The Challenge Factory discussion

Team 2 - Twice as Fast

Captain: Denise
Angie ~aka Reading Machine~
Maddison
Lanelle
Jammin Jenny

(view spoiler)[

Used 10/13 (hide spoiler)]


Bonus Points:
Earned: 6
Used: 6

Helpful Links:

Dice Roll (1 die on Thursdays & Sundays, US Central Time)
R11 SSS Post Your Spot
R11 SSS Discussion Thread
Time Zone Converter

ALTERNATES:
*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:
1. Favorite Author
2. Cover Item: Sun/Moon
3. New to you author
4. One Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. The Witness or Divergent)
5. Cover Item: Book
6. School/College/University
7. Title B
8. North America
9. Author D
10. Cover Item: Food/Drink
11. Author P
12. Female Author
13. Cover: Blue
14. Published 2015
15. Book that one of your teammates read shelf rated a 5-star
16. Title C
17. Seasonal Theme (i.e Christmas, Halloween etc)
18. Cover Item: Instrument
19. GR average rating >4.0
20. Author A
21. Europe
22. Cover: Yellow/Gold
23. Cover Item: Lamp/Candle
24. Title G
25. Cover: Pink
26. Published 2013
27. Cover Item: Hat/Helmet/Other Headwear
28. Book to Movie/TV (must state how book qualifies i.e. listopia or precis)
29. Title T
30. Cover Item: Weapon
31. Character has a pet
32. Cover Item: Mode of Transportation
33. Author uses their middle name/initial (e.g. Robert J. Sawyer, Rita Mae Brown)
34. Cover Item: One person
35. Debut Novel or Debut Author
36. Award winner (must state which/when)
37. Number in the Title (i.e. Third Grave Dead Ahead or Every Fifteen Minutes)
38. Author L
39. Cover Item: Hands/Arms/Feet/Legs (no other body parts visible)
40. Male Author
41.Title J
42. 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)
43. Cover Item: Jewellery
44. Published 2016
45. Romance
46. Set in a place you've visited
47. Author R
48. Two Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. Deadly Silence or The Hunger Games )
49. Cover Item: Plant
50. Young Adult/New Adult
51. Published between 2001 and 2010
52. Title F
53. Cover: White
54. Author W
55. Cover Item: Water
56. Three Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. Behind Closed Doors or Etched in Bone)
57. Title K
58. LGBTQ+
59. Cover: Green
60. Sci-Fi
61. Africa
62. Author M
63. Published between 1950 and 2000
64. Title N
65. Cover: Grey/Silver
66. Published before 1950
67. Historical
68. Author I
69. Multi-Colored (3 or More Colors)
70. Cover Item: Animal
71. Several authors
72. Published 2014
73. Asia
74. Cover Item: Dress
75. South America
76. Cover: Orange
77. GR average rating <3.6
78. Fantasy
79. Title V
80. Cover Item: Furniture
81. Published 2011-2012
82. Author S
83. Australia
84. Cover: Purple
85. Mystery/Thriller
86. Title E
87. Cover: Black
88. Non-Fiction
89. Published the year you were born
90. Author O
91. Cover Item: Two or more people
92. Set in a Fictional Location/Universe
93. Character has at least one child
94. Author H
95. Published 2019
96. Cover Item: Building
97. Cover: Red
98. Published 2017
99. Originally published in a language other than English
100. Cover: Brown
101. GR average rating >4.0
102. Cover Item: Book
103. Title A
104. Author E
105. Cover: White
106. Book that one of your teammates read shelf rated a 5-star
107. Debut Novel or Debut Author
108. Title D
109. Published 2017
110. Three Word Title excluding articles like A, An, The (i.e. Behind Closed Doors or Etched in Bone)
111. Author C

A couple of things to keep in mind:

✸ 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 Wednesday/Saturday, 11:59pm. You do have all of Thursday/Sunday 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 period of time, 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 time period 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 for every roll, 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.

Hi everyone, looking forward to getting this round started! :)

Tracking Post

Roll #1: Spot 1 Completion Post
Roll #2:
Roll #3:

Bonus Point Opps
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 10/27.
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.

Anyone up for being captain? I'll do it if noone else wants to, but I expect I'll be a liiiiittle busy these next few months... XD

I can do it. I've never been captain for one of these challenges so I might need a little help!

Hey Jenny! I've been seeing you round plenty of challenges lately!

I'm Maddie. I think this is my 3rd time doing SSS I believe. And this year I'm doing both SS and SSS just to try and blast through my unfinished series XD Also I'm in New Zealand, so I'll be constantly asking about deadlines and timings for things.

We can't count books we've already started correct? I always remember the first roll or two being the hardest because only single digits. Thank gosh for alternatives

Jammin Jenny wrote: "I can do it. I've never been captain for one of these challenges so I might need a little help!"

Helping everyone figure things out is kinda what I'm here for. :D Would be great if you're willing to be captain!

Hi again, Maddie! I believe we were on the same team last time around. :)

And yep, books have to be started after the roll.

We were also on same Bingo game XD

Thank you!

Hey Maddie! I know we keep running into each other in these challenges!!

Is there a certain time we need to roll the dice on Thursdays and Sundays?

Right! XD

I think it's just as soon as we get all of the reviews in :)

Hi everyone! I'm Angie! We can roll at 1 am on Thursday morning Eastern Standard Time same goes for Sunday morning. I hope this helps. Team name idea is Three to Win.

Thanks Angie!!

I like the Team Name - Three to Win

Maddison wrote: "We were also on same Bingo game XD"

True. The randomizer thingy seems to like putting us on the same team! :D

Three to Win works for me

... Though now that I'm thinking about it: Why three? XD

True we are team Two

Two for the Show?
It Takes Two?
Two to Tango?
Twice as Fast?

I like Twice as Fast!

Yeah Twice as Fast!

And I agree Jenny XD

Twice as Fast works for me. I'm on team 3 for SS that's why I was thinking 3 instead of 2.

Happens! :D

Week 1 Day Thursday Dice Roll: 1

1st in series or 1. Favorite Author

Jammin Jenny - Mind Machines - Review
Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ - Storm Front - Review
Maddison - The Smoke Thieves - Completion Post
Denise - The Cleaner - Review

Everyone let me know what you'll be reading so I can track your selections and completions.

Selection Post
Spot: 1
Task: 1st in series
Book:
Pages: 406

Spot: 1

Book: The Cleaner by Mark Dawson
Qualification: John Milton #1
Pages: 354

Week 1: Roll 1
Spot: 1

Book: The Cleaner by Mark Dawson
Qualification: John Milton #1
Pages: 354
Finished: 29 Aug 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Review:
After years working as an assassin for the British government, John Milton wants out. A chance encounter with a single mother whose son has gotten involved with a local gang gives him something new to focus on, and his special skills might be just what is needed to get the kid out of trouble. Meanwhile, Milton's former employer isn't done with him yet - he knows far too much, and there's no way he'll be allowed to walk away.

I don't quite know what it is about (fictional) assassins I find so fascinating, but I can just never resist this kind of books. While this book suffered from some common series opener problems - such as laying out the protagonist's entire background in a massive infodump - it nevertheless soon pulled me in. Given Milton's background, this was (except for the ending) surprisingly light on action, I expected a bit more of a body count. Definitely a quick and engaging read that kept me suitably entertained though.

Week 1~Thursday Roll Spot #1
by Jim Butcher
Qualifications: Dresden Files #1
Pages:322
Rating:4 Stars
Finished:8/30/19
Review:By far hands down this is one of my favorite series to read over and over again. It starts off slow but picks up speed over time and pages. I'm reading the series to get ready for the new book Peace Talks that could be coming out this year.

Sorry I've been away from the computer! So surprised we got a #1 in series, but it's also perfect as this was my next read!

Week 1 (Spot 1) Selection

Pages: 498
How it fits: #1

Okay we all have selected our books. Remember, completions are due by Saturday night 9:00 pm PST.

Sounds good! I'm so ready for this challenge!

Probably a dumb question, but do manga count? XD

I don't think so.

Haha I didn't think so either, just thought I'd push my luck

Maddison wrote: "Probably a dumb question, but do manga count? XD"

I could swear I'd included that in the rules section at some point, but apparently not. XD It's come up in previous rounds' discussion threads, though, so I'm going with that precedent: comics, graphic novels, and manga don't count. I'll go add it to the rules before I forget it again!

It might be in there, I'm too lazy to check XD

I just went over the whole thing and couldn't find it... it's there now, though. XD

Oh damn XD I gave away my laziness

Week 1: Roll 1
Spot: 1

Book: Mind Machines by Dima Zales
Qualification: Human++ #1
Pages: 406
Finished: 30 Aug 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Review:
I really enjoyed this sci-fi thriller. The basic premise is that scientists have developed these brainocites (nanocites for the brain) that activate dormant parts of the brain. They are mostly using it on Alzheimer's patients, but are also in secret augmenting normal people to make the smart, swifter and more advanced. One of the patients gets kidnapped and her son works with the main scientist to track her down in Russia. Fun look at what science could possibly do.

Okay I've been called in to work early today so no chance to read more. I'll have to find a very short #1 audio to do.

Week 1 (Spot 1) Edit

Pages: 165
Qualification: #1 in series


I'm home around 2hr after they're due, but will be posting ASAP. I'm so sorry for the holdup, but work was desperate for me to go in :'( Hopefully I don't mess everyone up!

Week 1 (Spot 1) Completion

Pages: 165
Qualification: #1 in series
Date read: 1/9/19
Rating: 3 stars

Review: I really liked the POV, the fact that it's a 70-year-old grandma, and how much charisma she had! And how she knew she had to solve the murder. I like how for once the POV actually had the relative information to solve the murder, and she had done the time to actually know what she was talking about, none of this new adult murder stuff. I also liked the sound of Lucien, he sounded like such a gentleman and a lovely helpful person.

Looks like a pretty good book!

Okay I'm going to check us in now and get our next roll. Be back in a new post.

Thank you! Sorry for holding us up!

Week 1, Roll 2 = 5, We are on Spot 6

6th in series
OR
6. School/College/University

Same drill. Please find a book by Monday, and finish it by Wednesday.

Jammin Jenny - Muffins and Mobsters
Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ -
Maddison - Wicked Fox
Denise - Magic for Nothing

9pm still?

Don't have any 6th in series, but I'm sure I do have a college book.