Recs if you like The Book Thief...

books in which Death, or a god of Death, or the Grim Reaper (or a Grim Reaper), is personified. This list will NOT include the works of Neil Gaiman (ew)

These are books that don't rush to impress you. They simmer while the author adds in the layers. They may confuse you or bore you at first - but if you give them time to cook you'll end up with a delicious meal of a book!

Always taking recommendations! If you are recommending a series - the layers need to come together by the end of the first book (not half way through the series).

Are you currently not crying to the point of vomiting, but you want to be? Need to conduct a science experiment to find out if you are in fact the ugliest crier in all of Pagebound? Well, do I have the list for you! Brought to you by the fine, very sad, folks of Pagebound! These books have been frequently suggested or upvoted in PB club posts about sad books! Suggestions in any genre, and extra tissues, are welcome!

This list brings together fiction from around the world that documents historical events or periods of time. Titles in this list aren't necessarily "historical fiction" but do have an important historical element to them.

I find fiction is an easy media to help educate me about world history I never learned in school. These titles aim to bring to light historical events that may not be taught in schools!

As always, I'm open to any and all suggestions! 🤠

“Oh yes they would.”

Reading is ALWAYS political!

Feel free to recommend your own in the comments (fiction and nonfiction) and let’s create a list of books about people + systems + power !! Would love any recs to diversify this list too, knowledge is power people !

you can enter a space. you are a regular guy, you can enter a room. you are a regular guy, you can do that transaction. you are a regular guy, you know how to answer the phone. you are a regular guy, you know what sleep is. you are a regular guy, you know what it means to be you.

all of these books have regular people as the protagonist doing all sorts of things, from kissing to killing!

as always, open to all suggestions!

Book titles that illustrate things Pagebound users might do or say, or titles that might describe the app or its users. Recommendations are welcome (this is meant to be fun, please do not suggest titles that are rude or aggressive)!

This list is not a commentary on these books---the focus is purely on the titles!

Books recommended by musician Lucy Dacus, a solo artist and member of the band boygenius. Pulled from her goodreads list.

Bibliophilia at its best - books about books, readers, libraries, bookstores!

Books don't just sit on shelves and these novels show it. Each one is its own love letter to the importance of stories in every corner of human life, built on the belief that the right book, in the right hands, at the right moment, can change the entire shape of a life. (Always taking recommendations!)

Books in this list are in at least two quests. Thus helping to earn more badges. Books will span different genres. Once I scan through all the quests, I plan to further organize the list. I am thinking of creating a seperate list and moving the books with three or more quests to the new list and keeping the two badge books in this list. Are there other ways you would organize a list this big?

Books where the narrating character is... different.

A mix of reader favorites and editorial picks from The New York Times—100 books that defined the 21st century.

my favorite genre! the grit of the everyday alongside the possibility for something more, a veil thinning, serendipity bending reality to its whimsy and beauty. this is a smaller list due the brittle nature of the genre. it's up to interpretation, but i like my magical realism on the more realistic side with very slight tints of magic/fantastical elements. recommendations are welcome!

Name-calling and insults you might hear on the playground and beyond...

Anything can be an insult if you believe it! My kid brother used to get in trouble for calling us "you...you BEAN" with all the spite his little preschool self could manage 🥹

Books with short chapters!!! I started a challenge where I read a super long book a chapter-a-day and annotate it using a study guide! I found that annotating short chapters is super accessible and not overwhelming at all for me, so I wanted to share this list with anyone that wants to start over-analyzing their books :) I included a variety of stories because HOW you read is as important (if not more) than WHAT you read!!!!

“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.” — Mark Twain

Fiction about book banning, censorship, and intellectual freedom. Bans off our books!!!

Looking for nonfiction? Check out my list The First Condition of Progress!

NYT Top 100 of the 21st Century: Reader's Choice. In order as published in 2024

As a massive bookworm and theatre nerd, this list was inevitable.