The Perks Of Being A Book Addict discussion

Team Stargate SG1

Team Members:
👾
❅ Melinda - Captain
❅ Michael Thomas - Co-Captain
❅ Chrissie
❅ Denise
❅ Jhmingos
❅ Taya:)
❅ Domi
❅ Jenny


🚀 Team Spreadsheet (only captains can edit)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

👽 Tracking Sheet (team members can edit):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

👾 UNO Current Points (only for viewing):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...


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❅ Rosheen Hughes
❅ Quel

R

Links

👾 Official Team Sheet (only captains can edit):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

👽 Tracking Sheet (team members can edit):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

🚀 Current Points (only for viewing):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

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ALL ABOUT UNO: RULES!!

🌌 RULES

🌠Books must be at least 100 pages in length.
👾 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)
👽 Word count verification
https://www.arbookfind.com/default.aspx

- rereads are OK after 6 months
- Spell out: using title / author name / speaking character name / location (if more than 50% of story is taking place there)
- Letters to find Z, O, T, H, F, I, S, V, E, N, K/P
- Numbers in title or #series

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🕰️🕰️COUNTDOWN🕰️🕰️
!!Only books STARTED after the challenge begins can count!!

The challenge starts on Saturday February 1, 2025 at 9am UTC time. To see when this starts, use this COUNTDOWN

🕰️🕰️https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...

Saturday 1 February 2025
San Francisco 1am
London 9am
New York 4am
Mumbai 2.30pm
Tokyo 6pm
Sydney 8pm

Check out other cities HERE
🕰️🕰️ https://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...
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PRACTICAL COLOUR COVER Guide
The general agreement on colours is that
🌈 we use our eyes and common sense
🌈 🌈 in case you are uncertain about the colour percentage, you can use tineye to verify if it's over 50%
🌈 🌈 🌈 When in doubt whether a cover is 1 colour or another (ugghh, teal covers are my favourites :), please consult us. We may take this to the Captains' group for a final decision.

👽 Tineye
https://labs.tineye.com/color/

Team Members:

✔️ Melinda Comments Shelf
✔️ Michael Comments Shelf 
✔️ Chrissie Comments Shelf
✔️ Jhmingos Comments Shelf	
✔️ Denise Comments shelf
✔️ Taya:) Comments shelf
✔️ Domi Comments shelf
✔️ Jenny Comments shelf

--------------------------

Claiming Cards:

This is changing from team to team, depending on what the captains decide.

We will ask you to claim colour cards and maybe reverses (books already read by other team members), but otherwise we go with the option of "read-what-you-want" (mostly😉) and list the options either on our tracking sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
(it is open access with the link, no need to ask for access) or if you are uncomfortable with using them, please do a completion post in this thread.

Completion post- Example
Book: Pride and Prejudice (Please make sure you link the edition of the book you were reading!)
Read date: 3 Feb
Page count: 279

Cards it works for:
0 - Standalone
4 - Fitzwilliam Darcy
8 - Elizabeth Bennet
Skip - Title
Reverse - read by Melinda

Captains will take stock from time to time to see how we are doing and let you know if more targeted reading is necessary.

---------------------

Mini Challenges:

In the middle of each month, we will have a mini challenge related to the overall UNO theme (this year it is "aliens/space").
It does not affect the number of books we have to read for the given month, because it allows us to use 1 book for an UNO card as well as a Mini challenge tasks, but the mini tasks require some more targeted reading. The Mini challenges will be announced a few days before they start (the one in February will start on 14th) so we can prepare and see how we can do it.

FEBRUARY CARDS:

(view spoiler)[🃏 Wild (2)
◀️ Reverse (11)
⏭ Skip (11)

0️⃣ (1)
1️⃣ (9)
2️⃣ (5)
3️⃣ (4)
4️⃣ (8)
5️⃣ (11)
6️⃣ (8)
7️⃣ (7)
8️⃣ (4)
9️⃣ (7)


We also have 11 colour cards

✔️📘- 2 Blue - Denise
✔️📘- 7 Blue - Lizzie
✔️📘- 9 Blue - Chrissie
✔️📒- 2 Yellow - Lizzie
✔️📒- 9 Yellow - Taya
✔️📗- 6 Green - Denise
✔️📕- 6 Red - Melinda
✔️📕- 9 Red - Lizzie
✔️🌈 Wild Draw 4 - 6 Red - Denise
✔️🌈 Wild Draw 4 - 6 Green - Melinda
✔️🌈 Wild Draw 4 - 2 Blue - Jenny (hide spoiler)]

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FEBRUARY MINI CHALLENGE
(view spoiler)[                        

In a galaxy far, far away...

Prepare your tunics and your lightsabers (and maybe a spaceship while you're at it) - for in this optional mini challenge, we will take you across the universe of Star Wars to make the acquaintance of some of the most well-known heroes and villains of the galaxy.

From the below list, your team may pick six characters. At least one character needs to be a hero and at least one character needs to be a villain. The remaining four characters may be freely selected among heroes and villains. For all six of your chosen characters, you will have to read a book for every task.

🌌🪐💫☄️



R2D2 & C3PO
1. Read a book with an author who identifies as LGBTQIA+.
2. Read a book with an awesome sidekick (your own interpretation).
3. Read a book with a character who speaks more than one language.
4. Read a book from the Shelf Artificial Intelligence (if a book is part of a series, any book from the series will be accepted).
5. Read a book with gold letters on the cover.



Luke Skywalker
6. Read a book where one or more characters have to go on a quest.
7. Read a book with a sky on the cover.
8. Read a book with a character who is a beginner at something.
9. Read a book with a sword on the cover.
10. Read a book with MPG Science Fiction or MPG Speculative Fiction.



Princess Leia
11. Read a book with a character who is royalty.
12. Read a book by a female author.
13. Read a book with a white cover.
14. Read a book where characters from different backgrounds fall in love.
15. Read a book from the Shelf Bad Ass Heroine (if a book is part of a series, any book from the series will be accepted).



Han Solo
16. Read a book with a hero or a character who is worshipped as a hero.
17. Read a book by a male author.
18. Read a book with a gun on cover.
19. Read a book where the title begins with a letter from MILLENNIUM FALCON.
20. Read a book where the characters have to pull off a heist.



Chewbacca
21. Read a book with a character who has a fabulous best friend.
22. Read a book with the word "carpet" in text. (Please give location and sentence.)
23. Read a book with a neuro-divergent character.
24. Read a book with a spaceship on the cover.
25. Read a book where the title and/or series title and/or author's name contains at least 2 Ys.



Yoda
26. Read a book with a character who is a teacher (of any kind).
27. Read a book with 500+ pages.
28. Read a book that has been published in or before 1977.
29. Read a book with a character who is retired or who is in hiding.
30. Read a book tagged "Magic" or "Magical Realism" (at least 10x).



Darth Vader
31. Read a book where one of the characters is considered a villain.
32. Read a book with a black cover.
33. Read a book with the letters MASK in title OR in author's name.
34. Read a book with MPG Romance.
35. Read a book where friends fall out.



Emperor Palpatine
36. Read a book with an elderly character.
37. Read a book with red writing on the cover.
38. Read a book revolving around some kind of political intrigue.
39. Read a book where a character is hiding their true identity.
40. Read a book tagged "Space Opera" (at least 10x).



Jabba the Hutt
41. Read a book with a character from another species.
42. Read a book with MPG Crime.
43. Read a book where the author initials can be found in BOUNTYHUNTER.
44. Read a book with the word "gangster" in text. (Please provide location and sentence.)
45. Read a book with a character who is enslaved or held in captivity.



Fleet Admiral Piett
46. Read a book with MPG War or MPG Military or MPG Military Romance.
47. Read a book with a character who has a difficult/demanding boss.
48. Read a book with the word "uniform" in text. (Please provide location and sentence.)
49. Read a book from the Shelf Space (if a book is part of a series, any book from the series will be accepted).
50. Read a book where the title begins with a letter from FIRMUS.



Sarlacc, the monster of the Dune Sea
51. Read a book tagged "Adventure" (at least 10x).
52. Read a book with a brown cover.
53. Read a book with the word "hopeless" in text. (Please give location and sentence.)
54. Read a book with MPG Horror.
55. Read a book with a title starting with a letter from DIGESTION.



Grand Moff Tarkin
56. Read a book with a character who has one of the following specific honorifics to their name: occupational, military, academic or title. (Familial honorifics - Aunt, Grandma, etc. - or Mr/Mrs, etc are not accepted.)
57. Read a book with the letters DEATH STAR in title and/or author's name.
58. Read a book with a grey cover.
59. Read a book from the Shelf Boss (if a book is part of a series, any book from the series will be accepted).
60. Read a book where a character gets imprisoned/locked up.

🌌🪐💫☄️

◈ Every book read, i.e. every task completed, is worth 10 points. Each book can be used for one task only.
◈ Books for tasks can be finished in any order. No need to complete blocks to get the 10 points/book.
◈ Completing six sets of tasks (ie six characters) will award your team a completion bonus of 30 points.

◈ Books used for this mini challenge do not need to be separate books from what you are claiming for your UNO hands.
◈ The usual book length rules apply.
◈ Team spreadsheets will be updated with a mini challenge tab so that you can track your books and claim your points.

◈ Books can be started at any point since the start of the UNO challenge (Feb 1).
◈ Books need to be finished after the start of this mini challenge on 14 February, 9am UTC (Countdown: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...) and before 1 March, 9am UTC. (hide spoiler)]

MARCH CARDS:

(view spoiler)[🃏 Wild (5)
◀️ Reverse (11)
⏭ Skip (6)

0️⃣ (4)
1️⃣ (6)
2️⃣ (7)
3️⃣ (5)
4️⃣ (7)
5️⃣ (8)
6️⃣ (9)
7️⃣ (14)
8️⃣ (6)
9️⃣ (3)


We also have 14 colour cards (+ 2 WD4s that will be covered by Draw 2s)

📘- 0 Blue
📘- 4 Blue
📘- 7 Blue
📘- 8 Blue
📘- 9 Blue
📘 - Skip Blue
📒- 3 Yellow
📒- 3 Yellow
📒- Skip Yellow
📗- 1 Green
📗- Skip Green
📕- 7 Red
📕- 7 Red
📕- Skip Red
🌈 Wild Draw 4 (Draw 2 - 3 Yellow)
🌈 Wild Draw 4 (Draw 2 - Skip Red or 7 Blue) (hide spoiler)]


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MARCH MINI CHALLENGE
(view spoiler)[
                      


In a galaxy far far away .... DON'T PANIC and Carry a Towel and a Book or 35.

Grab your towels and reader buddies and hitch a ride on a Vogon spaceship in this optional mini challenge, where you will be searching for ❓The Question❓ to which the answer was 42.

All you need to do is find and read the right books that fit the tasks.

◈ Every book read, i.e. every task completed, is worth 10 points. Each book can be used for one task only.
◈ Books for tasks can be finished in any order.
◈ If your team complete all tasks, you will get 42 points as completion bonus .

◈ Books used for this mini challenge do not need to be separate books from what you are claiming for your UNO hands.
◈ The usual book length and spell-out rules apply.
◈ Team spreadsheets will be updated with a mini challenge tab so that you can track your books and claim your points.

◈ Books can be started at any point since the start of the UNO challenge (Feb 1).
◈ Books need to be finished after the start of this mini challenge on 15 March, 9am UTC (Countdown: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...) and before 1 April, 9am UTC.

🐬🐬Task List🐬🐬

1. Read a book with MPG Comedy or MPG Humor or tagged minimum 10x
2. Read a book with MPG Travel or tagged minimum 10x
3. Read a book with MPG Science Fantasy or MPG Science Fiction Fantasy or tagged minimum 10x
4. Read a book with MPG Alternate History or tagged minimum 10x
5. Read a book MPG Dystopia(n) or tagged minimum 10x
6. Read a book that has over 25K ratings
7. Read a book with a rating of 4,2 or higher
8. Read a book from a series with at least 6 books
9. Read a book from a Trilogy
10. Read a book that has been adapted into a radio or TV program or into a movie
11. Read a book that has been translated into at least 3 different languages
12. Read a book published in May of any year
13. Read a book published in any year between 1978-2005
14. Read a book with the word PANIC in text (it will be accepted as part of a word, like panicked/panicking)
15. Read a book with the word TOWEL(s) in text
16. Read a book that contains at least part of a poem or where a reference is made to a poem or a poet in text
17. Read a book with the word GUIDE in title (subtitle incl.) or series title
18. Read a book starting with a letter from VOGON (the/a or equivalents can be ignored)
19. Read a book with the letters BYPASS in title (subtitle incl.) and/or author's name
20. Read a book from the shelf UNIVERSE or GALAXY*
21. Read a book from the shelf ALIEN*
22. Read a book with a character working in an office
23. Read a book with a character who works in the construction industry
24. Read a book with some kind of chase in the plot
25. Read a book that features a restaurant
26. Read a book where a character disappears
27. Read a book with a character's name starting with or containing an X
28. Read a book with some kind of fish on the cover
29. Read a book with a teacup/mug on the cover or where tea is consumed during the course of the plot
30. Read a book with a spaceship on the cover

* If a book on the shelf is part of a series, any book from the series is accepted.

🐬🐬Spell-out🐬🐬
31. B
32. A
33. B
34. E
35. L

(hide spoiler)]

APRIL CARDS:

🃏 Wild (4)
◀️ Reverse (8)
⏭ Skip (7)

0️⃣ (3)
1️⃣ (6)
2️⃣ (6)
3️⃣ (7)
4️⃣ (9)
5️⃣ (9)
6️⃣ (5)
7️⃣ (10)
8️⃣ (9)
9️⃣ (7)


We also have 18 Colour Cards + 2 Overloads

📘- 3 Blue
📘- 7 Blue
📒- 2 Yellow
📒- 4 Yellow
📒- 6 Yellow
📒- 6 Yellow
📒- 9 Yellow
📗- 3 Green
📗- 7 Green
📗- 8 Green
📗- 9 Green
📕- 1 Red
📕- 2 Red
📕- 5 Red
📕- 6 Red x 2 (can be covered with 1 book - Draw 2)
📕- 8 Red
📕- 9 Red
📔 Overload (purple, pink, orange, brown, grey, white, black)
📔 Overload (purple, pink, orange, brown, grey, white, black)


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APRIL MINI CHALLENGE

                      


In a galaxy far far away .... don't panic .....OK, actually you can start panicking a little bit.

You are going on 🛸 The Great Galactic Book Quest 🌌

The Galaxy awaits - but before you launch your ship into the stars, you’ll need to build it from scratch, assemble a top-notch crew, and chart a course into the unknown.

Your tools? Books.
Crack open a sci-fi adventure to bolt on the engine. Devour a fantasy epic to recruit a magical mechanic. Need a brave pilot? A clever detective? A chance to contemplate the meaning of life? A robot who’s good with spreadsheets or an alien with other necessary skills? There’s a book for all that.

With every story you finish, your ship gets stronger, your crew gets weirder (in the best way), and your cosmic path becomes clearer. Where are you headed? Who knows! That’s half the fun.

Are you ready to read your way into space?

◈ Every book read, i.e. every task completed, is worth 10 points. Each book can be used for one task only.
◈ Books for tasks can be finished in any order. No need to complete blocks to get the 10 points/book.
◈ Captains' Log entries are 5 points each.
◈ If you complete all tasks, including Captains' Log, you get 30 extra points.

◈ Books used for this mini challenge do not need to be separate books from what you are claiming for your UNO hands.
◈ The usual book length rules apply.
◈ Team spreadsheets will be updated with a mini challenge tab so that you can track your books and claim your points.

◈ Books can be started at any point since the start of the UNO challenge (Feb 1).
◈ Books need to be finished after the start of this mini challenge on 15 April, 9am UTC (Countdown: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...) and before 1 May, 9am UTC (the sad time for UNO 2025 to end).

Part 1

🚀 Build Your Own Spaceship

1. The Engine Room (Power Source)
Read a book with "energy", "fire", "power" or similar in the title or plot (text).

2. The Cockpit (Control Centre)
Read a book where a character takes charge or leads a mission.

3. Navigation System
Read a book set in multiple locations or with a journey across space/time/land.

4. The Hull (Body of the Ship)
Read a book with a cover that's mostly either metallic, grey, or silver; or features a structure that is mostly one of those colours.

5. Shields & Defence Systems
Read a book featuring a warrior, protector, or a defensive strategy.

6. Communication System
Read a book where language, translation, or miscommunication is key to the plot.

7. Life Support System
Read a book about survival in extreme conditions.

8. Artificial Intelligence
Read a book with a robot, AI, or a highly intelligent system/character.

9. Fuel Tank
Read a book that energises you or refuels your reading mojo!

10. The Launch Pad (Get Ready for Take-Off)
Read the first book in a series, or a debut novel.

*****

Part 2
🧑‍🚀 Select Your Crew

1. The Captain
Read a book with a strong leader, mentor, or decision-maker.

2. The Pilot
Read a book with a character who’s always on the move — a traveller, driver, or adventurer.

3. The Engineer
Read a book featuring a problem-solver, inventor, or builder.

4. The Medic
Read a book with a healer, doctor, therapist or emotional caretaker.

5. The Scientist
Read a book with a character in STEM, or where science plays a big role.

6. The Cook
Read a book that features food, cooking, or a chef character.

7. The Communications Officer
Read a book with a journalist, writer, translator, or with social media presence.

8. The Security Officer
Read a book with a character in law enforcement, military, or security.

9. The Alien
Read a book with a character who’s an outsider, immigrant, or "not from around here" (genre-wise or culturally).

10. The Comedian / Morale Booster
Read a book that made you laugh or features a humorous character.

*****

Part 3
🌌 Off You Go

1. Pack Your Bags
Read a book where a character prepares for a journey or big change.

2. Choose Your Destination
Read a book set in a faraway land, another planet, or a completely imagined world.

3. Map Your Route
Read a book with a map in the front, or where navigation is part of the story.

4. Buy Your Ticket
Read a book where access, entry, or permission is a key theme.

5. Face Travel Delays
Read a book where things don’t go to plan — detours, delays or unexpected twists.

6. Meet Fellow Travellers
Read a book where strangers are thrown together on a journey (e.g. road trip, cruise, expedition).

7. Board the Ship
Read a book that starts with immediate action or throws you into the story from page one.

8. Set Your Course
Read a book where a character has a clear mission or purpose.

9. Zero Gravity Moment
Read a book that makes you feel weightless – dreamy, poetic, or mind-bending.

10. Emergency Landing
Read a book where a journey goes wrong — crash landings, lost in space, or stranded scenarios.

*****

Part 4
🌠 End of the Universe

1. A Final Mission
Read a book that’s the last in a series or features a character’s final journey.

2. Apocalypse Now
Read a book set during or after the end of the world (dystopian, post-apocalyptic, climate fiction etc).

3. Time’s Up
Read a book that involves time travel, time loops, or racing against the clock.

4. Stars Go Out
Read a book with a tragic ending or emotional farewell.

5. The Unknown Beyond
Read a book that explores philosophical questions, the meaning of life, or what comes after death.

6. One Small Step
Read a book that feels like a personal milestone — one you’ve been meaning to read for ages.

7. Cosmic Weirdness
Read a book with surreal, mind-bending, or speculative elements that challenge your view of reality.

8. New World Rising
Read a book about rebirth, rebuilding, or hope after devastation.

9. Drift into Darkness
Read a book with a dark or eerie tone — horror, gothic, or psychological thriller.

10. Light-Years from Home
Read a book by an author from a different country or cultural background than your own.

*****

Part 5
⏺️ Captain’s Log: Mission Chronicles📝

Every great journey needs a record—and yours is no exception!
As you read your way through the galaxy, you and your crew will be charting not just the stars, but your experiences among the pages.

You need to log entries for Parts 1-4.
Each log should be about 3–4 sentences long—but feel free to elaborate if inspiration strikes!
For each completed Captain’s Log entry, your team earns 5 extra points!

Here are some suggestions, but feel free to be creative and daring!

🚀 Build Your Own Spaceship – What books inspired your ship's design, power, and purpose?
👨‍🚀 Select Your Crew – Who joined your ranks from the stories you read? What skills or quirks did they bring?
🌌 Off You Go – As you launch into space, what did your reading journey teach you about exploration, courage, or the unknown?
🌠 End of the Universe – How did it all wrap up? Reflect on where your books took you, and what you’ll carry with you beyond the stars.

Hello Team! 😊

I am very excited for another round of UNO and being on the team with you. Michael and I will be your captains through the UNO-Gate. 🌠🚪

I have sent friend requests to Taja:), Quel and Rosh, as I have not been with you on a Team before.

This will be my 9th year of UNO and my 7th time as captain. I am also one of the Moderators for this challenge (since 2020).

I am Melinda and live in Hungary, in a small lake town not far from Budapest with my husband and my 11-year-old son. I work in Budapest for one of the EU Agencies and commute on a train 3 days a week (precious reading time!!) and work from home 2 days. I am GMT+1 and will be around most days to check our thread, answer or ask questions, etc.

I love reading and reading challenges. Books in any format are my joy, though in the last few years I got more addicted to audiobooks and 60=70% of my reading is done via that format.

My favourite genres are the classics, history and fantasy. But I read everything I if I am in the mood for it or if it is needed for a challenge task. However, I tend to avoid horror/thrillers.

Concerning this year's theme, I have to admit that I'm not big on the TV/streaming/cinema scene, especially when it comes to SciFi. But I used to watch and love Stargate SG1, it was one of the few TV shows I actually watched, though not every episode. :)

When you check in, please introduce yourselves a little.

Also, if you are new to this challenge, feel free to ask any questions about any issues that may not be clear!! No question is "silly"!
It may seem a bit intimidating at first, but once we start, it is quite easy to figure out.

My Uno shelf's name is wildly creative 🤭 uno-2025

Hi everyone! I'm Denise.
UNO is one of my favorite things and I've been pestering Melinda since the day after it ended last year. 🙃

I live in the US (Midwest- it's COLD 🥶 right now). I read a little bit of everything, but lean heavily towards general fiction, mysteries, and psychological thrillers. I am planning to read Onyx Storm soon (I think I'm #2 on the waiting list at my library), but it's not my typical genre.

I will occasionally read for the challenge, but usually I just read whatever I want and it fits somewhere. It helps that my TBR pile is ten stories high. 😂

Thanks for leading us Melinda and Michael!

Thank you for stepping through the gate with us, Denise. Happy to have you on the Team. 😊

Hi, I'm taya.,

I'm a total newbie to this group and game. I read MM romance-based books, and I tend to avoid mysteries and historicals. I'm currently a part of one other team challenge and volunteer to captain another next month. I do love all versions of Stargate, but Universe. That one took a while to warm up to, and then it was canceled. I hope they come out with another spinoff. But that type of sci-fi is not really popular in my space anymore. This week, I'm aiming to build my tbr shelf.

Welcome to the Team, Taya.

Glad you joined us. If something is unclear or if you have questions in general, just ask away. There are other new-to-UNO players, but also veterans here. 😊

UNO was the very first reading challenge that got me addicted to them back in 2017.

Do you have any favourite authors/books you'd care to recommend?

I really enjoy K.J. Charles books in general, currently reading Death in the Spires and liking it a lot.

I also bought my first Cat Sebastian book this month - nice blue cover. 😊

Hi all :)

I'm Chrissie and I'm looking forward to another round of UNO with you guys.

I live in Germany and I pretty much read anything that catches my interest (and me working in a bookstore is not at ALL helpful for my TBR 🙃).

Hey Chrissie, 😊

Lovely to have you on the Team!

Hi everyone, my name is Quel and I'm from Canada! I have 0 experience and I might need some pointers but this seems like so much fun so I'm eager to play with you all. I'm always open to chat and getting to know everyone. I love getting book recs and adding to my tbr :)

Hi Quel,

Great to have you on the team. Please have a look at my intro posts in messages 3 & 4 and we can take it up from there if you have further questions.

Also, please feel free to share favourite books / recmmendations with us. I'm also going to collect those above. 😊

It's good to see some familiar faces and new UNO-ers! I'm Jhmingos or Lizzie. You can call me either name. I live in Southern California and this will be my sixth year doing UNO. It was my gateway to other team challenges and I hope it becomes one for you.

I work in research where I'm constantly looking at data and reading technical stuff all day. I usually have to read a mix of genres to keep my interest, but my usual faves have been classics, mysteries/thrillers, and romance. I've kept a reading journal and log for the last couple of years. It's been fun to see my how reading habits changed.

I don't consume a lot of sci-fi (never seen an episode of Dr. Who 😬) but I did like the movie Stargate, and I've been meaning to read more of this genre.

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

Hey Lizzie,

Glad to have you with us.

I hope that you are safe from the devastating fires. :(

Yes, I hope all is well with you, Lizzie. Those fires have been so scary.

My last several reads have been kind of meh. So I'll be waiting for those recommendations! I have several things on hold that look very promising.

Last year, I really enjoyed Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers on audio. I love quirky books with odd characters, so Maria Semple, Kevin Wilson, Fredrik Backman are some of my favorites. I also really liked Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau.

And I'm really looking forward to the thrice-delayed A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping if it ever gets published. :)

My reading year has started really well, my lowest rating has been 3 stars, but mostly it was 4-5 stars.

It was thanks to a challenge that I came across a new favourite book on audio Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation. It was fantasatic. It didn't know that Clint Eastwood made a movie of it with Morgan Freeman & Matt Damon (I hardly ever watch films/movies any more), but I'm going to watch it.

Will post further book recs tomorrow. :)

Melindam wrote: "Hey Lizzie,

Glad to have you with us.

I hope that you are safe from the devastating fires. :("

Yeah, I live in a different area so I'm safe. "Winter" in Southern California usually means rain and temperatures dropping to the 40s F (4 C) but it hasn't happened. So there's this bad combination of no rain and strong warm winds that's making the condition really bad. :(

Denise wrote: "My last several reads have been kind of meh. So I'll be waiting for those recommendations! I have several things on hold that look very promising.

Last year, I really enjoyed [book:Vera Wong's Un..."

I second the audiobook recommendation for Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murder. I listened to it last year and it's very fun. I think it actually won the Audie award.

Hi All!!! Had to figure out why my notifications weren’t working on GR, but I’m here and ready for another fun year of Uno!!!

Michael wrote: "Hi All!!! Had to figure out why my notifications weren’t working on GR, but I’m here and ready for another fun year of Uno!!!"

If you don't get your notifications figured out, try deleting cookies on all devices and logging out of all devices, then log back in. I was having the same issue. The only bad thing was I had to go back and re-check all the "notify me when people comment" boxes on all the topics I was following.

What do we think this color is? Tineye says blue, but I'm never sure about that site and this one seems bluish greenish to me. :)



I'll keep looking to see if I have any more obvious colors in my library holds or personal book stash.

I was so excited to post a better green book cover and I think my eyes are just broken. This really looks green to me! Tineye says it's blue. It's a Christmas book so maybe I'm just willing it to be green?



I give up...for now. 😉

Denise wrote: "What do we think this color is? Tineye says blue, but I'm never sure about that site and this one seems bluish greenish to me. :)



I'll keep looking to see if..."

LOL, our first teal cover. Yes, I think it gets away with being blue.

Denise wrote: "I was so excited to post a better green book cover and I think my eyes are just broken. This really looks green to me! Tineye says it's blue. It's a Christmas book so maybe I'm just willing it to b..."



And this is definitely green. ;)

I could use for blue 2. Male MC: Tibald :)

(Unless it seems too grey, of course)

Sorry, I don't think it's blue enough. :(

It's more dark-light grey-ish.

Also, we don't have to use tineye, just sayin'. 😉

I would only use it if I'm unsure about the % of a certain colour.

Michael wrote: "Hi All!!! Had to figure out why my notifications weren’t working on GR, but I’m here and ready for another fun year of Uno!!!"

Happy you are here, Michael. I started to worry a bit.
🤭

Soooo, requesting 📚📚📚📚

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
📖 Any all-time favourite books or authors?
📖 Books you loved reading in 2024


I will add them to THIS POST later on

To check what cards we were dealt in this month, you can always see THIS POST Our Team or Tracking Sheets (the list is at the bottom)

🌠🌠 Reverse Cards 🌠🌠
The card randomiser went trigger happy and gave us 11 Reverse Cards for this month, so please be on the lookout!

✨If you are adding any books to our tracking sheet, please have a look what other teamies have added and you can always add "read by .." under the reverse option.
✨If you are grabbing a book to read, you can always check under friends activity whether someone from our team has read it, but for this you need to befriend each other. / Same goes if you are checking out each other's shelves.


🌈🌈Claiming Colour Cards🌈🌈

📒- 2 Yellow
📒- 9 Yellow
📕- 6 Red
📕- 9 Red
🌈 Wild Draw 4
🌈 Wild Draw 4
🌈 Wild Draw 4

Claimed:
*📘- 2 Blue - Denise
*📘- 7 Blue - Jhmingos
*📘- 9 Blue - Melinda
*📗- 6 Green - Denise

Melindam wrote: "Also, we don't have to use tineye, just sayin'. 😉

I would only use it if I'm unsure about the % of a certain colour."

Tineye is not my friend, but I don't trust my own eyes. Especially for the dark yellow, greenish-blue, reddish-orange books. I'm convinced my eyes see things differently than the rest of the world. Or that my mind is willing them to be the color I want. 😉

If no one disputes these colors (and it's honestly fine if you do), I can claim 2 Blue (This Spells Love) and 6 green (One Big Happy Family).

They are yours. :)

Well, if we have so many Reverses, then I could focus on them. I've seen the first Percy Jackson on Melinda's and Denise's read list, as well as Murder on the Orient Express and a few others. :)

That's great, thank you, Chrissie. 😊

I also found 2 reverses with Garden Spells and Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.

Melindam wrote: "Soooo, requesting 📚📚📚📚

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

📖 Any all-time favourite books or authors?
📖 Books you loved reading in 2024"

Okay, here I go 🤭

My all-time favourite author is Oscar Wilde. If we speak in terms of the living then Adam Silvera and T.J. Klune are doing their best to claim my heart or destroy it for that matter and I really love Arttu Tuominen's crime novels.

I think my favourite read of last year was All the Colors of the Dark.

Can I get 7 Blue, please? I'll read .

I can also cover the other colored covers no one claims.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
📖 Any all-time favourite books or authors:
Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Dunnett, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ilona Andrews

📖 Books you loved reading in 2024

and the Niccolo Rising series by Dorothy Dunnett

I loooved Garden Spells and First Frost!

Denise wrote: "I loooved Garden Spells and First Frost!"

This year one of my reading goals is to try and tick off books I've already bought, but haven't read yet, so I went through my specific list and checked whether one of you have read any books from that.

I checked out your review, Denise. It gives me hopes. 😊

Also, I am sure I can pick up some more colour covers, but first I'd like to give all of you a chance to claim 1 or 2.

Chrissie wrote: "Melindam wrote: "Soooo, requesting 📚📚📚📚

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

📖 Any all-time favourite books or authors?
📖 Books you loved reading in 2024"

Okay, here I go 🤭

My all-time favourite author is Os..."

Have you read The First to Die at the End? I liked the first one, but haven't gotten to this one yet.

Yes, I read them both and can hardly wait for the next.

Jhmingos wrote: "Can I get 7 Blue, please? I'll read .

I can also cover the other colored covers no one claims."

Yes, of course. 😊