YA LGBT Books discussion

This is a shoutout to see who might be interested in doing a Buddy Read for Elpida, which is book 3 in C. Kennedy's Elpida series. It will be beneficial for fellow buddy readers to have read Omophi and Tharros which are the first two books in the series. This is a great opportunity for fans of this series to get together and discuss this series as a whole and this book in particular.

Blurb: ελπίδα. Elpída. Greek. Meaning hope
Hope. v. /ˈhōp/ to want something to happen or be true and
think that it could happen or be true

Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime.~Herbert Ward

Michael and Christy attended prom, graduated high school, and Michael leads the USATF tryouts. With Oxford University on the horizon, his future looks bright, and he believes life has returned to normal after Christy’s rescue. He couldn’t be more wrong.

Christy has been free from a life of slavery for more than a year and has made remarkable progress due in no small part to the love he found with Michael. But the recent prosecution of a past abuser has shattered the life he so painstakingly built out of nothing but a mountain of horror. He now faces the daunting task of building a new life—yet again.

Twelve-year-old Thimi has been missing since Christy left Greece and, unbeknownst to everyone, has hidden out in a vacant mansion in Glyfada. Learning of Christy’s survival is the only thing that brings him out of hiding. People, open spaces, even the most common of sounds frighten him beyond reason. A mere ghost of a boy, Thimi arrives in the US with no knowledge of the outside world—the only constant in his life a purple marble.

Lost, shattered, and afraid, only hope gives them the strength and courage they need to begin anew.

Content Warnings: Past abuse (no on-page abuse)
References to rape (but no on-page depiction)

Start Date: TBD (The book is officially released on 5/30/2017)
We can establish a start date as soon as we see who all is interested in joining in.

Participants: (I will update this list a few times a day as people sign up)

Timmy
Sara
Sandy
Sammy
Jase
Tony
Robin
Darren
Anna
Deeze
Benedicte
Teresa
Mel

OK - open now. Anyone who is interested in joining in can add your names to the comments here, and Mel will coordinate dates.

And thanks Mel, for being the first non-mod to start a Buddy read thread. YES!! Members, feel free to start one for any appropriate book you want to find buddies to join with <3

Kaje wrote: "OK - reopened this. We'll put book 2 up for the BotM and have 3 as the Buddy read. Anyone who is interested in joining in can add your names to the comments here, and Mel will coordinate dates.

A..."

My pleasure!! I'm excited about this Buddy Read.

I'll totally buddy read this book! I'd love to read it with other people!! It makes it so much fun to hear the different thoughts and emotions that people go have when reading books I have strong feelings about. Thank for doing this Mel! Keep me posted.
Timmy

I am so excited about this! ELPIDA 💙 Thank you! Please add me to the buddy read list Mel 🙂

Sara wrote: "I am so excited about this! ELPIDA 💙 Thank you! Please add me to the buddy read list Mel 🙂"

Yay we get to buddy read together!

Oh yeah, I'd love to be a part of the buddy read for Elpída! Count me in! 💜

I'm in!

Hmm...I think I have to join in! 😀

I have never done a Buddy Read, but it sounds fantastic!!!

Yay! We are gonna have an awesome group to discuss this book with! This is so cool Mel!

Timmy wrote: "Sara wrote: "I am so excited about this! ELPIDA 💙 Thank you! Please add me to the buddy read list Mel 🙂"

Yay we get to buddy read together!"

I am looking forward to it my friend :)

First I've ever heard of a buddy read, but I love literary adventures, so count me in!

Add me please :)

I want to buddy read! How do you do that?

Count me in, I'm just finishing up book 2 :)

Timmy wrote: "I'll totally buddy read this book! I'd love to read it with other people!! It makes it so much fun to hear the different thoughts and emotions that people go have when reading books I have strong f..."

Will do, Timmy. I'm so excited about this book. I can't wait to get started. I think if maybe we close our eyes and cross our fingers and wish really, really hard, we may be able to get Cody to drop in and visit with us as we read along. *fingers crossed*

Sara wrote: "I am so excited about this! ELPIDA 💙 Thank you! Please add me to the buddy read list Mel 🙂"

Absolutely, Sara. I know we are all excited about Elpida. You're in!!

Timmy wrote: "Sara wrote: "I am so excited about this! ELPIDA 💙 Thank you! Please add me to the buddy read list Mel 🙂"

Yay we get to buddy read together!"

Double Yay!!!!

Sandy wrote: "Oh yeah, I'd love to be a part of the buddy read for Elpída! Count me in! 💜"

Perfect!! It's great to have you. This is going to be a terrific group!!

Sammy Goode wrote: "I'm in!"

Great to have you with us, Sammy!

Jase wrote: "Hmm...I think I have to join in! 😀"

YES!! Please do!!

Timmy wrote: "Yay! We are gonna have an awesome group to discuss this book with! This is so cool Mel!"

We do have an awesome group. This is going to be so great!!

Robin wrote: "First I've ever heard of a buddy read, but I love literary adventures, so count me in!"

It will be an adventure, Robin. We have a great group going!!

Darren wrote: "Add me please :)"

Always!! <3 It's time we did a buddy read together.

AnnaLund wrote: "I want to buddy read! How do you do that?"

Yay!! So happy you are joining us, Anna. We'll give it a couple of days to get everyone signed up, then I will announce a start date. And we're off to the races. As you read parts of the book you want to discuss or just comment on, you can post a comment/question/discussion point here and other buddies can jump in with their comments. We want to make this an interactive experience. If you want to discuss something, we'll discuss or if you just want to post that Yosef is a $%^#@... that's fine too. :D We want your reactions to the book as you read along.

Deeze wrote: "Count me in, I'm just finishing up book 2 :)"

Yay!!! What a great group we have forming here. So happy you'll be with us, Deeze.

Hi, Mel, I'm in for the buddy read

Dragonrouge57 - Bénédicte Girault wrote: "Hi, Mel, I'm in for the buddy read"

Yay!! It's great to have you, B!!

Add me too. I love this series.

Teresa wrote: "Add me too. I love this series."

Glad to have you Teresa. Welcome aboard!

Does anyone have a preference for a start date on the buddy read? Or is everyone ready to jump right in? Leave a message on this thread if you need us to delay for a short period of time.

Ready to go whenever!

I'm ready :)

Good! :)

I'm good to go when everyone else is. :)

Okay, it seems like everyone is raring to go. How does everyone feel about a 6/5 (Monday) official start date? That gives everyone time to get their copy lined up and in hand (or in E-reader). If anyone needs more time, please let me know. Otherwise, we'll be off to the races on Monday.

Be sure to drop by this thread frequently. Let us know what your thoughts are as the story unfolds. Let us know what makes you so angry you want to throw your book at the wall. Let us know what makes you laugh so hard you do a spit-take on your Kindle. Let us know what makes you reach for that next tissue. We want to hear it all!!

Also, if you have any questions for Cody, feel free to post them here. I'm sure he will want to know your thoughts and will be happy to answer your questions.

Happy reading!!

LOL! I already started and it is SOOO good!

Teresa wrote: "LOL! I already started and it is SOOO good!"

That's okay, Teresa!! Keep us posted!!

Monday works! Looking forward to this!

Yay for MONDAY!!! :D A Great way to start the week!!!

I am very excited about the Elpída buddy read and will be here throughout the discussion to answer questions about the book, the series, and me if you have them. In the meantime, there are THREE chances to win!

1) BUY ELPIDA & GET THARROS FOR FREE! (Ends midnight EST Tuesdays June 6th)
https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books...

2) Joandisalovebooks ENTER TO WIN A HOPE CHARM! (Ends Saturday, June 10th, UK time - which really means Friday, June 9th for us here in the US).
https://www.facebook.com/JoandIsalove...

3) ENTER TO WIN ALL 3 BOOKS IN THE Elpida Series IN HARDCOVER SIGNED BY ME! (Ends Friday, June 16th)
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...

AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR Slaying Isidore's Dragons for Book of the Month!
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

Welcome to the grand kickoff of the Elpida buddy read. On your marks... get set... GO!! Don't forget to come back now and then and let us know your thoughts on the story as you read along. Enjoy!!!

Thanks for the wonderful kickoff, Mel!

I just finished the book and have few words to explain how wonderful and inspiring is was. The characters were incredibly real-to-life struggling to survive in seemingly impossible situations. The title says it all. Elpida meaning trust or in the archaic form “A feeling of trust” sums the series up. You will enjoy every minute of this book. I can't wait to reread the entire series.

Teresa wrote: "I just finished the book and have few words to explain how wonderful and inspiring is was. The characters were incredibly real-to-life struggling to survive in seemingly impossible situations. The ..."

Thanks, Teresa! I am truly inspired by these characters and their determination to not only survive, but thrive, even after all they have been through. It is a series to be revisited over and over and over again.

I'm always amazed at how much hurt and despair comes across without the abuse being detailed on page. It's part of why I love these books. I get the feelings and emotions but not the graphic details I so do not want to read.

Deeze wrote: "I'm always amazed at how much hurt and despair comes across without the abuse being detailed on page. It's part of why I love these books. I get the feelings and emotions but not the graphic detail..."

That just speaks to Cody's skill as a writer, Deeze. He is able to make the reader feel the full range of emotions of his characters without traumatizing the reader.

Mel wrote: "Deeze wrote: "I'm always amazed at how much hurt and despair comes across without the abuse being detailed on page. It's part of why I love these books. I get the feelings and emotions but not the ..."

Yes Mel Exactly, <3

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