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This is the thread for May. Some of the instructions are posted below as well for your ease of reference.

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from March 2025 reads.

C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves (aside from "to-read", "currently-reading"). (they may end up being duplicated if you are a genre reader).

You will read a book from each of these shelves (preferably those already on your TBR).

D. Your Options

For this section, you may choose to either read purely from your TBR or new books* or BOTH! There are separate tasks as per below options:

*the definition of new books here is quite liberal; it could literally be a new book you've brought home or newly published book which you've put on your TBR last year or new-to-you... whichever works for you

Each of the books you read for L4L are to be used as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1 book cannot be used for more than 1 prompt per option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.


D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)

4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages

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TBR Bender: May

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from March 2025 reads.
Home Front - Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Family
Tom Lake - Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Scraps of Paper - Mystery, Suspense, Paranormal

C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves (aside from "to-read", "currently-reading"). (they may end up being duplicated if you are a genre reader).

You will read a book from each of these shelves (preferably those already on your TBR).

Historical Fiction: A Curious Beginning
Romance: Storm Cursed
Paranormal: Magic Triumphs

D. Your Options

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added

Magic Triumphs was added to TBR 11/14/18
On that same date, I added The Winter Queen

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

Storm Cursed -> Smoke Bitten

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (DR) -> The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez

Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title:
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from March 2025 reads.

C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves (aside from "to-read", "currently-reading"). (they may end up being duplicated if you are a genre reader).

You will read a book from each of these shelves (preferably those already on your TBR).

D. Your Options

For this section, you may choose to either read purely from your TBR or new books* or BOTH! There are separate tasks as per below options:

*the definition of new books here is quite liberal; it could literally be a new book you've brought home or newly published book which you've put on your TBR last year or new-to-you... whichever works for you

Each of the books you read for L4L are to be used as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1 book cannot be used for more than 1 prompt per option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.


D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)

4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages

MAY BENDER

Top 3 of March:
1 Wild Dark Shore mystery, thriller, literary fiction
2 Good Dirt historical fiction, literary fiction
3 The Mountains Sing historical fiction, war, literary fiction

Like for Like
1
2
3 The Mountains Sing ==historical fiction==The Valley of Amazement

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.

TBR Bender: May 2025

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from March 2025 reads.
1.
The Jackal's Mistress, historical fiction, civil war, romance
2.
One Hundred Saturdays, nonfiction, history, memoir
3.
Chancing your Arm, ireland, contemporary, mystery

C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves (aside from "to-read", "currently-reading").
You will read a book from each of these shelves (preferably those already on your TBR).
1.
2.
3.

D. Your Options

For this section, you may choose to either read purely from your TBR or new books* or BOTH! There are separate tasks as per below options:

*the definition of new books here is quite liberal; it could literally be a new book you've brought home or newly published book which you've put on your TBR last year or new-to-you... whichever works for you

Each of the books you read for L4L are to be used as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1 book cannot be used for more than 1 prompt per option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.

May Plans :)

B: My Books - March
1. Mistborn: The Final Empire - Fantasy / Fiction / Owned
2. West With Giraffes - Historical Fiction / Book Club / Fiction
3. Games Untold: An Inheritance Games Collection - Physical TBR / 2025 / Mystery

C. Like for Like
1.
2.
3. Sunrise on the Reaping Shelf: Physical TBR Added: Jun 9, 2024

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.

Read: 0/6

TBR Bender May
Read: 1/6

Top Reads from March:
Babel - Fantasy, Hist. Fict., Dark Academia
Piranesi - Fantasy, Mystery, Mag. Realism
The Ninja Daughter - Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Like for Like:
Babel - Fantasy
1. The Husbands - Fantasy

Piranesi - Mystery
2. Dark Pines - Mystery

The Ninja Daughter - Mystery
3. Sacred and Profane - Mystery

TBR:
Date:Dark Pines (added Jan. 2025)
4. Dungeon Master (added Jan. 2025)

Pages: Sacred and Profane (374pp)
��5. The Line of Beauty (438pp) - 4/8/25

New:
Series: The Husbands (standalone)
6. Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady (new author, standalone)

Like for Like (L4L)

Top Shelf: Reunion in Death - jd-robb
Book 1: Portrait in Death - Completed 3/31/25

Top Shelf: Hold Strong - historical-fiction
Book 2: The Glassmaker

Top Shelf: First Degree - fiction
Book 3: Cold as Hell - Completed 4/7/25

Top Shelf: Breaking Point - mystery
Book 4: The Body in the Marsh - Completed 4/5/25

Top Shelf: Nemesis - thriller
Book 5: Storm Child

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: The Glassmaker - closest date added
Cliff Diver - both added in February 2025 - Completed 4/11/25

2. Series: Portrait in Death - read the next book in the series
Imitation in Death

3. Author: The Body in the Marsh by Nick Louth
The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster - same initials

4. Title: Cold as Hell - identical word in title
Stone Cold

5. Pages: Storm Child (336 pages)
The God of the Woods (478 pages) - at least 50 pages more.

D.2. new books
1. Date: The Glassmaker - published in the same year
An Insignificant Case - both published in 2024 - Completed 3/31/25

2. Series: Cold as Hell (#3 in series)
The Other Half - first in a series by a new author

3. Author: Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb
Guilty Acts by Robin James -first & last initials reversed

4. Title: Storm Child (CHILD)
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/child?pa...
Small Wars

5. Pages: The Body in the Marsh (384 pages) the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages
Invisible Son - 416 pages

May
Goal: 3 Books
Read: 0/9

March Books
1. Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown
Shelves: 2023, 2024, Sandra Brown, Romance, Mystery
2. Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
Shelves: Romance, 2023, Contemporary, 2023, Contemporary Romance
3. The Watchmaker's Daughter by C.J. Archer
Shelves: Fantasy, Kindle, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance

Like for Like
1. 2024 - Random in Death by J.D. Robb
2. Contemporary Romance - Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis
3. Fantasy - Moseh's Staff by A.W. Exley

Options - TBR
1. Date added (December 2024): Blind Tiger by Sandra Brown (December 2024)
2. Next in Series: At Last by Jill Shalvis
3. +50 Pages (+354): Capture the Crown by Jennifer Estep(433)

Options - New
1. Published in 2024 - The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong
2. New Series w/New Author - All Our Tomorrows by Catherine Bybee
3. Title (Shelf-Staff): Still Life by Louise Penny (p.7)

My top 3 reads in March:

ioParto - Travel
Silver Nitrate - Horror / Fiction / Historical Fiction / Mystery / Thriller
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul - Fiction / Fantasy / Science Fiction / Humor / Mystery

L4L

ioParto by Miriam Orlandi
Top shelf: travel
Book #1: The Lost Heart of Asia

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Top shelf: TBD
Book #2: TBD

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
Top shelf: TBD
Book #3: TBD

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.

Books Read: 0/6

My Top 5 reads & shelves
Blade of Secrets (Bladesmith #1) by Tricia Levenseller : young-adult, physical-tbr, ya, romance, owned
Holiday in Death (In Death #7) by J.D. Robb : mystery, romance, jd-robb, crime, in-death
Take the Key and Lock Her Up (Embassy Row #3) by Ally Carter : young-adult, mystery, ya, favorites, 2017
Victoria by Julia Baird : history, non-fiction, biography, 2017, audiobook, own
Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 3 by Tomohito Oda : manga, owned, romance, young-adult, fiction

Like 4 Like

Top Shelf:
Book 1:


Top Shelf: 2024
Book 2:


Top Shelf: sci-fi
Book 3:


Top Shelf:
Book 4:


Top Shelf: historical-fiction
Book 5:

D.1. Your TBR (all these books are on my TBR)
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author


3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)


4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)


5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.



D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.


2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author


3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)


4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective


5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages

MAY

My Top 5 Reads in March & shelves:
��1. Transgalactic: science fiction, fiction
��2. The Wicked King(The Folk of the Air #2):fantasy, young adult, romance
��3. The Hunter:mystery, fiction, ireland, audiobook, mystery thriller
��4. The Borrower: fiction, books about books, adult fiction, adult, contemporary
��5. Cascade Failure: science fiction fiction, queer, audiobook, LGBT

Like 4 Like : a book on one of the 3-5 top shelves

Top Shelf: science fiction (Transgalactic)
Book 1: The Blighted Stars

Top Shelf: adult (or fiction) (The Borrower)
Book 2: The Killing Moon

Top Shelf: mystery (The Hunter)
Book 3: The Contractors

Top Shelf: fantasy (The Wicked King)
Book 4: The Harbors of the Sun

Top Shelf: LGBT (Cascade Failure)
Book 5: For Today I Am a Boy

1. Date: Using one of your [Like 4 Like] books, read from closest date added
The Harbors of the Sun, added 3/25/24
Mississippi Blood (Penn Cage), added 2/3/24

2. Series: Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or another book by the same author
The Blighted Stars
Megan O'Keefe - 2 others or next in the series

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)
The Contractors, author Harry Harrison
Herman Nesse - The Glass Bead Game or Hugh Howey - Molly Fryde & ...; Half-Way Home; The Hurricane; The Shell Collector or another Harry Harrison

4. Title:Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
The Killing Moon (moon)
Luna: New Moon

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.
For Today I Am a Boy, 256 pages
just about anything

MAY

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from March 2025 reads.
1. Shadow Touch by Marjorie M. Liu 29 March 2025 ★★★★�� Magic, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
2. So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison 16 March 2025 ★★�� Horror, Vampires, Fantasy
3. The Women by Kristin Hannah 12 March 2025 ★★�� Historical Fiction, War, Fiction


C. Like for Like (L4L)
1. Magic - Heartless by Marissa Meyer
2. Vampires - Frostbite by Richelle Mead
3. Historical Fiction - The Witch’s Lens by Luanne G. Smith



D.1. Your TBR

1. Author'd Initials: MM
The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews
2. Series: Vampire Academy #2
Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead Vampire Academy #3
3. Title: Witch
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli

Goal: 3 books
Read: 0/6

March Books
1. Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion from the New Look to Millennial Pink
2. Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret
3. The Last Hour Between Worlds

L4L
1. Nonfiction - Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
2. Mystery - Head Cases
3. Fantasy - The Curse of Chalion

Options: D.1 TBR
1. Date - Eastbound - both added 21 Nov 2023
2. Pages - 341 + 51 = 391 - Last Argument of Kings, 536
3. Title - This Cursed House

TBR Bender ❱❱ May
May - December 2025

My May TBR Bender (msg 16)

March Books
🔺The Heart Principle ❱❱ romance: contemporary: adult: chick-lit: mental health
🔺Say Yes to the Marquess ❱❱ romance: historical romance: regency: adult: friends to lovers
🔺What Lies Behind ❱❱ mystery: thriller: suspense: romantic suspense: medical

Like for Like



chick-lit ❱❱ The Heart Principle
🔺Hello Stranger
historical romance ❱❱ Say Yes to the Marquess
🔺The Temptation of Lady Serena
medical ❱❱ What Lies Behind
🔺Trauma Plan

Options - TBR



Date ❱❱ The Temptation of Lady Serena ❱❱ added Oct 2013
🔺Burns So Bad
Series ❱❱ Trauma Plan ❱❱ series Grace Medical
🔺Rescue Team
Pages ❱❱ Hello Stranger ❱❱ 325 pp ❱❱ 388 pp
🔺Fix Her Up

Options - New



Date ❱❱ Trauma Plan ❱❱ published 2012
🔺Chasing Shadows
Series ❱❱ The Heart Principle ❱❱ standalone
🔺Her Something Impetuous
Pages ❱❱ The Temptation of Lady Serena ❱❱ 324 pp ❱❱ 402 pp
🔺The Simple Wild