14 Books I WANT to read in December

Yesterday I shared the books I NEED to read in December. Today I want to share the books I WANT to read in December. Yes, there is a difference.

These books that I want to read were all purchased at various times in 2021, and they were anticipated reads at the time of purchase. Yet my review calendar has been so over booked that these books were pushed to the side. (and yes, a not so jam packed review calendar is on my goals list for 2022.)

So what books do I want to read before the end of 2021?

14 Books I WILL read in December

Happy December!

The majority of this list is advanced copies for review (that I requested). When I read the description for these books, something in it called out to me, and I knew I had to read them. So in a way they are anticipated releases.

There is ONE book on this list though that I am EAGERLY anticipating, and that is Making Spirits Bright by Aven Ellis. Making Spirits Bright is the third book in her British Isles Billionaires series, and features a second chance romance between Aoife and Jack. We originally met them in Connectivity 2.0, and ever since that book I have needed their story. The time is almost here!

The Finish Line by Kate Stewart

(goodreads | amazon)

Hidden Harbor by Emma Renshaw

(goodreads | amazon)

Jock Romeo by Sara Ney
(goodreads | amazon)

Link by Anna Brooks

(goodreads | amazon)

My Unexpected Surprise by Piper Rayne
(goodreads | amazon)

Wildcat by Rebecca Jenshak
(goodreads | amazon)

Only Ever Us by JH Croix
(goodreads | amazon)

Cocky Hotshot by Anne Marsh
*there is nothing on any website about this book, but I know it exists!*

(goodreads | amazon)

Making Spirits Bright by Aven Ellis
(goodreads | amazon)

Campus Hottie by Jennifer Sucevic

(goodreads | amazon)

It Started with a Kiss by SL Scott

*cover reveal is rumored to be Dec 13*
(goodreads | amazon)

Off the Bench by Alley Ciz
(goodreads | amazon)

Ripple Effect by J Bengtsson
(goodreads | amazon)

Eden by Xavier Neal
(goodreads | amazon)

What books will you read in December? Are any of them on my list? Soon I will have up a books I want to read post, so keep an eye out for that. Those will be my bonus reads. 😊

Laura

March TBR {Romance-opoly Edition}

 

March is right around the corner! That means SPRING is coming! I am so over snow and cold. I long for open windows, green grass, and warm sun. Not to mention being able to sit out on my patio. Come on spring, I'm ready for you. (and please hurry, I know winter is going to try and throw another snow storm at us.)

Of course the end of the month, also means it's time for my TBR game! This is my second month playing Book-opoly Romance Edition, and I'm liking it. Choosing books by trope or sub-genre is agreeing with me.

Quick recap of my Book-opoly Romance Edition rules: 

• I start with 4 rolls which means 4 book selections.
• If I roll a double, I have to add a roll which means an additional book.
• If I land on "go to jail", I have to read an audio book to be released.
• If I land on start, then I have to read one of the Amazon First Reads books that I have on my TBR. 

Fingers crossed that March does not repeat February and throw another audio book my way. I might cry if that happens. 

One last thing, when I finished my February rolls, I left off on Slow Burn. So that is where I will pick up.

Here we go!

Roll 1

My first roll was a 5! So moving 5 spaces, I landed on Enemies to Lovers. Ooh this is a favorite trope of mine. Now to decide what I am going to choose. I had a book in mind, but darn it, that was friends to lovers. Back to the drawing board I go. Okay I got it.  I know which book to read.

For enemies to lovers, I will be reading The Hold Out by Mickey Miller.

Roll 2

Eleven. I think I jinxed myself. Pardon me while I go cry. Two months in a row I have landed on Go to Jail. Sigh. Well, like last time, you'll have to wait for one of my weekly wrap ups to see what audio book I settled on.

Roll 3

For roll 3, I rolled a 3!  I get to read a cowboy romance! YAS! So many options to choose from, but I know which book I'm selecting. On March 15, Roped Tight by Kim Loraine will be published. Roped Tight is the fourth book in the Ryker Ranch series. Yes, I have it pre-ordered. Yes, I've been waiting on this book!  So yes, Roped Tight is going to be my pick to fulfill this prompt.

Roll 4

My final roll was an 8, which puts me on work place romance. I know I have a book or two that will fit this prompt.  After scrolling through all my kindle books, I've made my choice. I am going with Piece of Work by Staci Hart.

My rolls for March were mostly good. Three out of the four I am happy with. That second roll though, that hurt. I'm curious what I'll find this month. Some how I ended up staying clear of the doubles, so that made my mood reading heart happy. 

What books are you planning on reading for March? Have you read any of the three books that I selected?

Happy Reading,

February TBR {romance-opoly edition}

 

It is time to play my first round of Book-opoly, the romance edition! 

I can't lie, I'm a bit nervous about this. When I shared about my TBR game, I mentioned that I would do four rolls as I am predominantly a mood reader, so I don't want to over do it. That being said, if I roll any doubles, well that adds to the list. Also, I am really hoping that I do not end up in jail. I don't want to listen to an audio book!

With that being said, let's see what happens for February.

Roll One:

I rolled an 8! I am beyond thrilled! I landed on Hockey. So that means I get to read one of my favorite sub-genres. What a perfect first roll.

My selection is The Sweet Talker by Gina Azzi. 

This book just released on January 27, 2021 and it is the first book in the new Boston Hawks series. I know very little about this book, other than it is an accidental pregnancy. Skimming the reviews, it also sounds like it falls into the friends to lovers trope. Bring it on! 

Roll Two:

I rolled a 6! And it was doubles, which means I need to add a roll. Moving the six spots, I landed on the Slow Burn trope. This is when I wish I had my books categorized. But I don't. Off to my spreadsheet, and Goodreads I go!

Okay I found one. For Slow Burn, I am going to read The Chase by Elle Kennedy. 

It is a new adult/college romance and I am liking what I am reading in the description! It sounds like the perfect fit for a slow burn romance.

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me.

And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me. 

Roll Three:

I rolled a 9, and that landed me on Fake Relationship or Fake Marriage. Okay that shouldn't be an issue. I'm sure I have a book (or two) that fulfills that prompt.

For the Fake Relationship trope, I am selecting Very Irresistible Playboy by Lila Monroe.

I've had this book on my Kindle since April of 2019. So I think it's beyond time to read it. Plus it's a Lila Monroe book. I've liked other books by this author, so I have high hopes for the Very Irresistible Playboy. 

Here's the blurb from Goodreads:

Hot bachelor Max Carlisle is heir to a media empire, tabloid catnip, and… wants to hire me to be his fake fiancee. I know what it takes to keep a billionaire in line, but signing up for seven days in close quarters with this Very Irresistible Playboy? It’s just asking for trouble. The kind of thrilling, reckless trouble I could use a little more of since my career is currently ass-backwards in a mud bath with six shih-tzus (don’t ask). 

So do I: 
a) Take the job, and bicker wildly every step of the way? 
b) Embark on a mad-cap treasure hunt to claim his billion-dollar inheritance? 
c) Try my hardest not to fall head-over-heels in love with him and wind up having the best sex of my life? 
d) All of the above? 

Something tells me I’m about to be way out of my league… and under the most handsome, infuriating man I’ve ever met. But with a fortune on the line, can we beat out his crazy relatives to win the prize? And will our fake relationship be game over at the finish line? 

Roll Four:

Please don't roll a 7. Please don't roll a 7. 

Well crap, I rolled a 7. 

That means I need to a) head to jail, and b) the only way I can get out of jail is by listening to an audio book. Sigh. I am not a fan of audio books, so this is going to be rough. Guess I'm headed to Libby to see what they have to offer me. Fingers crossed I can find something I'll enjoy. No clue what I'm going to select, so you'll have to check back with my weekly wrap ups to find out. Also, feel free to offer me suggestions!

Roll Five: The extra

So because I rolled a double earlier, I needed to add an extra roll. Let's see what happens.

A four! Oh look at that, I'm back to the Slow Burn trope. 

This time I am going to choose That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn.

I really know nothing about this book except what the blurb for it says. Well that and the little bit that Bree from In Love & Words shared on her youtube channel. 

From Goodreads:

It was supposed to be an innocent night, celebrating my brother’s birthday. Nothing was supposed to go wrong. We’d vowed to be on our best behavior after all . . .

But it only took one rowdy night with my brothers to flip my world upside down. One unlucky encounter saddled us with a family curse and the promise of doomed relationships. I laughed it off immediately. “Yeah, right,” I thought. “A love curse. Ha!”

Boy, was I wrong.

Word spreads quickly in a town like mine; rumors about that night soon made us the most eligible yet untouchable bachelors in Port Snow, Maine. As a subject of endless gossip and speculation, I could kiss my dating life goodbye.

It would have stayed that way if Ren Winters, the new girl in town, hadn’t crashed into my life. Brave, beautiful, and smart—her vivacious thirst for a fresh start has given me hope that maybe, just maybe, I can have one too.

Everyone wishes for that second chance . . . but could this really be mine?

So there you have it. The FIVE books that Book-opoly, romance edition, selected for me. I'm excited about four of them. That audio book though, that's worrying me a bit. Hopefully I don't land on that space too often in the future. But if I do, it will just force me outside my comfort zone.

What are you planning on reading in February? Are you participating in any readathons? Do you have any easy listening audio book recommendations for me? 

Happy Reading,

TBR Games

If you are like me, and watch videos on bookish videos on youtube (booktube), then chances are you've watched a video or two about TBR games. 

The first "game" I had watched was Codie's Wheel of TBR. I thought it was so unique, and such a fun way to select what you might read that month. Put some prompts on the wheel, give it a spin, and see where you land. Of course it also gave me major Wheel of Fortune vibes, but that's just me.

Shortly there after, I found the Irish Reader's TBR game. He was using a claw machine to select his prompts! So creative. Fill the containers with your prompts, use the claw to grab one, and then select the book. 

Next came Book-opoly on Becca's channel. I had heard about this, but hadn't watched until yesterday. I was immediately intrigued. This is a spin on the classic board game that many of us grew up playing. Obviously instead of purchasing property, you're reading books that relate to the what you've filled your board with.

After watching Becca's Book-opoly game, Youtube was obviously recommending others for me. Fellow readers, there are some really creative people out there, and I'm loving it. Here are a few other TBR games that I stumbled upon

• TBR Pursuit by Jadeyraereads (If you're thinking of Trivial Pursuit, you'd be correct)
  
  
• A Game of Bookish Life by AStar Reads (Life anyone?)

• TBR Bingo with Kaylani SimplyMe
  
  
• M&M's TBR with Current Chapter

• Skittles TBR with KaylaReads
  
  
• A homemade board game by A Novel Curiousity

After watching those videos, I wondered if anyone had made a game for those who predominantly read romance. That is when I found Romance-opoly! This is a bit similar to Book-opoly, but obviously created for romance readers. It looks as though it's been offered for two years (2019, 2020), but the creators were not able to build a board for this year. I like what they had created, but it wasn't specifically what I was looking for.

So I decided to just build my own utilizing Canva. I decided that the majority of the board would be common tropes, with a few sub-genres added in. 

My plan is to start the game in February. Since I am typically a mood reader, my plan is to roll 4 times. If I roll doubles, then I will add a roll which then adds a book to my pile. So my book-opoly game will provide me with a minimum of 4 reads each month. 

Oh, and for that pesky go to jail portion of the board, in order for me to be released I have to listen to an audio book. Those who know me, know I am not a fan. At all. But I also know that one of the reading challenge prompts from Creating & Co is to read in a different format. So it's a way to fulfill that prompt should I happen to land on that space.

Here is what my board looks like:

After I printed it, I realized that I should have spread out my sports romances. 🤣 Oh well, such is life, I can always adjust and print a new version in 2022. My printout is already glued into my reading journal, so I'm not going to reprint, and waste the ink.

The spaces I figure most people might have questions about are what would typically be the "railroad" spaces. Here are my thoughts:

Train: My original thought was that the characters might meet on one of these modes of transportation. If I can't find that, then perhaps there will be a train or subway on the cover. (see the new Casey McQuiston book releasing later this year)

Plane: The couple either go on vacation, meet on an airplane, or meet while they are on separate vacations. (or again, a plane on the cover)

Ship: This is for fanfic. Yep, I'm going there. I'm going to select a few of my favorite fandom ships, and headover to AO3 to read a story.

Bus: Read a book set in (or around) London.

I cannot wait to start playing, and see what books come my way for February. I'll be sure to update what my picks are!

And I noticed I didn't put anything on the "go" spot. So IF I land there, it will be to read one of my Amazon First Reads selections that I've yet to read.

Tell me what you think! Also, if you choose a TBR each month, how do you select your books? Have you tried a TBR game like the youtubers I mentioned? I wonder if anyone has made a Plinko version?

Happy Reading,