Best in Show Books

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Instead of a WHAT we're reading Wednesday post we thought it might be fun to do a WHERE we're reading Wednesday post. We know there are friends on here from near and far (very, very far even!) So tell us...where are you joining us from?

Jeanna and I will go first (even though it's no surprise to you all) - we're in Indiana! 🌎

2 hours ago | [YT] | 6

Best in Show Books

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION PART #2 🕵🏻‍♀️ 📖

Please note: while the QUESTIONS are spoiler-free, this is a book club discussion so you are ENCOURAGED to discuss spoilery -things in the comments! We kept the questions spoiler-free as we know many of you might not be caught up at this moment but will be soon.

So let’s get chatting! 💬

1. Let’s start off with pacing - in our last discussion, some of you mentioned loving the story right off the bat while others said it was a bit of a slow-burn. Did the pacing stay the same for you in the second-half or no?

2. Did you feel like there were any clues that you successfully followed to the end? On the flip side, did you see any red herrings? 

3. Did you correctly guess the killer? If not, who did you think might have been the killer? 

4. How important was setting to this story? And how did the locations play into your reading experience? Have you ever been to Oxford? Which leads us to the next question…

5. Are you surprised to learn that the author - John R. Kelly - had not yet been to Oxford when he wrote this? Despite that, did you feel that the story was atmospheric? We sure did. 

6. Creating a mystery novel with famous authors as detectives made for a fun read! Are there any other characters (real or fictional) that you would like to see band together to solve a mystery? 

7. Did you feel satisfied with the way the story wrapped itself up? Is there anything you would have liked to see happen differently?

8. What were your initial predictions for who might be the killer leading up to the final reveal? Were you correct? 

9. Now that you’ve had time to ponder, who was your favorite (you can only choose one!) character? Why?

10. The author has confirmed that book 2 is a go! Will you be adding it to your TBR

Thank you for joining us! Remember - we’ll be using your thoughts and comments as the base for our final Inklings discussion video on July 17. Thank you again for participating and reading along with us! We hope you enjoyed it!

1 week ago | [YT] | 18

Best in Show Books

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION PART #1 (The Inklings Detective Agency)

Good morning, fellow detectives! 🔎 If you’re reading along with us for this quarter’s book club then you know what day it is…discussion day! You should be roughly at the halfway point by now. We’ve posted some questions below to get the conversation going with your fellow book clubbers. Feel free to add questions of your own in the comments! 📚

1. How do C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien’s distinct personalities influence their initial reactions to the investigation?

2. The first murder draws ties to the occult and Aleister Crowley. Did you expect this? What did you think of this dark turn in the story?

3. How does the addition of Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie change the dynamic of the group?

4. Do you think the addition/inclusion of so many famous literary characters adds to or detracts from your enjoyment of the story?

5. Not only were Tolkien academics and writers in their own right, but they were the closest of friends. Do you think Tolkien and Lewis’ friendship aids in their investigation? If so, how?

6. In any crime novel we see the dichotomy of good and evil, right and wrong. In this novel, specifically, how do you see the themes of vengeance and justice play out?

7. Do you have a favorite character so far? Who and why?

8. Has the story progressed the way you thought it would? Were there any twists or turns (or character additions) that took you by surprise?

9. Assuming you are fans of some of the many literary figures in the book, pick your favorite author and then share your favorite book of theirs.

10. Do you have any guesses as to what will happen in the second half?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 18

Best in Show Books

📖 BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION DATES 📖

As promised (but a little late 😬, thank you for your patience!!), here are the discussion dates for our Best in Show Books book club pick - The Inklings Detective Agency by John R. Kelly

June 17 - pages 1-166 (chapters 1-17)
July 1 - pages 167- end (chapters 18-end)
July 17 - final recap discussion video drops!

The June 17 and July 1 dates will be discussion POSTS where we will post questions, you guys can answer and interact with one another, and you can leave your own questions in the comments. The July 17 video drops will be a FULL video discussion - we heavily base these discussions on your feedback and input from the earlier discussion posts…so please participate! 📖 💭

Thanks for participating in book club with us, we can’t wait to read The Inklings Detective Agency with you! 🔍

1 month ago | [YT] | 32

Best in Show Books

Hi local(ish) friends, we’ve got some exciting news! Our very own Jeanna will be chatting with New York Times bestselling author Melanie Benjamin here in Nashville, Indiana on Friday, July 10th! They’ll be chatting about Melanie’s new release - The Windsor Affair. If you’re caught up on our videos you’ll be familiar with this title and know how EXCITED we are for it!

Tickets can be purchased on our website - naughtydogbooks.com , click events at the top of the page, and then bam! You’ll see the event!

If you’re able to come, we’d love to see you! It’s going to be a great night! 📖 👑

1 month ago | [YT] | 28

Best in Show Books

🌟 BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS! 🌟

It's time to vote for our second Best in Show Books book club! Voting will be open for one week and will close at 6pm EST 06/03. We will announce the selection later that evening. Discussion dates and questions will be posted later, with the discussion video airing July 17.

We hope you'll join us for book club! 📚

1 month ago | [YT] | 29

Best in Show Books

📖🎥 ASK US ANYTHING 🎥📖

There are a lot of new faces around here and since it's been quite a while since we posted a Q&A video we thought...why not do another one!

Leave any bookish (or non-bookish) questions you have for us in a comment below and we'll do our best to answer them in an upcoming video.

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for our next Best in Show Book Club pick poll. It'll be coming in the next few weeks! 📚

1 month ago | [YT] | 27

Best in Show Books

Happy Monday from your two flabbergasted book friends…this little booktube just reached 6k! 🎈

Thank you guys for being here. It honestly means the world to us to have so many wonderful friends who love to talk about books as much as we do!

We hope you’re having a great start to your week and we’ll see you Friday at 9am 📚

1 month ago | [YT] | 260

Best in Show Books

Calling all Janeites! 🫖 We’re planning for a future video and would love to know some of your favorite Jane Austen retellings! 📖 These can include titles loosely inspired by her stories, fictional books about her life, nonfiction books, or strict retellings of her stories.

Comment below and let us know! 🎀

2 months ago | [YT] | 16