Hey, everybody! Welcome to the Hour 18 Mini-Challenge! We–Mia and Jessica–are happy to host you guys as we continue on our collective reading journey! We know it’s getting rough out there for a lot of you (us too!), so how about some Read-a-Thon style mad libs to keep our brains awake?
Here’s what you’re gonna do:
1) pick a paragraph (not too long) from the book you’re reading
2) remove some of the nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs, and either
3a) get a friend (in person, over the phone, over the internet–whatever!) to fill in the words for you mad-libs style or
3b) fill them in yourself from the spoiler-texted word list below
4) post your hilarious paragraph on your blog and link us to it or leave it in a comment here!
Easy, right? Here’s an example. I (Jessica) started with this paragraph from Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones:
While my mother was dancing with Raleigh, she kept her eyes firmly on James. When Raleigh held her waist, she let her torso fall backward, her hair leading the way, laughing until she righted herself quickly. She and I had the same hair, but I hadn’t learned yet to make it move for me. When the music stopped, Raleigh let my mother go, his arms falling to his sides. I kept my eyes peeled for that moment, so I could be there, ready with an icy glass for his empty hand.
I asked Mia for two people, three body parts, a verb, and an adjective. After plugging everything in, I got:
While my mother was dancing with Mr. Rogers, she kept her elbows firmly on LeVar Burton. When Mr. Rogers held her waist, she let her torso fall backward, her belly button leading the way, wiggling until she righted herself quickly. She and I had the same belly button, but I hadn’t learned yet to make it move for me. When the music stopped, Mr. Rogers let my mother go, his arms falling to his sides. I kept my eyes peeled for that moment, so I could be there, ready with an itchy glass for his empty booty.
It made us both giggle a whole heck of a lot, and we hope it’ll do the same for you!
Here’s a list of some words if you don’t want to or can’t bother someone (feel free to adapt as necessary, e.g. making nouns plural or changing verb tense):
1. luxuriant
2. smelly
3. underwhelmed
4. autumnal
5. immortal
6. cartoonish
7. convincing
8. literary
Adverbs
1. hungrily
2. especially
3. grumpily
4. romantically
5. smugly
6. carefully
7. frighteningly
8. triumphantly
Nouns
1. reader
2. toenail
3. accent
4. basketball
5. pumpkin spice latte
6. midnight
7. parody
8. mass market paperback
Verbs
1. dangle
2. wreak
3. sleeve
4. haunt
5. crunch
6. trick-or-treat
7. blacken
8. scream
We’ll run the challenge until hour 21 and winners will receive a book of their choice (worth up to $12) from the Book Depository. Go ahead and get libbing!
NBP 
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“She’s looking at me so intensely. I want to lean over and kiss her. Instead, I snatch the tube back and bop her on the head. ‘Aren’t you going to open this?'”
Per the boyfriend, changes to:
“She’s reading at me so waspishly. I want to lean over and kick her. Instead, I snatch the cookie back and bop her on the bellybutton. ‘Aren’t you going to snort this?'”
My paragraph from “A Farewell to Arms.”
The original: It was bright sunlight in the room when I awoke. I thought I was back at the front and stretched out in bed. My legs hurt me and I looked down at them still in the dirty bandages, and seeing them knew where I was. I reached up for the bell-cord and pushed the button. …
The mad-libby: It was bright midnight in the room when I trick-or-treated. I thought I was back at the front and dangled out in bed. My legs haunted me and I looked down at them still in the immortal bandages, and seeing them knew where I was. I reached up for the pumpkin spice latte and pushed the toenail.
Who knew war could be so silly?
“Still, it could be worse. I start to play and my -eyes- nimble up and I get off the stool and -bark- and -groan- against my guitair, pummel it until it screeches and screams just the way I want it to. Or almost the way I want it to. There’s probably a hundred grand’s worth of -kittens- in this room, but none of them sound as good as my -miniature- Les Paul Junior; the guitar I’d had for ages, the one I’d recorded our first -squash- on, the one that, in a fit of stupidity or hubris or whatever, I’d allowed to be auctioned off for -mars bars-. The shiny, -moldy- replacements have never sounded or felt quite right. Still, when I crank it up -new-, I do manage to lose myself for a second or -five-.”
Where She Went by Gayle Forman — Mad Libs
Taken from Fairest: Of Them All, p 84
It’s the sword you need to look at. You were so close to figuring it out, before you let yourself be misdirected. You complain about being a bad detective. Fine. Then be a good spy. You’ve encountered diversions before. Your case history shows a hundred missions where you didn’t fall for the opposition’s attempted diversions.
Mad Libbed:
It’s the flowers you need to travel at. You were so close to figuring it out, before you let Egypt be carpeted. You complain about being a mahogany cardboard. Fine. Then be a flaxen maiden. You’ve encountered kite before. Your case history shows 40 missions where you didn’t fall for the opposition’s plugged thread.
Happy Readings!
Here is mine!
http://thebookmonsters.com/deweys-readathon-2/
Here is my paragraph: http://mostlyreviews.blogspot.gr/2014/10/deweys-24-hour-read-thon.html
Here’s my completely mad mad libs: http://www.bookbunnys.com/2014/10/18/deweys-24-hour-readathon-progress-post/ Thanks for a fun challenge :)
Pingback: Dewey’s Readathon Updates: October 2014
Oh man, I LOVE mad libs! What a fun idea :) I took mine from Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar and shared it on my blog (Update #8): http://erinreads.com/2014/10/deweys-readathon-updates-october-2014/
http://world4anna1.blogspot.com/2014/10/dewey-challenge.html
Pingback: Hour 19 – Tired Owl Put a Spell On You! | Dewey's Read-a-Thon
Frankenstein:
Original: Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge. I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants and have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery.
Adjective, verb, noun, emotion, noun, verb ending in -ed
Revised: Cursed, romantic creator! Why did I concede? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the piano of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; giddiness had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of sausage and revenge. I could with pleasure have hiccupped the cottage and its inhabitants and have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery.
darjlj75 (at) gmail (dot) com
The original passage from Frostbitten: Anastasia gasped as she watched the woods become nothing more than a dark blur. Her heart thudded within her chest, and she clung onto Frost’s fur until her hands felt numb. Nonetheless, she’d never felt so alive. It was like he wanted to share with her the greatest aspect of being a werewolf, and she couldn’t help but experience a sense of power from being situated so high upon him. Together, Anastasia felt like she and Frost could accomplish anything. They truly were the rulers of the woods.
The new passage for madlibs: Anthea crashed as she watched the Opera House become nothing more than a burnt crisp. Her heart banged within her chest and she clung to Sean’s fingers until her skin felt so rough. It was like Sean wanted to share with her the greatest aspect of being a dog, and Anthea couldn’t help but experience a sense of bravery from being situated so high upon Sean. Together, Anthea felt like she and Sean could accomplish anything. They truly were the rulers of the Opera House.
Original text (from Wonder Woman New 52 Vol. 1):
“We are surrounded, sisters! These warriors are like nothing we’ve ever faced!”
“Amazons! Throw your weapons to the ground! You’re attacking yourselves!”
Mad lib version:
“We are giddy, watermelons! These turnips are like nothing we’ve ever tamed!”
“Amazons! Throw your spoons to the ground! You’re laughing yourselves!”
“You won’t let me buy any clothes. Now you won’t let me buy a road map, either!
I need to spend some money or I’m going to go crazy!”
Changes into:
“You won’t let me paint any apples. Now you won’t let me scream a song, either!
I need to cut some toenails or you’re going to go to sleep!”
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here is mine
On Saturday a smelly southwest accent came in, so everyone went dangling. I had an underwhelmed wet basketball, which I was eager to try. I’d found it in the alley and cut of the readers and toenails a few inches to make it fit.
Nick made sure his parachute was secure on his back one last time before he pulled open the side hatch on the plane, exposing them to the outside world. A whistling gust of air hit him in the face like a brick, chilling and effectively breathing energy back into his body. The strong wind took care of his sweaty palms, leaving only the nervousness in the pit of his stomach.
My sister changed it to:
Frank made sure his v******r was lovely on his ear one last time before he sprayed the chopsticks on the peanut butter, watching them to the rainbow dinosaur. A snorting coke of edamame hang him in the toe like an oil pan peeing and justly eating dog back into his armpit. The dirty butthole took care of his pretty nostril, leaving only the attractiveness in the bell pepper of his eye lid.
Taken from Bleak House:
He pursued this fancy with the lightest foot over a variety of ground and made us all merry, though again he seemed to have as serious a meaning in what he said as he was capable of having. I left them still listening to him when I withdrew to attend to my new duties. They had occupied me for some time, and I was passing through the passages on my return with my basket of keys on my arm when Mr. Jarndyce called me into a small room next his bed-chamber, which I found to be in part a little library of books and papers and in part quite a little museum of his boots and shoes and hat-boxes.
Mad Libbed (by myself, using the words listed above):
He pursued this reader with the lightest foot over a variety of ground and made us all smelly, though again he seemed to have as serious a meaning in what he said as he was capable of having. I left them still listening to him when I withdrew to attend to my new duties. They had blackened me for some time, and I was screaming through the passages on my return with my mass market paperback on my arm when Mr. Jarndyce called me into a small room next his bed-chamber, which I found to be in part a little library of books and papers and in part quite a little museum of his boots and shoes and basketballs.
From the rather preposterous Gothic “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen:
Original:
Suddenly, as they watched, they heard a long-drawn sigh, and suddenly did the colour that had vanished return to the girl’s cheeks, and suddenly her eyes opened. Clarke quailed before them. They shone with an awful light, looking far away, and a great wonder fell upon her face, and her hands stretched out as if to touch what was invisible; but in an instant the wonder faded, and gave place to the most awful terror. The muscles of her face were hideously convulsed, she shook from head to foot; the soul seemed struggling and shuddering within the house of flesh. It was a horrible sight, and Clarke rushed forward, as she fell shrieking to the floor.
Mad Libbed with help from my boyfriend:
Suddenly, as they watched, they heard a long-drawn honk, and suddenly did the velocipede that had vanished return to the girl’s tibia, and suddenly her canine tooth trundled. Clarke trimmed before them. They frolicked with an awful centerpiece, looking far away, and a great credenza fell upon her flank, and her hands stretched out as if to touch what was doddering; but in an instant the popcorn graduated, and gave place to the most rotund porcupine. The muscles of her face were greedily perverse, she shook from funnybone to earlobe; the soul seemed enormous and wrinkled within the fisherman of flesh. It was a petulant sight, and Clarke carped forward, as she fell convincing to the floor.
kandake (at) gmail (dot) com