I am home sick today, so figured I'd think of a fun question to keep me entertained!

If you could have any fictional job, what would it be?

For me, I think I would be some sort of herbologist. Either a teacher or someone who runs a store! You can take me out of the real world but you cannot take me away from plants haha!

It doesnt even have to be your favorite character, just one you find their names cool and unique. Mine might be Finnick Odair?

I recently bought two books, which finally made their arrival at my doorstep. I was literally jumping and kicking my feet as I opened the package, but I've been staring at them unable to read them.

They are from two different authors which could be my favourite ever. In the sense that I only read one of their books each, and I don't know if that one was just phenomenal or if they are phenomenal yet.

These are both novels which came out before the ones I read this summer. One is the first book of one of them, and it's a different genre. Which makes me a little anxious about possibly not liking their previous style.

The ratings of these are over 4 stars wherever I checked. It gets my hopes up so bad, but I'm still terrified.

They are A thousand perfect notes by C G Drews (I had read Don't let the forest in this summer), the one I'm thinking of starting with, considering it's the shortest;

and Hell followed with us by Andrew J White (I had read The spirit bares its teeth this summer, go read it because this should become a classic of our times in my opinion).

Does this happen to anyone else?

I had a rough week at work that has left me completely emotionally (and physically) exhausted and my attempts to soothe with reading are at an impasse: my library ebooks holds are all, still, on hold; my physical TBRs are a little too emotionally heavy for my current 'spilled milk may make me cry' spoons level; and the fluff book I took out anticipating this weekend was going to be exhaustion-riddled was a signifcantly shorter read than I had planned for and I demolished it in (according to the library app) 2.5 hours.

So. The question:

What are some of your favourite books for those emotionally cloudy days?

P.S. Personally, I'm hoping to find some recs in the discussion that aren't too filled with horror (my nerves couldn't take it) or romance (I prefer people falling in love with places and themselves). But mostly I just want to see what folks go to for comfort reads.

What is the one book you will always recommend to anyone, be they complete stranger or someone you know?

For me it is The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone. Historical fiction about Michelangelo’s life. It was absolutely riveting to me and made me obsessed with his sculpture work for some time specifically the lost sculptures. It is also the only novel that my mother and I have both read and something about that just sits right with me. Maybe because we have no commonality in our reading tastes otherwise. Weirdly I have never met anyone else who has read it, even though I know my mom read it for a book club while living in Sardinia and sent it to me on a whim when she was done with it.

So… since we’ve opened that can of worms about age on the forum recently 😆

Hi, I’m 40 and still love fantasy! Even though I loved ACOTAR, One Dark Window, Phantasma etc., it seems like the FMC is always (very) young.

I’m craving a little age-appropriate variety: give me a protagonist who’s a bit older, wiser, maybe even in their thirties. You know, someone who’s been around the block a few times but still kicks ass (or breaks hearts). 😇

What gems do you recommend?⬇️⬇️

𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: a collective thanks for all your recommendations. 🫶 Apparently I was living under a stone, because there is so much to choose from. 😄 I will check them all and make my own personal list. Feel free to add titles that your missing.

Again: thanks to all! 💝💐

5 of your favorite books. 4 favorite tropes. 3 favorite authors. 2 book covers. 1 book you're currently reading!!

Am I the only one who gets irritated when a book description starts with "abcbook meets xyzbook"? It makes me lose interest in the book immediately, especially if they're comparing them with books that I don't like.

It's also very silly because sometimes the book has NOTHING to do with the books they're comparing it too💀

So I don’t use TikTok so I can’t even peek in but. Sometimes I see books being mentioned a lot and I wonder if they’re popular now, and if it’s because of Booktok.

From what I’ve noticed, I think Caraval by Stephanie Garber is facing a resurgence? Plus Pierce Brown’s Red Rising.

Can someone please confirm whether I’m right? Consider this my toxic trait I just need to know these things! Does anyone else have this problem?

My plan was to wait until all the books are out to reread Red Rising and finish the second series but my self control is seriously being tested. I also didn’t manage to get to Caraval when it was new so now I feel like I have to do it soon.