Hooked on Books discussion

🔐 Welcome to Your Box.

The lock is real. The box is closed. But the two of you? You have the keys.

This is your personal team thread. Each week, you’ll receive a new reading prompt. Each of you will choose a book, read it, and post your reflection here. Once both reflections are posted, a key turns—and the box reveals a message just for you.

You must complete all 12 keyholes to open the box in Week 13.

You can use this thread for:
🔐 Weekly reflections
🔐 Talking with your partner
🔐 Celebrating when a new lock opens

Your first prompt arrives Sunday at 6pm CT. You’ll know it when you see it.

Until then: get to know each other. Decide who’s reading what.
And whatever you do… don’t open it yet.

📖 Weekly Check-In Format
When you finish your book, post the info below in this thread to let your partner know you're ready. Once both of you have posted your reflections, one of you should check in on the main thread to unlock your keyhole.

• Week: (e.g., Week 1)
• Book Title:
• Author:
• Page Count:
• Reflection: Your response to the week’s prompt.

🔎 Weekly Check-In Thread
This is how your keyhole gets unlocked.
No check-in, no click.

How to check in:
Just post your team name and a link to your team thread.

Example:
Team: The Locked Hearts
Thread: [insert link here]

Once I see your check-in, your message will appear in your thread—if you’ve earned it.

Team 10:
🔐 Geri
🗝️ Karen

Checking in. Very excited to begin!

Checking in! Can’t wait to start!

I found our first prompt in the announcement thread. Here it is!

🔐 Week 1 Prompt: What You Bring With You
Some locks don’t need a key—they open for what you carry.
Choose a book that reflects something you bring to this partnership:
a personality trait, a past experience, a strength, a flaw—anything that shapes how you read and relate.

Each of you will choose your own book and explain what you're bringing to the box.

I have to think on this!

Hopefully, I'm looking at this correctly...A boss of mine years ago told the staff that I'm very tenacious. I never give up. So the book I'm reading is where the MC keeps trying to find out who murdered her sister.

Karen ♐ wrote: "Hopefully, I'm looking at this correctly...A boss of mine years ago told the staff that I'm very tenacious. I never give up. So the book I'm reading is where the MC keeps trying to find out who mur..."

Yes. That should work!

Completion Post

Week: 1

Book Title: Quiet in Her Bones
Author: Nalini Singh
Page Count: 374
Date Read: 9/9/25
Reflection: The thing I bring to this partnership is the love of travel. And books are a great way to travel to places I’ve never been, and learn about different cultures. Like this book set in New Zealand following a family from India.

Completion Post

Week 1

Book Title: Her Vampire Master
Author: Maren Smith
Page Count: 222
Date Read: 9/10/25
Reflection: The thing I bring to the partnership is that I'm tenacious. I never give up! In this book, the MC is trying to find out who murdered her sister and she keeps at it until she finds out the truth.

checked in

Karen ♐ wrote: "checked in"

Thank you!

I know we don’t usually come up with a team name. But I looked some up. What do you think of The Lock Breakers or Unlocking the Mystery?

🗝️ Week 1 Response
This box doesn’t open on its own.
It opened because you showed up as yourself.

What’s one thing from your book you hope your partner always associates with you?

Each unlock is an invitation. What matters now is how you respond and continue the conversation—nothing more is needed.

Geri wrote: "Karen ♐ wrote: "checked in"

Thank you!

I know we don’t usually come up with a team name. But I looked some up. What do you think of The Lock Breakers or Unlocking the Mystery?"

How about Unlocking the Mystery? Actually I like either one...

OK. I’ll post our team name in the Check In Thread.

I guess the main thing from my book to associate with me is what I already said. I love to travel. But I guess I can add that my husband and I may not ever make it to Australia or New Zealand because there are so many places in the northern hemisphere we have yet to visit. We have been looking into a trip to Canada to see the northern lights next Fall. There are several small towns there where it’s best to see them, Whitehorse and Yellowknife. We are excited and hope to do it next year.

That trip sounds great, Geri!

The main thing from my book is what I said also. I don't give up much like the heroine in my book. I keep plugging away to figure things out. When one of my sons was young and struggled with school work, he always wanted to give up and I would never let him. I always told him I will never give up on you...

Oh that’s great! I know you are still close to your sons. That’s definitely a good lesson to give to your children. 🙂

Geri wrote: "Oh that’s great! I know you are still close to your sons. That’s definitely a good lesson to give to your children. 🙂"

They turned out to be good, caring men. So I guess we did okay! Lol

Here's the 2nd prompt!

🔐 Week 2 Prompt: Judge This Book
Some locks don’t care what’s inside—only how it looks.
Choose a book based solely on the cover.
No blurbs. No reviews. No second guesses. Just vibes.

Thanks, Karen! I forgot we get our new prompt today.

No problem...

Completion Post

Week: 2

Book Title: High Season
Author: Katie Bishop
Page Count: 384
Date Read: 9/16/25
Task: Read a book based solely on the cover.
Reflection: I chose this book because I liked the cover. It looks like a place I’d like to visit or live, right by the water.

Completion Post

Week: 2

Book Title: In the Air Tonight
Author: Marie Force
Page Count: 394
Date Read: 9/16/25
Task: Read a book based solely on the cover.
Reflection: I chose this book because I liked the cover. It looks like something mysterious would happen there.

checked in

🗝️ Week 2 Response
Looks can be deceiving.
But sometimes… they’re not.

If your partner had chosen your cover instead, how do you think their reading experience would differ from yours?

Every keyhole opens to conversation. Take this prompt and respond to each other—no more steps required.

Well, I rated the book 4 stars. It was a good mystery and character driven story. I know Karen likes romance. There was some romance in the book too. But mostly it was a mystery. I would say Karen may have rated it 3 or 3.5 stars because I know she reads some mystery. We have buddy read John Grisham in the past. 🙂

I rated my book 5 stars. This also was a good mystery and thriller which I know that Geri enjoys. It was a very tough subject (rape). I think Geri would enjoy the heart pounding story and there actually was romance in this one also. Not a huge part of the story. I think Geri would really like it and probably rate either 3 or 4 stars.

Karen ♐ wrote: "I rated my book 5 stars. This also was a good mystery and thriller which I know that Geri enjoys. It was a very tough subject (rape). I think Geri would enjoy the heart pounding story and there act..."

I didn’t know about the Marie Force book. I mostly read her First Family series. As long as the rape isn’t written with too much detail, I can take it. Otherwise, I tend to skim to get through graphic detail. LOL I am a wimp when it comes to reading about violence of any kind. But I’ll look into the book. 🙂

Geri wrote: "Karen ♐ wrote: "I rated my book 5 stars. This also was a good mystery and thriller which I know that Geri enjoys. It was a very tough subject (rape). I think Geri would enjoy the heart pounding sto..."

lol. That really surprises me since you read so many mysteries. I would have thought some would be pretty graphic.

I didn’t think it was too much info about the rape, Geri. More the aftermath. And I don’t think Marie Force would want to take the chance of pissing off some of her readers.

Fortunately, most mysteries don’t go too far. It will probably surprise you, but a few of Nora Roberts’ books have been too graphic for me. I remember a book where a young boy was being abused by his father. I don’t like to read about domestic or child abuse either. And some of Robert’s’ serial killers are too creepy and violent too. LOL

I’ll check out the book!

Geri wrote: "Fortunately, most mysteries don’t go too far. It will probably surprise you, but a few of Nora Roberts’ books have been too graphic for me. I remember a book where a young boy was being abused by h..."

I think you'll like it.

🔐 Week 3 Prompt: Your Missing Piece
Some locks stay closed because something’s missing.
Choose a book that fills a gap in your reading life—something you’ve been avoiding, neglecting, or meaning to try.
Even better if it’s outside your comfort zone.

Completion Post

Week: 3

Book Title: The Dead Husband Cookbook
Author: Danielle Valentine
Page Count: 352
Date Read: 9/24/25
Task: Read a book that fills a gap in your reading life.
Reflection: I have been avoiding this book because it looked like it could be gruesome. LOL

Geri, I agree. Just the title alone would make me avoid it…lol

Karen ♐ wrote: "Geri, I agree. Just the title alone would make me avoid it…lol"

LOL Fortunately, it wasn’t very gruesome. 🙂

Completion Post

Week: 3

Book Title: Feral
Author: Renee Rose Vanessa Vale
Page Count: 238
Date Read: 9/26/25
Task: Read a book that fills a gap in your reading life.
Reflection: I've neglected this series. It's been almost 5 years since I read the previous book in this series.

checked in

🗝️ Week 3 Response
This key slipped into place like it had been waiting for you.
Maybe the stories we resist are the ones we need most.

What did your partner’s choice reveal about what they might be ready for now—even if they weren’t before?

I think Karen is ready to do some ‘spring cleaning’ on her tbr in the Fall. LOL And get some of the books off her tbr that have been hanging around too long. I can relate and get that urge too. I try to find one of the oldest books on my tbr. It gets tiring seeing it after awhile. LOL

Am I close, Karen? Or was it something else?

Geri wrote: "I think Karen is ready to do some ‘spring cleaning’ on her tbr in the Fall. LOL And get some of the books off her tbr that have been hanging around too long. I can relate and get that urge too. I t..."

That's exactly what it is, Geri! I have way too many books on my gigantic TBR and am trying to get some of them read.

Not that Geri's TBR is large but I think she wants to try and read books off the TBR first before picking something new. And I think she wanted to push herself to try and read something that she kept avoiding.

Yes. I definitely prefer to read on my tbr for challenges. I try not to read off my tbr unless I have too. I also chose my book for week 3 because I tend to read scarier stuff around this time of year. 🎃 🐈‍⬛ 👹

🔐 Week 4 Prompt: Pick a Trope, Any Trope
This lock is a little more dramatic than the others. It wants a twist.
Choose a book with a trope you either love, hate, or can’t stop reading.
Enemies to lovers. Found family. Secret royalty. You know the type.

Your partner has to guess how you feel about it.

Completion Post

Week: 4

Book Title: Ghost Business
Author: Jen DeLuca
Page Count: 368
Date Read: 10/1/25
Task: a book with a trope you either love, hate, or can’t stop reading.
Reflection: Trope - Enemies to Lovers

Completion Post

Week: 4

Book Title: The Rules of Dating My One-Night Stand
Author: Penelope Ward
Page Count: 285
Date Read: 10/1/25
Task: a book with a trope you either love, hate, or can’t stop reading.
Reflection: Trope - Friends to Lovers

checked in

Since you like romance, Karen, I think you do like the ‘friends to lovers’ trope. Many books have that trope so it’s hard to avoid this trope in romance. I definitely don’t think you hate it. LOL Did I get that right? Do you enjoy the trope or is it hard to avoid and you find yourself reading it a lot?

Geri wrote: "Since you like romance, Karen, I think you do like the ‘friends to lovers’ trope. Many books have that trope so it’s hard to avoid this trope in romance. I definitely don’t think you hate it. LOL D..."

I did really enjoy it. A lot of romance novels aren't this trope since the couple many times meets as strangers. I enjoy this trope because the characters have some history.

Geri, you read some romance, along with a lot of mysteries. Actually I think you read most genres.

I'm guessing that you liked this trope of Enemies to Lovers. Am I correct?

🗝️ Week 4 Response
Some keys are forged in pattern.
Whether you leaned in or tried to break free, you told us something.

Were you right about how your partner felt about their trope—or totally off?

Karen ♐ wrote: "Geri, you read some romance, along with a lot of mysteries. Actually I think you read most genres.

I'm guessing that you liked this trope of Enemies to Lovers. Am I correct?"

Yes. It’s one of my favorite romance tropes. I like it because if it’s done right, it can be fun. I like the sparring and banter. If it’s done wrong, thought, the MCs seem like they are children bickering or throwing a tantrum. That I don’t like!