The Perks Of Being A Book Addict discussion

TEAM EBONY & IVORY

🎹 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...



Team Members:
❅ Captain Kaley
❅ Co-Captain Audiophile Archive aka Audrey
❅ Jamie (The Rebellious Reader)
❅ Namita
❅ Karen
❅ Ashleigh
❅ Dharshini



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


💹 Teams Current Points
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Reserved

Important links

TEAM SHELVES
✓❅ Kaley
✓❅ Audiophile Archive aka Audrey
✓❅ Jamie (The Rebellious Reader)
✓❅ Namita
✓❅ Karen (Kayenne)
✓❅ Ashleigh
✓❅ Dharshini

SPREADSHEETS/THREADS
❅ Official team spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
❅ Current ranking spreadsheet:
❅ Team tracking spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

UNO GUIDELINES
❅ https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


HELPFUL TOOLS
❅ arbookfind.com, for checking the word count on children's books: https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.a...
❅Children's Books That Have Already Been Checked
❅Yellow Covers | Yellowest Books Ever
❅Blue Covers
❅Green Covers
❅Red Covers
Important note
Some books on the color cover list may not seem like the color cover. This is because GR will show the default version. There may be a specific version that has been shelved that is the actual color. The version you read is what you should shelve, and is what counts, for UNO. Additionally, the color shelves are put together by players, so always double check that your book actually qualifies, because these lists are not mod-approved.

COUNTDOWN
❅Countdown to start: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

RECS FROM YOUR TEAMMATES

Crime


Historical


Horror


Mystery/Thriller


Romance


Sci-Fi/Fantasy


Steampunk


YA

Important rules to remember

❅ Only books started after the challenge starts can count for this challenge.
❅ All finished books must be marked as read and must be on your Uno shelf.
❅ If you're unsure if a cover falls under a certain color, then ask here and we can talk it over as a group. If we can't come to a decision, I will take it to the captains group.
❅ Color cards must fit requirements of both the corresponding number and >50% color cover.
❅ Books must be more than 100 pages in length and Children's books, Graphic Novels, Manga, Cook Books, Plays and Poetry books can not be used unless by word count they can be verified as more than 25,000 words using arbookfind.com or more than 3 hours of audio using a reputable website (e.g. audible, overdrive). Children's books checked in previous years can be seen on this shelf uno-childrens
❅ You must check in at least once a week so I know you’re still actively participating. You can post a book, or if you haven’t finished one, just stop by here and say hi :)
❅ Have fun!! It's a social challenge, so can get chatty. And while we do want points and want to finish all our cards, this isn't supposed to be a competitive challenge. So enjoy your reading!

Other info
When it comes to cards, I prefer to just read and fill in what is needed rather than "claiming" cards (since sometimes cards need to be shuffled around). However, when it comes to color cards, please do claim those so we know those are covered.

POSTING FORMAT

When you finish a book, please add it to the planning spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

If you do not feel comfortable using the team planning spreadsheet, please post your book to this thread using the following format, and one of the captains will add it to the spreadsheet for you.

Book:
Author:
Date Read:
Cards it fits:

So, for example...

Book: Heartless
Author: Marissa Meyer
Date read: Feb. 1
Cards it fits:
0 - standalone
3 - H title
Skip - character Catherine Pinkerton

Note: Please make to shelve the edition that you actually read, & make sure to link the edition you shelved here/on the spreadsheet!

MONTHLY CARDS

February

Cards completed: 0 of 105
Hands completed: 0 of 15

0: 3
1: 8
2: 8
3: 6
4: 5
5: 10
6: 9
7: 9
8: 2
9: 6
Skip: 10
Reverse: 8
Wild: 2
Draw 2: 6

Color cards

5 Blue — Audrey
6 Blue — Jamie
4 Green — Kaley
7 Red
8 Red — Audrey
3 Yellow — Karen
5 Yellow
8 Yellow

Wild Draw 4 — Karen (duplicating 6 Blue)
Wild Draw 4 — Karen (duplicating 3 Yellow)
Wild Draw 4
Wild Draw 4
Wild Draw 4

MONTHLY MINI CHALLENGE

Details coming mid-February. . .

Hi team!

My name is Kaley, and I'll be your captain for Uno this year.

A few things about me:

I live in Indiana (in the US) with my husband and our cat and dog.

My favorite genre to read is romance, and I will read any sort of subgenre in romance — contemporary, romantasy, historical, etc. I will on occasion pick up a mystery/thriller as well, by about 95 percent of the time, it's a romance.

I can't wait to get to know all of you! I will be sending each of you a friend request -- please make sure to accept so I can see your shelves for the challenge. I'd also encourage you to add your fellow teammates as friends as well, especially since it'll make finding books for Reverse cards much easier, but that is not required!

Please post a link to your Uno shelf when you check in. I've outlined all the general rules in the posts above, but don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Aloha (I'm from Hawaii) & Howdy (I live in Texas) everyone!

I'm looking forward to reading with you guys in this year's UNO Challenge. We've got a great Captain and as you check in, added all your new friends, don't be shy: share a bit about yourself and your reading "jam" ... like I'm a first time UNO challenge player but love a good competition.

🎧💌📖 You can find me listening (I'm an audiobook) to romances...all the romances, fiction, and this year (check my profile), I'll be adding banned and classics to my "read" shelf. If you've got a 5-star book you want to recommend to me, I'll take it!

🙋🏻‍♀️if you're like me and have questions about the game, don't hesitate to ask. to paraphrase the great one: "You miss 100% of the answers, if you don't ask" Happy reading and welcome to Team 🎹Ebony & Ivory!

We're all a bit anxious with looming GR changes to messaging (some teams are even discording) and how it might affect team challenges...

with still 11/12 days before the challenge start, we're asking for WEEKLY CHECK-INS for updates to your challenge status/strategy planning. That allows captains time to "cover your six" to get team card points.

We'll definitely send out a rallying cry 48 hours prior to UNO 2026 kick-off.

We're in the countdown stage with hours and minutes are ticking down.

We're ready, with books cued up ... no real reason for this post other than to GET TEAM MEMBERS REVVED UP. Let's have fun & read (outread)! :D

O

Hey team, what genres do you poo-poo? Which genres will break your reading joy?

Y

Hi everybody,

My name is Karen. I am French but I am living for more than 20 years now in The Netherlands with my husband, 3 kids and 2 cats.

My go-to genres are Romance, thriller and science fiction. I read a lot of romance books just because I read them a lot faster than the rest. But in general I am quite curious and relatively fluid in genre as I like to try new things.

It is my first time participating in the UNO team challenge. I have been looking at it for a couple of years now but hesitating and I decided to jump in this year and simply go for it. I may be looking for some guidance at the beginning - time to figure out how it works.

Looking forward to meet all of you.

My Uno shelf link : https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Hi everyone!

I'm Namita from Vancouver, Canada. I have participated in UNO for the last few years. I'm looking forward to playing again.

I love Historical Fictions, Mystery, Thriller, UF, PNR, Cozy Mysteries, Steampunk and their sub-genres.

Nice to meet you all and looking forward to playing!


My UNO Shelf: UNO-2026

Audiophile Archives wrote: "
Hey team, what genres do you poo-poo? Which genres will break your reading joy?"

I don't much care for plain old romance. Contemporary, it's gotta be Romantic Suspense or PNR or Historical

Welcome Karen and Namita!

The only genre I would say I don't care for is any sort of self-help book. I don't read a lot of nonfiction in general, but I've read several memoirs that I've enjoyed. Self-help though . . . not for me.

Kaley wrote: "Welcome Karen and Namita!"

Hi Kaley!

Kaley wrote: "The only genre I would say I don't care for is any sort of self-help book. I don't read a lot of nonfiction in general, but I've read several memoirs that I've enjoyed. Self-help though . . . not f..."

I can't do Non-Fiction if I'm being honest. I too have read a few memoirs but not a big fan of anything else!

Hi, team! I'm Jamie. I'm from Texas. This is my second year participating in UNO. I had so much fun with it last year.

I read primarily romances but I do like non fiction as well. Memoirs (sometimes) but mostly books about Queer history and books about Astrophysics. The only genre I don't read is self help.

My UNO-2026 Shelf

*ੈ✩༺ hello (howdy for those in Texas𐚁!) and welcome Jamie, Karen, and Namita! ༻*ੈ✩

Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) wrote: "Hi, team! I'm Jamie. I'm from Texas. This is my second year participating in UNO. I had so much fun with it last year.

I read primarily romances but I do like non fiction as well. Memoirs (sometim..."

Hi Jamie!

Hi all! I'm Ashleigh from the UK. I've played UNO so many times I've forgotten how many xD

I read a little bit of everything: horror, romance, mystery/thrillers, literary, fantasy etc.

Currently typing this on my phone so I will link my UNO shelf a little bit later when I'm on my computer.

Ashleigh wrote: "Hi all! I'm Ashleigh from the UK. I've played UNO so many times I've forgotten how many xD

I read a little bit of everything: horror, romance, mystery/thrillers, literary, fantasy etc.

Currently ..."

Hiya! Delighted to have you here, Ashleigh! 💂🏻‍♂️. This will be a grand challenge with you on the team.

Hiiii all, I’m Dharshini from India. I mostly read romance: I vacillate between contemporary, dark, new adult, etc. I also enjoy reading fantasy series and general fiction works. I’m a diehard Harry Potter fan from the 90’s, currently hooked on Dramione fan fiction 🥰

It’s my first time doing this challenge, and I’m looking forward to reading with you all 😌

Dharshini Anushya wrote: "It’s my first time doing this challenge, and I’m looking forward to reading with you all 😌"

Swagatam Dharshini...is that an appropriate welcome? This is my first UNO as well, so along with Karen, we're in for some newbie 🐣🐣🐣 reading fun!

I know I could look it up, but what time is it in your zone? It's Saturday, 10:40am in CST.

Dharshini Anushya wrote: "Hiiii all, I’m Dharshini from India. I mostly read romance: I vacillate between contemporary, dark, new adult, etc. I also enjoy reading fantasy series and general fiction works. I’m a diehard Harr..."

HP fan fict...which has been the best Dramione read to date?

Yay! Welcome in everyone. That's our whole team checked in already!

We have quite the spread of countries on our team! I love that!

While we wait for the challenge to start — what is your favorite book from your favorite genre?

(And if it's a favorite book right now, I totally get it. My favorites are always changing.)

Looking forward to seeing what all of you recommend! One of the challenge cards we'll have over the next few months is "Reverse," which means a book someone else on the team has read, so I hoped this would be a fun way to get ideas for what to read later!

Forgot to pop back in with my UNO-2026 shelf.

Favourite book from my favourite genre? Oooh what a tough question...

I would say The Kind Worth Killing for Mystery/Thriller and Pet Sematary for Horror.

It's currently after 10 30pm in my time zone @Audiophile Archives, sorry for the late reply
Swagatam is certainly appropriate 😀🙏 thank you for the welcome 🤗
I'd say the best written HP fic I read so far is Meet me in Dreamland, by sinflower81 ❤️ Loved it so much! Do you read HP fanfiction too? What's your favourite?

@Kaley
Some of my all-time favourites are Five Survive by Holly Jackson in the YA thriller genre, Storm Winds by Iris Johansen in the Historical Romance genre, Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto in the cozy mystery/comedy genre, If Tomorrow Comes by Sidney Sheldon in the Crime Fiction genre, for a start 😅

Ashleigh wrote: "Hi all! I'm Ashleigh from the UK. I've played UNO so many times I've forgotten how many xD

I read a little bit of everything: horror, romance, mystery/thrillers, literary, fantasy etc.

Currently ..."

Hi Ashleigh!

Dharshini Anushya wrote: "It's currently after 10 30pm in my time zone @Audiophile Archives, sorry for the late reply
Swagatam is certainly appropriate 😀🙏 thank you for the welcome 🤗
I'd say the best written HP fic I read..."

Hi Dharshini!

Hi Namita! What are your favourites?

Dharshini Anushya wrote: "Hi Namita! What are your favourites?"

I love fantasy, PNR, Romantic Suspense, Thrillers, Cozy, Historical Fictions, Steampunk and any sub-genre I can find.

Huge HP fan here!!

Kaley wrote: "Yay! Welcome in everyone. That's our whole team checked in already!

We have quite the spread of countries on our team! I love that!

While we wait for the challenge to start — what is your favorit..."

This is a tough one. I have way too many that I love. Listing a few of my faves.

Steampunk
London Steampunk: by Bec McMaster - this series is amazing! Love Bec McMaster.

Historical Fiction/Mystery
Sebastian St. Cyr: by C.S. Harris

PNR
Carpathians: by Christine Feehan
Black Dagger Brotherhood: by J.R. Ward

Psy-Changeling: by Nalini Singh

Off the top of my head my favorite contemporary romance is

Anything from Stephen King I adore for horror. My favorite from him is

for favorite historical.

for my favorite dark romance.

Awesome recs, everyone!! Several of those have been on my list for a while, so I may have to finally dive in during this challenge!

Adding a few of my own . . .

My recent romance obsession


I don't read a ton of YA, but I adore this series so much!

I've added all the recs to this post to make it easy to find all the recs at once. Throughout the challenge if you read something you really love, feel free to shout it out and I can add it to the list!

Hi team E & I,

For some aside-chatting you are welcome to visit this thread: 50 Shades of UNO Playlists 😉 🎼

Difficult one - my all time favorites:
Harry potter series, le petit prince, Dune series and the bridal quartet series.

These one at least i keep coming back to read them…

Sorry for being a little MIA the last few days — I seem to have come down with the stomach flu. So if I’m in and out today and tomorrow still, that is why!

Anyway, I wanted to touch base with you all about planning ahead for some of our February cards — specifically, the color cards.

We have the following color cards for February:
5 Blue
6 Blue
4 Green
7 Red
8 Red
3 Yellow
5 Yellow
8 Yellow

For those new to UNO, to fulfill the requirements of a color card, the book’s cover must be more than 50% that color (the edition you read) and also fit for the number. So for example, 5 Blue would need a majority blue cover and be fifth in series, character or author name starting with I, title stating with I, etc.

We also have five Wild Draw 4 cards for the month. Wild Draw 4s are cards that duplicate one of your color cards. Each color card can only be duplicated once.

Let me know if you have any questions. Also, if you are planning any books to fit those, feel free to shout it out here or add it directly to the planning sheet!

- is the cover red enough? If so I could use it for 7 Red as the MC's name starts with V.

I haven't added any books to the spreadsheet yet. I am a mood reader so I don't really too ahead of time.

I will add start adding my books to spreadsheet.

Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) wrote: " - is the cover red enough? If so I could use it for 7 Red as the MC's name starts with V."

I don't think it's red enough. Kaley might say something else :D

Starting off with for Green

Kaley wrote: "Sorry for being a little MIA the last few days — I seem to have come down with the stomach flu. So if I’m in and out today and tomorrow still, that is why!

Anyway, I wanted to touch base with you ..."

oh no! plz get better Kaley.

Namita wrote: "Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) wrote: " - is the cover red enough? If so I could use it for 7 Red as the MC's name starts with V."

I don't think it's red enough. Kal..."

I agree -- I don't think it's red enough unfortunately :(

No problem, glad I asked! I have one for 6 Blue instead - - MC's name starts with S