Reading with Style discussion

Post general questions about the RwS Winter 12/13 Challenge here.

Just want to say I really like the new "non-western" style category! I wonder if anybody else has noticed that sneaking in ...

What will you do for dead authors? Will you count the place that they were mostly resident in?

Rosemary wrote: "Just want to say I really like the new "non-western" style category! I wonder if anybody else has noticed that sneaking in ...

What will you do for dead authors? Will you count the place that they were mostly resident in?"

:-) Liz put her creative juices to work! Yes, citizen/resident is what we'll be looking for (in addition to birth country, of course).

And another question ... Elizabeth(Alaska) and I are both signed up for reading Proust's 'In Search Of Lost Time' in 2013. This is sometimes considered one novel, but the 7 individual volumes were published separately from the beginning, and I think it would have been considered a series if such things had been common at the time. It's like 'Lord of the Rings' whose different volumes have been accepted as separate books for RwS purposes. So can we claim the different volumes as separate books? If not we won't be able to claim it at all, because the series is too long to read all of it (or even half of it) in one season.

Rosemary wrote: "And another question ... Elizabeth(Alaska) and I are both signed up for reading Proust's 'In Search Of Lost Time' in 2013. This is sometimes considered one novel, but the 7 individual volumes were ..."

I am planning on posting them as 6 (The Captive and The Fugitive are bound together in my boxed set) separate novels because they were published separately. And because Swann's Way will be finished end of February, I'm holding it just in case I have to use it for my LLL Paris. Liz says it takes place in Paris, and that the part outside Paris is within 150 miles.

Yes from 'Proust In Love' I think it is Combray which Google tells me is 204 km from Paris, i.e. 126 miles :)

ETA: Oops no it's actually Illiers-Combray which is only half that distance from Paris. 102 km i.e. 63 miles

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rosemary wrote: "And another question ... Elizabeth(Alaska) and I are both signed up for reading Proust's 'In Search Of Lost Time' in 2013. This is sometimes considered one novel, but the 7 individ..."

This falls under the rules for "most popular edition" determination of page count. Since In Search Of Lost Time is published as individual books, it can be claimed as seven individual books (even if you are reading an edition that combines two or more volumes), or it can be claimed under the most popular edition of the various combined volumes.

Liz M wrote: "This falls under the rules for "mot popular edition" determination of page count. Since In Search Of Lost Time is published as individual books, it can be claimed as seven individual books (even if you are reading an edition that combines two or more volumes), or it can be claimed under the most popular edition of the various combined volumes."

*happy dance*

Now just have to buy it LOL ... saving up for the boxed set!

Rosemary wrote: "*happy dance*

Now just have to buy it LOL ... saving up for the boxed set! "

Do you have an e-reader? I got a hard copy of the boxed set only to realize I could have saved about 25% buying for my Kindle.

No, I have the app on my computer but I don't like it for anything but short, easy books. It's hard on the eyes, reading on a computer. I'd love a Kindle Paperwhite...that's the next thing I'm saving up for!

I should be reading, but I'm doing a little advance planning for Winter. I'm looking at my books for potential non western style points and I'm wondering if authors that split where they reside will still count? An example would be Amitav Ghosh.

Here are two more authors that divide their residences that I'd like to check on:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Mohsin Hamid

I have another of those authors where I'm not sure concerning the non-western style points: Christina Ching Tsao.

According to the author biography in my book she fled from Shanghai to Hongkong and left China when she was 50. She then went to the US. The book I have of her seems to be an autobiography, giving Shanghai as place of birth in 1915.

Here is the google books entry on her autobiography: http://books.google.ch/books/about/Sh...

Amitav Ghosh - non-Western. He was born in India, his nationality is Indian, and he still resides there part-time.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - non-Western. She was born in Nigeria, her nationality is Nigerian, and she still teaches writing workshops in Nigeria.

Mohsin Hamid - non-Western. This is the most borderline case. Born in Pakistan, but spent considerable time in the US & UK. He has dual citizenship with Pakistan & England and resides in Pakistan part time.

Liz M wrote: "Amitav Ghosh - non-Western. He was born in India, his nationality is Indian, and he still resides there part-time.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - non-Western. She was born in Nigeria, her nationalit..."

Thanks, Liz and thanks for the style category. Researching it also brought home to me how many non western authors live in the west now by choice or have to live in exile. Also, how many great authors we miss because their work has not been translated into English.

When are the tasks going to be posted?

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "When are the tasks going to be posted?"

We're still working on them, but this weekend.

ok, just curious

Sorry that the tasks are so late -- work & life has been far too interfering in my reading and RwS time these past 6 weeks. :(

Anticipation is part of the fun!

Christine wrote: "Wanted to point a slight error out. On the Winter style points entry it says the following:

2. Mega Finish (200 points): Complete all Reading with Style tasks and Know Your ABCs tasks. (30 book mi..."


Thanks!

Liz M wrote: "Sorry that the tasks are so late -- work & life has been far too interfering in my reading and RwS time these past 6 weeks. :("

We do appreciate everything you do, Liz, and the other mods. It is impressive that you keep putting together such great challenges! This is really a great group!

Thank you!

I just feel a little guilty about short-changing the planning time for y'all. But thanks to Elizabeth & Kate, we've put together the polls for the 10-point tasks and hopefully will have some 20-point tasks posted in the next day or two.

I'd like to double check that Pullman's brand new Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version would count if the fairy tale task wins the poll or will we be restricted to just the lists? Getting more and more excited;)!

Karen GHHS wrote: "I'd like to double check that Pullman's brand new Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version would count if the fairy tale task wins the poll or will we be restricted to just the li..."

I do want to restrict this task to a couple of lists. However, that book definitely fits the spirit of the task, so I am adding a goodreads shelf that I overlooked: Fairy-tales

Liz M wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "I'd like to double check that Pullman's brand new Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version would count if the fairy tale task wins the poll or will we be restri..."

I like the new list and I have plenty on my TBR that are on one of the lists. The Pullman book is too new to be on any lists but I bought it for my school library and I'm eager to see what he does with the Grimm's tales!

Karen GHHS wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "I'd like to double check that Pullman's brand new Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version would count if the fairy tale task wins the poll or wil..."

The Pullman book has been shelved 29 times as "fairy-tales". It is how I found the new shelf. (I was not familiar enough with this new-fangled fad to know which books to use to generate decent shelves).

Liz M wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "I'd like to double check that Pullman's brand new Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version would count if the fairy tale task w..."

Oh that's great! I was looking at Listopia and thought it had to be shelved at least 5 times on a Listopia list. Now I get it:)

Liz M wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "I'd like to double check that Pullman's brand new Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version would count if the fairy tale task wins the poll or will we be restri..."

I hope we get to use a lot of pages of the lists. On this one I have many books on the 2nd and 3rd pages. The Pullman Book of Grim's Fairy Tales is on the 3rd page. I also noticed quite a few books were repeated in the list.

Just to be sure, the same YA rules apply, right?

Rebekah wrote: "Just to be sure, the same YA rules apply, right?"

Yes, we have not changed the YA rule.

Rebekah wrote: "I hope we get to use a lot of pages of the lists. On this one I have many books on the 2nd and 3rd pages. "

Just be sure the book(s) have been shelved appropriately. See Liz's comment here:
http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/75...

For the Modern Library Lists, do the Readers Lists count or just the library selections?

Karen GHHS wrote: "For the Modern Library Lists, do the Readers Lists count or just the library selections?"

Just the Board selections on each list - the left columns.

Just wanted to sneak in and say thanks for the awesome tasks & Style ideas! I don't usually meet my ambitions that start with each new challenge, but I love picking out the books that I hope to read!

All books for the Year in Review and current YA rules apply.

Christine wrote: "And another question about year in review. I started looking at Winter 2011/2012, and I see Wrinkle in Time on there. It's clearly juvenile, clearly low lexile, but it was accepted for style points..."

A Wrinkle in Time has a Lexile score of 740. The qualifying Lexile score was adjusted upwards from 700 to 800 for the Summer 2012 Challenge.

As Elizabeth mentioned, all books claimed for the Winter 12/13 challenge must meet the current criteria.

Christine wrote: "Question about Yours Mine & Ours. I see "me" and "myself" and "mine" on the list of words, but not "my." Is this an error?

I realize this hasn't officially won the poll yet, but I'm guessing it w..."

I have no idea what I referenced when creating this task. But what I am finding now is that there are 74 pronouns. Since we are not going to open it up to all 74 pronouns, I am going to stick with the pronoun list as it is currently stated.

my is really a possessive adjective not a pronoun.

For the pronoun task, will it include subtitles or only the main title?

Joanna wrote: "For the pronoun task, will it include subtitles or only the main title?"

Yes, Subtitles included.

For 10.1, "Read a book posted in one of the last four RwS challenges", am I correct in assuming, you mean a book that was posted in the completed tasks as opposed to mentioned or discussed elsewhere? For instance The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History was mentioned as being a possibility for one task, but it doesn't look like anyone actually read it.

Yes, 10.1 includes only books for which members actually read and claimed points during Winter 11-12, and Spring, Summer and Fall 2012.

does that include group reads?

Rebekah wrote: "does that include group reads?"

All books posted by members during the last 4 challenges are included in the list for 10.1. This task can be used only 3 times and cannot be used for combos in other tasks.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "I hope we get to use a lot of pages of the lists. On this one I have many books on the 2nd and 3rd pages. "

Just be sure the book(s) have been shelved appropriately. See Liz's comm..."

To find that info out, is it on the book's page, to the lower right in the box that says genres? the number next to each genre means how many times it has been shelved there?

Rebekah wrote: "To find that info out, is it on the book's page, to the lower right in the box that says genres? the number next to each genre means how many times it has been shelved there? "

It could be in that section, or it might be on the next page. Below the genres is a "see more shelves" and if you click on that more information is available. If you have questions about a specific book, don't hesitate to ask.

I'm still wondering whether Chinua Achebe qualifies for the non-western style points?

He was born in Nigeria and lived there most of his life although he currently resides in the US (he spent four years in the 1970's in the US and moved there permanently after an accident left him paralyzed). Of his 82 years he resided a total of 56 in Africa and 26 in the US (Source: Wikipedia article). Also, his writing follows the traditional style of his birth region and centers on Africa.

So would Chinua Achebe be allowed for the non-western style points?

Isabell wrote: "I'm still wondering whether Chinua Achebe qualifies for the non-western style points?

He was born in Nigeria and lived there most of his life although he currently resides in the US (he spent four..."

Along this same line of thought, if an author maintains residence in two countries, should we ask here if he/she qualifies or just go with it for non-western?

Karen GHHS wrote: "Along this same line of thought, if an author maintains residence in two countries, should we ask here if he/she qualifies or just go with it for non-western?..."

Please ask so we can avoid confusion later.