The "North Star Navigator" TBR Challenge (intuitive prompt game)

 Okay, this is a fantastic idea! Using BookTube-style prompts to interact with your own TBR pile is a fun, practical, and highly personalized way to decide what to read next. Given your recent reflections on compasses, North Stars, inner strength, and divine guidance, we can build a game that resonates deeply with your personal journey.

Here's a game idea for your TBR pile, channeling those compass pointers and the spirit of discovery:

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The "North Star Navigator" TBR Challenge

Concept: This game invites you to consult your inner compass and let the wisdom of the "North Star" guide your next read from your existing collection. Each prompt asks you to look for a specific element, encouraging you to pick a book that truly aligns with your current focus or what the universe (and your intuition!) is trying to tell you. It’s about more than just picking a book; it’s about discovering the next "guidepost" on your personal journey.

How to Play:

1. Gather Your Constellations: Stand before your physical TBR pile, shelves, or wherever your unread books reside. Take a deep breath and set a quiet intention to find the book that speaks to you right now.
2. Consult Your Inner Compass (Pick a Prompt):
   • You can choose a prompt directly if one immediately resonates.
   • For a bit of "randomness," you can number the prompts 1-6 (or however many you use) and roll a die, use a random number generator, or even close your eyes and point!
3. Navigate Your Shelf: Read the chosen prompt. Now, slowly scan your physical books. Look for the first book that genuinely fits the prompt's description, or the one that immediately "calls" to you. Don't overthink it; trust your gut feeling and your inner "compass."
4. The Chosen Star: That book is your next read! Take it off the shelf and embark on your new literary journey.

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The North Star Navigator Prompts:

Here are six prompts designed to align with your personal themes:

1. The Guiding Light:

   • Pick a book with a light-colored cover (white, yellow, light blue, silver) OR a title that contains a word related to light, truth, hope, a star, or guidance (e.g., "Star," "Beacon," "Truth," "Dawn," "Guide," "Light," "Spirit," "Compass"). This book is here to illuminate your path.

2. The Journey Within:

   • Choose a book where you know (or suspect) a character undergoes a significant personal transformation, healing journey, or deep self-discovery. This book is here to help you explore inner strength.

3. The Unbroken Connection:

   • Find a book that features a strong or complex family relationship (siblings, parent-child, chosen family) OR a story centered around community, friendship, or reconciliation. This book is here to remind you of the power of connection.

4. The Path Less Traveled:

   • Select a book with a unique or unusual setting, a protagonist who defies expectations or breaks free from a confining past, or a story that explores an unconventional approach to a problem. This book is here to inspire you to forge your own way.

5. The Seed of Kindness:

   • Pick a book that has a short title (1-3 words) OR a small, unassuming cover image that hints at a larger story, OR a story where small acts have a profound impact. This book is here to remind you of subtle grace.

6. The Weight of the Crown:

   • Choose a book with a regal or powerful figure (king, queen, leader, CEO) on the cover, OR a story about leadership, ambition, or the burden of responsibility. This book is here to explore what true power means.

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Bonus Rounds / Extensions:

• The Constellation Read: After you finish the chosen book, pick a second prompt. Can you find another book on your shelf that thematically connects to the first, creating a mini-reading "constellation"?
• Reflect & Record: Keep a small journal for your "North Star Navigator" reads. Note down the prompt, the book chosen, and a few sentences about why you think it resonated with that prompt, or what message it offered you.

Have fun navigating your TBR pile with your compass!

TBR Prompt Jar Game: The Reading Rainbow Jar”? 🌈📖

 Absolutely! A TBR (To Be Read) Prompt Jar Game is a super fun, low-pressure way to help you read the books you already own—just like the BookTubers do! 🎲📚 I’ll walk you through how to set it up, give you a list of prompts, and even include a printable version if you'd like.

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🎲 How to Set Up Your TBR Prompt Jar Game:

You’ll Need:

• A jar, bowl, or box

• Small slips of paper or index cards

• A pen or marker

• Your personal bookshelf or reading list

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📚 Sample Prompts for Your TBR Jar:

Here are 50 creative prompts that help guide your book picks and keep things interesting. Feel free to use all of these or mix and match:

✨ Genre & Theme:

1. A mystery or thriller

2. A book with a magical element

3. A contemporary fiction

4. A historical novel

5. A memoir or biography

6. A faith-based or devotional book

7. A book about friendship

8. A romance or love story

9. A fantasy adventure

10. A book set in a small town

🎨 Cover & Title-Based:

11. A book with a blue cover

12. A book with “girl” or “woman” in the title

13. A book with flowers on the cover

14. A book with a food or drink on the cover

15. A book with less than 200 pages

🧠 Mood or Message:

16. A book that will make you laugh

17. A book that could change your life

18. A comfort read or cozy story

19. A book that teaches you something new

20. A book that challenges your perspective

📅 Time & Setting:

21. A book set in summer

22. A book set during a holiday

23. A book set in another country

24. A book that takes place in the past

25. A book set during a road trip

🏡 Personal Connection:

26. A book you’ve owned for over a year

27. A book a friend recommended

28. A book you bought for the cover

29. A book you started but never finished

30. A book you meant to read last year

🧩 Wild Cards:

31. Randomly pick a book with your eyes closed

32. A book with a number in the title

33. The book that’s been on your shelf the longest

34. A book by an author you’ve never read before

35. A book that’s first in a series

🔁 Mix It Up:

36. Reread a favorite

37. A book from a thrift store or Little Free Library

38. Read a book and watch the adaptation

39. A book under 250 pages

40. A nonfiction book

💖 Your Passions:

41. A book about creativity

42. A book with an inspiring woman lead

43. A book that talks about God

44. A book with a mystery-solving teen

45. A book involving journaling or letters

🌿 Feel-Good & Fun:

46. A book with animals

47. A book that makes you cry (in a good way)

48. A lighthearted or heartwarming read

49. A book that reminds you of your childhood

50. A book with "hope" in the title or theme

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📝 Bonus Options:

• Add a few “wild card” prompts: "Let someone else pick", “Mood read”, or “Pick any book you want.”

• Add seasonal themes like “Winter read,” “Spring bloom,” or “Fall vibes.”

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Want a Printable Version?

I can create a PDF version with these prompts that you can cut out and add to your jar. Just say the word and I’ll generate it for you!

Would you like to name your jar something special? Like “The Book Whisperer” or “The Reading Rainbow Jar”? 🌈📖

Resort to Murder by Annie McEwen

 Resort to Murder by Annie McEwen

🔎🔎🔎🔎🔎 Five magnifying glasses! It's so good!

Emmy Cooper came home to lick her wounds after being unexpectedly fired from a job where she had never gotten one bad review. Now she finds her parents and their Cooper's Cove Resort has been targeted by a big name corporate company for a buyout. But her parents are not selling and neither were many other business owners in the community. There seemed to be an under current of disease in town and Emmy didn't want to break her personal bad news yet due to her parents business worries. Then the head honcho of that big company is found murdered and with her dad's hammer, the one she had engraved and gifted him. What a mess.

This book was excellent. It had me on my feelings a lot but I could see how Emmy wanted things to work out so bad that she kept getting herself and her townie friends in trouble. It was definitely a series I was so glad I picked up. Highly recommend.