Hooked on Books discussion
Toys/Objects Roundup
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C: Jack-in-the-Doom
Yep, that rule is hard since I read pretty much everything in varying degrees. My thinking is correct that only one book out of three must be outside of comfort zone, right? I've been wrong a lot today, so I'm paranoid now lol. I realized the book I'm using for MPG is also villain redemption adjacent, but the difference is that the villain isn't written evil and just has that reputation. Fantasy is a messed up genre lol. 🤣
C wrote: "My thinking is correct that only one book out of three must be outside of comfort zone, right?"I didn’t see anything explicit about that, so I’ve posted that in the Q&A thread.
Fingers crossed! I feel like I saw only one book per toy, not one per chain, but goodness gracious it's been a day lol.
Since you brought it up, I think you’re right, but it’s worth asking.
I endorse asking, million percent. I wouldn't even feel confident saying the sun sets in the west at this point lol...
Questions I asked in the Q&A thread and their answers. 1. For a chain, can all three team members read the same book? (I’m guessing no but figured it’s worth asking.)
Yes, you may even request a Buddy Read thread and get those extra points.
—> So we can pick a book to read together and request that it be made a formal Buddy read for extra points!
2. For the rule about using a formal Buddy read for a thread, can we use a past FBR?
Let's stick with the current ones for now.
—> Not a big deal since we can create our own!
3. Belle’s Rule: our current task includes 3 chains with 3 books each. Do all books need to be out of comfort zone (9 books)? Or does each player read a “Belle’s Rule” book (3 books)? OR does only member have to comply (1 book)?
Belle's Rule is one book per player per toy/object. You can choose which task to apply it to.
—> Another benefit if we find a book we all can read together! We each have to read outside our comfort zone, so 3 books total,
With that, I have a suggestion for a book for us to read together to fulfill prompt 4 (⚔️4. Read a chain 3 books where good and evil are blurred or both sides are corrupted. If you're rooting for the villain, questioning the hero, or side-eyeing everyone, the necklace approves.)All Systems Red by Martha Wells. The MC is morally ambiguous and I think fits the prompt well.
Outside my comfort zone as I rarely read sci fi.
Okay, it's short as well!I'm down with reading that
Let me check if my library has that, since I wanted to start that series anyway. It's my last day in town, so I'm probably not getting the chains finished until next week anyway.
Nope, all the library copies are checked out, and Libby has a four week hold. So go ahead and read it without me? I have an alternate book planned for that task, since even if we waited for me to get back from vacay, it's still a long time before I can get a copy. :/
Actually, I can get the audiobook on Hoopla... Now, that being said, I'm not good at audiobooks, so I may not understand enough of the story to continue on with the series without a reread if we wanted to read further in the series, but it's something?
Mod
Lisa
--Just Lisa, not Toymaker Lisa for this one. :)
Ooh, I had a choice of the dramatized version and a regular (?) version from Hoopla, and took the dramatized since I think that will help me follow along with the story. 🤞 Maybe some of us will join you in book 2! Thanks Lisa!!
This will be a reread for me, but I enjoyed it so much im looking forward to it!
MN Lisa wrote: "I listened to All Systems Red earlier this year. I got the dramatized version and it was awesome. My Book Quest team is doing a BR of book #2 this month. Hope you guys like it!Lisa
--Just Lisa, ..."
Lisa, where/how do we request the BR?
Are you both going to read All Systems Red with me?
Yes, planning to listen during my flight home Sunday.
Hehe, flew Delta on the outbound so I was watching movies instead of reading since have seat screens. Flying Alaska home and they make you use your own device, but they don't turn the wifi on to use until they're at altitude, so that's like 30 minutes on each end when you're bored. So planning lots of reading since that's offline!
Beth wrote: "Are you both going to read All Systems Red with me?"Yes!
I just started it!
Woo hoo! Apparently there are extra points if we read as part of an official Buddy read, so we all need to be sure to interact in the BR thread. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Finished my three books. I wasn't sure if this was a Tier 1 or Tier 3 buddy read, since Ashley is a mod. So feel free to change that on my line as needed, since I put Tier 1 to be safe.
Sounds good, C! I have to finish Murderbot and I think read one, unless I can finagle something I’ve read in the past few days.
I'm done with the Murderbot as well..I have to find one for the magical link 🥲
Char, I legit had to go to Romantasy for that one. The series I used has some great books in it. Bluebeard and the Outlaw would work great for that, and some others in the series probably would as well (the Arabian Nights retelling); I'd say read the descriptions to see how much magic there is, since some didn't have as much magic to them. Another series (Sacrificed Hearts I think) was also good. I think the only one in that series I wouldn't recommend is Labyrinth of [don't recall, but it will be obvious which book I mean] just because it dragged on for me. Assassin was really good. These are a lot of indie authors though, so not sure how available the books would be; hopefully KU. My library system is good at having indie books, so I found physical copies there.
Murderbot is a Tier 1 buddy read. Ashley only reopened the thread; she isn't leading or participatig in it.
Char, how are you coming with your other 2 books for this round?
I picked Dracula to read for the magical bond task. The vampire creates an unexplainable bond between his victims and himself.
So valid. Godspeed on it! I planned to read it and Frankenstein, and Dracula freaked me out so I never got to Frankenstein lol.
I just finished my fantasy book.. and. Another fantasy book I was reading for another challenge surprisingly fit the other task?I'm still shocked it fit lol
The MCs marry each other, and (view spoiler)
C wrote: "Char, I legit had to go to Romantasy for that one. The series I used has some great books in it. Bluebeard and the Outlaw would work great for that, and some others in the series probably would as ..."Ooh, this looks extremely interesting
Lmk if you try them, Char. Essentially no-spice fairy tale retellings. That's about how I can cope with Fantasy lol.
Yeah, I'm not great at following complex world creation, so the cozy works for me like that. And I prefer no-spice in my books anyway, so cozy continues to work out lol.
Char, let us know when you get your books posted to the spreadsheet, then we can post in the completion thread and get our next spin. 👍🏻
Oh, awesome!I should finish mine by this weekend!
HiiI'm done with the books!
Sorry it took me a whilee!
Mod
Robert the Doll is one of the most infamous real-life haunted objects in the world. Currently housed in the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida, Robert has terrified visitors and inspired countless legends of curses and paranormal activity.
The doll stands about three feet tall, stuffed with wood wool, and is dressed in a sailor suit (reportedly one that belonged to its original owner). His face is worn and unsettling, with beady black eyes and a faint, sinister smile. He once held a toy dog in his lap, adding to his eerie, childlike presence.
Robert originally belonged to a young boy named Robert Eugene Otto in the early 1900s. Legend has it that the doll was given to him by a disgruntled servant skilled in voodoo, and that strange things began happening soon after: objects moved, voices were heard, and young Eugene blamed the doll for everything, insisting “Robert did it.”
Over time, stories of Robert's malevolence grew. Visitors to the museum claim cameras malfunction near him, and that bad luck (injuries, accidents, and job loss) follows those who mock or photograph him without permission. The museum displays letters from people who wrote to apologize after disrespecting the doll.
Whether seen as a cursed object or just a creepy antique, Robert the Doll continues to fascinate and frighten, blurring the line between myth and reality.
Dressed in a sailor suit with beady black eyes and a faint smirk, Robert the Doll might look like a forgotten toy from a dusty attic—but legends say he’s far from innocent. He’s been blamed for mischief, madness, and full-on curses for over a century. Mock him, and your luck may not recover.
Now Robert’s out of his case, and we need your help to contain him—politely, of course.
Complete the following tasks:
Static in the Air
He doesn’t like being photographed.
Read a chain of 3 books where technology fails, malfunctions, or behaves strangely—cameras, phones, TVs, or any cursed piece of tech.
Sunshine and Spirits
Even paradise has ghosts.
Read a chain of 3 books set in Florida—or in warm, tropical places with eerie undertones.
Always the Fourth
He’s quiet. But he never misses his turn.
Read a chain of 3 books that is #4 in a series (or the fourth entry in a multi-book set).
Lol, I definitely have a #4. Unfortunately it's a chonker lol. I'll look for others to see if I can assist more with that chain, since I'm not sure if I have a setting book. Unless Georgia with a cozy mystery counts for tropical eerie lol, which I don't think it does. :D
Do any of you think the next Murderbot would count for technology failing? idk anything about the next one; y'all just got me hooked on trying more of the series lol.
I just scanned through the book, and (sorry for the spoiler) there is a part toward the end of the book where Murderbot is injured. Count that as technology failing, maybe? Or, honestly, you could just say that Murderbot acts strangely from any other SecUnits due to having his governing module removed and count it for that, IMHO. I'm going with it. And there is a buddy read already underway for it!Artificial Condition Informal Buddy Read
I may read Murderbot #4 for this as well. It's only 172 pages.An alternative is Series of Unfortunate Events #4 (194pp)
Yeah, I was thinking about the buddy read for the next Murderbot. ;) Lol, although if we keep reading through the series, will the toy box believe that scifi isn't our common genre? ;) Like, just ignore the fact that we're reading these back to back lol; it's still not a genre we commonly read. :P
Yep..I think this month is the most SciFi I've read, because I tend to skip those kind of books
I really only read sci fi books to fulfill reading challenge prompts. From that perspective, I do tend to read a fair amount of the genre. BUT on my GR Read shelf, I have 75 books tagged SciFi vs. 331 tagged murder mystery. I think that tells a story.
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Power of Myth (other topics)Unraveling Oliver (other topics)
All Systems Red (other topics)
All the Light We Cannot See (other topics)
Becoming Mrs. Lewis (other topics)
More...
Yep the formal buddy read are featured on the home page of HoB.
A reminder that short books are our friends, especially as we have 9 books to read this time around