Fangirl Friday: How my Fellow Wenches Book Reading Collides With Mine.

It's hard to believe that I've know the other members of the blog for over four years. In some cases five years via the now defunk Sookieverseblog where we all first meet. The thread that holds us together is of course books. But it's also the ability of the web to allow us to connect on many other levels despite our distances. Whether is politics, family, children, fandoms, TV shows. You name it, it connects us in some way. So I wanted to look at those books that have connected my fellow Wenches to me. Those books that we've loved the same. Even if for a couple of us our books tastes tend to be miles apart at times there is still that thread of connection holding us together despite the dramas of everyday life, the misunderstandings and the joy we take in simply being friends. Our love of books and reading is at times so similar and so diverse. There is the simple joy we feel when one of our friends falls in love with the same book as us. Or when they've recommended a book to us and we fall in love with. Check after the jump for a brief look at how the Wenches have connect to me via our love of reading.




First up a diagram version of me trying to link which Wenches liked books in common with me. It was interesting to see given our starting point was The Book That Shall Not be Named. Well it was the whole series that belonged to THAT book. It progressed to the Fever series by Karen M. Moning. That moment in time lead to an introduction to some other wonderful books and series. Would I have read Penryn & the End of Days? Nope. Would I have completed the Outlander series? I very much doubt it. It's just one of the delightful pleasures of being a part of this book club. There are amazing books brought to my attention all the time. No wonder my To Be Read list keeps growing.

Each arrow indicates a Wench who has read the same book or series as I have. Are there books that I've missed out? Probably, but these are the books that stand out in my mind and they are books that other Wenches have read and have enjoyed. It's interesting to see there are definitely some clear favourites for us. Although I could ask why aren't more of you reading Maplecroft or 11/22/63?

What have I discovered by doing this? That I should be checking out what Donna is reading way more often. Donna, I really think we seem to love the same books/series. Maybe we are book soul sisters. Based on the below, it seems very, very likely. It's weird, as we actually read a lot more in common than I thought. Ditto for Merit. I need to keep a closer eye on what they are reading each week. I just feel like our universes might have finally collided. My eyes have opened up to who is reading other books I've enjoyed. Makes note to stealthily check all books Donna and Merit read in our weekly post What the Wenches are Reading.

I'm not surprised that Kathi and Zee are so high up the list as well. If they've love it, then 9 times out of 10 I'll love it as well. As a general rule it seems like the reverse works as well. At least that's what I tell myself. Don't burst my bubble if this isn't the case. But without them how would I have completed the brilliant Outlander series (Kathi) or even found the nerve to read Maplecroft (Zee). I find that with Kathi and Zee I'm also more likely to give a book a chance. A lot of the books in common we've read where only one or two Wenches have read, it tends to be a book Kathi or Zee have read that either I've enjoyed or they've recommended to me. Maybe they're just better at convincing me I need to pick up a certain book and give it a chance. It could be partly that. I find we tend to give a lot of books and series a similar rating as well. Perhaps we just like the same things in books. Is that the killing of main characters I hear you say? I'm not totally bloodthirsty. Okay, maybe a little bit. I just like characters to stay dead when they supposedly have died on the page.

What was I surprised by? The amount of books that I've read in common with Barbara. I often tended to think that we just don't read the same things. I was very pleasantly surprised. Maybe we haven't read some series to completion, but we've often read part way through them. And I love that. Barbara, I need to pay more attention to your recommendations. You did point me in the direction of the wonderful Downside Ghosts series after all. I actually thought Anne and I read in more in common than we do.  Plus the books we tend to have in common are fantasy or urban fantasy ones. Although she was the first to read the brilliant The Martian. See I do take note of everyone's reviews. I get around to reading some of the great books recommended eventually!

I also love looking at the diverse array of books I've been reading. There are so many genres that the Wenches are reading. Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Classics, Fiction, Historical Fiction, M/M. Sure fantasy tends to be expressed strongly amongst us, but I guess sometimes those first loves stick with us. If you want a great urban fantasy series to read, keep an eye out on what Shau is reading. If you want M/M then check out what Care is reading. They come across some great books and series.

When I look at what we've read in common, it gives me a warm feeling when I notice a book I've read first and then other Wenches have read it as well and loved it just as much as me. When Kathi read The Luminaries I was beside myself with happiness. We've never met, but to think she was reading a book I adored warmed my heart. Or when Shau, Donna, Merit and Zee read The Others. There is that nervous moment when you think," Gosh, I hope they don't hate it." But I can always respect that people aren't going to love some books and series as much as I.  That moment when Amanda started reading A Song of Ice and Fire and later on when Kathi completed it as well. They both loved it! It was so joyful to listen to them as they were reading and discovering events for the first time.

That being said, why hasn't any other Wench picked up the Sebastian St Cyr  by C.S. Harris. Come on. Someone give it a go. Historical murder mystery. Just to tempt you a little. Or Sharon Kay Penman historical books. I have a funny feeling Merit and Donna may have read Brent Weeks The Night Angel series, but I could be wrong, so perhaps I better not say why aren't more Wenches reading that series. Oh, I just said it anyway didn't I!

Of course all the above is not 100% accurate, but it was a fun way to see what I'm reading in common with my other fellow Wenches. It was a delightful surprise in many instances and I've change a little of my perspective on some assumptions about who is reading what I'm reading. So next time you think I never like any books X recommends to me, it might pay to pick that book up. You might just think, Wow this is the best new series I've discovered in a long time and be blown away. Enjoy whatever you are reading at the moment. I hope it just might happen to be a recommendation from a friend. 

Do you have some book soul sisters who just love the books or series you do?