HOB’s Comments (group member since Sep 21, 2021)

HOB’s comments from the Hooked on Books group.

Welcome to the Snowball Fight Arena!

Please set your notifications for this page, as we will be posting scores here. We will also be posting the "Power hits" here. What are power hits? Power hits are a slightly more powerful snowball. The person throwing the snowball still gets 10 points, BUT the person they targeted loses 3.

You may brag, cheer your team on, and have fun on this thread. This thread is where all the action happens.

This is your chance to hit your mods... with your best QUESTIONS, that is. Wait, did you think you were supposed to throw snowballs at us? Where would you get that idea? LOL!

R

3-month challenge
Runs December 2025 - February 2026
Team

Back by popular demand

Remember all those snowball fights you had as a young child? Well, now you get to have another one, book-style! You will throw snowballs at the other team by reading books. You can read whatever you want, clear those TBRs out, finish up those year-long challenges, and ease into the new year. The catch is that once you submit your book, the referee (your faithful mod) will spin the snowball wheel to see if your snowball connected with a target or not. Then the referee will mark the spreadsheet with "hit" or "miss". You only get points (10 for each hit/power hit) if you hit your target.

❄️ New This Season: The Frostbite Arsenal! ❄️
The snowball fight just got a lot more intense. Introducing the Frostbite Arsenal — a set of icy tricks and tactical tools designed to shake things up on the battlefield. Whether you're building defenses, launching sneak attacks, or unleashing a full-blown avalanche, these frosty powers will keep your opponents on their toes (and possibly frozen in place). Use them wisely… or chaotically. We won't judge.

🌨️ Brace Yourselves... Blizzard Mode Has Begun! 🌨️
The referees have been watching from the sidelines long enough — now we're getting in on the fun. Welcome to Blizzard Mode, where each week the mods will unleash a surprise storm and target one random player from each team!

If you’re caught in the blizzard, you’ll need to pause your snowball antics and battle your way through the storm before rejoining the fight. It’s chilly, it’s chaotic, and it’s coming for you.

Good luck out there… the forecast looks wild. ❄️☃️

Bonus Tasks
There are bonus tasks. You don't have to do them, BUT they will snowball your score, so it's up to you! More points are always good.

Targets
You can also choose your target on the other team. When you finish a book, choose your target from the dropdown list. Not only do you know who you hit, but you have bragging rights.

Power Hits
That's not all! There is a "Power Hit" on the Snowball wheel. There is only one on the wheel. If your snowball lands a power hit, your target loses 3 points on one of their latest books. Yes, your referees (aka mods) just took this snowball fight to a whole new level. You're welcome!

Stats
Want to know how well you are doing? We have stats. You can see how many books you have read, how many hits you connected as well as how many hits you have received. Now, remember there are multiple people throwing snowballs at you and that they can out-read you when added together. You can't add their numbers to your stats. It will make your numbers look very low.

At the end of the three months, we will see who wins this snowball fight! Just let the referees get out of the way first...

Sign up below... if you dare.

Rules
*No graphic novels, poetry, or cookbooks allowed.
Standard Rules Apply

⚠️ GATEKEEPER GLITCHES
At any point, the Gatekeeper may interrupt your descent. If this happens, you must apply the posted glitch to the next book you read in this game.

ERROR CODE: 1981
The system rebooted. The Gatekeeper was born that year.
👉 Read a book published in 1981 —OR— with 1, 9, 8, and 1 in its publication date or page count (1,9,8).

Dede wrote: "I have found books for Level 2 and the bonus.. Guess I'm looking for the "glitch" book and start it."

One book should fit the level task & the glitch. Not two separate books.

⚠️ GATEKEEPER GLITCHES
At any point, the Gatekeeper may interrupt your descent. If this happens, you must apply the posted glitch to the next book you read in this game.

STATIC BURN
The signal crackled. Something burned into your eyes.
👉 Read a book that includes fire—in the title, on the cover, or in the plot.

We don't even conspire. Our challenges just naturally cause chaos and confusion for you.

Jenny wrote: "Sorry, missed this. If you don't mind, lets do plants then."

“Plants, Jenny? 🌿 How personal! You do realize my entire existence revolves around toxic flora and questionable horticulture, don’t you? I feel seen. 💀💐”

Thanks for taking it nice and slow, though. Now you have to stop reading what you are reading and verify whether or not the glitch applies. If the glitch doesn't, you need a new book that fits both the original task you were reading for AND the glitch. Have fun!

RachelG. wrote: "I felt that this part of the instructions (You MUST read Level 1, then Level 2, then Level 3 in order, BUT not at the same time.) meant that we didn't have to complete each level as a team but we d..."

You guys are reading individually. You don't have to wait on each other. You can't read books that fit multiple tasks or read two books at the same time to try to finish level 1 & 2 simultaneously.

⚠️ GATEKEEPER GLITCHES
At any point, the Gatekeeper may interrupt your descent. If this happens, you must apply the posted glitch to the next book you read in this game.

STATIC BURN
The signal crackled. Something burned into your eyes.
👉 Read a book that includes fire—in the title, on the cover, or in the plot.

Sammy wrote: "Looks like it doesn't fit next round either, so I'm going to try and cram it in today.

The challenge Gods are not lining things up nicely for me right now 😆"

“Oh, darling, the Challenge Gods rarely line things up nicely—they prefer chaos, confusion, and the occasional cackle from yours truly 😈✨. Consider it a test of your devotion... or perhaps just their wicked sense of humor!”

💀 Belladonna Belle’s Warning 💀

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. 🔔

💀🎀 Belladonna Belle speaks… 🎀💀

Ahhh, November has arrived, my darling dolls — the final act of our little game (competitive portion ends). The curtain is about to fall, and soon the music will stop. When it does… decisions must be made.

Will your team hold strong, bound by loyalty and glittering glory? 💎
Or will you splinter apart, chasing your own twisted ambitions? 🕸️
Will some of you pair off like scheming twins? Or will one brave soul stand alone beneath the spotlight? 🌹

The season of endings is here, my pretties… what will your verdict be?

🎀 Announcement🎀

Belle smooths her lace gloves and smiles sweetly — the kind of smile that promises trouble.

“My dearest little playthings, I bring you news. You may now dance upon both stages — as individuals and as members of your teams. How delightful, isn’t it? But of course… there are conditions.”

🕯️ For All Players:
If one of my darling dolls becomes cursed, that curse seeps into both your threads. You’ll have to read twice as much to break it — four books instead of two. (2 for each thread)

🧸 For My Competitive Collectors: (competitive ends at the end of November - this will be lifted at that point as everyone will be non-competitive)
You may juggle toys and tasks in both threads, but they must not be identical. Each toy deserves its own story, so you may not use the exact same books across both games. Variety, after all, keeps things… interesting.

She tilts her porcelain head, a soft giggle escaping.
“Now go on, my pretties. Let’s see who can play the game twice as hard without breaking…”

Individual Challenge
Open-ended

Please consult the Toy Chest of Dread for your first toy selection. This is in the 4th tab of your spreadsheet. Post your answer that the Toy Chest supplies you with at the Occult Museum (check in thread).

Please note: You will only have to do one of each task...unless you feel like doing 3 of each. LOL!

Important Links
Occult Museum (Check-in Thread)
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
⛓️Standard Rules Apply
⛓️Since you have chosen to play non-competitively, you will play a self-paced game. You may choose to stop any time you want or continue until you have completed all toys/objects.

🎀 Belle’s porcelain fingers tap against the scoreboard, making a soft, cracking sound. 🎀

“My precious little playthings… this week’s scores have been tallied and pinned up for all to see. Some of you climbed so beautifully… others fell face-first into the toy box.

Do go take a peek at the scoreboard, won’t you? See who’s dancing on top—and who’s dangling by their frayed little strings.

I’ll be watching to see who scrambles, who sulks… and who decides to make things interesting next week.” 🖤🧷