Hooked on Books discussion
Toys/Objects Roundup
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C: The Cursed Jacks
Mod
The Dybbuk Box is a haunted object rooted in Jewish folklore and urban legend, a wine cabinet said to be possessed by a dybbuk, a malicious spirit of a dead person that clings to the living to cause torment.
The legend of the Dybbuk Box gained notoriety in the early 2000s, when a man auctioned it online, claiming it was responsible for a string of terrifying events: nightmares, unexplained illnesses, and paranormal disturbances. According to the story, the box had been brought from Europe by a Holocaust survivor and sealed with objects meant to trap the dybbuk inside, items like locks of hair, dried flowers, and a wine goblet.
Small and unassuming on the outside, the Dybbuk Box is a vessel of fear and spiritual unrest, said to carry a curse that follows whoever owns or opens it. Whether viewed as a psychological artifact, a cultural cautionary tale, or a genuinely supernatural object, it remains a modern legend that taps into age-old fears of unseen forces, spiritual possession, and the danger of disturbing what should remain sealed.
Complete the following tasks
🕯️2. Voices from the Past
Read a chain of 3 books where the past haunts the present — literally (ghosts, possessions) or metaphorically (family secrets, generational trauma, buried history).
✡️3. Bound by Tradition
Read a chain of 3 books by a Jewish author or featuring Jewish characters/themes. This honors the folklore roots of the Dybbuk legend and invites a deeper engagement with cultural context.
🩸4. Sealed with Hair and Heartache
Read a chain of 3 books that includes a sentimental object — a locket, a diary, a family heirloom, or anything that holds emotional/spiritual significance to the characters. Bonus if it’s creepy.
Okaaaaaay. So, it doesn't look like I'll be able to use the book I got to 69%, but I can use the one I started just a bit ago (maybe). So, I'm going to go back and finish my one book since I NEED to know how it ends!! I should be able to finish it up tonight. So, I'll start working on my books for this tomorrow. I think a couple from my TBR will work.
I'm reading The Exorcist for Possession, but no idea what else yet.
I fell asleep during the epilogue of my book last night! So I want to relisten to the last couple chapters this morning. I have my books picked - I'm aiming to be done by late Friday
I think based on my newer timeline, I should be good. Going to add them in the SS now.
So... you might have noticed in the SS, I got cursed. 🙁I'm about to start book 3, found 1 for my curse, still looking for another one. So, I likely will need the weekend.
Ok... after juggling some books because of the new curse tasks, I thought I'd give you guys a quick update for my books: -Switched my big book (will finish early this afternoon) to one of the curse tasks.
-Leaves me with 2 books still to do, both are in the low 300s.
So I should finish up tomorrow at some point. :)
Looks like everyone is finished except me. I'm almost done with my last one. I'll check us in as soon as I finish!
Mod
Talky Tina is the deceptively sweet yet sinister doll from "Living Doll," a classic episode of The Twilight Zone (Season 5, Episode 6, 1963).
At first glance, Talky Tina appears to be a typical mid-century talking doll: petite, with wide eyes, curly hair, and a soft voice. She recites charming phrases like "My name is Talky Tina, and I love you." But when she senses hostility, especially from the cruel stepfather, Erich, her messages take a chilling turn: "My name is Talky Tina, and I don’t like you," eventually escalating to "My name is Talky Tina... and I’m going to kill you."
Tina never moves on screen, adding to the unsettling atmosphere, but her eerie voice and growing malevolence create a mounting tension. She's never caught in the act, yet her influence leads to a deadly confrontation that blurs the line between inanimate object and vengeful force.
Talky Tina became one of The Twilight Zone's most iconic and haunting figures, a forerunner of killer doll horror and a reminder that even the most innocent toys can harbor dark intentions.
With her wide eyes, curly hair, and syrupy voice, Talky Tina looks like any other talking doll… at first. But her sweet phrases twist into ominous warnings, her presence grows more sinister, and her enemies always seem to meet mysterious ends.
She never moves. She never blinks. And yet somehow, she always gets what she wants.
Now Tina’s whispering threats again—and we need your help to shut her up for good.
Complete the following tasks:
Someone Dies Before It Ends
She never moves. But people still end up dead.
Read a chain of 3 books where a murder happens during the course of the story—not just in the past.
Say It Sweetly
She doesn’t forgive. She remembers.
To capture Talky Tina, spell her favorite word: SPITE
Read 5 books, one for each letter. The first letter of each book title must begin with S, P, I, T, and E.
Pretty in Plastic
She looks sweet sitting on the shelf.
Read a chain of 3 books with pink or white covers (minimum 50%).
What letters do you guys want? And about how long are you guys thinking for this set? This month I have less of a set TBR and am flying loose. So while that makes me more flexible for whatever letters, I need to know what book sizes I should be looking at (timeline will help me with this part).
fyi.. i just grabbed the ones leftover LOL
@jessica - you going to do the BR with me for Love, Mom? Q&A answer said it counts for white! Ashley created that BR for us last week.I thought Dede was doing it too, but she mentioned she already read it.
danielle wrote: "fyi.. i just grabbed the ones leftover LOL"HAHAHA!! I think I am trying to do to much at one time.. I didn't realize you sent a message!'
Dede wrote: "danielle wrote: "fyi.. i just grabbed the ones leftover LOL"HAHAHA!! I think I am trying to do to much at one time.. I didn't realize you sent a message!'"
No worries, i think we'll all set. I have some chonky ones.. will swap out to smaller ones if I fall behind. But I should have time.
Did you guys see the new scoreboard? We're still hanging on to the lead, although the gap lessened.
finished my last one - no hurry, I have other books to do on the meantime. I'll be taking a small break from chonky ones!
I have both my 2nd and 3rd books going. I will definitely finish one, hopefully both today
danielle wrote: "Did you guys see the new scoreboard? We're still hanging on to the lead, although the gap lessened."I did! We are holding our own!
Jessica wrote: "I have both my 2nd and 3rd books going. I will definitely finish one, hopefully both today"Awesome! No rush!
I checked us in a bit ago when I saw Jessica had finished. Had to roll a funny number of times before I got an unused number. I'm working on a few books for other challenges but will change gears and focus back here once we have a new set of prompts to tackle!
danielle wrote: "I checked us in a bit ago when I saw Jessica had finished. Had to roll a funny number of times before I got an unused number. I'm working on a few books for other challenges but will change gears a..."I am doing the same! I am finishing up a few books for other challenges, till we get our prompts for here!
Dede wrote: "danielle wrote: "I checked us in a bit ago when I saw Jessica had finished. Had to roll a funny number of times before I got an unused number. I'm working on a few books for other challenges but wi..."I'm kinda hoping we get them sooner vs later, but it's always unpredictable. I will only scream if I finish a book... only to find it out it would have worked for prompts! 🤣🤣
Mod
Mr. Punch is the central character of the traditional Punch and Judy puppet shows, a form of popular street theater dating back to 17th-century England. While often played for laughs, Mr. Punch is a deeply sinister and chaotic figure beneath his colorful exterior.
He’s instantly recognizable by his hooked nose, pointed chin, hunched back, and maniacal grin, topped off with a jester’s cap and a high-pitched, squawking voice (usually produced with a device called a “swazzle”). His wooden frame and exaggerated features give him a grotesque, almost nightmarish quality, especially when removed from the playful stage setting.
In traditional shows, Mr. Punch engages in outrageous slapstick violence, often using a wooden stick (the “slapstick”) to beat other characters (including his wife Judy, a policeman, and even the Devil) with cries of “That’s the way to do it!” His anarchic glee and total lack of remorse blur the line between comedy and cruelty.
Over time, Mr. Punch has come to symbolize uncontrolled mischief, moral decay, and violent absurdity, inspiring darker adaptations in literature and horror. In the right context, this “comic” puppet becomes a deeply unsettling, even demonic, figure of chaos.
Mr. Punch may look like a carnival act gone wrong—with his hooked nose, jester cap, and maniacal grin—but this little puppet thrives on mayhem. He’s loud, he’s violent, and he’s got absolutely zero moral compass. Armed with a slapstick and an unstoppable urge to cause chaos, he’s taken down everyone from Judy to the Devil with the same cry:
“That’s the way to do it!”
Now he’s loose again—and unless we box him up fast, nothing (and no one) is safe from his gleeful anarchy.
Complete the following tasks:
Clown Chaos, Punch-Style
That’s the way to do it—especially if it makes a mess.
Read a chain of 3 books with chaotic characters—agents of mayhem, lovable disasters, or total wild cards who do exactly what they want.
Jester's Got Jokes
Laugh while you scream.
Read a chain of 3 books that mix horror and humor—dark comedies, creepy absurdism, or stories where the scares come with a side of snark.
Slapstick Gets Bloody
Violence is funnier with a squeaky voice and a stick.
Read a chain of 3 books that include a physical hit, slap, or blow—intentional or accidental.
WOW!!! .... I feel like I summoned the toymaker!! (and I just KNOW I'm going to pay for that comment)....
Still looking for a chaotic character book. i have the other two.
I think I have my 3, but one is an eye read... so we'll see how I do, or if I opt to switch it.
I'm still looking for a book with a physical hit, slap, or blow. I have finished the other two.
Mod
The Monkey’s Paw is a legendary cursed object from W. W. Jacobs’ classic 1902 horror short story The Monkey’s Paw. It is a shriveled, mummified paw of a monkey that grants its owner three wishes, but each wish comes with devastating, often ironic consequences.
The paw was enchanted by a fakir to teach people not to interfere with fate. When someone makes a wish, the paw curls a finger, and the wish is granted, though never in the way the wisher expects. Wishes made with the Monkey’s Paw tend to bring tragedy rather than happiness, revealing that tampering with destiny comes at a terrible price.
Grimy and unsettling in appearance, the Monkey’s Paw is a potent symbol of greed, temptation, and unintended consequences. It serves as a chilling warning: Be careful what you wish for, because the cost may be far greater than you imagined.
Complete the following tasks
🧷3. Threads of Fate
Read a chain of 3 books with a hand on the cover — human, animal, skeletal, drawn, gloved, or ghostly. If it's grasping something? Even better.
🔮4. Wish Fulfillment Gone Wrong
Read a chain of 3 books featuring a deal, a wish, or a bargain that doesn’t go as planned. Doesn’t have to be supernatural — career goals, marriages, Faustian pacts… fate’s got range.
🐵6. "Not a Monkey’s Paw, the Monkey’s Paw"
Read a chain of 3 books where the word "monkey" appears anywhere in the text — ebook search, physical flip, or audiobook transcript… time to go digging.
So... do we want to do BRs for these? I haven't started looking for books yet (my current book doesn't work). What have you guys got ... if I can get the books, I'm in for a BR. I just need to make sure one hits Belle's Rule for myself.
Ok. so I found 3 books that work if we want to do BRs. I think they all cover someone's Belle's rule. They are all over 500 pages.The Wish Collector
The Shell Seekers
The Deal Dilemma
Jessica wrote: "Ok. so I found 3 books that work if we want to do BRs. I think they all cover someone's Belle's rule. They are all over 500 pages.The Wish Collector
The Shell Seekers..."
Nice! 2 of them are on my TBR already. Looks like I can get the 3rd in libby!!
I'll go put the BR requests in. I'll have them set up for the 3 of us... and hopefully Dede can join us, if not they'll just be a smaller BR.
Thanks for doing the legwork! (I don't even know what that 3rd book is!!🤣 - The Shell Seekers)
Jessica wrote: "Ok. so I found 3 books that work if we want to do BRs. I think they all cover someone's Belle's rule. They are all over 500 pages.The Wish Collector
The Shell Seekers..."
Awesome!! I had one on my TBR already.. Let me see if I can get the other 2! Definitely need to do the BRs!
Dede wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Ok. so I found 3 books that work if we want to do BRs. I think they all cover someone's Belle's rule. They are all over 500 pages.The Wish Collector
[book:The Shel..."
woohoo!!
Agreed! The other high scoring team seems pretty close based on the most recent scoreboard. And we only have a few toys left. And we have gotten NO bonuses for the whole game so far, so we need to squeeze as many points as we can!!! ... And besides, I love chatting about books I'm doing. 💙
Looks like Dede is joining in these based on the SS entries!! Yeah!!Ashley created all 3 BRs already.
I'm starting with the one that will likely be the biggest challenge for me, The Shell Seekers. Which ones are you guys doing first?
I started The Wish Collector. I will leave my thoughts in the BR link
I finished one last night (The Shell Seeker) and am working on The Wish Collector today. And I'm adding comments in the BR threads as we go. Don't forget that part so we qualify for those extra points!Speaking of.. I think I'm liking this one more than Jessica did..
I started with The Shell Seeker since it was my longest. I should be done in the morning. Then I will start The Wish Collector.
Dede wrote: "I started with The Shell Seeker since it was my longest. I should be done in the morning. Then I will start The Wish Collector."Don't forget to participate in the BR! Need to have at least 4 comments each to count. There's a bunch of things in that one you can interact with. ... and whoops! I just got a notification that you added a comment... will stalk you over there! 😉
I have plenty of comments in the two that i finished/reading. Will contribute to the Shell Seekers once I start.
I finished my 3 :) ... Not in a hurry, I have other books/challenges to keep me busy.
checked us in! ✅
danielle wrote: "checked us in! ✅"Thank you!!!
danielle wrote: "checked us in! ✅"Thank you!! Just 2 more!
Mod
Well, well, well… impatient little toys, are we? 🪆
Before you go clickety-click and check in, remember: I see everything. If your entire team hasn’t finished yet—don’t you dare mark yourselves done. The Toymaker’s tally waits for no one, and I simply adore punishing those who can’t follow directions.
⏳ Wait until every last teammate has finished their tasks.
🪓 Check in early, and you may find your shiny points mysteriously… missing.
🎭 Or worse, I might have to come down there myself.
So, be patient, darlings. Let the stragglers crawl to the finish line first. Then—and only then—may you ring my little bell. 🔔
We were all finished at check in. We are all different time zones. It was the 11th for me when it was the 10th for everyone else. I am in EST. It was right after midnight when i finished my book, hence the 11th and i deeply regretting staying up that late the next day.
We were finished at check in! Jessica is right, we are all on different time zones.
LOL... I just got up. I feel like I'm in a time warp. It's the 12th for me. Did I screw something up? I never checked the dates, but checked us in once I saw all the fields populated. Oh... I forgot we checked in not last night but the night before. Well, for me it was.
Must.get,caffeine.
I am going to respond on the check in page as well in cases the mods don't see the comments here.
Dede wrote: "We were finished at check in! Jessica is right, we are all on different time zones."I keep forgetting your CST, and not EST like Jessica. I'm PST
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Book of Fire (other topics)A Thousand Splendid Suns (other topics)
The Wish Collector (other topics)
The Shell Seekers (other topics)
The Wish Collector (other topics)
More...
The only thing I assume is I need to do a Belle's rule book! LOL
I did stop my earlier one and started a new one. If I get to close to the end then I HAVE to finish it. So, I stopped at 69%. We will see..