Ashley’s Comments (group member since Aug 03, 2022)

Ashley’s comments from the Hooked on Books group.

Just starting!

❡MaRisa wrote: "omg 🤯 You have no idea what power you have given me... 🤣"


I was FLOORED when I found it! Someone recommended it to me and I was so excited. I check it periodically to see what's been added. The covers are lovely too!

❡MaRisa wrote: "What if I read the book for the first time this month but end up recommending it after I read it? Does it count? Of course considering I won't recommend it the last week of the month so there's actually time to read it xD"

I mean, sure. lol

❡MaRisa wrote: "Frankenstein really surprised me when I read it for the first time, because I thought it would be just a monster story with a mad scientist. I never fully watched any show or movie before, and I'm ..."

I feel all of this in my soul. I often use: Standard Ebooks - it is a volunteer-driven project that produces new editions of public domain ebooks that are lovingly formatted, open source, free of U.S. copyright restrictions, and free of cost.

https://standardebooks.org/

Sammy wrote: "Ok, I've managed to find a copy of Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography, which I've been meaning to read for ages.

CYOA books aren..."

That's fine Sammy, they just have to be not USUAL

I am putting our Recommendations on the SS Dashboard (off to the right) for quick reference.

Risa - I saw you have this on the SS - there is a buddy read if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

❡MaRisa wrote: "oof that edition though 😍"

I looooove it. So pretty!

I've been trying to buy physical copies of classics this year, just picking them up when I see an edition I like, because, sure they are free and all online, but... I think physical books are becoming more and more important.

❡MaRisa wrote: "Especially since the new movie is coming out soon and I really want to reread it before watching."

Me too! I think it looks really good!

PS - I have been searching for a fun edition of Frankenstein to have on my bookshelves, and I decided on this lovely one. It's so pretty!

My recommendation is:


Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

It's one of my favorite books, and it fits the October vibe (and bonus genre). I may also read it, because it's been more than 6 months since I've read it and I do so love it.

Also - it's FREAKING FREE - and that is great!

Ok Team - NO TOWEL THROWING -- let's start with ✨ New Quarter Bonus!
📚 Q4: Book Recommendations Exchange

Spread the love of reading in Q4! Each team member may recommend one book per month to another teammate. The goal: read and discuss each recommendation within your team.

It needs to be a book you've read, not a series, and you recommend it to the entire team. I don't see a downside to this. If no one reads the rec, no harm. If they do - extra points!

🎯 Points:
• Readers earn 20 points for each recommended book they read and discuss by the end of the month.
• Each team member can both give and receive a recommendation, so you can earn points for reading all your teammates’ recommended books.
• Maximum: 1 recommended book per teammate per month.

I think those were great Jenny!

Mixed-media / multimedia books – books that blend photos, drawings, documents, or typographical play. Example: S. by J.J. Abrams/Doug Dorst

Choose-your-own-adventure / interactive fiction – old-school CYOA books?

Epigraphic or play/script format – some scenes in script-like form, but you could also try a full-on play in book form.

Serial / episodic apps – like reading something on Wattpad, Serial Box (now Realm), or other serialized storytelling platforms.

🎃 October Author Appreciation Series | Haunted Pages & Gothic Echoes 🕯

As the nights grow longer and the air sharpens, October is the perfect month to sink into stories that unsettle, enchant, and haunt us. This month, we’re leaning into the Gothic and the uncanny — haunted houses, ghosts of memory, futures on the brink, and vampires dripping with drama.

And we’re trying something new: each week will feature multiple ways to join in — universal questions (even if you haven’t read the author), hot takes to debate, wild casting chaos, nostalgic flashbacks, and mini-games that link our weeks together. Think of it as a literary séance: everyone brings a candle, and together we summon the conversation. 🔮📚

✨ October Lineup:

• Week 1 (Oct 5–11): Shirley Jackson – Haunted homes, uneasy families, and the quiet dread of the everyday.
• Week 2 (Oct 12–18): Octavia E. Butler – Futures on the edge, survival, and transformation.
• Week 3 (Oct 19–25): Toni Morrison – Haunted legacies, memory, and the weight of history.
• Week 4 (Oct 26–Nov 1): Anne Rice – Velvet vampires, Gothic witches, and Halloween excess.

Your turn: Who’s your quintessential October author — the one you always crave when the nights get colder and the vibe turns spooky? Drop it in the Weekly Author Appreciation Thread and let’s get this month started. 🦇

📢 Bookish Chats – October Lineup! 🍁🎃👻

October is here, which means a new month of bookish fun in our Bookish Chats folder. Here’s what’s happening:

🔮 What We’re Reading, as the nights get spooky! (October 2025 Edition)
Your monthly check-in thread to share current reads, recent finishes, and TBR chaos. Cozy, creepy, or completely off-season — everything belongs here!
👉 Jump in here

👻 Monthly Themed Book Chat – October 2025: Spooky (But Not Horror)
Open: October 1–31
Eerie, atmospheric, magical — we’re summoning stories that tingle the spine without tipping into full-on horror. Haunted houses, gentle witches, strange happenings, ghostly folklore… bring on the sweater-weather chills!
👉 Jump in here

📖 Weekly Author Thread (This Week!): Our spotlight author is M.L. Rio (If We Were Villains). Come chat, gush, or rant about her work — all thoughts welcome!
👉 Stay tuned — I’ll also be posting an announcement with the full lineup of this month’s featured authors.

🍬 Best & Worst Monthly Showdown: Trick or Treat Edition
• Treat 🍬 – Your Best Read (5 stars — sweet enough to share!)
• Trick 🧉 – Your Worst Read (1 star — straight into the cauldron it goes!)

✨ As always, jump into any (or all!) of these convos — they’re open all month long.

So… what are you cracking open first this spooky season? 📚🕯

Welcome to October! 🎃🍁 Whether you’re stacking ghost stories, cozy mysteries, or ignoring the season entirely — this is your space to share what you’re reading, loving, or abandoning this month.

✨ That’s a wrap on September! Thanks for sharing all your reads and recs this past month 🍂📚

But don’t shelve the fun yet… spooky season is officially here! 🎃👻 Join us in the brand-new October thread to keep the bookish chatter going:
👉 What We’re Reading, as the nights get spooky! (October 2025 Edition)

Jenny wrote: "Just to add to your work, Page Pioneers has a few to add as well.

The Ritual Jenny and Angie
The Great Zoo of China Judith, Angie, Sammy, Jenny
[book:Something Wic..."

IBR - The Ritual by Adam L.G. Nevill
IBR - The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly
IBR - Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
IBR - All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
IBR - Usher's Passing by Robert McCammon
IBR - The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
IBR - Bad Moon by Jodi Taylor
IBR - Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove
IBR - The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

Members Starting the BR: Donna, Judith, Angie, Sammy
Challenge: Book Quest Adventures
Book: The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

Members Starting the BR: Judith, Jenny, Angie, Sammy
Challenge: Book Quest Adventures
Book: Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove

Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!