Historical Fictionistas discussion

Hi all! So, we had an extra month in which we had no challenge, and we came up with something a bit different from our other challenges.

The goal of this challenge is to try to read through some of those books on your TBR shelves that have been sitting for a while.

Please read through the rules and info and let me know if you have any questions about how this challenge will work... and then sign up! You have until March 31st to sign up and select your book list and order. :)
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April TBR Challenge

** Sign ups: Participants must sign up and provide their book list before 12:00am EST April 1st, 2012. Only those who have signed up and posted their lists by March 31st 11:59pm EST will be able to participate in this challenge.

** There will be ONE opportunity to re-arrange your unread book list on April 15th. Aside from this date, book lists cannot be changed after April 1st. Choose wisely! ;)

** All points must be reported by 11:59pm EST on April 30, 2012 to be counted.

RULES:
1) Books must be at least 200 pages long.

2) The first book used for the challenge should be started on or after April 1st.

3) Audiobooks are accepted.

4) Re-reads are NOT permitted for this challenge.

5) There is no genre requirement for this challenge, except the 100 point Bonus task, which must be HF.

6) ALL page counts, regardless of edition or version read, will be determined by the most popular edition of the book on Goodreads.

SCORING / HOW IT WORKS:
1) At time of sign-up, each participant will select 20 books from their own To-Read list on Goodreads. Any variation of a To-Read shelf will count, including Wishlist. There is NO genre requirement for these books.

Books will be ordered from 1-20, and their placement will determine their point value. Examples: A book in the #1 place will receive 1 point when done, a book in the #20 spot will receive 20 points, etc.

Tip: Order books that you are most likely to read in the higher value spots to earn higher scores. :)

2) Bonus Task: Choose one HF book from EACH of Jackie and Becky's TBR lists that you have not read, and read both books.
To earn this bonus, at least 5 of your OWN books must be completed, and one HF book from each of Jackie and Becky's TBRs must be completed. Once ALL 7 books are read, 100 points will be awarded.

You can read in any order you like, but points will not be awarded until all 5 of your own books and both bonus HF books are completed.

**Bonus book choices do not need to be chosen by April 1 and these can be changed at any time. ONLY the list of 20 books from your own To-Read list need to be selected by April 1. **

Jackie's To-Read shelf:
To Read

My To-Read shelves:
To Read (Owned to read)
Wishlist (Books I don't yet own but want to read)
To Read - Nook (Have on my Nook to Read)
Books I want to read in 2012
To Read Soon (Priority)

3) Partial points will NOT be awarded for partially read books.

4) Bonus points will be awarded based on the length of each book read, as follows:
200 to 300 pages = 2 bonus points
301 to 500 pages = 4 bonus points
501 to 750 pages = 6 bonus points
751 to 1,000 pages = 8 bonus points
1,000+ = 10 bonus points

5) You will receive 1 additional bonus point for every HF book read. Please be sure to list that the book is HF to make sure that the additional points are counted. WE WILL NOT AWARD HF POINTS IF IT IS NOT REPORTED.

6) Review point: Write and link to your review of the books you read for an additional 5 points.

7) NEW! Featured Author Bonus points: If you read the current Featured Author group read selection, and participate in the discussion, an additional 20 points will be awarded.

Here's an example of how it will look when reported:

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
#15 spot - 15 points
664 pages - 6 points
HF - 1 point
Review - 5 points
Link to review: http//www.review.link.example
Total - 27 points

Let me know if you have any questions regarding this!

Do the books have to have been on our TBR for any certain length of time? I am working on my list and co-ordinating it with my seasonal challenge list.

Nope - not for this one. Any books on your TBR before April 1 will work.

I like this challenge and I will work on my list.

Is this just for the month of April? I'm afraid that I don't think I can read 20 books in a month and then another two from Becky and Jackie's list.

Also, can you begin by reading your 20th placed book so this is the first one you will report and get 20 plus points.

Oooo...I like this one. I'll sign up.

Nancy wrote: "Is this just for the month of April? I'm afraid that I don't think I can read 20 books in a month and then another two from Becky and Jackie's list.

Also, can you begin by reading your 20th pla..."

I don't think I'd be able to either, but there are some who read that, so I did want to make it somewhat of a challenge.

But yes, you can read in any order you like. :)

OK and thanks for the answer. There have been months when I've read over 20 books but I doubt I could do it now with my other activities. And as you said this is a challenge sooooo. I will try to read as much as I can. And naturally this will help all of us to clear those shelves.

Does this have to be books that you already own? I know that's the intent, but I place books on my TBR that I run across and sound interesting. I also use GR TBR for planning out my challenges.

Do we have to own the bonus HF reads or just plan before April 1 which ones we want to read?

This is a very original challenge. I certainly won't be at a loss for TBR books to add!

JoLene, no, the books do not have to be owned, just books that you've added to GR and intend to read someday. The goal is the move that "someday" up to April. ;)

Interesting challenge. Where will we post the 20 books? And I would assume they will have to be posted sometime before April 1?

This is a great challenge....my TBR seems unmanageable at times...LOL

Linda, you'd post them here, and there will be a scoring thread for reporting later.

And yes, they'd need to be set by April 1. I set the cut off for joining this time because I wanted to avoid having to verify dozens of book TBR dates at the end of the challenge.

If this catches on, we might move it into challenge rotation! ;)

Ok - I do want to sign up and understand that by Mar. 31st I have to submit my list of 20 titles I plan to read. Now, I don't have a TBR shelf with Good Reads that I know about so should I enter these books once I choose them and secondly how do I find Jackie and Becky's TBR shelves. Should I include these two books with my April 1st list.

Hi Nancy - Sorry, I should be clear. When I say "TBR" I just mean any shelf with books you want to read on it. TBR = To Be Read.

You have a To-Read shelf with 61 books on it: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

You can add books you want to read to this shelf and count them for the challenge, as long as the "final" list is posted here by March 31st.

Jackie's To-Read shelf:
To Read

My To-Read shelves:
To Read (Owned to read)
Wishlist (Books I don't yet own but want to read)
To Read - Nook (Have on my Nook to Read)
Books I want to read in 2012
To Read Soon (Priority)

And no, the bonus books would not need to be included with the list.

I'll edit to make that clear.

Sorry... this is new to me too! Trial and error! :)

Becky, do we have a standard definition of what would qualify for the HF bonus?

I read a lot of stuff with overlapping or crossing genres.

Hmm... Not really, but I should probably come up with one. The only criteria that we've been using is that the book setting must be at least 50 years in the past from when the book was written.

But since you mention cross genre, pretty much everything that is set in this world, with realistic historical or period settings or people, that doesn't include any fantasy or speculative traits would be OK. No dragons, no werewolves, or fairies, etc. No steampunk. No alternative history.

Does that help?

Yes, it helps (and eliminates most of the ones I had marked with a "?" LOL).

But that's cool. I'll still read whatever, so it's just whether or not to score that extra HF point or not.

LOL Sorry!

When we do our list, should we link the books? With or without covers? Know what I mean?

I am still wondering about this one: Lord of the Silver Bow.

It's based on the Trojan War, but I can't see from that whether or not the gods are directly involved.

I'd like to read a book with no page length, as it is only in ebook format.
Cassidy Jones and Vulcan's Gift
Would this count and how would I handle word count?

Holly wrote: "I'd like to read a book with no page length, as it is only in ebook format.
Cassidy Jones and Vulcan's Gift
Would this count and how would I handle word count?"

Hmmm... Well. If you know the word count, we can work with that, and figure out what the page count should be. The first book in the series looks like it had a 315ish page PB edition, but the second book is only ebook, and I couldn't find a single word/page count anywhere. Amazon, B&N, the author's site, the publisher's site or Google.

If there's no page count (or a word count that we could use to try to figure one out) I can't allow it, sorry. :(

On the plus side, there's 30 days to find one! :P

Chris, lots of people have yours shelved as fantasy... but I just read through about 15 different reviews and I can't figure out why, except that maybe they refer to mythological characters like Odysseus? No mention of supernatural or paranormal beings or anything like that... it seems like a character based adventure/war story.

I'll allow it.

Becky wrote: "Holly wrote: "I'd like to read a book with no page length, as it is only in ebook format.
Cassidy Jones and Vulcan's Gift
Would this count and how would I handle word count?"

Hmmm..."
OK, thanks!

Becky wrote: "Chris, lots of people have yours shelved as fantasy... but I just read through about 15 different reviews and I can't figure out why, except that maybe they refer to mythological characters like Od..."

I'm thinking that's a good call. I'm sure lots have it as fantasy not only for the mythology aspects, but for the fact that Gemmell is known as a fantasy author.

From the descriptions and what I've seen on it, I'm thinking it would fall into the same box as Cornwell's Arthur series. That one is based on a legend/myth, but its structure and story is heavily represented by history.

Thanks for looking into that. I know it's a lot of work for a point. Heh. But this kind of question could come up later too...

I agree. :)

See re-posted edited list.

Here's my April challenge reading list. :D I probably won't get to read all of these, or even close, but wouldn't it be nice? *sigh*

20. The Case of the Missing Marquess
19. The Wind Through the Keyhole (Dark Tower #4.5)
18. Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5)
17. The Alloy of Law (Mistborn #4)
16. Elantris
15. The Night Eternal (Strain 3#)
14. Summer Knight (Dresden Files #4)
13. Death Masks (Dresden Files #5)
12. Earth Abides
11. Roadwork
10. The Children of Men
9. True Grit
8. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
7. Mistress of Rome
6. Ready Player One
5. Nefertiti
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1)
3. The Things They Carried
2. Darkly Dreaming Dexter (Dexter #1)
1. Moon Called (Mercedes Thompson #1)

Bonus
Becky's TBR: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Jackie's TBR: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

(As a reminder to all - you don't have to plan your bonus books in advance, but if you'd like to, I won't tell you no! :P )

Becky wrote: "Hi Nancy - Sorry, I should be clear. When I say "TBR" I just mean any shelf with books you want to read on it. TBR = To Be Read.

You have a To-Read shelf with 61 books on it: http://www.goodreads..."

Sorry - I didn't even know I had a shelf with to read books so thanks for letting me know. And thanks for yours and Becky's to read shelves. I will be posting my list after this weekend.

Now, this is Ka....I see a lot of books on that list that are in my tentative queue for this challenge. Hmmm..

Ka#2, my 19-20 is identical. At first I was going to put Wind/Keyhole as the 20, but then thought, "no, it needs to be 19".

Chris wrote: "Ka#2, my 19-20 is identical. At first I was going to put Wind/Keyhole as the 20, but then thought, "no, it needs to be 19". "

LOL I did the same thing.

Why am I not surprised?

Err... Ka?

You say true, Sai.

Proposed April reads for me - definitely will not get to all, but here goes.

20. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
19. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
18. The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
17. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
16. My Ántonia by Willa Cather
15.A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
14. A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder by Karen Spears Zacharias
13. The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad
12. The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew
11. The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy
10. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
9. American Bloomsbury: Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau: Their Lives, Th by Susan Cheever
8. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
7. The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
6. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
5. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
4. Persuasion by Jane Austen
3. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
2. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene B. Sledge
1. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy

Becky's TBRs - The Mummy Caseby Elizabeth Peters

Jackie's TBRs - Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer

What a great challenge idea!!! I've been having a tough go of the current challenge due to my mother's health issues, so it will be catch up on reading some fluff!!! LemonLinda's list intimidates me - now that's a challenge!

Linda, I read the Bookseller of Kabul and the Cellist of Sarajevo.

So we have to declare our list before the start of the April challenge? Now if I read my 15th book first is it worth 15pts or 1pts because it is the first posting?

Although we don't have to "declare" the bonus books, is it okay if the book we select from y'alls list just happens to be on our TBR list as well?

Here's my list:

20. No Mark Upon Her
19. Elegy for Eddie
18. A Burial at Sea
17. The Dark Enquiry
16. Hush Now, Don't You Cry
15. Gone West
14. The Girl On Legare Street
13. A Killer's Christmas in Wales
12. Physical Education
11. Louise's War
10. The Girl Is Murder
9. Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause: A Mystery
8. A Game of Lies
7. Season of Darkness
6. The Bee Balm Murders
5. Next to Love
4. Among the Departed
3. A Mortal Curiosity
2. The Morning Gift
1. Good Night, Mr. Holmes

Jackies Lists - India Black, The Jewel of St. Petersburg or Moloka'i

Becky's Lists - The Kommandant's Girl, Annexed or Witch Child

Can we add books to our to be read list before April 1st so they will qualify. There are several books I really want to read which I never listed.

Okay, here goes. Tentative list.

Duration: 4/1/12 - 4/30/12

0/22

20. The Tea RoseHF (675p)
19. Phoenix Rising (402 p)
18. Chill Factor (337 p)
17. The Widow's War HF (336 p)
16. Heir of Danger (384 p)
15. Shadow Touch (354 p)
14. Caressed By Ice (352 p)
13. In the midnight rain (no pg count)
12. The Lady of the Storm (406 p)
11. Storm's Heart (305 p)
10. Dragon Warrior (no pg count)
9. In the Shadow of Midnight HF (416p)
8. Honor Bound (no pg count)
7. Immortal Sins (377 p)
6. Highlander Unmasked HF (410 p)
5. Castles HF (354 p)
4. True Colors (415 p)
3. Trade Winds HF (384 p)
2. Lady of Hay HF (766 p)
1.A Regimental Murder HF (256 p)

Bonus:
1.Through a Glass Darkly
2.The Heretic Queen

TO READ

Linda - The 2 bonus books have to be HF. I don't think Persuasion would count as HF, since it was contemporary when it was written. Doesn't look like My Antonia would count either, sorry! The description says "First published in 1918, and set in Nebraska in the late 19th century" so it doesn't sound like it would meet the 50 year rule.

Jayme - Yes. You have to declare your list before April 1 to participate in this challenge. The points are determined by where you place the book on your list. So if you read your #20 book first, you'll get 20 points, plus applicable page count, HF points, etc.

Cheryl - yes, that's fine. :)

Nancy - You can use any book from your To-Read shelf, as long as it has been added before March 31st.

Sorry. Will change them later today!

No problem... There's a whole month to decide! :D

Actually, two for the bonus books, since they don't have to be decided ahead of time and can be changed whenever you want. :)

April HF Group TBR Challenge:

20. The Case of the Missing Marquess (HF)
19. The Wind Through the Keyhole
18. The Sword-Edged Blonde
17. The Baker's Boy
16. Little, Big
15. Leviathan Wakes
14. Ready Player One
13. Ghost Story
12. The Mad Ship
11. Ship of Destiny
10. Kitty Goes to War
9. Mostly Harmless
8. Stardust
7. Summer Knight
6. The Rook
5. The Alloy of Law
4. Lord of Emperors
3. Sword Song (HF)
2. Gil's All Fright Diner
1. The Burning Land (HF)

Becky Bonus: The Killer Angels (HF)
Jackie Bonus: Lord of the Silver Bow (HF)