Hooked on Books discussion

Members Starting the BR: Amanda, Jackie, Kirsten / Quill Questers
Challenge: Book Quest Adventures
Book: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden


Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

I actually wont start until tomorrow. This year has already been slower reading for me lol

January LaVoy is one of my favorite female narrators, especially for historical books. (If either of you enjoy YA, I highly recommend the Diviners series by Libby Bray). I’m liking the lead up and the atmosphere building but I really want Freddy’s chapters now lol.

Probably picking this one back up tomorrow since I already started it!

Great--I'll pick it up then, too, because I'm about to finish the very tense and suspenseful We Used to Live Here.

I’ve been reading too much romance (no such thing), because I keep waiting for Freddie and Hans to kiss already lol

I’m on chapter 21, this isn’t a huge spoilery thing but I’ll use spoilers because I know it’s all of our first time reading this one

(view spoiler)[ So what do we think of Fallon (I’m listening so not sure I got his name right). I’m assuming this is why the book is tagged paranormal because he’s definitely playing with some minds. I’m hoping he brings Freddie to Laura (hide spoiler)]


Have either of you read this author before? From reviews of this book it looks like she has another series that is much beloved

I have just started this--on chapter 3. I am liking it so far. I love reading things set in the maritimes, and wwi is my favorite time period, practically. Also, lols on the looking for the mm romance. I am sure I will feel the same way.

You picked this one, right? How did you find it? I'd never heard of it but it's super highly rated and has like a million ratings. Or was it Jackie? Either way, I didn't know anything about this before and am glad to be trying something new.

This challenge, and killer clowns are really pushing me to read new books and to do buddy reads and it is GREAT.

So I don’t know how I found it but actually Jackie picked it for me in a pick for your partner thing we both do so really we both picked it lol

I agree though it’s been nice to read all over the place lately! A lot of my choices made it this month so next month I’m gonna just join everyone else’s choices for buddy reads to get some more variety!

Definite spoilers at Chapter 28

(view spoiler)[ Oh so Falland (I borrowed the ebook from the library to figure out the spelling lol) is a memory stealer. I’m really sad Freddie didn’t get away. He seems just so young which just makes the WWI setting more real to me. I’m really antsy about the siblings finding each other and hope it happens soon! I think it’s going to be Pim looking for the hotel again and Laura going to get her back that makes it happen (hide spoiler)]

Amanda wrote: "So I don’t know how I found it but actually Jackie picked it for me in a pick for your partner thing we both do so really we both picked it lol

I agree though it’s been nice to read all over the p..."

Same, but on the other hand, I also tried to pick books that I thought would work for buddy reads and then jumped on buddy reads after I saw something that interested me. I also am always aware that you and Jackie are pretty willing to read mystery/thrillers and lit fic and that Jackie isn't a romance fan, so I went through my shelves for stuff I wanted that would work in those categories. And, because I'm trying to read 125 BIPOC books this year and URA is a bonus category and tons of my books on those shelves aren't romances, I also picked stuff that wasn't just my usual suspects.

On the other hand, I saw you were reading After Felix, which I've read at least twice, and I jumped on that because I can't resist. And I converted Lisa to Con Riley! Win win!

Jackie has suggested some good thrillers in our Killer Clowns challenge, so I'm looking forward to reading her suggestions here.

Hi Jackie! Talking about you!

Oh, I am so glad y'all are enjoying the thrillers! That's one of my favorite genres, as you both know.

I was trying to decide whether to start this one first or We Used to Live Here. Anyway, I plan to read both of them over the next few days.

I'll have this one done in the morning (busy night) but will start We Used to Live Here tomorrow and Kirsten has already finished it so either way works!

I need to finish my Cryptid book (almost done) and my Arrow book and then I plan to focus on our buddy reads for Book Quest.

I'm driving to Iowa all day tomorrow and then I'll be with my parents on Friday and then drive back all Saturday. It will be a challenge for me to read more than the 4 strong women buddy reads this week. That will be my priority; sorry partners--Arrows and Cryptids will have to wait unless they work with those.

That's okay by me! Arrows to me is a go at your own pace, and I also don't want us to finish yet because I like it lol

Have a safe trip, Kirsten.

Thanks, Jackie. I hope to. Also, I love you to bits, but I’m waiting for Laura and Mrs.Shaw and Hans and Freddie to fall in love at chapter 5. Like Amanda, I’m always expecting romance.

This is excellent, though.

Oh my gosh, I love this!

It’s so vividly written. Laura (view spoiler)[ drinking gin and missing her parents and brother; Freddie afraid in the dark, waiting to die with Winter—I can feel their loneliness. (hide spoiler)]

Chap 29 spoiler

(view spoiler)[ okay Kirsten I’m starting to think we might be right and Freddie might be in love with Hans. He’s holding on to his memories with him so preciously (hide spoiler)]

Kirsten wrote: "Oh my gosh, I love this!

It’s so vividly written. Laura [spoilers removed]"

Yes! The scene settings and character descriptions are so great. And people say her other series is much better so I’m thinking I have to check it out

Ch 34

(view spoiler)[ oooh I did not know how the timelines were working and assumed Freddie got there way after Laura. This makes it even more interesting

Also, alas, looks like Laura will not have the lesbian love affair we wanted as shes falling for the doctors (hide spoiler)]

Ch. 36

(view spoiler)[ I guess I’m not just documenting my proof that Freddie is our bisexual hero. “It is not far from love, Freddie thought somewhere in the embers of his mind that had been a poet’s. The tie between hunter and prey

I am sad he’s given up so much. It’s making this pretty suspenseful since we need Laura to save him ASAP

ETA: SHOULDVE FINISHED THE CHAPTER BEFORE COMMENTING. “And afterward Wilfred, you will tell me at last about the darkness, and how you came to love that man” 👏👏 (reminder to self this is not a romance so no guarantee of a HEA but I’m gonna hold on like Winter asked us to!) (hide spoiler)]

They're on their way to the field hospital! (view spoiler)[and Freddie has just killed a Canadian for Winter. (hide spoiler)]

I can't read more for HOURS and it's getting very good.

Chap 39

(view spoiler)[ Freddie got his memories back!! And the siblings are together! But why did Winter have to sacrifice himself 😭 (hide spoiler)]

Chap 41

(view spoiler)[ PIM!!!!! Unexpected, I thought she was just going to be taken in by Falland. I can’t believe it’s almost done, I’m very hooked (hide spoiler)]

Kirsten wrote: "They're on their way to the field hospital! [spoilers removed]

I can't read more for HOURS and it's getting very good."

I had to take a small break to watch some videos for work and was not happy. Thoroughly hooked into this one

Chap 42

(view spoiler)[” “Can you ask? Iven, we were dead together, we were born together. I cannot live without you.” He didn’t sound happy about it. In fact, he sounded much the way Freddie felt, as though he’d been changed against his will, and was marking out the new boundaries of himself.”


…and that’s how we sneakily get Jackie to read an MM romance (hide spoiler)]

Finished. Loved it. Also really appreciated the authors note

Just starting.

On Chapter 7. Loving the interaction between Freddie and Hans. So far, I’m really liking this.

I read The Bear and the Nightingale by this author several years ago. I don’t remember much about the story but do remember thinking it was very well written. Feeling the same about this one so far.

Amanda wrote: "January LaVoy is one of my favorite female narrators, especially for historical books. (If either of you enjoy YA, I highly recommend the Diviners series by Libby Bray). I’m liking the lead up and ..."

I read and enjoyed the Diviners series too. Libba Bray is a good author.

Jackie wrote: "Amanda wrote: "January LaVoy is one of my favorite female narrators, especially for historical books. (If either of you enjoy YA, I highly recommend the Diviners series by Libby Bray). I’m liking t..."

One thing I'm learning from this challenge is that you and I like a lot more of the same books than I would've thought lol

Amanda wrote: "Jackie wrote: "Amanda wrote: "January LaVoy is one of my favorite female narrators, especially for historical books. (If either of you enjoy YA, I highly recommend the Diviners series by Libby Bray..."

I thought that also when I was doing your picks for the partner pick. 😁

Wow—reading chapter 16 as Freddie remembers Laura trying to teach him first aid and himself trying to distract, not able to comprehend the way war is. The love between them is really lovely.

Laura and Freddie have such a deep connection. It’s lovely and heart rending at the same time.

Have they wandered (view spoiler)[into fairyland? I’m concerned, because they’ve drunk the wine and heard the music. And then Laura sees Freddie? (hide spoiler)] I hope there’s nothing (view spoiler)[ paranormal (hide spoiler)] in the Sarina Bowen. I love this and I’m excited for Our Wives, but this is more paranormal mystery/thriller than I usually read at once.

Oh no! (view spoiler)[Influenza?!!? (hide spoiler)]

I loved (view spoiler)[ that the scary ghost of her mother was helping her all along! Because mothers love their children. (hide spoiler)]

This was fantastic! I’m so glad we read it. And there was a smidgeon of romance.

Kirsten wrote: "Have they wandered [spoilers removed] I hope there’s nothing [spoilers removed] in the Sarina Bowen. I love this and I’m excited for Our Wives, but this is more paranormal mystery/thriller than I u..."

I think your safe with Sarina Bowen. We're more likely to run into hockey (which is your cozy place lol)

Kirsten wrote: "I loved [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Very strong family ties throughout! I kept waiting for something sinister about their parents, so I liked that that was the ending and it seemed it was more her guilt making her feel that way (hide spoiler)]

Amanda wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "Have they wandered [spoilers removed] I hope there’s nothing [spoilers removed] in the Sarina Bowen. I love this and I’m excited for Our Wives, but this is more paranormal mystery/t..."

I’m definitely going to need some tortured hockey boys after all these strong women thrillers!

But I can’t wait for what we three read next month. I love this.

Amanda wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "I loved [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

Exactly. And they were both kept from each other because because of (view spoiler)[ guilt. I also appreciated that Freddie and Winter had to move to Cape Breton—PTSD and hiding your identity and queer love would be a lot, so that realism was nice. And poor Pim! But she made her choice, and like Laura said, was stronger than she knew.

I was glad Jones came. I do love a HFN. (hide spoiler)]

I have to go read Our Wives. Lisa isn’t loving it and I don’t want to leave her alone in the struggle.

Amanda wrote: "Chap 41

[spoilers removed]"

Whoa! Didn’t see that coming.

Amanda wrote: "Chap 42

” “Can you ask? Iven, we were dead together, we were born together. I cannot live without you.” He didn’t sound happy about it. In fact, he sounded much the way Freddie felt, as though he..."

Not surprised. I had a feeling that was going to happen. Lol

Loved this book! So well-written and such a beautiful story. And also very descriptive of the horrors of war. And just the right amount of romance and hope.

***This Buddy Read has been archived! If you would like to have this thread re-opened for use, please let a mod know by commenting below!***