I've noticed that the majority of recommendation posts on bookish social media sites list books that have been recently released (i.e. published within the past 5-10 years), or classics (i.e. published over 100 years ago).

I'm looking for recommendations of books published in between those two vastly different time periods. What are your favorite books (or just books you've enjoyed) that were released between 1965 and 2005? What made those books enjoyable to you? All genres are welcome!

I've never really liked horror media. Horror movies, shows, books, anything of the sort, really. But I'm curious about how it's done in books! I'm too much of a wuss to actually read a scary book, so can horror lovers tell me how a scary book scares you? Are there any actual jumpscares or just segments filled with suspense? Also, maybe an example of a book you thought was really bad, because the horror part was done poorly. Or a book you thought was really good cause it scared you a lot. I'd love to hear!

Hello boundlings! Lately, I've been pondering the idea of what it means to be a reader in a community of readers (like Pagebound). Reading can be such a solitary activity and it is a joy to see how that activity can be used to bring people together. I think most of us here acknowledge that community is actively built and maintained; it is a place where we can connect, support, and uplift each other. However, I do wonder if bookish spaces (especially online) can become over-relied upon.

I think there is a lot of room for misinterpretation here, so let me outline what I am specifically referring to: As more users join PB, I feel I see more club posts along the lines of "which of these five books should I read next," "should I do this," "should I do that," and so on (with no other information, and no one truly engaging with each other---they could be Instagram polls, essentially). I find a lot of these posts disconcerting because they often read as though the user isn't looking for advice, but rather explicit decision-making by others. I feel like this defeats the purpose of being in a reading community, but also of being a reader in the first place. Reading is such a major channel for autonomy, intentionality, and expression---I feel like those things are taken away when relying on others to make every decision about one's reading journey. (To be clear, I'm not referring to advice/rec posts in general, nor any specific users/posts. Just a prevailing trend.)

I don't want to seem like I'm trying to tell people how to act in a community space---that is not my intention. If this posts comes off that way, please let me know and I will reevaluate my words.

Ultimately, my questions are,

• How do you feel about these types of posts? (Am I reading too much into them?)
• What does reading, as part of a community, look like to you?
• How did you find confidence in your decision-making as a reader?

I do know it takes time and experience to develop this aforementioned confidence; perhaps these posts are a new way of doing that in the age of technology. I'd love to know your thoughts.

What books would you like to see on the big screen? I know a lot of readers prefer the book to live in their head forever because the actors chosen for the movie are NOTHING like what you’ve envisioned the characters to look like and it messes up your picture, but I know that many of us cast actors AS we’re reading. Tell me what book(s) you’ve cast, and even if you’ve scouted locations for certain settings in your head. Doesn’t have to be well known celebrities either.

I’ll go first. I cast Helena Woods, some random IG astrologer chick, as Clio from Play Nice by Rachel Harrison. Achilles, in The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller is a younger, tanned, more sinewy Hayden Christiansen.

Okay! I just decided to blindly accept everything being written and not question anything at all! Now it's a lot more fun to read! This shit is absolutely insane and makes no sense! I love it now, I think.🙂

Is it just me or do other people get annoyed when reading sentences where Kayden calls Gareth’s asshole “my pussy”. Eg “I’m going to spill my cum in my pussy” (not a true sentence in the book but a close approximation) like it just reads so grammatically wrong and takes me out of the moment. I just absolutely despise it. Like it’s one thing to claim it and say “this is my pussy” or “your pussy is mine now” but the other way just 🤢

Not hating the kink or the feminization as it suits this couple. I just hate the way it reads grammatically.

I cry to many books, but few have made me cry so hard I felt hungover the rest of the day. Two of those were Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta and Morningstar by Pierce Brown. The girl who just wanted her mom and the man who was no builder. Yea. Killed me. So, fellow book worms and dragons alike, what books have ruined your otherwise good day?

I posted a review on the Hello Chaos A Love Story: The disorder of Seeing and Being Seen page, and realised... practically nobody else has read it! I loved it, so I thought I'd reach out and ask if people had similar experiences.

I think it can feel a bit lonely in the forums of some of the less popular books, so I wanted to make a space where you can gush and be supported about your favourite niche read. (Or even reads where there are active forums but you feel you don't get to participate enough!)

One of my longstanding rules is that I WILL add anything to my TBR if it comes with a glowing recommendation, so this is your chance to get a buddy for your favourite niche book :)

I have this self-imposed criterion on what makes a good author: short stories.

If your short stories are well written (that entails: a proper structure/world-building, tone setting for the story without meandering, good characterization, and a powerful ending), I consider them an above average author, at least.

To me a short-story is anything that is a 130 pages or below.

E.g., Comfort Me with Apples, The Little Prince, A Tell-Tale Heart, The Six Deaths of the Saint, etc

I consider Alix E. Harrow, Catherynne M. Valente, Saint-Exupery and Edgar Allen Poe elite authors. I go into their other works with very high expectations after what they’ve managed to deliver in just a couple of pages.

It is very easy to mess up a short-story. Hence, why.

And endings. There something about a well-written ending that makes me drink up the entire oeuvre of an author. E.g. Madeline Miller. I disregard the start and the middle if the ending clicks for me.

I want to know, does anybody else have any such criteria as to what makes an amazing author in your mind? Anything that makes you have really high expectations going into their works?

Today I was stuck with what to ask so I looked up What National Day is It?. It's apparently Flatmate Day.

Fave fictional flatmates, housemates or roommates... go

I'm suggesting Georgia and Rooney from Loveless by Alice Oseman. 💜

hey gang 👋🏻 not sure if this has been done before but i'm going ahead anyway because i've been feeling really down as of late about all that's been going on in my work / the world / online space. everything feels very disheartening and bleak (jeez sorry for the negative turn)

BUT! just wanted everyone here to share 3 things that you're grateful for this year / month / week. anything counts 😊 so that we can all count our blessings and realise that there are still things to be appreciative of 🌸 i'll go first!

the three things i'm grateful for are:

1. had a two days off work because of the festive szn last week so i managed to get some much needed rest + tons of reading done
2. managed to smash a tough workout
3. finding out about PB(!!!)

So I would love to be someone that listens to audiobooks. In my car, at work, cleaning my house. Its probably the only way id be able to manage reading more than one book at a time. But, I always zone out. I miss stuff. Or the voices annoy me. I constantly feel like i need to go back and re listen to the same part because it just wont stick.

Did any of you have these issues and found solutions?

I listen to DnD podcasts and do OK. I dont know if its because its usually less monotone sounding. Or because I dont expect the characters to sound like anything other than the person playing them.

I just dont feel immersed in audiobooks.

Any tips?