Historical Romance Book Club discussion

I know it is only mid-October, but we would like to start planning for 2025.

BOTM 2025

We have now been through all 36 themes over 3-year period (see https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... for the full list of themes and their descriptions). For 2025, we have decided to take the 24 that we did not do this year for next year BOTM – and randomly select 12 of these.

The themes will be as follows:
January - Age Difference
February - Suspense / Mystery
March - Overlooked Heroine
April – Proximity
May - LGBTQ+
June - Scandal
July - Paranormal
August - Humor
September All's Fair in Love and War
October - Medieval
November - Widow/widower
December – Secret Love

CHALLENGES FOR 2025

Are we all happy to keep going with the current yearly challenges? Other than the initial set up in early January, they do not need much input from the moderators…..and with only two active moderators this does not stretch us too much. The current challenges are:

• ACROSS THE AGES: features different 24 different eras of Historical Romance for you to choose. Participants choose from 12 to 24 eras to read from. Two eras are chosen per month to help pace participants but it is not required to read those two eras in a month,

• MAD ABOUT SERIES: is just what the name says -- all about reading Historical Romance books series. Participants can focus on one series or read as many as they can.

• BINGO - the goal with this challenge is to read books from a variety of themes. The Bingo card has 25 ‘themes’. You can try and get a row by reading 5 across, down or diagonally; or you can try and read the lot!

Are we happy wtih these? Is there anything else anyone would like to do? Any changes you wish to make?

This is your chance to have your say…

Suggest new themes or topics….

Any other ideas or comments….

**From your mods….Sandra and Susan**

Thanks, Susan!!

I think they look good. Thank you, Sandra and Susan appreciate, all.

Thank you, 💐🍾
they look interesting.👏👏👏

All of these are such fun. I'm good with continuing as is.
Thank you!

Looks good!

Yes, looks good ladies. I like the look of the upcoming themes, and I am enjoying participating in all 3 challenges this year, so would be happy if they continue as is.

My only suggestion for consideration would be, what about a December theme of Christmas HR next year? There are so many out there. I know lots of them are just novellas, but I think there are quite a few novels out there as well that take place over Christmas, and it might be a fun theme for the end of the year. Or an alternative might be to add a Christmas HR to the Bingo card instead?

Sounds good Jan. I like to read a few Christmas stories in December.

I like it!

Thank you, Susan and Sandra, for the time and effort you put into making it possible for us to have group reads and challenges. I truly appreciate it. I like the themes you have listed, and also like the idea of including a Christmas read somewhere in one of the challenges. Thanks!

Cath wrote: "Thank you, Susan and Sandra, for the time and effort you put into making it possible for us to have group reads and challenges. I truly appreciate it."

Ditto :)

Jan wrote: "Yes, looks good ladies. I like the look of the upcoming themes, and I am enjoying participating in all 3 challenges this year, so would be happy if they continue as is.

My only suggestion for cons..."

Thank you for the suggestions Jan.
I am thinking that maybe in December we can have the regular BOTM and then an additonal Christmas one. A bit like when we used to read 3 BOTM and one novella.

For this year, we are almost at the end of the nomination period for the DEc botm, so it is too late. However perhaps we can set up a separate post in 'Season' and do an informal nomination and vote for a Christmas book to read this year.

Thoughts?

Susan wrote: "Thank you for the suggestions Jan.
I am thinking that maybe in December we can have the regular BOTM and then an additonal Christmas one. A bit like when we used to read 3 BOTM and one novella.

For this year, we are almost at the end of the nomination period for the DEc botm, so it is too late. However perhaps we can set up a separate post in 'Season' and do an informal nomination and vote for a Christmas book to read this year.

Thoughts?"

Yes why not add a Christmas BOTM for December next year as an extra. Good thought. There are plenty of Christmas novellas around, so it could be a novella if people preferred that option.

Yes I'd also be in favour of adding a Christmas read for this year too, if possible. Thanks Susan.

I do Christmas read every year in December. I am in to do one this year 👍

I love Christmas and winter holiday reads! (I've already read one this month.) I'm all for it.

Susan, I'm happy with all the BOTMs and challenges. Thanks for all you guys do. I love this group!

I also like that idea of a Xmas theme! Let's see how to do it, Susan?

Thanks everyone for the feedback. We will do a Christmas themed exra BOTM/buddy read in December - starting this year.

I will update the BOTM themes in the SEASON folder for 2025.

Thank you Susan and Sandra! I am so pleased you have included a Christmas read. And thank you for all the effort that goes into organising it.

Thanks Susan, Sandra for your efforts. This looks great. Looking forward to the 2025 challenges

Hi, dear readers of the ton, ;)

All 2025 challenges are up and about: Create your bookshelves and save it along with the number of books you want to read

https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...

Happy challenges, everyone!

Thank you Sandra and Susan I have started with reads For Mad about a Series and Bingo.
Here’s to a good read of many great books 📚 📚📚

Thank you, Mods. Shaz, I second your final sentence! :)

Shaz and me also. one of my New Year's resolutions is to go back to reading!! the last 2 years, I've been completely absent of something that gives me great pleasure! :)

Thanks everyone. Here is to 2025 being the year of good reads!! Happy new year all