The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

THE RULES
1. Anyone can participate in the challenge and you can join in at anytime during the challenge...
• The FALL CHALLENGE runs September 1st through November 30th.
• The WINTER CHALLENGE runs December 1st through February 28/29th.
• The SPRING CHALLENGE runs March 1st through May 31st.
• The SUMMER CHALLENGE runs June 1st through August 31st.

All points need to be reported by MIDNIGHT EST on the last day of the challenge.

2. If you decide to join a challenge after it starts books that you've read prior to joining that fit a task requirement can be used. For example, if you just joined Goodreads or just found out about the challenge on October 1st (in the middle of the Fall Challenge) you could use books that you know you read in September to fulfill task requirements.

3. Also if you started reading a book but had not finished more than of half of it prior to the beginning of a new challenge it can still be used to complete a task. Ex. If you were on page 100 of a 300 page book at the end of the day on August 31st but it fits a task for The Fall challenge you can use it.

4. Each task counts for points only ONCE and each book can only be used for one task. Tasks can be completed in any order.

5. Re-reads, audiobooks, and e-books all count (unless otherwise stated in the task).

6. Short books (100 pages or less) should be used sparingly and only count for the 5 point tasks (unless otherwise stated).

7. Rewards
• There are no monetary or physical prizes for this challenge...your prize is the satisfaction you get from clearing a few books off that TBR shelf and/or discovering new genres and authors.

• But I do reward those participants who complete the challenge (or earn the most points) by giving them the opportunity to design tasks for the next challenge. How this works...

• If no one completes the challenge then the 3 top point earners get to select a 25 point task for the next challenge.
• If between 3 and 10 people complete the entire challenge they will also get to select a 25 pointer.
• If between 11-20 people complete the challenge the earlier finishers' tasks will be worth 30 points and the others 25.
• Points will go up in 5 point increments for every 10 people who complete the challenge.

• The 20 Point Tasks Will Be Awarded As Follows...
20.1 THE MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - The player who has improved the most based on the percentage of tasks completed.
20.2 ROOKIE OF THE SEASON - The new challenge participant that has completed the greatest percentage of tasks.
20.3 BEST REVIEW CONTEST - Each person may submit a review for a book that they have read during the course of the challenge (one that fits a task not for outside reading). Each person may submit only one review to be voted on and reviews can be posted up until 2 weeks prior to the end of the challenge. At that point I will post a poll and the person whose review earns the most votes will get to design a task.
20.4 ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID NEVER THE BRIDE - The purpose of this task is to allow those people who never finish but participate faithfully challenge after challenge a chance to design a task. For each SUCCESSIVE CHALLENGE that players have participated in they will earn a "ticket" in a random drawing for this task - i.e. if the current challenge is your second challenge you will have 2 chances, if it's your third challenge you will have 3 chances and so forth. If you have completed a challenge in the past but not the most recent challenge you will still be eligible to design this task. (Note: The first challenge that will be included in this count will be the Winter 2008-20009 Challenge - while there were 2 "challenges" that occurred prior to that I didn't start keeping a record of participation until that first winter challenge.)
20.5 JUST JOINED IN - To counterbalance the previous task a random new participant from each challenge will be selected to design a task for the next challenge. So if the Winter Challenge is your first challenge and you complete one task your name will added to the drawing to design a task for Spring - this person must still be active group member at the time the new challenge starts to be selected. Each task completed will earn you an additional chance to be selected to design this task.
20.6 SUPPORTING GOODREADS AUTHORS - Without Goodreads this challenge wouldn't exist and I think it's important to support those authors who participate on this wonderful site so for each book you read that was written by a Goodreads author you will earn one "ticket" in a random drawing for this task. To be credited ( i.e. earn a "ticket" for this task) you have to specifically mention in your post that the book was written by a Goodreads author. If you read 2 or more books by the same author you will earn one chance per book.
20.7 I LIKE BIG BOOKS AND I CANNOT LIE - I don't want people to purposefully avoid reading long books (especially when there are a large number of tasks) because it might prevent them from finishing the challenge. So to discourage this - if you read a book that is 500+ pages you will earn once chance for this task; if then you read another book that is 750+ pages you will earn a second chance; if you read a third book that is 1000+ places you will a third and final chance for this task.
20.8 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! - If your birthday falls during the duration of the upcoming challenge your name will be into a random drawing to design a task. I will start a folder for people to post their birthdays and will keep a list. Once you have been selected for this task you will not be eligible again.
20.9 LUCK OF THE DRAW - Just as the title indicates - the person chosen to design this task will be chosen purely at random - the only thing you have to do to get your name in the drawing is complete and post about one task. Everyone who does so will have an equal chance of being selected. Again once you have been selected for this task you will not be eligible again.
20.10 GROUP READS - The group reads is determined by popular vote but the books that will be put to the vote will be determined in the following way. At the midway point of each challenge the top 30 people on the leaderboard (not including the actual midway winner) will be the ones to pick the books. If there is a tie at the bottom of that list all of those people will included as well (i.e. if the 30th person had 240 points but so did the 31st and 32nd those two people would also get to select a book). The first 3 people will also be ones who decide the categories. Each of those 30 people will then pick one book that fits one of the 3 categories (10 books in each category) and then they will be voted on by the group. The people whose books are actually chosen for the official group reads task will not be eligible to pick books for this task again and people will not be allowed to pick a book 2 challenges in a row.

The players who get to select the 25+ pointers are ineligible for these rewards.

• And the top point earner at the midway point of each challenge will get to pick a 50 point task for that challenge.

8. Small adjustments can be made but try to stick as close to the task as it's written as possible...and if you aren't sure if a book will fit the task feel free to ask me. Or if it is a task designed by a winner you need to find out from them.

9. It's fine to change your mind about which books you plan to use for which task at any point...just let me know if you have already claimed points for a task and are moving that book to another task.

10. Other than that all I ask is that you have Fun; post and share your opinions about the books you are reading; and let me know what your point total is so I can update the leader board.