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Monthly Themed Book Chat
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June 2025: Time Travel
Open through June 30
Past, future, alternate timelines? Pick a book that plays with time in any way—classic sci-fi, romantic time slips, or mind-bending literary fiction welcome.
July 2025: Beach Reads & Sun-Soaked Stories
Open: July 1–31
Bring on the sunscreen-splashed pages and summer flings! This month we’re diving into books that radiate warmth—light reads, vacation settings, and anything you’d pack for a beach bag (even if you’re reading from your couch).
August 2025: Mythology Retellings
Open: August 1–31
From ancient legends to modern reimaginings, this month is for stories born of gods, monsters, and mortal mistakes. Greek, Norse, Hindu, Celtic, any mythology, any angle.
September 2025: Dark Academia
Open: September 1–30
Time to get moody, intellectual, and just a little unhinged. This month we’re reading books with elite schools, obsession, murder, or literary flair. Bonus points for Latin quotes and too many cardigans.
October 2025: Spooky (But Not Horror)
Open: October 1–31
Eerie, atmospheric, magical—we’re summoning stories that tingle the spine without full-on horror. Think haunted houses, gentle witches, strange happenings, or ghostly folklore.
November 2025: Nonfiction That Reads Like Fiction
Open: November 1–30
Let’s take a break from fiction and dive into real stories with narrative pull. Memoir, true crime, history, survival stories—anything you can’t believe is nonfiction until you check the cover.
December 2025: Cozy Winter Reads
Open: December 1–31
Fireplace lit (real or imaginary), tea in hand—this month is all about comfort reads. Whether it’s family drama with a soft heart, seasonal rom-coms, or timeless classics, bring the hygge.
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I was a HUGE fan of The Time Traveler's Wife back "in the day", lol
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The Accidental Time Travelers Collective: Volume One
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The Accidental Time Travelers Collective: Volume One"
First line in the blurb: "Time-traveling thieves and assassins." I'm in. Added to TBR. No clue if I can get my hands on it, but I'll find out!
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I'm starting to really like this book, and feel emotional about the characters. We have an informal Buddy Read going on with it, if anyone is interested and wants to jump in! The more the merrier!
IBR - This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar
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Hey time travelers! We’re almost through June — how’s your timeline looking?
• Finished a mind-bending time travel book yet? Spill the tea or drop a quick review!
• Still stuck in a loop or hopping parallel universes? What’s your fave time-warp vibe?
• Need a new time machine? Check out The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (time loops galore) or The Time Traveler's Wife (warning: tissues required).
🕰️ Bonus fun: If you could time jump anywhere (past, future, or alternate dimension), where are you off to — and what snack do you bring?
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Summer’s heating up, and so are your TBR piles… Get ready for July’s Book Chat Theme:
🏖️ Beach Reads & Sun-Soaked Stories
(Open July 1–31)
Dust off your sunglasses and prep your fictional sunscreen—we’re diving into books that scream vacation vibes, whether you’re poolside or daydreaming from your couch.
📚 Think:
✔️ Flirty summer flings
✔️ Coastal mysteries & island getaways
✔️ Low-stakes chaos with high-spirited fun
✔️ That one book you’d stash in a beach bag
Mark your calendars—chat opens next week! 🌊📖
(P.S. Drop your anticipated beach read in the comments… we’re taking recs!)
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These are on my radar. I definitely won't read them all and some may cross over into August and some won't be read until another time...and I'm sure I'm missing some!
And these get their own section because they're kind of hard to fit into the other two spots. They're summery because the setting is Florida, they're satirical and humorous and I would definitely read these on a beach! I'd say they fit the low-stakes chaos with high-spirited fun (with a side order of crime)!
My Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd is amazing for those Shakespeare lovers or just cozy mystery lovers. It's if Romeo and Juliet lived after the poisoning and stabbing and got married. Their daughter is now off solving mysteries.
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Yeah, I consider it my civic duty to share what all I could find for other people who might want ideas. 😂
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It is bottomless! And prone to expand! :D
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What do we think? Does Great Big Beautiful Life count as a beach read? I think so!
I actually enjoyed this one! Emily Henry is hit or miss for me, but this one was good!
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Theme: Mythology Retellings
📆 Chat opens: August 1–31
Get ready to summon the gods, face the monsters, and untangle the messy legacies of myth! August’s theme is all about Mythology Retellings, from ancient epics to modern spins, whether tragic, tender, or totally unhinged.
⚡Greek tragedy? Absolutely.
🌿Celtic folklore with a feminist twist? Bring it.
🐍Norse chaos, Hindu cosmology, obscure local legends? We’re so in.
💬 Grab a retelling, reimagining, or inspired-by story—bonus points if it gets weird. We want divine drama, immortal pettiness, and all the mortal consequences.
This month’s vibe: Epic stakes, tragic fates, fierce heroines.
The comments opens August 1, so start plotting your picks and prepare to get mythic.
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What do we think? Does Great Big Beautiful Life count as a beach read? I think so!
I actually enjoyed this one! Emily Henry is hit ..."
To me, it definitely counts!
My planned month is not going at all how I intended. I have been in a weird reading mood.
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What do we think? Does Great Big Beautiful Life count as a beach read? I think so!
I actually enjoyed this one! Emil..."
I just keep starting more books... I'm not dnfing, bc the ones I'm reading are not bad, I just don't feeeeeel like reading them, so it's slow going. It must be book brain fog month.
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Theme: Mythology Retellings
📆 Open: August 1–31
From ancient legends to modern reimaginings, this month is for stories born of gods, monsters, and mortal mistakes. Greek, Norse, Hindu, Celtic—any mythology, any angle.
💬 Grab a myth with a twist. Could be epic, intimate, feminist, or weird—just go divine with it.
This month’s vibe: Epic stakes, tragic fates, fierce heroines.
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In theory, I enjoy the idea of mythology retellings. In practice, I never get around to them. It’s a constant battle between “I want to read something different” vs “life sucks and I’ve got so little free time, I’m going to read another book by my favorite authors because they’re comfort food I can just sink into”.
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Theme: Dark Academia
📆 Open: September 1–30
Time to get moody, intellectual, and just a little unhinged. This month we’re reading books with elite schools, obsession, murder, or literary flair. Bonus points for Latin quotes and too many cardigans.
💬 In the mood for brooding geniuses, secret societies, or academic drama? You're in the right place.
This month’s vibe: Gothic aesthetics, messy genius, and academic angst.
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Great Big Beautiful Life (other topics)Great Big Beautiful Life (other topics)
Great Big Beautiful Life (other topics)
Anywhere You Go (other topics)
The Road to Tender Hearts (other topics)
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Welcome to our Monthly Themed Book Chat—a space to explore fun, loosely connected reading themes, swap recs, and chat about whatever you’re reading that fits (or kind of fits… we won’t judge 😄).
Think of this like a reading party with a new theme every month. You don’t have to finish a book by the end of the month or commit to anything—just jump in when something catches your interest!
🔄 How It Works:
Each month, we’ll post a new theme.
You pick any book that fits—even loosely—and read at your own pace.
Pop in anytime to share what you’re reading, recommend a title, or chat about how your pick fits (or breaks!) the theme.
Long reviews, random thoughts, themed quotes, cover pics—whatever you’ve got, we’re here for it.