Pick-a-Shelf discussion

This is the thread for September. Some of the instructions are posted below as well for your ease of reference.

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from July 2025 reads.

C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves (aside from "to-read", "currently-reading"). (they may end up being duplicated if you are a genre reader).

You will read a book from each of these shelves (preferably those already on your TBR).

D. Your Options

For this section, you may choose to either read purely from your TBR or new books* or BOTH! There are separate tasks as per below options:

*the definition of new books here is quite liberal; it could literally be a new book you've brought home or newly published book which you've put on your TBR last year or new-to-you... whichever works for you

Each of the books you read for L4L are to be used as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1 book cannot be used for more than 1 prompt per option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.


D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)

4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages

..

September TBR Bender 2025

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from July 2025 reads.
1.
The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos, Judy Batalion
Nonfiction, history, world war II

2.
Remainders of the Day: A Bookshop Diary, Shaun Bythell
Nonfiction, books about books, Scotland

3.
The Memory of Lavender and Sage, Aimie K. Runyan
Magical realism, romance, France

C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves
1.

2. (Remainders of the Day: A Bookshop Diary, nonfiction)
It Rhymes With Takei, George Takei, 11 Sept 2025


3. (The Memory of Lavender and Sage, France)
Last Twilight in Paris, Pam Jenoff, 10 Sept 2025


D. Your Options

For this section, you may choose to either read purely from your TBR or new books* or BOTH! There are separate tasks as per below options:

*the definition of new books here is quite liberal; it could literally be a new book you've brought home or newly published book which you've put on your TBR last year or new-to-you... whichever works for you

Each of the books you read for L4L are to be used as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1 book cannot be used for more than 1 prompt per option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.


D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)

4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages

September TBR Bender 2025

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from July 2025 reads.
1. Cry Wolf
2. The Little French Bistro
3. The Teller of Small Fortunes


C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves
1. Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance: Soul Taken
2. France, Contemporary, Literary Fiction: Blackberry Wine
3. Fantasy, Cozy, Mystery: Moonlight and Mischief

D. Your Options

Each of the books you read for L4L are to be used as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1 book cannot be used for more than 1 prompt per option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)
Blackberry Wine was added December 1, 2011
Key West Connection was also added on that date

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)
Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs (PB)
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.
Moonlight and Mischief has 161 pages
The Friend has 212 pages

September TBR Bender 2025

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from July 2025 reads.
1. The Antidote historical fiction, magical realism
2. Lonely Mouth book club, contemporary, family
3. The Lamb horror, queer, gothic


C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves
1. The Antidote historical fiction, magical realism First Name Second Name
2. Lonely Mouth book club, contemporary, family Blue Sisters
3. The Lamb horror We Used to Live Here

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added
Blue Sisters == June 2024 == Private Rites

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
First Name Second Name == The Second Chance Convenience Store

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.
We Used to Live Here +108= Creation Lake

September TBR Bender
Read: 0/6

Top 3 July Reads:
* The God of the Woods - Mystery, Thriller, Hist. Fiction
* Amy and Isabelle - Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Coming of Age
* Mean Moms - Mystery, Thriller, Summer

Like for Like (L4L):
* The God of the Woods - Hist. Fiction
1. The Song of Achilles - Hist. Fiction

* Amy and Isabelle - Contemporary
2. Britt-Marie Was Here - Contemporary

* Mean Moms - Mystery
3. Still Life - Mystery

TBR:
Series: Britt-Marie Was Here - standalone
4. My Friends - same author

Title: Still Life - Still
5. Lying Perfectly Still - Still

New:
Pages: The Song of Achilles - 351pp
6. Ayiti - 121pp

My spot :)

B: My Books - From July
1. Food Freedom Forever: Letting Go of Bad Habits, Guilt, and Anxiety Around Food - Nonfiction / Health / Food
2. My Dear Hamilton - Historical Fiction / Fiction / Favorites
3. Wormwood Abbey - Fantasy / Historical Fiction / 2025

C. Like for Like
1. Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome Shelf: Health Added: Jan 4, 2021
2. The Starless Sea Shelf: Favorites Added: Nov 21, 2019
3. A Wizard of Earthsea Shelf: Fantasy Added: Feb 17, 2017

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)
Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts (using Fiber Fueled, added: 1/2/21)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)
All Our Wrong Todays (by Elan Mastai, using The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.
Becoming a Woman of Extraordinary Faith: What If You Gave It All to God? (240 pages, using Wizard of Earthsea, 183 pages)

Read: 0/6

September

0/6
B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from July 2025 reads.
1. The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict 5 July 2025 ★★★★★ Historical, Mystery, Book Club
2. Cinder Luna by Marie Soleil 10 July 2025 ★★★★★ Retellings, Fairy Tales, Cinderella
3. Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh 20 July 2025 ★★★★★ Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy

Like for Like (L4L)
1. Book Club: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
2. Cinderella: An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn
3. Urban Fantasy - Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire



D.1. Your TBR
1. Shelved - March 2024 - The Lost Apothecary
Tea and Empathy by Shanna Swendson
2. Title word. - Gentleman - An Offer From a Gentleman
Lady Margaret's Mystery Gentleman by Christine Merrill
3. Author’s initials - (SM) Tricks for Free
Cinderella and the Scarred Viscount by Sarah Mallory

September

My top 3 July books:

The Luneburg Variation - Fiction / Italian Literature / Italy / Chess / Historical Fiction
Racconti di demoni russi - Fiction / Russia / Audiobook / Literature / Short Stories
The Princess Bride - Fantasy / Fiction / Romance / Humor / Adventure

L4L

The Luneburg Variation by Paolo Maurensig
Top shelf: TBD
Book #1: TBD

Racconti di demoni russi by Andrea Tarabbia
Top shelf: TBD
Book #2: TBD

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Top shelf: TBD
Book #3: TBD

D.1. Your TBR

1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.

Books read: 0/6

SEPTEMBER

My Top 5 Reads in July & shelves:
✔Under Heaven(Under Heaven #1): fantasy, historical fiction, historical, historical fantasy
✔The Widows of Malabar Hill:mystery, historical fiction, fiction, India, historical
✔ Gods of Jade and Shadow:fantasy, historical fiction, fiction, mythology, romance
✔Viral Nation(Viral Nation #1): ya, dystopia, science fiction, time travel, fiction
✔The First Omega: science fiction, novella, fiction, dystopia

Like 4 Like : a book on one of the 3-5 top shelves
Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (Viral Nation)
Book 1: The Fractured Dark (The Devoured Worlds #2)

Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (Under Heaven)
Book 2: Defending the Galaxy (Sentinels of the Galaxy #3)

Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (The Widows of Malabar Hill)
Book 3: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (The First Omega)
Book 4: Stories of the Raksura

Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (Gods of Jade and Shadow)
✔Book 5: Chain of Iron (The Last Hours, #2) - fin 8/1

D1 Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your [Like 4 Like] books, read from closest date added
✔Chain of Iron, 656 pages; added 3/23/25
The Queen of Notion, added 3/8/25 or Out of the Deep I Cry , added 4/20/25

2. Series: Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or another book by the same author
The Fractured Dark (The Devoured Worlds #2)
The Bound Worlds (The Devoured Worlds #3)

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)
Defending the Galaxy (Sentinels of the Galaxy #3), Maria Snyder
✔The Mongolian Wizard (The Mongolian Wizard #1), Michael Swanwick - fin 7/20

4. Title:Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
Stories of the Raksura (stories)
Bloodchild and Other Stories

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, 204 pages
anything with >254 pages

TBR Bender ❱❱ September
September - December 2025

My September TBR Bender (msg 11)

July Books
🔺Wounded ❱❱ romance; military fiction; contemporary; new adult; war
🔺Good Tidings ❱❱ mystery; paranormal; ghosts; romance; cozy mystery
🔺The Sapphire Affair ❱❱ romance; romantic suspense; contemporary

Like for Like



☑️military fiction ❱❱ Wounded
🔺Frank's Independence Day ❱❱ 08.03 ★★★★
ghosts ❱❱ Good Tidings
🔺The Hexed
☑️romantic suspense ❱❱ The Sapphire Affair
🔺Return to Me ❱❱ 08.17 ★★★★

Options - TBR



☑️Date ❱❱ The Hexed ❱❱ added May 2014
🔺Love, Tussles, and Takedowns ❱❱ 08.23 ★★★★
Title ❱❱ Return to Me ❱❱ me
🔺Being Me
☑️Pages ❱❱ Frank's Independence Day ❱❱ 146 pp ❱❱ 346 pp
🔺California Dreaming ❱❱ 08.22 ★★★

Options - New



Date ❱❱ Return to Me ❱❱ published 2009
🔺Sweet Seduction
Series ❱❱ Frank's Independence Day ❱❱ new series/author ❱❱ Grumpy Devils
🔺A Deal with the Devil
☑️Author ❱❱ The Hexed ❱❱ initials HG ❱❱ GH
🔺Unbreakable Bond ❱❱ 08.31 ★★★

SEPTEMBER

C. Like for Like (L4L)

1. Fifty-Fifty - thriller
She Won't Leave - Completed 9/8/25

2. The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death - crime
Dead Law - Completed 9/3/25

3. I See You've Called in Dead - 2025
Nobody’s Fool - Completed 9/4/25

4. The Mistake - audiobook
Trickster's Point - Completed 8/5/25

5. Whistle - mystery
Memory in Death

D. Your Options

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: - Memory in Death (added July 10, 2025) - read from closest date added
Back Blast (added July 13, 2025) - Completed 9/7/25

2. Series: Trickster's Point - read the next book in the series
Tamarack County - Completed 8/6/25

3. Author: Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben - read a book by an author with the same initials
My Darling Boy by Helen Cooper

4. Title: Dead Law - read a book with an identical word in title
A Dead Draw

5. Pages: She Won't Leave (241 pages) - read a book with at least 50 pages more (TBD)
Truth in Advertising (320 pages)


D.2. new books
1. Date: She Won't Leave (published Apr 10, 2024) - read a book published in the same year
Lights Out (published Feb 14, 2024)

2. Series: Memory in Death - read a book from a series by a new-to-you author
Deep Shadow (Caribbean Dive Adventures #1)

3. Author: Trickster's Point by William Kent Krueger - read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson - Completed 9/3/25

4. Title: Dead Law - read from a shelf with a word from the title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/law
Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions

5. Pages: Nobody’s Fool (352 pages) - read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages
Hard Duty (298 pages)

September
Goal: 3 Books
Read: 1/9

July Books
1. Come Sundown by Nora Roberts
Shelves: Romance, Nora Roberts, 2017, Romantic Suspense, Mystery
2. You Say It First by Susan Mallery
Shelves: Romance, Susan Mallery, Contemporary Romance, 2017, 2018
3. Olivia and the Masked Duke by Grace Callaway
Shelves: Historical Romance, Historical, Friends-to-Lovers, Age-Gap, 2021

Like for Like
✔︎ 1. Mystery - Seeing Red by Sandra Brown
Read: September 16, 2025
Rating: 3.5 Stars
2. Contemporary Romance - Harder by Dahlia West
3. Historical Romance - The Pleasures of Passion by Sabrina Jeffries

Options - TBR
1. Date (December 2024) - Only Enchanting by Mary Balogh (February 2025)
2. Pages (254+): The Forgotten One by Catherine Bybee (383)
3. Series: A Talent for Temptation by Sabrina Jeffries

Options - New
1. Publication Year (2017): Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis
2. Pages (204): Indiscreet by Mary Balogh (400)
3. Author: Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis

This is the thread for 0September. Some of the instructions are posted below as well for your ease of reference.

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads
from July 2025 reads.

C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books,
pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves (aside
from "to-read", "currently-
reading"). (they may end up being duplicated if you
are a genre reader).
You will read a book from
each of these shelves (preferably those already on your TBR).
Jolene
Completed 09/18/25
Miss Amelia's
List
Completed 09/7/25
Phoenix and Ashes

D. Your Options
For this section, you may choose to either read
purely from your TBR or
new books* or BOTH! There are separate tasks as per below options:
*the definition of new books here is quite liberal;
it could literally be a new book you've brought home
or newly published book which you've put on your
TBR last year or new-to-
you... whichever works for
you
Each of the books you
read for L4L are to be used
as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1
book cannot be used for
more than 1 prompt per
option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your
books, read from closest date added (could be the
month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in
January 2025)

Pick Six: A Havenmill Peach
Novel
All the Way Home: A Sirensong Falls Romance
Flirtasaurus
2. Series (maybe): Using
one of your books, read
the next book in the series
or (for stand alone book) read another
book by the same author
authnhor: Using one of
your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last
only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.


D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)

4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages

Goal: 3 books
Read: 2/6

July Books
1. The Assassins of Thasalon
2. A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines
3. The Message

L4L
1. Fantasy - The Jasmine Throne
2. Food - Be Ready When the Luck Happens 8/30
3. Nonfiction - Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire 9/10

Options: D.1 TBR
1. Series - sequel?
2. Pages - 307 + 50 = 357 - Borderline
3. Title - How High We Go in the Dark

My Top 5 reads & shelves
Goodnight Tokyo by Atsuhiro Yoshida : 2025, 2024, japanese-literature, contemporary, short-stories
Wildflowers by Kylie Scott : 2025, romance, arc, dystopian, contemporary
Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee : romance, netgalley, arc, contemporary, giveaways
Daughters of Flood and Fury by Gabriella Buba : fantasy, queer, adult, lesbian, LGBT
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston : romance, lgbtq, 2021, favorites, physical-tbr

Like 4 Like

Top Shelf: japanese-literature
🗸 Book 1: Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada -Read 09/15

Top Shelf: dystopian
Book 2:

Top Shelf: netgalley
Book 3:

Top Shelf: adult
Book 4: The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso

Top Shelf: romance
Book 5: Smoke in the Sun (Flame in the Mist #2) by Renée Ahdieh

D.1. Your TBR (all these books are on my TBR)
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author
Smoke in the Sun (Flame in the Mist #2) by Renée Ahdieh >>> The Damned (The Beautiful #2)

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)


4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)


5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.


D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.
>>> Walking Sydney: Fifteen walks with a city’s writers

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author


3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)


4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective


5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages