I have been seeing quite a few people not marking things as spoilers that I would absolutely consider spoilers lately, and it made me wonder, what do people consider a spoiler? Am I too strict in my views? I also know there is a FAQ post about this, but I am more so curious about the overall user base's opinions rather than the website's stance.

To me, nearly anything that could give away the content of the book is a spoiler. I spoiler pretty much every post I make just in case. I also see a lot of people making titles along the lines of "Thoughts from chapter 9: I'm so sad 😭" which to me is a spoiler, because now someone will know that something sad happens at that point in the story. Even if they don't know what, it still affects their reading experience in a way that may ruin it.

I also find tropes to often be spoilers. If you tell me a book is enemies to lovers, and the romance isn't really advertised as an inevitability anywhere in the description of the book (like if the book isn't a romance book, if it's speculative fiction for example), I will now be spoiled that two enemies will become lovers. I have even seen tropes that fully spoil huge plot points, I saw one person describe a book as having a "double-agent trope" when the character being a double agent is a HUGE reveal in the latter half of the book. Even things like "betrayal" give so much away, to me I would hesitate to describe a book with them unless specifically asked.

Now, things I DON'T consider spoilers are anything that either is already in the description of the book OR is revealed within the first like five pages. Like, if the description of the book doesn't mention that the main character can see ghosts, but it's revealed within a few pages as backstory, I wouldn't personally call that a spoiler (although I would probably still spoiler tag it just in case lol.) Also, anything that is broad enough as to not give anything away. Calling a book dark is different than saying the ending is dark, especially if there are many dark scenes in the book. Saying you loved a character doesn't give away anything about the character, because plenty of people love characters that do bad things, it doesn't give away anything about them other than "I think they were a quality character that I enjoyed reading about." Saying that you think the characters got satisfying endings, or didn't get satisfying endings, doesn't give away anything about the endings because satisfying to you isn't necessarily satisfying to anyone else.

Am I too strict in what I consider a spoiler? Also to be clear, I would never yell at someone or anything if I did see a post that could be considered a spoiler, I just report them for review if I've read the book and know that it spoils something. This is moreso a post made out of curiosity not to call anyone out!

I’m just curious as to where people get their digital content from!

I mostly use Libby whenever I can because I read a LOT and do not have much money 😭😭 But for books that aren’t on there I’ll find them wherever I can - Kindle, mostly. Audible sometimes, though that’s also pretty expensive so I usually save that for long books I know I want to own. I’ve found some very old books on Google Play Books which I did not realise even existed and seems like not a ton of people use?

I also use discount websites like Chirp and Bookbub on occasion and just started picking up titles off NetGalley.

So I’m curious what everyone else uses! Mostly from curiosity but Especially if there are other alternatives to Amazon, especially for free or cheap books (I’m not looking to pirate I still want people paid!) I’m willing to pay full price for books I really love but truly if I bought every book I read I wouldn’t be able to afford food. 😭

For me, it’s Beloved by Toni Morrison. It shows how truly awful humans can be to each other but also how humans find themselves through ghosts.

Please share your systems for choosing the books you're about to read this year, if you have one. (little Update on the original post as I realised I made it a little too personal and maybe not as open to the community as I wanted it to be).

I hope that by curating a list for my reading goal, for this year, to achieve said goal.

I'm aiming to touch on various genres, cultures and writing stiles. So far I've put books into the "interested pile" but I'm not confident in sorting them or making a commitment yet as I keep stumbling over interesting lists and feel like I would like a little of everything.

Any suggestions on how to approach this are greatly appreciated!

Be honest with me for a second.

Are you actually reading books right now … or are you collecting them?

Is your TBR a carefully curated reading plan, or a beautiful tower of good intentions? Are you finishing what you buy, or are you chasing the thrill of the next preorder?

No judgment. This is a safe space for the “I own it and I’ll get to it eventually” crowd.

Tell me: 📚 How many unread books are currently staring at you? 📖 And what’s stopping you from starting them?

Confessions encouraged.

Our next Special Event will celebrate Japanese literature, culture and its influence on the world. Like the sakura (cherry blossom) trees Japan gifts other nations to promote cross-cultural exchange, we hope reading these books together will connect the global Pagebound community. We've intentionally selected a broad range of genres and authors to spotlight, so everyone can find a book they're interested in. This event will run from March 15 to April 15.

Check out the Special Events page (in the More tab on the app, or click the pink banner on the Discuss page on web).

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura: a translated Japanese magical realism novel about a mysterious bookshop that appears during cherry blossom season (vibes: cozy, poignant)

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki: a metafictional novel about belonging & home, identity & immigration. Ozeki is the first practicing Zen Buddhist priest to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize (vibes: literary, meditative) - check triggers

The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji: a 1987 translated Japanese murder mystery novel (vibes: a classic "whodunit")

Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki: a memoir from Japan's most celebrated geisha in Kyoto's Gion district during the 1960s & 70s (the UK title is Geisha of Gion). Iwasaki was one of the geisha's interviewed by Arthur Golden for his book Memoirs of a Geisha that fictionalized her story. It included many inaccuracies, and here, Iwasaki sets the record straight.

What's a Special Event? Each quarter, we run a short 1 month readalong showcasing diverse voices in literature. Read one of the selections and comment or post in the forum during the Readalong to earn a special badge. Unlike Seasonal Readalongs, you do not earn a special badge for reading all the selections.

Excited to see the discussions for this event!

Happy Reading, Jennifer & Lucy

Hello Boundlings!

There’s nothing I love more than a hidden gem author! One thing about the rise of books on social media is that a lot of indie authors are being picked up by publishers (which is amazing for them!) but there are still so many indie authors out there that a lot of us don’t know about yet.

I would love some recommendations for indie authors who write, • Contemporary romance/Rom coms • Historical romance (Regency & Victorian are two periods I love but am open to others) • Fantasy

Spice & No spice are both fine, although if it’s a heavily spiced book I do prefer a decent plot with my smut 🙂‍↕️

What are some of the rules you guys have regarding your reading? Mine are: I always read at least one page before going to bed And as someone who is always reading an audiobook and an ebook/physical copy I‘ve made myself the rule that at least one of them has to be by an author of colour