Hooked on Books discussion

Kirsten, did you still want to do the BR for Breathe? I know you're not using it and I'm okay with skipping the BR if you want. Or we can keep the BR thread open for maybe February or whatever month down the road where it fits and I can read something else for this month

@Amanda, thanks for the 2nd shot info. @Lisa, I’m going to add it to our Jokers and am ready to start.

@Amanda, I was trying to get more strong women so moved Breathe off. I’d definitely still reread it, but if you need it or you’re dying to, go ahead. I think it’s by far her best book so would commit for next month or just read it with you but not use it.

ETA Or, @Lisa, you did it already!

My book club book works for strong women but i need to read it first to see where it will fit ..if anywhere 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

I started Serving Mr Chamberlain and I should finish today and then I can start Second Shot.

I only had to re-arrange my Cryptid book and they aren't waiting for me as of now. :0

Hey guys I am quite new to Goodreads and would love to make some new book friends! Feel free to add so I can be nosey at what your all reading. Love thriller book and from uk

MN Lisa wrote: "I started Serving Mr Chamberlain and I should finish today and then I can start Second Shot.

I only had to re-arrange my Cryptid book and they aren't waiting for me as of now. :0"

I’m going to finish Chocolate Wars and then start 2nd shot, so I think we’ll be in sync.

Kirsten wrote: "@Amanda, thanks for the 2nd shot info. @Lisa, I’m going to add it to our Jokers and am ready to start.

@Amanda, I was trying to get more strong women so moved Breathe off. I’d definitely still re..."

Let's save it for next month! I can definitely find something else for this month

Browsing through the Audible Sale: Karaoke Queen for 5.99

https://www.audible.com/pd/Karaoke-Qu...

Oooh thank you Lisa, that's perfect!

I found a few others that I'm thinking about getting. Gotta check them out on GR first.

Amanda....I'm getting ready to read Second Shot by Con Riley. Do I need to read #1 first? This will be my first Con Riley book.....

Ooh boy lol. You don’t have to but it has a lot of characters from two other series so the name dropping might get annoying. The central plot/romance is standalone though IMO

I dealt with that when Janine and I read On the Edge. I think I can handle it. Plus I can always go back and read it. I didn't really want to try and squeeze more books in right now.

What books are we focusing on finishing during the Themed Week?
Our Wives Under the Sea
We Used to Live Here
??

Those are the only two I have with females in them...

I just found We Used to Live here on Everand, so I can read it on my phone instead of waiting for a book at the library. I'm 1st in line, but not expected to be back until 1/15.

I think it’s these 4 for buddy/team reads, but correct me if I’m wrong.

We Used to Live Here
The Warm Hands of Ghosts
The Five Year Lie
Our Wives Under the Sea

Don't forget. Books you finish between 1/8 and 1/14 that have a strong female character can have the "Q1 Bonus: Themed Reading Week" checked.

Ok. I just can't do it. Our Wives Under the Dea is just not for me. I'm replacing it with The Secret by Julie Garwood.

I won't return it yet. Let me know if it gets better.....

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Official Definition for this challenge for the Diversity Reading Bonus.

MN Lisa wrote: "Ok. I just can't do it. Our Wives Under the Dea is just not for me. I'm replacing it with The Secret by Julie Garwood.

I won't return it yet. Let me know if it gets better....."

I just wrote in the thread that it definitely doesn’t have a happy ending. It’s probably good you noped out.

Hey, Jackie— what would you think of holding Karaoke Queen over? It will definitely fit that friendship week next month and I’m sure it can fit something next month. These seem pretty malleable.

If we waited on that (I forgot you’d opted for this—drag queen romance—and just checked with Amanda who is fine) I could read Puck and Prejudice for my Arrows time travel. I’m not feeling the one that I picked for that challenge and I’d get another strong woman that way.

If not, no problem and I’ll read KQ this month.

No problem. Next month is fine.

Thanks. Next month for this and James, probably, then.

Kirsten, this means all I have left is After Felix. I'm super open with reading currently so whenever you want!

I need to finish the Bowen and the time travel (today) and then I can do Felix. So, like Tuesday?

Sounds perfect!

Okay, I cannot read another MF right now. I'm going to read a super quick Riley Hart for spell and then read the Bowen and then Felix--I should still be good to go for Tuesday.

If you need to push it to later in the week don't worry about it! I want to use it for Spell so before Saturday is all

I’m using for spell too, so for sure. Now I’m thinking Wednesday, though.

I just looked and tasks are not out yet, but the Genre Bonus is MPG Romance in February.

MN Lisa wrote: "I just looked and tasks are not out yet, but the Genre Bonus is MPG Romance in February."

That’s easy for some of them.

Im determined to finish my last book today , i do 100 pgs and have to read something else to break it up 😄😄

Ive asked ashley when we get our next lot of tasks

New tasks are on our SS

BR ideas:

James (URA, unlikely friendship)
Karaoke Queen (URA, intercultural romance, friends to lovers/friendship)
Breathe (LGBTQIA romance, strong family)
Gone for Good (yellow cover, thriller, strong family)
Vicious (red cover, thriller, friendship)
The Lost Story (romance, friendship, blue cover, URA, animals maybe, lgbtqia)

These are just thoughts from my TBR for UNO and holdovers from last month

I'm definitely up for Karaoke Queen. I've already read Gone for Good and Vicious.

I'd like to read James but have it on hold at the library and not likely to get it anytime soon. Also have The Lost Story on hold and might get it in time.

I am also way down the list for James. I'm like #17 in line for 4 books.

Jackie wrote: "I'm definitely up for Karaoke Queen. I've already read Gone for Good and Vicious.

I'd like to read James but have it on hold at the library and not likely to get it anytime soon. Also have The Los..."

I don't need to read either of those -- they were just possibilities. I forgot you'd read Vicious, Jackie. I thought GforG was an option, but I don't care at all.

I'm up for anything.

I would love to read Lost Story if anyone was up for it. We also need to find a friends to lovers romance for us all to read for max points. I chose last time and don't want the pressure again!

If I remember correctly, Jackie does not usually read a lot of romance, so finding one that is romance lite?

Orientation by Gregory Ashe
From Precis:
a budding romance lays bare long-buried feelings between Shaw and North, and as their relationship splinters, solving the case may come at the cost of their friendship.

It's MPG Romance and KU (at least in US) and its only 294 Pages.

Won't help too much for Uno since the cover is white though.

MN Lisa wrote: "Orientation by Gregory Ashe
From Precis:
a budding romance lays bare long-buried feelings between Shaw and North, and as their relationship splinters, solving the case may come at t..."

I would read if we want to do it as our team BR.

Obviously, that works for me. I love GA (I've read it before and so has Amanda, but I have no problem reading it again). KU and fairly short is a huge plus for a team read.

I would probably recommend Lamb and the Lion over Orientation for a non romance reader. Orientation has some very heavy pining in it. (I'd obviously still read it)

I think though a better option might be an LGBT non romance that is still marked romance because of the author. Something like Death in the Spires (but not exactly that since it hasn't been a year since Kirsten read it). Or a cozy like Dead in the Garden--Janine and I have already read this one but we both reread

I'm really up for everything though. Almost every single book I already had planned last time was picked so I'm just joining others!

ETA: Did not see we were specifically looking for a friends to lovers romance, whoops lol. I do think it would be a later book in the North & Shaw saga that would technically work, but the pining might allow Orientation to squeak in.

Kirsten wrote: "BR ideas:

James (URA, unlikely friendship)
Karaoke Queen (URA, intercultural romance, friends to lovers/friendship)
Breathe (LGBTQIA romance, strong family)
Gone for Good (yellow cover, thriller, ..."

I'm in for Karaoke Queen, Breathe (if we want, can also hold off again if we end up filling with others), Vicious (reread for me but I love Schwab) and The Lost Story--I'm also good with waiting a little bit for any too and will join in on any of these at any time. (Also if we end up with empty spots we need to fill would be happy to do the Lily books we discussed)

We could also each choose two months and those are the months that we make the group buddy read call. (with two extras for random or "I am so busy I can read only these books" situations)

I was thinking friends to lovers so that we could get the bonus week read of friendship but also get a main page romance. Bummer about Death in the Spires--that would have been perfect, I think.

But Orientation is mpg Romance, is a mystery/thriller and honestly much lighter on romance than most because there's more story going on, the MCs are definitely friends...

The Same Breath is also mpg Romance, is mystery/thriller, has love of a dog, they are friends, and there's hardly any romance (view spoiler)[but iirc, there is a v v disturbing dubious consent scene that is quite honestly one of worst for me (though I think that's a personal thing rather than an absolute) (hide spoiler)]. I can say more about it if you like.

Finally (I am a huge Gregory Ashe fan), The Strangest Forms is also mpg Romance, mystery/thriller, marked YA but it's so not very YA (though no on page sex, iirc) and about friends

I know I just said that I picked last month and didn't want the pressure this month, but having read all the Ashe (literally, except that one series) I just wanted to fill in some info, because I thought Lisa had a really good idea here and I'm so sorry about DitS, because it would have been a terrific option, I think, for our group.

I kind of like the idea of consensus better than 2 months, but I don't really care.

Amanda wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "BR ideas:

James (URA, unlikely friendship)
Karaoke Queen (URA, intercultural romance, friends to lovers/friendship)
Breathe (LGBTQIA romance, strong family)
Gone for Good (yellow c..."

Amanda, let's assume we're doing KC and Lost Story (with Jackie assuming it comes in--we can wait til the end of the month) and you and I can do Breathe and Vicious, unless there are other buddy reads that interest more people. I'm always happy to jump in with anyone and to play things by ear. We are such fairly quick readers that I feel like we can be flexible.

And yes everyone, I know I still have a book left for this month! I am going to start and finish it on Sunday, regardless of what happens with Spell.

Kirsten wrote: "I was thinking friends to lovers so that we could get the bonus week read of friendship but also get a main page romance. Bummer about Death in the Spires--that would have been perfect, I think.

B..."

You know that I am also a huge Gregory Ashe fan and will always read more! You're right about The Same Breath scene, it's pretty harsh. I didn't look at any of the qualifications and misunderstood so Orientation is also good with me. Strangest Forms is also a really good one. Literally name a GA book and I will read it so long as it hasn't been too recently that I previously read it lol.

Consensus is good with me! I just have anxiety about overstepping lol so if at any point I'm suggesting too much I need to be told

Well, same. I am just so bossy that I'll run right over everyone and I don't want to do that.

I think we should not read Same Breath--I love Tean and Jem, but I cannot in good conscience suggest a team read with that scene.

I'm good with whatever and could even go with a non-mm romance. I was just trying to think of an author that is more story than romance and a slow burn.

I have filled out most of my selections for Feb so you can see if you there are any BR opportunities and as people fill them out I may change. I do have one other GA book on the list too.

@Janine. I have two more from Bar 28 on the list and you might like Leo. its not at all bdsm and Haydn has a little, but not like sawyer at all. I'll peruse it again to confirm more details if you think you might want to give those guys a shot again.

Just read an interview with Gregory Ashe. John-Henry was supposed to be the murderer and it was only going to be one book. What?!?!

Also, he grew up Mormon so that's why The Lamb and the Lion is set in Utah.