The Challenge Factory discussion

For this challenge you will need to read one book a week.

Each week the moderator will announce the Word of the Week. The WotW will have four letters. Each team member will choose one of the four letters. That letter will determine the book they will read that week. You can use the first word of the title (excluding 'a', 'an', or 'the'), or the author's first, middle, or last initial.

There will also be a BONUS Word of the Week. (BWotW)

Example:
The WotW is 'BOAT'. You pick the letter 'A'. You decide to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

If you find both the WotW and the BWotW in the text of the book, you will earn the Scrabble point value of the letter and a point for each of the found words. In this example, A is worth 1 point, plus 2 points for the two found words for a total of 3 points.

WotW and BWotW will be announced each Monday morning.


Rules, Teams with less than 4 players, Missing Players, and Captain's Duties

Rules:
* You cannot begin reading your book until Wednesday morning (12:01 a.m.) your time.
* Books must be 140+ pages. Audio book page length is determined by the first paper version that shows up.
* Graphic novels and poetry books are allowed, but they must be 250+ pages.

Teams with less than 4 players and Missing Players:
If a team has fewer assigned members than four, one member will need to read an second book. That member may change from week to week.

If a team member has an emergency or has scheduled an absence, a team member can read 2 books that week so that the team will not lose points.

A team member can have one unplanned absence one without repercussions. When they miss a second week, they will eliminated from the team. In the case of an unplanned absence, a team member cannot read a second book.

Captain's Duties:
* Double check your team members' Completion Posts to verify compliance to the rules and tasks.
* Captains will need to post on the Reporting Thread when everyone in their team has made a Completion Post. That entails one post with a copy of or link to each member's Completion Post.
*Report any problems, concerns, missing players, etc. to the moderator.

Sample Completion Post:
If the WotW is Coat, and the BWotW is Chair:

Completion Post:
Coat & Chair Week:
My Letter: C
Book: Charlotte's Web
Read: 6/20/22
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Review: (At least 3 sentences long, please.)

Bonus Items and Points:
Coat: "...his silky white coat..." p. 136
Chair: not found in the text

Total: C = 3; 3 + 1 = 4 points

Team Members:

lorii - Captain
Namita
Linda
Alicia

Hey everyone!! Checking in.

Hi,
Checking-in

Hi there! Checking in.

Linda, I sent you a friend request 😊

Got it and approved it

Just woke up and we are Team Vancouver, cool - We were supposed to visit Eastern Canada in September of 2020 but COVID, did away with that. We are now planning for September next year.

We are given a 4 letter word and we each choose a letter.

You can use the first word of the title (excluding 'a', 'an', or 'the'), or the author's first, middle, or last initial.

Option 1. first come first pick of the letters (4th person gets no choice - stuck with letter left)???

Option 2 - do we want to be super organised and have say

Week 1
Alicia - first letter
Linda - second letter
Namita- third letter
lorii - fourth

Week two
Alicia - fourth
linda - first
namita - second
lorii - third etc etc

I kind of like the rotation option. Because of our being in differing time zones the same people may always be online when the word is announced. The rotation seems like it would be more random.

If after a couple of words we want to try the other way, we can always change.

I agree, I like the rotation too.

Week one's words are: WofW - Belt, BWofW - Carpet

I like the rotation idea.

Alicia gets first pick this week. Have at it Alicia!!

I know we were going to rotate but I just started a book that starts with L!!

Could I have L please?

Namita wrote: "I know we were going to rotate but I just started a book that starts with L!!"

You cannot begin reading until Wednesday morning 12:01 a.m. your time :(

Lanelle wrote: "Namita wrote: "I know we were going to rotate but I just started a book that starts with L!!"

You cannot begin reading until Wednesday morning 12:01 a.m. your time :("

Oh shucks!! Well than, I don't want L....LOL

Namita wrote: "Oh shucks!! Well than, I don't want L....LOL"

:D

Namita, if we do the rotation as it is listed in msg 10 option 2 - week 1 then this is the way it would look

Week 1
Alicia - first letter - B (3 points-letter value)
Linda - second letter - E (1 point-letter value)
Namita- third letter - L (1 point-letter value)
lorii - fourth - T (1 point-letter value)

You can use the first word of the title (excluding 'a', 'an', or 'the'), or the author's first, middle, or last initial.

If you find Belt in text add 1 point and if you find Carpet also in text then you can add another point to your letter score.

I think I've got that right.

Namita, if you really don't want L we could change the order now before we start.
But if we are going to do the rotation, once the change is made we need to stick with whatever order we decide so we can move the names through the places each week.

Linda C wrote: "Namita, if you really don't want L we could change the order now before we start.
But if we are going to do the rotation, once the change is made we need to stick with whatever order we decide so ..."

No, I'm good!!

I was thinking that when a person gets first pick they could pick any letter!!

But that's not what we are doing. I didn't realize we weren't picking letters period!!

good morning all.
I hadn't thought of the option of first pick of any letter.

So seeing as we want time to pick a book, especially as we are looking at words in the text as well for maximum points, this week let's go with option 2

And then during the week we can decide if we want to try Option 3 with Linda picking first for next week, which I must say I quite like the sound of.

Linda C wrote: "Namita, if we do the rotation as it is listed in msg 10 option 2 - week 1 then this is the way it would look

Week 1
Alicia - first letter - B (3 points-letter value)
Linda - second letter - E (1 p..."

Yes that would make a maximum of 14 points for the round.

Loriidae wrote: "good morning all.
I hadn't thought of the option of first pick of any letter.

So seeing as we want time to pick a book, especially as we are looking at words in the text as well for maximum poin..."

I'm good with Option 2!!

Going to look for the WoW and BWoW in the text!!

Do we need to do Selection Posts? or just completion posts?

Linda C wrote: "Do we need to do Selection Posts? or just completion posts?"

Just completion in full with review, but I do think an informal selection post of "I am thinking of reading xxxx by xxx" often generates chat between players.

Selection Post:

Book: Hot House by Lisa Towles - found both words in the text!!

selection post
Book: Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep

the first "T" book I looked at and it has both words :)

Selection Post:

Trouble on the Doorstep - Elaine Orr

Has author first name E and both words in text

Selection Post:

Better off Dead by Lee Child

Title, and both words in the text

Team Vancouver
Week 1: Belt and Carpet

Alicia: B Better off Dead by Lee Child WotW - Y; BWotW - Y Review Points: 5
Linda: E Trouble on the Doorstep by Elaine Orr WotW - Y; BWotW - Y Review Points: 3
Namita: L Hot House by Lisa Towles WotW - Y; BWotW - Y Review Points: 3
lorii: T Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep WotW - Y; BWotW - Y Review Points: 3

- - -

Total Points Accumulated: 14
Total Points this week: 14

Completion Time is 11.59 Tuesday - Your time.

Loriidae wrote: "Completion Time is 11.59 Tuesday - Your time."

Every Tuesday?

Namita wrote: "Loriidae wrote: "Completion Time is 11.59 Tuesday - Your time."

Every Tuesday?"

Yes, we cannot begin reading until Wednesday 12.01 am your time and then the book is to be completed and reviewed by Tuesday 11.59 pm. each week. I will then complete and post in the reporting thread the next day.

Completion Post:

Belt & Carpet Week:
My Letter: L
Book: Hot House by Lisa Towles
Date Read: 6/9/22
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Review:
Hot House is the first book in the E&A Investigations series. I went in blind and was pleasantly surprised. The fact that this is a series and I’m going to keep reading about the fabulous cast of characters.

The mystery is solid. It teases with a bit of espionage and intelligence which in turn made it a great read!!

Bonus Items and Points:
Belt: "...my companion unclasped his seat belt.." Loc. 190
Carpet: "...odd, dark stain on the carpet." Loc. 890

Total: 3 points

Completion Post:

Belt & Carpet Week:
My Letter: E
Book: Trouble on the Doorstep - Elaine Orr
Date Read: 6/10/22
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Review: Jolie is handling the B&B and Harry's appraisals while they are away on their honeymoon. A sobbing woman, Pooki, appears at the B&B one night looking for a temporary hide out. Jolie manages to get her settled and contacts the police only to hear about a hit and run death of the woman's husband's business partner. When the husband later arrives and is later murdered at the B&B Jolie starts nosing around against everyone's advise. I'm getting a little tired of this format where everyone in the mystery tells the MC to stop getting involved and she goes right ahead and does stupid stuff. I like several of the side characters here and that is why I have read as many as I have in the series.

Bonus Items and Points:
Belt: "she took her phone off her belt..." - p. 137
Carpet: "The carpet was thick..." - p. 85

Total: 3 points

Completion Post:

Belt & Carpet Week:
My Letter: B
Book: Better off Dead by Lee Child
Date Read: 6/11/22
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
I always enjoy diving back into another Jack Reacher book. He's definitely one of the "unsung hero" types who quietly kicks butt and goes on his way. This one was pretty good, a little dry in spots where the descriptions of the town or the desert just seemed to drag on a bit. But the plot was solid and of course, the ending was stellar.

Bonus Items and Points:
Belt: "The barrel was still trapped by his belt." pg 23
Carpet: "Under the carpet and around the spare wheel." pg 127

Total: 3 + 1 + 1 = 5 points

*psst* Alicia. Bs are worth 3 points. Your total should be 3 + 1 + 1 = 5.

Lanelle wrote: "*psst* Alicia. Bs are worth 3 points. Your total should be 3 + 1 + 1 = 5."

LOL thanks Lanelle! 🤭

Completion Post:
Belt & Carpet Week:
My Letter: T

Book: Tear Down the Throne
Author: Jennifer Estep
Pages: 464
Date Read: Jun 10 ★★★★✰

Review:
This slow burn enemies to lovers romantic fantasy, continues from where book #2 left off. Gemma is still struggling to be seen as more than a frivolous princess while at the same time learning to control her particular brand of magic that she has willingly suppressed by wearing a magic dampening pendant all her life. Added to this is her attraction to the neighbouring prince son of her realm's mortal enemy. Together, Gemma and Leo thwart assassination attempts while trying to unravel the evil plot that Leo’s brother and mother have hatched. An enjoyable easy read, without the repetition that has annoyed me in the author's previous urban-fantasy series (elemental assassin).

Bonus Items and Points:
Belt: “…weapons belt….” 4%
Carpet: “the gray carpet transformed into a green lawn…” 20%

Total: T = 1; 1 + 2 = 3 points

Thanks everyone, I will check us in later today.

Week Two's words are: WofW - Wage, BWofW - Barn

I have been thinking:, if we stick with the rotation idea, there is nothing to stop two team members agreeing to swap if the other person's letter suits them better.

Wage and Barn Week

Team Vancouver
Total Points Accumulated: 14 + 16 = 30
Week Two: Wage and Barn

Linda: W (4) Dead Shot by Wendy M. Wilson WotW - Y; BWotW - Y Review Total: 6
Namita: A (1)A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong WotW - Y; BWotW - Y Review Total: 3
lorii: G (2) Thread of Fear by Laura Griffin WotW - Y; BWotW - Y Review Total: 4
Alicia: E (1) Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong WotW - Y; BWotW - Y Review Total: 3

- - -

Total Points this week: 16

Loriidae wrote: "I have been thinking:, if we stick with the rotation idea, there is nothing to stop two team members agreeing to swap if the other person's letter suits them better."

Sounds good to me!!

Selection Post- Week 2

Letter: A
Book: A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

Both words in the book!

Selection Post - Week 2

Letter: W
Book: Dead Shot - Wendy M. Wilson
Pages: 264

Both words in book

I'm still trying to find an E book that has both words in it. Hopefully I can find one today.

AliciaJ wrote: "I'm still trying to find an E book that has both words in it. Hopefully I can find one today."

All good Alicia, I am doing the same with G ....

WooHOO! Success! Finally found one. 😁