BooksBarbecue
Back Battle of the Bookstores Save as PDF
Chapters (52)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for
  3. Berkley Titles by Ali Brady
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. BOOKFRIENDS
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. BOOKFRIENDS
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. BOOKFRIENDS
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. BOOKFRIENDS
  20. 11
  21. BOOKFRIENDS
  22. 12
  23. 13
  24. 14
  25. 15
  26. 16
  27. 17
  28. 18
  29. BOOKFRIENDS
  30. 19
  31. 20
  32. 21
  33. 22
  34. BOOKFRIENDS
  35. 23
  36. 24
  37. 25
  38. 26
  39. BOOKFRIENDS
  40. 27
  41. 28
  42. 29
  43. 30
  44. 31
  45. Ryan
  46. Acknowledgments
  47. Readers Guide
  48. Discussion Questions
  49. Excerpt from Until Next Summer
  50. Jessie
  51. About the Author
  52. What’s next onyour reading list?

Someone commented and told us to “get a room”—so we did. BSG started a private message chain, and we’ve been chatting regularly since. In the spirit of the site, we haven’t shared our names, locations, or any other personal information. Although it doesn’t get more personal than sharing the books you love.

I’m relieved to see a green dot by her name; she’s online. I pull up our chat and pick up where our last conversation left off: What page are you on now?

BookshopGirl: 376.

RJ.Reads: So you’re what? Halfway done?

BookshopGirl: More like two-thirds. I’ve got about 150 left.

I shake my head. A few romance novels have left me wanting more, but not three hundred pages more.

Good book? I ask, feeling the tension in my shoulders finally start to dissipate.

BookshopGirl: Technically speaking, yes. The prose is beautiful and the characters are well developed.

RJ.Reads: And not technically speaking?

BookshopGirl: The author is a bit pretentious—but I know that from personal experience, so I’m trying to keep an open mind about the book.

RJ.Reads: How diplomatic of you.

BookshopGirl: I try. How about you? What page are you on?

RJ.Reads: Page zero. Finished an ARC on the way home and haven’t picked my next book yet. Got a suggestion for me?

BookshopGirl: Hmmm.

As I watch the three dots appear and disappear, I smile at the prospect of reading a book of BSG’s choice. Based on the books on her Favorites shelf, it might take me the whole summer to read whatever she picks, but I can always get an audio copy. Or I can do what I did during my remedial English classes in high school—google reviews and cobble together enough information to make it sound like I read the book.

Not my proudest moments.

The dots stop, then start again. I’m on the edge of my seat.

BookshopGirl: Sorry, my sister called. I’ve got to run, but I’ll get back to you soon on a five-star book. Goodnight!

And with that, her green light turns red, and I’m left wondering what BookshopGirl’s eyes look like. If they sparkle like Cinderella’s, or if they’re sad and lonely like Josie’s.

BOOKFRIENDS