Benedicte’s Comments (group member since Mar 23, 2025)

Benedicte’s comments from the Hooked on Books group.

I would also like to sign up if you need a backup! :)

Grace wrote: "Hi everybody! Im Grace and I am VERY new to the reading scene but recently have a new found obsession. So far I am like romance reads like Lynn Painter and I have lots of “booktok” fantasy on my TB..."

Hey Grace, welcome! 👋❤️

It's never too late to start reading. I hope you enjoy this new hobby as much as I do haha 😃

If you haven't already, check out the "Welcome New Members" thread. There should be plenty of information there on how to settle into this group 🥰

Thanks for joining us! 📚✨

Prompt #72/ Name: Zorbing
Book: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Date Read: June 1st 2025
Pages: 325
Task: 🐹 3. Read a book with the word TRANSPARENT found in the text.

Page 154: "There was such a depth of it, and yet it was almost as transparent as air."

Bernadette wrote: "Checking in - it's the end of May already!

Looks like we still need:

*one book for Rides (one from Benedicte)
*two books for Food (one from Benedicte; one from Princesspint)
*one book for Attract..."

Aaaaaaa May has gone by so quickly! We had very talkative guests at home the last two weeks and I have not been able to read much. Sorry. Will be trying to finish my book for the spell-out asap so we can get new tasks :)

🎪 Team Name: The Misfit Readers
🎟️ Task Completed: Reading Ride: The Adventure Peak
🔗 Proof of Completion: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
✨ Summoning the Carnival Master for our next adventure!

Genre Attraction: The Adventure Peak

🎭Action: Pretty Little Poison #1
Teammate Prinsesspint
Date Completed: 05/18/2025
Page Count: 743
Tickets: 7

🎭Dystopian: 1984
Teammate Benedicte
Date Completed: 06/01/2025
Page Count: 334
Tickets: 3

🎭Adventure: Jurassic Park
Teammate Bernadette
Date Completed: 05/05/2025
Page Count: 450
Tickets: 5

🎭Action: The Tomb of Hercules
Teammate Sharon Book Dragon
Date Completed: 05/12/2025
Page Count: 506
Tickets: 5

🎭Adventure: Siege and Storm
Teammate Bernadette
Date Completed: 05/20/2025
Page Count: 435
Tickets: 4

1. The Fable duology. It’s a fantasy series about pirates and ships. I think it would be perfect to be made into a film. I am a huge fan of the pirates of the Caribbean films, and I think Fable would be fantastic as it would have the same type of atmosphere, albeit lacking when it comes to humour, as no one can replace Captain Jack Sparrow.

2. I keep a thorough reading journal, that includes time spent reading. Every time I start reading, I put on the stopwatch on my phone. At the end of each month and year, I can make statistics to see what my average time spent reading per day was.

3. Indoors. Always. I really want to be the kind of person that reads outside, but I’m such an anxious person and I never get to focus whenever I read outside, as I feel like there are so many distractions. Any intensity of wind, too much light, too little light, being cold, having to worry about sunscreen, or neighbours saying hi when they walk past the house.

4. Namesake, the second book in the Fable duology. Was the first one to pop into my mind as I just wrote about it haha

5. When people fold the top corner of the page to keep track of where they are in the book. I always carry an extra bookmark with me, so whenever I see anyone I know do that, I beg them not to do it and to please take my bookmark xD

📚 BFL Monthly Newsletter – June/2025 📚

☀️Hello, Page-Turners!☀️
June is here, and with it comes the golden glow of early summer—ideal for long reads and lazy afternoons. As the season shifts, so does our reading list, ready to carry us into new worlds and fresh perspectives. Whether you’re flipping pages poolside or curled up indoors with a cool drink, we’re excited to explore this month’s stories together. Let’s dive into June and see where the next chapter takes us!


🌈 Announcements 🌈
🔹 We’re saying a fond farewell to Bobbi and Amanda as they step away from the mod team to pursue new adventures. While we’re sad to see them go, we’re grateful for all the time, energy, and heart they’ve given to the community.
🔹 At the same time, we’re excited to welcome three wonderful additions to our team: Benedicte, who will be joining us as our new admin moderator, and Teresa and Lisa, who will step in as moderators. We’re thrilled to have their insight, support, and fresh energy on board!


🍦 Current Challenges & Competitions 🍦
👑 Theme Throwdown - Cruella and Giselle battle for supremacy! (Host: Donna) https://www.librarything.com/topic/37...
☑️ Checkpoint Marathon - Themed Checkpoints guide your path! (Host: Donna) https://www.librarything.com/topic/36...
🏃‍♀️ Sprint vs Marathon - Will your team win based on number or on endurance? (Host: Donna) https://www.librarything.com/topic/36...

👉 Full Challenge List & Thread Links https://www.librarything.com/topic/36...


💕 Group Reads & Readathons 💕
📚 Candy Readathon (June 1-30) https://www.librarything.com/topic/37...


🌺 Winner's Spotlight 🌺
A huge round of applause to everyone who participated in our April reading challenge—it was a month filled with page-turners, plot twists, and powerful discussions. We’re thrilled to recognize the readers who went above and beyond!

Theme Throwdown: 🥇 Dobby: 57 |🥇 Smaug: 57
It's a tie! Great job to everyone who played!
Bonus Shoutout: 🎉 Our "Sunrise on the Reaping " Group Read participants—thank you for joining our discussion.


Member Spotlight
✨ This month’s superstar: @Catherine
Hosted an AMAZING Lore Vault over at HOB!


The Lore Vault & Trivia
👑 June Curators: Morana (HOB) and Tawallah (BFL)
🗝️ How it works: Each month, two random challenge participants will post fun facts and trivia!


💡 Quick Tips & Reminders
🔹Tag mods if you need help!
🔹Use spoiler tags in discussions: < spoiler > text < / spoiler >.
🔹Update your monthly challenge logs by June 30.
🔹New Members: Introduce yourself in our Admin Hub
🔹 Challenge Tracking: Use Mission Control to stay organized and on top of challenges
🔹 Don’t forget to check out The Booked Code for helpful guides on navigating BFL: https://www.librarything.com/topic/36...
🔹Hooked on Books: our sister site https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...


Happy reading, everyone!
🏖️ Your BFL Mod Team🏖️

📚 HOB Monthly Newsletter – June/2025 📚

☀️Hello, Page-Turners!☀️
Welcome to your monthly dose of bookish updates, challenges, and community highlights. Let’s dive in!

🌈 Announcements 🌈

🔹 We’re saying a fond farewell to Bobbi and Amanda as they step away from the mod team to pursue new adventures. While we’re sad to see them go, we’re grateful for all the time, energy, and heart they’ve given to the community.
🔹 At the same time, we’re excited to welcome three wonderful additions to our team: Benedicte, who will be joining us as our new admin moderator, and Teresa and Lisa, who will step in as moderators. We’re thrilled to have their insight, support, and fresh energy on board!
🔹 The Name Game is ending and will be archived June 30, 2025

🍦 Current Challenges & Competitions 🍦
📚1-Month Challenges

🏆 Listopia Madness - Battle of the Book Lists! (Host: Donna)
👊 TBR Busters – Clear those dusty shelves! (Host: Donna)
🏳️‍🌈The Fairytale Detective Agency - Solve the fairy tale case and earn your sidekick! (Host: Lisa)
🎯 Amazing Race Mini Challenge – Race your way through pages! (Host: Teresa)
🌰 Symbols of Luck and Fortune - Lucky acorns for June! (Host: Ashley)
👑 Theme Throwdown - Cruella and Giselle battle for supremacy! (Host: Donna)

📚Longer Challenges

❤️ Partner Pick - June & July (Host: Angie)
🔎 I Spy! Challenge - A create-your-own Challenge! (Host: Michelle)
☑️ Checkpoint Marathon - Themed Checkpoints guide your path! (Host: Donna)
🏃‍♀️ Sprint vs Marathon - Will your team win based on number or on endurance? (Host: Donna)
💦 Water Balloon Wars - Go crazy with water balloons and reading! (Host: Donna)

👉 Full Challenge List & Thread Links


💕 Buddy Reads & Readathons 💕

📔June formal Buddy Reads | Midsummer: Shadows of Solstice
As the sun reaches its zenith and the shadows stretch long, we’re thrilled to announce our Formal Buddy Read for June: a celebration of Midsummer: Shadows of the Solstice!

This month, we’ll wander through crumbling mansions and haunted landscapes, where secrets fester beneath the midsummer moon and the past refuses to stay buried. These tales of transformation and terror echo with the melodies of forgotten summers, weaving together the allure of decay and the thrill of revelation.

Main Book: Summer Sons – Lee Mandelo
🖤 A summer haunted by secrets. A friendship twisted by grief and desire.
When Andrew’s best friend Eddie dies under suspicious circumstances, he heads to Nashville to figure out what really happened—and ends up tangled in Eddie’s secrets. With creepy hauntings, messy grief, and underground racing, this book dives deep into pain, identity, and everything that haunts us.
🔹 Perfect for fans of Southern Gothic, queer longing, and the dark magic of midsummer nights.

Kindle Unlimmited/Low Cost Pick: The House of Long Shadows – Ambrose Ibsen
🕸️A derelict house. A renovation turned nightmare.
Kevin Taylor, an internet-famous handyman, takes on a daring challenge: renovate a long-abandoned house in 30 days and document the process for his online followers. However, as he delves deeper into the project, he encounters unsettling phenomena—distorted shadows, eerie voices, and a mysterious trespasser—that suggest the house harbors dark secrets. As Kevin uncovers chilling clues about the property's past, he realizes that something malevolent is awakening within its walls.
🔹 Perfect for fans of haunted house stories, urban decay, and the creeping dread of things best left undisturbed

✨Seasonal Readathon: Summer (June 21-September 22)
📚Monthly Readathon: Audiobook Appreciation Month (June 1-30)
🎉Week Readathon: Helen Keller Day (June 22-28)
🌷Weekend Readathon: Father's Day (June 13-15)
⛱️24-Hour Readathon: National Donut Day (June 6)

🌺 Winner's Spotlight 🌺
Celebrating our April winners!

Theme Throwdown: 🥇 Dobby: 57 |🥇 Smaug: 57
It's a tie! Great job to everyone who played!
TBR Busters: 🥇 Melanie | 🥈 Sammie | 🥉 Jenny
Listopia: 🥇Angie | 🥈 Jenny | 🥉 Sammy

Member Spotlight
✨ This month’s superstar: @Catherine
Hosted an AMAZING Lore Vault!

The Lore Vault & Trivia
👑 June Curators: Morana (HOB) and Tawallah (BFL)
🗝️ How it works: Each month, a different member will take the lead on trivia! We’ll announce the monthly host here in the newsletter, and they’ll have the freedom to set their own schedule. They can also use the GR poll feature and share links to their polls in the thread

Archived Threads
🗄 Recently Archived – Ready Player One | Halloween Hall of Fame | I Want My MTV | New Year, New Resolution | Road Trip 2024 | Murder She Wrote

💡 Quick Tips & Reminders
🔹Tag mods if you need help!
🔹Use spoiler tags in discussions: [spoiler]text[/spoiler].
🔹Update your monthly challenge logs by June 30.
🔹New Members: Check out the Welcome New Members thread!
🔹 Challenge Tracking: Use the Current Challenges Thread to find every challenge, and the Challenge Tracking Folder to stay organized with your selected challenges!
🔹App Warning: Goodreads’ app sometimes hides threads—check on desktop for full updates!

Happy reading, everyone!
🏖️ Your HOB Mod Team🏖️

Thank you so much for the selections! I am French, and I only have The Old Man and the Sea in French at home, so that's why I won't read it in English 😊 I have been wanting to read Howls Moving Castle for such a loooong time, thank you so much for picking it!

Librarian at a Medical School sounds very interesting too! But I can see the appeal of becoming a Children's librarian.

Kathy

My picks for you are:

- The title is funny so of course I had to pick this
- I am a huge fan of the Inheritance Cycle and have wanted to read this book for a long time. Heck, I may read it this month now that I'm thinking about it. If you are interested in doing a buddy read with me for this one, please let me know :)

I hope you enjoy these books! ❤️

Catherine wrote: "😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️Share Your thought #2 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

1. What's a book that everyone seems to love but you couldn't get into?

2. What's a book that you wish had a sequel?

3. Share a book that you've re-read mu..."

1) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Ugh. I hate it! No one will ever be able to convince me otherwise. I had to read it after several of my friends recommended it and said they loved it, but I did not enjoy it at all. I understand how it can be appealing and enjoyable for some people, but for me it just didn't cut it.

2) Mmh. I don't know. I can't think of anything right now.

3) I have a good chunk, but one that immediately comes to mind is one of my all-time favourite books: Wonder: The Art and Practice of Beatrice Blue

Yay! Let me know of you want to do a BR for any of them :)

Oh sorry I forgot I can't post the completion post yet as I am not finished with my book. Will try to have it finished tomorrow maybe

Yes. I don’t have time right now, will do it in one hour :)

Yay!

Jordan wrote: "Hello everyone! I’m may be new to goodreads, but not reading. I’m a huge romance reader who loooves recommendations… hint hint. I’m currently about to start to novel Shark Heart by Emily Habeck. I’..."

Hey Jordan, welcome! 👋❤️

I am unfortunately not the biggest fan of romance, although I do enjoy a good romance book once in a while 😁 I do know that many people in this group love reading romance, so I can guarantee you that you will make many friends ❤️

If you haven't already, check out the "Welcome New Members" thread. There should be plenty of information there on how to settle into this group 🥰

Looking forward to many good reading adventures with you! 📚✨

JUAN wrote: "Hello everyone!

My name is Juan Carlos Toral (J.C. Toral), and I'm excited to join this community. I'm a lifelong fan of science fiction and thrillers, especially stories that delve into the impac..."

Hey Juan, welcome! 👋❤️

Technology and AI sure are very interesting topics, especially nowadays...

Congrats on your first book! 🎉🙌🥳 Feel free to post any promo information in the Author's Corner. I have to warn you to not promote your books any other place, or it will be removed... 😉

If you haven't already, check out the "Welcome New Members" thread. There should be plenty of information there on how to settle into this group 🥰

Happy to have you here! 📚✨

I think you should. Post a message in the Q&A thread where you explain why it fits :)

🎪 Team Name: The Misfit Readers
🎟️ Task Completed: 🍿 Food Vendor: The Juggler's Juice Bar
🔗 Proof of Completion: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
✨ Summoning the Carnival Master for our next adventure!