Reading with Style discussion

Post questions about Christmas in Vegas or ask for help finding a book here.

This is great! I just happened to be on at about the moment it was posted, too. I think I know where my free time will go today--Vegas time!

Karen GHHS wrote: "This is great! I just happened to be on at about the moment it was posted, too. I think I know where my free time will go today--Vegas time!"

Lol, damn y'all are fast! Saturday morning is usually so quiet.

I think I like it! But then I haven't tried to make it work yet :)

A question. I do a lot of audio and ebooks, what reference should I be using for number of pages?

nsfancy wrote: "I think I like it! But then I haven't tried to make it work yet :)

A question. I do a lot of audio and ebooks, what reference should I be using for number of pages?"

For ebooks, use the number of ebook pages. For audio-books, use the most popular (print) version, in the language in which you read it, of the book.

Part of the strategy of CiV is choosing your edition wisely, as page number can vary quite a bit!

So for Case Histories, the audio book is 310 pages and the ebook (kindle) is 320 pages, both of which fall into the 301-340/701-740 category.

Just remember with audio books: some of them are abridged versions. They are not against the rules, but be sure to compare your abridged audio book with an abridged print book. If there is no abridged print version, you might want to consider using a different book.

Gah, I won't be at home for a few hours and I want to start planning now! Woe is me!

Great challenge, guys!

So the first book we read is counted for 15.1 and it is worth 15 points. The next book we read is counted for 15.2 and is worth 20 points, etc?

That's it exactly, Jayme! Getting the right combination of books is the battle!

Books on my Kindle don't give page numbers. Just the percentage read.

Do we have to do them in any certain order? Like go down the author list in alphabetical order?

Some ebooks/Kindle books have pages and some don't. When you don't have page numbers, you will need to refer to a print book.

Rebekah wrote: "Do we have to do them in any certain order? Like go down the author list in alphabetical order?"

No. Books can be read in any order.

So you can go for the biggest points first?

The first book you read will count 15 points, the 2nd book will count 20 points, etc. on the posted point scale. The hard part is finding books that will fit after you've crossed off several of the options on the "wheels" of the slot machine. Because it is harder to find books after some of the options have been crossed off, you will get more points for reading them.

Books before 1892 or of more than 900 pages fall into those categories, correct?

Denae wrote: "Books before 1892 or of more than 900 pages fall into those categories, correct?"

No, Denae. Books before 1892 will have to be used for other tasks as will books greater than 900 pages.

Out of sheer curiosity, why 11 year intervals?

Denae wrote: "Out of sheer curiosity, why 11 year intervals?"

I think they're actually 12 year intervals, except for the first one which is 13 years.

The first is 12 then they go to 11, but in either case, why the atypical interval? I'm always curious what goes into these types of decisions, such as the decision for the 25 year mark to allow 1984, etc.

ETA: I just realized why I was miscounting the years, but it's still a fairly bizarre interval, particularly given the change at the older end.

1892-1904 is 13 years - you don't just subtract one from the other as the first year also counts, then the number of years is 12. (Liz can better answer this, but I suspect it has something to do with our needing to include 2012.)

We had to play with some of these; the 40 page breakdown wasn't the first choice, but seemed to work.

You were posting as I was editing about the number of years. Regardless, I still don't understand the underlying logic to the categories since I assume they weren't picked with specific books already in mind.

Denae wrote: "You were posting as I was editing about the number of years. Regardless, I still don't understand the underlying logic to the categories since I assume they weren't picked with specific books alrea..."

No, no books were in mind about this. To get 10 books is fairly difficult, as Liz and I both have learned. Making the intervals (for both publication date and page numbers) wider or narrower might well have increased the difficulty.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: " "No, no books were in mind about this. To get 10 books is fairly difficult, as Liz and I both have learned. "

Elizabeth, you are not exaggerating about the difficulty involved! :oD But after spending a good chunk of the morning on it, I think I have my books selected. I was quite proud of myself when I was done. :o)

Cait wrote: "I was quite proud of myself when I was done. :o) "

It's a sense of accomplishment that does everything to make me anxious to read the specific books selected!

Denae wrote: "You were posting as I was editing about the number of years. Regardless, I still don't understand the underlying logic to the categories since I assume they weren't picked with specific books alrea..."

Originally, the third wheel was genre...but after discussing it, publication year seemed to be the better option. When I was thinking about what the date ranges would be, I was thinking of what round number to use and how the years would be uneven since 2011 isn't a nice, round numbers itself to start with. Then, I remembered that the challenge mostly occurs during 2012, and I didn't want to discount books published in Jan. and Feb. After all that, knowing whatever range we picked was going to make for some odd options, I just went with 12 years since that at least makes 2001-2012 look nice and even.

And that's how we make the sausage. (Or doughnuts.)

*zombie voice* Time to make the doughnuts :)

Sam wrote: "Denae wrote: "You were posting as I was editing about the number of years. Regardless, I still don't understand the underlying logic to the categories since I assume they weren't picked with specif..."

Thank you! I was just confused when I couldn't figure it out. Asking was just a great way of putting off exporting and starting the filter/sort process.

Incidentally, for anyone who's either lazy like me or has far too many books on their list like me, I recommend exporting & using a spreadsheet to filter out time ranges, page ranges (although that's incredibly buggy since they don't have numbers in as a value Open Office recognizes as numerical) or author last name ranges. Makes it much simpler.

I don't see anything about Lexile scores here. The Call of the Wild gets 670, but of course there are no style points here. Can I use it?

Under the Page Number slots, do the two sets of page requirements mean either/or?

Rebekah wrote: "Under the Page Number slots, do the two sets of page requirements mean either/or?"

Denae wrote: "I don't see anything about Lexile scores here. The Call of the Wild gets 670, but of course there are no style points here. Can I use it?"

Yes. You can always use books for any task where the lexile is below 700, you just don't get the style points. And, of course, no style points in CiV anyway.

Rebekah wrote: "Under the Page Number slots, do the two sets of page requirements mean either/or?"

Yes, you will see that the page ranges do not overlap and this gives you some leeway. But remember, you cannot duplicate any of the criteria, so you couldn't use both 101-140 and 501-540 - only one of the ranges.

I think I've got it planned out. I just have to finalize some page numbers for the ones I'm getting from the library since I don't know which editions they have. That was the trickiest part for me.

On non-fiction books, do you count the total number of pages including Appendices, Notes, index, etc. or just the text part that I would actually read? I am looking at an extreme example Eden Within Eden: Oregon’s Utopian Heritage. The text is 186 pages but the entire book is 370.

itpdx wrote: "On non-fiction books, do you count the total number of pages including Appendices, Notes, index, etc. or just the text part that I would actually read? I am looking at an extreme example [book:Eden..."

Good question. For fiction & unless told otherwise for non-fiction, I have to use the goodreads page number. For non-fiction, I'll allow you to use the pages read as you described above. So, when claiming points, post something like this:

15.1 - Eden Within Eden: Oregon’s Utopian Heritage, by J. Kopp, 186 pgs (excluding appendices, notes, index), pub. 2009
i-j-k, 181-220, 2001-2012

Is there an app for this?? LOL

Tobey wrote: "Is there an app for this?? LOL"

ROFL! Is that right for rolling on the floor laughing?

itpdx wrote: "Tobey wrote: "Is there an app for this?? LOL"

ROFL! Is that right for rolling on the floor laughing?"

Oh I wish there was an app for scorekeeping, but unfortunately, I think the only option is something called Liz M ;)

An app for scorekeeping would be cool.

Would you accept Teleny or the Reverse of the Medal as being by Oscar Wilde, even though it's only "believed to be by Oscar Wilde, possibly with several others chipping in"?

I think I have a plan...

Liz M wrote: "itpdx wrote: "Tobey wrote: "Is there an app for this?? LOL"

ROFL! Is that right for rolling on the floor laughing?"

Oh I wish there was an app for scorekeeping, but unfortunately, I think the on..."

Want me to take over for you in scorekeeping? LOL

Wow, what a devilishly-good task group :0). I think I have a set of 10 books that will fit .... but if I change even one book it cascades through all the categories. The earlier years had more limited choices, and so did the larger pagecounts. Now I want to start reading for this task but I'll be good and wait until next week. (Besides, I still have a few more books to go for THIS challenge.)

I agree, Deedee - hard to wait for the next challenge! I still need to wrap up this one and plan the next one! I think I'm going to try to tackle the CiV tasks first. I'd hate to use a book for a RwS task that would have been a perfect fit in CiV. Oh, the fun! Great task!

Okay -- now that I'm finally getting down to planning my CiV books, I just want to double check how to determine the page numbers for unabridged audiobooks.

By "the most popular (print) version" do you mean the version with the most ratings?

I love my audiobooks. I'd hate to get too far down the planning path only to find out I was using the wrong page count for them. Thanks! -K

Krista wrote: "Okay -- now that I'm finally getting down to planning my CiV books, I just want to double check how to determine the page numbers for unabridged audiobooks.

By "the most popular (print) version" do you mean the version with the most ratings?..."

Yes. When you search for a title & then click on a link that takes you to the editions page, it is whichever print version is listed first (in the language in which you read the book).

For example, The most popular English print version of To Kill A Mockingbird has 323 pages. The second most popular version has 281 pages. The most popular Arabic print edition has 570 pages.

Are we o.k. just using "the most popular version" page count? I thought I saw people adjusting their lists based on library offerings, but so far I'm planning based on the goodreads page count and hoping that when I get an actual book in my hands it doesn't bump it up or down a level.

(So far the longest list I've been able to generate has only 7 books and the books I've picked to start the challenge are in the 20 point tasks. I'm not putting myself on a Thursday deadline to have the CiV in order. )

Leigh, you need to use the page count of the edition you actually read. The reference above to "most popular page count" has to do with audio books, which don't have page numbers.

Maybe I'll re-think my strategy then and try it all in one glorious run when I know which editions of what books are available at the library and whether Santa brings me an e-reader for Xmas. :)

Is your library catalog online? I am lucky that mine lists the page count of the edition they have shelved. I know some of you have to get on a wait list for some books. I can also get on a list or put a book on hold while online.

Mine does, and I adore it. My nearest branch even has a drive-thru for picking up holds that I love it with an unnatural passion (I have small children). But... I'm not 100% sure that I get the same edition of the book that shows up in the catalog. I've honestly never had a reason to check, but I feel like when I've put a hold that I've not always gotten the edition that matches the picture on-line. I'm in a lovely, large system with many branches, so its likely that there are multiple editions in the library system if not the on-line system.

Its not an insurmountable problem for CiV just a complication. Actually, its extremely unlikely that I'll pull off 30 books in any 3 month period. But, if it were to happen, I'd bet it'd be a winter challenge. Nothing like a good snow day.

Your library has a drive-thru? LOL - what a luxury! I live in a small town, with one location, and, trust me, there is absolutely zero room for a drive-thru. (But it does have a nice little sitting area where you can look at the salmon creek.) I'm sure I get the edition listed online, because rarely does the library have more than one copy of the book of interest.