Recs if you like The Golden Compass...
Listening Is Reading
When the narrator(s) makes the book even better. For new listeners and audiobook elites, here is a range of different genres and narrators that excel at audio perfection.
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.
Quest Thirst 💦 (100+ Books under multiple quests)
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 ❤️🥹)
Christianity As An Instrument Of Oppression
Fiction and non-fiction that examines how the Christian cultural hegemony and belief system has been co-opted as a tool of oppression and exploitation throughout history. Speculative works included, so long as the underlying narrative and commentary directly engages with some aspect of religious control as a primary theme. Always open to suggestions! (Please note that this List aims to critique Christianity as a worldwide institution, not to promote hate against individual practitioners)
stop supporting JKR!!!
books to get for the middle grade readers in your life that have similar vibes but are NOT Harry Potter (and are in fact better)
Good Book, Bad Movie 📽️
Crimes committed by movie studios against amazing books. “The book walked, so these movies could trip and fall down the stairs” - JadeLovesBooks ✨
animal side characters
books that feature an animal (real & fantastical alike) as a side character, companion, or a pet!
HRCYED 3.0 x Pagebound Quests (Titles Edition)
If we are going to do Qwordy's the Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do 3.0 - we should probably get some Pagebound badges along the way! I'm specifically going to be adding books from Quests and readalongs that go past the July start date and match at least one of these title prompts: Periodic Table, Familial Terms, Rainbow of Words (also Joseph's coat), Numerical Titles, Titular Counting 5+, Pun in the Title, and First & Last Name in the Title. Recommendations welcome!
Ologies Podcast Suggestions
Ologies is a weekly science podcast hosted by Alie Ward. Each episode, Ward interviews an expert from a distinct scientific field.
This unofficial list contains book suggestions made by the host or by her guests. I avoided extremely technical books or papers. Currently from episode 1 to 525 More details on these books and their associated episodes in my ever evolving spreadsheet.
In the spreadsheet there are also books not found on Goodreads and general book recommendations (like the entire bibliography of a specific author or group of people)
It's 2005 and you're at the Scholastic Book Fair
Books of the millennial reader's childhood (not just scholastic book fair). Sticking with chapter books, and not picture books :) All books pre-2005 Taking recs!
let me tell you my story
audiobooks where the narrator is the author! any book goes, no matter the genre. there may be multiple versions of the audiobook, but at least one version has the author as narrator. please suggest more in the comments!
Why is there a cowboy?
Books that are not westerns yet inexplicably include a cowboy in the cast.
Bears over Bears
Bears in all their shapes and forms and across genres (this includes sentient teddybears and memoirs). If not friend why friend-shaped?! As long as the bear is plot or character relevant the book can land in here. Feel free to recommend books to be added (maybe also tell me why you think the bear functions as relevant for the story). We bear bears!
Bears over Bears
Bears in all their shapes and forms and across genres (this includes sentient teddybears and memoirs). If not friend why friend-shaped?! As long as the bear is plot or character relevant the book can land in here. Feel free to recommend books to be added (maybe also tell me why you think the bear functions as relevant for the story). We bear bears!
Books Across Badges, A Multi-Quest Hit List
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.
Threee Badges for the Badge Gremlins
Do you love collecting tiny shiny objects (badges)? These books will count towards THREE quests, helping you collect all the shiny objects!
you’re going to ace that Accelerated Reader test
chapter books you probably read in elementary and/or middle school and you probably took the AR test as soon as you finished. cue nostalgia
gotta catch ‘em all
I wanna be the very best like no one ever was
in honor of Pokémon’s 30th birthday, I put together a list of books that feel like pokemon, from just having a lil buddy hanging out to monster battles and more.
as always, taking any and all recommendations!
Quest Guide: 3 Musketeers
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
Banned books
A collection of books that are banned or challenged. Dive into these controversial works and explore what has been pushed for you to not discover.
