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Post by windysisters on Sept 17, 2018 12:00:51 GMT
Now that we approach the final quarter of the year, I'm giving some thought about next year's 40 Book Challenge categories.
I've got a few ideas for new categories but if anyone has any suggestions then feel free to post them here and I can add them to the list of possibilities.
New categories are always welcome but of course this means that some have to be removed, so I'd also like to know which ones you have truly struggled with or which you have done but probably couldn't manage again, or any that you are bored with.
Quite a few participants this year finished the challenge very quickly. Now there are no plans to make the categories more difficult or to increase the number (not everyone who takes part is a prolific reader and 40 is judged to be the optimum figure). However, I wonder if those members who finished this year's challenge quickly would like say an extra 10 categories? They could be listed as "40-Challenge Extra" so that the main challenge would remain but give those intrepid challengers something to get their teeth into? - All comments gratefully received!
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Post by rosemary3 on Sept 17, 2018 15:41:55 GMT
Oooh, thanks, Wendy! It's fun to have a chance to think of more categories I'll have a think about that. Meanwhile, the only one I really struggled with was "A book written by someone famous for something other than being an author". I don't read a lot of autobiographies or celebrity books. I did find a couple of possibles in the end though, so it was doable. "Set in your own county" is the one I still haven't done. It shouldn't be hard living in Oxford, and I do have a book for it that I just haven't got round to reading yet, but I think it was a tough task for some people, and much easier for some people than others. If we had an extra 10, I would consider it a 50 book challenge. I wouldn't do the first 40 then the extra 10 (unless they were super-difficult categories), I'd treat them all the same. I think it might be best to leave it at 40 so that everyone has a good chance to complete it? I quite like having a challenge I can finish early (although I have really dragged my heels with the last few categories this year). People who are super-keen could always do it twice, i.e. read two books for every category
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Post by elliej84 on Sept 17, 2018 17:53:32 GMT
Set in your own county - out out out - what an evil genius you are Wendy!
I like it as 40BC but I like the idea of extras although as Rosemary said I would then just treat it as a 50BC as I cannot resist doing the extra.
May put some diverse or LGBT themes in? Or indie press?
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Post by pennylane on Sept 17, 2018 20:44:14 GMT
It may be good to have a 'bolt on' 10 categories for those who wish to continue (not sure if I would it would depend if they fitted those books on my tbr bookcase) Agree with previous posts with the inclusion of LGBTQ and or a YA one maybe and getting shot of the "A book written by someone famous for something other than being an author" one I quite liked the 'non human character' one from last year and I'd like the inclusion of a fantasy themed book too but I know a lot of you don't read sci-fi or fantasy. Here are a few ideas - A book published posthumously A book about nature A book about or set at Halloween A book you regret not reading last year A book from an independent publisher A collection of short stories An author’s debut book A book inspired by mythology or folklore A book with a character’s name in the title A book that has been banned A classic you have been meaning to read A novel set in the woods A novel featuring food you have not tried A novel involving a train ride A novel involving ghosts A novel involving a plane ride A novel set in a snow land A novel featuring a garden A novel set in a museum A novel involving an escape A novel set underground or underwater A novel involving a road trip Yes I poached most of these from various places
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Post by janetandjohn on Sept 17, 2018 21:13:08 GMT
I think I would ditch "a library book", as many members do a lot of library book reading anyway, and it would give you an extra slot! By the way, Wendy, thank you so much for organising this. I love doing it!!
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Post by adelynechan on Sept 17, 2018 22:01:55 GMT
I second dropping the library book but for the converse reason: that I don't really have access to the library these days! Also like the idea of the debut novel, which could potentially be combined with this year's "A book by an author you’ve never read before".
Instead of having a 40BC with 10 extra categories, maybe there could be "level ups" on 10 of the 40? e.g.
7. "A book with more than one narrator (level up: A book with more than one narrator, two of whom are married to each other")
23. "A book with a colour in the title (level up: A book with a primary colour in the title") or
40. "A book involving travel (level up: A book involving travel to somewhere you've visited)"
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Post by natsplatt on Sept 18, 2018 6:58:30 GMT
I've no real suggestions! I'm not sure I'm going to complete this year, despite reading 39 books so far, I've had quite a few that just don't fit in some categories (or rather they do, but they fit in ones I've already done, lol!) I'm pretty sure I've got books that do fit all of them on my TBR, it's just a case of whether I will have time to fit them all in, as out of the next 4 books I'm intending to read, only 2 of them fit into any of the 12 categories I have left empty!! So, unless I manage to have a really fast reading buzz at the end of the year, I think I will not quite finish, but then, I was surprised I did as well as I did last year, I don't really mind if I finish, I just enjoy giving it a bash!!
I agree, the library one could be dropped, for both reasons given! I also find the "funny book" one tough, as funny is so subjective, should I list any book I happened to find amusing, or a book universally acknowledged as funny?! I'm also struggling with the prize winner one, I've read loads of books that have been nominated this year, but no winners as yet!! Also not a fan of the book you can finish in a day, as again, it depends on how you read! It's very rare (like once a year maybe) that I get a day where I can just sit and read! I also got stymied by my set at Christmas book, as I started the year with what I thought would be it, with the book 'Christmas wishes' shoe in for that category I thought, but when I actually read it, only the prologue was set at Christmas, and I didn't feel that was enough to qualify it, dammit!
Love giving the challenge a good bash every year though, so thanks for running it, Wendy! Nat
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Post by rosemary3 on Sept 18, 2018 13:22:51 GMT
I like most of Mandy's ideas! except for tasks you can't plan, like "A novel featuring food you have not tried." I suppose that could be planned by reading a book set somewhere you've never visited, or many years in the future or past ... but you've still got to be reading with half your mind on whether they're going to eat something that would qualify, and that spoils a book for me. And "a novel set in a museum" sounds like a very difficult one! (unless it's just the odd scene) My biggest hate (which I don't think is on the list anyway) is "A book that makes you cry", both because it can't be planned, and because I don't cry easily. I could well read 200 books without that happening. For the same reason I wouldn't like us to have tasks that would be very difficult for some people to fill, like reading an ebook or an audiobook (some people don't have the technology or just don't like the format), or the library one as has been said, some people live too far from a library. All my ideas seem to be negative
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Post by elliej84 on Sept 18, 2018 19:01:08 GMT
I like Mandys suggestions - apart from the classic - stop trying to force me to do this people!!!
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Post by adelynechan on Sept 18, 2018 21:24:01 GMT
I like Mandys suggestions - apart from the classic - stop trying to force me to do this people!!! Ahha after seeing the suggestions, I'm already starting to think "What's the shortest classic book I know...?"
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Post by windysisters on Sept 19, 2018 7:36:17 GMT
I will certainly be including a few off the list that Mandy found although, as some have said, a lot of them are very specific so I will try to tweak to make them more general and therefore achievable.
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peppercricket
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Post by peppercricket on Sept 19, 2018 7:36:56 GMT
I'm happy for the library category to be ditched, as I agree it's not doable for people, the county category was hard, but thank goodness I don't live in Dorset, or i'd be stuck with Thomas Hardy. I'm with Nat & Rosemary on the funny book and book that makes you cry too. Takes a lot to make me cry in a book. And this is from someone who shed a tear at Finding Nemo. I'm up for a 50 challenge. elliej84 , would you consider someone like HG Wells, John Wyndham, Conan Doyle, or even a children's classic (Railway Children, Black Beauty, etc). That's how I'd get round that category, as I am not a great classics reader either.
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Post by windysisters on Sept 19, 2018 7:41:08 GMT
I'm with Nat & Rosemary on the funny book and book that makes you cry too. I'd just like to point out that we last had "a book that makes you cry" in 2016 - there are no plans to bring it back
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peppercricket
Book Assistant
Batley Townswoman's Guild presents the Battle of Pearl Harbour
Posts: 7,075
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Post by peppercricket on Sept 19, 2018 7:42:03 GMT
That's me told. And yes, Rosemary said it's not on the list. Give me a break it's 8.40am, lol.
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Post by janetandjohn on Sept 19, 2018 7:49:39 GMT
That's me told. And yes, Rosemary said it's not on the list. Give me a break it's 8.40am, lol. She's a bit of a task master that Wendy...must be working at a University that does it!!
Saw your post about Classics and Thomas Hardy Janice. Thomas Hardy and me are not on good terms! YUK. Far too depressing always. But actually, there is a classic set in Dorset - Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household. So brilliant I have read it twice! And set just down the road from me too. So if anyone doesn't do classics, remember there are a lot of books written in the first half of the 20th century that are much easier to read than the "bonnets and frocks" kind!!
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