Hooked on Books discussion
Toys/Objects Roundup
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C: The Dollhouse Dead
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Howdy! How did we not get Teddy Terrors as a team name? LOLLooking forward to getting creeped out with you both :)
Right? But our name is terrifying enough.
Mod
I wondered if we would get Teddy Terrors! Jenny, just hide your eyes when we get our prompts!
Thanks again for leading our TT to victory this year you guys - woohoo!Do either of you want to take the first set up spin?
Mod
Ok, our terrible toy spin was: 24checked in!
Mod
I think we should maybe get used to feeling a bit frightened while this is going on.
Mod
“Well, well, well… look who managed to wrangle every last teammate into the haunted halls of check-in! I must say, that kind of dedication warms even my porcelain heart. 💀🖤
Teams who move as one are rare in this carnival of sinister toys and restless relics. You’ve proven yourselves worthy of a standing ovation (and perhaps a watchful eye 👀 from the Toymaker’s shadows).
Keep it up, darlings—after all, the real challenge is making sure no one gets left behind in the dark…”
🎃💀 Congratulations, fully-checked-in teams! 💀🎃
Mod
In F. Paul Wilson’s 1984 novel The Tomb, the pair of cursed but magical necklaces is an ancient artifact linked to the powerful and malevolent force of the Sumar Empire.
These necklaces are imbued with supernatural energies that grant protection and power to their wearers, but at a steep cost. While they bestow abilities such as enhanced strength, resilience, or other mystical benefits, they also carry a dark curse, binding the wearer’s fate to the will of the empire’s lingering evil forces.
Wearing the necklaces ties the characters into an ancient struggle between good and evil, blending allure and danger. The necklaces symbolize a double-edged legacy: magical gifts that are inseparable from their sinister consequences, highlighting the novel’s themes of ancient curses and the perils of tampering with forbidden powers.
Complete the following tasks:
📿1. Read a chain of 3 books where a magical object is worn or carried
Necklaces, rings, bracelets, amulets, crowns — if it’s enchanted and portable, it counts.
(Bonus if someone regrets wearing it.)
🌒3. Read a chain of 3 books under MPG: Fantasy, Paranormal, or Dark Fantasy
Whether it’s ancient evil, hidden worlds, or cursed artifacts — we’re diving into the magical side of the Main Page.
💔5. Read a chain of 3 books with a broken bond — romantic, familial, or magical
A friendship shattered, a sibling betrayed, a soulbond severed. Anything once whole now in pieces.
Mod
The Koh-i-Noor (meaning “Mountain of Light” in Persian) has a long and bloody history. The diamond passed through many hands—rulers of Persia, Afghanistan, India, and the British Empire—often during violent wars, betrayals, or assassinations. These transitions, coupled with the downfall of many of its male owners, fed the myth of a curse.
Many male rulers who possessed the diamond suffered tragic fates—defeat, dethronement, or death. Among them:
*Emperor Nader Shah of Persia, who stole it, was later assassinated.
*Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Maharaja of Punjab, who owned it, died soon after.
*Duleep Singh, his son, was forced to give it to the British as a child and lived in exile, disconnected from both British and Indian identities.
After the British took the diamond in 1849, it was presented to Queen Victoria. Perhaps to respect the curse (or just superstition), it was only worn by female royals afterward—including Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother). It has never been worn by a king, reinforcing the legend.
The Koh-i-Noor is now part of the British Crown Jewels (in the Queen Mother’s crown), though it's steeped in controversy due to colonial appropriation and repeated demands for its return by India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
To Catch the Koh-i-noor Diamond
Read a book with a character named Victoria
Read a book with a crown on the cover
Read a book set in India, Pakistan, Iran, or Afghanistan
Mod
So, we read 3 books per chain tasks, 9 total. Then, if we want to do the bonus, 3 more books. I'm up for doing the bonus - what do you guys think?
Yes to the bonus. My only question is- do we have to read for all three tasks, or can we all read the same one? I assume different, but...
Never mind. I just saw this answer in the Q&A. One each.
24 Magical Necklaces
📿1. Read a chain of 3 books where a magical object is worn or carried
Angie Jenny Teddie🌒3. Read a chain of 3 books under MPG: Fantasy, Paranormal, or Dark Fantasy
Angie Jenny Teddie💔5. Read a chain of 3 books with a broken bond — romantic, familial, or magical
Angie Jenny TeddieBONUS: Bonus 6: Koh-i-Noor Diamond
Read a book with a character named Victoria Read a book with a crown on the cover Read a book set in India, Pakistan, Iran, or Afghanistan
I found a book in my TBR with a crown (Blue Murder), have an India book from Turf Wars I can read, and found The Numbers Killer for the Victoria task - so I can do whichever of the bonus tasks.
Mod
I am kinda looking right now. I know any of us can do India, but I haven't found crown or Victoria yet. I forgot for a moment that this one gets better points for better pages. I am trying to juggle this with Quest and Turf. Yes, I did just open a beer.
And, the whiskey chocolate cake is in the oven. Mmmm.
I made salted caramel to go in the ice cream which is in the fridge right now waiting for me to put it in the ice cream maker.
Yes, yes you can. This recipe calls for dark chocolate and a cup of whiskey. I used Willet's bourbon. I'll let you know if it is a recipe worth passing on. I also made corn bread today, pickled onion and celery salad, and a couple of other things. Half my day in the kitchen, and the other half petting my very needy kitty. It's been an odd weekend so far. So glad to have tomorrow off.
Sounds like a yummy day :) We picked elderberries in our back yard and boiled / strained them - making elderberry ice cream tomorrow.
That sound so nice. I haven't had that in ages. My grandmother used to make it. But, hand churned. So glad for electricity!
Mod
It shimmered faintly, as if it had been waiting for that word all along.
“Crowns, yes… I have sat on many,” it whispered. “India, Victoria, palaces and thrones. They all fall, but I remain.”
Then Jenny laughed, talking of whiskey chocolate cake, bourbon, cornbread, salted caramel, and ice cream waiting in the fridge.
The diamond glittered brighter, almost hungrily.
“A banquet fit for kings,” it purred. “How generous of you, Jenny. Do you not know I always come with feasts? Always with luxury? Always with ruin hiding just behind the velvet curtain?”
It sighed, long and sharp.
“So bake, pour, feast, and laugh. Just remember—my shine outlasts the sweetness. When the glasses are empty and the plates are scraped clean, I’ll still be here. Waiting. Watching. Wanting.”
—Toymaker Lisa
So far I have found India, and Crown if this works-
And, I just found a Victoria book, but it is a short one.
Mod
Mod
Belle wants us to read outside our comfort zone for every toy. We are pretty eclectic readers. Any ideas on how we justify that it's outside our comfort zone?
From the Q&A:
We are asking that all participants read beyond their comfort zones for every toy (not bonuses). Read a mix of fiction & nonfiction. A mix of genres. If you normally only read romance, add some fantasy or some horror. Read something you don't normally read. Expand your horizons...You never know, you may enjoy it! (AKA Belle's Rule)
Well hell. I would say that leaves me with westerns or regency romances, but I have read a ton of those for tasks too.I don't know!!!!
Ah, I'll read at least 1 book I wouldn't normally read per toy, but I read all over the genres. I guess I'll try a romantasy or a YA here and there. Toss in a few more romances than normal, a western or two. lol
I haven't read a tentacles book, but I have read dinosaur sex and tree sex, so I can't imagine it is that far off. teeheeThe genres I refuse to read for a challenge are self-help and pseudo science masquerading a real science. I read a Deepak Chopra book once and that was one too many, thank you.
I don't like memoirs or celebrity books, and I have read enough of them to know that.
Maybe we deal with the diverse genre thing by switching it up between toys. YA one toy, Sci-fi for one, Romance for one, etc.
Our tasks for this first one definitely lean towards fantasy books though. Not sure I will find a non-fiction book for magical object, unless it is the history of religious tokens or something.
Mod
I plan to read a book that has a magical book as a big plot point. Think that would work for magical object?
Mod
A book is carried around.
Nice. Then I only need to decide on the bonus book.
Mod
(view spoiler)
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Lessons in Magic and Disaster (other topics)While the Dark Remains (other topics)
Blue Murder (other topics)
The Numbers Killer (other topics)
All the Light We Cannot See (other topics)
More...
Team Challenge
September 2025 - November 2025
Please consult the Toy Chest of Dread for your first toy selection. This is in the 3rd tab of your spreadsheet. Post your team name and the answer that the Toy Chest supplies you at the Occult Museum (check in thread).
Team
Jenny
Teddie
Angie
Important Links
Belle's Cabinet of Notices (Announcements)
Occult Museum (Check-in Thread)
Scoreboard
Ouija Board (Q&A)
Collectibles
The Monkey's Paw (Feedback)
SS: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Rules
⛓️Each toy/object has specific chains and/or tasks that need to be completed.
Examples:
1. Create a chain of 3 using titles consecutively (ABC)
-All the Light We Cannot See
-Becoming Mrs. Lewis
-Catching Fire
2. Create a chain of 3 with "dog" in the titles
-Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
-The Dog Stars
-Hot Dog Girl
⛓️One person should NOT complete a whole chain by themselves. This is a team challenge. However, if a toy/object has multiple chains and a slower reader can only/want to only read for 1 or 2 chains (they must read at least one), then the other two faster readers on the team can complete the other chains between the two of them.
⛓️You may choose which toy/object from the list to capture first but you MUST complete it BEFORE starting a new toy/object.
⛓️You may use or drop articles: A, An, The
⛓️If you somehow manage to incorporate a Buddy Read into a chain, you can earn points based on the BR tier system.
⛓️Standard Rules Apply
⛓️At the end of the official challenge (last day of November), your team may choose to continue on at your own pace. There will be no points accumulated after November but you can finish any toys/objects that you didn't get to during the challenge.
Scoring
You will get 3 points for every completed book (9 per completed chain) PLUS page points.