Books aren’t just for reading, folks! They’re endless entertainment. Case in point…BOOK GAMES! Here’s a fun book game to play if you have a TBR stockpile from a recent thrift store haul, perhaps, and are so excited about them all that you can’t decide which to read next. Is this a common problem for you? It is for me. Especially with all these beautiful books and so little time.
How do you choose? Try this First Chapter Book Game.
First, get comfortable—coffee, tea, wine, reading glasses, a snuggly cat—with your books stacked beside you in no particular order, along with sticky notes and a pen.
Then, read the first chapter of each, and ONLY the first chapter, no matter how hard it is to put it down. Jot down your first impressions on sticky notes as you go, placing the note on the book’s cover (so you remember).
After you’ve read each novel’s chapter one, do something else. Let the stories marinate.
Finally, return to your book nook and ask, “Which first chapter has me hooked THE MOST?” Whatever the answer, go to it and devour it like a starved baby alien, desperate for human bodies. (Okay, I may be slightly excited about Alien: Romulus).
P.S. If you’re more of an ebook reader, you can play the same game with Amazon’s “Read a Sample” section. Just target the first five bestsellers in your favorite genre.
The First Sentence Book Game is a fun variation on this, especially if you’re short on time. It’s the same thing but with the first sentences only. That first sentence is always so hard to write!
My results surprised me. I started with the seven books above. The novel with the best WOW factor for me was This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune. My notes included words like damn, sexy, and oh, brother! Plus, I love the way she writes.
BUT IT WASN’T THE WINNER! (Sorry, Carley). After thinking about all seven books and letting the openers marinate, the book I picked up when I went back to reading was… drumroll…
I’ve never read Chloe Liese and don’t usually gravitate toward anything sports-related (it’s a hockey romance, though I adored Peyton Corinne’s Unsteady, which is also a hockey romance; maybe I secretly have a thing for hockey romances? 🤷🏻♀️). But I love authentic characters with real issues—that and the whole grumpy-sunshine thing drew me in. Plus, the main character is snarky. I adore snark.
Not winning the First Chapter Book Game doesn’t mean those books won’t be devoured later—they were all intriguing. But the results reveal what I already know—I’m drawn to books that feel real and relatable with characters who don’t feel like facsimiles of Barbie and Ken, books like the ones I write (or try to). Lena and Ben (OTB) and Rowan and Jack (YNM) are not Barbies and Kens.
We’re also two hours away from finishing another great novel (via audiobook) with a mental health rep: Abby Jimenez’s Yours Truly (This one has me a little worried, or maybe it’s my anxious side, leaning toward bad things). We’ll see.
Other Book News:
❤️🩹 If you love poetry and survivor stories, read this article from Virginia Tech about a fellow Hokie finding her voice after trauma and her new book, Post-Traumatic Poetry. I love books that offer healing for writers and readers.
🌸 The movie for Colleen Hoover’s amazing novel, It Ends With Us, is out! Check out the trailer. Will you be heading to the movies to see it? By the way, Hoover is the queen of a WOW first chapter. If you play the book game with any of hers, she’ll be the favorite to win.
🎬 And coming soon (?) all of Emily Henry’s books (Beach Read, Book Lovers) and Every Summer After by Carley Fortune. Romance movies are getting a reboot on the big screen.
As for me, this week, I’m up to more than fun book games—promise. I’ve been playing the waiting game a little, but I’m this close 🤏🏻 to awesomeness like…
📘 The cover reveal of Every Good Thing (it’s going to be freaking gorgeous!).
☔️ Every Good Thing’s new and improved draft (So much Ben!).
👩🏻💻 Not one, not two, but THREE outlines for my next three books! I’m absolutely thrilled with how each story is shaping and tickling my brain! A loner with a special gift… a revenge makeover… and a devastated bride… my creativity is sparking on some amazing new characters. I can’t wait to share them with you.
🥾 Dot’s Story will hit Bonus Content VERY SOON! Dot’s my favorite side character so far.
Whew! Come on time, hurry up.
In the meantime, here’s one of my favorite lines so far from Every Good Thing:
“Always tell each other the truth even when it hurts to hear it.”
Until Next Time, my bookish friends.
Happy Reading!
