LeMarque Destiny (Vampire Seeker Legends Book 1)

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The small town of West Chester, PA all believe that her delinquent best friend Pierce killed her boyfriend Drew out of jealousy and then fled, but Grace has a dark feeling that his disappearance is a part of something far more sinister. In time, she discovers that if she can just accept that she is truly seeing ghosts, instead of just going crazy from grief, she might be able to communicate with these spirits to uncover what really happened to Drew and Pierce.

Read more Read less. Kindle Edition File Size: Customer reviews There are no customer reviews yet. Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a product review. Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us. Would you like to report poor quality or formatting in this book? Yes, two cases, one book, one character and love after one look and a conversation. And we're not going to talk about the writing.

But lets just say, not my style. I like to be shown and not told, and this book seriously insulted my intelligence in that area. That and the pacing felt all off. This book wasn't for me, and I can't see it being for many people. Also it ends on a 'cliffhanger' Sep 19, Brenda marked it as to-read. First off, Rachel is supposed to be this likable and smart girl, but just seems kind of shallow to me. All she seems to care about is being popular, and getting with this hot football player. Another thing that I find makes her so unlikable, is that she seems to hate her sister for liking bad music and being too popular and happy, but so far her sister Sarah has been quite nice to her, even offering to not join the cheerleading squad if Rachel feels bad about not making it.

Then there's the writing; There's too much unnecessary detail, and at the same time too little detail. I mean, I know the brand of every single make-up in her bag, the brand of her bag and even the folder, but I have no idea what Mr. Allan, the main teacher, looks like. I don't know what her father, mother, or brother look like, they're just talking cardboard cutouts as far as im concerned.

Then there's her name, Rachel, why is it said so much? Her name is in almost every single paragraph. Does her name really need to be repeated over and over again if we know she's alone in the room? It was driving me mad. Glad it wasn't Bettlejuice or we'd be in trouble. Jul 28, Alice rated it did not like it. I don't need to know the main character's whole make up routine like what she used, how she put it on, and what the brand out it was.

Feb 15, Marsha rated it did not like it. During the first fifty pages or so, I quickly grew tired of all of the references to various stores and brand names i. For a while there I thought it would never end. Then, too much time was spent exploring the whiney angst of the bratty teenage herione, Rachel. By the end of the book, I realized that I just did not like her character very much. Rachel Wood and her family are forced to move to Westchester, N. While her brother and sister are okay with the move, Rachel is not and shows her disdain by moping, whining and just acting like a brat.

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Upon attending her new high school, she has difficulty making friends and actually has made somewhat an enemy of one of the popular girls, Arielle. This is where the story does not work for me. I will be honest, this story just did not capture my attention or interest. I will not be going to to read the next book in the series. Jun 10, Jody rated it did not like it. First off, there are so many grammar mistakes I was literally grinding my teeth.

In the first chapter, the MC describes her new house as white with black shudders. Then, there is so much 'name dropping' of products I started to wonder if the author got kickbacks. The MC is unlikeable and washy-washy, being a typical rebellious teenager one minute, then straight and narrow the next. As for the storyline, I First off, there are so many grammar mistakes I was literally grinding my teeth.

As for the storyline, I almost felt like I missed something, or it was two books tacked on together. Just like a real teenager, believe me, I know. Then all of a sudden there is this mysterious paranormal guy that just appears out of nowhere. No foreshadowing, just boom! One of the worst YA books I've ever read. Jan 12, Nancy rated it liked it. Ok, honestly, the story has potential, but the execution was clumsy. The development of the plot was jerky and abrupt in places, and really slow moving in others.

The random insertion of morals seems contrary to the main characters rash decisions in other instances to leave class, skip school, go places she knows she isn't supposed to with people she barely knows, sneak out to go to a party, etc. The male lead doesn't really show up until more than three-quarters of the we thro Ok, honestly, the story has potential, but the execution was clumsy. The male lead doesn't really show up until more than three-quarters of the we through the book, so the reader has zero time to really connect with him Benji before the book just abruptly stops. I sincerely hope that the sequel goes more smoothly and that we are given more reasons to be interested in the two leads.

This was a frustrating short story to read. While the writing is not bad the flow of the story is all over the place. I actually enjoyed the way Knight's writing felt at times, but then the story would speed up suddenly and it no longer mattered. The relationships in this practically sprang out of nothing and her connection with Benji felt premature and childish due to the speed at which it developed.

Also the over use of brand names was extremely annoying and was just too much. I do give her cr This was a frustrating short story to read. I do give her credit for trying to breech the subject of peer pressure but the execution could have used some work. It takes a lot to frustrate me to the point of regretting the free download but this one managed it.

Oct 11, Katie rated it did not like it. Don't read this book. It's a waste of space. It's like someone thought "hey, how can I make Twilight worse" and then they wrote this. Apr 30, Diana rated it it was amazing. Jun 23, Danielle rated it did not like it. Oh my am I glad this unadulterated piece of crap was over with quickly.

It must have been written by an 8th grader. Why did I waste my time? Mar 07, Megan rated it it was ok. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If I hated the book, I feel bad about criticizing the author. But in this case I realize, that it's better to just give a bit of warning to the people who might read this in the future. First off, cover art and plot synopsis.

The cover for this book is really quite nice, I like it a lot. The description of the plot too makes it seem like it is going to be a pretty interesting novel if you like YA novels about vampires and romance. It discusses how the main character, Rachel, moves to a new town, and has to get used to the changes in her life- making new friends, boyfriends, and so on. So far so good. Then, you actually read the novel. It didn't start off that bad, like many other reviewers mentioned, there was an insane amount of product placement, but in the beginning it did not bother me that much.

I felt like it helped in developing Rachel's character for the book, showing the brands that she likes. However, as the book went on, and the product placements continued and amplified, it started to annoy me more, and was really unnecessary. We know she likes JC Penny. It's not necessary to continue describing her outfit in terms of brands throughout the whole novel. Another thing that I have issue with is the pacing of the novel. It's a short read, but it took a really long time to finish because the pace was very slow.

It was at least two-thirds into the book before the "vampire" even shows up! The whole beginning and middle I use those terms loosely of the book just consisted of Rachel trying desperately to make friends, falling in "love" again- used extremely loosely with the "hottest guy in the school". The character does call to mind the feeling many real-life high schoolers may face a desperate wish to have friends, fit in, and be cool , but it really does not make for an interesting character- especially not one that I feel sympathetic to.

Eventually, Rachel gets stood up by the guy she "loves" with no actual explanation given for his sudden change of heart , and mopes around, deciding to walk home from school suddenly, where she then meets her "real love", Benji. After Benji offers her a ride home, she "hesitated for a minute. She figured she didn't have anything to lose; she might as well get a ride home. And then they go to an amusement park together. Because they love each other. After having met like 5 minutes ago, Rachel allows this guy, who she thinks , maybe, attends her school keep in mind, she doesn't really even remember him that much, just that she thinks she may have possibly seen him in the cafeteria?!

Even when Benji is asking to take her to the amusement park, she asks where they are going because he just asked her if she would like to go somewhere , and he says that is a surprise, but that he knows she's "going to love it"? He doesn't even know her, she might hate amusement parks!

From that point on, it just gets progressively worse, with Rachel suddenly obsessively in love with Benji, and feeling something is off about him because he won a carnival game that no one else can win, that means he must be something else? She becomes even more whiney than in the beginning of the novel, and the dialogue is extremely weak. I wanted to like this book, I really did. I do feel like it was a good attempt by the author, and I don't want to take away from the pride she should feel for having completed, and gotten published, a novel, but it just really was not my cup of tea.

I'm glad I was able to read this one for free. I was thinking about reading the next novels in the series, because I saw that some reviews stated that the others are better, but I really just do not feel like paying money if it is just going to end up more of the same: Or, even if the novel wants to go for a "love-at-first-sight" feel, at least flesh the characters out a bit more so the readers can feel invested in the novel. After however many pages, I really just don't care about their "love". And I wish I did. Different This was a short but good read.

It did seem like it took forever to get to the good parts of the book though, that did kind of bother me a little bit. Jan 25, Halle rated it did not like it Shelves: This was, hands down, the worst book I have ever read. Like, we get it. Her name is Rachel. She literally wouldn't have dialogue with anyone, or even be thinking about anyone else, but her name would be used to start every sentence. I tried to keep an open mind and trudged on. Then I got annoyed by the constant name dropping.

I knew more about what her notebook looked This was, hands down, the worst book I have ever read.

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I knew more about what her notebook looked like than her parents, brother, and teacher that were repeatedly brought up. Which leads me to my next point: This time line was literally a week and a half. A week and a half where she "fell in love" with not one, but two guys.

And the second guy was supposed to be the "vampire true love" of hers, but he doesn't even come into the picture until literally the book is about to end. I found myself looking at how many pages were left and wondering how the author was going to fit the vampire bits in. Well she certainly surprised me by thinking that her "cliffhanger" was going to be good. HELLO it's literally a vampire series so we know what he's going to say. I just really couldn't get over how unrealistic everything was. It was very poorly written and felt like a pre-teen was writing fanfiction about what her life was going to be like in high school after reading twilight.

That may sound harsh, but if you read it you'd understand. I'm seriously not over that time line. She was supposed to meet Rob on a date on Monday, but he stood her up so she met Benji and went to some random amusement park with him when she literally just met him And what was up with her description of Benji? First of all she describes him wearing a handkerchief on his head, but then describes him taking off his helmet That is just one of many continuity errors that annoyed the crap out of me in this book.

He's supposed to be this gorgeous guy who she fell in love with at first sight, yet she vaguely recalls seeing him before. If she saw him before and he's that gorgeous, there's no way she wouldn't remember him, and how can it be love at first sight of she saw him before and she didn't fall in love with him then?!?!? The author should have just kept it that she hadn't seen him before.

Then the day after her date which is Tuesday on the timeline she skips this important class to go meet him. There is no reason he couldn't have met with her after school or something. And she pats herself on the back for having "willpower" because she doesn't succumb to peer pressure later on, yet doesn't care about missing out on an important class. Later she gets a text from her friend Emily asking if she's going to the homecoming dance the next day. Who has homecoming on a Wednesday?!?!?

Since when do high school's have football games not on Friday or Saturday? It made no sense. And that part where Benji claims she's his girlfriend when they literally do not even know each other was so weird. Are libraries still connecting readers with books? I also schedule classes and events for teens and adults, which includes bringing in instructors to teach our fiction writing classes.

If nothing else, our library has books. This is not true in some cases, as budgets have fallen and no purchases of newer materials can be made. However, though we cannot buy every book ever printed, we are tapped into a network of libraries throughout the state and country and are likely to be able to obtain material for the reader. Furthermore, we are likely to know about forthcoming books and can put the reader on alert for it once they are published.

In your opinion, what makes a good book club conversation? Does the availability of a reading guide help with the discussion? In actuality, those who have some parts with which they disagree feed into the discussion, because more facets to the story come about to consider. Reading guides help to get a discussion started, however those questions tend to be more esoteric than anything. When we read books, we want to connect the story to our lives, our own experiences, no matter how fictional.

Do you have any words of wisdom for other readers who might want to start a book club? Decide the ground rules from day one. If your group will actually discuss the book at length, then requirement number one is that everyone reads it. If it will be more social in nature, then pick books that are light and quicker to read. Also, feel free to totally judge a book by its cover! If it is aesthetically appealing to you, chances are higher that you will read it to completion. Do you prefer to read books by authors of color? Do you support self-published authors? My only preference for the type of book that I read is that it is a good story.

Everything that I read, whether personally or professionally, helps me to connect readers with books they might like. I have chosen not to specialize in one genre because I just love reading. I absolutely support self-published authors, though I wish more of them would take the time to understand what makes a book publishable. Sadly, many that we receive as donations for our collection have failed to go through any creditable editing process. When those standards are followed, it adds an air of authority that the book will stand the test of time and continue to be read many, many years into the future.

My library offers two writing classes, one for beginners and one for more seasoned writers, both hosted by award-winning, national bestselling authors. These courses help people to find their voice and tell their story. We will also host author showcases and other literary events to get people interested in other authors.

Which is your preferred way to find new books? We are always talking about books. Do you primarily purchase books online or in a bookstore? I primarily get my books through the library! I will purchase those that have made the greatest impact on my life that I would want to read again and again. So libraries stand in that gap. You may have a library patron who has to make the choice between buying a book or buying food.

Being able to borrow a book from the library still exposes the reader to great writers, and is a way to track how many times that book has been shared. We do sometimes turn this data around and approach publishers, and authors, with it letting them know there is a demand for a particular work. We will also use this data to bring the author into the library for an event or class, giving them more of a platform to share their work. How do ebooks play into this?

Would you ever stop buying printed books? Libraries now offer ebooks through various platforms to patrons, though not every ebook is available for libraries to purchase. The publishers have placed certain restrictions on their digital works, which is unfortunate. Personally, I would never stop buying printed books. Publishers can essentially encrypt files to self-destruct after a certain time period, as it were, which is what happens when you borrow it from a library. After the loan period is up, you can no longer access the ebook unless you check it out again.

And the platform that you use to access that ebook could also go away. What would you do with the files then, if the platform used to access them no longer existed? With the printed word, all you have to do is go to your book shelf, pull it off, sit down, and read! Can we invite you to future events, social media chats and discussions? I would love to be part of future events! Please do invite me. Books and Booze - Chicago.

What is the name? Where are you located? We are based in Chicago, IL. A few of us have known each other for years and knew we shared a love for reading. One day our founder, Jomonique Moore, posted a request online asking anyone if they'd be interested in forming a book club. The response was great and we've been meeting ever since. That was over a year ago to date. Our first meeting was Aug We have 62 online members that join our chats via social media.

However, we have 15 members who come out face-to-face every meeting. We have not elected any officials for the group. The genre of our books vary. I would like to see our group venture off into possibly making our own 'books n'booze guide to 'Owning your own kind of beautiful, self love and empowering women' kind of guide. Some of the experiences we've shared with each other has the capability to reach other women in a positive way.

I really don't know if the types books have change over time. Primary way to find a book: How did you find out about this book? Our next read is Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely. How we work is, the person who chooses to host the meeting at their home chooses the book. We never know exactly why they pick certain books unless they share at the meeting. Also, so far, we don't have a reading schedule. Everyone likes the element of surprise of not knowing what's coming next. What are key factors that help a book remain on your mind long after the last page?

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Great characters will help a book remain in the mind long after the last page. If you can't remember the characters you are less likely to remember what they did. We don't host special events outside of our reading meetings. However, many of our members belong to other groups. We try to support our members in their other endeavors. It is always great to show support to our artists, musicians, and other authors of the group. We are planning to host an annual summer picnic for family and friends of Books and Booze.

Have you faced any challenges as a group? If so, what and how did you deal with them? The only problem we've faced is scheduling our meetings. With everyone leading fruitful and busy lives everyone is not always available. We are now trying to be a static date, like the last Sunday every other month, to meet so people can plan their lives around the block club date.

Please tell us about your blog, bookstore or book club! In , our book club dwindled down to two members due to various reasons. The sole original member and I decided to advertise the book club on a local social event calendar and our book club grew from two members to forty-one members within one and one-half years. We are now at a comfortable and dedicated twelve members at this time. The books we discuss have to be written by an African American author or the main character has to be African American.

Our book club have supported authors by coordinating literary events and sponsoring book signings in our area. What has the main focus become over the years? What legacy will your club or blog leave for those watching in the community? I believe our main focus over the years has been to shine a spotlight on new and underexposed author by providing years of our book selections on our website, which has provided free marketing for authors.

We were also one of the first book clubs to have our own online radio show that provided opportunities for new and underexposed authors a platform to share their work, along with our literary events and sponsored book signing opportunities throughout the years. Tell us about your blog and any contributing members. When accepting members into the group, what are you looking for in the person?

Has it been difficult to get people to join the group or to stay in the group? As a KC Girlfriends Book Club member you have to be able to meet on a regular basis and keep up with the selected reading material. Because we have a strong internet presence with our website we do not have any difficulties finding new members. We have an application process to help us initially figure out who would be a good fit for our book club. The applicant is invited to sit into our next book club meeting to see if we all mesh. We only accept fifteen members at one time.

Our former members are still family and are welcome to come back. In your opinion, what makes a good book conversation? Do you keep the conversation on topic, or roam? The first thing that makes a good book discussion is when all of the members have read the entire book. Coed book clubs probably have better book clubs than same sex book clubs because men will bring an entirely different prospective to a discussion.

All good book clubs will generally roam off topic! These particular part of the discussions actually helps book clubs to become like family because we learn more about one another when we discuss our personal experiences. A good facilitator will know when to move the discussion along. However, reading guides can be very helpful for new book clubs. The past years have been rough for our book club due to the poor book selections so this past year we decided to change the way we select books.

Our book club then vote on an online poll and whichever book gets the most votes is selected. All of our book club members read outside of our book selection but we do not discuss other books other than our book selection with one another. I generally will share what our book club is reading on the day we meet. All of our book selections are listed on our website as well. Our book club mainly read books by authors of color but over this past year we have allowed books by other authors as long as the main character is of color.

We do support self-published authors and have had the pleasure of watching many grow into well-established authors over the years. Some of us do borrow books from the library. The library can be a great resource for book clubs and it also helps some of our members that may not be able to afford to purchase books all the time.

Have the types of books changed over time? We read all books except poetry, most autobiographies, erotica and street lit. We do not have any other books on our schedule for this year. We will begin selection books for soon and generally try to have at least four months of books selected at a time. How do you feel about attending book signings, literary festivals and events? What are some things you would like to see at events? Do you like to hear the author reading from the book? We like attending book signings, literary festivals and events. Our book club generally learn about new and underexposed authors at various literary events and tend to suggest the books of the authors that we meet and like as book selections.

Honestly, I really think it depends on the type of event on what I like to see. I do like events that introduce new authors that have well-written books. I do not like events that are not well balanced and do not understand who their audience is. I do like to her authors read from their book but no more than five minutes. Has social media changed how you feel about any authors? Do you like to find new authors and interact online? Interacting with authors on social media has definitely changed my perspective both good and bad. I think some authors share way too much about their personal and sometimes professional issues that have no place on social media and definitely changes my view on them.

However, there are some authors that give you just enough and are quite pleasant online that enjoy quite a bit. I do like finding new authors and interacting with them online. Do you have a website or social media pages? Reading with Soul - Columbus, Ohio. Please tell us about your bookclub. How did you come together as a group?

Reading has always been a passion. I had friends, family and co-workers who read all the time. We would share books and discuss them whenever we got together. I was a member of a bookclub previously and I realized I wanted to join another bookclub, but then I choose to start my own. In November, we had our first meeting at Barnes and Noble. We started with five members. Those same five ladies are still members.

Our membership has been up and down. Thank God we are blessed to have a total of nine members. I love the photos submitted with the interview and how you submitted the interview! Each member has answered a question for this interview. The two pictures shown are from a recent event with author EN Joy and the next photo is from one of our meetings. We had two very special guests, Joy who is an honorary member of our book club and the author of a book we read that recently D. What is the purpose of your organization? Our purpose is to give back to the community and to read for enjoyment, enrichment and knowledge.

We are in an age range from 40's and up. Some have known each other over the years and become close over time. We all seem so much like family and have a great time during each meeting. You will always feel the love we have for each other. My preferred method of finding new books is by going through the books recommended to me on my Kindle e-reader. These selections are based on the types of books that I have purchased previously; I have found a lot of good books that way. Recently, I have found a couple of good books based on advertisements on my Facebook timeline. Do you borrow books from the library?

We can read books by any author, but we mostly read authors of color. Yes, I will support self-published authors, yes will borrow from the library as well as downloading onto my Kindle. The key factors that I look for and remain long after the last page are, when a book club member relates, and feel happy or sad for a character, or when we want to just say a prayer for when the pain of a character effects our soul. I prefer to read hard copy books, because I prefer to read hard copy books and keep them as keepsakes.

The price of the books does not matter to me. I would not stop buying hard copies and I doubt that I would switch to digital books permanently. In my opinion a book that contains controversial characters; characters that some will like and others will dislike. I also think the topic of the book will make for good book club conversation. Do you host special events during the year or do you work for any charities? We haven't hosted any special events yet that invite outside guest.

For our charitable giving, and as our way of giving back and supporting the community, since our book club started we have been involved with a homeless family shelter. A couple times a year we purchase food, cook and serve the residents. In addition to that, we donate items and gift cards to this shelter. Chocolate Beauties - Pontiac, Michigan. Currently we have 14 members. We are a sisterhood of fun loving, reading women. The Chocolate Beauties purpose: New members should love to read, ready to share, ready to have fun, enjoy working with the community and be dedicated.

We try to stay away from negative people. There is no online version of the group. The questions in the back of the book helps, but the members generally come with their set of questions. Side bar conversations are not allowed in the meeting….. Do you read and discuss books outside of the book of the month? What type of books have generated the most interesting discussions? True, gritty stories storylines where the members can relate. Can you share a few 5-star books that have expanded your horizons? Next readings are selected by the meeting hostess. We as a group will be attending our 1st book signing on November 8th.

However, some members have attended book signings prior to joining the book club. No special events are held. However, we held a celebration in July to celebrate our 5th year anniversary. Yes, we get together as a group outside of book club meeting to attend other social events and to support fellow book club members in their community activities. What is the preferred way to find new book? Do you prefer to read digital books? Does the price of ebooks play a big part in the purchase? Members are responsible for purchasing their books.

Yes, we will continue to purchase printed books. Generally the President will have a 1 on 1 with them. Our group began in A group of black women mainly educators decided they wanted to discuss books after they've read them. On roll, we have 25, we average 15 to 20 every month. Does the name have a special meaning? The purpose of our reading club is sisterhood, and to read books written by black women.

We have made exceptions: How would you describe the personality of your group? Sisters With Books consist of black women, ages 40's 50's 60's and 70's. We're high energy, love to debate and generous. We have an open door policy. Our core members have been constant 15 members we read a book a month, which can be challenging for some women who have younger children.

If you're an introvert, Sisters With Books probably is not the group for you. A twist in a story leads to a good book club discussion. Loving Donanvan by Bernice Mcfadden, lead to a discussion about our black men, and how so many of them have not been taught. Each facilitator is different. We have some pretty creative women, a reading guide is good but not necessary. We select our books for the next year in November. We don't meet in December, because that month gets busy with holiday activities.

When suggesting a book, it should have been read by the person recommending. We have side books that are put on an alternative list. The side books don't necessarily get discussed in our group. Two or three will get together outside the group. Our group of women are just becoming social media friendly. Authors of color, absolutely. We feel we're their voice. Pamela Samuels is one of our favorite authors.

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She has been brave enough to come to our book circle. The library is our friend. It can be costly purchasing a book every month. Most of the women have a Kindle or iPad, but everyone agrees, there's nothing like holding an actual book. We love historical fiction, we don't do well with biography, although Dorothy Dandridge was well received.

We have a tendency of going back to our favorite authors: In "Freeman" the charcter's quest to find his wife. In "12 Tribes of Hattie" each character could have been a book. In "Silver Sparrow " we knew of someone living a double life. Do you post book reviews?

Individuals have posted reviews. We give suggestions and identify what we didn't agree with. It can be found on YouTube. The historical fiction "Wench" was the book we discussed on YouTube slavery vs enslaved. We 're reading 40 Acres bybDwayne Smith, a recommendation from a book club member.

Balm by Dolen P. Love book signings and love to hear the author read from their book. We've had the privilege of having: Attended a garden tour. We also attended the Obama Inauguration. Which is the preferred way to find books: Recommendations are how we prefer to select books for the group and personally. I still support our community black bookstore Esowon.

We give them our book list for the year and they will purchase. They also give us a discount. There are some books that can only be bought online. One of our original book club members, lost her only child in a horrific car accident. It was in the month of June, she had just retired from teaching, her anniversary week-end and Father's Day. We rallied around her. There are some books, that are just to difficult for our sister friend to handle. She has started attending book club again. This happened 3 years ago. We had a special meeting just to talk, it was therapeutic.

This is an example of how our book club has served many purposes. Social media has not changed me, because I seek out new authors, new books because I love to read! Do it for the love of the written word, everything else will follow. Respect other points of view. We can agree to disagree. Do attend Twitter chats or Facebook chats? Ever viewed a Goggle Hangout or Periscope show?

Sisters With Books' legacy will be black women coming together through adversity as well as celebrating each other. How did your club get started? Over time the numbers decreased, eliminating the need for Chapters. Today we are 12 — 15 strong and meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Meetings are still held at Marcus Book Store.

The book club has the name of the bookstore, which was named in honor of Marcus Garvey. Our book club is primarily female, black and over the age of We enjoy diverse opinions and lively discussions. A good book club discussion usually includes one or all of the following: We often develop our own questions, but have also used reading guides.

Each member is responsible for facilitating a discussion. The facilitator selects 2 — 3 books for the group to vote on and the book with the most votes is then read and discussed. We usually do not discuss books outside of our selection, but often recommend books to each other that members are reading outside of the book club.

While individual members most definitely share with their networks what we are reading, we do not use social media to do this. Yes and Yes again. Occasionally, we read a book by an author who is not Black, but the topic is always about Black people. We support self-published authors. As a book club that originated out of a book store and feel very strongly about supporting independent booksellers, all book club selections are purchased from Marcus Book Store.

We read from a variety of genres; ranging from mystery to fantasy. We read both fiction and non-fiction. This has not changed over time. The key factor that usually keeps us talking about a book is usually the characters. What types of books have generated the most interesting discussions? Books that force us to address cultural and societal issues have generated the most interesting discussions because everyone has some level of investment in the topic.

Forcing ourselves to pick, here goes…. Individually and as a book club, we enjoy attending book signings, literary festivals and events. There is nothing like hearing the author read from the book. We purchase all our book club selections from Marcus Book Store. While most of our members also read digital books outside of the book club we would never consider not buying printed books. Do you have any words of wisdom for other readers who are in or who might want to start a book club? Have fun, give everyone equal voice and be open to reading books you might not choose on your own.

There have been many times when we did not like the book and had amazing discussions or developed a different appreciation for the book. Gives us something to consider. In the meantime you can reach us via Marcus Books on Facebook. Left to Right Standing: Yolanda Smith, Iris Brooks Members not pictured: Initially comprised of coworkers, membership has been extended to close family and friends that share a passion for books. Soul Sistahs Book Club's mission is to promote literacy and encourage sisterhood among women of all ages and backgrounds through the love of reading and lively conversations.

Currently, we do not have officers assigned, but everyone comes together to get things done. We are located in Chattanooga, TN and we have five active members. Our club was started because I loved to read but I never had anyone to talk to about the books after I finished. I sought out like-minded individuals that were looking for the same thing and a book club was born. Our group consists of professional African-American women in our thirties.

We all have extremely different personalities so when we come together, it makes for a very animated discussion. We really enjoy having fun and thought provoking discussions during our meetings. Do you have an online version of the group? When accepting members into the group, we explain all of our requirements in detail. We look for people that love to read and are willing to commit to attending meetings once per month. Over the years, it has been difficult for people to stay in the group due to their lack of commitment and participation.

We do not offer an online version of the book club at this time but we do have dedicated Facebook and Twitter pages to interact with other readers and authors. In my opinion, being honest and open-minded makes a good book club conversation. Our conversations roam to different topics most of the time but we are usually able to reel everyone back in to finish the topic at hand. We use reading guides for some of our discussions and they can be really helpful in keeping the discussions on track.

When do you select the books? When we started the book club, I would search online and best sellers lists to choose our book of the month. I would choose three books and allow my members to vote on the book they would like to read for the following month. Recently, I started a "Book Box".

I allow my members to write names of books on a slip of paper and drop it into the box whenever they like. Each month, I draw from the box and that's what we will read. It's been very interesting so far.

• The Roman Mysteries: The Dolphins of Laurentum: Book 5
• The Philosophy of Improvisation
• Puramore: The Lute of Pythagoras
• Urban Shaman
• La santé animale: 1. Généralités (Agricultures tropicales en poche) (French Edition)