Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Adapted from Scattegories where objective of game is to name objects within a set of categories, given an initial letter, within a time limit.

ScatterShelves

The Objective:
To read books within a set of Shelves and / or categories, given an initial letter of any word* in title or author's name.

*excluding A, An, The

The Period:
January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014
BUT a grace of one (1) additional month for December card only (ie. December card can be read up til January 31, 2015)

The Play:
1. A monthly "Card" will be announced which consist of 12 shelves and 12 categories.

2. Card and Letter will be announced on 15th day of previous month. For example, if today is 15th February, March Card & Letter will be announced

3. Book must have the month's letter as first letter of either any word in title (including subtitle but excluding series title, A, An, and The) OR author's name (either first, middle, or last -if author uses initials only, these are also acceptable as it is still the first letter of his/her 'name' whatever it is)

4. You may read immediately upon announcement of Cards EXCEPT for January card which you may only start reading at official game starting period, 1 January 2014.

5. You must read a unique book per shelf (ie. a book CANNOT be claimed for more than 1 shelf).

6. A book may used to claim for up to 3 Categories within a month's card (ie. you can read 1 book to meet 3 Categories but these Categories will have to be on same card that is you can't crossover between months)

7. Book may crossover between shelf and categories on the month's card

8. Book cannot crossover between different months (ie. you cannot claim a book on a February Shelf and March Category)

In Summary: 1 book can be read for a maximum of 1 Shelf and 3 Categories of the month's card.

9. Following Scattegories: Q, U, V, X, Y, and Z are excluded (ie. these will never be drawn as Letter of Month)

10. A Shelf maybe skipped BUT only one Shelf per Card up to a maximum of 6 shelves for the whole game.

11. A Category maybe skipped BUT only 2 Categories per Card up to a maximum of 12 unique Categories for the whole game. Note: categories are repeated throughout the game so you can only skip a Category once (ie. you cannot skip the same Category more than once).

12. And just to clarify:
*there is no page number limitation;
*honesty system (as always);
*have FUN (don't let this scare you in any way, do as much or as little as you like -plan as MUCH as you'd love to then read only as you can manage whilst still having loads of fun)

The Finish:
You will have read books for required shelves and categories which will be a minimum of 138 books.

FAQ

1. Please create your own planning discussion thread where you can keep track of your plans & reads.

2. There is a reporting thread set up where you can post completed Cards

3. Post your generic game questions in this thread but post any monthly Card related questions in the relevant month Card's thread. Ask for recommendation of books or any suggestions for specific Shelf / Category there too

4. The month's Card does not have to be completed within that month. All Cards are open to reading from announcement (except for January Card which is open from 1 Jan) until 31 December 2014 (except for December Card which is open up to 31 January 2015).

5. A Qualified Book must have the month's initial and
a. be on the month's Shelf; or
b. match the month's Category.

6. A Qualified Book maybe on month's Shelf and match up to 3 Categories

I will add to these as I answer your questions as I'm sure you'll have plenty and I've missed some finer points

Card Example:

Letter: L

Shelves:
1. love-story
2. to-listen
3. popular
4. 1-series-book
5. zombies
6. witches
7. shelf
8. ghost
9. fav
10. e-reader
11. sci-fi-and-fantasy
12. highly-recommended

Categories
1. Number of Pages: 301-400
2. Person on cover (partials acceptable)
3. Added to your to-read shelf in the first 12 months you joined GR
4. Inanimate Object on cover (partials acceptable)
5. Number of Pages: 201-300
6. Animal on cover (partials acceptable)
7. Published in: 2000 – now
8. Published in: 19th Century
9. Number of Pages: 600+
10. Main Character (90% of book): Female
11. Published in: 1980 – 1999
12. Published in: 1960 – 1979

Example of how to complete above Card:

listed by order of Shelves on Card with Categories noted by C plus the number it refers to. "x" just means crossover

1. Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey xC3 (added Nov 2008, joined in Aug 2008)

2. Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1) by Laini Taylor xC2 (person’s face on cover), xC10 (female pov), xC7 (pub 2011)

3. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson xC5 (204 pages), C12 (pub. 1971)

4. Someone to Love by Jude Deveraux xC11 (pub. 1997)

5. Dearly, Departed (Gone with the Respiration #1) by Lia Habel

6. Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

7. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper xC8 (pub. 1826)

8. The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libbay Bray

9. The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan xC6 (dragon on cover)

10. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy xC9 (1,392 pages)

11. Gathering Blue (The Giver Quartet #2) by Lois Lowry

12. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson xC1 (358 pages), C4 (hats)

Please note, this is purely and example only based on me and my sort of books. Yours may look completely different (as proved by Lyn M as her list looks totally different to mine)

Participants' threads:

Amy

Bea

CassieV

Christina

Coralie

Dee

Dionisia

Grace

Karen

Lauren

Lyn M

LynnB

Margaret

Megan L

Niamh

Santiago
Sheena

Slayermel

Susan

Tien

Cards:

January

Looks like a fun game but I'm not sure I would be able to read 138 books to finish. Or did I misunderstand?

I've never played this game so I'm not sure I understand. Is the object to read a book for each shelf, match it to a category AND have them have the month's initial somewhere in the title and author's name?

And what's the idea of having up to 3 categories per book? Do we have to make sure that we read all the categories too?

I can't read 12 books in a month with so many constraints so I don't think I'll be joining. Or will this be a group effort too?

Well, I think I get this, but undoubtedly I will mess up somewhere on it at the beginning. I'm going to hold on to rule #12 *have FUN (don't let this scare you in any way, do as much or as little as you like -plan as MUCH as you'd love to then read only as you can manage whilst still having loads of fun). The more times I read over the rules and example, the more sense it made.

I doubt I'll have the time to complete the challenge in it's entirety. On the other hand, making plans for each month will be great fun! Counting down to the 15th and all my reading goal pipe dreams.

I think I will give this a try. I can't say I will finish all the books but one can try!

Jo Ann & Megan, I doubt I'd finish all 138 books too but as per rule #12 - just have FUN (thanks, LynnB, for taking this to heart!).

I know some will actually finish this challenge (based on how impossible ROAR seemed to be, last year) and I know most of you will find it to be lots of fun planning as well as reading.

My goal for this challenge is to stretch everybody in all directions whilst having lots of fun (as per the group's vision)

D.G. wrote: "I've never played this game so I'm not sure I understand. Is the object to read a book for each shelf, match it to a category AND have them have the month's initial somewhere in the title and autho..."

You are very close to the idea...
"read a book which have the month's initial somewhere in the title OR author's name and / or on the month's shelf and / or according to a category or three."

There is a possibility that a qualified book (initial & shelf) may not match any category and that's fine. There is a possibility that a qualified book (initial & shelf) may match lots of categories but you can only claim 3.

There is a possibility that a qualified book (initial & up to 3 categories) may not be on any of month's shelf and this is fine too.

To finish a month's Card, you'll need to have read a book for each shelf and match up all categories.

I've amended the objective from 'and' to 'and / or' - I hope that reads better

Also, I did not seem to clarify (sorry!) that...
a month's Card does not have to be completed in that month. Like ROAR, all Cards are open as soon as announced (except for Jan Card which is open from 1 Jan) til 31 December 2014 except for December Card which is open til 31 January 2015

I hope you'd join us, D.G. :D

I'm going to try this...but mostly for the planning which I dearly love to do. I am not a fast reader...and 138 books per year is about my max...BUT, I have all year! Anyway, I love games!

that's it, Bea! :D

so to be clear...

1. cards are open all year
2. but each book can only be used on one card - for a shelf and up to 3 categories

@Dee: yep, that's pretty much it :)

I'm hoping my Moving Mountains and L.O.S.T. books work into ScatterShelves!!

I think I understand most of the game play, but I am puzzled by the "crossover". What exactly do you mean by that, Tien?

I thought at first it was used for every category, but a couple of the examples list categories without the "x". So...I do not think I understand that part.

Once again, Tien has come up with an amazingly brilliant game. Since the most books I have ever read in a single year is 98, I know I will not complete all of this, but I am going to see how far I can get. For one thing, I get to plan, which is almost as much fun as the actual reading. :)

@Bea: crossover means when a book on a shelf and also falls within some Categories. In the example, I only use x once even if the book crossover 3 categories... though some does not fall under any Category at all and therefore, no x. Does that make sense?

keep in mind that 138 books include all sorts which may be picture books, children's, novellas, short story etc... so, you just might make it ;)

Looks like fun. I'll sign up and figure it out as I go along :0)

I will give it a go but I didn't have much luck in finding books for the example. I could only find suitable books that I wanted to read for about half of the shelves and one of the categories was impossible for me.

Coralie wrote: "I will give it a go but I didn't have much luck in finding books for the example. I could only find suitable books that I wanted to read for about half of the shelves and one of the categories was ..."

oh wow, I hope you'll have better luck with the actual Cards! Which category is impossible for you, Coralie? Is it the category itself that's impossible or trying to cross it over with a Shelf?

It was reading a book added to my to-read shelf in the first 12 months I joined GR. I suppose I could find one I added then, but it would be a re-read as I don't have any left on the shelf from back then.

Regarding the shelves, I probably could have found something to read if I had tried harder, but I didn't want to spend too long on an example.

Coralie, there is actually a provision for that in the actual game. I just didn't include that in the example so hopefully, it's not impossible for you then ;)

I thought you probably would. I was just being grumpy.

haha, no worries, Coralie. :)

Why is the minimum number of books 138, if there are 12 shelves per month and 12 months?

Because if you used all your skip shelf provision (max 6), then you'd only have read 138 books rather than 144 to complete challenge

Well I tried to tell myself I wouldn't do any challenges next year, but oh well ;) I'm in! Looks like fun.

D.G. wrote: "Shelf AND categories also qualify?"

Yes... a maximum of 1 Shelf AND 3 categories for 1 book.

Christina wrote: "Well I tried to tell myself I wouldn't do any challenges next year, but oh well ;) I'm in! Looks like fun."

LOL- that's what I tell myself everytime I see a challenge posted ;p

Don't stress about it, Christina. Just do whatever you're up to :D

Tien wrote: "Yes... a maximum of 1 Shelf AND 3 categories for 1 book. "

What I meant was...suppose I have a book that fits the shelf and up to 3 categories but no initial...does that count too?

Another question...suppose I read a book in January that doesn't fit anything for that month's card but when the February card is announced, it fits there. Could I use it for the February card, even if I read it in January?

Tien wrote: "Because if you used all your skip shelf provision (max 6), then you'd only have read 138 books rather than 144 to complete challenge"

Ah, I didn't think about calculating that in. Thanks.

sorry I misunderstood, D.G.

rule #3 -book must have initial so without it and either a shelf or category, it doesn't qualify.

Books read prior to Card being announced will not count. If you read a book in Jan that fits in June Card, that book does not count. However, remember that Card is announced on 15th of previous monthso if you read a book that fits June Card but you read on or after 15 May, you can use that book for June.

I won't probably be joining then. I won't be able to read that many books if I can't backtrack!

Thanks for answering my questions, Tien.

D.G. wrote: "I won't probably be joining then. I won't be able to read that many books if I can't backtrack!

Thanks for answering my questions, Tien."

Awww, we'll miss you, D.G.

Hope the new job goes well :)

I'm in, might have to print off the rules so I can make sure I'm doing it properly.

I think I'll give this one a shot :). I've never read over 100 books, though, so I may have to rely on a quiet a few children's books to even have a chance at completing. Gives me new ideas for books to read with my kids at least!

Karen wrote: "I'm in, might have to print off the rules so I can make sure I'm doing it properly."

Great to have you join us, Karen!

CassieV wrote: "I think I'll give this one a shot :). I've never read over 100 books, though, so I may have to rely on a quiet a few children's books to even have a chance at completing. Gives me new ideas for b..."

Give some love for the novellas & short stories too, Cassie ;)

Sounds like this will be a real challenge :) Great new game Tien.
Count me in. I don't know if I'll get them all read but it will be fun to try.

Okay, so one more question, because I've never played Scattegories either... Is there a score?

Christina wrote: "Okay, so one more question, because I've never played Scattegories either... Is there a score?"

The actual boardgame does have scoring system but we're not going to do that for ScatterShelves. Difficult enough to keep track of the books with Shelves & Categories, I think.

So for tracking, are we just keeping track of total books and total categories read?

shelves/(books) and categories*

yes, pretty much

Ok I have a question. Can the categories be uses as many times as needed per card? For example if c. - has at least 10,000 ratings applies to all twelve books you read for that month can you use it all 12 times or can it only be used a limited amount?

Megan, you need only use 1 Category once per card. I think that's hard enough to do as you'd be trying to crossover between Shelf and Category to read minimum number of books ;)