What Is Books, Be Mine 2016?

You might gravitate towards paranormal or horror during Halloween and cozy up to a fluffy Christmas-themed story during the New Years, but with Valentines coming up, it’s time to send those candygrams to your favourite one true love book.

This is my way of inviting you to an online event hosted by Simon & Schuster Canada to spread the joy of reading during Valentines Day (February 14, 2016). It’s low key, chill, and if you read a page or two, you’ve already won (yes, it is now a competition).

[Link to the official Facebook event is here.]

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What To Read?

Maybe you’re a book polygamist and have several books you’re hoping to put a dent in–go for it!

Maybe you’ve just been busy, in a reading slump, or getting over a hangover–try to read one page and see where that takes you! 

Or maybe you just don’t know what to read.

Since Valentines is all about romance…ish–a genre I actually don’t have much insight on–I’ve enlisted the help of  Brandie (Brandie is a Book Junkie), Deanna (A Novel Glimpse), and the Community to recommend some titles for you to dig into this holiday.

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I gave them three categories: (i) a steamy romance, (ii) a slow burn romance, and (iii) a “friendship first” romance. This is what they said:

Brandie’s Picks:

Steamy: Beautiful Bastard (Christina Lauren)

An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling.

Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.

Slow Burn: Ugly Love (Colleen Hoover)

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Friendship First: Leo (Mia Sheridan)

Evie and Leo met in foster care as children and formed a bond of friendship. As they grew, their bond turned to love, and they vowed to make a life together when they turned 18 and were no longer a part of the system.

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Deanna’ Picks:

Steamy: Tangled (Emma Chase)

Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed?

He’ll tell you he has the flu. But we all know that’s not really true.

Slow Burn: Pulled Under (Michelle Dalton)

In the small town of Pearl Beach, Florida, Izzy Lucas needs only her surfboard and the water to be completely happy. She wants nothing to do with parties, popularity contests, or showing her face around the clichéd touristy hangouts. Izzy’s tight group of coworkers at the local surf shop have tried relentlessly to break shy Izzy out of her (sea)shell. But Izzy isn’t interested…until the day Ben Barker walks into the store.

Friendship First: Until Friday Night (Abbi Glines)

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…

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Community Picks

Maybe you’re looking for some LGBTQIA+ picks instead. Here are some solid recommendations from myself, Shelly (Read, Sleep, Repeat), and Savindi (Retired blogger of The Streetlight Reader).

Steamy: Captive Prince (C.S. Pacat)

Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.

Slow Burn: Under The Lights (Dahlia Adler)

Vanessa Park has always been certain about her path as an actor, despite her parents’ disapproval. But with all her relationships currently in upheaval, she’s painfully uncertain about everything else. When she meets her new career handler, Brianna, Van is relieved to have found someone she can rely on, now that her BFF, Ally, is at college across the country. But as feelings unexpectedly evolve beyond friendship, Van’s life reaches a whole new level of confusing. And she’ll have to choose between the one thing she’s always loved … and the person she never imagined she could.

Slow Burn: The Abyss Surrounds Us (Emily Skrutskie)

For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She’s been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the genetically-engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested NeoPacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water.

Slow Burn: The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley (Shaun David Hutchinson)

Andrew Brawley was supposed to die that night. His parents did, and so did his sister, but he survived. Now he lives in the hospital. He serves food in the cafeteria, he hangs out with the nurses, and he sleeps in a forgotten supply closet. Drew blends in to near invisibility, hiding from his past, his guilt, and those who are trying to find him.

Friendship First: Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Benjamin Alire Saenz)

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

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Afterthoughts:

What’s a romance title (e.g. steamy, slow burn, friendship first) you’d recommend to others?

Much thanks to the blogger contributions! Again, here’s the Facebook link to their event! This is an introductory post to a week full of Valentine’s, romance, and love themed blog posts (no, seriously, I somehow managed to curate enough content to stretch over a week LOL).

Spread love, eat love (in chocolates), and read all about the love!

Cheers,
Joey

connect: afterthoughtAn // twitter  |  anotherafterthought // goodreads