Fantasy books you can read instead of Harry Potter
JK Rowling is a bigot who uses her platform to hurt transfolks and other marginalized groups (plus she literally just quoted Mein Kampf on the bird site). If you're still supporting her in 2025, don't bother talking to me.






Pagebound User Book Cameos
For when your PB friends share the same name(s) as a book character! (See pinned comment for master list! Please feel free to chime in if you want to be added and/or if you want a different book assigned to you; I didn’t want to step on toes and add people I haven’t really talked to without their permission ❤️ also my brain is smooth and I forget book character names all the time lol)






Books with Ghibli vibes
Books that inspired or are similar to Studio Ghibli films






black cat crossing
it may be months away from halloween but it’s never too early to show love and support for the often over-stigmatized black cat! these books, as you might have guessed, all include at least one black cat or are about black cats :)






“tiny bookshop” books 📚
books featured in the cozy video game “tiny bookshop”






animal side characters
books that feature an animal (real & fantastical alike) as a side character, companion, or a pet!






upcoming tv/film adaptations
| 2026 | verity: october 2 sense & sensibility: october 16 sunrise on the reaping: november 20 dune messiah: december 18
| 2027 | children of blood & bone: january 15 the nightingale: february 12 beach read: may 7
| 2028 | cinder: november 3






The Cozy Cauldron 🧙♀️🍸🥐☕️🍯
This list is a comfort-reads pantry of low-stakes fantasy where food and drink are the magic. Every pick centers a kitchen, café, tea room, coffee bar, bakery, cocktail or anything food as the heart of the story, with conflicts that stay gentle, community-minded plots, and endings that leave you soothed rather than stressed. Cozy, sensory escapes and character growth over battles!






It's Different than the Anime
Manga and novels that offer more extensive storylines, different interpretations, or completely different storylines than their anime counterparts. This usually happens due to changes during the adaptation process or in the case of tie-in manga intended for a different audience than the original series.
If you're looking for manga that's better than its anime interpretation, check out my list 'Don't Watch the Anime!'






low stakes & low stress
my ideal bedtime read because I will stay up until 3 am if I get too invested in or anxious/stressed about a plot






Low Cortisol Reading List
These are books I am going to start reading before bed, because my regular selection of reading material just really riles me up. Inspired by two posts from the Substack Feeling! Magazine by Jenna O'Brien.