Reading with Style discussion

Please be sure to review our Reading with Style Rules and Guidelines.

When do the challenges begin and end?
Challenges begin at 12:01 am March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1 and end at 11:59 pm on May 31, August 31, November 30, and February 28 (or 29) respectively in the Eastern time zone (New York City).


Can I use a book for a challenge that I started reading before the start of the challenge?
You can use ONE book that you started before the beginning of a challenge, as long as you have read less than 50% of it.

How many points are tasks worth?
The 10- and 20- numbered tasks are worth 10 and 20 points respectively. You can augment your score for these books with styles. The 15-numbered tasks start at 15 points, but usually have a sliding scale depending on anticipated difficulty.


Can tasks be repeated? Do tasks have to be completed in order?
Unless otherwise stated, 10-point and 20-point tasks can be repeated as often as you wish, and in any order. You do not need to complete all of these tasks before repeating any of them.


The 15-point tasks must all be completed without repeating any of them. Some seasons you will be required to complete them in a certain order. Some seasons you will be allowed to complete these "sub-challenge" tasks more than once. However, you can read for the sub-challenge without completing it as sometimes the best laid plans go astray. Be sure to check the "How to Play" post each season.


Do we need to have each book approved for a challenge before we read it?
No. Some tasks may require approval prior to posting, but this will be clearly identified in the task description each season. If you are unsure if a book fits a task, please ask in the relevant task topic.


Can I read books written in languages other than English?
Yes. For books written in languages other than English, the English edition will be used to determine whether the book fits a particular task. If there is no English edition, eligibility will be determined on a case by case basis.

What are "styles"?
Styles are like extra credit, or bonuses, for the 10- and 20-point tasks, what we call the RwS tasks. Each season there are 5 styles for which you can earn a bonus. There will always be the Combo and Jumbo styles, but the other 3 styles rotate from season to season. Some seasons there may also be ways to earn extra credit for the sub-challenge, or 15-point tasks.


Can Style Points be awarded to only one task or to any and all?
Style points are awarded to every book read for a 10 or 20 point task for which the book is eligible (think of them as "extra credit"). The 15-point tasks form a self-contained sub-challenge with a separate set of rules and bonus points.


Does claiming combo points for a task qualify as completing that task?
No. To complete a task a book has to be claimed for, and receive, TASK points. So, to complete the RwS Challege, you'll need to read at least 20 books. To complete the sub-challenge you'll need to read 10 books. To complete the whole shebang, you'll need to read at least 30 books.


Can you use the same book for multiple different tasks?
You can only use a book for one task, BUT, we have what we call "combo" style points for just this situation. You use the book for whichever task you wish, and then for every other task for which the book is eligible, you get an additional 5 points. Please be aware that some tasks may state that they are not eligible for combo points. A book can earn as many combo points as you can find tasks to fit, but you need to list them when you post your claim.


Is it possible to claim style points for reading books that don't fit any tasks? i.e. can you claim combo, jumbo, etc, without claiming a task?
No.


What countries are included in the non-Western style?
Non-western includes:


Mexico, Central America, South America, Africa, Middle East, Asia (including Russia & former USSR countries)


Former USSR countries:
Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Estonia; Georgia; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lithuania; Moldova; Russia; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan

What is meant by "book" or "novel"?
Novel = Long-form fiction (at least 100 pages)
Book = Non-fiction, drama, poetry, short & long-form fiction (at least 100 pages).

Different editions of books have widely different number of pages, and ebooks and audiobooks may not have pages at all. How do you determine page count for the 100 page minimum and for awarding Jumbo points?
In the interest of fairness, members that read the same book should receive the same amount of jumbo style points, no matter which edition is used. We will use the most popular English-language print edition (MPE) to determine page count.
For poetry collections, we will use the number of pages of the edition read. For ebooks without a print edition, the word-count of the text must be at least 30,000 words. For audio books without a print edition, the audio book must be at least 3 hours long.


How is the "most popular edition" determined?
The Most Popular Edition (MPE) is the first book that comes up when you search for the title. Alternately, you can click on the "Other Editions" link on the book cover and sort by number of ratings. Make sure that the most popular edition is an English language print edition; not an ebook, audiobook, or large print edition.

Can I read non-fiction/poetry/plays for the tasks?
Generally, if a task asks you to "Read a book...." non-fiction, plays, poetry collections, short story collections, and novels all qualify (as long as they meet the page minimum). Typically, if a task is genre-specific it will say so: "Read a novel....." or "Read an epic poem....".

A lot of books of poetry have fewer than 100 pages. Would it be okay to read two books by the same author for the task?
Yes, two books of poetry, written by the same author, can be read in order to meet the page requirement. This is the only exception to the page minimum.

Do audiobooks and ebooks count?
Absolutely!
For ebooks without a page count, the word count of the book must be at least 30,000 words. The author or publisher will often provide the word count and include it in the description. If it is not included in the GR description, you should provide a link. Ebooks without a print edition will not qualify for the Jumbo style points.
For audio books without a print edition, the audio book must be at least 3 hours. Audio books without a print edition will not qualify for the Jumbo style points.

Are graphic novels allowed?
Yes, with a couple of caveats. Graphic novels cannot be used for the sub-challenges (15-point tasks), unless otherwise specified. Graphic novels can be read for the RwS tasks (10-point and 20-point tasks), but they are not eligible for style points.

Are cookbooks, travel guides, art books, illustrated guides, etc. allowed?
At the discretion of the moderators, if a particular book is determined to be primarily composed of illustrations it will be treated as a graphic novel: it cannot be used for the sub-challenges (15-point tasks). It can be read for the RwS tasks (10-point and 20-point tasks), but would not be eligible for style points.

Are YA novels allowed?
Yes, with a couple of caveats. YA cannot be used for the sub-challenges (15-point tasks), unless otherwise specified. YA books can be read for the RwS tasks (10-point and 20-point tasks), but they will only earn style points if the book has a Lexile score of 800 or above. If a YA book does not have a Lexile score, it is not eligible for style points.

How do I know if a book is YA?
1. Titles are checked against Bloom's Canon. Any book that appears on this list is good for the challenge, as long as it also meets any other requirements, including the page length.


2. If a title is not on the Canon, it is checked to see how it is shelved at Brooklyn Public Library. All editions are checked to ensure there are no YA, YA Assignment/Assignment, Juv shelvings. If not shelved as such, we do no further checking, and, again the book can be considered acceptable as long as it meets all other requirements. Since a book not shelved at BPL cannot have a YA designation, you're good with those in any case.


Books that do have one of the YA designations at BPL are checked on the Lexile site. Sometimes a book will have more than one rating. You can assume we will use the highest rating. If a title does not have a Lexile listing it will be given a 000 designation.


New books especially often do not have a Lexile rating. You can request a rating. If you have read a book that did not have a rating, and it is later rated, let us know. We want to have the most up to date information in our database.

Note (added Winter 16/17)
A single volume that contains multiple titles will not be used to determine YA. In the case of short story collections, omnibuses, essay collections and other multi-title volumes, the volume will be accepted for applicable tasks and styles

Update (7/16/17)
Books with a Lexile score of NP will be accepted for full style points at the discretion of the moderators.

For title-based tasks, do subtitles count?
The generic ones like "A Novel" and "A Story" do not count as part of a title. Unique subtitles, however, do count.


For setting-based tasks, how much of the book should be set in the desired location/time?
The entire book must be set in the specified place/time to qualify, unless noted otherwise. Exceptions may be made if, for example, on page 303 of The Book of Daniel, the character leaves NYC for a 3-page trip to L.A.


For author-based tasks, how are books with multiple authors treated?
The primary author (the author listed first on the cover) must qualify for the task for the book to be eligible.


I'm currently reading an anthology of short fiction for one of the tasks. Some of the authors included and some of the stories qualify for some other tasks. Is it OK to claim combo points for those individual stories?
No. Unless stated otherwise, books qualify for tasks and style points on an all-or-nothing basis.


How many books make a series? Does it have to be at least three or does a single sequel count (a two-book series) ?
A series should include at least three books. Sometimes a story is complete in two volumes, and those we don't consider a series. If there are only two published books and it is clear the author plans to continue the story, those would be a series.

What are Dewey decimal numbers and why are they used for the non-fiction tasks?The Dewey decimal system is the library classification system used by many public libraries, including the Brooklyn Public Library, in order to shelve books by subject matter. RwS moderators rely on the professional librarians that assign books to the appropriate subjects, so we don't have to guess if a particular non-fiction book fits a particular task. If a specific range of Dewey decimal numbers is required for a task, only non-fiction books that have a Dewey decimal number in the Brooklyn Public Library system within that range will be accepted.