Hooked on Books discussion

The Time Turner's Guild — 2026: Time Traveler's Challenge ⏳
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
• Trio
• Sarah R
• Bubbles
• Eunice
• Richard

🧭 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!

Let the temporal adventure begin! May your books be compelling and your timeline be ever-forward! ⏱️✨

🪙 Time Traveler's Challenge - Bonus System Explained

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!

Hello! Checking in :)

hi everyone - I'm checking in :)
I'll send friend requests

Hey everyone, just checking in! :D

Hi team, checking in & clicking the Notify thingy

Oo, some interesting prompts! Does anyone have any ideas yet on what they want to read in January?

I haven't planned any books for 2026 yet. I just know that they'll all be non-fiction, as that's all I like to read. 🤓

Richard wrote: "I haven't planned any books for 2026 yet. I just know that they'll all be non-fiction, as that's all I like to read. 🤓"

I am making a goal this year of reading more nonfiction. Each month, 1 self-help, 1 biography/memoir, and 1 for general knowledge. :) Hopefully, I can stick with it.

Great, I look forward to seeing what you pick!

I'm also liking the prompts. I'm going to start coming up with a TBR tonight.

Sarah wrote: "I'm also liking the prompts. I'm going to start coming up with a TBR tonight."

Good idea. Me too.

Hi Time Turners! I've messaged Eunice! If we don't hear back, I will let you know about a replacement.

My brain always misreads our team name as Tina Turner hahaha

Richard wrote: "My brain always misreads our team name as Tina Turner hahaha"

LOL Now I'm going to be seeing that as well!

If you guys want to do any buddy reads, I'm open to them. I read everything, so if there's anything you have in mind I'm game!

Richard wrote: "My brain always misreads our team name as Tina Turner hahaha"

I can definitely change it, lol

Hello!

Happy new year, everyone

hi guys - sorry I've been absent, I moved houses over the holiday and now I've got the flu. I'm def a bit better today, got on the computer and I'm just checking in with all my challenges to let folk know I'm on the mend and I will get caught up asap.

Do we want to plan for a Team Read? I'm up to read a nonfiction book.

And also the 12 recommendations for each player. We have all of January to think about it, though.

Here's a reference to the January bonus points list:

🏅 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.

How to submit your list: Post your list in your team thread and tag/link here. I’ll add it to the Index.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🌀 Temporal Anomaly Bonus (Jan 1–31 Only!)
Start the year easy:

Read a book with a BLACK cover.

Bonus Genres (unchanging all year):
• Speculative
• Epistolary
(Tag 5+ counts — doesn’t need to be MPG.)

🏅 Personal Temporal Anomalties Badges (unchanging all year):
Perspective Shift 🔄 – Highlight a moment in your book where the narrator or POV tricks you, surprises you, or changes your understanding.
Causal Loop 🔁 – A book you discovered because of another member's post or discussion in the challenge.
Time Dilatation ⌛ – Get completely lost in a book, reading for so long you lose track of time.
Recommendation List Pick 📜 – See above!

I think that we should plan for a team read. I want more non-fiction in my life so I'm game for it as well.

Sarah wrote: "I think that we should plan for a team read. I want more non-fiction in my life so I'm game for it as well."

Sure, I'm open to any non-fiction.

Currently have these two as part of my TBR for this month: Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party: How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World
Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime

But I'm open to other suggestions

Eunice wrote: "Currently have these two"

I have both of those books; happy with either.

The Dino one would work for another challenge of mine.

I have both books as well

I think Dinos at the Dinner party would be a fun one to read!

@Trio Are you fine with Dinos at the Dinner Party?

I'll go ahead though to make a BR request

I was spurred on by Richard already posting quotes from the book in the Discord server wahahah

oh my gosh guys - I'm finally feeling well enough to read again. I'll start working on the list of 12 asap.

Here's the link for the buddy read! Dinos at the Dinner Party

Trio wrote: "oh my gosh guys - I'm finally feeling well enough to read again. I'll start working on the list of 12 asap."

Glad you're feeling better!

Hello Time Turner's Guild!
Just a friendly reminder that I do not yet have anyone's Rec Lists. You have until the end of January to get it to me!

Thanks!

My Recommendation List:

1. Quantum Steampunk: The Physics of Yesterday's Tomorrow
2. A History of Evil in Popular Culture: What Hannibal Lecter, Stephen King, and Vampires Reveal about America 2 volumes
3. Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things?: A Comedian's Guide to Autism
4. How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain
5. The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success
6. The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines Into Massive Success
7. The Magic of Thinking Big
8. Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers
9. But Everyone Feels This Way: How an Autism Diagnosis Saved My Life
10. Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself
11. How to Win Friends & Influence People
12. The Avengers and Philosophy: Earth's Mightiest Thinkers

I've been compiling my list I promise!
We post it here and not on the main thread? I've seen people doing both I think.

I'm not sure. I'll be getting mine together soon.

My Recommendations List
1. Get Lucky
2. George Falls Through Time
3. Full Tilt
4. The Haunting of William Thorn
5. Midnight Companion
6. Lucky Day
7. Vagabond: A Memoir
8. Sunshine
9. The River Knows Your Name
10. The Sideways Life of Denny Voss
11. Summer Light on Nantucket
12. Festival

Are we "required" to read the buddy read book? I've got to reread the requirements for this challenge - my brain is still a bit mushy from being sick for so long.

My list is done, I hope I picked something for everyone...

Trio wrote: "Are we "required" to read the buddy read book? I've got to reread the requirements for this challenge - my brain is still a bit mushy from being sick for so long.

My list is done, I hope I picked ..."

Yes, the entire team needs to read the book to get the bonus points.

My hold on the dino audiobook passed and went to the next person while I was on a trip.

aaaaaaaaaa

My Recommendations:

1. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
2. The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II
3. Relic
4. Angel Falls
5. The Tokyo Zodiac Murders
6. All Creatures Great and Small
7. All the Light We Cannot See
8. Shutter Island
9. We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
10. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women
11. A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder
12. The Second Ending

My Recommendation List:

1. Breathe In, Bleed Out
2. My Next Breath
3. Desperation
4. The Troop
5. From Here to the Great Unknown
6. Sociopath
7. The Nightingale
8. Hell Divers
9. The Only Good Indians
10. Killers of a Certain Age
11. This Will Be Fun
12. The Woman in Me

My library has two audiobooks for the Dino book and I'm first in line - I'll prob get it soon.
I've commented on the buddy read thread so I'm ready to go!

I've got to get my head around this challenge, moving and being sick has put me far behind in all my challenges.

It's scary how few of the books I've read this month work for any of my tasks 😂

I got the buddy read audiobook today, I'll start listening tomorrow.

Sorry to be behind on posting my list. This month really got away from me

My Recommendation List
1. Heartless
2. The Count of Monte Cristo
3. Road of Bones
4. Fourth Wing
5. Big Magic
6. A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie
7. The Girl in Red
8. Soulless
9. Storm Front
10. Outlander
11. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
12. Jurassic Park

Bubbles wrote: "Sorry to be behind on posting my list. This month really got away from me

My Recommendation List
1. Heartless
2. The Count of Monte Cristo
3. Road of Bones
4. Fourth Wing
5. Big Magic
6. A is for..."

you get 12!

Ashley wrote: "Bubbles wrote: "Sorry to be behind on posting my list. This month really got away from me

My Recommendation List
1. Heartless
2. The Count of Monte Cristo
3. Road of Bones
4. Fourth Wing
5. Big M..."

Updated :)

I've finished my books for Jan.

Sorry my brain couldn't work out how to use any bonuses...chronic fatigue sucks.

I finished the buddy read - what bonuses Richard? My brain is so foggy from fighting the flu and moving houses I don't know if I'm coming or going.

Trio wrote: "what bonuses Richard?"

The potential bonus points are explained here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...