Hooked on Books discussion

Prose Pursuers Book Quest
Duration: January 2025 to December 2025

Welcome, Prose Pursuers! This thread is your space to connect, share book recommendations, discuss your reading experiences, and post updates throughout the Book Quest Adventure. 📚✨

🌟 Team Members:
Benedicte
Elli
Catsalive
Carrie
Prinzess
Jessica H
Teresa
Christene

📊 Team Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
🏅 Scoresheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

🏆 *Updated* Scoring System

1. Page Points
0.01 points per page (with rounding)
100 to 149 pgs = 1pt
150 to 249 pgs = 2pts
and so on…

2. Task Completion
10 points for each monthly theme task completed
Maximum of 100 points per month (10 tasks x 10 points)

3. Bonus Genre
Additional 5 points if the task is completed with a book from the monthly bonus genre

4. Reviews and Summaries
5 points for each book review or summary submitted
Reviews must be at least 200 words to qualify

5. Discussions
5 points for active participation in each book discussion
Discussions must be held in the Buddy Read folder with a mod-approved thread

6. Team Reading Challenge
2 bonus points per book if the entire team reads the same book in a month

7. Diversity Reading Bonus
5 bonus points for reading a book by an author from an underrepresented group or a book translated from another language

8. Monthly Milestone Bonus
50 points if the team completes at least 80% of their monthly reading goals

9. Quarterly Milestone Bonuses
25 points if the team maintains an 80% or higher completion rate of their reading goals for the entire quarter

10. Team Balancing Bonus
To recognize teams that exceed their expected reading totals based on their combined maximum capacities, there is a Team Balancing Bonus. This bonus rewards teams for pushing beyond their limits while maintaining individual reading caps:

5% over Expected Total: 50 bonus points
10% over Expected Total: 100 bonus points
15% over Expected Total: 150 bonus points
20% or more over Expected Total: 200 bonus points

Example: If your team has a combined capacity of 36 books but reads 40 books in a month (11.11% over), your team will earn 100 bonus points.

11. Team Improvement Bonus
To encourage consistent growth and effort, there is a Team Improvement Bonus:
If your team increases its total books read compared to the previous month, you’ll earn an additional 30 bonus points. This bonus applies every month, rewarding teams for striving to improve regardless of their starting point.

Example: If your team read 29 books in Month 1 and increases to 35 books in Month 2, you’ll earn this bonus.

12. Adaptive Scoring System
To level the playing field further, there is an Adaptive Scoring System based on each team’s total monthly reading capacity:

Tier 1 (41-50 books): No multiplier
Tier 2 (31-40 books): 1.1x multiplier
Tier 3 (21-30 books): 1.2x multiplier

All points earned by the team (including bonuses) will be multiplied by this factor at the end of each month. However, if your team exceeds its tier’s capacity (e.g., a Tier 3 team with a capacity of 28 books reads into Tier 1 territory by completing 45 books), the multiplier will no longer apply. This adjustment ensures fairness as teams progress into higher tiers.

🌟 Quarterly Mini-Challenges 🌟
Get ready to level up your reading game with our Quarterly Mini-Challenges! These fun challenges are designed to earn you extra points while diving deeper into your reading journey. Remember, to qualify for bonus points, the books must match the monthly tasks! Get reading to multi-task!!

📚 Q1: Themed Reading Week
• Week 1 (January 8-14): Books with Strong Female Leads 💪
Dive into inspiring stories featuring powerful female protagonists. Whether they’re overcoming challenges, leading adventures, or breaking barriers, these characters will motivate you!

• Week 2 (February 12-18): Books About Friendship 🤝
Celebrate the bonds that matter! Choose books that explore the beauty and complexity of friendship, from childhood pals to lifelong companions.

• Week 3 (March 19-25): Books Set in Different Countries 🌍
Travel the world through literature! Read stories set in diverse locations, immersing yourself in different cultures and perspectives. Choose books set in countries different from your own. Each book should represent a unique country.

Points: Earn 15 points per book that fits the weekly theme.

Hello everybody! Checking in for this challenge!
I read most genres but my favorite is Fantasy.

Hi everyone!

I read a lot of genres, but my main favorite is mystery/thrillers. I’m also a moody reader, so I have a bunch of library books checked out at any given time so I’ve got all my moods covered.

I read a lot of fantasy books. I’m very excited for the challenge!

Hi team checking in.

I read lot of genres too, mostly fantasy, thrillers and romance

Hi Team! I have updated your team sheet with the new scoring system:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Quick question, will we have to log our books in the spreadsheet? I'm very new to doing this in a group. I normally just read alone lol

Jessica, looks like we log our books on the spreadsheet and we check the appropriate boxes in the various columns.

Thank you 😁

Hi everyone! Checking in. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

I read horror, mystery, thrillers and noir mostly but dabble a bit in just about everything.

Looking forward to this challenge 😊

Hi Carrie!! Looking forward to another team challenge with you.

Everyone, message 3 has our quarterly bonus themes listed! Boy, do they fit some of my planned reads nicely!!

I’m going to try to take time this week to post some of my January planned reading in case anyone wants to buddy read with me for extra points (no pressure! I’m not feeling THAT competitive).

Christene has The Hunting Party put down for "Read a book set on New Year's Day" & there is an IBR set up for at this link:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Shall we try for the Team Reading Bonus with this one?

I'm going to pass on The Hunting Party, but you all enjoy. I read it already and did not care for it enough to read again.

I am reading a book for my in-person book club but I can't tell if it will work for any of the January tasks. Once I find out, I can have a buddy read set up if anyone is interested.

For those reading The Hunting Party, there is already an Informal Buddy Read thread created if you're interested.

Sorry I don't have the link, I forgot to copy it! But it's in the Buddy Reads folder.

How do you calculate your point?

The spreadsheet calculates them, I think. Probably once you type in your “finished reading” date after putting in your page count and applicable bonus check boxes.

I got it 😊 thank you!

Hi team! Hope everyone is enjoying their books for the challenge (and otherwise!)

Just wanted to remind you, if you read a book by a woman author, you're reading a book that qualifies for the diversity bonus. While women in general make up ~50% of the population, they are still underrepresented in many areas/fields.

Don't forget to marked the theme quarter bonus which is Books with Strong Female Leads if it fits your books

I just added The Blue Hour to the spreadsheet. I marked the box for a strong female lead - I had 2 possible rationales for why but I wanted to double check if they are acceptable.

The first is Vanessa - she is renowned for her incredible artwork and made advancements in the art world.
The second is Grace - she (No spoilers) may or may not be a murderer but she does what she thinks necessary to protect herself and others she cares about.

If neither of these justifications work (and I'm talking too much creative liberty), I can uncheck the box 😊

Strong characters are subjective, so if you believe they qualify, they should.

Hey team… I’m sorry but I need to drop out of this challenge. Just took on too much in a year that has started off rough personally. Solo challenges are going to have to take precedence for now. I’ve let Ashley know. Hopefully you’ll have a replacement soon.

Have fun all!

I'm adding Catsalive to your team. Look for her check in soon!

Hi Team. I'll have to go through my January reads & see if anything fits.

Do we log books for the quarterly themes at all?

ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) wrote: "Hey team… I’m sorry but I need to drop out of this challenge. Just took on too much in a year that has started off rough personally. Solo challenges are going to have to take precedence for now. I’..."

Bye Teresa!

Catsalive wrote: "Hi Team. I'll have to go through my January reads & see if anything fits.

Do we log books for the quarterly themes at all?"

Welcome Catsalive! Yes we do log books for the themes.
Its all in the spreadsheet.

Elli wrote: "Catsalive wrote: "Hi Team. I'll have to go through my January reads & see if anything fits.

Do we log books for the quarterly themes at all?"

Welcome Catsalive! Yes we do log books for the themes..."

Oh, yes, I see it now.

Can we record any book or does it have to fit in the themes?

Welcome Catsalive!

Jessica wrote: "Can we record any book or does it have to fit in the themes?"

It has to fit in the prompts to be recorded.

I'm trying to work out whether they all have to be contemporary or not. I have read a few that might fit the prompts but none of them contemporary so far.

2 more tasks for January. I need book recommendations for the tasks with new year's resolution lmao

christene_littlelibrary wrote: "2 more tasks for January. I need book recommendations for the tasks with new year's resolution lmao"

Did you find anything for it? That's one of the ones I have remaining as well.

I just looked at the SS - I didn't realize The Hunting Party worked. I probably won't have time at this point to finish it.

📜 Book Quest Adventures: MOD UPDATE POST! 🗺️

Greetings, brave Book Questers!

The first chapter of our grand adventure—January—has come to a close. I hope your reading journeys were filled with thrilling discoveries and epic tales. As we turn the page to February, don’t forget to make any final updates and additions to your January quest logs.

Your January sheets will be LOCKED on February 5th, so ensure your progress is recorded before the gates close!

Just checking in with your team, is everyone still good with participation?

I'm still here.

Lol sorry for the late response. I'm here too!

I'm still here!

🌟 March Book Quest: Secrets and Lies! 🌟

Welcome to March, adventurers! This month, we’re diving into the shadowy world of Secrets and Lies—where mysteries unravel, truths are hidden, and nothing is as it seems. Get ready for twists, turns, and thrilling revelations as we explore the darker side of storytelling.

📅 Monthly Theme: Secrets and Lies
This month, challenge yourself with books that keep you guessing. Here are your reading tasks:

📖 Read a book that involves a significant secret that changes the course of the story.
📖 Read a book with an unreliable narrator.
📖 Read a book where a character has a hidden identity.
📖 Read a book featuring government conspiracy.
📖 Read a book about keeping family secrets.
📖 Read a book where lies lead to major consequences.
📖 Read a book with plot twists and surprises.
📖 Read a book about uncovering historical secrets.
📖 Read a book featuring espionage or spies.
📖 Read a book where social media secrets are exposed.

🎯 Bonus Genre: Mystery/Thriller
To earn extra points, choose books from the bonus genre of Mystery/Thriller!

🌍 Themed Reading Week: Books Set in Different Countries
From March 19-25, embark on a literary journey around the world! Read books set in diverse locations to immerse yourself in different cultures and perspectives.

📌 How It Works:
> Read books that fit the Books Set in Different Countries theme.
> Earn 15 points for each book read during the themed week.


Important Announcement for Teams
As I was updating spreadsheets, I noticed a few teams have members who haven’t read anything this month. I’m happy to help find replacement players for missing members, but I can’t keep track of everyone on my own. If your team is missing a member and you’ve tried to contact them without success, please let me know ASAP so I can find you a replacement.

For teams that have a period of time where a replacement can’t be found, I’m allowing MOD books to keep the team afloat. This ensures your team stays active and competitive while we work on filling the gap.


Happy reading, adventurers! Let’s uncover the mysteries and lies hidden within the pages of our books this March. 📖✨

Checking in to see how everyone is doing!

I like the theme for March!

Hi Team!

Jessica H hasn’t been active in the group or this challenge since January 13th. As a result, I’ll be assigning a replacement player to your team. Additionally, I’ll be awarding you mod books for February to make up for Jessica’s 7 missing books that month. These will be added to your total shortly.

Thanks for your understanding!

Ok, I'm adding Prinzess to your team, with 5bpm.

Prinzess you can back date any books that you've already finished in March for this months tasks.

ok, thank you Ashley🤎📚

Welcome Prinzess!!

👋🏽👋🏽 Elli 🤎📚😊

When updating your sheet, I noticed that Christene has not added any books for March. I will confirm with them whether or not they are still participating, and get back with you. Also, Prinzess, I see you've added a book, but no further updates were made, so I'm just checking that everything is good.


🌟 Welcome to Quarter 2 of Book Quest Adventures! 🌟

📅 Monthly Theme: Adventure Awaits
This month, pack your bags, grab your compass, and prepare to get lost in the wild unknown—because the greatest stories are found off the beaten path!

Here are your reading tasks:
📖 Read a book set in an unexplored or remote location on Earth, such as a dense jungle, desert, or hidden island.
📖 Read a book about space exploration.
📖 Read a book featuring time travel.
📖 Read a book where someone climbs a mountain.
📖 Read a book set on an epic road trip.
📖 Read a book about exploring ancient ruins.
📖 Read a book featuring ocean voyages or sailing adventures.
📖 Read a survival story set in the wilderness.
📖 Read a quest-based story with clear missions or goals.
📖 Read an adventure involving extreme sports.

🎯 Bonus Genre: Fantasy
To earn extra points, choose books from the bonus genre of Fantasy! The following sub-genres are eligible: Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Fantasy Romance or Romantasy, YA or Young Adult Fantasy.

📚 Q2 Mini Challenge: Genre Swap
It’s time to step out of your comfort zone! For Q2, we challenge you to try something new. Pick a book from a genre you typically avoid or have never tried before. Just remember, it can’t be the same as the BONUS genre for that month.
Points: Earn 30 points for completing the book and sharing insights about your experience with the genre! (max 1 book per month, 3 per quarter)


Happy reading, adventurers! Let’s embrace the spirit of adventure together! 📚✨

🪷checking in
hi all, i am still working on my book.

christene_littlelibrary has not been active in your thread since Jan 19th, on GR in general since Feb, and has not added any books for March, so I'm going to be replacing her / or adding mod books / or both. I will let you know soon!