Christian Fiction Bloggers discussion

Team Holly:
Andrea
Hannah
Sarah Grace
Kellyn

Review thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Round One: Nov. 15-28
Round Two: Nov. 29-Dec. 12
Round Three: Dec. 13-26
Round Four: Dec. 27-Jan. 9
Found Five: Jan. 10-23
Round Six: Jan. 24-Feb. 6
Round Seven: Feb. 7-20

;

Round One has begun!

Countdown to End of Round One!

http://lovebeingvegan.blogspot.com/p/...

Yay! All my NaNo gals who joined in on this challenge are on my team! Go Team Holly!

So, how do y'all want to do this? My first thought was to see about getting at least one bonus-point category (within the primary cats) in during this first round, maybe two. And we definitely want to get the bonus cat in too, because competition is typically very stiff with most teams claiming every possible point. Check out which books are up next for you and which categories they work for, and I'll do the same.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Would you like me to keep track of which categories are left to choose from each round? I don't mind as I do this for myself anyway, in a Word document. It will be easy to copy and paste it in once we get all of our books finished for any given round.

I'm so happy to be matched up with you gals!

Oh, if you are NOT able to read two books in a round, let us know as soon as you know. Since six books are needed per round and there are four of us, two of us will have to read two books every two weeks. I am normally able to do that, this first round included. Remember, books must be at least 100 pages long.

Round One: Nov. 15-28

Primary Tasks (35)
Each round teams will choose and complete FIVE of the primary tasks listed below. Each of the 35 tasks is worth one point and can only be chosen once. A few of the tasks have bonus point options that would earn your team an extra point if the book read works for it.

#1: Fall Colors: Red/Orange/Yellow/Brown
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- Cover has majority color of RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, and/or BROWN.
- One of the above colors is on the cover in word form (author name, title, etc.).
BONUS POINT: if the book contains the word "LEAF" in its text.

#2. Thanks-giving (November 23)
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- “THANKFUL” or “GRATEFUL” is in the text.
- THANKSGIVING in the title.

#3. Thanksgiving Party/Gathering
*Read a book that has a gathering of people at Thanksgiving in its text.

#4.Thanksgiving Meal Staples
*Read a book that has a TURKEY or PUMPKIN PIE on its cover or in its text.

#5. Winter Beverages
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- HOT COCOA/CHOCOLATE, HOT COFFEE, HOT TEA, or HOT CIDER is in the text.
- A MUG/CUP used for hot beverages is on the cover.

#6. Home for the Holidays
*Read a book that has a HOUSE on its cover.

#7. Baby, It's Cold Outside
*Read a book with the word COLD or CHILLY on its cover or in its text.
BONUS POINT: if the book has a snowy cover.

#8. Winter Garments
*Read a book with someone wearing a JACKET/PARKA, SWEATER, SCARF, WINTER HAT, or GLOVES/MITTENS on its cover or in its text.

#9. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
*Read a book that has SNOW or a SNOWFLAKE on its cover or in its text.

#10. Playing in the Snow
*Read a book that has one of these snow activities on its cover or in its text: SLEDDING, building a SNOWMAN, making a SNOW ANGEL, or having a SNOWBALL FIGHT.

#11. Yuletide Fire
*Read a book with FIRE on its cover or in its text.

#12. Advent/Christmas Cards
*Read a book that has a CALENDAR or CARD on its cover, in its title, or in its text.

#13. It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas
*Read a book with OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS (wreath, lights, etc. that you would see on a walk or drive) on its cover or in its text.

#14. It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas
*Read a book that has PINE, CINNAMON, or PEPPERMINT in its title or in its text.
BONUS POINT: if the book has stripes somewhere on the cover.

#15. O Christmas Tree
*Read a book that has a CHRISTMAS TREE on its cover or in its text.

#16. Deck the Halls
*Read a book that has a Christmas STOCKING, CANDLE, SNOWGLOBE, ORNAMENT, or GARLAND on its cover or in its text.

#17. Caroling, Caroling
*Read a book with CHRISTMAS CAROLERS on its cover or in its text.

#18. Jingle Bells
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- JINGLE or BELLS is in the title or text.
- BELLS are on the cover.

#19. Christmas Party/Gathering
*Read a book that has a gathering of people at Christmas on its cover or mentioned in its text.

#20. Behold That Star, This is the Star of Bethlehem
*Read a book that has a STAR on its cover or in its text.

#21. Away in a Manger
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- A MANGER is in the text.
- The title begins with a letter from M-A-N-G-E-R.
- Part of the story takes place in ISRAEL.
BONUS POINT: if the book was published in December

#22. O Holy Night
*Read a book using one of the following options:
-The NATIVITY SCENE (the birth of Jesus, Son of God) depicted on its cover or in its text.
-Contains at least one of the following words in its text: GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, or MYRRH.

#23. Nativity Elements
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- Characters: MARY, JOSEPH, JESUS, or ANGEL can be found in the text.
- Animals: A DONKEY, LAMB, COW/OX, and/or CAMEL can be found on the cover or in the text.

#24. Poinsettia
*Read a book using one of the following options:
-Majority of cover is either red or green
-Has a poinsettia on the cover or in the text
-Title starts with a letter in the word “poinsettia”

#25. Christmas Gift Giving
*Read a book with wrapped gifts, wrapping paper, or wrapping bows/ribbons on its cover or in its text.

#26. Christmas Colors: Red/Green/White/Gold
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- Cover has majority color of RED, GREEN, WHITE, and/or GOLD.
- One of the above colors is on its cover in word form (author name, title, etc.).

#27. Blue Christmas
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- Cover has majority color of BLUE.
- BLUE is on the cover or in the text in word form.

#28. Christmas Sweets
*Read a book that has a CHRISTMAS COOKIE, CANDY CANE, GINGERBREAD, or APPLE PIE on the cover or found in its text.
BONUS POINT: if the author's first or last name starts with one of these letters: C, A, N, D, Y

#29. Winter Carriage Ride
*Read a book that has a HORSE or CARRIAGE/SLEIGH on its cover or in its text.

#30. Happy New Year!
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- The turn of a new year is mentioned in the text.
- FIREWORKS are on the cover or in the text.
- The page count contains TWO of these numbers: 2-0-1-8.

#31. Groundhog Day (February 2)
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- One of the main characters has to relive a particular day multiple times.
- One of the main characters has amnesia or memory loss.

#32. Super Bowl LII (February 4)
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- A scene takes place in Minnesota.
- A FOOTBALL is on the cover or in the text.
- A character plays football.

#33. 2018 Winter Olympics (February 9-25)
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- A scene takes place in South Korea.
- The publication month is February.
- The page count contains TWO of these numbers: 9-2-5.

#34. Snow/Ice Sports
*Read a book that has SNOWBOARDING, [snow] SKIING, ICE HOCKEY, or ICE SKATING on its cover or in its text.

#35. Valentines Day (February 14)
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- LOVE or HEART can be found in the book's title or in its text.
- A HEART can be found on the cover.
- A character receives flowers or a box of chocolates.
BONUS POINT: the book has a red cover


Additional Bonus Point Opportunities (1 point each):
Each round every team can earn one (1) additional bonus point by reading an EXTRA book that works for the corresponding BP for that round. This book will be in addition to the five books read for the primary tasks, and you must mention how it works in your comment. Maximum of one extra book for each team each round.

*BP #1 (Round One):
Read a book with a BASKET or CORNUCOPIA on its cover or in its text.

Future BPs:
*BP #2 (Round Two): Read a book with a WREATH on the cover.
*BP #3 (Round Three): Read a book with CHRISTMAS as a main page genre on Goodreads.
*BP #4 (Round Four): Read a book with a FIREPLACE, WOOD STOVE or CHIMNEY on its cover or in its text.
*BP#5 (Round Five): Read a book with a character that KNITS.
*BP#6 (Round Six): Read a book with ICE SKATES on its cover or in its text.
*BP #7 (Round Seven): Read a book with a character that is SNOWBOUND at any time during the story.

Lizzy and Jane works for #35 Valentine's Day. I'll be finishing this one on Wednesday (day one of our first round). Is everyone okay with me claiming that one for this round?

I'm also reading The Apothecary's Daughter, which works for any one of these categories:
#12 Advent/Christmas Cards ("card" mentioned in text)
#25 Christmas Gift Giving ("wrapped parcel" mentioned in text)
#29 Winter Carriage Ride ("horse" and "carriage" mentioned in text)
Bonus Point 1 ("basket" mentioned in text)

If someone else has the BP covered, I'll choose one of the other cats to use for this book.

I'll check my books tomorrow and see what will work. :)

Have y'all narrowed down which books you want to read for this round? Is anyone able to pick up two books? Does anyone have something for the Bonus Point for this round?

I have a book that works for the BP, but it works for four different cats, so I'm flexible.

Update:

Team Holly Round One
1. #35 Valentine's Day - Andrea - Lizzy and Jane
2. #? - Andrea - The Apothecary's Daughter (works for 12, 25, 29, or BP1)
3. #? - Hannah - ?
4. #? - Sarah Grace - ?
5. #27 - Kellyn - A Question of Courage
6. #29 - Kellyn - Cries of Grace

For #27:

For #29:

I can use one or both this round.

Are you still working on ? That would work for #29, since it has a horse on the cover.

Andrea wrote: "Are you still working on ? That would work for #29, since it has a horse on the cover."
Yes, I just noticed that! I had to put it down for various reasons, so I'm still only a couple dozen pages in.

That's fine. I'm about that far into The Apothecary's Daughter right now too. We have until 11:59 p.m. (Pacific) on November 28 to get our reviews posted in our Team Holly Reviews thread.

Andrea wrote: "That's fine. I'm about that far into The Apothecary's Daughter right now too. We have until 11:59 p.m. (Pacific) on November 28 to get our reviews posted in our Team Holly Reviews thread."
Okay, got it. I think I'll finish A Question of Courage and then concentrate on Cries of Grace ... should have both finished relatively soon. Both are review copies, so two birds with one stone if it works!

I'm asking Melanie to double-check us on the majority of blue on the other cover (A Question of Courage). It's questionable, but I'm hopeful.

Sweet! I love it when our books work for more than one thing in our crazy schedules. :)

Things are taking shape nicely!

Update:

Team Holly Round One
1. #35 Valentine's Day - Andrea - Lizzy and Jane
2. #27 Blue Christmas - Kellyn - A Question of Courage
3. #2 Thanks-giving - Hannah - Dangerous Illusions
4. #1 Fall Colors - Sarah Grace - The Lost Heiress
5. #29 Winter Carriage Ride - Kellyn - Cries of Grace
6. Bonus Point: BASKET - Andrea - The Apothecary's Daughter or The Brontë Plot

I'm taking #2.
has "thankful" in the text..."One more small thing to be thankful for," chapter 4.

Awesome. Hannah, that looks like a really great book!

Sarah Grace, do you know which book and for which category you'll be reading this first round?

We almost have our entire first round decided. Way to go, Team Holly!

I can do #1 using . It has the proper colorage on the front, as well as the word "LEAF" for the bonus point. :)

Do we have the bonus book for this round covered already?

Awesome! So happy you were able to find a book for that category. One of the two books I am reading works for the bonus point.

Update:

Team Holly Round One
1. #35 Valentine's Day - Andrea - Lizzy and Jane - DONE!
Bonus point: red cover
2 pts
2. #27 Blue Christmas - Kellyn - A Question of Courage - DONE!
1 pt
3. #2 Thanks-giving - Hannah - Dangerous Illusions
1 pt
4. #1 Fall Colors - Sarah Grace - The Lost Heiress
Bonus point: "leaf"
2 pts
5. #29 Winter Carriage Ride - Kellyn - Cries of Grace
1 pt
6. Bonus Point: BASKET - Andrea - The Brontë Plot
1 pt

Potential round total: 8 pts
Complete challenge total: 0 pts

Reviews are due in our Review Thread no later than 11:59 p.m. (Pacific) on November 28.

Happy reading, Team Holly!

Andrea wrote: "Awesome! So happy you were able to find a book for that category. One of the two books I am reading works for the bonus point."

It worked out perfectly, because I was already reading it. XD

I love it when that happens!

(I loved The Lost Heiress, Sarah Grace ... excited to hear your thoughts!)

Kellyn wrote: "(I loved The Lost Heiress, Sarah Grace ... excited to hear your thoughts!)"

I'm loving it so far! :D

I loved it, too!

It's today, it's today, it's today! The challenge begins today, so if you finish your book, feel free to post it in our review thread. Happy reading!

WOOT WOOT!

As some of you may have noticed, we have review discussion threads for each of our teams, found here . When we have finished reading and reviewing a task, we will post our task submissions in the review thread specific to the team we are on. These posts will be similar to previous challenges, and will look like this:

ROUND # : TEAM NAME

TASK NUMBER & TITLE
BOOK COVER
*Read by: NAME
*Page Count: 
*Date Finished: 
*How it works: 
*How it works for the BONUS POINT [if a bonus point is attached to the task]:
*Link to review: 


When there is a word in the text task requirement, in the "How it works" section of this post, be sure to give a quote from the book with the keyword in it, and include the page number.

For example, my post in my team review thread for Round One, which I finished this morning, looks like this:

ROUND ONE: TEAM CRANBERRIES

#2. Thanks-giving (November 23)

*Read by: MONIQUE
*Page Count: 208
*Date Finished: November 15, 2017
*How it works: “GRATEFUL” is in the text. "As we become increasingly grateful, God exchanges our worries and sorrow for his peace, joy, and abundant life" (p. 87).
*Link to review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


I spoke with Melanie (CFB and challenge moderator) about this, and she gave her approval. :)

Be sure to post your task submission within the dates of the round you wish it to count for. Also, keep in mind that the review threads are only for our task submissions. All other discussions will be in the chat threads.

Happy reading everyone! Round One has officially begun! :)

Thanks, Monique. We saw that note and your others in the main thread and Q&A thread.

I posted the review for my first book and will begin my other book momentarily. We've earned two points, Team Holly! Let's keep 'em rolling in.

Awesome, Andrea! I will be done with my book within a day or two, too.

That's wonderful! I got 40 pages into my new book yesterday, which I consider awesome since I didn't have much time for reading it because of work and writing. Hoping to get to page 100 today.

How are those books and reviews coming, ladies? I'm 45% done with my second book, so I think two more days will do it. As soon as we get these books done, we can start thinking ahead to the next round, if you like.

I'm about 70% into mine. Review is overdue by a day now, so I have to finish it today.

Great job, Hannah! You're knock out that last 30% before you know it.

Planning on posting my review later today and figuring out if a category will work for the book I have to read next. :D

Awesome! I am eager to read your review. Which book are you reading next?

Here are the available categories for round two. Does anyone have a book that fits the bonus point opportunity this round? None of my upcoming books fit that category's requirement.

Round Two: Nov. 29 – Dec. 12

Primary Tasks Remaining (30)

#3. Thanksgiving Party/Gathering
*Read a book that has a gathering of people at Thanksgiving in its text.

#4.Thanksgiving Meal Staples
*Read a book that has a TURKEY or PUMPKIN PIE on its cover or in its text.

#5. Winter Beverages
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- HOT COCOA/CHOCOLATE, HOT COFFEE, HOT TEA, or HOT CIDER is in the text.
- A MUG/CUP used for hot beverages is on the cover.

#6. Home for the Holidays
*Read a book that has a HOUSE on its cover.

#7. Baby, It's Cold Outside
*Read a book with the word COLD or CHILLY on its cover or in its text.
BONUS POINT: if the book has a snowy cover.

#8. Winter Garments
*Read a book with someone wearing a JACKET/PARKA, SWEATER, SCARF, WINTER HAT, or GLOVES/MITTENS on its cover or in its text.

#9. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
*Read a book that has SNOW or a SNOWFLAKE on its cover or in its text.

#10. Playing in the Snow
*Read a book that has one of these snow activities on its cover or in its text: SLEDDING, building a SNOWMAN, making a SNOW ANGEL, or having a SNOWBALL FIGHT.

#11. Yuletide Fire
*Read a book with FIRE on its cover or in its text.

#12. Advent/Christmas Cards
*Read a book that has a CALENDAR or CARD on its cover, in its title, or in its text.

#13. It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas
*Read a book with OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS (wreath, lights, etc. that you would see on a walk or drive) on its cover or in its text.

#14. It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas
*Read a book that has PINE, CINNAMON, or PEPPERMINT in its title or in its text.
BONUS POINT: if the book has stripes somewhere on the cover.

#15. O Christmas Tree
*Read a book that has a CHRISTMAS TREE on its cover or in its text.

#16. Deck the Halls
*Read a book that has a Christmas STOCKING, CANDLE, SNOWGLOBE, ORNAMENT, or GARLAND on its cover or in its text.

#17. Caroling, Caroling
*Read a book with CHRISTMAS CAROLERS on its cover or in its text.

#18. Jingle Bells
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- JINGLE or BELLS is in the title or text.
- BELLS are on the cover.

#19. Christmas Party/Gathering
*Read a book that has a gathering of people at Christmas on its cover or mentioned in its text.

#20. Behold That Star, This is the Star of Bethlehem
*Read a book that has a STAR on its cover or in its text.

#21. Away in a Manger
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- A MANGER is in the text.
- The title begins with a letter from M-A-N-G-E-R.
- Part of the story takes place in ISRAEL.
BONUS POINT: if the book was published in December

#22. O Holy Night
*Read a book using one of the following options:
-The NATIVITY SCENE (the birth of Jesus, Son of God) depicted on its cover or in its text.
-Contains at least one of the following words in its text: GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, or MYRRH.

#23. Nativity Elements
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- Characters: MARY, JOSEPH, JESUS, or ANGEL can be found in the text.
- Animals: A DONKEY, LAMB, COW/OX, and/or CAMEL can be found on the cover or in the text.

#24. Poinsettia
*Read a book using one of the following options:
-Majority of cover is either red or green
-Has a poinsettia on the cover or in the text
-Title starts with a letter in the word “poinsettia”

#25. Christmas Gift Giving
*Read a book with wrapped gifts, wrapping paper, or wrapping bows/ribbons on its cover or in its text.

#26. Christmas Colors: Red/Green/White/Gold
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- Cover has majority color of RED, GREEN, WHITE, and/or GOLD.
- One of the above colors is on its cover in word form (author name, title, etc.).

#28. Christmas Sweets
*Read a book that has a CHRISTMAS COOKIE, CANDY CANE, GINGERBREAD, or APPLE PIE on the cover or found in its text.
BONUS POINT: if the author's first or last name starts with one of these letters: C, A, N, D, Y

#30. Happy New Year!
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- The turn of a new year is mentioned in the text.
- FIREWORKS are on the cover or in the text.
- The page count contains TWO of these numbers: 2-0-1-8.

#31. Groundhog Day (February 2)
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- One of the main characters has to relive a particular day multiple times.
- One of the main characters has amnesia or memory loss.

#32. Super Bowl LII (February 4)
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- A scene takes place in Minnesota.
- A FOOTBALL is on the cover or in the text.
- A character plays football.

#33. 2018 Winter Olympics (February 9-25)
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- A scene takes place in South Korea.
- The publication month is February.
- The page count contains TWO of these numbers: 9-2-5.

#34. Snow/Ice Sports
*Read a book that has SNOWBOARDING, [snow] SKIING, ICE HOCKEY, or ICE SKATING on its cover or in its text.

Additional Bonus Point Opportunity
BP #2 (Round Two):
Read a book with a WREATH on the cover.


Future BPs:
*BP #3 (Round Three [Dec. 13 – 26]): Read a book with CHRISTMAS as a main page genre on Goodreads.
*BP #4 (Round Four [Dec. 27 – Jan. 9]): Read a book with a FIREPLACE, WOOD STOVE or CHIMNEY on its cover or in its text.
*BP#5 (Round Five [Jan. 10 – 23]): Read a book with a character that KNITS.
*BP#6 (Round Six [Jan. 24 – Feb. 6]): Read a book with ICE SKATES on its cover or in its text.
*BP #7 (Round Seven [Feb 7 – 20]): Read a book with a character that is SNOWBOUND at any time during the story.

Andrea wrote: "Awesome! I am eager to read your review. Which book are you reading next?"

A Question of Courage is probably next, but also The Reluctant Duchess, and Star Under the City. :)

Do y'all think works for #21?

Away in a Manger
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- A MANGER is in the text.
- The title begins with a letter from M-A-N-G-E-R.
- Part of the story takes place in ISRAEL.
BONUS POINT: if the book was published in December

Title starts with A, and it will be published Dec 1 (I have an ARC).

ARCs I need to read ...

The Mayflower Bride
Disowned
The Journey

So I'm going to see if at least one won't fit a category. :)

Kellyn wrote: "ARCs I need to read ...

The Mayflower Bride
Disowned
The Journey

So I'm going to see if at least one won't fit a category. :)"

Oooh, you've got an ARC of Disowned? Sweet! Hope you like it. :D

Sarah Grace wrote: "Kellyn wrote: "ARCs I need to read ...

The Mayflower Bride
Disowned
The Journey

So I'm going to see if at least one won't fit a category. :)"

Oooh..."
Yes, and I've had it and not-read it for far too long. xD I got it for the blog tour, so I do have to finish it before January, though.

The Mayflower Bride fills two of the requirements of #33 if I can claim that for the next round. :)

Alrighty, my review is up! :)

Sarah Grace wrote: "Do y'all think works for #21?

Away in a Manger
*Read a book using one of the following options:
- A MANGER is in the text.
- The title begins with a lett..."

Sarah Grace, I think that book should work for #21. Go for it!