Subject: This went well!
Author:
Posted on: 2020-04-10 15:54:17 UTC
Been meaning to drop in and say so. Zoom seems to have worked pretty well for everyone barring a sound issue or two, and Zingenmir is a good reader. ^_^ 10/10, I'm in for the next one.
Zingenmir, thanks again for orchestrating this!
~Neshomeh
Possibly an odd combination, but here we go!
Oklahoma, starring Hugh Jackman, is currently available free (until tomorrow, as far as I can tell) on a site called Broadway HD (broadwayhd.com) which I recently found out existed. They're also doing a seven day free trial, which I'm absolutely going to go for soon. I've gone through their selection; they don't have everything, obviously (I looked for Something Rotten, Hamilton, and Wicked without luck), but they have a lot, including a lot of Shakespeare and, obviously, a bunch of musicals. I think it's a combination of filmed performances and movies? Can't quite tell. Anyway, I thought that might be something other people here might be interested in looking into :) (Also, Oklahoma, at any rate, definitely plays outside the US! Membership pricing is given in USD, but I expect it also works everywhere.)
On to the second topic: Tamora Pierce, a very good fantasy author (YA, though it mostly holds up for adults as well, especially her later books), made this post a couple days ago, giving everyone who wants to permission to stream themselves reading her books. I know there are at least a handful of Pierce fans here, myself included; I also happen to have something like nine of her books (I can see eight, but I'm pretty sure the ninth is here. Must be hiding) physically available right now (and could probably get more from the library in ebook form pretty easily, actually).
My thought is: if there's enough interest (say...five people minimum? I don't know, I've never tried this before, but it seems like a reasonable number), maybe we could put together a group reading kind of thing. I'm willing to read; if other people are too, either from different books or the same one when my voice gives out, that would be awesome. These are very good books, with vibrant characters and good plot and writing; it could make for a fun distraction/social activity, I think. This would absolutely be open to any PPCer who's interested; you don't have to already know Tamora Pierce's books! If the book chosen isn't the first in a series, I/we can absolutely provide a quick summary of who the characters are and how the world works (hopefully without being too spoiler-y).
I'm thinking this could be done on Zoom or something, to make it more accessible (not everyone's on Discord or wants to be!) I've used it for a few things so far; you can keep video and/or audio off (I'm pretty sure you can join without video; I can test that tomorrow), and set your name each time you join a meeting, so keeping general anonymity/using screen names should be pretty easy. I'm also inclined to send out the link via email rather than posting it on the Board, which would be simple enough to set up.
So! If you're interested, say so, and we'll start figuring out a day and time! I know some of us are more scheduled than others; I'm on the less scheduled side (I have plenty I can do, but just about nothing has deadlines beyond, say, joining a write-in or ordering from a supermarket big enough the delivery time is two weeks away), so I should be able to work with just about any restrictions y'all might have. Anyway: let me know!
~Z, who is also slowly working on a thing or three that will eventually show up here, one of them maybe even soonish!
Been meaning to drop in and say so. Zoom seems to have worked pretty well for everyone barring a sound issue or two, and Zingenmir is a good reader. ^_^ 10/10, I'm in for the next one.
Zingenmir, thanks again for orchestrating this!
~Neshomeh
Lovely, lovely schedules...
Though, first, thank you for the kind words :) I had a good time hosting this, and would love to keep going. Maybe we'll even manage to vanquish the sound issues somehow!
So: keeping the same 10 AM EST timing, since that worked pretty well for everyone, it looks like this week I can do...Monday and probably Thursday. Monday (April 13th) is tomorrow, which might be too short notice for everyone else (though feel free to prove me wrong); how's Thursday (April 16th)?
~Z
Yes I am joining another session. Thursday night is alright. Sorry Zingenmir for being late.
~SomeRandomPersonAccount
Unless we run into multiple objections, at least. Guess we'll see!
Tentative date for chapter 2 is now Thursday, April 16th at 10 AM EST. Please let me know if that doesn't work for you. Newcomers are still welcome, too; summarizing the first chapter would be pretty easy to add in.
~Z
And I'm happy to pop in tomorrow morning, too, just in case? (Which means I'd better go to bed now!)
~Neshomeh
Sorry about the previous version. I lied. Monday doesn't work.
Yeah, I'd love to do it again. It was really fun. Thanks for doing this.
The email was literally sent out at 1 am and I was already asleep.
~SomeRandomPersonAccount
Actually, I meant to send it earlier Monday, or even on Sunday, but forgot among doing other things. Zoom allows you to pre-schedule meetings and send out the information so people just have to open it at the right time.
As stated in the email, the reading is still taking place on Tuesday, April 7th, at 10 AM EST, which I believe is 10 PM your time. You're good.
Also, drat, I forgot instructions on how to use Zoom. Will try to send those out tomorrow morning; as a quick summary, it works without an account and in a browser, but certain browsers lack certain capabilities and overall it works much more smoothly with an account (free) and a download (also free, and pretty small).
~Z
Also, with three votes for it, we're going to be reading First Test, the first book in the Protector of the Small series! This is pretty much my favorite set of the many Tortall books, so I'm excited too.
Brief content warning for the first couple chapters if anyone wants/needs it:
Mind you, in general, the entire book deals with bullying and fighting, particularly physical fighting. Kel's training to be a knight, and is in the perfect position to be viewed as an outsider. Presumably, this was all clear from the book description, but I figured I'd be clear just in case, since we've tended to do that here for quite a few years now.
~Z
Mostly because, uh, the decision was just made for me. I now have a conflict on Monday as well as today--no idea why everyone's scheduling things for roughly this time, but there you have it! We'll be doing this on Tuesday, April 7, 2020. It'll probably last 30-45 minutes (or 30-40, depending on Zoom's time limits--I have yet to see them kick in, but supposedly it sometimes cuts off at the 40 minute mark, so we'll keep an eye out for that).
Hopefully that works for everyone! If it doesn't, I'm sorry, and hopefully we'll catch you in a potential second reading.
We also currently have what amounts to three votes for First Test, so odds are that's our book. Ix, you're still welcome to weigh in. (Also, Fuda, the metal plant is pretty great!)
I'm going to schedule the meeting, uh, today or tomorrow, I guess--we'll see how that goes. Never done it before. Once I have it, I'll email it to you all; I already have emails for Neshomeh and Iximaz (the perils of co-writing :P) so if you are anyone other than them and are interested (yup, still leaving this open to anyone else who wants to join!) please either send me an email or leave yours below! I can be reached at dawnfire360 (at) gmail (dot) com. (replace (at) with @ and (dot) with . and close the spaces, of course--no idea if the spam worries are still a thing on the new Board, but why not be careful?)
Off we go! Here's hoping Zoom meetings are simple to set up :)
~Z
My email is slytherinlife66@gmail.com
(Well, a more visible reminder. Seriously, come on down if you like :) just email me, or leave your email, and I'll send you the link as well.)
That was surprisingly simple to set up--or maybe not so surprising, considering how many people have been using Zoom. User-friendliness makes sense.
Anyway. I have it set so everyone comes in automatically with audio enabled and video disabled, so we'll be able to hear but not see each other. Should you wish to turn on your video or turn off your audio, that's your choice. I currently plan to be audio-only.
Also, it looks like there is, in fact, a 40 minute limit on meetings of three or more people (unless it's a school thing, in which case one can apply to change that). However, the last few virtual write-ins I've attended that way have had the limit removed during the meeting, without the host doing anything. I don't know if that's going to happen to us; I set the meeting length at an hour and fifteen minutes, so in theory we can't get suddenly cut off, but we should plan this around a forty-minute duration in case the write-in miracle doesn't show up :)
That's all (for now), folks!
~Z
Nevermind, too save time I’m going to slap my Gmail onto the board.
Gmail: toorandomperson@gmail.com
~SomeRandomPersonAccount
Sorry about that. I think I had it in mind when I started writing that post, and then forgot by the end. Thanks for putting it up again, though.
~Z
Okay! So, we're officially doing this at 10 AM EST.
For days--Monday or Tuesday would work best for me in this coming week, as the other half of the week will be busy and I have a conflict on Sunday. Can you all do one or both of those days? Any preference for one over the other? Let me know!
Book poll, since we should absolutely decide this ahead of time:
I did find Will of the Empress; turns out it was hiding, as I'd thought. This makes our choices the following:
Protector of the Small series: (please be aware that the old covers were so much better, wow)
-Page (linking to a different site here for a book summary that isn't full of spoilers--for whatever reason, the version on the author's website is more of a synopsis. This one still has the option to read an excerpt--just scroll down.)
Winding Circle series:
Circle Reforged:
I've linked to descriptions of each, for general information purposes. Said links are (almost all) to Tamora Pierce's website, which also gives series summaries and the option to read an excerpt.
Let me know which sounds best! You can choose a few different ones, if you'd rather (though please rank them, if possible). Remember, if everyone says they don't have a preference, we're going to have to start rolling dice or something ;) (...also an option, technically, if no one has a preference).
Conversely: if there's a book you don't want read, speak up. Most of these deal with at least some heavier topics, including war, bullying, children in bad situations (generally in the past, or changing onscreen, though not always), and, rather topically, epidemics (Briar's Book; and Sandry's backstory includes being hidden during a smallpox outbreak, though there's only very minimal focus on the disease itself). These are generally handled pretty well--among other things, the author studied social work and psychology and was once a housemother in a group home (and a martial arts movie reviewer, which explains so much)--but if you want or need to avoid a book because of this, please say so.
~Z
I think that Daja’s book sounds very interesting, because she creates a metal plant.
Edit: Since schools have now been closed in Singapore, I think that Thursday will be alright. However, if the popular vote is some other day then I will be willing to listen on that day.
~SomeRandomPersonAccount
Both series are nice (although, Protector of the Small seems slightly more interesting to me), as long as we start at the first book of whatever series chosen, because I am not familiar at all with the story and it would be less confusing if we start from the beginning.
As for the date, both Monday and Tuesday work for me.
This is mostly based on the number of people who said they weren't familiar with Tammy's work, because some stuff can be sort of confusing if you start in the middle. I also have a preference for First Test over Sandry's Book.
I would prefer to avoid Will of the Empress however.
As for days of the week, Tuesday works better for me than Monday.
Protector of the Small or Sandry's Book, to be clear. Probably in that order, though I'll be happy either way. {= )
Monday is best for me, but Tuesday also works.
~Neshomeh
(Yes I am going to oversimplify this because I don’t want to open a can of worms.)
Essentially I left the server because I was feeling angry and upset. Later that day, I looked at the wiki for the link back to the server and it was gone!
Delta Juliette must have locked the server from outsiders because there was a user who did “things”( I don’t know what he/she did but he/she was banned).
And I have realised that I don’t have any friend requests by Zingenmir, so now I don’t know how to join the stream.
~SomeRandomPersonAccount
To quote my opening post:
I'm thinking this could be done on Zoom or something, to make it more accessible (not everyone's on Discord or wants to be!) I've used it for a few things so far; you can keep video and/or audio off (I'm pretty sure you can join without video; I can test that tomorrow), and set your name each time you join a meeting, so keeping general anonymity/using screen names should be pretty easy. I'm also inclined to send out the link via email rather than posting it on the Board, which would be simple enough to set up.
Re: the locked server, as far as I know it got temporarily locked down due to Bram resurfacing and possibly spamming the server. It should eventually be unlocked again.
At any rate, I deliberately chose for this to not happen via Discord so as to be more inclusive of Boarders who are exclusively Boarders and don't want to change that. You don't need access to Discord or the PPC Discord server in order to participate.
As far as I remember, there is a download connected with Zoom, and you may need an account? I'm not sure. Both are free, in any case. I'll try to get more information on this; I made an account the first time I used it because the person hosting the event asked us to set up accounts in advance just in case, so that's what I've been using. I'll see what I can find out about that (if anyone here knows, please share! I first used Zoom all of about two weeks ago).
~Z
Okay! This is good :) No clue what book we'll go for at this rate (suggestions? Hold on, I'll put a list of the books I have physically with me down below), but timing wise: based on the information I have, something like 10 am EST (that's 10 pm for you, Fuda, unless I've messed up the calculation) might work for everyone. As far as I know (feel free to correct me!) the earliest time zone involved would put that at 9 am, and the latest at 10 pm. Somariel and ChampionorChicken are the ones I don't have time zone information for; I don't need it, but if the suggested time is way too early or late for you, do speak up! Same goes for everyone else: if that's too early or too late for you, speak up. Like I said, I'm very flexible; this is just the first time I thought of that seemed like it might fall within reasonable waking hours for everyone currently interested. I can also tell you now that this is most likely to happen Sun-Thurs, apart from the end of next week; within that, I'm also fairly flexible, though that may change slightly.
Re: Zoom: it is possible to join with audio-only! Might even give you the option right off? It did this time, though previously it's given me a video preview. Maybe it's to do with how the meeting is set up. I'll find out when I try out that part of it; so far, I've only joined other people's meetings, not tried to host one.
Book list:
Circle of Magic quartet, following four young mages who become family:
Sandry's Book
Tris' Book
Daja's Book
Briar's Book
Protector of the Small quartet, following Keladry of Mindelan who is determined to become the second female knight in a hundred years and, as the series title suggests, repeatedly stands up for pretty much every misfit she encounters along the way:
First Test
Page
Squire
Lady Knight
The one I'm pretty sure is here but hiding: The Circle Reforged book (currently last chronologically in the set that started with the Circle of Magic books): The Will of the Empress, when, after some years apart, Sandry, Tris, Daja, and Briar go on a trip together to visit Sandry's cousin and try to regain their closeness amidst political intrigue.
Personally, I like Squire, Lady Knight, and Will of the Empress best (as well as the Circle books, but those are more...I like them all and don't really prefer one over the others too strongly. I will say that I've heard the audiobook versions multiple times before, though, and would probably have that playing in my head a lot with Sandry's Book if I tried to read it). I'm happy to go with any of them, though, for reading purposes.
~Z
Hi!
Does the suggested time work for you? :)
~Z, who's going to have to set up a book poll, hm...and find the hiding book, too, come to think of it. Might be good to do that first.
Depending on the day (because all of us are on lockdown we have no schedule) my online D&D group might be playing, so it'll largely depend on what day it'll be held. Don't worry about rescheduling for my sake—either I'll be there or I won't, but I'm sure there will be more in the future I can join. :)
10 AM is great. As long as it ends before 11:10 AM, it should be fine for me.
I'm currently thinking it'll be more like 30-45 minutes, if I'm the only reader, though I suppose it could stretch a little if there's a lot of discussion. This could potentially become a recurring thing if people want to keep going with the book, though.
(Realistically speaking, 45 minutes is more likely than 30 if there's any discussion at all, but I guess we'll see!)
At any rate, we should definitely be done before 11:10.
~Z
10 PM EST is, get this, 10 AM in Singapore! But the real problem is that I might have school( you did mention that the stream can take place from Sunday to Thursday), and in some countries like Singapore, Secondary Schools Start at 7 AM and ends at 2.30 PM. I’m not even allowed to use my phone, or anything other than a Chromebook in school. So I can’t even join the reading.
But if I make the reading too late, I might make someone angry that he/she has to sleep late. Besides, I could have made an error in calculating EST to GMT 8+…
Sorry for over complicating everything.
~SomeRandomPersonAccount
I'm suggesting 10 AM EST, which should be 10 PM for you. That doesn't fall during the school hours you've mentioned, but since it might be a school night--is that too late for you?
Also, really, don't worry too much. You don't control your time zone or school schedule; you won't make anyone angry over that. At most there might be mild irritation or disappointment which is directed at circumstances, not at you. Relax.
~Z
And yes, that is too late. If I assume that this can last up to 2 hours, I would be sleeping by midnight.
I guess that I have to request that you start the stream two hours earlier, such as 8 EST. Sorry for asking. I really can’t do anything about the time, so waking up earlier is really your only choice.
~SomeRandomPersonAccount
We're probably looking at 30-45 minutes, especially since it currently looks like I'll be the only reader. I'd be absolutely shocked if my voice held up for two hours of reading, even with a couple pauses to discuss.
My current thought is to cap it around 30-45 minutes, and possibly make this a recurring thing if people want to keep going with whichever book we start. So we'd be ending by about 10:30-10:45 PM your time. Is that better?
~Z
Thanks Zingenmir!
~SomeRandomPersonAccount
Well, I am interested in listening to the reading. I have never read or even heard of Tamora Pierce, but since you said good things about her writing, I would like to join!
Here are some ways that you can contact me:
My Discord Tag: SomeRandomPersonAccount#6297 My Email: toorandomperson@gmail.com
Since I’m from Singapore, my time zone is GMT 8+, so it may be a bit complicated if you live somewhere else other than Asia. So what’s your timezone Zingenmir?
~SomeRandomPersonAccount
Never actually read any Tamora Pierce, I don't think, so it should be an interesting experience!
(Also, boo, your Oklahoma mention had to be about the musical and not the state. :P I was born in Oklahoma but I'm not a fan of the musical, so you've just ruined my day. How dare you. ;))
I've never read any of Tamora Pierce's works, but I'm interested. If there's a zoom, I'll try my best to be there.
Broadway HD sounds awesome! I'll definitely check it out. Thanks for posting this:)
I don't think I'd be a good choice to do any reading, but I love Tammy's writing and would enjoy listening to others read it.
Never read much Tamora Pierce and I don't have the books, but it sounds like a nice way to low-key socialize with fellow PPCers. ^_^
~Neshomeh