Recs if you like I’m Glad My Mom Died...

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.

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!

I couldnt find a list of these yet, so i made one! You may not be able to collect the badges anymore, but if you’re a completionist like me; here are all the books of the pagebound seasonal readalongs and the special event readalongs!

Fiction & nonfiction books that explore the complexities and traumas of mother-child relationships or in which such relationships play a central role. While many books on this list are what I’d classify as including “mommy issues” there are others that are more about the different perspectives and nuances of the mother-child (often specifically mother-daughter) relationship. Some books center the child, some the mother, some both.

Suggestions are welcome.

These are some of my favorites and books I want to read--nonfiction that reads like fiction or is otherwise compelling. If you're intimidated by books on history, science, memoir, or other subgenres in nonfiction, start here.

a collection of memoirs by individuals who have lived with and survived (and continue to survive) debilitating mental illnesses. these are their stories.

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!

Accessible non-fiction titles that are a good intro to the genre—suggestions always welcome! As an added bonus, most of the audiobooks are also great 🎧

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?

this list spans from self help books that are actually helpful to in depth theories about healing. you would probably find quite a few of these books on your therapist’s bookshelf. maybe you are looking for deeper healing. maybe you are a therapist looking for your next read. welcome :)

| 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

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!

Books with weird, strange, absurd, or just hilarious titles Please comment your own suggestions

Memoirs where the audiobook is narrated by the author

the coquette femme aesthetic is of the utmost importance

Different kinds of non-fiction books about gender, feminism, and related topics. People like black women or neurodivergent women are twice or more marginalised, and often it's not clear whether treatment was due to (for example) skin colour or perceived gender, so I'll add some books about other kinds of marginalisation as well. I haven't read all books (yet); if one is problematic, please tell me so in a comment!

NonFiction about & by people who were homeschooled or in nontraditional schooling, causing educational neglect & abuse, for some or all of their childhood & adolescence. These books feature, examine &/or deconstruct the systems and instances of harm that frequently occur in insular, high control educational environments.

🚨⚠️⚠️⚠️🚨 Huge & Varied Content Warnings ♡ Take care with your bodyminds ♡

Pending additions in the twinned shelf Suggestions welcome!

If you've ever thought that non-fiction was boring, dense or just "not made for me" this list is, in fact, made for you.