The Perks Of Being A Book Addict discussion

Team 3 Body Problem

Team Members:
👾
❅ Heather Carrasco - Captain
❅ Steph Co-Captain
❅ Shannon
❅ Cris
❅ maria helena
❅ Jess
❅ Kelly Palmer
❅ Jennifer Baier
❅ Ariel
❅ Jodi



🚀 Team Spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

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Welcome to UNO 2025! If you’re new to UNO or just need a refresher, we have a few informational posts to help. If you have questions, please just ask.

Basic Rules
✔ 100 pages (verify 25k words / 3hrs for Children's, Poetry, Plays etc MPG)
✔ rereads OK after 6 months
✔ Letters for cards use title / author name / speaking character name / location
✔ Letters to find E F H I K N O P S T V Z
✔ Numbers in the title of the book or the number in a series of books

For book titles starting with an article (A/An/The), the article can be ignored or used. So A Thousand Ships, for example, could be used as title starting with A or T

More info can be found here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Expectations
✔ Check in once a week on the team thread, so that we know you are actively participating, even if you have not completed a book.
✔ Only books started after the challenge starts can count. We'll post a countdown clock for the start, as well as for the start of each mini-challenge or new month. Please make sure all books you have finished are marked as read with a read date from the month you want it to count for and must be on your Uno shelf. We will not be able to record your book on the official sheet without this, so don’t waste your reading by not recording the books correctly!
✔ Friend all the members of the team so that your captains (Heather and Steph) can verify your completions and your team members can find Reverse books.

All About Spreadsheets

There are different ways that teams like to keep track of the books everyone reads...Steph and I prefer to keep track of books read using a tracking spreadsheet, which you can find here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
We use all the information you provide to fill out the official team spreadsheet, which is linked in the first post, and is also here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Note for those who have done completion posts in the past: You do NOT need to do a completion post if you are using the spreadsheet, and you do NOT need to use the spreadsheet if you are doing completion posts. That said, if you CAN use the spreadsheet that would be super helpful, and will reduce the changes that we miss something or enter something incorrectly.

There will be a sheet for each month (right now there is only February), and we’ll be adding sheets to help keep track of mini-challenges when they happen. For each book you read, fill out Columns B-D (book, your name, completion date) and then H-S (all of the criteria the book fits).
Column A is for us to keep track of special cards, and colors. You’ll see we have the colored cards at the top of the list, marked in Column A. Columns E-G are for the Captains to show that we’ve checked that books are recorded on your UNO shelves and where we’ve placed the book in the official spreadsheet.

Besides color cards, don't worry about planning for a specific card! Please just indicate ALL the ways a book can work in the columns provided, including the reason it works for that card, and then Steph and I will figure out the best way to use the book, including moving books around as we get toward the end the month. For "reverse" the reason just has to be the name of the team member who read it.

The only cards we want to make sure we plan out beforehand are the color cards so those are at the top of each spreadsheet to make it easier to see that we've completed them! If you volunteer for a color card, please make sure to finish it by the end of that month, as they are worth a lot of points and much harder to cover in a pinch.

As we get further in the month, we'll let everyone know if there are cards that we're struggling to cover, at which point we may ask you to try to find a book that can cover a Reverse, or maybe a 5.

I know this is a lot of information, so if you aren't sure about anything please just ask!!

Countdown to the start of the Feb Mini!!

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

Info on the mini can be found here.

As a team we are prioritizing Leia, Luke, Han, Vader, Jabba and Piett. That said, if you are reading books that don't fit any of those prompts but work for another character, add them to the sheet in case we need to pivot.

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Team Info

✔ Heather - uno-2025 | Comments
✔ Steph - uno-2025 | Comments
Shannon - 2025-uno | Comments
✔ Cris - uno2025 | Comments
✔ Maria Helena - uno2025 | Comments
✔ Jess - uno-2025 | Comments
✔ Kelly Palmer - uno-2025 | Comments
✔ Jennifer Baier - jenniferuno2025 | Comments
✔ Ariel - uno2025 | Comments
Jodi - uno-2025 | Comments
✔ Uno Pixie - uno2025

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Hi everyone, and welcome to UNO 2025!

I’m Heather and I’m your captain. This is my 9th (?) year of playing UNO and it’s my favorite reading challenge, by far.

A bit about me…I live in the Los Angeles area with my husband, two kids, and 3 dogs. I own my own business, which I love…it’s been really fulfilling, and it allows me to have more flexibility in my schedule, though that has not translated to more reading time. Lol. I love to read (why else would I be here?), but also really enjoy crafting (I’m on a crochet binge right now) and spending time with friends. I like to read a mix of books…romance, YA, mystery/crime, true crime, etc.

Please introduce yourselves and let us know a bit about yourself and what you like to read!

Hi team! Excited to kick off Uno soon!

I'm the team's co-captain, and this is my fourth Uno challenge. Heather is the one who introduced me to Uno, so I'm excited to be doing another challenge with her as the team captain!

I live in the LA area with my dog, Chorizo, who is a cute handful. I really enjoy reading romance, fantasy, and mysteries/thrillers. I'm aiming to dabble a bit more with sci-fi this year. Outside of that, I love keeping up with movies and shows, building my Lego collection, and relaxing with some coloring books.

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

Hey! I’m Kelly and I live in New Zealand. I’m currently doing my teaching recertification in between working in a school and parenting. I’ll read almost anything, but right now I’m trending towards litRPG and this doctor I found on Audible who does lectures on medical mysteries. When I’m not reading I enjoy collecting crafts (actually DOING them is another hobby entirely) and I’m currently very invested in playing ESO.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone as well!

Hi, I’m maria helena (or MH for short) and I live in Sweden. I have lost count how many times I’ve played UNO. It is one of my favourite challenges.

I read mostly series, preferably Nordic crime, but occasionally some cosy mysteries or romance. I also love to do cross stitch, knit and crochet (preferably while listening to an audiobook).

Looking forward to getting to know everyone.

Kelly wrote: "Hey! I’m Kelly and I live in New Zealand. I’m currently doing my teaching recertification in between working in a school and parenting. I’ll read almost anything, but right now I’m trending towards..."

Hi Kelly, welcome! Collecting things is my favorite. Like my book collection - maybe one day I'll actually read them all. What kind of crafts do you collect?

Also, what kind of litRPG do you recommend? I read the first two Dungeon Crawler Carl ones, but haven't gotten into another series.

maria helena wrote: "Hi, I’m maria helena (or MH for short) and I live in Sweden. I have lost count how many times I’ve played UNO. It is one of my favourite challenges.

I read mostly series, preferably Nordic crime,..."

Welcome MH! I'm a big fan of Nordic crime, too, though I haven't read some in a while. Do you have any favorite series/authors?

Hey, team! I’m Cris, from Iowa, USA! I live with my husband of 28 years and our two spoiled poodles. I’m also mom to a college student who isn’t around much anymore… we call it the mostly empty nest!

Kelly, I love that you collect crafts, LOL. We’re kindred spirits. I currently have supplies to make candles, soaps or lotion bars, an embroidery kit, and some yarn and needles to try to teach myself crochet. Just don’t ask how far I’ve gotten with any of them. 😂

I read a lot of mysteries of all kinds (classic, cozy, thriller) and also enjoy historical fiction and women’s/book club fiction. This will be, I think, my third UNO.

I should probably mention i forgot what year it was when i signed up - my shelf is 2025 lol

Steph - i havent read DCC yet but its on my list! I've been into cozy stuff so Demon World Boba Shop, A Pub in the Underworld, I Ran Away to Evil, Newt and Demon, and less cozy but still fun was Beware of Chicken which are all on Kindle Unlimited.

Cris - I dont know if i can safely say I've finished ANYTHING in the last two years! I've taught myself how to crochet and it hasnt been too hard, but im also not expecting anything to turn out great which helps.

Hi everyone! My name is Shannon, I live in Massachusetts, USA. This is my second year playing and I'm super excited!
I mainly read mystery/thrillers or fantasy, sometimes I dabble in romance. Looking forward to kicking off soon!

Welcome everyone!

I also collect crafts...I think it's a thing with crafters. More than finishing things I think? lol. I am actually SO close to finishing a blanket I started last year...I did a temperature blanket, where I did a row for each day of the year based on the high temp. I'm on Dec 23 or 24 now, so I'm hoping to finish it before Jan is done! Would not recommend as a project though...way too much work and the blanket is too big. I'm so looking forward to feeling free to work on some other random craft project instead.

Collecting crafts and supplies and actually DOING the crafts and using the supplies are 100% different hobbies and I will die on that hill. It’s the same for buying books and reading those books 😂 I’ve thought about doing a temperature blanket! Maybe next year when things calm down a little. Or maybe a cross stitch?

I have also taken up bookish junk journaling which has been super fun so far. It usually only takes half an hour to do a page which fits my hectic life.

Hi!! Just a quick check-in… I’ll add more tomorrow!

Kelly wrote: "Collecting crafts and supplies and actually DOING the crafts and using the supplies are 100% different hobbies and I will die on that hill. It’s the same for buying books and reading those books 😂 ..."

I've never heard of a junk journal before...I had to look it up. I can see how it can be a craft that doesn't take too much time. What do you mean that it's a "bookish" junk journal? I feel like my daughter would love to make something like this and she is a book lover so...

And for the temp blanket, I think if I was going to do it again I would do cross stitch. I've seen some really cool ideas online where you only do a handful of stitches for each day. I think that could be manageable. If I could figure out what I'd do with it (maybe turn it into a pillow?) then I'd consider doing that. Maybe next year.

I ALSO saw this idea that I'm now obsessed with...a book blanket. You crochet granny squares using the colors from the cover of a book you read, and then create a blanket from them. I just need to learn how to make a granny square and I'm off to the races!

And on the reading front...I just finished the audio book I was listening to ( ), and I'm not that fast with them now that I don't have a long commute, so I'm holding off on starting my next one. But I've picked it and it's on the tracking sheet.

I also have a book that another mom at school loaned me, so I'm prioritizing that one (and put it on the sheet) even though it doesn't help us with the colors. I'll have to find another book to help out there.

Heather - I make a spread based on a book I just read. So I’ll use things (colours, patterns, texturas, stickers) that make me think of the book or have the same vibe. Then I might draw something or make a note or write a quote or something.

Kelly wrote: "Heather - I make a spread based on a book I just read. So I’ll use things (colours, patterns, texturas, stickers) that make me think of the book or have the same vibe. Then I might draw something o..."

That's so cool! I think I'm going to tell my daughter about this and see if she wants to start one. Thanks for the info!

Yes! Collecting and doing crafts are totally different. Just like reading, buying books, and talking about books are all different hobbies. I’ve found my people. 🤣

I'm here! I got sick this week right after they posted teams :( so this is my first getting back on.

I think this is my 4th year doing UNO, and it's also my favorite reading challenge by far. I was a co-captain my first year (still don't know how I ended up doing that) and second year. I got too busy with life to do it again 3rd year, and shootout to our captain and co captain because it's not an easy job!

I took a year off last year because of a rough time in my life personally. I actually barely read last year until around November and here I am :)

Sad stuff aside, I'm 28 and live in St. Louis, MO. I like reading (obviously), watching anime, video games, and doing puzzles. I have a dog and 2 cats and don't do many exciting things nowadays lol!

omg. shout out not shootout 😂😭

Haha yeah I’m in the former co captain club too! I struggled last year (mainly because my captain had a system that worked so well for him I felt like I was doing nothing) plus I got a new job and my kids just get spicier as they get older 😂 I’m looking forward to being able to relax a bit this year!

I’m going to start checking my shelves for some coloured covers just in case I have any lying around.

Alright ladies, a little bit of business. I looked through the uno shelves and made some updates to my earlier post.

Cris, it doesn't look like you have an uno shelf for this year. Could you go ahead and create one? (Or let me know if I totally missed it.) And Jodi, I sent you a friend request, so I'll be able to confirm we're all squared away once you accept.

And for the fun stuff, I think my favorite part of this challenge is filling out the tracking sheet 🫣 (and really, checking off the box when I finish the book). So I'm going to take a look to see what I'm in the mood for/what color cards I might be able to complete and add those in.

Hello, hello. I'm finally checking in. LOL

My name is Ariel - I just turned 30 earlier this month and am a substitute teacher. I am currently taking a course on Medical Billing & Coding so I have a decent amount of free time for reading. Why need a life when you have books, you know? :D

I believe this is year 3 for me when it comes to UNO and I fell in love with it right away. I agree with Steph though - I think my favorite part of this challenge (besides reading obviously) is the spreadsheet action. LOL

Steph wrote: "Welcome MH! I'm a big fan of Nordic crime, too, though I haven't read some in a while. Do you have any favorite series/authors?"

Oh, there are so many great ones. For Uno, I'm hoping to read some by Lars Kepler, Camilla Läckberg, Ragnar Jónasson, Emelie Schepp and Stefan Ahnhem, just to mention a few.

Kelly wrote: "Collecting crafts and supplies and actually DOING the crafts and using the supplies are 100% different hobbies and I will die on that hill. I"

Yes, you are absolutely correct! :)

Kelly wrote: "Haha yeah I’m in the former co captain club too! "

Me too! have been captain and co-captain multiple times.

Omg I didn't even realize our Feb cards were up lol

Love that we have so many former captains and co-captains here! If any of you has suggestions based on past experience let us know! Kelly - there was at least one time I was co-captain and my captain had everything so taken care of that I felt like I was doing nothing too. I'm going to admit that I'm not that captain (as Steph can attest to). I try, but life. lol.

On the color cards...I thought I had one for one of those Red cards, but the book I have looks way orange on goodreads, so I don't think it would be accepted. Looks pretty red in person 🫤. So I'll keep looking.

While we’re heading into colour cards, I have a book that will fit Red 2. Im on my phone so I can’t link it - I’ll do that once I can get into the bedroom! It’s “The Final Diagnosis” by Cynric Temple-Camp.

Ariel wrote: "Hello, hello. I'm finally checking in. LOL

My name is Ariel - I just turned 30 earlier this month and am a substitute teacher. I am currently taking a course on Medical Billing & Coding so I have..."

Welcome, Ariel!

maria helena wrote: "Steph wrote: "Welcome MH! I'm a big fan of Nordic crime, too, though I haven't read some in a while. Do you have any favorite series/authors?"

Oh, there are so many great ones. For Uno, I'm hoping..."

So many! I'm going to look into these 😊

I'm back! My Red 2 offering:

I also have a potential Yellow 8 (character) and Red 2 (title) but im less confident about the latter!

Hi everyone, my name is Jodi. I’m very excited to be playing UNO! I’ve played maybe twice but it was awhile back.
I live in Idaho MST. I’m fortunate enough to be a stay at home wife and mom of 2 adult daughters. My oldest is on the autism spectrum and has a heart of gold 💛 She can read about 4-5th grade level and she loves taking turns, reading aloud to each other. My 22 year old… is still figuring stuff out… lol
I enjoy reading from all genres even non-fiction and self-help. I need lots of help!! I do enjoy how these games and challenges open an entire new world of books that I may have not read otherwise. My Goodreads shelves are a complete mess and I have over 200,000 unopened emails , maybe one day I’ll get my digital life organized.. eek. Although, I do promise to keep my UNO shelf nice! My interests beyond reading include all different types of creating, so when I was reading all your intro’s I thought… I’ve found my people!! I mostly do fiber arts, crocheting, knitting, needlepoint, cross-stitching, embroidery and a little sewing and quilting. I dabble in paper arts and things like diamond painting , jigsaw puzzles etc.. I guess you could say, along with books… I have an embarrassing large amount of ‘craft’ supplies and wip’s (works in progress).
Please friend me if we aren’t friends already and I look forward to playing this round of UNO with you all!!

Kelly wrote: "I also have a potential Yellow 8 (character) and Red 2 (title) but im less confident about the latter!

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Yeah, I think that last one might be a bit too orange. But the other two work!

Jodi wrote: "Hi everyone, my name is Jodi. I’m very excited to be playing UNO! I’ve played maybe twice but it was awhile back.
I live in Idaho MST. I’m fortunate enough to be a stay at home wife and mom of 2 a..."

Welcome, Jodi! It's great to have you on the team. Especially given how everyone is crafty/crafty collectors 😊

If you wouldn't mind accepting my friend request, that'd be great. This way we can monitor your Uno shelf once the tournament officially kicks off.

Steph - that’s exactly what I thought! Not quite red enough! Book 2 is blue (but not a blue card we need this month) so I might hold off and see what March brings us in the way of colour cards.

I have two crafting goals this year - one is to finish JUST ONE of the myriad of projects I have on the go, and I think I might actually achieve that one as I’m almost half way through my latch hook project. The other goal is to stop buying craft stuff I’m not using….and that’s why I have more junk journal items on the way 😂 I’m terrible at this!

Steph: Sorry about that... turns out *thinking* about my UNO shelf doesn't automatically create it, LOL! It should be there now.

Kelly, I love that goal... I should look through my projects and pick just one to do!

Jodi, I also stay at home and have a 22 year old. I think "still figuring stuff out" is very common at that age, and I love that your oldest likes to sit and read with you! I may have to get some tips from you, as fiber arts is what I am LEAST capable at but I'd really like to find one skill in that category that I enjoy. :)

Thanks for checking in, Cris! Great to have you on the team 😊