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Hooked on Books discussion
Toys/Objects Roundup
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C: Teddy Terrors
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Me too! This, Bookopoly and Turf Wars are going to make a great autumn.
A busy one at least lol. And I have 34 ARCs I'm currently signed up for 🫠
Mrsgeo wrote: "Arrived at last"Glad you're here! Have you started planning your fall books for SRC yet? There are some hard tasks this season.
Just started this evening. I'm way behind in completing the summer season & this month's Book Quest. I really don't know where the time has gone.
I feel the exact same way! I can't believe it's the 20th
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
Quick reminder:
You still need to consult the Toy Chest of Dread—lurking on the 3rd tab of your spreadsheet.
Let the Chest do its thing. It will give you a number. That number decides your toy. (I don’t know how. I don’t ask how.)
Then, please post:
Your team name
The number you got from the Toy Chestin the Occult Museum thread (a.k.a. the check-in thread, where Belle sips judgment from a teacup shaped like a skull).
Because if you don’t… well. Belle loves making assumptions. And her math is always cursed.
—Toymaker Lisa
(Toymaker, spreadsheet whisperer, barely keeping the toys in their boxes)
I've requested access to the spreadsheet
I spun a 4, will submit on the check-in thread
Mod
The clown doll from Poltergeist (1982) is one of the most memorable and terrifying elements of the film—and a textbook example of how something seemingly innocent can become pure nightmare fuel.
Sitting in young Robbie Freeling’s bedroom, the clown doll is oversized, dressed in classic circus garb with a red nose, painted smile, and ruffled collar. It starts off as just a creepy presence. Always sitting in the corner, staring with glassy eyes. But its true horror is revealed in a pivotal scene where it comes to life.
As a thunderstorm rages outside, the doll suddenly grabs Robbie, dragging him under the bed with its unnaturally long arms and maniacal grin. The attack is violent, surreal, and deeply unsettling, playing on the childhood fear of toys turning against you and of something lurking just out of sight.
Although the clown only appears briefly, its impact is lasting. It became a cultural symbol of toy-related terror and helped solidify Poltergeist's legacy in horror history.
Now it’s loose again—and we need your help to wrangle it up before it crawls back into the shadows.
Complete the following tasks:
Identify the Hidden Threat
Read a chain of 3 books where something dangerous lurks beneath the surface—secret horrors, cursed objects, or hidden villains waiting to strike.
Don’t Be Fooled by the Smile
Read a chain of 3 books with deceptively cheerful or sweet covers—but the stories inside are dark, disturbing, or emotionally devastating.
Keep Eyes on the Target
Read a chain of 3 books with titles that include words related to vision or watching: look, see, watch, stare, eye, shadow, face, etc.
I've started my first book. What's the procedure? I'm assuming we post in the spreadsheet but do we do it before starting or when we finish?
I'm okay with either way. I have most books planned this month because of arcs so for once I can load them up before if we prefer. Also if we're waiting on me for anything and one of you finishes a book first that works for it go ahead and take my spot. I'm never going to get offended
Mod
Its painted grin didn’t move, but the air felt colder.
“Procedures… rules… such a nice way to feel safe.”
Then Amanda said she was fine with either way, had her books planned, and didn’t mind if someone went ahead of her.
The Clown Doll’s head turned just a little too far.
“So generous, Amanda. So trusting. That’s why I like you best. When you close your eyes, you won’t even notice me sitting closer.”
—Toymaker Lisa
MN Lisa wrote: "The Clown Doll stirred when Mrsgeo asked about “procedure.”Its painted grin didn’t move, but the air felt colder.
“Procedures… rules… such a nice way to feel safe.”
Then Amanda said she was fine..."
Only the strong of heart and mind will make it through this challenge. I hope I'm up to it......
MN Lisa wrote: "The Clown Doll stirred when Mrsgeo asked about “procedure.”Its painted grin didn’t move, but the air felt colder.
“Procedures… rules… such a nice way to feel safe.”
Then Amanda said she was fine..."
🤣 Why do I feel genuinely unsettled
Megalodon: Bloodbath would it count as a hidden threat? It's hidden in the ocean but also it's the title of the book.
I'm thnking The Hidden Target would work for threat, too. It was written about the hunt for terrorists in the 1980s. I'll read that next.
I'm also thinking What We Broke for the "Don't be fooled by the smile" category.Book blurb: "Now we can't look at each other. We don't sleep in the same bed. We can't even be in the same room. The loss is too great and the pain runs too deep."
Does this work?
Mrsgeo wrote: "I'm also thinking What We Broke for the "Don't be fooled by the smile" category.Book blurb: "Now we can't look at each other. We don't sleep in the same bed. We can't even be in th..."
That cover isn't cheerful or sweet but the alternate cover works in my opinion
Wedding rings are sweet right?
Jessica wrote: "Mrsgeo wrote: "I'm also thinking What We Broke for the "Don't be fooled by the smile" category.Book blurb: "Now we can't look at each other. We don't sleep in the same bed. We can'..."
Works for me, too. I'll go with the alternate, until told otherwise.
For Speed I'm putting the first books I read that work in tasks. However, I will replace with higher page counts if time. just dont want to hold us up
Amanda wrote: "For Speed I'm putting the first books I read that work in tasks. However, I will replace with higher page counts if time. just dont want to hold us up"I haven't even thought about page counts. With so many challenges going on I might need to just go with what works for other things.
And of course I've offered to captain two new challenges this month, while today I started captain duties for a challenge I've never even played before. 😂
I made myself stop volunteering to captain because if there's not something I need to do everyday I completely drop the ball! but it's hard because I like the control lol.
Amanda wrote: "I made myself stop volunteering to captain because if there's not something I need to do everyday I completely drop the ball! but it's hard because I like the control lol."I love the spreadsheet and organisation side of things, but I'm someone who struggles to communicate with others, so I started to captain to bring me out of my shell a bit.
I have a non-verbal autistic 6 year old who has very specific needs, so I never go out and socialise irl. Goodreads is my only social group 😅 I have Andy but we're both quiet introverts who love reading and gaming so I barely talk to him either 🤣
As long as you two have a good idea about what we're doing here, I'm fine. I'll follow your lead & read my books as quickly as possible.
My house is also a quiet introvert house lol. GR is my main socializing besides workAnd I have an idea, not sure it's good but I think we have it!
Mod
Go on then—lead, follow, read… but don’t look behind you. Something else might be keeping pace.”
I was about to submit then realised we may have missed a ruleQ: Can we read whatever we want?
A: For the most part, yes. We have tasks that the books must fit. However, we do have a caveat. 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) Consult message 49 for tips from Belle.
Blackberry Winter was definitely out of my comfort zone so luckily I'm good, but when we check in we need to say which book met Belle's special rule.
I mean I literally read everything all the time so I will just be making arguments for why it's less typical for me (which is easier than having to go completely left field)
I'm the same. Genres I avoid like the plague are cozy mysteries, espionage or political plots, non-fiction about Science.I don't like friends-to-lovers or celebrity/billionaire MCs.
Genres I don't read often are horror, thrillers, books with no romance or romance that is m/f or f/f
@MrsGeo, let me know if any of your books work and why, then I'll submit later today. I'm hoping you don't need to pick something else but no rush if you do :)
I avoid MPG Dark. There's enough of it on the news without reading it for pleasure, so What We Broke was mine. There are a lot of genres, including non-fiction, that I don't normally read, so finding something out of my comfort zone isn't likely to be a problem. I had kept in mind the instruction to "read beyond their comfort zones for every toy" but couldn't see where to indicate that on the spreadsheet, so didn't think to tell you.
The template is asking for a toy chest answer. Do either of you know what that means?
Mod
You’ve already peered into the Toy Chest of Dread and plucked your fate from its depths. Did you think the Chest would forgive such a lapse? No, no… the toys remember. They always remember.
How easily it slips from your mind — but that only makes you more amusing prey. The toys will giggle and whisper, winding their strings around you tighter, delighting in your confusion.
Shall I choose for you, or will you dare consult the Toy Chest again?
Oh yes… they are going to have so much fun with you. 🎭🪀
Jessica wrote: "The template is asking for a toy chest answer. Do either of you know what that means?"We've completed the 3 chains of three books. Should we not be getting a new set? Or a new toy? I'm completely confused here.
Now you see why I'm relying on you and/or Amanda🙏
Mrsgeo wrote: "Jessica wrote: "The template is asking for a toy chest answer. Do either of you know what that means?"We've completed the 3 chains of three books. Should we not be getting a new set? Or a new toy..."
OMG this is what brain fog does to me. Toy chest answer means spin the wheel on the sheet to find out which toy we get next
Mod
Gabby Gabby is a vintage pull-string doll introduced in Toy Story 4. Manufactured in the 1950s, she has a classic look: wide blue eyes, golden blonde curls tied with a bow, a yellow dress with puffed sleeves, and a soft, sweet voice. Her outward appearance radiates charm and innocence, but beneath that lies a deep sense of longing and sorrow.
Gabby Gabby lives in an antique store, surrounded by eerie ventriloquist dummies who serve as her henchmen. Unlike many of the series' villains, Gabby isn’t motivated by malice, but by a broken voice box and a desire to be loved. She envies toys like Woody, who have known the joy of being cherished by a child. Her initial actions, like trying to take Woody’s voice box, come from desperation, not cruelty. In other words, she is sweet but manipulative.
What makes Gabby Gabby stand out is her emotional depth and eventual redemption. Once she gets a chance to bond with a lonely child, she transforms from an antagonist into a symbol of healing, belonging, and second chances.
Gabby Gabby’s story is bittersweet, showing that even forgotten or “broken” toys still have value and the capacity to find love again.
She’s sweet. She’s patient. She’s waiting in the antique store with a soft voice and an empty chest where her voice box used to be. Gabby Gabby doesn’t mean to be scary. She just wants what you have. Your voice. Your attention. Your love.
And if she has to take it?
That’s just part of being a doll.
Complete the following tasks:
2. Somewhere Quiet
She waits in forgotten places. She’ll find you faster that way.
Read a chain of 3 books while sitting somewhere quiet, still, and a little unusual—an attic, a hallway, a stairwell, or just anywhere you don’t normally read.
5. There’s Something Under the Numbers
She doesn’t move. But she’s always there, just out of sight.
Read a chain of 3 books where the page count and/or publication date contains the digits 1, 9, 8, and 2 (in any order).
6. Written on the Bottom of Her Shoe
Every toy belongs to someone… but who made her?
Read a chain of 3 books where the author’s initials appear in the word TOY STORY (any combination).
hmmm, I'm wondering if I can build a comfy nest of pillows in my bathtub. Maybe I'll find a horror audiobook and listen in the dark to go with the theme. 🤔
What if you read literally everywhere lol. I guess I'll go more for quiet/still but with a toddler that's not very common
You know what! I've read most of my current book on the floor of his room while he sleeps because he's been waking up so often so quiet and strange and I'm using it
Amanda wrote: "You know what! I've read most of my current book on the floor of his room while he sleeps because he's been waking up so often so quiet and strange and I'm using it"I remember those days 😂 my daughter still wakes up 3 am without fail and comes into our bed. Are they still napping in the day?
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
What We Broke (other topics)I See You've Called in Dead (other topics)
Blackberry Winter (other topics)
What We Broke (other topics)
What We Broke (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
Amanda
Jessica S
MrsGeo
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.