Hooked on Books discussion
2026: Time Traveler's Challenge
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The Paradox Protectors
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Mod
Earn bonus years to accelerate your team's progress through the timeline! There are 8 possible bonuses per book (max), across several categories.
📅 Monthly Theme Bonuses (2 per month)
• Each month will have 2 Main Page Genre (MPG).
• Complete a task with a book from the monthly bonus genres to earn the bonus.
• These change monthly — check the HOMEBASE thread or your Team SS!
🗺️ Geographic & Temporal Collection Bonuses
• Unique Country Bonus: Earn a bonus for each new country (book setting ONLY) your TEAM reads from.
• Unique Publication Year Bonus: Earn a bonus for each new publication year your TEAM reads.
• Important: Uniqueness is tracked per team, not individually. Coordinate with your crew to maximize collection!
🌍 Diversity Reading Bonus
• Earn a bonus for reading a book by an author from an underrepresented group. (Updated from Book Quest: this is now author-related only, not based on genre or content.)
Underrepresented groups include: BIPOC authors, LGBTQ+ authors, authors with disabilities, neurodivergent authors, authors from marginalized religious groups, authors from developing nations, and indigenous authors.⭐ Personal Badges
• Each month features unique personal badge challenges.
• These will be revealed when monthly tasks are posted.
🏺 Team Artifacts (Collective Bonuses)
These require entire team participation!
Team Read 📚
All team members read the same book and participate in an approved Buddy Read discussion thread.
Thematic Treasure Hunt 🔍
Your team finds books from your individual reading that share a common theme, motif, or symbol (like "fire," "moon," "rebirth," "keys," "mirrors"). Submit a combined "catalog" with quotes/examples showing the connection in your thread.
📝 Bonus Submission Notes:
• Claim bonuses on your team spreadsheet.
• For Diversity Bonus: Select the author's identity from the dropdown when claiming.
• For Unique Country/Year: Your team tracker will show your growing collection via a map.
• Team Artifacts require special submission in the thread!
Remember: Each bonus earned = +2 years on your timeline! Strategic bonus hunting can accelerate your journey dramatically. ⏱️✨
🌀 TEMPORAL ANOMALIES (Special Limited-Time Bonus)
• Watch for surprise bonus tasks with specific time-limited windows.
• A fun way to earn a quick burst of years — stay alert!
Our new home for the upcoming year!I may have a problem with our team spreadsheet. I got an error I haven’t seen before on my IPad…On the team dashboard tab
“This sheet contains objects such as images which are not yet supported on this device”
Someone will have to tell me what the images are since I can’t see them.
This one is going to take a bit of time to figure out how it all works. I don't really plan on doing any other challenges in January, so hopefully will have it figured out before UNO starts in February.
DeeNeez wrote: "Our new home for the upcoming year!I may have a problem with our team spreadsheet. I got an error I haven’t seen before on my IPad…On the team dashboard tab
“This sheet contains objects such as ..."
There is a map. It looks like it might have some interactive properties...not sure.
This is going to be interesting, so many changes. But I'm sure we will get the hang of it quickly.
Hi girls...hopefully we'll get some more BR's done this year againDee/Diane..think we were the only two predominately MM groups playing last year, so often read together. So make sure you have our SS so can see what we are reading as well..(Vortex Voyagers)
Janeylou wrote: "Hi girls...hopefully we'll get some more BR's done this year againDee/Diane..think we were the only two predominately MM groups playing last year, so often read together. So make sure you have o..."
Thanks Janine. Will do.
How did you guys manage to do any other challenges along with this one???? (feeling a little intimidated)
Diane, I think it’s because they’re slightly insane with challenge addictions🤣
Diane wrote: "Am not sure I've met Mrsgeo before."I've sent you a friend request.
DeeNeez wrote: "Diane, I think it’s because they’re slightly insane with challenge addictions🤣"That is SO true! But in my defence, arthritis in my finger & knee joints means reading is my main hobby these days. Doing challenges (especially trying to find books that fit more than one at a time) just makes it more interesting.
Mod
I may have a problem with our team spreadsheet. I got an error I haven’t seen before on my IPad…On the team dashboard tab
“This sheet contains objects such as ..."
Dee, there aren't any images, so it might be the charts? There won't be anything important you can't see. I will say that ipads HATE Google sheets, so just chat with your team if you think something seems off - or you can come to me in the Q&A thread!
I've used the HoB invite to join the group on Discord. Look for Kirk3597. However, I'm not really much better at using the site today as I was 4 years ago, so I'm not sure if it'll be as helpful as the mods hope.
With the challenge being a little different next year, I hope we get categories for Jan a little early. I'm stuck at a desk tomorrow, and will probably be picking out a bunch of books to read next month.
I read so few books in December! I just can't make time for it with all the Christmas prep I do. Should be able to look at books for January once Christmas is over though, that's when I can relax and take a breath again.
My reading is way way down for December also.I either haven't had time, or can't concentrate.
It's a good thing I'm not in a lot of challenges this month.
My knees are so painful at the moment, reading is about all I can do. Short, sweet, seasonal - mainly whatever doesn't involve too much concentration.
Oh nice, categories have been called
Can anyone explain thePersonal Badges
and
Team Artifacts
to me
Oh, I found it for January🏅 Personal Era Badges
To earn these bonuses, you'll need to personally accomplish one of the following "tasks". This means that whatever book you are trying to gain the bonus for, should not only fit a regular monthly task, but also be related to the badge.
🔥 Firestarter
A book that sparks a group discussion — controversial, emotional, divisive, or just plain chaotic.
🎨 Cave Painter
Create or share something visual inspired by your book: moodboard, sketch, collage, digital art, cave scratchings… whatever your medium, show it off.
🪶 Hunter-Gatherer
A book someone on your team has already finished. Yes, you’re “gathering” from others’ finds. Yes, that’s the point.
📜 Recommendation List Pick This will be an ongoing badge for the entire challenge, so here's a little info to start you off.
Every participant may submit up to 12 recommended books by the end of January. After that, the list locks for the rest of the challenge. You can read anyone else’s rec (not your own!) for a bonus.
Jessica,I think Fallocaust works for 6th category.
Since we are going to read it anyway in Jan, we might as well set up a buddy read for it.
It also works for Gatherer Badge, Diversity,
I can't believe it doesn't have survival or adventure as a MPG.
Oh, or it could work for out 11th book?
Black Cover on the Temporal Anomaly tab
Oh, wow.Every time I look I find something new here.
We all need to recommend 12 books, and it locks at the end of Jan.
Can we read the same books for the same category/tasks? I wouldn’t mind re-reading Fallocaust…it’s definitely a “fire starter” book.I was also thinking of some of Tal Bauer’s books for which also hits different countries.
Whisper Afghanistan and Pakistan 2018
A Time to Rise Italy 2016
Ascendent Soviet Union/Russia 2018
Soul on Fire Congo 2019
Yes we can read the same books for the categories.We get bonus points for Buddy reads, and bigger bonus points if everyone in the group reads the same book. Can be in the same or different categories.
I think Jessica and I are going to read several, if not all the Fallocaust books throughout the year.
I'm gonna start looking for my 12 books to recommend. Gonna try some in different coune some years that aren't as common.
Ok, on the Team Dashboard tab…There is a chart with 2000 to 2023 across the bottom.
What is that for? That Publications can only be within those years?
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Fallocaust (other topics)Whisper (other topics)
A Time to Rise (other topics)
Ascendent (other topics)
Soul on Fire (other topics)
More...
Duration: January 2026 to December 2026
Welcome, temporal navigators! This thread is your crew's headquarters for the year-long journey through history. Use this space to coordinate reading plans, share era-specific book recommendations, discuss your adventures through time, and celebrate your progress on both your Personal Timeline and our Shared Timeline!
🚀 Crew Manifest
• Jessica
• DeeNeez
• Mrsgeo
• Skye
• Diane
🧭 Our Mission
- Personal Timeline: Advance your crew from Prehistoric Times (Year 1) to Timeless Classics (Year 6000) by earning years through reading!
- Shared Timeline: Contribute to our community's collective journey. Every year you earn helps move everyone forward through history.
📜 Earning Years
- Base Years: every 100 pages = ~1 year
- Bonus Years: 2 years per completed bonus
- Monthly Era Champion: Winning crew earns a +30 year boost!
Example: A 280-page book with 4 bonuses earns: ROUND(280*0.01)=3 base years + (4*2)=8 bonus years = 11 Total Years
📊 Crew Log (Spreadsheet)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
🎯 Check-Ins
We'll post monthly reminders and tasks here! And please, post in your team thread at least weekly — Let's support each other to keep our timeline advancing!