Lyra606

(Pronounced “Leer-uh”) She/her | Lover of cats, tea, and all things whimsical.

2020 points

0% overlap

My Taste

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 1 (Kamisama Kiss, #1)

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)

Reading...

화장 지워주는 남자 1 (The Makeup Remover, Vol. 1)

Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books

57%

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

89%

78%

76%

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents

59%

71%

21%

39%

Lyra606 commented on a post

17h

Waverly

I Love This Retelling

This Beauty and the Beast but in the far north and without the prince having done anything wrong is a splendid retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Anyone else read it? What did you think of it?

Lyra606 joined a quest

17h

Japanese Literary Fiction 🇯🇵👤💭

🏆 // 1421 joined

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From the provocative and challenging to the emotional and quiet, Japanese literary fiction tends to be nuanced, introspective, and minimalistic. These books contain layered cultural commentary and may lean on psychological, surreal, or fantastical elements to convey their message.

Lyra606 paused reading...

17h

Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage

Rachel E. Gross

A scientific journey to the center of the new female body. The Latin term for the female genitalia, pudendum, means “parts for which you should be ashamed.” Until 1651, ovaries were called female testicles. The fallopian tubes are named for a man. Named, claimed, and shamed: Welcome to the story of the female body, as penned by men. Today, a new generation of (mostly) women scientists is finally redrawing the map. With modern tools and fresh perspectives, they’re looking at the organs traditionally bound up in reproduction—the uterus, ovaries, vagina—and seeing within them a new biology of change and resilience. Through their eyes, journalist Rachel E. Gross takes readers on an anatomical odyssey to the center of this new world—a world where the uterus regrows itself, ovaries pump out fresh eggs, and the clitoris pulses beneath the surface like a shimmering pyramid of nerves. Full of wit and wonder, Vagina Obscura is a celebratory testament to how the landscape of knowledge can be rewritten to better serve everyone.

Lyra606 made progress on...

17h

What We Fed to the Manticore

Talia Lakshmi Kolluri

39%

Lyra606 made progress on...

18h

Dracula

Bram Stoker

76%

Post from the 화장 지워주는 남자 1 (The Makeup Remover, Vol. 1) forum

Lyra606

Thoughts from 100%

I’m obsessed with the way it takes lot of common shoujo character archetypes and fleshes them out into characters that feel super real and authentic

Lyra606 started reading...

화장 지워주는 남자 1 (The Makeup Remover, Vol. 1)

Lee Yeon

내 모델이 되어줄래요? 평범하게 대학 생활을 하던 예슬은 딱 하루만큼은 예뻐지고 싶어 메이크업 샵을 찾아가지만, 그녀의 컸던 기대를 꺾어버리는 아티스트의 모욕적인 행동에 좌절하고 만다. 그때 예슬 앞에 나타난 천재 메이크업 아티스트 유성은 그녀에게 사이다를 날릴 수 있도록 협조하고, 그 대가로 메이크업 화보 대회 [페이스 오프 신데렐라]에 참여하기 위한 모델이 되어 달라 요청한다. 귀찮은 일에 휘말리기 싫은 예슬과 그녀를 절실히 필요로 하는 유성은 과연 [페이스 오프 신데렐라]에 참가할 수 있을까? Episodes 1-14

Lyra606 TBR'd a book

A Tale for the Time Being

Ruth Ozeki

In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decided there's only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates' bullying, but before she ends it all, Nao plans to document the life of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun who's lived more than a century. A diary is Nao's only solace—and will touch lives in a ways she can scarcely imagine. Across the Pacific, we meet Ruth, a novelist living on a remote island who discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox—possibly debris from the devastating 2011 tsunami. As the mystery of its contents unfolds, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao's drama and her unknown fate, and forward into her own future. Full of Ozeki's signature humour and deeply engaged with the relationship between writer and reader, past and present, fact and fiction, quantum physics, history, and myth, A Tale for the Time Being is a brilliantly inventive, beguiling story of our shared humanity and the search for home.

Lyra606 is interested in reading...

Geisha, a Life

Mineko Iwasaki

"No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story. We have been constrained by unwritten rules not to do so, by the robes of tradition and by the sanctity of our exclusive calling...But I feel it is time to speak out." Celebrated as the most successful geisha of her generation, Mineko Iwasaki was only five years old when she left her parents' home for the world of the geisha. For the next twenty-five years, she would live a life filled with extraordinary professional demands and rich rewards. She would learn the formal customs and language of the geisha, and study the ancient arts of Japanese dance and music. She would enchant kings and princes, captains of industry, and titans of the entertainment world, some of whom would become her dearest friends. Through great pride and determination, she would be hailed as one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, and one of the last great practitioners of this now fading art form. In Geisha, a Life, Mineko Iwasaki tells her story, from her warm early childhood, to her intense yet privileged upbringing in the Iwasaki okiya (household), to her years as a renowned geisha, and finally, to her decision at the age of twenty-nine to retire and marry, a move that would mirror the demise of geisha culture. Mineko brings to life the beauty and wonder of Gion Kobu, a place that "existed in a world apart, a special realm whose mission and identity depended on preserving the time-honored traditions of the past." She illustrates how it coexisted within post-World War II Japan at a time when the country was undergoing its radical transformation from a post-feudal society to a modern one. "There is much mystery and misunderstanding about what it means to be a geisha. I hope this story will help explain what it is really like and also serve as a record of this unique component of Japan's cultural history," writes Mineko Iwasaki. Geisha, a Life is the first of its kind, as it delicately unfolds the fabric of a geisha's development. Told with great wisdom and sensitivity, it is a true story of beauty and heroism, and of a time and culture rarely revealed to the Western world.

Lyra606 commented on Lyra606's review of Insectopolis: A Natural History

Lyra606

Aug 14, 2025

5.0

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

🏛️

🪲

🦋

Imagine if Night at the Museum took place inside a library’s entomology exhibit. Now imagine humans suddenly disappeared and that exhibit’s only visitors were talking bugs. Now add some pretty art, and you’ve got Insectopolis by Peter Kuper.

A few weeks ago, a customer at the bookstore I work at asked me why people like graphic novels. “Because they’re fun,” I had answered, but it’s much more than that. They may not be held in the same esteem as regular novels, but they can be every bit as educational while providing some of the most beautiful illustrations you’ve ever seen. Insectopolis is a perfect example. I learned so much about insects from this book, like how there used to be dragonflies the size of hawks. That dung beetles use the stars for navigation. That Vladimir Nabokov, famous for his book Lolita, was also a butterfly enthusiast who made some discoveries about them by eating them and by sketching their genitalia (pretty neat right? What a guy.)

If you’re new to graphic novels or to entomology, then this is a great place to start.

Lyra606 is interested in reading...

Midnight Timetable: A Novel in Ghost Stories

Bora Chung

From the author and translator of the National Book Award finalist and Booker Prize shortlisted Cursed Bunny, comes a new novel-in-ghost-stories, set in a mysterious research center that houses cursed objects, where those who open the wrong door might find it’s disappeared behind them, or that the echoing footsteps they’re running from are their own… The acclaimed Korean horror and sci-fi writer’s goosebump-inducing new book follows an employee on the night shift at the Institute. They soon learn why some employees don't last long at the center. The handkerchief in Room 302 once belonged to the late mother of two sons, whose rivalry imbues the handkerchief with undue power and unravels those around it. The cursed sneaker down the hall is stolen by a live-streaming, ghost-chasing employee, who later finds he can’t escape its tread. A cat in Room 206 reveals the crimes of its former family, trying to understand its own path to the Institute’s halls. But Chung's haunted institute isn't just a chilling place to play. As in her astounding collections Cursed Bunny and Your Utopia, these violent allegories take on the horrors of animal testing, conversion therapy, domestic abuse, and late-stage capitalism. Equal parts bone-chilling, wryly funny, and deeply political, Midnight Timetable is a masterful work of literary horror from one of our time's greatest imaginations.

Lyra606 TBR'd a book

The Second Chance Convenience Store

Kim Ho-yeon

In this million-copy international bestseller from Korea, the owner of a corner store takes in an unhoused man who does a good deed, a kind soul whose presence will transform the whole neighborhood—a heartwarming tale of community and redemption reminiscent of the bestselling novels of Matt Haig and Gabrielle Zevin. Dok-go lives in Seoul Station. He can’t remember his past, and the only thing he knows for certain is that he could really use a drink. When he finds a lost wallet filled with documents, his life is drastically changed. Mrs. Yeom, a retired history teacher and current owner of her neighborhood’s corner store, is distraught over the loss of her purse, until she receives a mysterious call from the person who found it. To thank this down-on-his-luck stranger, she offers him a free meal from the convenience store. Seeing the joy the food brings him, Mrs. Yeom impulsively invites him to stop by for lunch every day. In a twist of fate, Dok-go saves the store from a robber—a brave act that propels Mrs. Yeom to offers the bear-like man a job working the night shift, despite the objections of her wary employees. The store’s new employee quickly wins over the quirky denizens of the neighborhood, becoming a welcoming ear and source of advice for his coworkers and neighbors’ problems, and helping his new boss save the store from financial ruin. But just when things are looking up for Dok-go, Mrs. Yeom's good-for-nothing son, eager to sell the store, hires a detective to dig into the mysterious man’s past and what he seems to be trying so hard to forget. The Second Chance Convenience Store is a moving and joyful story of a woman fighting for her community and a man who has lost everything except the will to try again.

Lyra606 TBR'd a book

Beasts of a Little Land

Juhea Kim

In 1917, deep in the snowy mountains of occupied Korea, an impoverished local hunter on the brink of starvation saves a young Japanese officer from an attacking tiger. In an instant, their fates are connected—and from this encounter unfolds a saga that spans half a century. In the aftermath, a young girl named Jade is sold by her family to Miss Silver’s courtesan school, an act of desperation that will cement her place in the lowest social status. When she befriends an orphan boy named JungHo, who scrapes together a living begging on the streets of Seoul, they form a deep friendship. As they come of age, JungHo is swept up in the revolutionary fight for independence, and Jade becomes a sought-after performer with a new romantic prospect of noble birth. Soon Jade must decide whether she will risk everything for the one who would do the same for her. From the perfumed chambers of a courtesan school in Pyongyang to the glamorous cafes of a modernizing Seoul and the boreal forests of Manchuria, where battles rage, Juhea Kim’s unforgettable characters forge their own destinies as they wager their nation’s. Immersive and elegant, Beasts of a Little Land unveils a world where friends become enemies, enemies become saviors, heroes are persecuted, and beasts take many shapes.

Lyra606 TBR'd a book

Project V

Park Seolyeon

STEMinist mecha fantasy meets reality television in this high-stakes novel from the author of A Magical Girl Retires—a wildly imaginative tale of sibling bonds, unexpected friendship, and an existential quest to understand what it means to be human. Robotics student Kim Wooram, runner-up at the World Gigantic Mechanics Olympiad, is a world-class pilot and engineer. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she likes working solo, preferring the company of robots to most other humans. Sought by robotics centers across the globe, she chooses to return to Korea after learning of an exciting new secret government robotic project known as V. To her disappointment, only male pilots are allowed to apply. Desperate for a chance to make history and encouraged by her twin brother, Boram, the usual rule-following Wooram makes a risky choice. Posing as Boram, she auditions for Project V, the reality competition show whose winner will pilot the robot V—and quickly becomes one of the top contestants in both skill and popularity. Wooram attracts fans and friends like Seojin, the show’s youngest female writer and ardent “Boram” stan, and Jeonghoon, the clumsy but lovable underdog. She also gains a rival in Jinyoung, the ruthless heir to a Korean corporate dynasty. As Wooram comes tantalizingly close to achieving her goal, she begins to realize that V’s arrogant AI is a ticking time bomb. With victory within reach, and her identity at stake, will Wooram destroy the robot of her dreams to save lives, or stick to the script? Project V is a playful yet sharp meditation on some of the most pressing issues roiling modern society in Korea and across the the male dominance in STEM fields, the ethics of parasocial idolatry and our addiction to social media and reality television, and the promise and peril of an AI-oriented future. Punchy and compelling, Park Seolyeon’s novel is a winning exploration of ambition and creation—a quintessential novel of our present and future for mecha fans and all curious readers.

Lyra606 is interested in reading...

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures

Sabrina Imbler

A queer, mixed race writer working in a largely white, male field, science and conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler has always been drawn to the mystery of life in the sea, and particularly to creatures living in hostile or remote environments. Each essay in their debut collection profiles one such creature: the mother octopus who starves herself while watching over her eggs, the Chinese sturgeon whose migration route has been decimated by pollution and dams, the bizarre Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena), and other uncanny creatures lurking in the deep ocean, far below where the light reaches. Imbler discovers that some of the most radical models of family, community, and care can be found in the sea, from gelatinous chains that are both individual organisms and colonies of clones to deep-sea crabs that have no need for the sun, nourished instead by the chemicals and heat throbbing from the core of the Earth. Exploring themes of adaptation, survival, sexuality, and care, and weaving the wonders of marine biology with stories of their own family, relationships, and coming of age, How Far the Light Reaches is a book that invites us to envision wilder, grander, and more abundant possibilities for the way we live.

Lyra606 commented on a post

thetravellingcat

Edited

KOBAKOOOOOOO !!! I'm ur biggest fan

"kobako crouched down and folded its paws away"

︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹

Kobako is my fave, she's so real, kobako doing her lil stetches and cat loafing everywhere, amazing, 10/10, no notes !

Lyra606 commented on a post from the Founder Announcements forum

jenniferPagebound

Product Updates + New App Version [2/5/2026]

Hi everyone, we've just released a big app update with many quality of life improvements, bug fixes, and some new features. These are all available on web as well. Please make sure your apps are updated to the latest version, 1.1.1, to see these changes! As a reminder, you can check out what we're working on and what's coming up next via the public roadmap (in the footer on web, in the more menu on the app)

Here's a list of updates:

New Main Quest badge tiers, now viewable on the app
ability to pin comments to your own posts, lists, and activity
improved search on app: UI enhancements to make searching for things that are not books easier, removed the auto-populated most searched books from the search widget
ability to track your progress in Time for audiobooks (HH:MM)
progress bar / breakdown by status added to Plan
estimated page count added to book page
you can enlarge a book cover on the book screen by tapping the book cover
rereading button (when you go to track a reread, the button says re-reading instead of reading)
sort reviews by star rating
filter options on Book Journey
new search, filter, and sort options on Browse All Lists and Browse All Quests screens
see more info about your followers and users you follow in the following/followers modals
changed the button on the home feed "currently reading" books from "post in forum" to "go to forum" for easier access to the forum + encouraging folks to check existing posts!

We're working on monthly wrapups, reading streaks, and some prep for more stats next! We will also be making some additional enhancements to Quests (like: a book recommendations section similar to the Community Recs on book pages, stats for how many users earned each badge tier, and a feed tab like the new feed tab on book pages)

Thanks everyone and happy reading, Jennifer + Lucy

1985

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