Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

Team Route 66



Team Members
• Jenny (Captain)
• Upton (Co-Captain)
• Angie (Co-Captain)
• Rebecca
• Vicki
• Melissa
• midnight
• Namita
• Lavender
• Silje
• Gemma



Challenge Status Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Team Sheet: (captains access only) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

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Team Wheel shelves-
🚂🚂Jenny- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂Upton- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂Angie- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂Rebecca- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂Vicki- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂Melissa- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂midnight- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂Namita- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂Lavender- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂Silje- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
🚂🚂Gemma- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Tracking Spreadsheet- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Link to rules- https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Link to mini challenges- https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Link to Wheel chat- https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

AR Bookfinder-
https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.a...

TinEye-
http://labs.tineye.com/color/36c8a13a...

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Extra Information Area


END of Round 2 / START of Round 3 ~ November 8 @ 9:00 pm UK time
https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

Dates:
⏰ Round 2 ~ Oct 25 - Nov 8
⏰ Round 3 ~ Nov 8 - Nov 22
⏰ Round 4 ~ Nov 22 - Dec 6
⏰ Round 5 ~ Dec 6 - Dec 20
⏰ Round 1 ~ Oct 11 - Oct 25

Mini Excursions
Minis that start 10/11 and run until the end of Wheels:

Mini 1: Genres ~ Read books with the below MPGs
Lasts entire challenge ~ can be repeated if finished ~ No banking
(view spoiler)[
Adult
Adventure
Animal
Art
Biography
Chick-Lit
Classic
Coming of Age
Contemporary
Cozy Mystery
Crime
Epic/High Fantasy
Fantasy
Grimdark
Historical Fiction
History / Historical
Horror
Humor
LGBT (and variations) / Queer
Literary Fiction
Magic / Magical Realism
Memoir
Middle Grade
Music
Mystery
Nature
Nonfiction
Paranormal
Retelling
Romance
Science Fiction / Sci-Fi
Space Opera
Spiritual
Suspense
Thriller
Time Travel
Travel
Urban Fantasy
War
Young Adult
(hide spoiler)]

Mini 2: Colors ~ Read books with color cover / text / item / word in text
(Four options for each color)
Lasts entire challenge ~ can be repeated if finished ~ No banking
(view spoiler)[
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Purple
Teal
Brown
White
Black
Pink
Grey
(hide spoiler)]

Mini 4: Brown ~ Read for tasks and write a story (aka All About Teasing Cat)
Lasts entire challenge ~ No repeats ~ No banking ~ Completion Bonus
(view spoiler)[
◈ Books between 160 and 200 pages = Read 1 books
◈ Books between 201 and 300 pages = Read 1 books
◈ Books between 301 and 400 pages = Read 2 books
◈ Books between 401 and 500 pages = Read 2 books
◈ Books between 501 and 650 pages = Read 1 books
◈ Books between 651 and 800 pages = Read 1 book
◈ Books over 801 pages = Read 1 book
◈ Read a book with a BROWN cover (at least >50% brown)
◈ Read a book with the following words in the text or title (plurals allowed):
1. lobster
2. defenestrate / defenestrated
3. vinegar
4. coffee table
5. turtle
6. hedgehog
7. challenge
8. moderator / moderate (moderated not accepted as Cat is still very much a mod!!)
9. brown
10. vanilla
◈ Use book titles to tell a story about travels with Cat as you all do something fun or silly. It can even be a trip through space, be as creative as you'd like (10 books).
(hide spoiler)]

Mini 5: Road Trip ~ Read for tasks
Lasts entire challenge ~ No repeats ~ No banking ~ Completion Bonus
(view spoiler)[
1. Read a book where a character gets lost.
2. Read a book tagged "Fun" at least 10x.
3. Read a book tagged "Friendship" at least 10x.
4. Read a book with a title that starts with one of the letters found in TRAVEL. (Articles may not be used.)
5. Read a book with a title that starts with one of the letters found in FLAT TIRE. (Articles may not be used.)
6. Read a book with a title that starts with one of the letters found in OUT OF GAS. (Articles may not be used.)
7. Read a book with a title that starts with one of the letters found in ROAD TRIP. (Articles may not be used.)
8. Read a book with a map. (Usually found at the front of the book.)
9. Read a book where characters go on a road trip (even if it is just a small/short one).
10. Read a book where the cover shows a mode of transportation used on earth, by humans (i.e. no spaceships or flying cars).
11. Read a book where the cover shows a mode of transportation used in space.
12. Read a book where a character takes a boat trip.
13. Read a book with a body of water on the cover.
14. Read a book with a famous landmark on the cover.
15. Read a book with a cityscape on the cover.
16. Read a book with a road sign on the cover.
17. Read a book where a character drinks coffee.
18. Read a book where a character drinks soda.
19. Read a book where a character visits the beach.
20. Read a book with the word car, vehicle, bike, bicycle, truck or lorry in the title. (Plurals are acceptable.)
21. Read a book with the word highway, road, avenue or street in the title. (Plurals are acceptable.)
22. Read a book which has the main location (setting) as a bus, train, or other road based vehicle.
23. Read a book which has the main location (setting) as a space station, space ship or anything along those lines.
24. Read a book which has several locations, none for over 50% of the book.
25. Read a book where a character takes the train.
26. Read a book where a character gets on a plane.
27. Read a book where a character packs a bag (overnight, luggage, suitcase, with the intention of being away for at least one night).
28. Read a book set on a boat or ship.
29. Read a book where a character visits a castle or palace.
30. Read a book where a character visits a museum or gallery.
31. Read a book where a character eats a salty snack (chips, nuts, pretzels, popcorn, etc).
32. Read a book where a character eats candy.
33. Read a book which has the main location (setting) on the African continent.
34. Read a book which has the main location (setting) on the Antarctica continent.
35. Read a book which has the main location (setting) on the Asian continent.
36. Read a book which has the main location (setting) on the Australian continent.
37. Read a book which has the main location (setting) on the European continent.
38. Read a book which has the main location (setting) on the North American continent.
39. Read a book which has the main location (setting) on the South American continent.
40. Read a book set in a completely fictional world.
(hide spoiler)]

Mini 7: Mobile ~ Linking of past BOM titles and a series ladder
Lasts entire challenge ~ No repeats ~ No banking ~ Completion Bonus
(view spoiler)[
◈ Teams need to build 2 squares by reading Past NBRC BOM books and connecting titles by the first and last letter of the titles. (Articles cannot be ignored when building the squares so choose your titles wisely.)

◈ Teams need to construct 2 ladders of six books each from Past NBRC BOM books, connecting the last letter of the title with the first letter of the next title.

◈ Teams finally need to construct 1 ladder of ten books based on series numbers.
Books need to be whole numbers in series (meaning no 0.5, 4.5, etc allowed). The next book up on the ladder rung needs to be of a higher series number but does not need to be consecutive. Meaning you can have a ladder that goes 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 15, and so forth. But not 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 5, 6, etc.
(hide spoiler)]

Mini Excursions with specific dates

Open ONLY During Round 2 ~ Oct 25 thru Nov 8
Mini 3: Holidays ~ Read for tasks ~ No banking ~ Completion Bonus
(view spoiler)[
**First choose holiday - xxxx **
◈ Book set in a country where your holiday of choice is a public holiday
◈ Book with "holiday" in title or text
◈ Book published in the month the holiday takes place, if the holiday moves (like Ramadan or Easter) use the month it occurred in 2025
◈ Book where the holiday is mentioned or celebrated
◈ Book that mentions a venue for the celebration (dance hall, home, park, wherever you plan to host the event!)
◈ Read 5 books that mention specific decorations in the text or show them on the cover your team needs to decoration the venue for the celebration
◈ Read 5 books that mention specific food items in text or show them on the cover your team needs for the celebration menu.
◈ Read 5 books that mention specific drink items in text or show them on the cover your team needs for the celebration menu.
◈ Read 5 books that mentions different entertainment options or types of music your team plans to have at the event.
(hide spoiler)]

Minis that have a later start date:
Mini 6 ~ To be announced
Mini 8 ~ To be announced
Mini 9 ~ To be announced

Book of the Month (BOM)

Books of the Month = Bonus points!
📚 Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi ~ Oct 16 - Nov 16
📚 A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett ~ Nov 2 - Dec 2
📚 Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez ~ Nov 16 - Dec 16
📚 Links to come....
📚 Links to come....


Sign up for DQS!
📚 A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett ~ Starts Nov 2
📚 Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez Starts Nov 16
🏃🏻‍♀️ᯓ Want to try your hand at writing DQs (Discussion Questions) for the BOM??
🏃🏻‍♀️ᯓ Head on over and sign up....Did I mention it earns an extra 40 points??


Nominations open - Get your preference for BOM in the running!:
📚 Nominate December Adult / Non-Fiction BOM ~ Closes Oct 27
📚 Nominate December Themed BOM - World Classics ~ Closes Oct 27
📚 Don't want to nominate? Take a look at the books our teamies have nominated and place a vote for one when the Polls open!


(view spoiler)[
Voting open - Get your vote in for the BOM!:
📚 November Adult / Non-Fiction BOM ~ Closes Oct 7 @ 11:59pm PDT
📚 November Theme BOM - South America ~ Closes Oct 7 @ 11:59pm PDT (hide spoiler)]

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Hello team Route 66!!!!

Welcome to Wheel 10, and our trip around the world.
I think all of you have played before, but if not, no worries, everyone is great at answering questions. If you are unsure about using the spreadsheet, shout out and we can guide you through it, or set up a completion post thread.

Anyway, I am Jenny, one of the captains, and I live in Phoenix, where the weather is finally under 100 degrees. Maybe. For now. I personally think that that once football season starts, I should be able to wear sweaters, but Mother Nature doesn’t agree with me.

Before the games get underway, we can have a chat between us about whether we are a team that wants to leisurely read and just have fun chatting, or do we want to try to win. Either is fine with me, and there are different approaches we can take.

The one thing I would ask of everyone is to please post here at least once a week, so the captains can know that you are still out there and reading. It really helps the captains out. Almost all of you already have your Wheel shelves set up, so If you haven’t done it yet, please do before the challenge starts.

I am really looking forward to this one, and I hope you all have fun!!!!!

Hi team!!! I am so ready for another challenge to get me motivated in this crazy season of the year.

I'm in NY and it's also been wayyyy too hot. We were sweating during our pumpkin picking on Sunday and it just felt icky. I totally agree about the sweaters - I want to watch football bundled in my blanket, not in my shorts!

Anyway, I mostly read via audiobooks (thanks ADHD) and have a great lineup for the fall in lots of different genres (except, funnily enough, horror).

I would love to try and win because I am medium-level competitive, but am honestly open to anything as long as we're having fun!!

Also I'm annoying and already have a question - can we start working on 2 words at once if we have to, or do the books for word 2, 3, 4 etc have to be finished only after the first word is submitted? I am trying to figure out my planning and if there is a letter already claimed if I should hold off or not - does that make sense?

Also I will be away from Oct 9-13, but I should have plenty of time to read on the plane / by the pool. I just might not have total access to update the sheet, but I will post here if I need to. I will prep the book(s) on the sheet ahead of time.

Rebecca wrote: "Also I'm annoying and already have a question - can we start working on 2 words at once if we have to, or do the books for word 2, 3, 4 etc have to be finished only after the first word is submitte..."

That does makes sense. I would say to start, don't claim all of the easy letters over several words, but if you have a bunch of Qs or Us, or the like, then go for it.
We only get credit for completed words (and one incomplete), so we will hopefully get through way more than one.

Also, Hello!

Hello team!!
Are you ready to start this road trip?? I love a road trip so lets get those snacks ready and hit the road!!

I guess I should introduce myself as I have only been in challenges with about half the team! I'm Angie, one of your captains. I'm East Tennessee and I thought we were getting to the fall weather, but this week we are back to the low 80s!

If anyone has any questions about the challenge or anything, just let us know!

Looking forward to getting started!

Hi Rebecca!
Good to see you again!

*waves from the Silk Road*

So this is where the crazy people cool kids are hanging out? 😆

If I were driving along route 66, I'd want to do it in one of these...



Winchesters not optional...

What?? Absolutely WITH the Winchesters!

In an ideal world, yes.

But my favourite character in that show is the car, so I'll take it without if neccesary 😆

Seriously though..? 20MPH? It'd take years to actually get anywhere!

Hello everyone!! So excited to be here as this is my FIRST team challenge ever (im a little nervous that I will let everyone down lol).

I currently study full time and work part time but I have a very long commute where I get most of my reading done. I read on KU, library, audiobooks. My goal is to keep up with the commitment & get my reading goal for the year (9 books to go!).

I will be having finals & going to Mexico in December but I'm still hopeful reading will get done but I'll keep here updated. Maybe I'll put a little extra effort at the end of November to keep December a bit more relaxed (if that works for the challenge)

ummmm if you are grabbing Baby and ditching the Winchesters, send them my way, thank you very much!

Also, I do have some books by Uzma Jalaluddin waiting for me at the library soooo if we do get those Us, just let me know 😆

(p.s. i go by midnight! i forgot to mention it earlier because i'm terrible at introductions & hate talking about myself lol)

Welcome to your first ever team challenge, midnight!!!!!
How cool is that? You will in no way let us down, so don't worry about that. Everyone has your back.

Our first word on the Wheel has a couple of Us in it, so grab your library books if you are in the mood to read them!

And since you hate talking about yourself, I have a ton of questions.
But I will keep them to myself. Mostly. I am curious what you are studying at school though. Feel free to tell me to mind my own business if you wish.

Hello everyone! It's good to see some familiar faces names and to meet new teammates as well. I am co-captain Upton, but in the past, I have used my first name Christine. Either is fine. There are just a lot of us hanging around, so I was trying to help separate and avoid confusion.

I am from Minnesota where the weather was recently 90 degrees, which is not friendly! This is supposed to be the time of sweaters and leaves changing colors, not sunburns. But knowing us, it will snow tomorrow :)

Ah, autumn in Minnesota. As a girl from Wisconsin originally, I do remember that schizophrenic weather. Sometimes with fondness. I do miss seasons.

Jenny wrote: "Welcome to your first ever team challenge, midnight!!!!!
How cool is that? You will in no way let us down, so don't worry about that. Everyone has your back.

Our first word on the Wheel has a coup..."

Haha that's fair!! I'm studying stenography to hopefully become a court reporter. I've been toying with the idea of using audiobooks to practice dictation but first I have to learn how to actually do any of it lol

I'm in Canada so right now we're at a nice 59 degrees? We'll start heading for the high 20s this week so I'm definitely getting in the mood to read under blankets

As long as we are starting our road trip and we have some audiobook listeners, I'd love to hear about an audiobook you enjoyed or didn't. I'd also love to know what speed you listen to your audiobooks on.

My sister and I have a running debate on speed. She is firmly in the 1x camp and I don't listen to anything on less than 1.5 - 2x the speed. She thinks I'm nuts, and I think 1x speed is an extremely slow form of torture lol!

The steno thing sounds interesting.
When you learn how to use that equipment (which looks like magic to me) you can get better and better when you up the speed on an audiobook with a terrible narrator.

59 degrees sounds like heaven right now.

Welcome Midnight! You couldn't possibly let us down, so throw that thought out of your head ASAP.

I think practicing on audiobooks is a great idea. What an interesting choice of careers. I feel as if I am too easily distracted to stay on task for a job like that. I'd be typing testimony and the next thing you know; I would have my grocery list in the court record.

Upton wrote: "As long as we are starting our road trip and we have some audiobook listeners, I'd love to hear about an audiobook you enjoyed or didn't. I'd also love to know what speed you listen to your audiobo..."

I tend to listen at 1.2-1.5 speed, depending on the narrator or how much I am enjoying the book.

I have a bunch of books that I will listen to over and over kind of as comfort food.
and a bunch more.
My favorite recent, new to me reads were
and

i dont listen to audiobooks below 2x 🫣 lately its been 2.3x

Hello everyone, I'm so excited for another team challenge this year. My name is Silje, I'm from Norway where Amy the storm made sure autumn arrived with a bang a few days ago!

I'm a versatile reader, though romance and fantasy are what I read the most. My mood often decides what book I pick up. I often re-read favorite series. The last few years I've listened to audiobooks more and more. I prefer to speed it up, usually somewhere between 1.5-2.0.

Welcome Midnight!! You're going to have a blast, don't worry. And what a cooool career choice!

I looove audiobooks and I have ADHD so anything below 2x is actually painful for my brain and I cannot pay attention. For most narrators 2.3-2.5 is my speed.

Silje wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm so excited for another team challenge this year. My name is Silje, I'm from Norway where Amy the storm made sure autumn arrived with a bang a few days ago!

I'm a versatile rea..."

We finally have autumn today too! Well with a ton of rain with it...

Hi Silje!!!
Storm names always crack me up. Being attacked by Amy instead of something like Damien or Sauron makes it sound just not that disruptive.

Anyway, lovely to see you!!!!

Hi Everyone!!

Audiobooks for me depend on the narrator. I'm usually a 1.8 - 2.0 listener. I can't listen at "normal" 1.0 speed, it sounds like they are talking in slow motion to me!

I am here! When I watch my grandchildren every other week when my 15-year-old grandson is not there with the little ones, I have to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning to go watch them and my son-in-law doesn’t get home at night until about 7:15 so I don’t get home until about 8 o’clock. That’s why I have been MIA the last few days.

Also it's driving me nutttts that goodreads notifications aren't working! ughhhh

Me too, Rebecca!!!! And, now you can't stop getting the ones you don't want - it won't keep the "notify me' box checked so you can uncheck it!

I thought it was just me with the notifications, just let me get notifiiiiiied

I really wish they would return the notifications back to what they used to do.
Gotta love a company that fixes things that are not broken.

Just dropping by to say helloooo from Team 🏔️ Mount Doom Tongariro Alpine Crossing! ☺️👋

Mount Doom. teehee. Hi Mel!

Goodreads really baffles me, I think they either forget it exists or randomly updates and fails haha.

Also has anyone been thinking strategy? Sorry I’m a project manager who can’t turn the brain off. There are so many minis I wonder if we should try and fit things into the 1-3 hardest ones and then if things don’t fit there they can go other places (like the color wheel one)? Sorry if that makes it less fun teehee

That made sense, and it is part of the fun, I think.

The hardest ones, other than the odd word in text will be the squares and the ladders. So, we will need some planning there for sure.

Hopefully everyone is up to having some nice strategy chats!!!!

Looking at the two books you have on the ss, Rebecca, and the last two I added, we could use The Impossible Fortune as the right side of a square and The Book of Love as the bottom of a square. Then we would need two books that end in T and start with the same letter for the left side and top.

I'll add a planning tab in the SS for the Mini 7 Planning - Squares and Ladders are made using Past BOMs.

Also, just so everyone is aware - regarding the spreadsheet.
All information for your books will only need to be entered on the Books Tab...it will automatically transferred to the Minis and the BOM using the Ref #. This is the BLUE sections. The others are backup information incase Tetris is needed to complete spell-out words, etc.