Recs if you like The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories...

An emergent subgrene by and about strange women on themes of female rage, sisterhood, hunger, attraction, beauty, motherhood, violence, and much more.

I've seen so many people say they don't read classics as they aren't diverse, and I wanted to give some suggestions that are.

This is a list of classics written by authors who are not Straight, Cis, White, and Men as the title suggests. I am also aiming to include a variety of cultures and regions in this list. If your looking for something more focused (e.g. diverse US classics) check out the lists I posted in the comments.

Suggestions are more than welcome!

Books that are part of 3 or more quests ✨for easier planning! Initially thought of making this on my shelf, hope the members of pb find this helpful!! (The list is incomplete, I'm working on checking & adding new quest books🙌🏻 thanks for the love ❤️🥹)

are you sick of being recommended stephen king when you ask for a horror novel? have you picked up a book expected to be scared, but the scariest thing about it was a woman being needlessly tormented and gaslit? have you read 4627473 books about a man in a haunted house and need something different?

if so, this list is for you :)

a masterlist of horror by anyone who isn't a straight cis white man, started in 2022 and brought to pb in 2026.

Fantasy titles that have become foundational to the genre and/or that are considered fantasy classics, written by women. Always open to suggestions!

No Hans Christian Andersen on this list. Retellings based on...Twelve Dancing Princesses, Cinderella, The Goose Girl, Snow White, Snow White + Rose Red, Rapunzel, Hansel + Gretel, Rumplestiltskin, Bluebeard, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Prince, King Thrushbeard, The Pied Piper, The Six Swans, The Brave Little Tailor, Bearskin, Puss in Boots, Allerleirauh, The Wolf + the Fox, The Pink, Maid Maleen, Brother + Sister, The Golden Goose, The Six Swans, etc. As always… no Gaiman

Shorter books (under 200 pages) that are part of at least one quest. Many are also in the public domain, making them easily accessible when you want to grind for that next badge.

Hauntology is the philosophical concept, as quoted by Mark Fisher from his article taking a deeper look into Derrida's philosophical work, that "the present is always haunted by the ghosts of the past and the unfulfilled promises of the future." From generational trauma to dark histories to dying Old World pagan traditions, these elements persist throughout the wide genre of folk horror. These books explore deeply into the hauntings of the past and the instability of the future.

(See pinned comment for book/look pairings). For those books that are lush, esoteric, perhaps a bit encrusted, convoluted, dense and/or lyrical; books that Commit To The Bit. Anything with something to say and a strong aesthetic sense that reinforces it; anything that's perhaps a bit weird and not afraid to take literary/artistic risks. Bonus if you can't figure out what it's supposed to mean 🙂‍↕️. Suggestions always welcome - feel free to give me a book to find a look for, or post a book/look pairing you came up with yourself! ❣️

This list is perfect for a quick magical escape. 😊

Going back to the Dark Ages with all the horror and death they experienced. A comprehensive list including popular selections along with lesser known works to evoke the Olde Age scares.

(I try to update this list all any time I run across new ones!)

Overlooked, lesser known classics from all over the world and of many genres.

This list also exists as a book club on Fable under the same name.

A list of 100 gothic classics which covers over 250 years of literature, from the high-drama castles of the 1700s to the psychological "New Gothic" of today.

books that are part of 3 or more quests, for those readers with a completionist streak within and a personal plague of Too Many Books, Too Little Time.

Clever, arresting and intentional SFF books by genre writers who really know how to play with and control language; not even necessarily immensely quotable or flowery, but wholly competent and meticulous.

Do you love collecting tiny shiny objects (badges)? These books will count towards THREE quests, helping you collect all the shiny objects!

…fairytales with a darkness that creeps

Ever felt overwhelmed by Quests? Well, we currently (August 1st 2026) have over 100 of them, totaling 4000+ different books. Ofc you’re overwhelmed.

Whether you’ve already worked through the ones on top, or just want more of a challenge, here I’m giving you a list of every book on Pagebound that’s in 3 Quests. Hopefully you’ll find it helpful. NB: Time limited Quests not included. Too much upkeep, sorry.

Enjoy, and happy questing

Hi pals, I am FINALLY going to be splitting my massive Grimms Retellings List, sooo gear up for that. This list will include books that are mash-ups of multiple tales as well as anthologies that contain a Puss in Boots story.

short books around 200 pages or less that you can easily read in one sitting! for those who just want a quick read or those trying to hit their reading goals ! i tried to include a variety of genres including lit fic, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, thriller, etc.