CHALLENGE RULES: :
♦ If you want to participate in a challenge, please sign up by posting at least a partial list of the challenge requirements. This gives us a post to link you to, which you can use to update your books as the challenge progresses.
♦ Unless otherwise noted, books must be at least 150 pages long. Books may only be used for one task in this challenge, but cross-challenge posting is encouraged :) Re-reads are allowed, as long as you read the entire book and not simply skim through it.
♦ For each book you read, please post a link to the title, and indicate the author and the date you finished reading it. If a challenge task gives several options, please make it clear which option you’ve chosen. If the task calls for an item on the cover, include a link to the book cover.* If it’s not obvious from the book title or cover, be sure to explain how your book fits the task. If you don’t, you won’t get credit for completing that task.
* If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title, cover or author, see the instructions here: Add a link to the book title, book cover and/or author
♦ When you complete the challenge, please post your entire list as a new message to make it easier for everyone to see what you’ve read :) If you don’t repost your list, your name will not be added to the list of those who have completed the challenge.
STEPS MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER!! You can't build the walls or roof until you have a cleared site and good foundation, so you MUST complete task #1 before moving on to task #2, then complete task #2 before doing task #3, etc.
In addition, you may read no more than three books from the same series over the course of this challenge. If you choose the series option for each task, you will need to work from at least four different series in order to get credit for completing the challenge properly.
LET’S BUILD A HOUSE!
Duration: April 1 - September 30
✔ 1. SITE PREP: The first step in building a new house is to grade and prepare the site. The site-preparation crew typically arrives on the site with a backhoe and/or bulldozer. The crew's job is to clear the site of any trees, rocks and debris, level the site if necessary and dig as necessary for the foundation being built.
Read book #1 in a series OR a book in which a character has to clear away debris of some sort OR a book with an arid desert on the cover. (Post the book cover!): Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews (Innkeeper Chronicles #1)
✔ 2. FOUNDATION: No house will last without a good foundation! Slabs, basements and crawl spaces are the three main foundation systems used on houses. In wet and coastal areas, it is sometimes common to put houses up on posts as well.
Read a book with a swamp or bog on the cover (post the book cover!) OR book #2 in a series OR an author’s first published book: A Highland Home by Cali MacKay (Contemporary Highland Romance #2)
✔ 3. FRAMING: Framing makes it start to look like a house. The framing crew is the next group of people on the site. They start by building the floor. The framing crew next starts on the walls. Walls are assembled on the floor and then raised into place.
Read a book in which a character works in a “blue-collar” job OR book #3 in a series OR a book by an author whose first OR last initial can be found in the word FRAMING: A Highland Heist by Cali MacKay (Contemporary Highland Romance #3)
✔ 4. WINDOWS & DOORS: Installation of windows and doors comes next, and the last step to completely enclose the structure is the roof. Most houses use standard asphalt shingles for the roof. The first step is to cover the roof with building paper, commonly called tar paper, then the shingles then go on very quickly.
Read a book with a window or door on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book that is more than 150 but less than 200 pages long OR book #4 in a series: Baehrly Breathing by Elizabeth A. Reeves (157 pages)
✔ 5. SIDING: Siding goes on next. When this step is complete, the house is "dried in," meaning that it is completely protected from rain. Now interior work can begin.
Read a book with some form of weather in the title or on the cover (post the book cover!) OR book #5 in a series OR a book whose primary cover is a pastel color (post the book cover!): It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet by James Herriot
✔ 6. ROUGH ELECTRICAL/PLUMBING: The first work done on the interior of the house is rough electrical and rough plumbing work. The electrician first places all of the boxes for electrical outlets, lights and switches. Then he ran wires from the fuse box to each box and between boxes. Rough plumbing involves installing all of the water lines, sewer lines and bathtubs.
Read a book with some sort of light source on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book with a lot of explosions OR book #6 in a series: My Sweet Valentine by Jill Sanders (The Pride #6)
✔ 7. INSULATION: The walls are then insulated, drywall is hung and underlayment is installed on the floors to provide a solid, level surface for carpet or vinyl floors. For tile floors, a rigid concrete wonder board may be installed.
Read a book with a character who is level-headed, even in a crisis OR book #7 in a series OR a book in which the first letter of every word in the title (ALL words count!) can be found in WONDERBOARD (minimum two-word title):
Ever After by Kim Harrison
✔ 8. COUNTERS & CABINETS: Bathroom and kitchen counters & cabinets go in next. They are aligned on the wall and screwed into the wall studs, then countertops are screwed on top of the cabinets.
Read book #8 in a series OR a book with a “stud” in the story or on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book in which a character works in the food industry: Cart Before the Horse by Bernadette Marie (Gabe owns a bar/restaurant)
✔ 9. PLUMBERS & ELECTRICIANS: Now the plumbers and electricians come back to finish their work. Sinks, toilet and faucets are installed, as well as the water heater, if that’s not already been done. Light fixtures, wall outlets, switches and cover plates are also installed. HVAC is also finished at this time, including heating and air conditioning unit, the vents and all duct work. Read a book set in the summer months (tell us when the book is set) OR the last (or most recent) book published by an author OR book #9 in a series: The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver (starts as the roses bloom, finishes later in the summer)
✔ 10. INTERIOR DOORS & TRIM: Interior doors, and trim around the doors, windows and baseboards go in at this time, and the interior walls are painted before the flooring – carpet or tile – is installed.
Read a book whose cover is at least 50% your favorite color (post the book cover!) OR book #10 in a series OR an e-book or hard cover book: Untouched by Robert J. Crane
✔ 11. WATER/SEWER LINES: Depending on where the house is located, it will either have a private well and septic system or it will hook up to municipal water and sewer lines. If a private well and septic tank are needed, the contractor will bring in a well-drilling subcontractor and a septic-tank subcontractor. Otherwise, the contractor will call either the municipality or a subcontractor to extend the municipal lines to the house. The plumber will hook up the water and sewer lines.
Read a book with a body of water on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book set in a small town OR book #11 in a series. Champagne and Lemon Drops by Jean Oram (Blueberry Spring is called a small town in the blurb)
✔ 12. PUNCH LIST: Last of all, a “punch list” is created. The builder, sometimes accompanied by the buyer, inspects the house, noting any problems. All problems are tabulated on a punch list, which is then used as a checklist of things to be done before the house is complete.
Read the last book in a series OR a book with a house/cabin/apartment (must be a permanent, personal residence) on the cover (post the book cover!) OR a book in which a character must attend to picky little details. Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashley
This sounds interesting and I will take part. My goal is to complete the challenge before 30th of September.
List of books:
- Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews
- A Highland Home by Cali MacKay
- A Highland Heist by Cali MacKay
- Baehrly Breathing by Elizabeth A. Reeves
- It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet by James Herriot
- My Sweet Valentine by Jill Sanders
- Ever After by Kim Harrison
- Cart Before the Horse by Bernadette Marie
- The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver
- Untouched by Robert J. Crane
- Champagne and Lemon Drops by Jean Oram
- Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashley
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