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

April

0 Red — Jamie
2 Red — Karen
3 Red — Namita
3 Red — Audrey
4 Red — Kaley
6 Red — Audrey
6 Red — Namita
9 Red — Audrey
1 Yellow — Dharshini
4 Yellow — Namita
7 Yellow — Karen
1 Green — Dharshini
6 Green — Jamie
7 Green — Jamie
8 Green — Namita
8 Green — Audrey
1 Blue — Karen
8 Blue — Audrey

Overload 1 (pink) — Jamie
Overload 2 (purple) — Karen
Overload 3 (orange) — Audrey
Overload 4 (brown) — Karen
Overload 5 (gray) — Audrey

MONTHLY MINI CHALLENGE

The Tasks

Opening Notes
1. Music to My Ears
Read a book you were especially excited to start.

2. Change Your Tune
Read a book where a character changes their opinion, loyalties or direction.

3. Strike a Chord
Read a book that affected you personally or made you feel something strongly.

4. Sing From the Same Hymn Sheet
Read a book where people are united by a shared goal, cause or belief.

5. Pull Out All the Stops
Read a book with very high stakes or a character who goes all in.

6. Play It By Ear
Read a book you picked on a whim.

7. It Rings a Bell
Read a book that reminds you of another book, story or memory.

8. Strike the Right Note
Read a book that was exactly right for your mood.

Character Types
9. Blow Your Own Trumpet
Read a book with a boastful, arrogant or attention-seeking character.

10. Playing Second Fiddle
Read a book with a sidekick, assistant, younger sibling or overlooked supporting character.

11. March to the Beat of Your Own Drum
Read a book with an unconventional, rebellious or fiercely independent character.

12. Fit as a Fiddle
Read a book with a resilient, energetic or physically capable character.

13. Don’t Harp On About It
Read a book with a character who cannot let something go.

14. Preaching to the Choir
Read a book with a character trying to persuade people who already agree with them, or a story centred on a very like-minded group.

15. Not My Forte
Read a book featuring someone out of their depth or doing something they are not naturally good at.

16. Beat the Band
Read a book with a loud, dramatic or larger-than-life character.

Plot and Theme
17. Like a Broken Record
Read a book where something repeats: a phrase, a warning, a routine, an obsession, a cycle or a time loop.

18. The Same Old Song and Dance
Read a book with a familiar trope, repeated pattern or strong comfort-read energy.

19. All That Jazz
Read a book that feels chaotic, flashy, messy or full of flair.

20. All the Bells and Whistles
Read a book that is extra in some way: rich worldbuilding, ornate prose, dramatic twists or pure spectacle.

21. Strike the Wrong Note
Read a book where something goes badly wrong socially, emotionally or politically.

22. It Ain’t Over Till the Fat Lady Sings
Read a book where the outcome stays uncertain until the very end.

23. Change of Tune
Read a book with a redemption arc, change of heart or enemies-to-allies feel.

24. In Harmony
Read a book where friendship, family or teamwork plays an important role.

25. Out of Tune
Read a book with conflict, mismatch, tension or a dysfunctional relationship.

Bookish Extras
26. A Musical Title
Read a book with a music-related word in the title.
(song, tune, note, chord, violin, drum, piano, hymn, trumpet etc.)

27. Cover Band
Read a book with a musical instrument, sheet music, singer, concert, headphones or record on the cover.

28. Encore
Read a sequel, reread, return-to-a-series book or a book by an author you’ve read before.

29. Debut Performance
Read a debut novel or a first book in a series.

30. Solo Act
Read a book with a single point of view or a protagonist who largely goes it alone.

31. Duet
Read a book with dual POV, a strong pair or a central partnership.

32. Full Orchestra
Read a book with a large ensemble cast.

33. Backstage Drama
Read a book with secrets, hidden motives or behind-the-scenes tension.

34. Standing Ovation
Read a book you rated 5 stars, or one you would happily recommend to the group.

35. Playlist Pick
Read a book purely because the title, cover or overall vibe reminds you of a song.

🎼 The Conductor’s Notes

Each entry is worth 5 points.
For each one, your team writes a short diary entry from the Conductor’s point of view.

🎵 First Rehearsal: The Conductor records their early impressions of the group and the state of the performance so far.

🎺 Full Ensemble: The Conductor reflects on the arrival of the players, personalities and unexpected backstage drama.

🎹 Opening Night: The Conductor documents the moment the show begins, and whether they are feeling inspired, terrified or both.

👏 Standing Ovation: The Conductor tells the story of how the final performance came together and what became of the ensemble afterwards.

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

Along with the 4 cards we're working on for March, we are definitely looking great in mini-challenge, with only these 2 to complete:


✅ 🔴 Red is DONE ✅
✅ 🔵 Blue is DONE ✅
✅ 🟡 Yellow is DONE ✅
✅ 🟢 Green is DONE ✅
✅ 🎀 Pink is DONE ✅
✅ 🟣 Purple is DONE ✅
✅ ⚪ White is DONE ✅
✅ ⚪ Grey is DONE ✅
✅ 🤎 Brown is DONE ✅


🟠 Orange
13. Read a book tagged Magical Realism at least 10x. — Kaley

⚫ Black
28. Read a book tagged Horror at least 10x. — Namita

We're headed into the final stretch! We're in the top 12!!!

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