MobileRead Book Challenges discussion
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Randomnessosity
Wow! I am trying to wrap my head around this.I think for me the hard part will be figuring out how many open series I have now. There's a lot I have tried and are either ongoing or semi-abandoned (more books out there that I haven't written off completely but also haven't read).
A couple questions:
Do you fill in the STR/INT/DEX/CLA/Open Series #s in columns C:G when you add a book? Basically just copy down from B7:B11, right? That way the current stats don't change older book's scores.
What happens when you get a new level? Bonus stat points? Bonus potions? Etc.
In cell B16 (and below) there is this portion for the series completion bonus: "IF(N16="X",I17*3+$Q$9)", I think the I17 should be J16 there, otherwise it bases it on the NEXT book you read and on the book number not the series length (which if you read it out of order would not be the same).
What do the dice rolls do? Bonus rolls?
And, about the only thing there from one of my sheets is the "Categories" tab which I don't even see used. :) You get all the credit for this one. It looks like a lot of fun.
And what do you do for ongoing series? I.e., series where new books are still coming out? Do I get the bonus "Series completion" points each time I catch up? That would be great! :P I assume you just don't fill in the total number (or put in the current) and call it good but only count it as completed when it is finished.
Yep, users need to transcribe their stat points and open series for each book. Unfortunately temporally signifcant values don't really work that well in spreadsheets.When you level up you get 5 stat points to allocate as you wish and you get an item based on where the 1 is in the bonus roll part.
The dice rolls were for some randomization of points in the original spreadsheet. I left them there in case I wanted to include them. It was an extremely complicated challenge.
The categories tab is actually used in the drop downs for the potion values, but that was about it really.
That's a good catch on the series completion bonus. I'll fix that.
In the original spreadsheet I had an "up-to-date" column which would give points if you were caught up on published books for a series you knew was continuuing. Most people know when series are actually done and when they aren't. Barring the sad event that authors stop it and then one could go back and mark it complete and get the points when they know that. I think it is simpler without that.
I use FictFact to track my series. I only included ones I knew I hadn't given up on when I did this a couple of years ago. There's nothing saying that the open series number doesn't randomly vary as time goes on. One can always fiddle the incoming series number. None of this is set in stone. Open series were just a way to punish starting new series without finishing existing series or catching up.
I think someone might be able to find the original challenge in the Flights of Fantasy group where I originally posted the concept.
Nice. What did you use to have in B12? Something to do with starting a new series it looks like. That is also found in cell B16 and below.
I added all of the series books I have started/read since I started tracking (2011) and I am now a level -54 "Book Dracolich" (was a "Book Wyrm" but since I have negative points I must be un-dead now) with -6,792 experience points. I started out ok and got to level 6 or 7 before my downhill slide started. Apparently I have 81 open series that I have started and never gotten around to finishing (or catching up on), 30 series that I have finished, and 43 series that I have completely abandoned.
OMG! I so want in but this thread made my eyeballs cross, lol.
You guys created exciting challenges for the new year, but it all seems overwhelming to me.
Nyssa wrote: "You guys created exciting challenges for the new year, but it all seems overwhelming to me."We can always bring back "Something for Everyone."
:-D
I'm down for that one, too!
Here's a refresher for those not familiar (or who forgot!) the SFE challenge: A book based on a fairy tale
A National Book Award winner
A YA bestseller
A book you haven't read since high school
A book set in your home state
A book translated to English
A romance set in the future
A book set in Europe
A book that's under 150 pages
A New York Times bestseller
A book that's becoming a movie this year
A book recommended by someone you just met
A self-improvement book
A book you can finish in a day
A book written by a celebrity
A political memoir
A book at least 100 years older than you
A book that's more than 600 pages
A book from Oprah's Book Club
A science-fiction novel
A book recommended by a family member
A graphic novel
A book that is published in 2016
A book with a protagonist who has your occupation
A book that takes place during Summer
A book and its prequel
A murder mystery
A book written by a comedian
A dystopian novel
A book with a blue cover
A book of poetry
The first book you see in a bookstore
A classic from the 20th century
A book from the library
An autobiography
A book about a road trip
A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with
A satirical book
A book that takes place on an island
A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy
I finished 2016 and only needed 3 books to wrap up the SFE challenge - I think I have hit all three missing categories now though. I don't see myself repeating it.I really don't think I will keep track of the "series adventure RPG" challenge, but it was kinda fun to look at. I'm just WAY too far gone to be able to make any progress. (view spoiler) Even if EVERY book I read in 2018 is a continuation of an already started series I couldn't finish more than 1/4 of the open series. That's just not going to happen.
Between trying to keep up and participate in the new at MR and the Bingo challenge here that will be more than enough for me.
Dazrin wrote: "I finished 2016 and only needed 3 books to wrap up the SFE challenge - I think I have hit all three missing categories now though. I don't see myself repeating it.I really don't think I will keep..."
I can agree with that kind of mechanic. In fact, I will start abandoning books in 2018 if I'm not enjoying myself. But I AM going to do the TBR challenge.
I'm concentrating on five series next year:Sookie Stackhouse - Reread & Complete
The Hollows - Reread & Complete
The Demon Cycle - New to Me
Codex Alera - From my TBR
The Hobbit / Lord of the Rings - Reread
That's my entire plan.
There are 41 main novels.
My children bought the Codex Alera series for me for Christmas; so I think I have all of the books for next year except for the Demon Cycle series.
As for the bonus stories:
I know I have all of them now for the Sookie Stackhouse series, or I'll at least have all of the ones included in The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories.
I think I have access to all of the ones for The Hollows too. I borrowed The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death, and bought both of the graphic novels Blood Work & Blood Crime last month. Plus I have the anthologies from years ago.
If I'm missing any of them, then it's the stories that come after book #13: The Witch With No Name.
There aren't any bonus stories for Codex or the LOTR, so I should be good.
The challenge will be reading all of those while caring for house & home, taking my classes at uni, and teaching fourth-grade math for an indefinite amount of time.
That's a good plan! My only plan right now is to start reading again...and to read some of the books I've already read.
MrsJoseph wrote: "That's a good plan! My only plan right now is to start reading again...and to read some of the books I've already read."
That sounds like a good plan too.
And because I can never-ever leave well enough alone, I've added the Innkeeper Chronicles to the end of my year. Sookie Stackhouse - Reread & Complete
The Hollows - Reread & Complete
The Demon Cycle - New to Me
Codex Alera - From my Wishlist
The Hobbit / Lord of the Rings - Reread
Innkeeper Chronicles - Reread & Complete
So if the reading gods decide to shine their light on me in 2018, I will complete 44 novels in a single year - something I haven't done in at least five years.
Some great books there! Good luck :D
DoodlePanda wrote: "Some great books there! Good luck :D"Thank you! I'll need it. :)
Codex Alera series is actually a good read! It will be fast. I think I read the first one in the Innkeeper Chronicles but I'm still trying to clear my kindle! Happy New Year.
Spacechik wrote: "Codex Alera series is actually a good read! It will be fast. I think I read the first one in the Innkeeper Chronicles but I'm still trying to clear my kindle! Happy New Year."Fast!?! They're like 700pgs long! lol
I also read the first of the Innkeeper series, and I loved it. Rearranging my reading schedule is what allowed me to add them in at the end of the next year.
I really hope I can keep up!!
Haha. I'm scared that the reading with my son for this year has books 4 and 5 from Harry Potter penciled in.
I feel no pity. I Love the Potter series! I may reread them one day. :)
I keep getting a recommendation on GR (pretty much every day) and I was considering using it for the Bingo challenge, turns out its only a 5 page short story... :(
DoodlePanda wrote: "I keep getting a recommendation on GR (pretty much every day) and I was considering using it for the Bingo challenge, turns out its only a 5-page short story... :("Aww! If the bingo goal is GR recs you could visit your recommendation page and choose from there.
Nyssa wrote: "I feel no pity. I Love the Potter series! I may reread them one day. :)"
I just need to indoctrinate him into reading the book first and then watching the movie.
HomeInMyShoes wrote: ""It's quiet...too quiet...""Everybody too busy trying to sort out reading challenges perhaps?
...oh no, wait, that's just me :P
Yep, just you. The only things I'm sorting out now are the book published in 2018 and audiobook selections. I've got a lead on a 2018 book, but library availability is always a bugger when it comes to new things.
Well you do have like 11 months left, I'm sure you'll get hold of it by then :)
I don't know. I've seen wait lists in the 20s and at three week loan periods that could be a year, plus the time on the hold shelf. I requested it today. Hopefully I'm way up the queue. Then again, it is foreign, but I've seen it show up on a few lists of books people should read including an article on book riot.Although my search of that found at least one book that was actually published in 2017. I did do an age challenge a couple years back and it was annoying trying to find actual first edition publish dates accurately.
20s??? I guess you live in a bigger place than me :DOr the book is insanely popular.
Not that big (~250,000), but the library system is linked across the prrovince (~1,000,000) and people can request things from everywhere. New things tend to be popular, and the library is usually behind the curve in stocking so the first few that are processed and then the library overbuys and purges later at its book sales. The worst case for me was when I finally decided to read a book by an author that was on my potential list for a couple of years. I was just about to request the book when the author goes out wins the Nobel prize for literature. Bam the libary only has two of their books and only one copy of each because given the books are twenty years old they purged any extra copies. I didn't get to read that one until eight months later.
I have no idea what the waitlist is on this one. The library updated their system and some old features are now either still in redevelopment or just not going to be available. I used to know how many holds versus number of items in the system so I could estimate a wait time, but that information isn't in the interface now (yet hopefully. So it's a wait and see thing. All I know right now is I put a hold on a book that the provincial system has two that are in processing status (means they are buying or have bought and just haven't finished cataloging and getting it on the shelf.) Oh, I also know that one copy is based in a community 250km away and one is only 70km away. I've seen books in processing status for more than a month.
All that said, I love my library. ((hugs))
My reading history at the library is 2,355 items. I wonder where I stand in terms of top library users.
woah that is a lot of books! :DImagine if you had paid for all those :O
^Haha. I do some days. Although I imagine it in comparison to the municipal library taxes I pay. :P
Surely you must have "earned" that money back in the number of books though?Imagine paying the taxes and not reading any library books! :D
Well, there are programs, and resources for the general community as well. Even outside of using the library I think they do enough good to warrant the taxes. I totally earn my tax dollars back and many times more every year though. That and many times more. Of course, what I read would be very different if it weren't for the library. I could never afford to read the stuff I do even giving myself the the library taxes as a book allowance. I'd pretty much be stuck with garage sales in the summer and then whatever is on the discount shelves at Chapters and amazon's monthly deals as well as other on-line eBook sites. There wouldn't be much of the foreign stuff I read now.
Libraries are indeed great :DI actually went myself today, I don't go too often as I have so many books on my Kindle I could read... But I love walking around picking up books though!
I don't even use my old Kindle anymore. The fact that Overdrive doesn't support kindle in Canada means it is pretty much a cheapy and freebie book reader only. I use my phone for library lending since I can do that. I do hate library eBook lending though. So many options, so many applications.3M, CloudReader, Overdrive, Hoopla, online with the library. Ack. Standardize the interface and let me choose a reader. I hate how CloudReader always loses where I am and resizes the text on random openings. I just hate the 3M for the look. I like Overdrive, but there selection for what I am interested in is the poorest. Hoopla isn't bad, but the page turns are quite laggy and sometimes because it tends to be PDF book reading the formatting is fixed and unalterable so every now and then it is a microfiche experience. I've DNF'd a few books because of that. Then there's the library's own proprietary reading option too. It is terrible.
I try and read mainly in paper and just have one eBook out on my phone to fill in time when I'm in line some place.
I have never tried the library ebook system, I don't know why as I do read a lot of ebooks... I guess I am worried about all the formats and it just being to complicated to bother with, but I have no idea unless I try I guess :)
I can't say I haven't not been frustrated some of the time...I think I phrased that correctly to illustrate the kind of confusion multiple redirects which don't work creates. The best method is to figure out which provider has the book and just go to that app to borrow it. Of course I have to remember that I am currently reading a book from CloudLibrary and not Hoopla or 3M. Every now and then I forget where my book is. Just like with paper. It is a very realistic reading experience.
LOL xDEbooks - now with the frustrations and inconvenience of paper books :P
Does anyone moderate any goodreads groups?What do you do to get it going and keep it going?
Anyone have any favorite boardgames?Current family favorites are: Clue, Carcassone and Dixit. Looking for a few more options for breaks and camping season.
HomeInMyShoes wrote: "Does anyone moderate any goodreads groups?What do you do to get it going and keep it going?"
I moderate this one, and 2-3 more.
It's hard to keep going without excited or at least social members. Mostly, go for your own passion.
HomeInMyShoes wrote: "Anyone have any favorite boardgames?Current family favorites are: Clue, Carcassone and Dixit. Looking for a few more options for breaks and camping season."
I love Clue. And Monopoly. I have also 7 Wonders Duel but I think it comes in a family version, too. It's involved but fun.
I also have Mice and Mystics. I love it but it's INVOLVED and complicated. and Did I mention involved? I have to play alone. O_O
HomeInMyShoes wrote: "Anyone have any favorite boardgames?Current family favorites are: Clue, Carcassone and Dixit. Looking for a few more options for breaks and camping season."
I think your kids are about the same age as mine (9/7/1.5), my older kids are finally getting into some games that I enjoy too. (No more Go Fish or Old Maid, YAY!!!!!!)
Clue is a definite favorite of my 7yo. We like to play Uno as well (and Dirty Uno is better - same cards but more malicious rules, nothing to do with a gutter). For Christmas they got "Dr Beaker" which is a fast re-arrange the pieces to match game and is pretty fun. (Dr Eureka is similar but more portable.)
The DC Comic (or Marvel's version, "Legendary" I think) Deck-Building game is also fun and although I haven't tried it with my girls they have played a similar 2-player game with me and like it a lot (Star Realms). I really like this style of game.
I hope to introduce them to Settlers of Catan and Ticket To Ride here soon, I think my girls will be able to grasp them fairly well.
If you want more ideas, you might check out Wil Wheaton's TableTop Youtube show (Geek and Sundry produces it), I have found several good games there.
Thanks everyone. The malicious Uno sounds like stuff we just make up on the fly. We used a regular deck of cards like Uno with the face cards as the special ones. We also added the jokers and called it blamo. They were supercharged change cards and you had to slam it on the table and yell blamo. We killed ourselves laughing every time someone would slam the table.
My reading has been so subpar over the last two years, that I don't even know if I should start a thread for 2019. It's depressing.
Nyssa wrote: "My reading has been so subpar over the last two years, that I don't even know if I should start a thread for 2019. It's depressing."
I think I use the thread more for its social opportunities than for tracking my reading (which I'm behind on, now that I think about it...)
MobileRead Book Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Black Leopard, Red Wolf (other topics)The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories (other topics)
The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death (other topics)
Blood Work (other topics)
Blood Crime (other topics)
More...
Why did this book get [some value] points?
Okay, points are as follows. You get:
[base book score]
Then you add in a bonus for strength:
+ [strength/10] (if you have 23 then you'd get 2)
Then you add in a bonus for the nth book of the series:
+ [number in series] (2 points for book 2, 23 for book 23 of Discworld)
A bonus for a review, ,including an intelligence stat bonus
+ [review bonus] + [intelligence / 10]
A series completion bonus, which includes a length of series bonus:
+ [series completion bonus] + [series length * 3]
Subtract an out of order penalty:
- [out of order penalty] * potion reduction
Subtract a new series penalty (good luck to you if you start a new series with the wrong book, double whammy):
- ([new series penalty * open series] - [dexterity/10]) * potion reduction or 0 whichever is less
Subtract an abandonding the series penalty:
- ([abandon penalty] - (1 * open series)] - [clairvoyance/10]) * potion reduction or 0 whichever is less
That last one is only reduced by clairvoyance down to the base abandon penalty. So, if you had a clairvoyance or 30, and 6 open series. Then you'd lose 5 + 6 - 3 or 8 points unless you used a potion to reduce that to 4 or 0.
Good luck calculating that on your own without the spreadsheet. :P