Murder by Death

As Themis-Athena said earlier, the 24 Festive Tasks of 2018 was a runaway success!  We amassed 1105 points between us, and from all reports so far, everybody enjoyed doing it. 

I can't thank Themis-Athena enough for partnering with me and co-hosting the game; I think we have two very different skill sets that complement each other perfectly, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the planning and executing of both last year's and this year's games. And thanks heaps to Moonlight Reader for getting both TA and I involved again this year.

I also can't thank all the players enough - you guys really got into the game and made it your own.  I loved the way everybody really got into the tasks, and in some cases, turned those tasks on their heads, taking them in a (for me) totally unexpected direction.  It was brilliant!  And the amount of time and creativity so many people put into their task posts was amazing; well, it was unneeded proof of how great our little BookLikes community is.

So, you're probably wondering about the bus?  Well, as you know, Moonlight Reader, Themis-Athena and I agreed to donate up to $100USD each to the book charity of our choice in the name of the Festive Tasks Game.  Since 1105 points (!!!) definitely exceeded our expectations, we're each giving the full $100.  The charity I chose is The Book Bus*

The Book Bus began work with schools in Zambia, delivering books and working with teachers and volunteers to help get more children reading.

Over the last ten years, The Book Bus and its fleet of five buses has travelled 250,000 miles and opened further reading schemes in Malawi and Ecuador.

With help from our supporters, volunteers and teachers, over 100,000 children now have books. Not only have they boosted their reading abilities, they share their love of learning and literacy skills with families and communities.

While BookBus.org accepts standard donations, they also allow for 'adopting' one of their book buses; a small monthly donation, paid over 1 year, is dedicated to the upkeep of one of the 6 buses.  So, the participants of the 24 Festive Tasks are now the proud (I hope) adoptor of Charlie:

Charlie was our first overland truck converted to a bus, and he’s still the largest.

A lovely book mover, he has side-stepped hazards, humps and hippos to bring books to kids in remote parts of Zambia. He’s getting on a bit, and with expensive tyres and parts, he needs a little more TLC.

As with all such things, choosing just 1 bus was a difficult choice, but I had to go with the oldest and in most of need of some love from book lovers.

An adoption packet is supposedly being sent out, and as there was a glitch with the payment process (PayPal redirected me to the wrong page), I didn't get to say who did the adoption.  I immediately sent an email to the organisation, asking that the donation be done in the name of BookLikes Festive Tasks 2018 - so I hope that's what the certificate says when it arrives.  Fingers crossed, and I'll post it when it does.

Congratulations again, and thank you to everyone who played!  

*The Book Bus Foundation: Registered Charity No: 1117357
Postal Address:

The Book Bus Foundation,

11 The Orchard, Montpelier Road, London W5 2QW