Keely’s Comments (group member since Jan 31, 2019)

Keely’s comments from the The Perks Of Being A Book Addict group.

Looks blue to me :)

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss, Heather. As the others have said, don't worry about this challenge. Just do what you need to do. If taking part in this challenge helps you then we'll be here for you. If not, we'll still be here for you. But please don't feel like you have to force yourself to read and finish books for the sake of this challenge. Real life always comes first. Take care of yourself.

I found a book that could work for a colour things for Chrysso Spiders, but I didn't want to put it in as I'm not acutally sure I will have time to finish it.

I'm very sorry for your loss, Gwen.

Jennifer, I agree with Heather and that it is very clever so yes it works!

I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather, Gwen. Don't stress about this challenge. Spend time with your family and do whatever you need to do. I added a few of your completed books to the mini where I could see they fit from the covers and descriptions.
If we don't finish the mini, it's not the end of the world. We all know that real life comes first!

I'm going to try and get my last book that is listed done tonight. I'm then off for 2 days so I should be able to get at least one more book done, maybe 2 if I find some short ones that can help with the mini

For March, we now have everything claimed for the main challenge. We are still missing quite a lot from the mini challenge.

As the end of the month draws closer, please let us know if you will be unable to finish any books you have claimed so that we can try and find replacements in time.

April Cards have been released

Coloured Cards:

1 Blue
2 Blue
3 Blue
6 Blue
7 Blue
7 Blue
9 Blue
4 Yellow
5 Yellow
6 Yellow
1 Red
3 Red
4 Red
4 Red
0 Green
1 Green
7 Green
9 Green

2 Wild Draw 4
8 Reverse

I'm glad you are feeling better Gwen. I'm on my phone, but from what I can see the colour coding looks good.
I'm about to go to work, but if I have time after, I will update the official spreadsheet and give a little update on how we are looking.

That does sound very exciting Karolyn, although I'd be nervous talking about a book that someone wrote if they were sitting there listening. But at least you'll be able to ask any questions you have.

The only news I have is that I have a job interview on Tuesday. I find my current job too much pressure and while I'm okay working nights, I dont get to socialise much. This other job will be nearer to where I live, which is another bonus.

The March Mini has officially begun!

I went through and made a simplified list of the things mentioned. I did it so I could easily see what I was looking for as I'm about to go through my books and get a selection I could possibly use. Feel free to use it if you want.

Alaskan Hare
Brown/White cover
Winter
Fur Coat
Tundra
Alaska
Snowy Terrain

Arctic Hare
Canada - Newfoundland, Southern Labrador
Brown/grey/white
Ermine, Ptarmigan
Camoflages as environment changes
Large Claws
Dig in packed ice and/or snow
Kangaroo
Lives in groups
Huddle for warmth

Chameleons
Rainforest/desert
Africa
Pink, blue, orange and turquoise
Change colour
Able to regulate body temperature
Move eyes separately
Really long tongue
Eats insects, sometimes foliage and fruits
Crickets
Some eat small birds or other smaller chameleons

Anoles
The Americas
Changes colour/appearance depending on emotions
Green/Brown
Lives in trees
Lizard
Enlarged fingers
Sharp Claws
Climbs with great speed and agility
Makes weak, harmless venom

Peron's Tree Frog
Emerald
Laughing tree (frog)
Maniacal cackle (frog)
Pelodryadinae
Australia
Don't like to be handled for too long
Grey/brown/almost white
Yellow and black thighs, armpits and groin
Spots increase with age

Cephalopods
Changes colour for signal or camouflage
Pattern on book cover
Oceans
Squid and Cuttlefish
Eight short arms
Two long tentacles

Flower Spiders
Crab spiders
Change to hide
Yellow pigment
White/yellow
Patiently wait to attack
Small to medium size
Green/yellow/white/brown/grey
Not hairy
Legs held crab-like
Australia/New Zealand

Golden Tortoise Beetle
The Americas
Shiny gold/reddish brown
Colour change - during mating, times of disturbance, touched by human
Consumes foliage of plants - bindweeds, morning glory, sweet potato
Play dead when disturbed

Chrysso Spiders
Europe/North America/ Asia - Hungary, Mongolia
Black/Yellow
Rapidly changes when disturbed
Females are 9mm long
Blade-like hairs on tip of abdomen

In case anyone is struggling to find it, here is the list of animals and their descriptions. Maybe that's where the confusion is.

Animals

Alaskan hare
In the summer, Alaskan hares have a brown fur coat with white under parts. In the winter, they have a white fur coat with black-tipped ears. They also shed their grey-brown summer topcoat, becoming all white during the winter. Also known as the tundra hare, the Alaskan is one of the largest species of hares and are basically solitary except during late winter. Their ears are short compare to most hares and their hind feet are large and fur covered to aid in movement over snowy terrain.

Arctic hare
In the Canadian regions of Newfoundland and southern Labrador, the Arctic hare changes its coat color, moulting and growing new fur, from brown or grey in the summer to white in the winter, like some other Arctic animals including ermine and ptarmigan, enabling it to remain camouflaged as the environment changes. The Arctic hare has large claws on all four feet, but the ones on its hind legs are unusually long, allowing it to dig into packed ice and snow and build a hole for protection as it flees danger and predators. It can also hop on its back legs like a kangaroo. In the winter, Arctic hares mostly live in groups, and in the worst cold temperatures, living in groups allows Arctic hares to huddle for warmth. This union also allows them to see predators coming up on them and elude them.

Chameleons
Mostly live in the rain forests and deserts of Africa and come in many colours such as pink, blue, orange and turquoise. Colour change signals a chameleon's physiological condition and intentions to other chameleons. Because chameleons are ectothermic, they change colour also to regulate their body temperatures, either to a darker colour to absorb light and heat to raise their temperature, or to a lighter colour to reflect light and heat, thereby either stabilizing or lowering their body temperature. Chameleons can move their eyes separatelywhich means they can see predators coming from behind them, giving them a chance to scarper if they’re about to get caught. Excluding their tail, some chameleons’ tongues can be twice the length of their body. Their tongues consist of both muscles and bones, and can bend round to grab their pray. The majority of chameleons survive by eating insects, and some complement this diet by feeding on foliage and fruits. Some larger species eat up to 50 large crickets every day. Others may be a little more carnivorous, and feast on small birds and even other, smaller chameleons.

Anoles
Native to the Americas, the majority of anoles (Dactyloidae) can change their colour depending on things like emotions (for example, aggression or stress), activity level, levels of light and as a social signal (for example, displaying dominance) from bright green to various shades of brown. They are tree dwelling lizards and most have enlarged finger and toe pads that are covered with microscopic hooks. These clinging pads, together with sharp claws, enable them to climb, even over a smooth surface, with great speed and agility. Anoles have venom glands that manufacture a very weak, harmless venom.

Peron's Tree Frog
Also known as the emerald-spotted tree frog, emerald-speckled tree frog, laughing tree frog, and maniacal cackle frog, is species of tree frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. Peron's tree frog is one of the most variably coloured frogs in Australia, with the ability to change colour in less than one hour. They don't like to be handled for long periods of time. They also vary in shades of grey and brown, where their lightest is almost white. The frog has mottled yellow and black thighs, armpits, and groin. Occasionally, emerald spots are found on the back, which increase in number with age.

Cephalopods
Can change their colours and patterns in milliseconds, whether for signalling (both within the species and for warning) or active camouflage, as their chromatophores are expanded or contracted. Although colour changes appear to rely primarily on vision input, there is evidence that skin cells, specifically chromatophores, can detect light and adjust to light conditions independently of the eyes. They camouflage themselves by creating colour patterns that closely match the underlying seafloor (hint: this means your book needs to have some kind of pattern as the cover colour). Cephalopods live everywhere in the oceans: near the shore in shallow water; far from land in the open ocean; in the ocean's dark middle depths (the planet's largest habitat); and in the deep sea. (hint: your location needs to be on water, unless you can find an author born at, or living at, sea) Cephalopods get their name from the Greek word “kephalópoda” meaning “head-feet”, because their arms encircle their heads. Both squid and cuttlefish are known as ten-armed cephalopods because they have eight short arms and two long tentacles.

Flower spiders
Also called crab spiders change their colour, usually to hide from their prey. Consequently, the spiders change colour to resemble the flower surface on which they sit through the reflection of light. Some spiders release a yellow pigment that enhances their color changing process. An example of a species of spider with such color changing features is Misumenoides formosipes and Misumena vatia. The color change from white to yellow takes 10-25 days. Hence, the flower spiders patiently wait for the completion of the process before they can attack their prey. They are small to medium size with colours of green, yellow, white, brown and grey. Most of them are not hairy except a few species. Their legs held in crab-like position and can move forward, backward or sideways. They are common in Australia and also found throughout New Zealand.

Golden Tortoise Beetle
Is a species of beetle in the leaf beetle family, native to the Americas. Adults can turn from shiny gold through reddish-brown. The color changes through its development, during mating, and during times of disturbance, such as when it is touched by a human researcher. This beetle consumes foliage of plants in the family Convolvulaceae, including bindweeds, morning glory and sweet potato. Both adults and larvae feed on foliage. These beetles play dead when disturbed.

Chrysso spiders
A genus of comb-footed spiders. has been introduced to Europe, and occurs both in North America and in Asia from Hungary to Mongolia. Many species are strikingly colored, but the coloration is variable. C. compressahas a striking black sternum and abdomen, but the venter of Brazilian species is black, while those of Peru are yellow. C. venusta has been observed to rapidly change its color when disturbed. Females are about 9 millimetres (0.35 in) long, and have blade-like hairs on the tip of the abdomen.

From my understanding, we have 5 tasks to complete for each animal. 1. Location, 2. Colour and the remaining 3 being characteristics. In the mini thread there is a description of each animal which gives the location and colours.
For the characteristics ones, we can get creative. We are allowed to use a different location or colour for one of the characteristics as long as they are mentioned in the description. Otherwise it is a case of finding words specific to the animal description in text or title, or something happening in the book that can be related to the animal's desciption.

March Week 2 Update

The mini will be starting in a couple of days. The mini tab is on the spreadsheet so feel free to add any books you are reading/will read to it. Remember, only books finished after the mini has started can be used.

I've just moved the completed books across to the offical spreadsheet. All coloured/WD4 cards have been claimed now and over half have been completed already!
We've completed about a third of our total cards, so a little behind where we should be at this point in the month but I am not worried.

Personally, I will not be finishing my books I am working on until the mini starts now, but as I have a couple of days off work I will be getting them as closed to finished as I can. If all goes to plan, I will have the three I have on the spreadsheet finished by the end of the week.

I hope you all have a good week and if you have any questions about the mini, please ask.

We had some snow here too in the UK, but it warmed up enough in the day to melt it. It rained a lot yesterday and then froze over night so my drive home from work was slow and a little scary when I got to my village and the roads had very obviously not been salted (the UK is awful at preparing for cold weather). It's meant to warm up a bit now though although I think it is forecast to rain all week.
I'm working tonight but then I get 4 days off so I'll reading my books when I'm off and hopefully get one of two of them finished off.

Thank you Heather, I am planing on picking up at least one coloured card (if there are any left) when I finish my current books. Due to a stressful few days are work, my reading fell behind so it's not looking like I will finish mine until next week now.

Take care of yourself, Gwen. I will be able to read a few more than I did last month as I'm not working as much now so I can take a bit of the load. We also had so many overflow books for February, so I'm not concerned about slower pacing this month.

I've just done a quick update on the spreadsheet. We have a couple of coloured cards still to be claimed.

8 Red
7 Green
2x Wild Draw 4's

We have completed one card already and we are very close to finishing a second!

If we max out our possible points every month, then we are winners as far as I'm concerned!