Hooked on Books discussion

🎬 "Dances With Footnotes"


🌄 "On the untamed plains of historical fiction, the scholarly Quill Questers and wandering Narrative Nomads must forge an alliance. Their mission? To conquer one shared book that fulfills at least one July task for both teams. Will they find belonging in the annals of literature, or vanish like forgotten marginalia?"

✨ Bonus Breakdown:
• 30pts per reader (counts toward personal totals)
• +75pts to each team if 100% of your team participates
• Double-Dip Bonus: +20pts if the book fits two July tasks (e.g., "The Book of Lost Friends" close-knit community + intergenerational relationships)
• Creative Comment Bonus: +10pts for Wild West "wanted posters" or frontier diaries, memes/fanart/playlists/etc (max 1 per reader)

💬 Discussion Starters:
• "Which character would be worst at frontier survival?"
• "If this book were a campfire tale, how would you tell it?"
• "What ‘lost chapter’ would you add to deepen the theme of belonging?"
• “How does this book reflect belonging?”
• “Which character would you invite to your book club?”
• “Did any moment in the book make you feel unexpectedly connected to the story, a character, or even each other?”
• “If this book were a community event (festival, support group, secret society, etc.), what would it be and who would attend?”
• “Which character would struggle the most (or thrive the most) in your real-life friend group or team?”
• “What quote or scene best captured the theme of connection for you?”

⏰ TIMELINE REMINDER
• July 25: Submit your team’s book pick for approval
• July 1-31: Read, discuss, and revel in your shared story!

💡 Pro Tip: "Argue passionately for your book picks—I’m flexible! A loose fit with creativity beats a ‘perfect’ but boring choice."


Chosen Book: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

So weve got 5 days to find a book we all agree on ..should be fun 😄😄

Weve both got a J & K in our teams so if we can find one using those then we can both get extra points as well

Perhaps a brief post of what we like / dont like to read

I pretty much only read MM romance although i have veered occasionally due to this challenge , but i do love a good crime/ mystery book as well

I read crime thrillers, and romance Contemporary. What do u mean if people read something beginning with j or k, I don’t see that

We get extra points ( 10) this month if you pick a book that starts with your intial .
and as we both got a K & J , we could both get the extra points..but thats just an ideal scenario ...and perhaps too restrictive , just trying to get as many points as poss 😄😄

This is going to be hard, we need ...
A historical fiction book that 10 people are going to like and hopefully make it fit at least 2 of the prompts 😳😳😳
And hopefully not too long 🙏
And that we can all get hold off library / KU/ cheap

LOL no pressure.

Here's some Historical fiction I have on my TBR (the non KU ones are available at my library but expensive if you can't get through library so definitely have people check before we choose):





- KU, Under 200 Pages

(KU)



- Under 200 pages

My team knows I'll read anything, those are just some ideas

Pretty Dead Things looks goos Amanda

Pretty Dead Things looks good to me too. It works for Rural Community and probably addresses themes of exclusion. Because in 1953, that type of thing didn't happen??

And its not on KU but only .74p to buy..a bargain !!!!!

It looks good to me too.

How much is PDT to buy in States as i kniw they can differ a lot in other countries

It’s 1.99 here! And for our audio users it’s on Hoopla if your library uses it (which means it’s probably on Kobo and Everand as well)

Thats good then

Ill pop into other teams thread and ask them if they want to take a look

It's on my Hoopla.

I can get the book from the library and looks like ebook or audio from hoopla

I will read absolutely anything, but I'm just going to say that PDT is about the least interesting to me on the list. On the other hand, I felt that way about Warm Hands of Ghosts and ended up loving it and was super excited for the scary guys crossing the desert and deposing whiny nathan and those were far from good choices.

In other news, I would so gladly buddy read any of the rest of those with any of you this month if we want to use them for other things. The diversity ones would give us 10 points, which is as good as our initials (and like I said, there aren't a ton of K books that appeal to me).

Also, we had talked on our team about



and I am dying to read this. Historical, BIPOC

I genuinely have no strong feelings and would also like to read that one.

I'm trying to do diversity and letter but I have it much easier with A

I'm open to about anything that can be obtained on Libby as that is my normal source of books. I don't have KU or any other subscriptions.

I typically read sports romance and psychological thrillers. I do have a couple historical fictions I've been eyeing up. Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women's Olympic Team and The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics are 2. I also like holocaust related (like the tattooist of Auschwitz)

Jessica wrote: "I'm open to about anything that can be obtained on Libby as that is my normal source of books. I don't have KU or any other subscriptions.

I typically read sports romance and psychological thrille..."

I'm interested in Fast Girls, but at 512 pages that may be a bit much for some of us. I am pretty sure that some of our team just read Boys in the Boat.

I don't know how many have read this recently, but Death in the Spires is a historical mystery (not super thrilling, but close). I read a ton of historical, and I know Jackie is a big thriller fan. Can we come up with a historical thriller?

Buffalo Hunter fits that, btw.

I havent read Death in the Spires yet ?..its on my tbr

v v low romance, no sex

Kirsten wrote: "Jessica wrote: "I'm open to about anything that can be obtained on Libby as that is my normal source of books. I don't have KU or any other subscriptions.

I typically read sports romance and psych..."

I agree, the shorter the better. I don't have Death in the Spires available on Libby. If there are any other books I need to look at, let me know.

I can add some of the holocaust books that I am looking at, that are shorter and tagged historical fiction if anyone is interested.

Death in the Spires and Buffalo Hunter both look good. I had to put Buffalo Hunter on hold though so might not get it in time.

Im not too sure what Libby Is
.presume some sort of library service

It is a library service. Usually if a book is KU it wont be available on LIbby as KU is an exclusive contract

Well i dont mind paying as long as not mega pricey like some ive come across lately

Is historical the only option as I don’t read that… if everyone doesn’t have to do it but majority do I can just not do the challenge.

Theres a few of us not mad on historical either , thats why amanda sugguested a historical mystery so we could focus on that instead

Nonone wants fo force you to read anything you dont enjoy ..have the rest of your team said anything as last day to check in tomorrow

I dont think this BR has to be historical fiction, think we were trying to take advantage of those extra points

📣 BOOK BRIDGE BONUS: HOT TIP & DEADLINE DROP 📣

Alright, bookish dream teams — consider this your official nudge (and mild threat 👀):

⏰ TIMELINE REMINDER
June 25 – Submit your team’s shared book pick for approval
July 1–31 – Read, discuss, and absolutely revel in your story-powered alliance

📝 WHERE TO POST:
Drop your pick in the Q&A thread like the responsible, team-bonded reader you are. Don't leave your mods lurking in the shadows wondering what you're doing. We see everything. (Except your book pick... unless you post it.)

🔥 PRO TIP:
Fight for your pick. Pitch it like you're on Shark Tank:
💬 “It loosely fits ‘immigrant journey’ because technically the character moves cities and they eat unfamiliar soup.”
Yes. That counts. I love that for you.

💡 Loose + creative > "perfect" but boring. You have permission to ✨stretch✨ if it means you'll actually read it and enjoy it.

📚 So go forth! Pick a book. Pitch it with flair. Post it where it belongs. And let’s make this Bridge Bonus iconic.

Kat, if you like crime thrillers , can you give us a selection that you can get on Libby that we can have a look at please, we have to submit by tomorrow.

Dont forget they need to work for at least 2 of july tasks

I’ll have a Quick Look and give yous a few choices.

Someone We Know
Wrong Place Wrong Time
Three Mothers
Baby Teeth


Sure all of these work

Close knit and loss

I got 2 hours sleep 😩😩😩

Kat wrote: "Someone We Know
Wrong Place Wrong Time
Three Mothers
Baby Teeth


Sure all of these work

Close knit and loss"

Kat, are there no crime thrillers that are historical as well ???

Anyone read Dissolution series..got a bit of humour in it also

Janeylou wrote: "Kat wrote: "Someone We Know
Wrong Place Wrong Time
Three Mothers
Baby Teeth


Sure all of these work

Close knit and loss"

Kat, ar..."

Not something I read so not sure…

Janeylou wrote: "Anyone read Dissolution series..got a bit of humour in it also"

Janeylou wrote: "Kat wrote: "Someone We Know
Wrong Place Wrong Time
Three Mothers
Baby Teeth


Sure all of these work

Close knit and loss"

Kat, ar..."

That’s a chunky book !

A lot of books set in the 60s are now classed as historical,

Janeylou wrote: "A lot of books set in the 60s are now classed as historical,"

Don’t worry if the other two in my group join in they can read a historical book with yous.

Kat wrote: "Janeylou wrote: "Anyone read Dissolution series..got a bit of humour in it also"

Janeylou wrote: "Kat wrote: "Someone We Know
Wrong Place Wrong Time
[..."

Ive just realised that ...and i dont do chunky books 😄😄
I read it about 20 yrs ago when i did

Janeylou wrote: "Kat wrote: "Janeylou wrote: "Anyone read Dissolution series..got a bit of humour in it also"

Janeylou wrote: "Kat wrote: "Someone We Know
[book:Wrong Place Wrong Time..."

lol. It’s good you liked it though especially if a revread is on the cards

Has anyone read Robert Goddard
He does some great crime books that tend to be set now that are connected to a crime in the past so got HF tag as well

What about this? Has HF

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Or

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

I haven't but would genuinely read anything lol

We could also do a classic like Agatha Christie

These are also all thrillers and historical:
Running the Rift
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
The Devils of Cardona
The Plague of Doves

Kat wrote: "What about this? Has HF

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Or

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8..."

These both work for me

Kat wrote: "What about this? Has HF

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Or

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8..."

I like the sound of jack the ripper book