The Procrastinators Book Club discussion

WINTER WARS 2025

Curtains rise on a frost-kissed stage, the orchestra swells and the snow begins to fall…

Welcome all to Winter Wars 2025

HOW TO JOIN
1. Reply to this thread with "I want to participate in a group" or "I want to participate by myself," and the number of books you read/listen to each year (this isn't to judge your reading habits but to attempt to create balanced teams).
2. The deadline to join a team is October 25th.
3. Anyone can join Winter Wars as long as the competition lasts, but after October 25th all newcomers will be soloists.

RULES
✧ Members will be broken out into up to 3-5 separate teams (or go solo) before the start date (October 1st). You will work together to complete a series of tasks together and complete as many of them as you wish.
✧ Books must be read and reviewed during November 1st through December 31st. Any books or audiobooks started before November 1st or finished after December 31st will not count.
✧ If you read an Audiobook version of a book convert hours to pages using this site: https://alamantus.itch.io/time-to-page or use the print equivalent on Goodreads.
✧ Graphic/Manga novels are accepted but will only count for half of the listed page count
✧ You must post at least 3 status updates OR a review. It doesn't have to be super detailed but try to not just say "this was good" for the book to count.
✧ For prompts: if it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit, and it will not count.
✧ Minimum Lengths:
• Books: 150 pages
• Graphic Novels: 200 pages (halved=100 pages)
• Audiobooks: 150 pages (use GR print equivalent length)

POINT SYSTEM
+1 point for every book that has been read and reviewed that correlates with a prompt
+2 points for participating in a buddy read (must take place in the group)
+3 for one completed category
+4 points for reading/participating in a group read (must take place in the group)
+5 points for every 1,000 pages read
Note: Mods keep track of all points in a shared Google Sheets spread to keep everything as organized as possible.
Note 2: You must actively participate in a buddy or group read for the points to count. Lack of participation means no points!

CONTENTS

(view spoiler)[ ACT I Curtain Call
1.Read a book featuring a ballerina or a performer
2.Read a book where the MC prepares for a big show/event
3.Read a book that has been adapted into a play/film/musical
4.Read a book with an unreliable narrator
5.Read a book featuring a royal court/palace

ACT II Black Swan White Swan
1.Read a book with a black or white cover (or both!)
2.Read a book with a morally grey character
3.Read a book with a bird in the title or on the cover
4.Read a book with a tragic romance/star crossed lovers
5.Read a fairytale retelling

ACT III The Dreamer's Waltz
1.Read a book featuring a masquerade ball
2.Read a book set mostly at night or within dreams
3.Read a magical realism novel
4.Read a book with a whimsical setting
5.Read a book with a dreamy (subjective) cover

ACT IV Land of Snow
1.Read a book set in winter
2.Read a book with 600+ pages
3.Read a book with snow/ice or frost in the title
4.Read a cozy mystery
5.Read a book set in the mountains/forest

ACT V Candy Cane Sugar Rush
1.Read a book featuring a candy shop/bakery/magical market
2.Read a historical fantasy book
3.Read a book featuring a magical curse
4.Read a book written in an unsual format (letters/verse)
5.Read a book that is short and sweet (over 150 pages though!)

ACT VI The Grand Pas de Deux
1.Read a book co writte by TWO authours
2.Read and participate in PBC buddy read
3.Read a book with the fated mates trope
4.Read a book with a dual POV
5.Read a book where an unlikely pair work together or become allies

🎭THE CAST OF WINTER WARS 2025🎭
The Sugar Plum Fairies
The Nutcracker Knights
The Mouse King's Minions
The Waltzing Warriors
The Prima Donnas (Soloists) (hide spoiler)]

the chandeliers dim, the orchestra stirs and so it begins...

I want to participate in a group and I plan to read about 80-85 books this year. 6-7 every month.

I want to participate in a group and I planned to read 120 books this year. Current status: approximately 130 books read. Last year I read 100 books. So I‘d say I‘m somewhere between 100 - 150 books a year.

I’d love to participate in a group - I read around 200 books a year

I would like to be in a group, I read around 140-150 books a year :)

me, me, meeee 🙋‍♀️ group please, looking to be about 50-60 books this year!

updated

I would love to participate too. I’m probably going to read between 100 and 120 books this year.

@Giulia
team or solo?

updated

Ah! Forgot to write that down: group please :)

I am going to sign up for a team! I average about 10-11 books/month but December is the busiest time of year for me so I would not be surprised if I dip a little in how much I read around that time.

I'd love to join a team.
November & December are going to be busy for me with work, so I may only manage 3-4 a month (if I'm lucky).

updated

I would like to join a team and I read around 60 to 75 books per year.

I would like to join a team and I read around 30 books a year!

Me please! I would love to be in a group! I read about 200 books a year :)

updated

I’d love to participate solo!!!

updated

I would like to join as part of a group again. I am expecting to read about 140-160 books this year (currently at 112).

I want to participate in a group. I hope to read 170 books this year (almost 150 at the moment)

updated

I don't know how much I'll read but... Team, around 20-30 books

updated

proably won't read much but I'd like to be in a team and I read around 50 to 80 books a year

updated

I’ll like to join a team. My goal was 34 books and I’m at 61 on Goodreads(82 books overall). Very inconsistent to be honest.

I just found the Winter Wars 2025 today, October 27th. I would like to participate in a group, but if I can't, then I can be solo. I read around 10 books a year.

One question: Do I have to do the ACTs in order, or can I complete ACT VI before completing ACT II, for example?

updated

@rher
Although the sign-up was closed, I'll add you to one of the teams.
As for the order of the reading.. you can read whatever prompt you want and don't have to fininsh an Act for it to count. You can also read a few books that fit one prompt and use those books for that one prompt.

Helloooo procrastinators the games are set to begin in a couple of days so we've opened up the team threads so you can plan your books in the meantime

The Sugar Plum Fairies

Laura
Sophie
Giulia
LiteraryCryptid
Mina
rther

The Nutcracker Knights

Michelle
Leslie
Brianna
Hafs
Ilsen
Kang

The Mouse King's Minions

Heloise
Sarah-Vanessa
Anushka
Juliane
Edith

The Prima Donna
👑Aikaterine

Although the original group name is The Prima Donna(s) I changed it to singular form to honour our one and only soloist for the time being hehe

Awesome. Thanks Mina.

I can't believe I missed the sign-up till now! Looks like I'll be flying solo this time :)

Hello Mods,
I intend to read part 2+3 of the Murderbot-Series during this month and I was just wondering if the thread for the Series-Read is still counted as active and can therefore be counted in the Team Games? If so, would it also still count if I were to basically be talking to myself by sharing thoughts for these two parts in that Group read thread?

@Juliane

There thread has been updated with books 2 & 3. As long as comment and share your thoughts in the thread, it will count :)

@ Sophie Thank you for your answer.

I would love to join as a soloist <3

Quick question on Act V #4: Does the whole book have to be written in the unusual format, or can only a portion of it be? For instance one section of the book (out of three-four) which comprises about a quarter of the book is written as emails between to people. Would that count here?

hi Leslie, unfortunately it would have to be the whole book! that's what was in mind when writing out the prompt at the time, think Illuminae!

Hey! I've got a question about the spreadsheet: Are we supposed to fill out the slot with the "page points"? If yes, what should we put in there? The same number as for the "page count"?

Giulia wrote: "Hey! I've got a question about the spreadsheet: Are we supposed to fill out the slot with the "page points"? If yes, what should we put in there? The same number as for the "page count"?"

apologies for the late reply! the team sheet should update automatically as you enter your books. we'll take a look at it and see if there's anything wrong with the formulas seeing as it sounds like it's not doing its job 🤔

Hi, I have a question :)

I started listening to an audiobook of A Court of Silver Flames, which is in two parts (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... & https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...). The problem I have is that I don't know whether to count it as a single book, i.e. 751 pages in the paperback version I have, or whether it counts as two books, knowing that I don't know the number of pages in each part. I would need to look at where part 1 ends in the paperback version and report that, but there is no way to check this on Goodreads.

Is it possible to get an answer to this question?

@Heloise
Count it as the paperback you have, just one book.

@Mina, perfect thank you for your answer ! :)

Hi! I have another (quick) question about:
ACT V Candy Cane Sugar Rush
1. Read a book featuring a candy shop/bakery/magical market.

Does it have to be one of these exact three settings or can it be a coffee shop as well? (I'm thinking about Legends & Lattes)