Hooked on Books discussion

Non-Competitive Team threads:



Team Challenge
Self-paced (through 2025)

Please take some time and choose a team name. You will also need to choose which monster you want to catch first. Choose wisely because some monsters require more than others. Let me know when you have made your choices.

Team
✔️Bernadette
Teddie
bamaace83

Important Links
Monster Depository (check-in)
Q&A
Collectibles


Rules
⛓️Each monster 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 monster 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 monster from the list to capture first but you MUST complete it BEFORE starting a new creature.
⛓️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 monsters.

Completions

Since you are not competing, you should post completions in your thread and organize a monster completion post to be submitted to the Monster Depository. This is a suggested way to organize it. If you have a better way, I am okay with that.

Individual completion:
Task:
Book:
Pages:
Fits:

Monster Completion (this will be in your thread)
Arm 1: link to each completion (should be 3 links here)
Arm 2: link to each completion (should be 3 links here)
Leg 1: link to each completion (should be 3 links here)
Leg 2: link to each completion (should be 3 links here)

Monster Depository Post:
Team thread link: (link to your thread)
Team SS link (non-competitive teams mark N/A): N/A
Completed Monster: (link to your monster completion post - you can name it the monster or just provide the link - either works)
Next monster: [name of next monster you want to catch]

Titans

Godzilla
MUTOs
King Kong
Skull Devil
Mothra
Rodan
King Ghidorah
Methuselah
Scylla
Behemoth
Amhuluk
Na Kika
Mokele-Mbembe
Tiamat
Camazotz
Mechagodzilla

After a question, in the original challenge about Buddy Reads, I have decided to give you the same bonus points for an informal buddy read as the HOB Formal Buddy Read. Here are the rules:

*Your buddy must be on your team
*You may do a buddy read of 2 or 3 (as you have teams of 3)
*The book must fit one of your tasks, of course

To sign up for an informal buddy read click Here and a thread will be set up for you.

You guys aren't playing competitively but you are welcome to do buddy reads.

I'm a Round-up rookie but I think I can catch on. I'll leave the initial choosing up to the two of you.

Anna, good to see you again.

Team, you have some things to decide once you all check-in.

1. A team name
2. What is your 1st monster?

Let me know what you decide.

Waves, hey! It's good to see you again too. Hmm, I'm not very good at coming up with team names. Maybe something like BAT Bashers because that takes all our initials.

bamaace83 wrote: "Waves, hey! It's good to see you again too. Hmm, I'm not very good at coming up with team names. Maybe something like BAT Bashers because that takes all our initials."

BAT Bashers - sounds good to me. Good working in the initials. 😉

Hi! I like the BAT part - some other options:

BAT Outta Hell
AcroBATs
BATwings

Which monster do you want to capture first?
My vote would be for Rodan or Tiamat - for no reason whatsoever :)

Teddie wrote: "Hi! I like the BAT part - some other options:

BAT Outta Hell
AcroBATs
BATwings

Which monster do you want to capture first?
My vote would be for Rodan or Tiamat - for no reason whatsoever :)"

I love BAT Outta Hell! But now I want to start singing a Meatloaf song.😂🤣

I'll go with whatever for first monster.

Let's do BAT Outta Hell and let's do Rodan. That sounds good.

Sounds great! I'll message Donna - though she's probably tracking the thread as well :)

Rodan

Rodan is a winged Titan that was dreaded as a destroyer by ancient humans. They dubbed him the "Fire Demon". He was discovered in a volcano called El Nido del Demonio (The Demon's Nest) in pyrostasis. Monarch built a containment facility around him but he was released by a defector & an eco-terrorist. He immediately battled Monarch's G-Team before coming across King Ghidorah. King Ghidorah defeated him. Once Ghidorah became the alpha of the Titans, he submitted to him and obeyed his orders. He was summoned by Ghidorah to help with Mothra but she stung him. When he recovered, Ghidorah was defeated and he was forced to back down from Godzilla. He submitted to Godzilla and started to follow him from that point on.

To capture Rodan, you will need 3 chains.

Complete the following tasks
Neck: Read a chain of 3 books with the letters "RODAN" in the title (any order)
Leg 1: Read a chain of 3 books with fire on the covers
Leg 2: Read a chain of 3 books with "Destroy" or "Destroyer" in the title or series (intact)

I'm going to need to start writing things down because I'm in so many things. Off to find some books for these. :)

TARGET: RODAN
Neck: Read a chain of 3 books with the letters "RODAN" in the title (any order)
Bernadette
book: The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
pages: 403
fits: The BallAD Of NeveR After - letters in the title
read: 9.3.23
Anna (bamaace83)
book: The Billionaire Takes a Bride by Jessica Clare
pages: 256
fits: the billiONAiRe takes a briDe
read: 9.4.23
Teddie
book: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
pages: 532
fits: the seRpent AND the wings Of night
read: 9.3.23

Leg 1: Read a chain of 3 books with fire on the covers
Bernadette
Book: Island on Fire by Alexandra Witze
Pages: 224
Date Read: 9/6/23
Fits: fire on the cover
Anna (bamaace83)
Book: Into the Fire by Meredith Wild
Pages: 320
Date Read: 9-7-23
Fits: fire on the cover
Teddie
book: Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens
pages: 353
fits: fire on the cover
read: 9.18.23



Leg 2: Read a chain of 3 books with "Destroy" or "Destroyer" in the title or series (intact)
Bernadette
book: Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse
pages: 358
fits: destroy in the title
read: 9.9.23
Anna (bamaace83)
book: Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse
pages: 358
fits: destroy in the title
read: 9.6.23
Teddie
book: Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse
pages: 358
fits: destroy in the title
read: 9.16.23

Do I just post books here when completed? I'm currently reading a book that fits the NECK.

Bernadette wrote: "Do I just post books here when completed? I'm currently reading a book that fits the NECK."

I answered this is in message one.

Yeah, post it here and then we can compile it to post when we get all of it completed. Teddie already has a good start for us. :)

In message 15 I'll keep track of what we are planning to read and when we're done reading :)

Teddie wrote: "In message 15 I'll keep track of what we are planning to read and when we're done reading :)"

Perfect!

I've got nothing in my TBR for Leg 2 right now.😯

Bernadette wrote: "Teddie wrote: "In message 15 I'll keep track of what we are planning to read and when we're done reading :)"

Perfect!

I've got nothing in my TBR for Leg 2 right now.😯"

Same - lol. I was looking at Victor LaValle's Destroyer, but its a graphic novel and I can't find word count anywhere.

I may go for The Woman Destroyed or Destroy, She Said>, or maybe Created, the Destroyer. Seek and Destroy looks good, but I can't bring myself to read it before reading #1.

Leg 2 is definitely an issue. I don't have anything set for that one either. Can it be destroyed? I thought it had to be destroy or destroyer. I think I found something that could work as I'm scouring the online libraries.

I found My Brother's Destroyer. Now this book could be very very bad or maybe decent but it works for something else that I'm working on so I'm going to try it. I found a naughty romance What Doesn't Destroy Us as a backup. I'm probably going to work on this one tomorrow just to knock it out. I'm excited about an off day from work with no plans.

You never know when a book has a talking dog! :) I'm still up in the air for this task.

I did find The Destroyers, which apparently won:
Bad Sex in Fiction Award (2017)

oy.

I think I'm going with Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse - will cover a task on the Spider Web for Zombie as well...

Monster: RODAN
Task: Neck: Read a chain of 3 books with the letters "RODAN" in the title (any order)
Book: The Ballad of Never After/Stephanie Garber
Pages: 403
Fits: The BallAD Of NeveR After - letters in the title

Bernadette wrote: "I think I'm going with Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse - will cover a task on the Spider Web for Zombie as well..."

I may read this one too - it suits my mood right now more than the options I found. I'm doing the spider web too, so that's a bonus :) Thanks Bernadette!

I’m playing in the spider webs also so I may as well read the zombie book also. I don’t particularly enjoy zombies so this will get it out of the way. I’m gonna need a nice steamy fluffy romance to back up that book though.

Monster: RODAN
Task: Neck: Read a chain of 3 books with the letters "RODAN" in the title (any order)
Book: The Billionaire Takes a Bride by Jessica Clare
Pages: 256
Fits: the billiONAiRe takes a briDe

My work week is going to be crazy the rest of the week but since I'm off today and my husband is working, I'm going to try to get through the zombie book and pick some sort of fluff fire book. I can read more on the weekends and I am in the car about 2 hours per day so that helps with audio books but this month at work will be slightly crazy.

I forgot to put the date finished in message #26 🤷🏻‍♀️ I finished the The Ballad of Never After on 9/3/23

bamaace83 wrote: "My work week is going to be crazy the rest of the week but since I'm off today and my husband is working, I'm going to try to get through the zombie book and pick some sort of fluff fire book. I ca..."

Car commutes are what got me into audiobooks too. Now I usually have 1 audio and 1 text book going at a time. Good luck with your week :)

Bernadette wrote: "I forgot to put the date finished in message #26 🤷🏻‍♀️ I finished the The Ballad of Never After on 9/3/23"

Cool - our tracking post is updated!

Yeah, I can now listen to audiobooks on chipmunk speeds. I usually start on 2.5 and work my way up to 3 most of the time. I have started my fire book but probably won't have it done until tomorrow. I did finally get the zombie book done tonight because I didn't really have time to finish it last night. It was okay. It's not really my thing but it wasn't the worst book ever for me to read.

Monster: RODAN
Task: Leg 2: Read a chain of 3 books with "Destroy" or "Destroyer" in the title or series (intact)
Book: Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse by Joanne Nundy
Pages: 358
Date Read: 9-6-23
Fits: destroy in the title

I also started listening to audiobooks when my commute changed. Now I always have one of each going. I have never been able to get passed 1.5 speed though and that's usually when I don't really like the book. I'm amazed at people who can do that!😵

Bernadette wrote: "I also started listening to audiobooks when my commute changed. Now I always have one of each going. I have never been able to get passed 1.5 speed though and that's usually when I don't really lik..."

Me too - I can't go past 1.2ish - I don't dig the chipmunk-style narration :)

Monster: RODAN
Task: Leg 1: Read a chain of 3 books with fire on the covers
Book: Island on Fire: The Extraordinary Story of a Forgotten Volcano That Changed the World/Alexandra Witze
Pages: 224
Date Read: 9/6/23
Fits: fire on the cover

My ears just got used to it but I also work in the medical setting so I'm so used to listening to multiple things at work and I think that has my ears trained to listen a little faster. I read pretty fast also. My brain doesn't really read little words but still understand the books and I can tell you what it was about. Just don't have me read it out loud, lol.

Monster: RODAN
Task: Leg 1: Read a chain of 3 books with fire on the covers
Book: Into the Fire by Meredith Wild
Pages: 320
Date Read: 9-7-23
Fits: fire on the cover

Monster: RODAN
Task: Leg 2: Read a chain of 3 books with "Destroy" or "Destroyer" in the title or series (intact)
Book: Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse/Joanne Nundy
Pages: 358
Date Read: 9/9/23
Fits: destroy in the title

Just popping in to say and see how everyone is doing. I know real life has been super crazy for me. I won't be around from the 21-25 much because I'm going to a music festival. I'm also bumping this back up in my notifications because I have so many challenges going on that I'm trying to keep track of.

Music festival sounds fun!

I just started Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse today, so should be done in a couple days. Maybe we can get Rodan captured before you go away, and pick some musical monster next, in your honor :)

All is good here. I had a crazy work week. TGIF🥳😀

Finished Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse. I don't think I've ever read a book with more instances of "whilst" in it - lol.

Looks we only need one more book in leg 1 to take roundup RODAN.

Teddie, Anna finished Destroy the Dead: Book 1: A Zombie Apocalypse - see message #35.

Thanks Bernadette - I did miss that! I'm reading my fire book now :)

I hope you have a good fire book and are able to have a relaxing day. :)

Finished my fire book so we've captured Rodan! I'll check us in but:

Do either of you have any preference for our next monster?

How about Skull Devil next? Looks friendly.😂🤣