Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

Team Rob Anybody

• Jammin Jenny (Captain)
• Louise (Co-Captain)
• Audrey Jane
• Colleen Drum
• Carrie
• Geri
• Heli
• Filipa
• Kristel

• Yasmine
• Rina
• Cilla Fleig
• Lindsay


Challenge Status Sheet
Team Sheet

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Important Links & Info


Tower Team Shelves
✔️ • Jammin Jenny (Captain) - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Louise (Co-Captain) - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Audrey Jane - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Colleen Drum - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Carrie- https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Geri - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️• Heli - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Filipa - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Yasmine - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Rina - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Cilla Fleig - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Lindsay - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
✔️ • Kristel - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Links
Countdown to Start
Points System
Rules

Links to verify word count for MPG Childrens books:
https://www.arbookfind.com/
https://www.arbookfind.co.uk/

Completion Post Information

Please use the following format when posting your completions:

Completion Post
Book: Link to book
Date Read:
Pages:
BOM/Writing DQs: Yes/No ( link to 3 days of discusson) - not/am writing DQs (link to DQs)
Possible uses and reasons/justifications:
1.
2.
3.
...


Here's an example of what we're talking about
(view spoiler)[

Book: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
Date Read: May 31, 2021
Pages: 228 pages
BOM/Writing DQs: Yes (link to 3 days of writing DQs)- not writing DQs

Possible uses and reasons/justifications:
R Tasks
1. Humor MPG
2. Spell out EIGHT - E
3, Spell out EIGHT - T

W Tasks
1. Book where all the words in the title are the same length
2. Spell out BEES - E
3. MPG Paranormal
4. MPG Witches
5. MPG Fantasy

BINGO Spots
laughing emjoi - MPG Humor
equals sign - equal in the title
Sir Pterry's hat - hat on cover


*Note I made the above choices without having read the book, so it may work for more. I also did not put any Jackanory tasks or tasks that are not R or W because it fits so many other tasks and bingo spots. As we move along and start filling in these spots, we'll move on to the other tasks as noted in post insert link to Louise's post showing the breakdown
(hide spoiler)]

Spell it Out Rules

Spell-out rules
◈ the first letter in the book's title
◈ the first letter in the series
◈ the first letter in the author's first or last name
◈ the first letter of a character's first, last, or nick-name
◈ the first letter in the narrator's first or last name
◈ the first letter in the translator's first or last name

Tasks From Spreadsheet



LIST OF TASKS under the spoiler tags 6 spots to finish, 6 claimed
(view spoiler)[
R - The Colour of Magic
5 camera on cover - Jammin Jenny

IR - Moving Pictures
60. sausage on cover - Rina

D - Reaper Man
62. MC is a funeral director/undertaker - Rina

O - The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
165. Rodent on cover - Audrey Jane

TA - I Shall Wear Midnight
228. Rabbit on cover - Carrie

TA - The Shepherd's Crown
243. fossil / skeleton on cover - Jammin Jenny
(hide spoiler)]

BINGO SPOTS listed under spoiler 2 spots to finish, 2 claimed
(view spoiler)[

A5 Hat with feathers - Jammin Jenny
G2 golem - Carrie

(hide spoiler)]

Jackanory Inputs listed under spoiler inputs needed - NONE!!

JACKANORY Development

Carrie did a great job drafting a jackanory for us:

(view spoiler)[


The devil went down to Georgia; he was looking for a soul to steal.
Charlie Daniels took the one he wanted so now he needed to find a new one and he knew just the place - the local residential reform academy. The devil was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get his way though. A trained mercenary, he had malice and murder on his mind.

Things didn’t go quite as expected; they hardly ever do. Upon his arrival, the devil was immediately attacked by a slobbering group of aliens. He was interrupting their baseball game and they had no time for his antics. In fear for his life, the devil hired a hard ass lawyer who owed him a favor or two and told her to take care of the mutants. The lawyer had better things to do with her time though so she sent them to an ivy league school knowing no one would even notice.

After talking with his therapist by phone, the devil decided to move forward with his soul-stealing plan. His quietly approached the school, evil intentions in his mind once again. Little did the devil know, he was about to meet his match! From out of nowhere, a 30-year-old lonely woman with a glass of Merlot in her hand jumped on his back and told him she’d been waiting all her life to meet him. The devil said, “Ma’am, most people do everything they can to avoid me.” She replied, “Well I’m not most people.”

The devil started thinking this might be an easy soul to steal when suddenly the woman started talking about marriage and the perfect husband. The devil started shaking in his red leather boots! He was looking for a soul, not a wife! What was with this crazy lady? She must have had had too much Merlot.

The devil quickly decided he should just head on back to where he came from and come up with a new plan when the drunken woman cast a magical love spell on him. Good grief. He unknowingly picked a reform school that specializes in magic and spells.

The devil suddenly found himself dressed to the nines in a black tuxedo. His bride to be was grabbing student hostages to witness their Blood Wedding. A band of demons playing fiddles accompanied the woman as she walked down the aisle to stand at the side of her groom. At the alter, Alfred Hitchcock recited their vows. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Hitchcock announced that his Speak of the Devil book would soon be released and encouraged all the students to buy it.

A short time later however, the love spell began to fade away. The devil found himself and his new bride on an isolated island in the middle of nowhere with no means of escape. All the devil could think about from that time forward was how he was going to get even with that damn Charlie Daniels!

(hide spoiler)]

If you have any thoughts or comments please post them by July 29th. I'll post the final story to the Jackanory thread for all to enjoy and upload it into our spreadsheet.

res

BOM
Writing a day's worth of discussion questions = 40 points
Participating in a current BOM = 20 points

Discworld BOMS
May - Equal Rites - Discussion (May 22)
Official Page Count: 288pgs

June - Mort - Discussion (June 22)
Official Page Count: 320

July - Guards! Guards! - Discussion (July 22)
Official Page Count: 432

Regular BOM
May - The Foundling or The Lost Orphan Discussion (May 2)
Official Page Count: 400pgs

Dumplin' Discussion (May 16)
Official Page Count: 400pgs

June - The Midnight Library Discussion (2 June)
Official Page Count: 304

Firekeeper's Daughter Discussion (June 16)
Official Page Count: 496

July - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Discussion (July 2)
Official Page Count: 560

The House in the Cerulean Sea Discussion (July 16)
Official Page Count: 400


Back Room - BOM
June
Prickly Business Discussion (June 9)
Official Page Count: 287

July
Pumpkin Spiced Omega Discussion (July 12)
Official Page Count: 194


Where Will My Book Fit
Tasks
These are pretty self explanatory - we will aim to complete these in the following order
R - Rincewind 40 points
CW - City Watch 40 points
W - Witches 30 points
IR - Industrial Revolution 30 points
D - DEATH 25 points
TA - Tiffany Aching 25 points
O - Others 15 points

If you’re book doesn’t fit any of the above we’ll try for
Bingo
We can be as creative as we like with the spots as long as we can justify it. Cover items, title/ series names, plot elements can all be used
E.g Sock - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Dobby is given a book from Lucius Malfoy in which HP has hidden a sock, essentially freeing Dobby from servitude

Jackanory
If we can’t get your book to fit any of the above then chances are we can fit it in here.
We are basically writing a story with books. We can use titles, cover items, text, plot, authors and of course genres to write our story. We may want a paranormal comedy where a trainee witch falls in love with Curran and puts a spell on him to turn him into a little kitten.

Team Recommendations
Sam Vimes


Ventinari


Rincewind

more Racewind recs

Cherry Littlebottom

DEATH


Lady Sybil


Team Moist Listopia

Nanny Ogg

The Librarian

Cheery Little Bottom

Archancellor Ridcully

Tiffany Aching

Alyana - Lord Vetinari

Luggage

Our Recommendations
Filipa


Colleen


Geri


Yasmine


Audrey Jane


Jammin Jenny


Cilia


Louise


Rina


Kristel




Lindsay

Welcome everyone to Team Rob Anybody. I haven’t read the Discworld series books so I don’t really know about him. If you do please share with the class.

Please let us know that you have found this group by posting below and maybe share what you are most excited about doing in this challenge. I think I am most excited to write a Jackanory using books we read.

Hi team ! I'm Audrey, a belgian living in France, Normandy (not far from the D-day landing beaches). Last TT I participated in was in 2017 - afterwards I had to take a 3 year long break from GR due to RL. Glad to be part of the fun again.

Love our team name (we will be robbing those points ;)). Don't know much about him but I remember reading that he dislikes lawyers (rightly so :)).

I will most likely be concentrating on reading BOM's, Discworld books, and try to make my other books work for the tasks and bingo. My nomination for BOM won so I'm writing DQ's by default. More points for our team :)

Captains, here's my shelf if you need it : discworld-tower-teams-viii‎

Thanks Audrey Jane. Appreciate the link.

Yes, we will need links to your TT shelf so please post that information when you check in.

Welcome all I’m Louise from South Wales and am pretty much a challenge addict. I haven’t read any Terry Pratchett but I have managed to reserve the 3 BOM so will be participating for those bonus points. I have a wide variety of tastes in books and love nothing more than finding a book that fits as many challenges as possible. The best I have ever come up with is 1 book to 7 challenges, and yes I am in that many team/partner challenges at any one time if not more.

Since the start of the pandemic last year I have been working from home and have found audiobooks a welcome substitute for office noise. I am finding that I am reading a book a day on audio whereas a print or ebook will take me 2-3 days.

As TT is all about the pages I have been saving some juicy books for this:
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 1006pg
Chain of Iron 591pgs
The Sinner 512pgs

As well as the discworld BOMs I will also be doing the regular BOMs for points.

I will be sending out friend requests over the next 24hours please accept them when they come through. It will make checking books easier. 😀

My shelf
Discworld TT8

Hi everyone! (👋 Jenny!)

While I love fantasy I'm not familiar with the Discworld books, since I prefer m/m romance. Great team name, though. 😄 So I'll be focusing on the mini challenges, and I do have a few big books I really want to get to. Not entirely sure how the Jackanory will work yet, but it does look fun!

My shelf: tower teams 8

Hi Filipa! It's nice to be on the same team again :)

Hi everyone,
I am Rina from Switzerland. I haven't read the Discworld series, though I've heard much good about this series. And I love Terry Pratchett's Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, so I'll have to read Discworld sometime.

My shelf: Link

Hello everyone,

I am Cilla from just southwest of St. Louis, Missouri (USA). I just joined Goodreads in January and have already collected over 2,000 books on my to-read list. I am sure list will continue to grow. We likely all have the same problem, so many books with so little time to read them.

This will be my first Tower Team and I am looking forward to getting started.

I am still learning how to do links and such. There is likely a more tidy way to do the link, but I think you will be able to access my tt8 shelf just the same.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Welcome, Cilla ! Wow, 2 000, that's impressive. I 'try' to keep my TBR list manageable and sometimes delete books but they increase again during these kind of reading challenges ;)

I think except for Rina I haven't been on a team with any of you yet. But some of you I have seen around. I recognize Louise cute little dog :) and Jenny as well.
Like Filipa, I'm slightly puzzled by the Jackanory but I'm very curious how it will turn out. Looking forward to play with all of you.

Hi Team!

I’m very excited to be playing Towers! This is my third time playing, I believe. I live near Chicago in the U.S.. I read pretty much any genre except non fiction. I’ve never read or even heard of Discworld. But I love the name of our team! 😁 I am ready for a flexible challenge like TT. I do have some big books I’d like to get to. And I will help out with the bingo game and jackanory. Like everyone else, I am not sure exactly what to do. I’ll also try to participate in the BOM if I can.

Welcome, Cilla! A first timer. 🙂 I totally agree there isn’t enough time to read all the books. I don’t try to anymore. I just have fun reading!

My shelf for TT: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Hi all!

I'm Carrie from PA, close to Pittsburgh. This is my third time playing Tower Teams and I can't wait to play again.

I've never read Discworld but I grabbed the first book to get started.

I plan on reading House of Leaves
for one of my big books. It comes in a little over 700 pages.

I'll try to read some BOM as well.

Looks like a great team and there are some familiar faces. Rina...I think we've done something together but I can't recall what?

Here's my link to my shelf:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Got to run as I'm moving my daughter to a new place today!

Welcome to Rina, Cilla, Geri and Carrie. I know Rina and Carrie, and look forward to getting to know Cilla and Geri. I think this is going to be a great group to play with.

Here are the big books I may be bringing to the table:

- 752 pages
- 1074 pages
- 656 pages

I'm also going to try and read all the BOMs and participate in the DQs for bonus points!

Jammin Jenny wrote: "Here are the big books I may be bringing to the table:

- 752 pages
- 1074 pages
- 656 pages

I'm ..."

Are those all first reads for you or rereads? Great choices!

Hi Everyone! And JJ - I've played with you before and agree what a great team! :)

I guess this is only my second year - I must have missed it last time, but I swear I've been in it ~3x. Nevertheless, I'm ready to go again - patiently.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I haven't yet read any of these books but they sound unique and may have to give it a go - perfect reason to here!

Carrie wrote: "Jammin Jenny wrote: "Here are the big books I may be bringing to the table:

- 752 pages
- 1074 pages
[bookcover:The Talisman|592..."

All are re-reads, except I don't remember The Talisman very well so that will be a nice refresher.

Welcome Colleen! Nice to see you again and good to be playing with you in another challenge. I agree the books look unique. I have read Douglas Adams books Hitchhiker series, so I'm interested to see if they are something along those lines.

Jammin Jenny wrote: "Welcome Colleen! Nice to see you again and good to be playing with you in another challenge. I agree the books look unique. I have read Douglas Adams books Hitchhiker series, so I'm interested to s..."

I read the first one and enjoyed it for the most part but haven't been thinking about continuing the series - but Discworld sounds like they develop - the hard part is knowing how to start...just like my turmoil deciding between starting The Hobbit vs Lord of the Rings - therefore I haven't even started that series either.

Hi everyone - stopping by quickly for now to check in. I'm Lindsay and I'm from Illinois in the US. I'm heading to bed at the moment but I wanted to stop in and say that I found the group and post my shelf. I'm excited to play. This will be my third or fourth Tower Teams round so I'm really looking forward to it! No idea about anything to do with Discworld but...I guess we'll all find out together from the sound of it! Talk soon!

My shelf: tt viii

Hello, Team Rob!

*waves to Jenny, Louise, Rina, Colleen* :)

Team Sam Vimes here. Thank you for inviting us for book recommendations!

Personally I recommend the following books

- All the City Watch books of Discworld, of course! :)

plus

- a lovely fantasy book with coming-of-age, political intrigue and some whodunit plots.

by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This is an unworthily neglected classic story about British-American high-society intermarriages at the turn of the century with excellent psychological character studies & a great love story.

by Alice Hoffman
It's different than the movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, but very enjoyable.

In turn, please also drop by again with some book recommendations of your own. Thank you. :)

Good morning all. Glad to see so many of you have found your way. I think this is probably my third maybe 4th TT. It’s great for all readers and I love the creativity of the mini games.

@Cilla that’s an impressive TBR, when I joined GR nearly ten years ago, where did the time go, mine was around the 1k Mark then I discovered freebies. I get a daily e-mail with free books to download so not matter how much I read my TBR keeps growing currently just under 7000 books. On a positive I can generally find something to fit the more obscure tasks in challenges.

@Audrey than you, she’s a 4yr old spaniel/daschund cross who still thinks she’s a puppy. She’s been my strength over the last year, my partner of 18 years passed away suddenly last summer, and she gives me a reason to get through each day.

I had my first COVID vaccine yesterday and other than a sore arm I feel fine. 🤞

Melindam wrote: "

Hello, Team Rob!

*waves to Jenny, Louise, Rina, Colleen* :)

Team Sam Vimes here. Thank you for inviting us for book recommendations!


Personally I recommend the following books

- All the City..."

👋 Thanks for the recs, my TBR is growing 🤭

Posted recs in Team Sam Vines

Oh good! Book recommendations. 😁

I do have an FYI for anyone considering the May BOMs. I found both available on hoopla and overdrive. YAY! At first, I couldn’t find The Foundling. Because it is also titled The Lost Orphan.

Louise - I noticed you will be reading Chain of Iron. I will be too. Loved the first book. Also, so sorry for your loss! It’s good to be playing in another challenge with you. And really looking forward to chatting with everyone!

@Louise: I'm truly sorry for your loss! Sending strength your way. I concur pets are just the best.

I saw Jenny nominated (525 pages) for June BOM, I was planning to read it during this TT so will vote on that one.

Re: Discworld: If it can help I'm using the reading guide Stacie posted in the Mended Drum - this one

I've just read Wyrd Sisters (book 6 in Discworld - book 2 in the Witches sub-series), it's a quick, fun fantasy read with laugh out loud moments. It wasn't difficult to follow despite not having read the previous books.

BOMs and team recommendations are linked above for ease.

Hello! I'm Yasmine from Switzerland and this is my first time participating in Tower Teams. i'm still trying to get an overview over the challenges and BOMs and then make another comment here on what I plan and try to accomplish. :)

Welcome Lindsay and Yasmine. I'm so glad you found your way to our thread!

Yasmine, when you get a chance please post a link to your TT shelf.

Jammin Jenny wrote: "Welcome Lindsay and Yasmine. I'm so glad you found your way to our thread!

Yasmine, when you get a chance please post a link to your TT shelf."


Yes, here it is: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I put it in the survey though, so not quite sure why that didn't work. sorry!

Louise wrote: "Welcome all I’m Louise from South Wales and am pretty much a challenge addict. I haven’t read any Terry Pratchett but I have managed to reserve the 3 BOM so will be participating for those bonus po..."

I hope you'll enjoy Chain of Iron! I just finished it a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely loved it!

I am going to read The Dark Artifices in the next months, so I'm hoping to use those for some prompts :)

Rina wrote: "Hi everyone,
I am Rina from Switzerland. I haven't read the Discworld series, though I've heard much good about this series. And I love Terry Pratchett's [book:Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Pr..."

Hii! It's great to see a fellow Swiss person on this team :D

575 pages

700 pages

830 pages (the old paperback I have)

816 pages

512 pages

670 pages

I won't finish all of these, but they are some longish books I want to read in the near future.

Carrie wrote: "Rina...I think we've done something together but I can't recall what?"

I think we've been on the same team in some other team challenge in this group, but I can't remember which one too :-)

Yasmine wrote: "Hii! It's great to see a fellow Swiss person on this team :D
"

Hoi, Yasmine!
I know, right? I think I have never been on the same team with another person from Switzerland; Germany and other European countries yes, but not Switzerland :-)

I live in Thurgau, btw.

Cilla wrote: " 575 pages

700 pages

830 pages (the old paperback I have)

[bookcover:Five Families: The ..."

I liked Pretty Girls, it has some very graphic violence, but if it doesn't bother you, then I'd definitely recommend it.

Audrey Jane wrote: "@Louise: I'm truly sorry for your loss! Sending strength your way. I concur pets are just the best.

I saw Jenny nominated (525 pages) for June BOM,..."

I will definitely vote for The Once and Future Witches too. It’s on my tbr and will give me a reason to finally read it.

I just looked at the tasks list, bingo and jackanory. Will we be working on them all at once during TT? Or concentrating on one at a time? Do we use book titles for jackanory? And for bingo, do we find books that best represent the pictures? It should be fun working on them!

Rina wrote: "Yasmine wrote: "Hii! It's great to see a fellow Swiss person on this team :D
"

Hoi, Yasmine!
I know, right? I think I have never been on the same team with another person from Switzerland; Germany..."


Hellü! Yeah I'm also always very surprised in the rare occasion to see other Swiss people on Goodreads no matter in which group. Ah nice! I live in Züri Unterland (but no prejudice please :P I'm not a Zurich city person)

Geri wrote: "I just looked at the tasks list, bingo and jackanory. Will we be working on them all at once during TT? Or concentrating on one at a time? Do we use book titles for jackanory? And for bingo, do we ..."

I'm still very confused about the jackanory part. Can somebody maybe try and explain this to me again?