Pick-a-Shelf discussion

A. Introduction

It's that time of the year again where we are all trying to decide on what our bookish NY resolution is... And year to year, they seem to be rather similar so we thought, why don't we all work on these together as a group?!

Official Start date of this challenge is January 1, 2020. Challenge will run up to December 31, 2020.

B. Goals

All participants will pick their own goals.

You may wish to nominate:
1. a percentage of total pages read last year (2019)*
OR
2. a number of pages
OR
3. a number of books

There is no minimum to apply BUT we are encouraging all participants to be ambitious about their goals because with the way this year's challenge is structured, you do not want to complete a Prompt in the middle of the year (ie. before the many mini challenges have been played)

*For instructions, go here

This goal will be per Prompt and will be a static number. That is, if you've picked 10% or 5,000 pages or 20 books as your goal, it'll be 10% or 5,000 pages or 20 books per Prompt. You may increase your goal later, if you find you haven't been ambitious enough ;)

C. Prompts

There are 6 Prompts to be announced per month. They will be announced a week before the 1st of the month to allow for some advance planning.

These Prompts are pretty self-explanatory and once they are announced, they are open until the end of the challenge. You can read all Prompts concurrently.

The first Prompt will be for January and last (sixth) Prompt will be for June.

D. Mini Challenges

There will be some Mini Challenges & all will relate to reading for the Prompts. There will also be other ***fun*** challenges (to be unveiled one at a time so keep your eyes peeled). ALL books read for Mini Challenges (excluding Read-a-thons) will have to fit within Prompts.

The first one will start in February.

Please go to Read-a-thons & Buddy Reads for instructions & timetables.

E. Bonuses

You are encouraged to participate in the Monthly Shelf. By reading a book for the monthly shelf in the month it is picked and posting what you've read in the appropriate thread, you will receive 1 Pass.

Passes can be used in Mini Challenges (excluding Read-a-thons & Buddy-Reads). They will work differently in each Mini Challenge so please review each Mini Challenges' rules.

Please go here to claim your Pass.

NOTE: The monthly shelf book will have to fit in Just Do It! challenge. That is, it's not a book to be read outside of Just Do It! but rather it must be incorporated into your Prompts.

F. Completion

There is no limitation on planning and you may complete any Prompt in any order you like.

To claim Completion, please post here

G. Housekeeping

1. Books per Prompt must be read after that Prompt is announced (ie. no backdating of books read)

2. Each book read can only be claimed once throughout the challenge (ie. no crossover between Prompts)

3. There is no page limit for books read.

4. Use the page numbers of edition you are reading in calculating your progress. If you listened to an audiobook, we will look at the most popular edition (whatever that is) for the page numbers. If there isn't a page number for that edition, we will use the next one down on the list and so on.

5.There will be planning threads set up for each Prompt. Please post your plan/s in the correct thread.

6. For certain rules applicable only per prompt (if any), please refer to that particular prompt's thread.

Sign-Up for the challenge: here

and...

hint: you may want collect some Christmas wrapping paper instead of discarding it ;)

can you give us a sample of what a prompt would look like?

Dee wrote: "can you give us a sample of what a prompt would look like?"

Here's one that's been discarded since we've basically done this with LOST:

"Read books that have been on my TBR forever"

Prompts will be very simple & one-line. I'm sure you'll tackle all 6 with no problems whatsoever!

Tien wrote: "Dee wrote: "can you give us a sample of what a prompt would look like?"

Here's one that's been discarded since we've basically done this with LOST:

"Read books that have been on my TBR forever"

..."

thanks - i figured similar to what we could make up during Pick'n'Mix - but wanted to confirm

Tien, I see in your example post for the first prompt you have put "up to 8 tasks". So is this like Pick'n'Mix where we need to set a certain number of tasks within each prompt?

And as my goal is 5000 pages, close to the same as yours, would I also get 8 tasks?

What about the people who have set their goal as a number of books?

Rosemary wrote: "Tien, I see in your example post for the first prompt you have put "up to 8 tasks". So is this like Pick'n'Mix where we need to set a certain number of tasks within each prompt?

And as my goal is..."

Yikes! I've copied over my PnM format but forgot to take that out... please ignore... there's no limitation to tasks. Sorry for the confusion!

Tien, is there a limit to the number of Monthly Passes that we can earn, eg per month, or per Prompt?

Lagullande wrote: "Tien, is there a limit to the number of Monthly Passes that we can earn, eg per month, or per Prompt?"

Not at all, Lagullande

Fantastic challenge as usual, Tien
I think, however, that I'm going to skip it and finish up the Pick n Mix from last year as I still have outstanding books and prompts.

Hope everyone enjoys the challenge!

Lauren wrote: "Fantastic challenge as usual, Tien
I think, however, that I'm going to skip it and finish up the Pick n Mix from last year as I still have outstanding books and prompts.

Hope everyone enjoys the ..."

aww... you can crossover your pick n mix with this one, Lauren ;p
Just set a lower goal this year lol

Lauren wrote: "I think, however, that I'm going to skip it and finish up the Pick n Mix from last year as I still have outstanding books and prompts."

Tien wrote: "aww... you can crossover your pick n mix with this one, Lauren. Just set a lower goal this year lol"

Lauren, I am so far behind on Pick n Mix and felt the same as you. However, I cannot pass up a challenge and so set my goal for this one at 5 books. And, I have seen one participant set a goal for 2 books. Rethink, please, and consider joining in.

Tien wrote: ""aww... you can crossover your pick n mix with this one, Lauren. Just set a lower goal this year lol"

I was going to try and finish my remaining Pick'n'Mix stages too. But does this mean that it's not ok to use the same book for both Pick'n'Mix AND Just Read It?

Lagullande wrote: "Tien wrote: ""aww... you can crossover your pick n mix with this one, Lauren. Just set a lower goal this year lol"

I was going to try and finish my remaining Pick'n'Mix stages too. But does this m..."

Of course not! They are separate games. Crossover is fine between games.

Tien wrote: "Just set a lower goal this year lol.."

Yeah! I totally overdid my goal for PnM, lol!

Bea wrote: " And, I have seen one participant set a goal for 2 books. Rethink, please, and consider joining in.."

Ok I'm in. I can't resist these challenges either. I will set my goal low so I can fit in the PnM books too.

Bea wrote: "They are separate games. Crossover is fine between games"

Oh, good. Thanks, Bea. I thought it was probably ok, but just wanted to check I had interpreted correctly.

Lauren wrote: "Bea wrote: " And, I have seen one participant set a goal for 2 books. Rethink, please, and consider joining in.."

Ok I'm in. I can't resist these challenges either. I will set my goal low so I can..."

Yay!!

mutters: I think I overdid my goal for this challenge...

If I started a book before a matching prompt was announced but finished after and am I able to use it?

Do we have to wait with reading for the new prompt until the next month?

Christina and Lusie, Tien is away this weekend. She will respond upon her return.

Thanks Bea

Tien, could please take a look at Christina's and my question from post 19 and 20? Thanks in advance

Bea wrote: "Christina and Lusie, Tien is away this weekend. She will respond upon her return."

No problem. Thanks!

My apologies, I sent my laptop in for repairs and it's been difficult getting a turn on the PC at home!

Yes, you'll have to wait for month to start before reading for new prompt and therefore follow on that you cannot use the book you've started reading before prompt has been announced (even if you finished after that).

Thanks Tien!

Okie dokie. Thanks.

Our first Read-a-Thon starts Sunday, 23rd Feb!!

You can find the thread here

The first Mini Challenge has been announced & to start March 1st: Blind Date

Quick question, I set a challenge of 10 books per prompt. Not read very much but that is OK. However, some of the books I have picked for each prompt I don't feel like reading now. Can I swap them out or do I have to stick with the books picked?

you can swap them, Anna

Thanks Lusie!

are we going to do a 2021 version of this?

Ha! You always ask that question no matter what annual challenge we do, Dee, lol. And the answer is always the same, we've got something cookin' but it's not JRI!

Worry not, it'll still be just as flexible ;)

in my defense i didn't ask about bookopoly ;)

lol Dee

Dee wrote: "in my defense i didn't ask about bookopoly ;)"

Ha! Probably because I've already said there will be a new one, last month 😆