Recs if you like The Phantom Tollbooth...

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.

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)

You liked Harry Potter but you’re angry at the author for being a huge transphobe and you would like some alternatives because you don’t want to give money to her so she can finance transphobia and you have enough of Harry Potter’s racist stereotypes like Cho Chang and other problematic themes in this saga? You’re in the right place! I haven’t read all, if some are misplaced, let me know! Also, if you want more fantasy recs, I have a queer fantasy list! It is addressed to different ages.

Bring on those Gen Y memories! A list of books likely to give people born between 1981 and 1996 a lot of feelings.

This list is for those of us who grew up eagerly awaiting the Scholastic Book Fair, watching Reading Rainbow (or Wishbone!), and dreaming of a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.

Note: these are not books published in 1981-1996, but books that had a hold on the millennial generation.

Also check out the Dear America series, American Girl series & Royal Diaries series.

Do you, like me, often find yourself looking at a book cover thinking, "Y'all are doing waaay too much." Why are book covers so dang extra nowadays? Here are some books that appeal to me simply because they have covers that don't look like a 19 year old with Photoshop barfed a bunch of design elements on a book and called it a day. Some I've read, some are on the TBR. And to all the authors and publishers out there, K.I.S.S.

Short fantasy and sci-fi books under 200 pages. Novellas and bite-sized adventures for those looking for something fast. (Absolutely not because I'm trying to squeeze some short books in before the end of the year.)

Classic novels for your (inner) child, with some modern staples in the mix. For reading yourself, reading aloud to little ones, and for those learning to read. Suggestions welcome, as always!

As a parent of 2 boys, I want to introduce them to good literature as early as possible! This is my list of classics that are appropriate for kids to listen to (read them aloud or listen to the audiobook). I’ve left some off this list due to misogyny and racism I thought was unforgivable. But ALL these books were written by imperfect people in an imperfect world, there may be topics you may need to have deeper conversations with your kids. ❤️

Stress relief through easy reads & humor

Includes but not limited to: fluff, comedy, cozy/comfort, banter, plain-ol’-laughs, fun-no-plot, ridiculousness (writing ranging from okay to fantastic but they’re all worth it)

Can’t be bothered with the world or seriousness? Need a break for your brain and soul? Rest here & treat yourself!

[please REC other helpful prescriptions - ⭐️ bonus if queer ] - thank you fellow pharmacy volunteers 🙏🏻

Mostly: adult-audience fiction, some YA & youth titles often appreciated by all ages.

"Sob sob sob life as a fish was much too hard"

Much like books to movies but solely focused on animated movies/series! Suggestions welcome!

please read something that isn't hp and don't give that lady money. alternatively, if you know of someone who says they like fantasy but their shelves are only filled with white guys, suggest one of these! (I've only added books I have read so if something isn't on there that you think should be lmk)

The books your teacher made you read between the ages of 11-14. They changed the way you saw the world, they made you realize books were more than just goofy or sentimental stories you gobbled up before bedtime, and they stuck with you, all these years later.

Suggestions welcome, especially from non-American readers!!

Note: this list was made by a Millennial, so I'd love to hear from some different generations! What did your teachers assign you?

classic literature for children that's worth reading as an adult

books i’ve read (and liked) that made me feel the cozy calm (or dark grit) of fall

no rhyme or reason, just ✨vibes✨

**i’m including some cozy fantasy/spooky season/fall-occurring books, but this list is also meant to expand beyond those limited sub-genres to include books i think would hit different if read during fall or majorly incorporate elements i associate w fall like mountains/forests, adventures, murder, small towns, seasons of change/hardship, grittiness, dark academia, pirates, etc

there may be dark moments but the warm fuzzies prevail in these speculative novels ✨ note many of these are series!

The BBC’s 100 Greatest Children’s Books of All Time as published in May 2023.

So many childhood books, so little time, feel free to comment suggestions

I have a hard time with conceptual things without understanding why they exist or who decides that they matter. So we're gonna learn those things.