coup Fourré as our name.

I do think that it would help for planning. I'm more of a mood reader, so this part is a struggle for me sometimes. I've already changed out what book to start tomorrow 5 times because nothing sounds good lol But I do think that this will help us figure out what to read each week.

Completion Post


Name: Jamie
Book and Author: Secrets of Ruin by Brenda K Davies
Pages: 408
Date Read 9-Apr-2025
Task: Letters - B
How it fits: AFN Brenda
Task 2: Settings - Fantasy world
How it fits: Shadow Realm
Task 3: Scavenger Words - Instrument
How it fits: pg.357 ""...dark faes' musical instrument,..."""

Completion Post - Week 1



Name: LaurLa
Book and Author: Adverse Possession by Rebecca Zanetti
Pages: 334
Date Read 9-Apr-2025
Task: Numbers - 3
How it fits: #3 Anna Albertini Files
Task 2: Tags - Library
How it fits: tagged 6 times
Task 3: Scavenger Words - Bronze
How it fits: his skin bronze from sun [loc 466.7]

I submitted Coup Fourré as the team name

Completion Post - Week 1
Name: Susan A
Book and Author: The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith
Pages: 210
Date Read: 4/10/25
Task: Setting - Africa
How It Fits: 100% set in Botswana, listed on book main page
2nd Task: scavenger word - foundation
How It Fits: p100 the foundation stone
3rd Task: scavenger word - stour
How It Fits: p133 she was a stout defender

I need to let you know that I have adjusted a few of the Tags tasks. Star can now be plural if you'd like to use it that way. i.e., 5 star(s), 4 star(s), 3 star(s)

LaurLa - do you plan to do the reporting?

Completion Post
Name: Megan

Book and Author: Cupcakes and Casualties by Agatha Frost
Pages: 274
Date Read: 4/14/25
Task: Numbers - 11
How It Fits: series #11
2nd Task: Numbers - 18
How It Fits: published in 2018
3rd Task: Settings - UK
How It Fits: set in England

Susan A wrote: "LaurLa - do you plan to do the reporting?"

I can!

Thanks!

I did a completion post in the reporting thread. I think it was due last night. I'm not sure if this will count.

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

Susan A wrote: "I did a completion post in the reporting thread. I think it was due last night. I'm not sure if this will count."

Thanks, Susan. The team Completion Post was posted in good time. I was asking that it get in before noon on Tuesday.

I thought they were due on Tuesdays? My apologies...

I thought it said 11:59pm Monday in post 1. Regardless, I'm glad it was posted in time, and sorry for jumping the gun LaurLa

11:59 p.m. Monday for personal Completion Post

noon on Tuesday for team Completion Post

Susan A wrote: "I thought it said 11:59pm Monday in post 1. Regardless, I'm glad it was posted in time, and sorry for jumping the gun LaurLa"

No problem at all! I'm glad you were on top of it, since I still would have been late thinking it was Tuesday midnight. Great to have team back-up!!

Completion Post - Week 2

Name: Susan A
Book and Author: Death at the Crystal Palace by Jennifer Ashley
Pages: 304
Date Read 16-Apr-2025
Task: Settings - 1925 or earlier
How it fits: set in Victorian era (1837-1901)
Task 2: Scavenger Words - Stall
How it fits: p299 the stalls are out
Task 3: Scavenger Words - Railroad
How it fits: p260 a carved bedstead

Completion Post - Week 2
Name: LaurLa


Book and Author: Word Night on Union Station by E.M. Foner
Pages: 248
Date Read 17-Apr-2025
Task: Settings - Space/ different planet
How it fits: set on Union Station Space Station
Task 2: Numbers - 9
How it fits: #9 EarthCent Ambassador series
Task 3: Scavenger Words - Crust
How it fits: because the crust is edible. [loc 118.1]

"Completion Post - Week 2


Name: Jamie
Book and Author: Deception by Aleatha Romig
Pages: 400
Date Read 17-Apr-2025
Task: Tags - Dnf
How it fits: tagged DNF x19
Task 2: Numbers - 16
How it fits: Published 2016
Task 3: Scavenger Words - Dread
How it fits: pg.103 ""...with acid and dread."""

Completion Post Week 2
Team 2 Coup Fourré

Jamie - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
LaurLa - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Susan A - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Megan - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Did You Use a Boost? No
Are You Sabotaging a Team? No

LaurLa

How is the EarthCent Ambassador series?

Completion Post - Week 2

Name: Megan
Book and Author: When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer
Pages: 375
Date Read 20-Apr-2025
Task: Letters - W
How it fits: Title
Task 2: Scavenger Words - Hint
How it fits: "There was a hint of longing in his voice." (page 106)
Task 3: Scavenger Words - Orange
How it fits: "It smelled of orange and clove pomanders and fresh pine." (page 214)

Susan A wrote: "LaurLa

How is the EarthCent Ambassador series?"

It's okay. There's some good tongue-in-cheek humor and the action is low-key, mostly friendly, non-violent alien interaction. There's always a lesson about "humanity" being about more than being human. Humans are the bottom of the species barrel which is why I say tongue-in-cheek because if you take it seriously, you might get offended, haha. I like it well enough to keep reading the series as my go-to for sci-fi/space setting/AI/robot related tasks but I'm not on the edge of my seat or rushing to get to the next one, if that makes sense.

Thanks. I had been using Iceplanet Barbarians and related series for that purpose, but I think I'll try this next time I have this kind of task.

Completion Post - Week 3


Name: Jamie
Book and Author: Dr. Perfect by Louise Bay
Pages: 287
Date Read 23-Apr-2025
Task: Letters - D
How it fits: Title
Task 2: Tags - 2023
How it fits: tagged x55
Task 3: Numbers - 2
How it fits: 2nd in series

Completion Post - Week 3
Name: LaurLa


Book and Author: Seduce the Darkness by Gena Showalter
Pages: 418
Date Read 24-Apr-2025
Task: Letters - G
How it fits: author FN Gena
Task 2: Tags - Fantasy
How it fits: mpg fantasy
Task 3: Settings - Very near to where you live
How it fits: Chicago is about 2 hours from me

Completion Post - Week 3

Name: Susan A
Book and Author: Conspiracy in Death by JD Robb
Pages: 364
Date Read 24-Apr-2025

Task: Settings - Future
How it fits: set in year 2059, listed on book main page

Task 2: Settings - New York
How it fits: set in NYC, listed on book main page

Task 3: Tags - Own (owned)
How it fits: tagged own 205 times, pg 1 of shelves

Yikes! I posted my completion in the wrong thread yesterday. I'm so glad I happened upon it.