Hi everyone! This post has everything you need to know about the YA Sci-Fi & Fantasy Addicts and NA Sci-Fi & Fantasy Addicts Summer Reading Challenge for 2023.
What is the Summer Reading Challenge?
The summer reading challenge is a chance to read YA and NA sci-fi and fantasy books from your own TBR and earn points for yourself and your house team. There will be fun games, author visits, and freebies along the way. At the end of the summer, we will announce the winners and let them choose prizes.
This year, the challenge will run from
May 1st - July 31st
How Do I Sign Up?
We thought you'd never ask! You can sign-up here: https://forms.gle/s3GKpnvn86eaUHyH9
There is no deadline. You can join at any point throughout the summer. Once you fill out the form, we'll sort you into your house! Look out for an email and a tag on Facebook.
How Do I Score Points?
Read a YA or NA Sci-Fi or Fantasy book, leave a review in the appropriate group, and earn points. 1 Read, 1 Review = 1 Point
Which books count?
Books must be YA or NA sci-fi/fantasy. (Please note this does not include horror. It is shelved separately. Grimdark fantasy does count.)
Books must be 200+ pages. You can also combine shorter works into a single post to reach your point threshold.
Books should be reviewed in the appropriate group. YA books in YA Sci-Fi & Fantasy Addicts. NA books in NA Sci-Fi & Fantasy Addicts. Please help us keep the YA group a safe space for younger readers. (Team captains will tally your points from both groups on one master spreadsheet, so feel free to read both types of books for the challenge.)
Any other details I need to remember?
Use your team hashtag on every post.
Make sure your review contains a minimum of 3 sentences. It doesn't need to be Shakespearean. Simple is a-okay! (Example: I loved this book and can't wait for the next! Perfect for fans of sword and sorcery. I can't get over that brutal cliffhanger though...)
You can combine reviews into one post, but each book still needs to have a minimum 3 sentence review.
How Do I Score Bonus points?
More on both of these in detail below.
Underhyped Bonus
Theme Bonus
Underhyped Bonus
Read a book with less than 500 ratings on Amazon, and you get one bonus point! No limit. Read as many as you like.
Theme Bonus
For each bonus theme you read, you get one extra point. If you complete all twelve themes, you get an additional ten bonus points. Be sure to add #themeread and tells us the theme at the bottom of your review, so your team captains are sure to count your extra point(s).
FAQ: You can only get one theme point per book. No double dipping. You can only earn a theme point once. No repeats.
Flight (spaceships, dragons, balloons, you name it!) #flight
Globetrotter (features a country other than your own) #globetrotter
Emotional Damage (made you emotional/cry) #emotionaldamage
Squad Goals (fantastic teams, friends, family, found family) #squadgoals
Comfort (cozy, comforting reads or a re-read of a favorite) #comfort
Avoidance (something that’s been on your TBR for a long time) #avoidance
Blind Date (a book recommended to you by another YA SFF member) #blinddate
Secrets and Lies (the kind that drive plots and keep you turning pages) #secretslies
Chonky (longer than 400 pages) #chonky
Ship It (a book with your favorite romance trope) #shipit
Chosen One (yer a wizard, Harry) #chosenone
Judge a Book By Its Cover (beautiful cover) #eyecandy
What Are the Prizes?
Here's a first look at this year's summer reading prizes! There are so many to choose from! Even more than last year. There will be a mix of YA and NA books and formats, including ebooks, paperback, hardcovers, and audiobooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this book YA?
One of the most common questions we receives is… "Is this book YA?" Sometimes, it's hard to decide. YA is a big, beautiful, and ever-evolving space! We (the mod team) want to be sure we are consistent in awarding reading challenge points and removing non-YA posts. We also want the YA group to remain YA focused. So, we've decided to follow the publisher's classification.
IF A BOOK MEETS ANY OF THE FOUR CRITERIA BELOW, WE CONSIDER IT YA (UNLESS IT SAYS 18+ UNDER AGE RANGE).
Amazon Subtitle - If YA or Young Adult is written in the subtitle, the book is YA.
Amazon Blurb - If YA or Young Adult is written in the blurb, the book is YA.
Amazon Categories - If Teen & Young Adult is one of the categories, the book is YA.
Amazon Reading Age or Grade Levels - Amazon considers 13-17 to be the age bracket for YA. If the given age range falls anywhere in this spectrum (16+, 14-16, etc), the book is YA. If the grade levels fall between 7 - 12, the book is YA.
If a book's age range is set to 18+, the book is NOT YA even if it meets other criteria.
Are NA books allowed?
Yes! This year all NA (new adult) books are allowed. Please remember to leave those reviews in NA Sci-Fi & Fantasy Addicts. Your points will count toward your overall total exactly the same as YA books.
What is New Adult (NA)?
The term "new adult" wasn't coined until 2009, so this is a rapidly emerging new space! We'll likely see many changes as it continues to grow and evolve.
Usually the protagonist is between the ages of 18 - 25
Romance may include higher steam levels than YA, including on-page sex scenes
May include more explicit language
May include graphic violence
COMMON ELEMENTS IN NEW ADULT BOOKS:
College Students
New Marriages/Engagements
Navigating Relationships
Living with Roommates
Starting Careers
In a fantasy setting, some of these thing may look a little different, like a paranormal academy for twenty-somethings, a stolen fae bride, a mortal moving in with a vampire, or a grim reaper being called to their first job.
HOW DOES THIS TRANSLATE FOR THE CHALLENGE?
Books must be sci-fi, fantasy, or dystopian. MCs should be in their late teens or 20s (unless they're a vampire haha). Not erotica.
When in doubt, ask your team captains.
Need a rec? Check out our NA Nook here on the blog ask the readers at NA Sci-Fi & Fantasy Addicts for their favorites.
Does This Count?
Do rereads count? Yes.
Do audiobooks count? Yes.
Do ARCs count? Yes.
Do light novels count? Yes.
Do graphic novels or manga count? No.
Does horror count? No.
Does Wattpad count? No.
Does fanfiction count? No.
Happy Reading!
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