Hooked on Books discussion

Where stories collide, partners connect, and your next great read is just a prompt away.

Welcome to your team’s challenge thread! This is your space to track your progress, post your Story Stitches (connection blurbs), and document your journey through The Narrative Nexus.

✅ How It Works:
You'll complete 12 prompts total:
4 Mirror Prompts – Same theme, opposite interpretations.
4 Split Prompts – Each picks a different prompt from a pair.
4 Wildcard Prompts – You choose the theme, and your partner gives you 3 books to pick from.

Prompts are assigned one at a time.

After completing a prompt, post your Story Stitch in the check-in thread to unlock your next prompt.

📘 Your Thread Rules:
Use this thread to:
Chat about your picks
Track your books
Brainstorm connections
Draft your Story Stitches before posting them officially

There’s no deadline — go at your own pace.

Have fun, be creative, and support your partner’s weird reading whims.

Team
🦦 Tianna - Msg 21
🦦 Leanne - Msg 22

Hi there Tianna. A little about me. Joined GR in November 2023. My daughter is also a GR member and moderator. I joined because I always have a book in progress. Reading a book for challenges was a challenge for me in the beginning. I enjoyed them because they introduced me to new authors and books I most likely would never have read. I ream mostly thrillers, crime and historical fiction. I have a long list of favorite authors.

Looking forward to this challenge. I asked for a "true" go at your own pace type partner. I have a lot going on this summer so I anticipate being a bit slow till around October when life settles down. Hope that fits into what you wanted for a partner!

I guess we need a name for our team. Any suggestions. I'll think a bit to try to find one. Anyway, here we go!!!

Mighty Duo
Plot Thickens
Book Hookers
Story Seekers
Thrill Readers

hi Leanne I've been a user of goodreads actually before amazon took so many years now. I started using it because I have a lot of books and was the easiest outside of writing it down to track everything.
I'm always reading but its 99% fantasy, with cozy romance and romantasy dropped in occasionally.

Go at your own pace is very much me, im quite slow reader over all and am currently finishing a dissertation so for another month or so I wont be reading that much.

also great name choices I actually quite like Plot Thickens and Story Seekers I think they both work well with what we like to read

hi Leanne I've been a user of goodreads actually before amazon took so many years now. I started using it because I have a lot of books and was the easiest outside of writing it down to track everything.
I'm always reading but its 99% fantasy, with cozy romance and romantasy dropped in occasionally.

Go at your own pace is very much me, im quite slow reader over all and am currently finishing a dissertation so for another month or so I wont be reading that much.

also great name choices I actually quite like Plot Thickens and Story Seekers I think they both work well with what we like to read

🧩 Prompt #: Saint / Sinner

Type: Split Prompt

What this means:
This is a Split Prompt, which means each of you will choose one side of the theme and pick a book inspired by it. You're reading different books, but building a connection between your contrasting choices.

For this one:
One of you picks Saint — a story with a morally upright, idealistic, or self-sacrificing protagonist. Think healers, heroes, or people just trying to do the right thing no matter what.

The other picks Sinner — a book featuring a morally gray, selfish, chaotic, or outright villainous main character. Think antiheroes, con artists, dark lords, or loveable disasters.

📌 Once you’ve both finished reading, post your Story Stitch (your connection blurb) in the Check-In Thread to unlock your next prompt.

💡 Creativity is key — not just in your connection, but in how you interpret the prompt. If you can make a case for your character's sainthood or their sin? It counts.

Stretch Example:
One of you reads a cozy fantasy about a grumpy bartender who grudgingly helps everyone — clearly a “saint in disguise.”
The other picks a romance where the protagonist makes terrible choices but is doing it all in the name of love — morally gray but emotionally honest.

🧠 If it makes sense to you, you’re doing it right. Saints and sinners come in many forms. 😇😈

FYI. Story Seekers was claimed by Team 5.

OK Tianna. Looks like our name is Plot Thickens. I liked Story Seekers but MN Lisa says it's taken. I'll ask Lisa to get us Plot Thickens.

Now we pick a book. You like fantasy et al so how about you take Saints. I like creepy slightly evil so I'll do Sinners. If you think this will work, we can pick our books.

No pressure. LMK

yep that sounds good to me can definitely find a book where a character does goes in some way

Prompt #: Saint / Sinner
TASK: Sinner — a book featuring a morally gray, selfish, chaotic, or outright villainous main character.
BOOK: My Sister Rosa
AUTHOR: Justine Larbalestier
PAGES: 405
DATE READ: 07/07/2025
RATING: 3
HOW IT FITS THE TASK: This family is filled with psychopaths under the umbrella of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The daughter in the book is 10 yo Rosa. Rosa believes she is smarter than anyone else and can make others do her bidding. She talks Simone into eating a smoothy with peanut butter when she knows she is deathly allergic. Stands and watches Simone go into anaphylactic hock. Epi pen in her hand. Her brother walks in and takes the pen and saves Simone's life. In her second attempt, she talks Simone into pushing her sister who then gets hit by a bike and dies from her injuries. She feels no remorse. Said she wanted to kill someone but promised her brother she would never do it. She uses Simone to kill Mia (Simone's twin sister). Again, no remorse and feels like Simone should thank her for getting rid of her twin. She also has confessed that her father told her that once she killed should would get it out of her system. Book is filled with evil intent. It was difficult to read to realize that a 10 yo could think of ways to manipulate others. And that this behavior can run in families. Her father, uncle and grandfather all behave in ways that do not take into account the feelings of others with no remorse. Rosa has a brother Che. He has known something is wrong with his sister and attempts to keep her in line. He is in constant anquish over her behavior and it spills into his life and relationships.

sorry for taking so long finally finished a book,

prompt : saint/ sinner
Saint: a story with a normally upright, idealistic, or self sacrificing protagonist.

Book : The Emperor's Soul
Brandon Sanderson
128 pages

How it fits:
Shai, is a master forger, who is captured and forced to magically rebuild the Emperor's Soul. With only a short time to rebuild the soul and her life on the line, she decides to restore Emperor as a wiser, kinder and more just soul, instead of the puppet the captors asked for.
She decided to risk her life for the good of the empire, instead of simply following and creating an easily manipulated Emperor.

Tianna:
Here is my feeble attempt at comparing the two books. Please replace, edit or whatever you want then we post to the check in thread. Then we get another challenge.

In Leanne's book, "My Sister Rosa" only two characters think about others. The rest have no goodness in their heart. Every act is meant to demean and harm page after page is full of manipulation and cunning. In Tianna's book, "The Emperor's Soul" Shai is kidnapped and is commissioned to rebuild the Emperor's soul to behave as always, with no good in mind so he can be used for evil. However, Shai decides to change the Emperors intent to one of kindness and goodness, the opposite of what was requested of her putting her life in danger. In both books the characters are used to make others miserable so others can have power. Both books have a "saviour". One who thinks of others in a good way and wants what is best for the other characters. In one book, evil prevails, in the other goodness rescues the day,

Now I may have gotten this all backwards. Please toss it if it does not fit our goal.

Does the bridge work for you? Anything to add? If none, I'll post this to the check in thread.

yes sorry that works with me

🧩 Prompt #2: Real World / Other World

Type: Split Prompt

What this means:
This is a Split Prompt, which means each of you picks one half of the paired theme and reads a book inspired by that choice. Your reads will be different, but thematically linked.

For this one:
One of you will pick a book grounded in the Real World — contemporary, historical fiction, memoir, or anything that feels rooted in reality.

The other will escape to the Other World — fantasy, magical realism, speculative fiction, or alternate realities. If it bends the rules of reality, it fits.

📌 Once you’ve both finished reading, post your Story Stitch (your connection blurb) in the Check-In Thread to unlock your next prompt.

Reality or fantasy — both have stories worth telling. 🌍✨

Tianna
I'd like reality if that's okay with you. I just finished a book that will qualify.

That leaves you with fantasy, etc. Which you said you enjoy.

LMK

Yep works well with me everything i read is fantasy anyway

Prompt #2: Real World / Other World
TASK: Real World — — contemporary, historical fiction, memoir, or anything that feels rooted in reality.
BOOK: The Tattooist of Auschwitz
AUTHOR: Heather Morris
PAGES: 272
DATE READ: 09/03/2025
RATING: 4
HOW IT FITS THE TASK: This book is based on a true story of the holocaust. Lale is a Slovakian Jew who speaks several languages. This knowledge saves him from the hard labor other prisoners endure. He connects with a lot of people in the camp because of his good nature. Friendly with the women (his mother taught him how to treat women and what makes them feel loved) who go through the clothing of those brought into the camp, sneak jewels and money to him which he uses to buy chocolate and food, and even penicillin. He shares with others in the camp. He is a good man who risks his life with each transaction. Lale meets Gita as he tattoos her number on her wrist. Over the course of the next couple of months, they fall in love. He will do anything to protect her and the others that have helped him help others. ............... more to come.