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Why You Should Buddy Read | Discussion

Feb 20, 2021

Hi, everyone! It’s me, Ely from Earl Grey Books, back today with my monthly guest post for you all. Now today we’re talking about a part of the book community that Angel and I love and that’s buddy reading! If you follow one (or both) of us, then you’ve probably seen one of our buddy read discussions—last month we talked about The Midnight Lie over on my blog and we’ll be talking about Never Seduce A Scoundrel by Sabrina Jeffries in a few days time. But this post is all about sharing some of the reasons you should buddy read things.

It’s Way More Fun To Read With Friends

Angel and I do all of our buddy reads now with the purpose of creating these discussions for you all, but even with that we still share our thoughts as we’re reading just over Facebook. There’s something so fun about getting to scream about a moment in a book without your friends or to tease them about ‘just wait until you get to chapter 16’ or whatever.

It’s A Great Motivator To Finish The Book

If you’re like me and often have thirty million books on the go, buddy reading is a great way to make sure you’re actually finishing books off. If someone’s waiting for you to finish something off, you’re probably less likely to procrastinate it. In the same vein, buddy reading with Angel has made me finish off some of the books I probably would have DNFed otherwise.

Photo by Gabrielle Dickson on Unsplash

Get Things Off Your TBR

Likewise, if you’re really bad at reading the books on your TBR then just make your friend read it with you. I’ve used Angel’s help with this one many times over. Of course, it works best if you have both happen to want to get a particular book off your TBR but it can also work in a best friend picks my TBR kind of way…

Broaden Your Horizons

If you and your friend read completely different things then why not give this a go anyway and try something a little different. This can work if you like the same things as well. Maybe there’s a genre neither of you really read, or maybe you want to try a new author. There’s no better way than to get a friend to come along on the ride with you!

Photo by Angie Aguilar on Unsplash

Make New Friends

Buddy reading is also a great way to make new friends. Along with buddy reading with Angel, I’ve read books with my lovely friends Annemieke and Inge in the past as well as a handful of other friends both online and my non-book community friends too. It’s a great way to break the ice with new people—don’t know how to make small talk? That’s fine because you just have to talk about how the book is making you feel, easy conversation!

So that’s my little list today. Do you enjoy buddy reading? Let me know in the comments.

We Rate Our Buddy Reads

Jan 31, 2021

As Ely and I begin our buddy reads for 2021, I thought it would be fun to go over the books that we have buddy read, rate them and share a few thoughts and overall view. While we didn’t read a book each month, we had some highs and some lows.

You can see what Ely and I thought about The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski in our first buddy read for 2021. Also, don’t forget to check out what we are buddy reading for the next few months. Now let’s get into it.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | Full Discussion

Angel: This has to be one of my favourite buddy reads and I think the first one that we ever did. This is hands down one of the books I keep on recommending to people especially at work. I did a re-read of it late last year and forgot how much I enjoyed reading it. The romance is great, the characters are fantastic and it’s just a good read. It’s a 9/10 for me.

Ely: This is definitely one of the best ones we’ve read by far. This was the one that started off this whole thing too, as well as really getting me more into romance. I’m hoping to do a reread myself later in the year, but I think I’m going to go for an 8/10 for this.

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore | Full Discussion

A: I had so much fun reading this. I adored Bringing Down the Duke, so I was super excited for A Rogue of One’s Own and I was not disappointed. Like we said in the discussion, we don’t read much Victorian historical romance, but this did it for me. The romance was so damn good and I can’t wait to read more in the series. This has to be an 8/10 for me.

E: This is just such a fun series—it’s really just one that makes me smile every time I think about it. I reread Bringing Down the Duke just before we read this one which was honestly the best decision. This is just full of everything I love—a historical romance, feminism, CATS! I think I have to give this one a 9/10 just for the sheer amount of happiness this brings me.

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey | Full Discussion

A: I think this is one of my most disappointing reads. I was really looking forward to it and it just fell flat for a lot of reasons. Contemporary romances aren’t something that I read a whole lot of and I think it’s because I always find the plot to be a low point. I don’t think I’ll be reading any more Tessa Bailey in the future. I have to give it a 3.5/10 and hope that if you do read it, you like it more than us.

E: Hands down, this is the worst one we’ve buddy read and discussed. That’s not particularly hard considering how much we enjoyed most of the others. I think I’m even less of a contemporary romance reader than Angel is so I really, really struggled with this. 3/10.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary | Full Discussion

A: It’s been months since I’ve read this and I still don’t know how I feel about it. I liked parts of it, and I really didn’t like other parts. Like Fix Her Up, I don’t love contemporary romances. I just feel that it isn’t enjoyable for me to grab on to. I thought the romance was okay, the characters were bland and just not for me. This is sadly a 5/10 for me.

E: This was certainly a doozy. Right from the right, we were both feeling super conflicted about it. I honestly blocked out most of Fix Her Up, but I have like flashbacks of this one. I don’t think it was as bad as that one, but it was just missing something. The romance was sweet enough, but there were just a lot of weird moments and things that were a little too convenient. This is probably one of my favourite discussions we’ve done though. I’m also going to give it a 5/10.

The Duke & I by Julia Quinn | Full Discussion

A: I mean do I need to talk about this one much? I loved it. This series is one of my favourite historical romances that I’ve read. And this one just started off the series great. It was a great introduction into the family, into the characters and the ton. I think everyone has watched the Netflix series by now, but pick up the series for sure, because it is fantastic. This is 8.5/10 hands down.

E: Another great one! It’s kind of difficult to give this one a rating now that I’ve read the rest of the series and seen the show, it’s hard to separate all those things. That being said, this is maybe my second of three favourite books in the series, and of course, it does have a special place in my heart just from being the first one. It was a really fun read, and without it, we never would’ve met Anthony so this is an 8/10 for me.

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And there we go! Those are some of the buddies reads that we have done together – and for the most part we have enjoyed our reads so far. I’m excited to see what this year brings.

Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts? Have you checked out any of our discussions? Is there a book that you would like us to talk about? Let’s chat!

Buddy Read Picks With Ely | Part 1

Jan 17, 2021

In 2020 Ely and I started to do more and more buddy reads and when we finish we have some great discussion about the book. You can check out the ones posted on Angel Reads as well as Earl Grey Books now. And we had so much fun last year that we decided to do it again this year.

So today we are sharing our thoughts before we jump into the first 3 books of the year that we have pickled. But first Ely what are you most looking forward to this year with our buddy reads?

Ely: That is such a hard question. I’m excited to be doing our buddy reads and discussions again this year. We always have so much fun doing them, so definitely excited in general. I think we’ve got a really great line-up for the first three months as well. I really don’t think I could pick one that I’m most excited about to read. What about you?

A: I have to agree with you there, I like that we’ve got a good range of genres. It’s everything that we both enjoy so much and that is what I love being able to buddy read with you. There are times where we do read the same book and adore it, but read it at different times so our feelings are always different. But I think we are just going to have a great time with all of them.

The Midnight Lie (The Midnight Lie #1) by Marie Rutkoski

A: So for the first month of 2021 we have picked one that we have both had for a little while now. The Winner’s trilogy is one of my favourite fantasy series of all time, I love everything about it. So The Midnight Lie was an auto buy for me. And now I’m so excited that I can read it with you as well. How are you feeling about this one?

E: Well, I feel like we should mention that we were meant to read The Midnight Lie as our November pick, and then our December…and well, obviously neither of those happened so this has been a long time coming. I also consider the Winner’s trilogy to be one of my all-time favourites, so I’m beyond excited to try this one.

A: Okay, okay I’m sorry that I kept on pushing it back but we are getting to it now! I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews about it, but for the most part, they have been positive. I think I’m just ready for some good young adult fantasy. Something I know I haven’t read in a while. What are you most excited about?

E: I’m pretty sure December was my fault, but either way! I’m also just hoping for a really great YA fantasy. I just need something like that this month. I honestly don’t remember much as to what this one is about, apart from the fact there’s some LGBTQ+ representation. That’s kind of a theme with our reads this year, have you noticed that?

A: Ohh yes, we didn’t even plan it that way. But anyway I am super excited to pick this one up in the coming weeks.

Never Seduce a Scoundrel (School For Heiresses #1) by Sabrina Jeffries

A: Now I know this one that we are both super excited for. We’ve both read Sabrina Jeffries before. We’ve read some of the same books, but also we’ve also read some different ones. So I think we both have a good grasp of her. But I’m super excited to start this series and I don’t think there is any better way than reading it with you.

E: I’ve been holding out for this one for ages. After having loved the Royal Brotherhood series, I’ve been desperate to get to this one and to see what it’s all about. I’m sure we’ll end up reading the rest of the series very soon after we finish this first book because that’s just who we are as people.

A: Oh absolutely! I tend to binge romance series, especially historical romance ones. Lucky I have them all so I don’t need to wait. I’m really excited to see where these characters are taken in this story. Most of the series is all new to both of us. And while it’s connected with the Royal Brotherhood series, I can’t wait to see these new characters. What are you most looking forward to with this book and series?

E: I think for me it’s knowing that we’re in good hands. Sabrina Jeffries didn’t let me down with the Royal Brotherhood series, so I feel like it’s probably a given that these are going to be good too. I’m excited about some new characters and to discover how it connects to the previous series. How about you?

A: I’m really excited about that connection as well. I have read two of her series now, the Royal Brotherhood and her current series. So I’m intrigued to see where this one stands with then.

The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries #1) by T.J. Klune

A: If you have read any of my posts this year or follow me on social media, you know how much I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. I grabbed this book so fast when it came out. And I thought it would be the perfect book to buddy read with Ely. As someone who hasn’t picked up a book from Klune yet, how are you feeling about this one?

E: Well, just want to quickly mention I’ll be reading The House in the Cerulean Sea because of Angel this year as well, but more on that later. So basically, it’s going to be a Klune heavy year for me and I’m very excited. But most of the reason I’m excited about this right now is because of the disability representation in here. You should all know by now how important that is to both of us, so I’m happy we’re reading and discussing this together.

A: I have to agree. I’m so excited to see how it’s explored in this one. Klune has been great on his representation in other books he has written, so that makes me super happy. I think it’s also going to be one of those books that are just going to be fun. It’s something different to what we both read – especially as it deals with superheroes, but that makes me more intrigued. How about you?

E: Superheroes is definitely out of my usual realm for books. Obviously, we’re both big Marvel fans, but I don’t know I’ve read anything about superheroes outside of the few comics I’ve tried. I’m excited to give it a go and see how I feel about it.

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Well those are the first few books that we are planning to read in the coming months as our buddy reads. Are there any books that you guys would love for us to buddy read? Have you read any of these books? Let’s Chat!