This readalong will run through November 15th! Read one of the 3 selected books and post or comment in the book forum to earn the sugar skull badge. You can find the three selections on the Special Events page accessible from the Discuss tab.

If you've already finished one of the books, you can still participate & earn the badge by posting or commenting (but please keep it authentic--don't just post "this was good" aka a review or "posting for my badge"). Excited to see all the discussions in the book forums!

More context on Special Event Readalongs: We hosted our first Special Event Readalong for Pride this past summer. This was a huge hit and fostered PB-wide discussion on queer characters and stories. To continue fostering discussions on more niche and diverse books & voices, we'll be hosting a Special Event readalong once a season.

This book was unlike a lot of what I typically read and while I see some of the imagery/metaphors I’m curious to know your takeaway!

Something I’ve noticed, especially since I started spending time in bookish spaces (booktok, bookstagram, etc.), is that my standards for books don’t really seem to align with most people’s. I DNF a LOT of books, and the most common reason why is that the quality of the writing isn’t good enough in my opinion. From what I’ve seen though, writing quality seems to be a fairly low priority for a lot of readers. Like, a lot of people seem to value other things more (which is fine), so much so that they’re willing to look past poor writing. For me, no matter how interesting a premise is, or how juicy a plot seems, or how likeable the characters seem like they’ll be, I can’t look past poor writing (spelling/grammar issues, repetition, inconsistencies/plot holes, etc.). I feel like people rarely ever mention writing quality in their reviews though! Even when I check the negative reviews, I feel like it’s rare for people to attribute their dislike to the writing quality. It kinda makes me feel a little crazy. Like no one else is seeing what I’m seeing, or like I’m overly critical, but at the same time, if I were truly overly critical I wouldn’t have ANY books that I like, but I do.

Anyways, I’m not sure if I properly expressed what I’m trying to say, but does anyone have any thoughts?

So, I just watched a YouTube video about the ‘BookTok-ification’ of publishing. The video breaks down trends on BookTok and argues that modern publishing prioritizes virality over storytelling.

It suggests that publishing has become more about numbers and fast trends; almost like the ‘fast fashion’ of books, where authors are encouraged to release multiple books in a short amount of time. This often leads to similar-feeling books that can lack originality and quality.

Books are increasingly marketed through tropes (enemies to lovers, love triangles, fake dating, etc.) rather than through their actual stories. Causing lack of originality and many titles start to feel repetitive and less memorable.

There’s also the growing obsession with special editions and sprayed edges, sometimes the aesthetics seem more important than the books themselves. This trend can also drive overconsumption, with readers buying multiple versions of the same book just to have different special editions.

Since I’m not active on TikTok, I don’t see much of this first-hand. But being part of BookTube, Goodreads, and of course here on Pagebound, I can’t help but be a little influenced when picking my next read.

So, I’m curious: how do all my lovely fellow Pagebounders feel about this? Have you noticed or felt affected by any of it?

I have stacks I want to get rid of, but they aren't worth selling. Is it common for public libraries to accept donations or what? I'd hate to throw them away. 🥲

623 pages later...for a cameo? mm.

Recently I’ve been reading with a youtube video on in the background playing Skyrim Music & Autumn Ambience🍂 It’s made my reading sessions SO incredibly cozy, so I’m curious:

Do you listen to anything while you read? And if so, what is it?