The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Task 20.2. Rookie at the Top - Justme's Task: Fun & Games

Winter is a great time to relax with family & play games. I thought it would be fun to design a challenge around my all time favorite games.
Please select ONE task from the following:
REQUIRED: Identify in your post the option you chose.

1. Cards
In honor of my mother, who taught me so much about having fun & thinking for myself. No matter where you are, cards are a great way to pass the time. There are so many games, whether alone or with friends, I'll never run out of something new or an old favorite to play. I played Hearts & Crazy Crazy 8s (before there was a dedicated deck) with my mom, growing up. I played Eucre in Peace Corps. I played Cribbage & Rummy with DH &, much later, with my son. Just to name a few. And I cannot even begin to imagine the countless hours I played solitaire before having a PC. What a wonderful invention.

Read a book that includes one of these words in the title/subtitle or series title: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades, Card, or Cards. No variations permitted.

2. Dungeons & Dragons
The original, sitting around a table with a bunch of other geeks & nerds; the ultimate opportunity for a fantasy lover to be social! I joined a group & game in progress, Fridays after work in the conference room. Never played the online game...pretty sure it can't compare with an outstanding Dungeon Master.

Read a book with either a two word title in which both words begin with the same letter, or by an author with the same beginning letter for first & last name. Middle names/initials should be ignored. No books with multiple authors can be used.

3. Myst
In honor of a lost soul, DH, father of my son...I met him right after I played Myst, and while I worked overtime, he played at my desk in the office at night. After our wedding, we played Riven together, taking turns...then Exile, while one of us entertained our toddler & helped solve the puzzles. I still haven't finished the series, waiting for my son to grow to an age to enjoy it with me...

Read a book that is # 1, 2 or 3 of a series, and with a title beginning with the letters M, R, or E. If the book is #1 in a series, the title must begin with the letter M; #2, the letter R; #3, the letter E.

4. Volleyball
I played a lot of sports with my son, especially when he was younger. I chose volleyball, because of the variety & possibilities, it was always something we could do, even when he was little or I was injured...balloon volleyball!

Read a book with a balloon or a ball on the cover.
REQUIRED: include the cover when you post.

5. Chocolatier
My son loves to play computer games & we keep trying to find games we both enjoy playing now that he's nearly grown... Well, one game we played quite a bit when he was younger (& I still enjoy) was Chocolatier 3: Decadence...low stress, wander the world, mini-games & design your own chocolates to sell (I always end up craving chocolate & we've even tried our hand and making some). I have some new games keeping my attention right now, but I'm sure I'll be back to making chocolates in the new year.

Read a book about someone who makes chocolates or the chocolate industry. By "industry" I mean to include everything from growing cacao beans, to selling the final product. Not included are consumers of chocolate.
REQUIRED: If not clear in the GR description, include a reference or link explaining how your book fits.

I can't mention chocolates without reminding everyone to buy Fair Trade; you don't want your holiday treats to come from Enslaved Children! I've been educating my community for nearly a decade...and my son is a great advocate, too; an 8 year-old in the candy aisle, he told me, "Mom, you don't want that; that could have been me." 2016 ARTICLE: Big Chocolate Child Labor 2 better chocolate lists: Slave Free Chocolate
Food Empowerment Project Chocolate List

Option 1 Approved

Option 2

Option 3 Approved

Option 4 Approved

Option 5 Approved

Sorry, no, these don't work

(option 5)
(option 1)
(option 4)
(option 5)

This thread is now open.

My family also plays games, both tabletop and computer, so this is my kind of task! Quick question about option 1. I'd like to read The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, but kings is plural. I want to confirm that your no variations stipulation was intended to exclude singular/ plural / possessives too?

Thanks, either way!

I want to confirm that your no variations stipulation was intended to exclude singular/ plural / possessives too?

It was, sorry! I did debate that, but decided not to.

I'm really glad I put together a task you like!

I'm back with another question! :)

For option four, how defined is ball? Would Elantris by Brandon Sanderson work? I started the book last night and can tell you that those balls of light on the cover are called Seon and they have consciousness and can speak, if that makes any difference at all, haha.



Again, thanks, either way, and for cheerfully putting up with my questions!

LOL, these questions are harder than writing the task!
I'm gonna say in the spirit of floating balloons & balls, that these qualify. I guess I'll have to think a little harder outside the box next time...to anticipate you guys better...

Approved. balls of light Elantris

Would Edge of Eternity work for Option 3? It is the third in the series. I just wanted to make sure! Thanks.

Would Edge of Eternity work for Option 3? It is the third in the series. I just wanted to make sure! Thanks

You shouldn't need to note an approval in your task thread, as this fits the description, but yes, I can confirm for you.

For Option 1 --
series name is Graveyard Queen?

Thanks, Justme!

Wow - Myst! Now there is a blast from the past. I forgot to fix dinner for my family a few times because I was immersed in the world of Myst.

Have you found versions of those games that work with Windows 10? I would love to find those.

series name is Graveyard Queen
Yes, we decided to go ahead & allow series, too...so that's one you don't have to get preapproved.

Have you found versions of those games that work with Windows 10?

Hey Shelia,

I've had a couple laptops screens give out on me (after a good 8 years, etc) and been forced to upgrade as far as Windows 7 & 8 so far. It sucks when you realize a bunch of your favorite software & games don't transfer!

We ended up getting Myst on Steam for my son. You'd have to double check the specs; the 3D version wouldn't run on this computer if I remember correctly. steampowered.com
Sometimes you can tell the computer to run the program as if it was an older version of Windows if there is a compatibility issue, also (sorry, it's been a while since I did that, so off the top of my head I don't remember the specifics).

My only beef with Steam is that you don't own the game outside their control...GOG.com is one where you do own the game, but some of their policies are trickier to deal with. My son prefers Steam & doesn't mind using their control panel & all. He buys games weekly, whereas I tend to like what I like & replay a lot; I've got a couple from each. By "a lot" I mean if I get in a game mood...reading is 1st on my leisure-time activities.

Did you know the creators have just come out with a new Myst game?!! Like a month or so ago...they funded it on Kickstarter a couple years ago. Abduction. Unfortunately, I can't say if it's any good because the price is high & the specs are way above my computer grade.

LOL chatty tonight...

I appreciate the info Justme. I have never heard of any of those places. The other game I really liked was one called the 7th Guest.

I'm not familiar with that one. It was fun to talk gaming with an adult!

Sheila wrote: "I appreciate the info Justme. I have never heard of any of those places. The other game I really liked was one called the 7th Guest."

Was The 7th Guest the puzzle game, where the guests were getting murdered and only the 7th guest would be allowed to escape if you solved all of the puzzles?

Im a game geek too :-) I have several old games that I've bought again on GOG and Steam because they only play now on old os's. I've also found a good DOS emulator which runs some really old games well.

Yep, loved the puzzles in 7th Guest

Do you have a preference between GOG & Steam? Oh, that reminds me of a site that has a bunch of old games that are out of copywrite or common ground types...let me see if I can find the link.
http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/410...

Oh, and I got the new title wrong, it's Obduction.

Justme wrote: "Do you have a preference between GOG & Steam? Oh, that reminds me of a site that has a bunch of old games that are out of copywrite or common ground types...let me see if I can find the link.
http:..."

I don't really. Some things are available on one site and not the other so it's usually purely that which decides me :-)

Will this cover work? There is a dirigible in the upper left corner which uses a balloon to float.



Thanks!

Thanks for checking in, I did a little research; my first instinct was to say no, but I wanted to be fair. Since this task is about games & play, and that is likely not filled with air (rather gas) & most probably a rigid structure, I'm going to stick with a "no." There are 2 tasks this season that are specific to flying passenger-carriers.

For option 2, for an author with the same initial in first & last name, what about F. Scott Fitzgerald? Would that work?

Justme wrote: "Thanks for checking in, I did a little research; my first instinct was to say no, but I wanted to be fair. Since this task is about games & play, and that is likely not filled with air (rather gas)..."

Not to argue, but it specifies in the book that the balloon can be filled with both hot air or gas depending on need and availability. If you still think no I will abide by that.

I appreciate your thoughts, Whitnie!
I don't mind the challenge, I'm just having an unexpected time not saying "yes" to all of them! lol

May I ask if you are having difficulty finding a spot for this book in the challenge?

This was the first time I participated in the challenge, and then to get a task, so I am still pretty new. I see that I will need to try harder to think about possible interpretations. I know my intent, but I want the challenge to be fun!

Decided to check in with the mod...

Hey Katie!
Let's see...If I understand correctly, you are asking about a middle initial? Those aren't included in that task. So it'd have to be beginning first & last both 'S' or both 'F'. If that didn't answer your question, let me know.

The reason I asked is because the F is not his middle initial, it's his first initial. The author's full name is Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, but he uses F. Scott Fitzgerald on his books. It is beginning first & last with F, but I wanted to make sure that's okay since the first name is just shown as the initial F. Do first name initials count, or would it have to be a full name to count for the challenge?

Whitnie I wrote: "Not to argue, but it specifies in the book that the balloon can be filled with both hot air or gas depending on need and availability. If you still think no I will abide by that. "

Justme wrote: "I appreciate your thoughts, Whitnie!
I don't mind the challenge, I'm just having an unexpected time not saying "yes" to all of them! lol

May I ask if you are having difficulty finding a spot for t..."

Justme has asked me to respond to this. The clear intent of the task is a ball or balloon that is used for playing sports, and does not have anything to do with whether it's filled with gas or air. A hot air balloon for riding in does not fit the meaning of the task, since it's not a ball or balloon with which one could play a game such as volleyball.

This book does not fit the task as it is designed.

Justme wrote: "I appreciate your thoughts, Whitnie!...May I ask if you are having difficulty finding a spot for this book in the challenge?"

Whitnie. If you are having trouble finding a home for Imprudence (its on my TBR as well), there are a few tasks you could use it for - 15.10 and 30.6 #1 are both specifically looking for aircraft on the cover, including dirigibles. 5.2 is looking for a book set a country with an ancient wonder, including Egypt. 25.4 #2 wants Vampires as an MPG, and there are certainly a couple of others wanting Fantasy and Science Fiction MPGs.

Katie wrote: "The reason I asked is because the F is not his middle initial, it's his first initial. The author's full name is Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, but he uses F. Scott Fitzgerald on his b..."

Katie ... the general rule in SRC is that they go by the Author's listing in Goodreads. Each name/initial separate by a space is considered a separate "word" So F. Scott Fitzgerald has a first initial 'F' and a last initial 'F' ...
Hope that helped.

Thanks everybody!
I was thinking the same thing about the author name...

Thanks all.

For option 3, are you counting articles as the first word, or are they excluded? I'm wondering if The Reluctant Duchess would work as it is #2 and the first significant word begins with 'r'. Thanks!

Emily S. wrote: "For option 3, are you counting articles as the first word, or are they excluded? I'm wondering if The Reluctant Duchess would work as it is #2 and the first significant word begins ..."

See the FAQs: "G. What about articles, prepositions, etc.? A word is a word. Articles and prepositions are words, just like any other. "

There is one task this season that specifically excludes leading articles - for all other tasks, all words count.

Sandy wrote: "Emily S. wrote: "For option 3, are you counting articles as the first word, or are they excluded? I'm wondering if The Reluctant Duchess would work as it is #2 and the first signifi..."

I found a different spot for it.

Would The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie work for option 3? It is the first book in the Hercule Poirot series, but I wasn't sure if the "T" in "The" would be counted for the first letter instead of the "M" in "Mysterious."

Jack wrote: "Would The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie work for option 3? It is the first book in the Hercule Poirot series, but I wasn't sure if the "T" in "The" wou..."

From Frequently Asked Questions:

G. What about articles, prepositions, etc.? A word is a word. Articles and prepositions are words, just like any other.
Articles must be counted.

How about Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
The MC runs a cookie bakery and her most famous cookies are Black and Whites (chocolate) and Chocolate Chip Cookies -- Her tag line is that the endorphins in the chocolate help the people in the stories. She is always passing out her chocolate cookies.

Does this work for option 5?

Sorry, no bakers are not chocolatiers...

Justme wrote: "Sorry, no bakers are not chocolatiers..."

Ok. Thanks.

Can I get approval for The Discovery of Chocolate: A Novel for option 5. Chocolatier? The Goodreads narrative states that the main character Diego and his dog Pedro "seek the perfection of chocolate...". Some quotes from the book to support his being a chocolatier-
"Each morning I rose...resolved to create a form of chocolate that the earth has never witnessed before." "I perfect the art of making chocolate." "I became obsessed with the desire to make my chocolate recipe a success."

Although it appears that he was not specifically a chocolatier, in the sense of making chocolates...more of a dabbler in a variety of chocolate uses...it does appear to meet the criteria of the chocolate industry, with a bit of history which includes a variety of topics & the chocolatier, Hershey.
I hope it is/was a good read!

Approved!

Justme wrote: "Although it appears that he was not specifically a chocolatier, in the sense of making chocolates...more of a dabbler in a variety of chocolate uses...it does appear to meet the criteria of the cho..."

Thanks Justme! He does actually work in the chocolate industry towards the end of the book. And, yes I thought it was a good read!