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R11: Team Spine Crackers (9)
Mod
Dice Roll (2 dice on Fridays, US Central Time)
R11 SS Post Your Spot
R11 SS Discussion Thread
Time Zone Converter
Mod
*Titles exclude leading articles like A, An, The)
❀Each number corresponds with the spot on the board.
❀ Colors: The cover has to be at least 50% Guidelines
❀ Locations: As long as the book takes part at all in the given location.
❀ Publication Years: Any edition so long as it is published in the given year according to GR.
❀ Authors' Names: The first, middle, or last name of the author is ok.
❀ Cover Items: Must have the given item on the cover
❀ Titles: Only the first word of the title. A, An, and The do not count.
LIST:
2. Title N
3. Cover Item: Furniture
4. Author L
5. South America
6. Cover: Black
7. Published 2016
8. Character has a pet
9. Cover Item: Lamp/Candle
10. Character has at least one child
11. Romance
12. Set in a place you've visited
13. GR average rating <3.6
14. Cover Item: Jewellery
15. Book that one of your teammates read shelf rated a 5-star
16. Cover: Pink
17. Four or more Words Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
18. Multi-Colored (3 or More Colors)
19. North America
20. Title G
21. Cover Item: Animal
22. Historical
23. Female Author
24. Cover: Green
25. Published 2015
26. Non-Fiction
27. Cover Item: Two or more people
28. Author uses their middle name/initial (e.g. Robert J. Sawyer, Rita Mae Brown)
29. Cover: Red
30. Cover Item: Water
31. Young Adult/New Adult
32. Set in a Fictional Location/Universe
33. Africa
34. Seasonal Theme (i.e Christmas, Halloween etc)
35. Author I
36. GR average rating >4.0
37. Number in the Title (i.e. Third Grave Dead Ahead or Every Fifteen Minutes)
38. Originally published in a language other than English
39. School/College/University
40. Cover Item: Food/Drink
41.Title B
42. Cover Item: Weapon
43. LGBTQ+
44. Author W
45. Published 2011-2012
46. Cover: White
47. Published 2019
48. Australia
49. Author D
50. Cover: Blue
51. Published 2017
52. Cover Item: One person
53. Author R
54. Published before 1950
55. Favorite Author
56. One Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. The Witness or Divergent)
57. Cover: Yellow/Gold
58. Mystery/Thriller
59. Author H
60. Asia
61. Several authors
62. Author A
63. Award winner (must state which/when)
64. New to you author
65. Published 2013
66. Title V
67. Cover Item: Book
68. Published the year you were born
69. Title C
70. Cover Item: Mode of Transportation
71. Title F
72. Published between 2001 and 2010
73. Cover Item: Hands/Arms/Feet/Legs (no other body parts visible)
74. Book to Movie/TV (must state how book qualifies i.e. listopia or precis)
75. Male Author
76. Two Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. Deadly Silence or The Hunger Games)
77. Title J
78. Cover: Purple
79. Debut Novel or Debut Author
80. Cover Item: Instrument
81. Title K
82. Cover Item: Building
83. Published between 1950 and 2000
84. Author O
85. Cover: Grey/Silver
86. Title T
87. Cover Item: Sun/Moon
88. Sci-Fi
89. Title E
90. Cover: Orange
91. Published 2014
92. Three Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. Behind Closed Doors or Etched in Bone)
93. Europe
94. Author P
95. Cover Item: Dress
96. Fantasy
97. Cover Item: Hat/Helmet/Other Headwear
98. Author M
99. Cover Item: Plant
100. Author S
101. Four or more Words Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
102. Cover: Brown
103. Published 2014
104. Author B
105. Title L
106. Romance
107. Award Winner (must state which/when)
108. Cover: Green
109. Title A
110. Favorite Author
111. Author Y
Mod
✸ Communication is key. Please make sure to check in regularly with your team.
✸ Let your team know if it looks like you won't get your review posted by Thursday, 11:59pm. You do have all of Friday to submit your review, but it can be intensely frustrating for your captain if they don't know when or if they can expect your review before the deadline.
✸ If you know beforehand that you won't be able to read and review a book during a certain week, you can request a pre-arranged absence from me, either by posting the request in the discussion thread or by sending me a pm. The request has to be submitted before the team rolls for the week in question, can only be approved by me as the mod in charge of running the game, and has to state a reason for the absence. (Reasons for pre-arranged absences can include e.g. going on vacation or work trips, planned hospital stays, exam period, etc.)
✸ If you do not have a pre-arranged absence and won't be able to finish your book in time for an unforeseen reason, please let your team know as soon as possible. If the team has earned the free pass, it can be used to cover the missing review. Without a free pass, the team has to sit out the next roll.
✸ We all know that real life gets in the way sometimes, be it through family emergencies, work emergencies, natural disasters, technical problems making it impossible to get online, or in other ways. That being said, please do keep in mind that this is a team challenge and your team relies on you to do your part unless an emergency occurs.
✸ If you find that the pressure of keeping up with the pace of the game gets too much for you or you wish to stop playing for any other reason, you can drop out of the challenge at any time. In that case, please let your team captain and/or me know that you wish to drop out rather than just disappearing without a word so your team won't be penalized when you fail to turn in your review. Thank you!
Captain's Handbook
✸ The team's captain is its chief organizer. This includes rolling the dice, posting the team's new spot to the team thread and the Post Your Spot thread, collecting links to team members' review posts in a single post to be linked in the Post Your Spot thread, doublechecking that books and review posts comply with requirements, reminding team members to post their reviews in time if necessary, etc.
✸ The captain may delegate some tasks, such as rolling and posting the new spot to the team thread, to another team member if they so choose. (Either a designated roller who fulfills this role every week, or whichever team member is online first once rolling is possible.) Collecting reviews into a single post and posting to the Post Your Spot thread should always be handled by the captain.
✸ Instead of having everything handled by a single team captain, teams can also choose two co-captains to handle the workload.
✸ Selection posts are not strictly required by the game's rules and I won't be checking for them. It's up to the team captain to decide whether they want them.
✸ If the team captain requests a pre-arranged absence, it's their responsibility to arrange for another team member to step in as temporary captain.
✸ The team captain is my primary point of contact for the team and should allow receiving private messages.
Mod
I can be captain if no one else is interested...
Mod
Rocking Book Divas
Book Owls
Nerd Herd
Crazy Bibliophiles
Spine Crackers
Literary Alliance
Literary Lolitas
I'm not interested in being team captain.I like Spine Crackers. :)
Checking in. Thanks for being captain Donna! I vote for Nerd Herd but I will go with any of them. By the way , my first granddaughter is due 8/28 so I will be reading but might be a bit busy . 😀
Mod
Leslie, Congratulations!! I still remember the birth of my first grandchild (a girl) and that was 25 years ago this past June 27. And now she’s expecting her second child. It’s a wonderful season being a grandma! I have 20 and my 21st is due March 16, 2020! My expecting my 5th great in January! They’re all so special!!
Donna, thanks for offering to be captain! I’m an excellent participant but not great captain material. My favorite name is Spine Crackers. It’s so creative and unique and fun!
Checking in now. Lol
Checking in :)Thank you for offering to be captain, Donna. This is my first time playing this game, so I would not try for captain right now.
For the team name I also like Spine Crackers, it sounds like a name for rebels ;)
Hi Everyone! I think Donna will be a great captain and I like Spine Crackers for the name.Congratulations Leslie!
Hi!!!! I'm excited for this round to start it's one of my favorite games. I'm down for Spine Crackers as I may have cracked a few spines in the past.
Mandy, I'm not quite sure how to take that so that's why I can LOL
Lol when I was younger I used to fold my paperbacks...breaking the spines.
Mod
Hi Donna - I checked in Monday in post 14. I'm definitely here and ready for the first call.
Mod
I am seeing 4 for Spine Crackers and 1 for Nerd Herd. I think we are leaning towards Spine Crackers as our team name.
Mod
I do, although I tend to forget about the bonus points.
Mandy wrote: "Lol when I was younger I used to fold my paperbacks...breaking the spines."I knew it was probably that, and I'm glad it wasn't a bodily spine! LOL
I knew how to play when I played it but I'm so forgetful, but I know it'll come back to me rather quickly. Plus a few things have changed evidently. Donna, will you request our team name. It's SO clever plus it has meaning!
Mod
Oh cool! I notice the name is there now. :)
What is everyone’s plan for this round? Will you be reading mostly series or going for the prompts?
I'll focus on the series numbers when possible. Earlier this year, I signed up for an annual challenge in another group called We're #2 - the idea was to go through your TBR pile and find/read books where you had read book #1 in the series but not book #2. I found well over 100 options so I want to focus on moving forward in some of the series that have been sitting.
I will be going for the prompts :) this is my first time playing, I read the post about the rules. I am only a little puzzled about how to use the dice. Does everybody use the dice and we take the average? Or only the team captain uses the dice? or everybody uses the dice once a week and moves along the board accordingly? besides that part I think I understood the game.
Mod
So let's say on week 2, we roll a 2 & 5. We were on 6 and we move 7 spaces. So now we are on 13. We can read a book 1, book 3 or book 13 in the series OR the Alternate task for space 13.
Mod
Mod
Yes, thank you, Donna! I am ok if only you roll the dice. As you said, you will post it anyhow so it would be more efficient :)
Mod
Week:1
Dice roll: 2 & 6
Previous Spot: 0
Current Spot: 8
Bonus Points Earned: 0
Bonus Points Used:0
What to read:
# 8 in series
Alternate: Character has a pet
Donna How Not to Spook a Spectre by Elizabeth A. Reeves~~completed
Leslie Ann The Cat Who Sniffed Glue by Lilian Jackson Braun~~completed
Jane The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater~~completed
Mandy The Bewitching Queen by Jovee Winters~~completed
Vicki The King's Favorite by Tanya Anne Crosby~~completed
BarbaraAnn Let It Snow by Melanie Shawn~~completed ✸ 2 in 1: One point can be earned for reading a book that fits both the series number and the alternate for the spot you are on. - book is number 8 in series and MC Jake has a dog named Lucky.
Angie Elle The Stolen Mackenzie Bride by Jennifer Ashley~~completed
Don't forget about the bonus points! Please note any bonus in your completion post.
BONUS POINTS:
✸ One point can be earned for reading three or more books in a series.
✸ One point can be earned for reading a book with >500 pages.
✸ One point can be earned for starting and finishing a series. There must be at least 4 books in that series. Series + spin-off totalling ≥4 books also counts. For series with >9 books, point will be awarded for reading books 1-9. For still ongoing series, all books published to date (OR up to #9 in longer series) must be read.~ No re-reads on this one.
✸ 2 in 1: One point can be earned for reading a book that fits both the series number and the alternate for the spot you are on.
✸ One point can be earned for never picking a book from the alternate lists. This point is awarded when your team rolls past 90.
✸ Halloween Bonus: One point can be earned for reading a Horror/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy book for the roll on 10/25.
NOTE:
✸ Each point can only be earned once per team.
✸ The series-specific bonus points (3 or more books/ starting and finishing a series) must be two different series.
✸ Single book bonuses (>500 pages/ Halloween/ 2 in 1) may overlap with a series bonus.
Yay, this is exciting :DSo, I think this prompt is a little bit weird since I usually don't know if a character has a pet in a book (at least if I havn't read the book). Luckily, there is a book ("the Raven Boys") I really want to read and google told me that there is in fact a "pet raven" in the book. So this will be my choice for the week. If anyone of you read this book and there is in fact no pet (raven), please let me know so I can look for something else.
My choice:
Week 1
Spot: 8 (Alternate: Character has a pet)
Book: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Qualification: Pet raven "Chainsaw"
Finished: September 4th
Rating: ★★★
Review:
This book was ok for YA. I really liked the paranormal aspect. The writing was also nice and the gloomy atmosphere. It did not feel like an average YA, so I must give credit for that. However, I wasn’t really invested with the characters and I don’t appreciate it, when the plot is laid out to just prepare for the second book. I want my books to be whole, even if it’s part of a series.
-----------------------------
Also another question: How should we document our books? Should each one have an overview in like the first post we made here (check in post) and list all of the books + reviews in there each week? Would that be easier for you, Donna? Or just make a new post each time we finish something?
Week 1Spot: 8
Let It Snow by Melanie Shawn
Qualification: Hope falls, #8
Finished: 9/2/19
Rating: ★★★
This was a cute romance but nothing really special. The two MCs had been in love as teenagers, but a tragedy had broken them up and she left town. She comes back as an adult. I really connected to the side story about her grandmother but the main couple were just so so.
The book would fit this bonus option - ✸ 2 in 1: One point can be earned for reading a book that fits both the series number and the alternate for the spot you are on. - book is number 8 in series and MC Jake has a dog named Lucky.
Week 1:The Cat Who Sniffed Glue
#8 in the cat who series
9/3/2019
3 stars
Review:
Koko and Yum Yum never fail to be amazing in solving crimes. The cat who series are easy enjoyable reads. Nothing deep , but sometimes you need to curl up with a cup of tea and read something easy.
Mod
Spot:8
Book: How Not to Spook a Spectre by Elizabeth A. Reeves
Qualification: Cindy Eller # 8
Date:8/31/19
Rating:3 star
Review: I can't figure out what, but something was missing in this book that was in the previous books. That being said, I still think it was a fun book. I can always rely on Ms. Reeves for a fun story. The characters are always interesting and a wide variety of creatures that really make the story.
Mod
So, I think this prompt is a little bit weird since I usually don't know if a character has a pet in a book (at least if I havn't read the book). Luckily, there is a book (..."
I would prefer one post per week that you can edit to add your review. I can easily link to each one that way.
Selection PostWeek 1
Spot: 8 (Alternate: Character has a pet)
Book: The Fall of Lord Drayson by Rachael Anderson
Qualification: Pet horse, Darling and Dear
Donna, I misspoke when I said I've played this game before. I was confused with another challenge that is starting tomorrow.Question: What is the best way to find a #8 (or whatever) in a series that might be okay to read if you haven't read the previous books in a series? I don't mind changing my selection so we can get the extra point (if I understand that correctly), if I can find a #8 book that can be read out of order.
Mod
If you like mysteries, I have skipped around the Hannah Swensen series & the Murder She Wrote series might be easily read out of order.
However, each of the bonuses can only be earned once and it doesn't have to be the whole team. So only one person has to avoid doing an alternate task to get that bonus. It is totally up to you if you want to switch your book.
Ohhhhh OK, thank you! I misunderstood about the bonuses. But thank you for the link, and I absolutely, positively love mysteries, especially thrillers and psychological thrillers! LOLI finished my first book called The Fall of Lord Grayson but I’m watching my granddaughter today and don’t have anything but my cell phone. But if anyone wants to mark it for me my finish date is today.
Week 1 - Spot: 8Book: The Stolen Mackenzie Bride by Janet Evanovich
Pages: 230
Qualification: Stephanie Plum #8.5 (character also has a pet)
Review: 3.5 stars - It's been a long time since I've picked up a Stephanie Plum book, and while I was ready for a break after book four or five (that's where I left off,) this one was exactly the good time I was expecting. Shame from her mother, antics from her grandmother, and the appearance of Diesel (a new to me character,) made for a fun story. This book had a supernatural slant that the other books I read didn't have, and it made for a good time, and a bit of uniqueness for a story that is typically formulaic. Honestly, it makes me want to pick up the next in the series. However, I did listen to this one, and I have to wonder if Lorelei King kicked it up a notch for me. Either way, I had fun with this one.
Donna, The last thing I want to do is cause extra work for you. I read a book today that has a pet in it that is not the one I was planning to read. I can still wait until I read the other one and add it when I read it or I can post my book that I finished today. Do you have a preference or does it matter because I don’t want you to go to a lot of extra effort?
Mod
Mod
This was a cute romance but nothing really special. The two MCs h..."
BarbaraAnn,
Would you please fix your post so it matches the acceptable format here? Thanks!
Donna wrote: "Vicki, it's not an issue. Just edit your post with the book you just read and I will update as needed."Thanks, Donna.
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Captain: Donna
Leslie Ann
JaneMandy
Vicki
BarbaraAnn
Angie ElleSunshine
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Used 11/1 (hide spoiler)]
Bonus Points:
Earned: 4
Used: 0