Hooked on Books discussion
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C: The Marionette Mob
message 301:
by
Kelly (Maybedog)
(new)
Oct 27, 2025 09:43PM
I've got a book but I absolutely have to finish this other book first. I've been reading it for several days and keep interrupting to read something else more important. Now it's due urgently.
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I ended up moving stuff around so I was able to read my first book. On to my second.
Mod
At any point, the Gatekeeper may interrupt your descent. If this happens, you must apply the posted glitch to the next book you read in this game.
PAUSE BUTTON JAMMED
You’re stuck in a loop.
👉 Your next book must be a reread—something you last read at least a year ago.
I was so hoping I finished this book before another Glitch was posted. Now it's back to the drawing board.
oh drat. I never reread, so me, too. I really need to get this book read!Next time maybe I won't start until we get a glitch. ;)
For future reference, it doesn't matter if I read a book that's 120 pages or 270 pages, right? It's still just one point, right?
That's right 100 to 300 pages is only one point.
I was really enjoying my book before the Glitch.
Anastasia wrote: "I was really enjoying my book before the Glitch."Same! Now I'm going back to that book.
Yeah, and here no glitch and I hate my book. It fits multiple challenges though, so I'll stay at it.
I've been cursed."Read a book where identity, memory, or names play a key role."
"Read a book with a symbol of Hope, Faith, or Divine Protection."
I'll read as fast as I can but I still have to finish this book first before we get another glitch.
I cannot advance until the curse is broken. I think that means I can't even count this book I'm trying to finish. Without me finishing it, the team can't advance either.
One has to be the one I've been trying to finish that other people are depending on me for. I'm a third of the way into it. The other book I'll try to make as short as possible.
Sorry.
Do you think that the symbol of a regiment devoted to healing would count as hope?
Kelly (Maybedog) wrote: "Do you think that the symbol of a regiment devoted to healing would count as hope?"Sounds like it would
I finished my curse and my book for this round and checked us in.
Kelly (Maybedog) wrote: "I finished my curse and my book for this round and checked us in."Thanks Kelly
Mod
In this eerie tale, a woman named Elaine purchases an antique dollhouse from a mysterious store. The dollhouse is exquisitely detailed(an exact replica of a Victorian home) and comes complete with tiny, delicate furnishings and dolls posed within.
As Elaine brings it into her home, she begins to notice unsettling phenomena: the dolls shift positions on their own, rooms in the dollhouse rearrange themselves, and events inside the miniature house eerily mirror or even predict occurrences in her real life.
The boundary between the dollhouse and reality begins to blur. It becomes clear that the dollhouse isn’t just a toy, it’s a supernatural force, observing, controlling, or even reshaping Elaine’s fate.
This episode stands out as one of The Twilight Zone’s chilling modern-era entries into the haunted object subgenre, tapping into primal fears of losing control over one’s own world.
Complete the following tasks:
🪞2. Double Trouble
Read a chain of 3 books with dual POVs or two timelines. Reality doesn’t like to be alone.
📺3. From the Screen
Read a chain of 3 books that has been made into a movie or TV show — or was inspired by one.
👁️4. Someone’s Watching
Read a chain of 3 books where someone is being watched — by a person, a ghost, a camera, or something else.
I'm going to finish at least one book before I start my Halloween Day movie marathon that I put on every Halloween. I'll probably go back and forth throughout the day after I finish the current book.
Otherwise, the remaining books will be finished tomorrow.
No problem. We're not done yet either.
I have about two and a half hours left in my last one. I just need to finish viewing my notifications then I'll finish it.
Shan ~A~ wrote: "checked in"Thanks Shan
Thank, Shan. What horrors await us now? We shall soon see.
Mod
Billy the Puppet is the eerie ventriloquist-style figure featured in the Saw horror film franchise. Though often mistaken for the killer, Billy is actually a messenger used by John Kramer, aka Jigsaw, to communicate with his victims.
Billy has a chilling, unmistakable look: a white face with red spiral cheeks, dark eyes, black shaggy hair, and a twisted red grin. He wears a black tuxedo with a red bowtie and rides in on a small red tricycle—an image that’s become iconic in horror.
Through Billy, Jigsaw delivers recorded messages and videos to his captives, typically opening with the infamous line: “I want to play a game.” His role is to calmly explain the deadly rules of the traps or challenges the victims must endure in order to survive and "appreciate" life.
Despite never harming anyone directly, Billy’s unsettling appearance, emotionless tone, and connection to gruesome moral games have made him a terrifying symbol of psychological horror and a pop culture icon.
Billy the Puppet doesn’t kill—he teaches. Which is somehow worse. With his spiraled cheeks, blood-red grin, and eerie monotone, he delivers Jigsaw’s deadly instructions like a morality seminar from hell. Riding in on a tiny red tricycle, he calmly explains how victims can earn their survival… if they’re willing to suffer for it.
Now Billy’s out delivering messages again—and we need your help to trap him before he plays his next game.
Complete the following tasks:
Pass the Morality Test
What would you sacrifice to survive?
Read a chain of 3 books that explore ethical dilemmas, difficult choices, or tests of character
Identity Confirmed
He knows who you are—even if you don’t.
Read a chain of 3 books where the author’s initials appear in the word JIGSAW (any combination, any order).
Smile for the Camera
It’s not just the cameras watching now.
Read a chain of 3 books with a face on the cover—bonus if the expression is neutral, eerie, or lifeless.
So that I can remember what I'm thinking of readingPass the Morality Test
What would you sacrifice to survive?
Read a chain of 3 books that explore ethical dilemmas, difficult choices, or tests of character
~ I think this may work for this task, plus it's MPG Sci-Fi which is something I rarely read, but have been reading more of for this challenge to cover Belle's requirement ~ I'll have to find another if this doesn't work in my head once I finishIdentity Confirmed
He knows who you are—even if you don’t.
Read a chain of 3 books where the author’s initials appear in the word JIGSAW (any combination, any order).
Alina Jacobs works here. I have a book of hers that I bought. Also Alexandra Ivy, Addison Jane, Sara Ackerman
Smile for the Camera
It’s not just the cameras watching now.
Read a chain of 3 books with a face on the cover—bonus if the expression is neutral, eerie, or lifeless.
I'll possibly use this here, except I did want to wait closer to the discussion date, but we'll see. or
Mod
“Oh, my sweet Kelly… horrors are such fun little things until they learn your name. I do hope you’ve been practicing your screams.”
Yes I've been practicing but not intentionally...
GACK! Don't hate me toymaker. It was too hard, just too hard, to read my not-my-cup-of-tea book. I made it a chapter or so in. But it starts with someone nasty woman hating Pride and Prejudice because the people just sit around and talk all the time. And the MC had read it will more than 20 times apparently. The woman might have been awful but it's okay for someone not to love your favorite book no matter how well respected it is and how hip and trendy it is to say it's your favorite book.Then it talks about the MCs life and yes. It is boring. Very. For the record, P&P isn't my thing either. I love a lot of classics, but not one where people sit around all the time and just talk. My favorite classic is Lord of the Flies, may it appease you Toymaker.
Fortunately I also was out of my comfort zone with another book I read for this challenge. But I still have to rechoose. At least it's the easiest of the lot being the one with initials.
I have an hour left in my last book. I'm just checking my notifications first.
Sorry, I thought Shan had a lot left to go and I took time choosing books for some other challenges. Whoops!I've checked us in.
Including this upcoming task, we only have five left! There are quite a few bonuses though.
I'm relieved we have a slight reprieve so I can catch up on other challenges!
Anastasia wrote: "I think we have scared them away"😂
They're going to come down on us harder than ever! :)Unfortunately it gave the other high ranking team extra time to catch up/surpass us. They checked in a couple of hours ago.
Kelly (Maybedog) wrote: "They're going to come down on us harder than ever! :)Unfortunately it gave the other high ranking team extra time to catch up/surpass us. They checked in a couple of hours ago."
A bit unfair that they always seem to get extra time
Mod
Dead Man’s Dice is a pirate-themed dice game where players take on the roles of swashbuckling buccaneers vying for treasure, risk, and dominance on the high seas. Combining luck, strategy, and a touch of backstabbing flair, the game captures the raucous, chaotic spirit of pirate life.
The game revolves around rolling and stacking dice to build a "pirate stack", a tower of dice that must follow specific rules based on matching numbers or suits (typically skulls, swords, or bones, depending on the version). Players steal dice from each other, build their own stacks, and try to outscore their rivals before the round ends.
Each die represents not just a number, but a symbol of power, greed, or death, and certain rolls(like the infamous Dead Man's Die) can change the tide of the game with high risk and high reward.
Fast-paced and full of piratical flair, Dead Man’s Dice is ideal for fans of light strategy games with a darkly playful edge. Whether you're bluffing, stealing, or risking it all on a final roll, one thing’s certain: dead men may tell no tales, but their dice roll on.
🎲💀 Dead Man’s Dice: The Gamble of the Damned
The dice were never fair. The game never ends. And you? You're already playing.
Each team plays as a cursed crew who dared to roll the Dead Man’s Dice. Now they must complete 3 tasks to escape their fate—or remain lost in the fog forever.
But beware... every roll brings risk. Some bring boons, others bring burdens.
🎲 Roll the Dice
You’ve found the cursed bones. They rattle like teeth and roll like thunder.
Choose your Gamble Style:
The Bold Bet: One roll of 2 dice. One Task. No swaps. No mercy.
The Split Wager: Roll 2 die three times. One task per roll—but each opens the door to a Glitch Event. Risky… like stealing from the dead.
*Glitches = surprise interruptions that increase difficulty—think ghost pirate curses, eerie omens, sudden betrayals.
https://www.online-stopwatch.com/chan...#
🗒️ Then, report to the Check-In Thread (Occult Museum) with:
Your Team Name
Your Gamble Style
Your Roll(s)
A link to your team’s spreadsheet
Duplicates? Oh, aye. If the sea gives you two storms, you sail through both.
You don’t argue with the tide. 🌊
I vote for the The Bold Bet. However, I would be fine with The Split Wager if we may get more points, but it would take longer, and I guess I'm wondering if it gets us each a task per roll or will we all have to complete the same task per roll.
I vote for the bold bet. I don't think there is any difference in amount of tasks just the choice and I would prefer to avoid the glitches. What I see is that with the bold bet we all do the same one task but with the other we each do only one of a choice of three.
Since we have two votes for bold, I am going to go ahead and roll. It is my birthday today so hope that makes me lucky.
Happy Birthday, Anastasia!! I hope your doing something amazing to celebrate yourself.
Shan ~A~ wrote: "Happy Birthday, Anastasia!! I hope your doing something amazing to celebrate yourself."Thanks Shan, going out to lunch with family
Happy Birthday, Anastasia! I was traveling today. I didn't think about the games and that we might vote or I would have let you know I would be unavailable. Thanks for taking care of it. I hope it's only one book and not a task of three or something like that. I have limited reading time over the next few days as I'm with my granddaughter. Flying with all that's going on with the airports. was quite the event I must say.
Thanks Kelly, I'm babysitting my grandson tonight, just waiting for him to be picked up. Just wanted to move things along but we are back to waiting for our task and from what I understood it should only be one book.
Mod
ocean, river, rain, mist, etc.
Hooked on Books
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The Ritual (other topics)Wild Sign (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Molly Harper (other topics)Madeline Miller (other topics)
Yangsze Choo (other topics)
