The Perks Of Being A Book Addict discussion

Team Battlestar Galactica

Team Members:
👾
❅ Emily Heisler - Captain
❅ Frida - Co-Captain
❅ Andy
❅ CB
❅ Kaley
❅ nadine
❅ Anna KR
❅ Abhipsa


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

❅ Amber Burton

R

R

Welcome team
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I don't want someone reading a book that does not qualify.

Strategy wise if we could pick the Draw 2's and the bigger cards that have trickier requirements then fill in the rest as we go. Generally I like to start with picking 2 - 3 books then finish one pick another that way it is an even choice for everyone. Let us know if any issues.

Reference if looking and not finding something
Yellow Book Covers
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Blue Book Covers
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Green Book Covers
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Red Book Covers
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
To find if a cover is more than 50% of a colour, you can use this link
https://labs.tineye.com/color/
You are NOT REQUIRED to use tineye. It is linked here as it is usually the best place to check if you are unsure.
O (Zero)
Read a book that either:
- has a 0 or Zero in the title
- has a title starting with Z
- has an author first name or surname starts with Z
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with Z
- is set in a place name starting with Z ; or
- is a "stand-alone" book (i.e. not part of a series)

1 (One)
Read a book that either:
- has a 1 or One in the title
- has a title starting with O
- has an author first name or surname starts with O
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with O
- is set in a place name starting with O ; or
- is book 1 in a series

2 (Two)
Read a book that either:
- has a 2 or Two in the title
- has a title starting with T
- has an author first name or surname starts with T
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with T
- is set in a place name starting with T; or
- is book 2 in a series

3 (Three)
Read a book that:
- has a 3 or Three in the title
- has a title starting with H
- has an author first name or surname starts with H
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with H
- is set in a place name starting with H
- is book 3 in a series

4 (Four)
Read a book that either:
- has a 4 or Four in the title
- has a title starting with F
- has an author first name or surname starts with F
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with F
- is set in a place name starting with F ; or
- is book 4 in a series

5 (Five)
Read a book that:
- has a 5 or Five in the title
- has a title starting with I
- has an author first name or surname starts with I
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with I
- is set in a place name starting with I
- is book 5 in a series

6 (Six)
Read a book that either:
- has a 6 or Six in the title
- has a title starting with S
- has an author first name or surname starts with S
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with S
- is set in a place name starting with S; or
- is book 6 in a series

7 (Seven)
Read a book that:
- has a 7 or Seven in the title
- has a title starting with V
- has an author first name or surname starts with V
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with V
- is set in a place name starting with V
- is book 7 in a series

8 (Eight)
Read a book that either:
- has an 8 or Eight in the title
- has a title starting with E
- has an author first name or surname starts with E
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with E
- is set in a place name starting with E ; or
- is book 8 in a series

9 (Nine)
Read a book that either:
- has a 9 or Nine in the title
- has a title starting with N
- has an author first name or surname starts with N
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with N
- is set in a place name starting with N ; or
- is book 9 in a series

Skip
Read a book that:
- has a title starting with K or P
- has an author first name or surname starts with K or P
- has a character with a first name, surname or nickname starting with K or P
- is set in a place name starting with K or P
OR you can choose to "skip" reading a book for this cards (and get no points for this card)

Draw 2
Use the same book for two cards in this hand (and get points for both cards)**

Reverse
One member of your team must read a book another team member has already read

Wild
Read a book that can fit for any of the cards in that SAME hand (i.e. you are duplicating one of the cards in that same hand)

Wild draw four
Read a book that can fit for any of the coloured cards you have that month (i.e. you are duplicating one of your coloured cards)

Coloured cards
Special coloured cards will be randomly provided each month. for these cards you need to read for the card number (as above) and the book must also have a coloured cover for the colour specified (blue, red, yellow or green)


Checked in
❅ Andy
❅ CB
❅ Kaley
❅ Amber Burton
❅ nadine

Uno shelves
Emily Uno 2025
Frida
Andy
CB Uno-2025
Kaley Uno 2025
Amber
Nadine

FAQ's
If the book is a prequel and is listed as 3.5 in the series, does it still count for a 3 card? Or can I count it for a 4 card?
Only the whole numbers count for that, so in your case it would be 3.

I have a question about series number that only Discworld could have. The Last Continent is book number 22 in the Discworld universe, but #6 in the Rincewind series, so could I was it for card number 6?
We use what Goodreads has on their main book page. So for that one, it has #22

Where is the cut off line for when a character's name can or cannot be used for a card?
We generally want them to have some dialogue and meaning to the story. Not just a hotel bellhop called Victor that opens a door, for example

What's the rules with non fiction Books? Can the real life people of history say be used as "characters" and the same with locations used as "settings"?
Not for the majority of non fiction books, (it opens the doors to books that have a zillion royals listed for example), unless of course the non fiction book is something like "Eat Pray Love" which is told like a novel with limited characters.

For location, is it just the city, state, country or are locations such as "Snowberry Manor" or maybe a specific lake or mountain name counted?
It needs to be the main setting for the book. So if the book is set in "Snowberry Manor" then that is ok. Whereas if that is just the name of the house, but not the main setting (which may be the city of London, for example) then I wouldn't count it

Are audiobooks allowed
Audiobooks fine. You'll use the page numbers from the default edition to check it meets the challenge requirements.
You can shelve the audiobook edition, or the default edition.

Can we read books that are a collection of short stories?
Yes the book counts if the whole thing is read.

Can any of the authors listed for an anthology be used?
Use the author listed on goodreads as the "editor"

Are we allowed books that haven't yet been published?
Yes, as long as they are listed on Goodreads you can use them.

Regarding the coloured Cards: Can the book be any cover...does it have to be the cover for the version you are reading?
It needs to be the edition you are reading.

Can 2 people on my team read the same book for 2 different cards?
Yes

What are the rules when it comes to book cover colours?
If you have a book you think is a certain colour, post to your team thread. (It should be "obviously" that colour ; at least more than 50% of the cover). If your team agrees you are good to go. If your team or captains aren’t sure they may take it to the captains group (where the result is binding).

what is the rule is around titles that start with a number? Do you spell out the number or skip it and use the first letter of the first actual word? I was thinking of 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
You spell it out, so 99 Percent Mine would be N. :)

For books with two authors, can any of the authors be used or should it be the author goodreads uses for sorting purposes. For instance:
Cut & Run is written by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban. Goodreads sorts it under the Rs in an author search for Abigail Roux.
If both authors are listed, either can be used :)
It really is just short story collections where there is one editor and then 10 authors.... etc... for those, the editor is used

A team mate read The Beautiful-Ugly. It's a trilogy in one book. She wants to know if it should be separated into three different books or as one.
treat that like an anthology. It is just boxed sets that you separate as they are physically separate books just sold in a bundle

R

Hey everyone again welcome to the group. A couple ice breakers to get started.
Has everyone played before?
What kind of reader are you?
What's your favorite genre?

Hi Team! Checking in, I love this challenge and am looking forward to getting started.

Have you played before? Yes, I have played a couple of times
What kind of reader are you? I’m generally a mood reader
What's your favorite genre? Urban Fantasy

And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ve honestly never seen a single episode of Battlestar Galactica! I remember when it first came out and I kept hearing about it, but I’ve always been pretty much a fantasy girl (vs sci-fi), so that’s my only excuse.

Hi Emily - do we have a planning spreadsheet that we’ll use for our team, or do you and Frida prefer that we post Completion Posts in this thread and include all Uno hand options each book qualifies for?

Team Battlestar Galactica (captains only): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Battlestar Galactica Team Tracker: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...



Hey team!

Here are our two spreadsheets for UNO 2025. The first one is the official spreadsheet so only Emily and I can edit it. You guys can use it to keep an eye on our hands as well, but a pretty similar version is available in spreadsheet #2. That one is also only open to editing by the captain and co-captain.

The second one is for everyone to jot down the books they've read and what cards they fit. There are a few columns that only Emily and I are allowed to edit, but the rest is pretty straightforward. Once you've completed a book, fill in the name of the book, when you finished reading, and each card it fits. I've put in an example in the first row. If you could add a hyperlink to the Goodreads page of the book it would be greatly appreciated, however absolutely no worries if you can't.
When you click the spreadsheet it should prompt you to request access. Once I let you in you should be good to go. If anyone is not comfortable with me seeing their email address, it's perfectly fine to post a completion post as a message in this thread instead, but you won't be able to view the spreadsheet.

I think the spreadsheet is good to go, but if there are any kinks to fix or improvements to make I might tweak it a bit throughout UNO. Basic functioning should remain the same. Once the mini starts, I'll add a separate tab for tracking those books. Credit where credit is due, the whole spreadsheet is 100% stolen from my team from last years UNO, so shoutout to the captains of Team Guy of Gisborne 2024 😉

Have a good UNO everyone!

R

R

Hey team! Co-captain here, ready to lend a hand with anything and follow Emily's lead 🤓 I've played UNO since covid and been co-captain a handful of times, so if ever you guys have questions or doubts, don't hesitate to ask!

CB wrote: "Hi Emily - do we have a planning spreadsheet that we’ll use for our team, or do you and Frida prefer that we post Completion Posts in this thread and include all Uno hand options each book qualifie..."

It's at the very end of Pixie's message, in message 1! Emily and I still have some edits to do on the spreadsheet, but that's where we'll be tracking books

Thanks, Frida - so the preference is that we each post our own books on the official team spreadsheet and choose which hand we think will work best? That’s cool, I just wanted to clarify

CB wrote: "Thanks, Frida - so the preference is that we each post our own books on the official team spreadsheet and choose which hand we think will work best? That’s cool, I just wanted to clarify"

Emily and I are still working out the kinks! We'll give you guys a proper run down asap. In any case though, the advantage of UNO is it really doesn't limit your reading options all that much (except maybe during the minis), so we shouldn't run into any major issues as long as everyone is active and reading ☺️

hi, checking in! really excited to get started. this is my third year playing UNO, my favourite genre is literary fiction, and in terms of type of reader, i generally let a mix of reading challenges and what’s available at my local library determine what i read from my tbr at any given time!

Hi B.G.ers
Andy, checking in
we're suffering from aftermath of storm Éowyn overnight
no power, broadband or water,
mobile data just back so catching up on stuff, hopefully will be stable for rest of today

fifth time UNO,
read a mix of genres, mostly from what I get at local library
looking forward to the challenge after we recover from getting butts kicked by Éowyn

Hi everyone! I'm Kaley. I don't even know how many times I've played UNO at this point, but I think it was all but the first 2/3 years? I've been playing every year since that point. I've actually been a captain the last several years but I was starting to get challenge burnout so I decided to take a step back this year. (That said, captains, let me know if I can help you in any way. I'm not here to overstep but I am here to be a resource of UNO knowledge should you need me!)

I'm a mood reader for sure so that makes challenges like UNO the best for me since the cards are usually so forgiving and books can usually be used for at least a few different options (with the exception of color cards or mini tasks that usually show up halfway through the month)

I mostly read romance but I do a lot of different subgenres (contemporary, historical, fantasy romance/romantasy, etc.).

Here's my UNO shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Hi all! That's almost everyone, we're just waiting for Amber to check in.
It seems like we're all veterans here, so it should be pretty smooth sailing. Thanks for the offer Kaley! We'll ask for help if needed but enjoy being off captain duty for this year 😉

@Nadine - yep that sounds like me. One of the reasons I enjoy challenges so much, even the ones like Uno that let you read pretty much whatever you want, is it gives a bit of direction. Otherwise I'm such a pathological mood reader that my books have 0 organiztion

@Andy - top notch gif choice. Hope she has more mercy on Ireland than she did the witch king. Though truth be told, that bastard deserved it and Ireland certainly doesn't. I'm in France and even we're feeling it's effects a bit, but certainly nothing compared to you guys. At the very least it's a good excuse to stay indoors and read I guess..

Also, I've sent a friend request to all of you. Would appreciate it if you guys accept, at least for the duration of UNO. Feel free to unfriend me at the end if you've gotten tired of my yapping 😁

Frida wrote: "Hi all! That's almost everyone, we're just waiting for Amber to check in.
It seems like we're all veterans here, so it should be pretty smooth sailing. Thanks for the offer Kaley! We'll ask for he..."
haha, glad it's not just me! i go a little crazy if left completely at the mercy of the hundreds of books on my tbr, choice overload and all that 😭

CB wrote: "Hi Team! Checking in, I love this challenge and am looking forward to getting started.

Have you played before? Yes, I have played a couple of times
What kind of reader are you? I’m generally a moo..."

I saw it years ago, but cant remember much. My kids love this show though

Forgot to answer my own questions
Has everyone played before? Yes many times
What kind of reader are you? all over the place depends on mood, challenge etc.
What's your favorite genre?" Romance but will read pretty much anything.

Where is everyone from? I am in Oregon so PST.

Also if you have your uno shelf post and I will put it in message 5 for reference.

Sounds like everyone knows how to play and are active readers so this is great.

What is everyone reading now? I am almost finished with and midway through

I live in Indiana (US), so eastern time!

I just finished Onyx Storm at like 2:30 a.m. so I'm kind of between books right now (if we don't count the one I started like two months ago and kind of dropped off, lol). I think I'm going to be reading Once Smitten, Twice Shy as my next book (potentially last pre-challenge book).

Kaley wrote: "I live in Indiana (US), so eastern time!

I just finished Onyx Storm at like 2:30 a.m. so I'm kind of between books right now (if we don't count the one I started like two months a..."

Did you like it. So far a bit so-so for me on Iron Flame.. just not pulling me in as much as the first book did.

I really liked it! It was definitely a lot to handle but good, in my opinion.

Kaley wrote: "I live in Indiana (US), so eastern time!

I just finished Onyx Storm at like 2:30 a.m. so I'm kind of between books right now (if we don't count the one I started like two months a..."

oooh i just now got back from the bookstore. my friend and i went to buy onyx storm (avoiding amazon whenever possible and all that). problem is my friend was hellbent on getting the sprayed edges copy and that won't be in until next week, so we reserved our copies. no spoilers please i beg, as soon as i get my hands on it im bunkering down and finishing it in one sitting (it's looking like it's going to be my first read for UNO)

The spreadsheet is officially up! you can find it in message 10 with a full explanation of how to use it
You can either request access, or message me your email address and I'll share it with you

Frida wrote: "Kaley wrote: "I live in Indiana (US), so eastern time!

I just finished Onyx Storm at like 2:30 a.m. so I'm kind of between books right now (if we don't count the one I started lik..."

No need to worry about spoilers from me! My lips are sealed. I hope you love it!

Hey everyone

I posted in #6 post some of the FAQ's that may help when choosing a book, if you have a question that is not covered let us know and will get added to list.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I’m in Ohio (US), so also ET.

Here’s my Uno shelf link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I haven’t read Iron Flame yet, but it’s definitely on my TBR list. I’m currently working on reading by Jenn Bennett, the last book in the Arcadia Bell series.

CB wrote: "I’m in Ohio (US), so also ET.

Here’s my Uno shelf link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list......"

Thanks for this. Have not read this author yet, going to check it out

Ugh, one of my highly anticipated books for february release (Dream Girl Drama) has a red cover but it doesn’t fit for 1 in an obvious way, which is the only read we have for the month. Now the question is do I wait till March in case it can fit for a red card then, or do I read it and hope an O character shows up but risk “wasting” a color cover . . .

Hate when you have a color cover you really want to read and then it doesn’t fit for the ones you have!

Kaley wrote: "Ugh, one of my highly anticipated books for february release (Dream Girl Drama) has a red cover but it doesn’t fit for 1 in an obvious way, which is the only read we have for the m..."

Ha! Extremely irritating when that happens. I read Funny Story last week, for my book club meeting that's next week. It's a blue cover and fits almost every single card. Was quite annoyed the book club wasn't two days later
Honestly, go ahead and read your red book. In my experience the color covers actually get claimed pretty quickly. Since we're all uno veterans on this team anyway I don't think we'll have a particularly hard time completing the cards we have

I'm on the opposite boat, another of my book clubs is reading Beowulf in March. It fits not a single uno card, so I'm reading it now to not waste it during uno. It's rare for a book to not fit anything, but alas

Seeing how everyone is doing. Finished pretty good.

This week reading and in the middle of Devil's Thirst which I am not too sure about yet.

Doing well here! I finished my "last book before the challenge" much earlier than I thought I would, so now I'm trying to figure out what to read in the meantime because I can't imagine not starting anything before Saturday, but the thing I was originally thinking of reading has an I character so I'm holding off since I know sometimes that's a harder one to fill and we have quite a few in Feb!

Hello! I'm checking in - was on the reserve list and luckily I got a space on Team Battlestar Galactica!!

I live in the UK, have played UNO once before and like to structure my TBR as much as possible otherwise I would dither around trying to pick a book to read lol!

Very much looking forward to 1st February :-)

Here's my Uno shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Hello everyone. I was on the reserve list and just got a message that there is a place for me in this team.

I have played UNO before. Looking forward to play this year as well. I live in India.

Here is my UNO shelf : https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Welcome to Battlestar Galactica Anna and Abhipsa! Glad to have you join
You've found yourselves on a team of veterans. Everyone's played several times before and some have captaining experience as well. Hopefully we won't be running into too much trouble this UNO (and hopefully I haven't just jinxed myself)

If you need a refresher, most of the info about UNO is in Emily's messages in messages 4 and 5.

@Anna, you should have access to the spreadsheet now. @Abhipsa, link to the spreadsheet is in message 10, if you want to be able to edit it during UNO!

Speaking of, @Andy I don't think you've requested access to it either yet!

Last 3 days before February. What's everyone's final reads before we start?

Many thanks Frida! I have access now.

The only card I don't really understand is Draw 2? I see that this is a card Emily has referenced as one to pick books for early on.

I'm currently reading The End of Your Life Book Club.

Anna KR wrote: "Many thanks Frida! I have access now.

The only card I don't really understand is Draw 2? I see that this is a card Emily has referenced as one to pick books for early on.

I'm currently reading [b..."

Draw 2 is basically just using one book for two prompts. In hand 1 for example, our cards are reverse, 7, 9, 5, 5, wild, and draw 2. So we could use the same book to cover both of the 5s, or any 2 cards that it fits for, without having to read a book for each card.
Makes our job easier since each time there's a draw 2 that means it's less books to read. But also it's not a great card to have, since while we do get points for both of the cards the draw 2 covers, the draw 2 card itself isn't worth any points.

Frida wrote: "Anna KR wrote: "Many thanks Frida! I have access now.

The only card I don't really understand is Draw 2? I see that this is a card Emily has referenced as one to pick books for early on.

I'm curr..."

Ahhhhh - thank you Frida!! Completely understand now :-)

I'll probably be finishing up with Out on a Limb -- the author's new book came out yesterday and I was originally supposed to see her at a tour stop on Friday but then I got tickets to a Rebecca Yarros event the same night and I couldn't pass that up . . .

Welcome to the team, Anna and Abhipsa!

Anna KR wrote: "Hello! I'm checking in - was on the reserve list and luckily I got a space on Team Battlestar Galactica!!

I live in the UK, have played UNO once before and like to structure my TBR as much as poss..."

Welcome, glad to have you.

Thank you everyone! Thank you Frida! I have access to the sheet .

Anna KR wrote: "Many thanks Frida! I have access now.

The only card I don't really understand is Draw 2? I see that this is a card Emily has referenced as one to pick books for early on.

I'm currently reading [b..."

Draw 2 basically you read one book but it fits for 2 on that hand

So
Hand Three - Example
Reverse
1
5
0
Draw 2 Iron Flame
2 - Second in Series
7-CFN Violet

Say I read Iron Flame as the Draw 2 it fits 2+7

I altered task to fit

Kaley wrote: "I'll probably be finishing up with Out on a Limb -- the author's new book came out yesterday and I was originally supposed to see her at a tour stop on Friday but then I got ticket..."

That sounds fun, I am jealous