Hooked on Books discussion

Arrows of Fortune Reading Game
Duration: December 1, 2024, to February 28, 2025

🌟 Players: Amanda & Kirsten
📊 Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

🎲 How to Play: (view spoiler)[
Spin and Move: "Roll" the dice and move forward based on your roll.
Watch for Arrows! 🚀 Climb higher up the board! 😱 Slide back down and regroup!
Reading Tasks: Complete reading tasks based on where you land on the board.
Arrow Spaces: If you land on an Arrow Space, you must complete BOTH tasks associated with that space. ⬆️ Arrows will maximize your score, since you'll get points for BOTH spaces, but ⬇️ Arrows will earn you negative points (only the space you landed on, not where you ended up after sliding down).
Winning: Reach space 100 (or February 28th)! The player with the most points at the end wins!

Challenge Rules:
Standard Challenge Rules apply, plus...
⭐Rereads DO count for this challenge BUT must have been read more than a year ago.

Task Rules:
You must be able to justify how your book fits the prompt. Creativity is encouraged, but please hold to the task/prompt.
⭐Cover Color must be more than 50% (https://labs.tineye.com/color/)
⭐List page number, percentage, or chapter for word in text
⭐MPG is "Main Page Genre", and is what is shown on the front of the GR book page
⭐To justify a Cover Item, make sure you link the edition you read
⭐Short explanation for other tasks for proof of task completion

☄️☄️Point System:☄️☄️
0.01 points per page (with rounding)
100 to 149 pgs = 1pt
150 to 249 pgs = 2pts, etc., etc.
PLUS! each board space is worth its face value, but fall-down spaces are worth negative points! (hide spoiler)]

📌Make sure that you have notifications turned on, so that you don't miss messages from your partner, updates, bonus task notices, etc.

Hey Ashley, it’s Kirsten not Kristen ☺️

Thanks, Amanda!

Amanda wrote: "Hey Ashley, it’s Kirsten not Kristen ☺️"

Oh geez! Fixed!

Thanks, Ashley!

🏹✨ Exciting news! 🎉📊
Your game spreadsheet has landed in message 1!

🔍 Take a peek and get ready for literary adventures! Got questions? Shoot over to the Q&A thread - I'm all ears! 👂💬

🌟 Mark your calendars! 📅 The game launches on 1-Dec-2024, as soon as the clock strikes midnight 🕛 in your neck of the woods (or whenever you and your reading buddy agree if you are in differing timezones)!

Get those books ready, and may the literary odds be ever in your favor! 📚🎯 Let the reading games begin! 🚀🌈

Bringing all this here for us :)

Amanda wrote: "We can't read yet, but can we roll now?"

Please wait to roll until the game begins!

Jenny wrote: "The "teams" are playing against each other, yes? So, are there rules about having both team members finishing a roll before either can roll again? Or is that up to the team?"

Play the game just as you would in real life. We have plenty of time in the game, so wait to start your turn until your partner has read their book.

And as I forsee this question next as a natural next thought, there is no book banking allowed, BUT you may use a book you were reading prior to your turn, if it so happens to work when your turn comes up. If you finish it before you roll though, it's not useable.

Looks like I will be up first! Glad yours was green and not yellow since everyone was assigned colors. If I don't roll on the first right away please remind me lol

Phew! I’d have hated to be yellow.

I could never play Chutes and Ladders with Ivy because it was all chance and she couldn’t stand losing (when she was little). I hope this works better with you.

I will try to keep it non competitive 😂

I have no concerns—and green and pink seem like great colors, so there’s a good omen.

Oops forgot to spin. Luckily my book started today works and will be done by tomorrow

Finished, you're up!

It will be a minute--grading.

No worries! I’m finally working my way through Lily Mayne’s Monstrous series (which I’m sure is not your cuppa lol) so I’m not in a hurry to find anything else.

Hah! Little do you know. I have read the first 6 and they are all 3-4 star reads. I did kind of stall out on Lor, because it's not in the post-apocalyptic US and I'm just not as interested. AND I don't want to start it until I can finish the series with Lyri and Cat, who I am really anticipating.

I've heard good things about her monster wrestling books--low angst--but I'm afraid they will be too light for me. Have you read Mortal Folk? I haven't but I am circling it.

ETA a few years ago I started following and friending a whole bunch of MUCH younger MM readers (many eastern european and other ESL readers-go figure) from my home page feed and they totally turned me on to the series as well as some other stuff I would never have tried without them, including Gregory Ashe.

I was so sure too! I just finished The Rycke and Wyn today because I wasn't a huge fan of Edin so kept putting them off. So I don't know Lyri or Cat yet, beyond knowing Cat is missing (unless there was more in books 1-2 because it's been so long I forgot). I went looking for Orlith's story after finishing Wyn but not sure if it's planned or not.

I like lighter than you and am worried that the monster wrestling might be too light for me--or that it'll feel like forced humor. I think the idea/covers scream Alice Winters to me, so I've just judged too harshly already. Haven't checked out Mortal Folk yet. Might wait until around Uno since it looks like book 2 has a green cover

Yeah, I hate everything in the Alice Winters/AJ Sherwood/i fell in love with a troll and it’s hilarious. But these are dark and feel real, so I like them. I like Edin , though it’s not my favorite. I loved Moth and Seraph. I think I like the camp people more than the military.

Just finished Moth and really enjoyed it! It's funny because I thought it both Charlie and Moth would be...I don't know grittier? But they're both just big softies.

Yes--they are just the sweetest. And honestly, Seraph is maybe my favorite. BTW, I am in a hella slump plus grading and it's going to take me a minute to find and read a book with a royal symbol on it. I think I can count my CU hockey, but I am slow right now.

No worries at all. I’m definitely good with a casual pace for this one.

When’s your semester done?

I finally finished my book, so you are good to go.

Wasn't even long! I have to do 2 books since I landed on an arrow so you get a little break

You will have to tell me if Lor feels like the other books. I'm afraid it's going to be too light, so I look forward to your thoughts.

It did not feel like the other books TBH. I still liked it, and it was nice to have a little more about how the rifts came to be and Lor is Lyri's brother so I felt like it definitely is a good set up for the next book

However, and I'm not sure if this is spoiled for you already so if you don't want to know anything don't read this lol (view spoiler)[ one of the MCs is in a coma for a large portion of the book. It spans 50 years of time and that felt like too much for me (hide spoiler)]

I honestly feel like all the books are pretty light but this one is definitely the lightest --- but I just looked at a lot of my friends reviews and they all call it angsty and emotional so maybe I'm just not soft enough lol.

I love spoilers. 50 years?!!? Zoinks. I might skip it.

I like the trials and tribulations the MCs have to go thru—the external conflicts are always interesting, but I wouldn’t call them angsty or emotional either. The guys and the beasties walk around, kill bad guys, have sex. Where’s the trauma drama in that?

You know what, it was 30 years, he was technically in his 50s at the end of it, but it felt very long since the book is so long lol.

That's exactly how I feel, I honestly feel like they're just easy palatable reads which I enjoyed. I would say Lor was probably a 3.5 for me with the rest being around 4 and Seraph being 4.5 (I want to reread Edin because I loved him in Lor so I feel like I'd like it this time around). Lor has a very funny Wyn note in it if you want to search for that, and the last chapter is pretty good for before Cat and Lyri's book if you want to start with those

I think when Lyri comes out (I hope soon) I’ll pick up Lor and give it a skim. Thanks for letting me know what to look for.

Finally finished!

How funny--I crossed my fingers and rolled a 4 so we are on the same square. I'll read my 2 and let you know when I'm done.

I should be quick because I'm only doing this, quotes, and cryptid right now. I feel so free!

It's funny because. I feel so lost with everything ending!

And Con really sneaky released His Until Christmas. I'm on her arc team and we didn't even know

I am so excited to get to read this--I was trying to find a way to work it in the last two weeks.

I am finished and you can roll!

So I got "Read a book with a character who has your dream job." and I'm realizing I do not in fact have a dream job lol

Retired? Book reader? I guess I'll have to see what's coming up in my books and see if any of the jobs jump out to me

Also Christmas Con, 3 stars good or 3 stars meh? I know both can be true for you

That's a tough one--I sort of have my dream job, so I'd just look for a book about a professor (except that I hate my department).

3 stars meh. If it weren't Con, it would be 2 stars, but I love her books and this whole interwoven world so much. Way, way too much underexplained and rushed, and 3 years worth of mis/noncommunication?!!? honest to pete--it's like Gregory Ashe up in there.

Sorry this one is taking so long, I had two books my coworker lent me that I wanted to finish before we went on a Christmas break. He told me that I should lend him some too and I though about how not one but TWO books I read this week had an MC with two penises 😂

I did figure out my dream job though which is student

Whoa--I think my dream job might be reading books about MCs with 2 penises.

No worries--I'm going to bop over to another group to talk about scheduling, because you reminded me.

LOL You would definitely not like one of them Gratification in Gluttony--it's very silly

But you might like I'm Not Your Pet. Fae Quin is definitely not for everyone though.

It's funny because since they both have "shark" like I had to google if sharks had two penises (they do) and then today I read MateHub: Legend and in it Hunter says, "Like shark shifters? Come on. Who wouldn't want to give a dude with a double dick a try?" So apparently I was supposed to really learn this info this week

Definitely something we both needed to know this week!

How did you like MateHub? I loved it and am excited for the sequel.

I loved it too! I kept putting it off because it was just so hyped that I thought I wouldn't like it, but it sucked me in. I'm surprised that the next book is Duke's.

Did you read her other books about the people in the chat?

All done!

Amanda wrote: "I loved it too! I kept putting it off because it was just so hyped that I thought I wouldn't like it, but it sucked me in. I'm surprised that the next book is Duke's.

Did you read her other books ..."

I haven't read the chat book yet, but I am reading the next book in her other series this week

I just finished my book, Amanda! It was terrible.

Oh no! I did notice it was way longer than the other books she's written so was worried it'd be too much. At least for Matehub there wasn't much worldbuilding so can't imagine what would take 600 pages

No--not the Marie Reynard--it's not out yet and I don't arc. The Look Up, Handsome. It was written by a 3rd grader with a poor grasp of human nature.

The elemental series is a little more complicated, with shifters and packs and mages, but I enjoyed it, so I look forward to that one next week. Sorry--and maybe I'll be able to use it if you read your book super quick and I read super slow.

Ooooh got it! I would guess mine is done tomorrow sometime

All done!

Done (at last; switched books)

Mine might be a little longer, weekends are harder for me to squeeze in any reading and then are Christmas festivities start on Monday. Might work out though depending on how naps go this weekend lol