Julia’s Comments (group member since Jul 20, 2025)

Julia’s comments from the Hooked on Books group.

Always! I'm just gonna have to accept that it might take me 2-3 days to finish a book instead of inhaling the whole thing in one day 😂

Hi everyone 😊 Super excited to join your team! Fellow M/M reader here, with the odd romantasy thrown in there. I'm from Austria, so I'm on CET.

I've only recently started participating in reading challenges and I've never played Bookopoly before, but I think I might already know some of you from other challenges. I've been reading a ton of books over the summer holidays, curious to see how I'll fare when school starts again in two weeks and I have lessons to prep and papers to grade...

HINT PAYMENT for Chapter #3, Hint #2
Book/Author: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Date read: Aug 29, 2025
Pages: 406
How it fits: Meets general HOB guidelines

Just signed up as a replacement player 😉

These were posted two days ago 😊

🌿 September Challenge: Nature and Environment 🌿
Bonus Genre: Science Fiction

This month we’re turning our attention to the natural world and the many ways it weaves into storytelling. Here are your prompts to guide your reading:

• Read a book where nature takes the center stage.
• Read a book exploring the relationship between people and the environment.
• Read a book that deals with environmental challenges or changes.
• Read a book featuring a character deeply connected to the natural world.
• Read a book where nature influences the story or the characters’ choices.
• Read a book that touches on sustainability or alternative ways of living.
• Read a book with characters advocating for or protecting the environment.
• Read a book imagining a future shaped by ecological or environmental shifts.
• Read a book with outdoor adventure or exploration at its heart.
• Read a book where wildlife, landscapes, or ecosystems play a role.

🌎 But here’s the fun part: books don’t have to look like they fit at first glance. If you frame your reading through the lens of “how nature or the environment matters,” so many genres can work. For example:

✨ Contemporary Romance (Beach Read by Emily Henry)
Even in an urban or beachy romance, if the natural setting influences the characters’ growth or serves as a symbolic escape, it fits!
Prompt match: #1, #5, #9

✨ Dystopian Sci-Fi (Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel)
Post-apocalyptic survival stories are inherently about humans reconnecting with or adapting to the natural world.
Prompt match: #3, #5, #8

✨ Magical Realism (The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern)
The circus may be magical, but its ties to seasons, plants, and landscapes let nature subtly shape the story.
Prompt match: #1, #5, #10

✨ Cozy Mystery (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith)
Set in Botswana, the environment—the landscape, climate, and wildlife—becomes inseparable from the story’s tone and culture.
Prompt match: #1, #2, #10

🌱 Basically, if the environment plays a role in character choices, plot, or theme, it counts. From romance to mystery to sci-fi, nature finds its way in everywhere—you just have to look for it.

Same 😊

I agree, discussing the clues in the SS itself sounds like a bit of a hassle. I‘ve never used a group chat on GR before, but if someone knows how to set one up, that sounds like a good option 😊

Happy to have Slow Burn, Fast Escape as our team name.

Agreed, the MPG is tricky… Plus there‘s not too many books that start with J. A couple of my books from my other August challenges will definitely work for the categories, even if they‘re not worth a lot of points. I‘ll see if I can swap some of them out for better books as the month goes on…

Same 😊

📣 August Challenge Tasks are up! 🌍✈️

Theme: Passport Pages: A Celebration of Global Stories
Bonus Genre: Travel / Adventure

This month, we’re collecting stamps in our literary passports and setting out on a journey across cultures, cuisines, customs, and continents. Whether you're trekking across distant lands, savoring a story rich in heritage, or following a character as they explore a new world (real or imagined), August is about embracing stories that reflect the beautiful variety of human experience.

Tasks:
✈️ Read a book set in a country you’ve never visited before.
✈️ Read a book that features food as an important part of the story or culture.
✈️ Read a book about characters on a journey across cultures, borders, or identities.
✈️ Read a translated book or one originally written in another language.
✈️ Read a book that weaves in traditional folklore, myth, or storytelling styles.
✈️ Read a book that includes festivals, dances, or cultural celebrations.
✈️ Read a book by an author who was born in a country you’ve never visited/lived in.
✈️ Read a book where someone has to use their passport (or mentions one).
✈️ Read a book that shows how people celebrate joy.
✈️ Read a book with a character who is from a different ethnic background than you.

I found the August prompts in the Q&A, plus they're already on the spreadsheet.

I checked with Ashley - I don't need to read it 😉

Ooooh drat, am I messing up your score if I have some books that fit but not the group book? Ashley said she could subsidize if I don't have any books that match, but a lot of my July reads actually work for the categories. I'm a fast reader, I'll see if I can get and read the group book on such short notice.

May I ask, what are the rules regarding the spreadsheet? Are we allowed to move things around/change books until the end of each month?

Hi everyone, I'm excited to be joining your team for the rest of this challenge! ☺️ I'm currently working on seeing if any of my July reads fit the categories and entering them into the spreadsheet.

Happy to sign up as a replacement player. I read about 10 books per month, but I'm also participating in a few other challenges, so I can commit to 3-5 books per month.

Any suggestions for team names?

Slow Burn, Fast Escape
Dirty Minds, Clean Exits
Breaking Out & Making Out

Caipi wrote: "Julia wrote: "Would love to join any team that will have me 😊"

Julia, do you want to join Trio, Ashley and me?"

Yes, I'd love to!

Would love to join any team that will have me 😊