Team Dune

[Melanie]

Completion Post:



Info added to spreadsheet.

[Melanie]

Sorry I haven't been able to check in yet, this week has been crazy busy.

I've finished 2 books so far and I'm working on my next one. All info has been added to the spreadsheet.

[Verónica]

Thanks Melanie :-).

We've completed our first hand. I updated the main spreadsheet to reflect our current points.

There's three 7(V) in our next two hands. Those tend to be hard ones, but according to our list of books to read we have a few of those. I'm reading one with 7, I think JoJo is reading LaRue but that one also works for reverse, and for those we don't have as many. Please check the updated list, maybe you see something you have read.

[Corina]

Well done, everyone!
I have some options for V:
- Home Before Dark by Riley Sager would work for 7 Green as the synopsis says it takes place in Vermont
- Vespertine by Margaret Rodgerson
- Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
- A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab
I can read any of these to help with the 7
Also, I've added some Reverse for books that I read and didn't have any comment, so hopefully that will help.

[Corina]

Completion post:
The night she disappeared by Lisa Jewell
It wasn't on my planned list, I've added it to our spreadsheet. :-)

[JoJo_theDodo]

Corina wrote: "Completion post:
The night she disappeared by Lisa Jewell
It wasn't on my planned list, I've added it to our spreadsheet. :-)"

How did you like this one? I haven't read anything by the author yet, but I've heard good things about her books before.

[JoJo_theDodo]

Verónica wrote: "Thanks Melanie :-).

We've completed our first hand. I updated the main spreadsheet to reflect our current points.

There's three 7(V) in our next two hands. Those tend to be hard ones, but accord..."

It's kind of amazing that I looked through all the books everyone has listed on the spreadsheet and I haven't read any of them yet. I do have The Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugo on hold through the Libby app. So eventually I will be listening to that one.

[JoJo_theDodo]

I have four books I can read that can work for V as well...

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Vita Nostra by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Let me know and I'll plan on reading one these next.

[Corina]

This was my second book by Lisa Jewell and they both landed middle of the road for me. I gave this last one 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it overall but the story dragged a bit for me.

[Verónica]

I made a mistake in my last comment (I deleted it), here is an erratum:

So I rearranged some cards and we're down to 2 Reverse but six 7's. I'm about to finish one that works for 7 or reverse. But I see JoJo reading two for reverse, so if those are finished I'll use mine for 7. I think Corina has a few options for those already on the list.
We also need a few 5's.

The rest will be easy! Fortunately we have a lot of 1's and 2's which abound.

As for the color ones:

Done.
6 Blue OK
8 Red OK
1 Yellow OK

Left.
6 Yellow
7 Green
2 Red
7 Red
6 Red

And two WD4, which are duplicated color cards.

[Corina]

Thanks for the update, Verónica!
I'm currently reading the Nickel Boys which is another 8 Red, so we could use it for WD4 but can also be used for other prompts.
I will pick up Home Before Dark which can be used for 7 Green.

[JoJo_theDodo]

I just finished my audiobook, Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout and I updated the spreadsheet. Aside from Invisible Life of Addie Larue the other book I have on the list that can be used as a 5 is
What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand, because one of the main characters is named Irene. I can plan on reading that one after I read The Kite Runner.

[Corina]

Found one that we can use for 5 sitting on my shelves :-)

[Corina]

Completion post:
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
I've updated the spreadsheet. It can be used for 8 Red or others.

[Bella]

I'll start looking for a book to cover what we have left! And I just finished The Heart Principle, so I'll update the spreadsheet

[Verónica]

Thanks Bella! Just make sure you put your finished books on you UNO shelf.

Corina, your book "The Island of Missing Trees" doesn't have a finished date. And with your book of today we only have one WD4 left :-D.

I reported by mistake the 2 Red as Done, but is not. It's the next color card.

[Corina]

Thats great! I've had a look now and the date appears for me. I wrote it again so hopefully its all good now. It's the 3rd of Feb.
I think I might have a 2 Red on my list.

[Verónica]

Corina wrote: "Thats great! I've had a look now and the date appears for me. I wrote it again so hopefully its all good now. It's the 3rd of Feb.
I think I might have a 2 Red on my list."

It doesn't have it in your UNO shelf, it does appear in the spreadsheet.

[Corina]

Strange, I saved it again. Hopefully a date appears now

[JoJo_theDodo]

I added the book, Flying Angels that you just added Vanessa. It's a short audiobook and I figure we can use it as reverse. Danielle Steel was one of my Nana's favorite authors and I've never read anything by her, so I this will be the first book I've read by her.

[Vanessa]

I used to love Danielle Steel earlier coz she most of her books have strong female characters, who stand out and prove themselves against all odds.
But of recent years, her plots have become kind of repetitive n quiet easy to figure out.

[JoJo_theDodo]

Vanessa wrote: "I used to love Danielle Steel earlier coz she most of her books have strong female characters, who stand out and prove themselves against all odds.
But of recent years, her plots have become kind o..."

If I think about it my Nana was probably reading her books back in the 90's, so maybe those earlier books were the better ones.

I just finished Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and updated the spreadsheet.

[Corina]

Completion post: Once there were wolves by Charlotte McConaghy. I've updated our spreadsheet.
Hopefully everyone is enjoying their reading!

[JoJo_theDodo]

Completed the audiobook


and updated the spreadsheet.

[JoJo_theDodo]

I just finished The Kite Runner and updated the spreadsheet. This story, just WOW! It's definitely a story that sticks with you. I think I cried like three different times while reading it.

[Vanessa]

I'm so glad u loved it Jo! Have u read A Thousand Splendid Suns? That's good too.

[JoJo_theDodo]

Vanessa wrote: "I'm so glad u loved it Jo! Have u read A Thousand Splendid Suns? That's good too."

I have not read it yet, but I am adding it to my TBR now. I definitely will read more by this author.

[Corina]

Glad to hear you loved it! There is also a film adaptation...I haven't seen it in ages but I remember it was good
I agree with Vanessa, A thousand splendid suns is good too.

[Corina]

Hi everyone, I just read a bit about the mini challenge and I think that Home Before Dark that I'm currently reading would match some of the prompts as it has Home in it, it has a house renovation in it, and it has a chandelier on the cover. :)

[JoJo_theDodo]

Corina wrote: "Hi everyone, I just read a bit about the mini challenge and I think that Home Before Dark that I'm currently reading would match some of the prompts as it has Home in it, it has a house renovation ..."

I planned on reading that one as well so it could be used as a reverse if needed. I have a few books that I have selected that can be used for some of the mini challenge tasks too.

[Vanessa]

I have the Escape Room which works out for task 30.

So I'll take up that.

[Corina]

Yeah, I should have mentioned that Home Before Dark would work for task 4, task 8, task 11, task 28 and maybe task 7. It also applies to the B setting as it takes place in a small town.

[JoJo_theDodo]

I also have books picked out for tasks 17 - Read a book with a geographical place name in the title or series title (e.g.: valley, creek, river, mountain, sea, desert, etc.) and 21 - Read a book with a flower(s) on the cover OR from this list -Flowers on cover

[JoJo_theDodo]

I just completed The Invisible Life of Addie Larue and updated the spreadsheet. This was a very creative story. I'm coming to find that I really enjoy fantasy/magical type stories.

[Verónica]

Hello Everyone!

I added a tab on our spreadsheet for the Feb Mini challenge. Since the mini challenge is a way for any team to make more points regardless of the luck had with UNO hands, it's a good idea to be focused on doing as many as possible. Setting the goal of doing all is even better of course. For that to happen I think as a team effort it will be great to assign tasks from the beginning.

So I see some of you already had identified some books that work for the mini. Please add everything you can find as soon as possible for you to call a task. It doesn't matter if at the end you do not finish it or you decide you'll not be taking it anymore. We can change our minds. But it would make it easier for the rest to focus on finding books for as many tasks as we can.

Sure is fun to go for a hunt! I try to make a goal of at least 10 books a month reading what I feel like, but I definitely would look for shorter books to see if I can make it to more to contribute to the mini as much as possible. Remember that all books used for the mini can be used for the main challenge, as long as the books are finished AFTER the start of the mini.

***Status Update***

Reverse are all done! Good job everyone :-).

5's & 7's are down to four. We're gonna nail this.

Color cards left:
6 Yellow
7 Green
7 Red
6 Red

And just one more WD4 is needed. I started my 7 Red. I think 6 Yellow and 6 Red have the more mentions so they are good WD4 candidates. 7 Green seems to be the more elusive.

[Corina]

Thats great, Verónica! I've added Home Before Dark for task 4 (its also a 7 Green). It would work for other tasks in the mini challenge but I understand we can only use one book for task. Do I still put it under the other tasks that it matches to?
I also have a 6 and I think a 7 Red on my list.

[Verónica]

Ok, books can only be use for one task, so for the books that fit into more than one, I think we can put it in all tasks that fits, and if someone else has a book for a task already taken by a book-in-more-than-one-task, then substitute the book giving the heads up first, did I explain myself? We'll have to check if a tasks taken has more than one option, then we can claim it.

If the book in many tasks gets finished before determining in which task will go (and without any takers for all the tasks), then I guess we can just choose one task at the end of the mini.

[Corina]

Makes sense. I will write it down for all and we can decide which task to use it for based on what everyone finds :)

[Verónica]

It seems we're leaning towards "B" Setting - Choose your own habitat - "Small towns and big dreams" section of the mini.

What do you guys think?

[Corina]

I'm all good with the small town setting if everyone else is :)

[JoJo_theDodo]

Verónica wrote: "It seems we're leaning towards "B" Setting - Choose your own habitat - "Small towns and big dreams" section of the mini.

What do you guys think?"

Yes, I just added another book to the Small Towns section. The book Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny mentions a Bistro in the small village of Three Pines.

[Vanessa]

Corina, I shifted one of ur books for task 31. I guess u will figure out why when u read it . lol!

[Corina]

Lol...all good, Vanessa, I trust you.

[Corina]

Completion post for Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. I updated the spreadsheet. It can be used for one of our UNO cards as well as the mini challenge.

[Vanessa]

Corina, mini challenge books need to be finished after Feb 14th.

[Heli]

I checked out the mini. I guess the tasks are quite easy. I don't really know what I'll be reading next week so I'll add my books to the spreadsheet when I start reading them.

[JoJo_theDodo]

Just finished Flying Angels by Danielle Steel and updated the spreadsheet.

[Corina]

Oups, sorry about that, I didn't notice thhat date, I should have stopped reading it and continued next week. Will find some other books for the mini challenge.

[Verónica]

Mini challenge countdown:

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

All books for the mini must be finished AFTER the mini starts. I think I'll be dragging my three books until Monday. A couple of them are long enough.

Also, if you have any finished books still not logged on our spreadsheet please do so before Sunday, I need to update the official spreadsheet because mods will be checking our stats in order to see if any reserves/pixie cards will be required. Also make sure you have all your finished books on your UNO shelf. Thanks!

If you have decided you can no longer continue the challenge, please give us a heads up, we still have time to see if anybody on the waiting list can get in. No biggie, just let us know.

[Corina]

Thanks, Verónica...I'm so annoyed I didn't notice that thing about the date. I'm sure I can find some more books that I can add in.
I've updated all the books I've finished in our spreadsheet and will look to add a few more. But will make any changes or additions as I go along.