RandomCAT General Thread

Here it is!



Since setting up the RandomCAT is mainly a matter of finding twelve volunteers, this will also serve as the general thread for the RandomCAT.

Here's the wiki:

http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/2016CC_RandomCAT#2016_RandomCAT

RandomCAT month-by-month:

January Host: lkernagh
February Host: sturlington
March Host: LoisB
April Host: majkia
May Host: LittleTaiko
June Host: LadyoftheLodge
July Host: Chrischi_HH
August Host: thornton37814
September Host: Robertgreaves
October Host: LibraryCin
November Host: DeltaQueen50
December Host: Clue

LittleTaiko (X) - have done it the last two years so want others to have the chance to host if they want. Always happy to do it again if needed.

Chrischi_HH (just not January, please)

I'll volunteer but will X myself since I did one this year.

Clue (X)

LoisB (XX)

I will volunteer, but am giving myself XX since I've done it for the past 2 years.

I will have a go (but preferrably not for January).

I will volunteer for any month. I'll even take January. (PS This would be my first time.)

I'm going to volunteer with an X as it's my RandomCAT currently running in September.

LibraryCin (X)

I will certainly be participating and I would host a month if needed but I have already hosted a couple of times so would rather see others get a chance.

DeltaQueen (XX)

I'll volunteer again but will give up a slot to a newbie. I hosted this past April and it was fun.

luvamystery65/Roberta (X)

I've waited on this to see if we get enough volunteers, but I'll volunteer, if needed.

thornton37814 (X)

I'll volunteer to host a month. I hosted a month last year and had a lot of fun coming up with the topic.

looks like we have our twelve!

Let's give it until November first - there's no hurry as far as this CAT - it's not one people can plan ahead for - and I'd like to see if a few people who've never gotten to host a RandomCAT volunteer.

Anyone who's never hosted: it's really easy and fun. You can even choose a month later in the year if you just want to watch at first.

I'd be happy to set up a thread on behalf of a new host if he or she wishes!

Setting up a thread is the easy part. It's the wiki that worries me.

>16 Robertgreaves: You can ask for Wiki help here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/195220

I'm sure there will be people willing to help you through the process or volunteers willing to set things up for you.

Maybe I should set up a thread in this group.

ETA: ... and here it is:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/196074

I've starred it for future reference, thanks.

I've never touched the wiki (outside of adding books I've read). If you have the skills or are willing to give it a try, go for it. Otherwise, someone will add your topic when they notice that it isn't there. your name will be put next to the month you've chosen when the wiki is set up.

Anyone else want to host a month of the RandomCAT?

put me down as a backup if anyone has to cancel at the last minute.

Bumping this thread up and checking in to see when months might be assigned to hosts. I cannot see any reference for who hosts which months. If we still need to assign months, I am okay with taking January to start the ball rolling.

Lori, good idea. If you've volunteered, please pick a month. First come, first serve.

majkia, do you want to do a month, or were you just being polite? If you want to, then choose a month. If you don't want to, I'll fill in. Up to you. No pressure. : )

Sure, I can do a month. Anything other than August or September.

I'd prefer January or February

March for me, please.

I'll volunteer for May but can switch if somebody else has their heart on set on it. Basically, I can do any month but October.

sturlington, you have February.

LoisB, you have March.

LittleTaiko, you have May.

majkia, I've put you on April.

cool

I'll take June. If someone really wants it I can trade except I don't want September or November. Got other things going on. ;-)

ETA: I'm excited to host but, if someone really wants to host and they didn't get the opportunity, I can give up my slot. I hosted this year and I'm hosting a GeoCAT next year.

I'll volunteer for August.

I can do July.

If you still need me to host, I will take November. Since I am already hosting a GeoCat and a DeweyCat, I would be glad to step aside for someone else.

>33 DeltaQueen50: I just realized I'm hosting in all three CATs, too.

>34 LoisB: I guess we are the hosts with the mosts! Actually I have no problem with hosting all three but I do want anyone who hasn't had a chance yet to be able to do so.

I can do September again (since it seems we are going in order! ;-) ).

I'm also hosting all three. I think I'm in June for Geo, and Jan. for Dewey, so at least it should all be spread out for me.

LibraryCin, sorry, do you mind if I do September? The theme I have in mind has a September hook, though it could be done any month.

>37 Robertgreaves: No worries! You do September.

I'll do October, then? Actually, October could be fun. That's what I'd like and it doesn't appear to be gone yet. :-)

Thank you :-)

December works fine for me, thanks!

Here's a wiki for the 2016 Random CAT: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/2016CC_RandomCAT#2016_RandomCAT

Thank you, majkia! I've copied the address up in the first post so it's easy to find.

I can volunteer for a month. Looks like I am late getting into the game though.

>43 LadyoftheLodge: I did RandomCAT this year so I am happy to give you June if you would like it.

Thanks! I would love to do that.

>45 LadyoftheLodge: You're welcome. It's so much fun. Enjoy it. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

I've changed the line up up top to reflect the change. Roberta, that was nice of you.

If anyone else comes in late and would like a month, please speak up.

Yes, anyone who's here late and hasn't hosted, please speak up. Since I've done this before, I'd gladly give up April so you could enjoy the challenge!

I've done it before, too. So, if anyone else wants a chance, my spot is available.

Same here. I've hosted before so if someone new wants my month, they can have it.

January RandomCAT is up. The discussion thread can be found here.

>51 lkernagh: Oooh, you're early! I was working on the DeweyCAT today, but am not completely ready to post. Was planning on it on Tuesday (15th).

>51 lkernagh: I'm surprised at how many of my book it this category! Now, I need to identify which ones I have not read - I'm not good at keeping my stats up to date.

The February RandomCAT is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/215473#

The March RandomCAT is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/219204

The April RandomCAT is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/220160

The May RandomCAT is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/221241#

I do not have the page ready yet--but the topic will be "I do, I do!" Reading selections about weddings or marriage, or with wedding or marriage words in the title. Working on setting this up--sorry for the delay! I just got married on May 6, so my thought have been elsewhere lately.

The June RandomCAT is up (I hope): http://www.librarything.com/topic/223418.

I have a problem. The theme I had in mind for September was translation to mark International Translation Day (September 30). However, translation is a major theme of June's DeweyCAT on language.

Should I try and choose another theme? Do people have enough relevant books to make a second go reasonable? Are there enough people who do the RandomCAT but not the DeweyCAT to make it worthwhile?

>60 Robertgreaves: For me it's not a problem, I have lots of books in translation to read. I guess let's see what others think?

>60 Robertgreaves: I say go for it!

For people who do both challenges, someone might read a language book for the DeweyCAT and a translated novel for the RandomCAT. And if anyone picks up translation-related book bullets from the challenge in June, they can read them in September! The two would complement each other nicely.

>60 Robertgreaves: Translation can include fiction or nonfiction, but the Dewey challenge is for nonfiction language books. So I think it's different and a great challenge topic, I might add.

>60 Robertgreaves: I agree with all the responses so far. I think your idea is fine. To me, the DeweyCAT is more about nonfiction although some people choose to read fiction for some months. But when I think about a monthly theme about translation, my first thought is about translated works of fiction. There are translated works of nonfiction, but they are harder to come by it seems. I don't think the challenges are exactly the same.

>60 Robertgreaves: Having looked at the posts so far in the June DeweyCAT thread, it appears as if a number of people are not planning to take the translation route. There are a lot of books pertaining to language or linguistics which are not merely books in translation. Also, looking on the wiki, I notice that many of the books listed appear to be about language instead of translations from one language into another. Three of us are listed as planning to read The Professor and the Madman about the making of the OED (Oxford English Dictionary).

I agree with others that there will not be too much overlap with the June DeweyCAT and your proposed RandomCAT.

>60 Robertgreaves: I also agree that this shouldn't be a problem and I'm in both groups. I have several TBRs that are translated novels just waiting to be read.

I say go for it >60 Robertgreaves:, there is always room to read more translated fiction works. I did not even consider using translated fiction for this months Dewey.

The July thread is up! :)

The August Thread is posted: https://www.librarything.com/topic/227131

How do you make the mosaics of books some people use for the intro posts for their topics?

>70 Robertgreaves: You mean like a string of book covers? Those are done using image code in HTML, like so:



In each tag:
The less-than and greater-than brackets at either end indicate the start and end of the tag.
"img src" indicates that this is an image tag.
The http address is the web address of the picture you want to link to. All of the ones in this example are from the LT work pages for the books in question.
It's very important that you include the quotation marks around the http address; otherwise, the image tag won't work.

If you want them all to show up on the same line, leave a space between each image tag.

The code above produces the following image:



Hope this helps!

That helps me! I've always wondered how to do that but was too lazy to look it up or ask. :)

>71 rabbitprincess: Great, thanks.

The images have come out rather small. Is there any way of enlarging them?

Between "img" and "src" you can put height="xxx" where xxx is a number. If I'm only posting one cover I usually use 200, but you can experiment to find a size you want. Or you can also do width="xxx". Also put a space before and after.

ETA: the number does go in quote marks.

For those who haven't realised, the September thread is up.

Just posted the October RandomCAT:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/232426

We are voting on 2017 CATs here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/234010#

The November RandomCat is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/235761

Here is December RandomCat