Hooked on Books discussion

🎬 "The Last Chapter-tain"


🌄 "The Chapter Champions (masters of literary combat) must train the Novel Navigators (deckhands of narrative seas) in the art of buddy reading. But when the winds of differing interpretations blow, can their alliance survive?"

✨ Bonus Breakdown:
• 30pts per reader (counts toward personal totals)
• +75pts to each team if 100% of your team participates
• Double-Dip Bonus: +20pts for dual-task books (e.g., "Pachinko" immigrant community + intergenerational relationships)
• Creative Comment Bonus: +10pts for samurai-style "battle haikus" about the book, memes/fanart/playlists/etc (max 1 per reader)

💬 Discussion Starters:
• "Which character would commit seppuku over a plothole?"
• "What’s the ‘honorable death’ scene in this book?"
• "If this story were a Kurosawa film, who directs?"
• “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 Golden Gate by Amy Chua

Hello! checking in to chat books!
I'm really open - just don't love erotica or romantasy. will pretty much ready anything else - and I have access to 3 really great library systems so I can get almost any book!

I do think, however, we only have until the 25th to pick a book!

"HOW IT WORKS
• Pick 1 book that fits at least one July task for BOTH teams and submit to me for approval by June 25th"

Thanks to Trisha for sending me digging through threads to connect the Novel Navigators in. :)

As far as books (and I don't represent my team here, just thinking about what books I know about in my "soon stack"):
The Chocolate Shoppe Mystery series (starts with Double Fudge Murder) works for close-knit community, rural community, and intergenerational relationships. I'd be willing to do a reread if anyone wanted that.
Not sure of all the themes in Stars Above, since I haven't read it and I'm just finishing Winter, but I think that could work for multiple prompts if we stretch them a bit...

As far as new releases (ish), I picked up Retreat but not sure from the blurb how it would work. Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding, Arsenic and Adobo for diverse voices and intergenerational?, Serial Killer Games, In Want of a Suspect, The Treasure Hunters Club, The Hitchcock Hotel, The Seven O'Clock Club, The Trip.

As you can see, I read a bit of most things, with mystery/thriller being main genre. I also read clean romance, usually combined with Historical Fiction or Fantasy, but most of those are series, so I don't really have recommendations there since idk there are any of those I'd want to reread, or the one I would reread doesn't fit prompts. A little sci-fi, some YA; no spicy romance or nonfiction, but everything else is kinda fair game. Page count usually maxes around 400 pages. Most of the books I linked are just new so more likely to be unread for all of us, but I'm not sure if they will fit prompts.

Looking forward to other book suggestions!

Hey!

Oh you have some great ones on your shelf!
Every time I go and No one Was Supposed to die - both were hilarious and I loved them! I've also read The Hitchcock Hotel and Arsenic and Adobo.

I do own and have that on my July TBR as well, but I'm open.

I love mystery/thriller - it's my main genre (next to horror). And I also tend to avoid spicy romance and nonfiction!

Hi all!
I don't have any suggestions right now, but would love to find a book that fits two categories so we can get the extra points.
I'm happy to read almost anything. My least favorite genres are nonfiction, overly cutsie cozy mysteries, and YA if it's immature.

Plopping the tasks in so I don't have to keep referencing another page:

📝 July’s Tasks:
Read a book that features a close-knit community.
Read a book about immigrants finding community in a new land.
Read a book about intergenerational relationships.
Read a book about a social movement.
Read a book that showcases friendships across different backgrounds.
Read a book set in a rural community.
Read a book where a character rebuilds their life after loss/displacement.
Read a book that addresses themes of exclusion.
Read a book featuring a cultural or artistic community.
Read a book that highlights diverse voices.

Hehe, if it's not a new release, I'm probably reading a really random book no one has ever heard of, and probably also can't find. 😂 But then I don't always get to new releases in a timely manner...

Does Retreat work for any of the prompts for sure? My strategy is to mood read and then see if something happens to fit lol. From the description, maybe Exclusion and Displacement? Perhaps also the two community prompts, but since it's set in a beach resort, I would assume that is probably large and a bit anonymous... Book goals: something we can all tolerate and find fairly easily, and hopefully not a chonker lol.
Trisha, I love how we're basically the same reader. 😂

I know, right? definitely same reading interests!! We'll be able to find a book, I just know it!

Yes, I do lots of new releases - I'm pretty good about reading them in the few months to year I buy them. But I do plan out all my reads - I'll probably have most of July mapped out by end of day tomorrow. But I'm open and can switch any of them out.

I have lots of buddy reads planned for next month too - but can always fit in more! I love reading with others!

I have July hopeful shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

and I have an owned shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

and a Netgalley shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I have access to all those book at the drop of a hat - I either already have them out from the library or they are a part of my person library.

But I also have access to 3 different, well stocked libraries - I'm very easy!! I'll even read some Romantasy if everyone is game! lol

Hey everyone,
Im similar to C that I mood read and fit the tasks to books rather than doing it the other way around 😂

Retreat does sound like it'd work for atleast 2 points, in which case, we'd get more points, right? Even though we could use it only for 1 task.

If needed, I can look for more mystery thriller books to give us more options, if everyone is happy with the genre..

I compared my owned books to Trisha's, and there were a few options that at least we two haven't read, but this one stood out the most:
Murder Runs in the Family, which is intergenerational and I think small town. I know her other series was small town.

Others were
Worst Case Scenario (I doubt it fits anything, but this author is amazing!)
Mrs. Sherlock Holmes: this could be a contender since I think it's historical fiction, but idk on it fitting prompts.
Expiration Dates
What Happened to the Bennetts
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
The Stars Turned Inside Out
The Busy Body
The Courting of Bristol Keats: I don't have this one since just ordered a beautiful sprayed edge copy from Book Outlet, but it better be here by July lol.

And I have no idea if/how any of the above fit prompts; they're just additional research into starting points.

I'm also gonna be getting An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder next Wednesday. My bookstore is doing a release party. That might be too soon to be available to all, but I don't think it will be overly cozy.

I just now saw this but it's 10:30 PM at the end of a long day, so my brain isn't functioning the best. Looks like a fun challenge though, as long as we're all reasonable. lol I'm super flexible. I'll come back tomorrow and add my thoughts IF I have any. lol

My favorite genres are mystery/thriller/psychological thriller, romance not too graphic/spicy, historical fiction (one of my most read genres) and historical romance. I also don't care for nonfiction but I will read it.

C wrote: "I compared my owned books to Trisha's, and there were a few options that at least we two haven't read, but this one stood out the most:
Murder Runs in the Family, which is intergen..."

I just looked at An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder and put it on my TBR shelf. It definitely fits the "Read a book where a character rebuilds their life after loss/displacement" prompt and may have intergenerational relationships and/or friendships across different backgrounds. It could be a contender.

I just set it up on Libby to notify me if any of my libraries add it to their shelves.

I don't really have any major opinions. I would love for us to get as many of the bonus points as possible. I'll read almost anything for a challenge so I'm open to whatever. Are we able to also find a book that might have the MPG on it so that gives us even more points?

I’m open to read whatever if I can find it here and can get it in library or one of my reading apps.

I'm struggling thinking of any Historical Fiction that isn't a series, but also fits multiple prompts. In most recent work, there isn't much emphasis or interaction with older generations, so it feels like a stretch too far. I'm thinking it might need to be on the level of Pride and Prejudice, with intergenerational involvement (cough, meddling, cough), but idk what the MPGs are for that. But then even thinking about books I've already read, the struggle bus is still real. It would definitely be great to hit the MPG, but I'm literally staring at books and scratching my head lol. Maybe a clean romance about a mail order bride? But those are mostly emigration not immigration and I feel like those are more indie published, so I wouldn't expect those to be available for everyone.

Does it have to be romantic relationships?
Like for example, in
Before We Were Yours, its MPG Historical Fiction, and could potentially fit for different prompts..
I know the book starts with a younger person wanting to know more about someone her grandma's age.. and I assume the 1939 sequence is set in a rural landscape.. I think it could probably work for ones like social movement , finding community in a new land, rebuiling after loss..

Or if we prefer thrillers, something like The Frozen River, she's a medic, so she might have relationships with kids/older people.. close knit according to the precis, MPG Historical Fic, probably rebuilding after loss, and maybe exclusion ( Idk, maybe the town could exclude her for going through with her investigation?) But either way, we could probably make some tasks work??

Or like The Rose Code, MPG Historical Fic, diverse voices, different friendships, and rebuilding after loss (War) and maybeee social movement, if a war is considered to be a social movement

I would assume intergenerational relationships wouldn't be romantic. That gives me the ick lol.

Now that I think about it, it might be too hard to get that historical fiction mpg with the same book for everyone. I put a hold on An Amateur Sleuth's Guide to Murder for the library. I can also put holds or try to get other books just depends on what we want to read.

Yeah, I don't think intergenerational relationships are romantic. That would be for an interesting and kind of creepy storyline.

I haven't read so I would be good with that pick

Just throwing out some Historical Fiction MPG books to see if any strike fancy and we think we can pull them for multiple tasks:

(view spoiler)[
2025 releases:


2024


2023


Older:
(hide spoiler)]

I was just coming to say that I'm stalking the GR 2024 list to see what popped up. I've read Before We Were Yours but haven't read any of those others that you listed.

Well my whole post just went crazy but these may also work off the GR 2024 list. They have diverse authors as well.
The Seventh Veil of Salome The Lion Women of Tehran

Clearly, I've been slacking on reading historical fiction books because I've only read that one.

I've read both of those. lol I'm sorry!

I keep updating my list to see if there are more we can maybe all get our hands on!

The Golden Gate looks kinda cool. Don't judge me: I'm a cover buyer, and that was the one that spoke to me slightly lol. And it's at my library!

Hehe, not a problem, Trisha; as we read, or hit the bookstore/library, lists change.

The Golden Gate is also free on kindle unlimited. I like covers too. No judgement over here. :)

ooooh Kindle Unlimited is a good draw! do we all have that?

Two of my libraries have available copies of The Golden Gate on audio. And I have KU as well.

It also works for diversity.

ooh I just got the audio from the library too!!

I don't have KU, but I have the library. :) It has multiple physical copies in-network if the specific one at my branch gets checked out, so I'm not concerned about having it available.

BTW, what prompts is that working for? From the description, it seems like diversity could be tangential at best?

I think it could work for:

Read a book where a character rebuilds their life after loss/displacement. - the family lost Iris and the investigation keeps bringing him back to the family - the sister and the 2 cousins

and

Read a book about a social movement. - this one isn't obvious from the synopsis but I've read a few of the reviews and got these:

"Around them swirls political intrigue and problems of the time, including the wife of Chiang-Kai-Shek living in Berkeley, Japanese interment camps, child labor and so much more."

"Chua slides in Chiang Kai-Shek, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, Mao, and America's involvement within China. We'll get backstories from the East Coast to the West Coast including the Japanese encampments and the evicting of Mexican workers back to Mexico."

"This story centers on crime in the 1940s with a detective of Mexican ancestry passing as white assigned to solve a murder at the Claremont Hotel. Detective Al Sullivan will find himself inside San Francisco’s high society and Chinese immigrant communities as he tries to solve the case, and face his own secrets about himself."

(there might be an argument for
Read a book that addresses themes of exclusion.
& Read a book that highlights diverse voices. depending on the how much the themes above are in the story)

and for Diversity - author is Asian American

Ah okay, the reviews tell more then. I saw the author was Asian American, but the synopsis came off as white people having issues, with some tie in to China thrown in, so I was scratching my head lol.

Are the folks in this thread cool with it? I don't think all of our teammates have checked here, so we should probably ask in our team threads as well. I believe one of our teammates reads in German, but I see there is a translation for this, so fingers crossed that would work.

I'm good with it. And I feel confident about it working for diversity since the author is a PoC.

I'm totally flexible, so I'm good with it. I like that it's on KU and I just read the Prologue...different from any other I've ever read that I can recall and it definitely interests me!

C wrote: "I don't have KU, but I have the library. :) It has multiple physical copies in-network if the specific one at my branch gets checked out, so I'm not concerned about having it available."

Do you think you'll have any problems getting it from your library? I'm sure you aren't the only one who needs to do that. I go to KU first and if they don't have it, then I go through my public library, Libby, etc.

Im good with The Golden Gate !

Vicki, I'm so good with my library. :) I can pick it up either tomorrow or Wednesday. I'll put the hold on now so the staff pick it off the shelf for me. :)

Put on the specific hold. And if by some crazy un-miracle they can't find it, the next three closest libraries have it, plus they also have the ebook available. :)

okay, so I think we're just waiting to hear if Claire and Teddie are okay with the pick?

I posted in our team thread. I was wrong; Claire had been reading Dutch books. So fingers crossed since there isn't a Dutch translation.

I can read English, just a bit slower than Dutch…

So sorry guys! I swear I tagged the Notify Me box here - erg - sorry I didn't participate in the conversation.

Looks like my library has it, so I can read The Golden Gate if Claire is able to as well.

I have The Golden Gate ready to pickup at my library. Probably Saturday since then I can be lazy and read lol. Have we told Ashley our book pick?

Seems like it would also work for task: Read a book featuring a cultural or artistic community.

Sounds great, everyone. I just grabbed it on Libby.

I'll submit to Ashley and go request our buddy read thread!

Hi Teams! You don't need a separate thread for this BR - you should do everything here!

Chosen Book: The Golden Gate by Amy Chua

Yay, now all I have to do is not read it in June... :D

I've had this one on my TBR, so I wasn't here for the final discussions of what to read but this one works perfectly for me. This will be a fun read with everyone!

Sorry Vicki, you were definitely above chatting with us when we picked this book, back on the 16th? You said you'd downloaded it and checked out the prologue?

I grabbed the audio on this one too! excited to start!

No worries nor need to apologize! I was just saying that I hadn't been here to see that we had finalized our pick but it worked well for me too. I wasn't upset or feel like I'd been overlooked or anything! And I did read the prologue and think it'll be a good one!