Group Re-Read 2.0

[Terenia]

Alright guys, we are nearing the end of the first series of re-reads. We have five books left (four after today) and then we will be at the end of the series.

I've received a decent amount of feedback and it seems like everyone is interested in another re-read. There are new members that weren't around two years ago (!) when I started these (actually it'll be exactly 2 years in 6 days), and there are old members who may have some new insights or did not get a chance to participate last time.

Here's my question to you: what, if any, changes would you like to make to this series of re-reads? There are a couple of things we could do, and these are only the ones I thought up - feel free to add your suggestions:

1. I could simply recycle all of the old questions and see if we receive new insights.
2. Instead of creating the questions on my own, RAFians could submit their questions to me via PM and I'll post those. This does mean that I would have to rely on active participation from the re-readers pretty regularly.

3. We could split the books up between members who are willing to participate. For example, I could post the re-read for all of the books ending in '1', someone else for all the books ending in '2', and so on and so forth.

4. We could change the formatting entirely. Perhaps focus only on one single issue of importance per book, such as character development, or KASU detection or creating a realistic timeline of events.


Again, these are just a few suggestions. I'd love to hear your own suggestions and opinions. We have a few weeks to decide, but I'd like to try and be ahead of the ballgame this time around.

Also, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has been participating in the re-reads so far. Your insights are fabulous, you often find things that I miss, and you don't hesitate to pester me incessantly when I fall behind. It is always a pleasure to discuss the books with you and though I don't actively participate in the discussion after posting the questions I do read every response.

Thanks again and post your ideas for the future of re-reads!

[Chad32]

Instead of crowding your inbox, I think it's more efficient to just have the last "anything else?" question. recycling questions would be ok, although there should be new questions.

Something I just thought of is focusing on the two issues that are usually present in each book, and what you think of each? Do they ever put too much or too little in a particular problem? Do these issues work together, or do you think one could or should ever be ignored in favor of another?

[Kotetsu1442]

I like the idea of new questions; you could ask for others to submit them and use them to start the discussion, but always leave open the possibility of recycling old questions if not enough are submitted. Maybe the post for each Re-read 2.0 could start with a link to the first one so that people can refer to what has already been said.

I like the current format as it is, but I've only been around a few weeks, others may be bored to tears of it and a new start is a great time to implement new ideas and try something else so there's no reason not to be open to suggestions.

The KASU detection sounds like it could be fun for the detail oriented *cough* obsessive *cough* like myself, so maybe compiling a list of those along with the question/answer format is worthwhile.

[goom]

would you like me to archive the old ones in a child-child board?

[Chad32]

Talking about the KASUs could also be fun, and also debating what really is a KASU and what isn't. Like when they listed a KASU about Jake worrying about snake venom in book 11 when he knows the roach poison wore off in a previous book. Except snake venom and roach poison are very different, so I really don't think that was a KASU.

[Terenia]

would you like me to archive the old ones in a child-child board?

Yes, but not until we finish the first re-read. We still have five more books.

[goom]

would you like me to archive the old ones in a child-child board?

Yes, but not until we finish the first re-read. We still have five more books.

yeah i figured

[LisaCharly]

I really enjoy the current formatting, though I like the idea of reader-submitted questions. Also, it might be useful to have catch-all questions to stir up discussion at the end, like the Anything Else? but more specific (ex: how does this book contribute to the character development of the non-narrators?, what if any KASU's are evident?, does this book add any information to Animorphs science?).

[RYTX]

I like the current format, (that way I only have to hound one person ) I like your suggestion # 4 up there,
but if I may make a suggestion: If it were in my hands next time around, I think I'd like to see each book coupled with a rating poll; we have all these top 10, top 5, worst 5, worst ghostwritten blah, blah, blah, but I think these would be a good place to get an idea of in a quantitative format of what people think the books value is to the series.
But I like to quantify things so

PS
and wtf is seal appropriate?

[Kotetsu1442]

I like the idea of a polling system too; hopefully there is a big enough audience viewing and voting even if they are just interested in reading the discussions without comment, so that you can get a fair look at the overall opinions folks have on the various books relatively speaking.

No idea what you mean about 'seal appropriate', who/where are you getting it from?

[Terenia]

haha, sorry.

"Seal appropriate" is a term referring to horsefan1023 (also known as seal) who is one of our youngest members on the forum at 12/13 years old. Generally when writing posts it's a good idea to keep our younger members in mind, hence the term 'seal appropriate' coming about.


About the rating system, would you like a simple poll of sorts? What sort of rating scale? I imagine a 1-5 scale would be the easiest, and each book would have to be rated individually. Once we're done with the re-read I could then put it onto a chart to show overall opinions of each book within the series (of course the data would be a bit skewed, since a different number of people would likely be voting each time).

[goom]

1-5 would work great.
we could take the average score and measure it up against the others.

[Gafrash]

I like the idea of a poll to show people's overall opinions on a scale for each book.

I, for one, am cool with the threads being re-posted and the questions recycled. Any new questions can be added in the re-poster's post, maybe using a different colour or something.
It does mean that new readers would have to be bothered reading what people previously wrote this year, but it's no different than what I'd done when I started.
Genuine fans understand. 

[Kotetsu1442]

I certainly have no problem reading what posts had to say on each book in discussions  before my time on the forums; I'd do it anyways if it wasn't somehow part of the re-read format the 2nd time around; the important part of a new posting of questions and other possible new things is bringing up books in a set sequence and one at a time so that we're all talking on the same page(s).

[phenom64]

Okay I'm new here, what about re-reading the Rements series.

[Terenia]

Okay I'm new here, what about re-reading the Rements series.

It's a possibility that we could start other re-reads for the other series. They would likely go in the 'Other Books' forum, and I wouldn't host them. For one, I haven't read all of Remnants. I could probably do an Everworld one, but I've got my hands full here.

If anyone wants to, though, they're more than welcome to start their own re-reads using different series!

[Chad32]

I guess you could do that in the sub forum for Remnants. It's down in the Other Books section.

[RYTX]

Alright
My schedule has loosen up a bit, and I suspect it's going to remain that way for a while, so now's the time for this:

I for one am eager for another group reread, and I would like to, lets say, pilot the thing this time around.
I'm asking the forum at large-if anyone is seriously opposed to me doing it I won't, or if they want to be on the front line of this as well we can talk, but I'm also expressly asking you Terenia: I have a lot of respect and admiration for what you did last time around, and if you want to keep spear heading it more power to you.
That being said, there are some things I'd like to do this go around that I think would just be easier to do up front. There's sure to be some recycling from the first round, and I'm all for suggestions throughout, but there are also some things I'd like to hit on, for particular books, and the series at large. And I could use an additional 60 points of karma
Plus, because I'm not dealing with on of those annoying personal lives you all seem so fond of, I think should be able to keep a strong pace. (That's not a shot at anyone, I just need a selling point )
So, everyone one think it over, talk about it with your friends and loved ones, whatever you need. And get back to me. Support is great, but if I don't hear any sincere opposition I'm taking it as a green light.
In which case we'll get going soon.
All the best
RYTX

[Terenia]

Rob, you are more than welcome to spearhead the next set of read-throughs. I would like to still have a strong involvement in it, but my schedule is far too full to keep up the pace that is required for something like this. It was fun the first time around, but it took much longer than it should have. So yeah, go for it.

AniMel23 has also expressed interest in helping out with the second round here. She led the read throughs on the LiveJournal forum, so I think talking with her would be hugely helpful.

I'm interested to hear your ideas.

*passes the proverbial baton*

[RYTX]

Sweetness, much obliged teach

Now; the rest of RAF you have two weeks to say something,
One week if you don't want to make me look like a fool

[SkyMorpher]

I just  like the idea of working with others this time, because I could never think of any decent questions most of the time...I love how you were always able to here. But I want to help any way I can.

[RYTX]

Well if you can thing of anything specifically you'd like to contribute give me a heads up. I'm not sure of anything presently.

Definitely will need recruiters; people to draw RAFians out of the Media Board and into the rereads, and that'll require more diplomacy than I have. But of course I expect everyone who comes near the rereads to this.
More on that Saturday

[RYTX]

Sorry to double post, but I needed your guys' attention

So it wasn't the roaring "Alright, we believe in you man, can't wait to get started" I was hoping for, but no ones shut me down so it seems I have approval on this, so thank you all very much. I'll try and keep it as painless as possible

I just wanted to put out a little memo before we get started, hopefully help keep track of what's going on in my head. Lord knows I can't.

The important first off, and one of the key reasons I want to do this again: This time we are also including a poll for each book. REMEMBER TO VOTE. 1 is worst, 5 is best. You get one vote per book. I don't think there'll be a time frame on polls, but a few weeks after the end I'll tally up the numbers and see how things stand.

 This includes 54 regular books, 4 Chronicles, 4 Megamorphs, and 2 alternamorphs, and yes I'd like to include the alternamorphs this time. They are not consistent with the story, and people have different opinions of their value at large, but I'd like to to them both to get a couple of slack weeks (this is a 64 week project, minimum) and to address a few things that can be contrasted with the main books.
About the timeline-I'd like to again be going in order of publication of the originals, and doing one per week.


This will all be much the same as last time-in fact, I promise to steal at least a few of the questions that came up last time.
I'll post questions, you are free to answer them, ignore them, and post your own as you see fit.

There are some themes I'm going harp on again and again: for example in most Jake books, I'm going to try and get a discussion going on his development and role as a leader. I'll continually try bring up the experience of being in a morph, and asking you to place yourself in  moments from the books.

I strongly hope that we get as many people as possible involved, and that everyone tries to read along.
I know some people can participate from memory, but it's still good to actually have the whole book recently done, so we can all nit pick the little things. Most the books can easily be done in under 2 hours. 20 minutes before bed each night and you'll be done with time to spare.
I'm going to try to post the thread each Saturday night PT.

Keep in mind this is a reread. We'll be going book by book, but at times we'll discuss the impact of a moment on the series at large. So, there will be spoilers, and I for one will not be monitoring for them. You partake at your own risk.

I think that's all I wanted to let you in on. For now.
I hope you participate, hope you enjoy, hope you hogtie and drag everyone on RAF who is not participating into it.
Always remember that you're entitled to your opinions, just as everyone else is entitled to theirs. Have a discussion, have a debate, but keep it civil.
This is what RAF is for, right? An adult conversation about a children's book.

The Invasion begins next Saturday

[Mr. Guy36]

This should give me a reason to be a little more involved, and I missed it the first time around, so should be cool.

[Terenia]

Sounds good, Rob. I think we should do a bit of PR work too. I can get a blog post up announcing the re-reads, but some other stuff might be worth attempting. Links in our signatures, perhaps?

[RYTX]

Would it be wrong to say I love you teach?
Or Mr. Guy, cuz he's the only one who's showed any interest in this yet?

I was planning to bug Richard, ask him to send out blogs, p.m.'s, emails whatnot.
I still might, but if you can kick off a blog post that'd be great.

I for one will be altering Avatar weekly and signature somewhat weekly as a form of spadvertisement for this project, but not till Saturday.
Which reminds me, I need to have it read before then so um.... excuse me
*running away!*