Hooked on Books discussion

Team Challenge
September 2025 - November 2025

Please consult the Toy Chest of Dread for your first toy selection. This is in the 3rd tab of your spreadsheet. Post your team name and the answer that the Toy Chest supplies you at the Occult Museum (check in thread).

Team
Sammy
Judith
Lexi

Important Links
Belle's Cabinet of Notices (Announcements)
Occult Museum (Check-in Thread)
Scoreboard
Ouija Board (Q&A)
Collectibles
The Monkey's Paw (Feedback)
SS: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Rules
⛓️Each toy/object has specific chains and/or tasks that need to be completed.
Examples:
1. Create a chain of 3 using titles consecutively (ABC)
-All the Light We Cannot See
-Becoming Mrs. Lewis
-Catching Fire
2. Create a chain of 3 with "dog" in the titles
-Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
-The Dog Stars
-Hot Dog Girl
⛓️One person should NOT complete a whole chain by themselves. This is a team challenge. However, if a toy/object has multiple chains and a slower reader can only/want to only read for 1 or 2 chains (they must read at least one), then the other two faster readers on the team can complete the other chains between the two of them.
⛓️You may choose which toy/object from the list to capture first but you MUST complete it BEFORE starting a new toy/object.
⛓️You may use or drop articles: A, An, The
⛓️If you somehow manage to incorporate a Buddy Read into a chain, you can earn points based on the BR tier system.
⛓️Standard Rules Apply
⛓️At the end of the official challenge (last day of November), your team may choose to continue on at your own pace. There will be no points accumulated after November but you can finish any toys/objects that you didn't get to during the challenge.

Scoring
You will get 3 points for every completed book (9 per completed chain) PLUS page points.

Hi all, checking in

Hello! Love the team name

Though, what’s Donna tryin’ to say 😂

Hello ladies! Thanks for the heads-up Lexi!

And here was me 100% expecting a posessed monkey 😆

I'm away this week, and though I have internet access, my mouse isn't working, so until I pick one up, I'm not on top of my game right now. So feel free to yell at me if I miss anything important!

I could change your team name if you don't like it. They were random, and I didn't assign them. I let our newbie assign the teams.

Maybe I could change it to Clockwork Monkey Horrors... sounds like a fun team name.

It sounds like something that should be killed with fire 😂

I'm liking the name...

Thinking I could give you a mascot to go with it...

Anyone ever tell you you have an evil streak..? 😆

I have heard that a time or two. Not sure why? I really don't understand it...

Have you both asked for access to the spreadsheet (here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...)?

Also, we need to spin for our first task. Are you ok with me going ahead and spinning?

Umm, nope hadn't done that yet (now have)

and go ahead and spin away!

Just got back from my trip to see daughter dear. will go request now!

Yes, please do Lexi!

I got 22 for our first one and will go sign us in.

Awesome, thanks Lexi.

🎭✨ A Whisper from Belladonna Belle ✨🎭

“Well, well, well… look who managed to wrangle every last teammate into the haunted halls of check-in! I must say, that kind of dedication warms even my porcelain heart. 💀🖤

Teams who move as one are rare in this carnival of sinister toys and restless relics. You’ve proven yourselves worthy of a standing ovation (and perhaps a watchful eye 👀 from the Toymaker’s shadows).

Keep it up, darlings—after all, the real challenge is making sure no one gets left behind in the dark…”

🎃💀 Congratulations, fully-checked-in teams! 💀🎃

Does this start tomorrow? I was wondering about tasks

Patience, my dear. I am just about to post them.

Sorry, between getting back from vacation and school about to start my brain is spazzing

22. Basano Vase

An ornate, antique silver vase believed to be cursed, originating from the town of Basano del Grappa in Italy. This mysterious vessel is said to bring tragedy and death to its owners, with a dark history of every family member who possessed it dying under strange or unexplained circumstances.

The vase is intricately crafted, featuring detailed engravings and an elegant shape that masks its sinister nature. According to legend, the vase carries a malevolent spirit or curse that dooms anyone who keeps it, making it a feared and avoided heirloom.

Its true whereabouts remain a mystery, and many stories warn of the misfortune it brings, making the Basano Vase a chilling symbol of a haunted object with a deadly legacy.

Complete the following tasks:

🇮🇹2. Cursed in Translation
Read a chain of 3 books set in Italy or written by an Italian author. Bonus if it involves art, religion, or superstition.

🗡️5. A Body on the Floor
Read a chain of 3 books that includes a murder or homicide — it can be part of the main plot or a key backstory detail. The more mysterious or cursed, the better.

🧾6. Passed Down, Passed Away
Read a chain of 3 books where a will, inheritance, or estate plays a role in the story — someone receives something after a death, whether they wanted it or not.

That looks very doable to start. Glad to see some more country places.

The Basano Vase sparkled at “very doable.”
Then it laughed.
“That’s what they all say.”

—Toymaker Lisa

Italy might be an issue for me until after the 12th... Turf is on India right now and my books are locked in. If I get through everything with time to spare I'll try and fit something in before then.

The murder one is no problem, and will go see if any of my lined up books fit the inheritance thing. naturally I just finished a couple! 😆

Now, there's something funky going on with the points awarded for my first read. getting 2 less points for the page count points in the total points box. Normally I would think there was a formula glitch somewhere, but this time, I'm not entirely certain of that... 😆

Tried it on one of my 1 point books, and the score came back as -1!

💀🎀 Belladonna Belle whispers:
“Darlings, don’t you dare touch that cleansing task dropdown unless I specifically tell you to. Unless, of course… you enjoy the sweet sound of points slipping away into the shadows. One wrong click, and poof—your score vanishes like a soul in the dark.

Go on, tempt fate if you must… I do love watching the careless bleed points.”

Hahaha! I hadn't even seen that was there. Ok, I won't touch it.

*is really curious now*

does it have some kind of magic spell? 😆

Umm, I guess that was my fault? I misunderstood what things meant what. And I missed the instructions to not touch that column.

I thought the task numbers corresponded to the cleaning column since they weren’t consecutive numbers. Clearly I was wrong.

Maybe we should make that column a different color or mark it mod only? Although I doubt any of us would do anything with it now

Don't worry about it Judith. We've been told, and I for one am far too scared to disobey 😆

🎀💀 Belladonna Belle (laughing softly):
“Oh, Raggedy Wraiths… I see your curious little eyes on that cleansing column. Patience, darlings. You’ll find out its purpose soon enough.

And when you do? Well… let’s just say you may wish you’d left that secret buried in the shadows. Heeheehee…”

Eek! 😂