how prepared am i supposed to be before i start reading this cause ppl either really like it or really hating it jailtime

I know its common knowledge that a lot of people read as a form of escapism. Especially in recent years when the only thing we see when we look to the news or other forms of media.

But for a lot of us (especially, but not limited, to us neurospicy folk) started reading as a form of escapism as young children. And often, those books that we read as kids as a form of escape to a safe place in our minds become something that we hold closely to our hearts.

For me ironically it was the Warriors Cats series but the writing team writing under the pen-name Erin Hunter, and i still sit down and reread the Arcs as they come out for a comfort read.

So Pagebound Community, what was the book/bookseries you found shelter in as a child, and does it still mean as much to you?

With the Día de los Muertos Readalong coming soon, I've decided to tackle my goal of reading one spanish book this year! I've been wanting to read Dióses de Jade y Sombra (Gods of Jade and Shadow) for some time and that seems a good incentive! However, it's soo difficult to read in a language I'm not used to - Spanish is my 3rd language (4th if you count Latin haha) and I feel incredibly slow and often would rather pick up a book where I don't have to look up every 5th word. For context, I'm technically B2 but haven't used Spanish in years ... So, I've got my hands on the ebook version and hope to gather some tips and ideas for staying motivated and making it easier or at least more engaging, so I last past 5 pages 🫣

I am loving the new app and it it's so much better than scrolling the website on your phone, not only aesthetically but also functionally.

So the aesthetic for me is the biggest thing, I mean.. pastels and glitter what more do you want?! 🩷🩵💜

But also the book journey 🗺, where you have a clear oversight of your posts on a specific book. So much fun to read it back. 😁

What is you favorite thing about the app? ( next to the fact it is out)

I had a bit of a slow September (reading wise) so I'm thinking of reading some shorter books, to get the feeling of ✨speed✨

Do you have suggestions for books that are under 200 pages?

I read mostly fantasy, but I'm trying to expand my horizon, so all suggestions welcome!

This is on my list so far: Sweet bean paste (ok, it's a little over 200) All systems red A wizard of earthsea What moves the dead Upright women wanted

(I have read Thornhedge and the Monk & Robot books (those would be my go to suggestions))

"But if the difference between the heap and the heap-minus-one is minuscule, how can you ever transform a heap into a not-heap?"

I was reading this half-awake, so when I tell you I genuinely thought I was either deep in dreamland or in the early stages of a stroke 🤣.

English isn't my first language and when I started to fill my "finished"-list and my custom shelfs, I saw myself at a crossroads: should I add the English version/original version of the book or the translated one that I read? Translated works do differ from the source in a lot of ways (tone, wordflow, impact of some words - but that's a discussion for another time) but most of the time the original version has a bigger community and a lot more people writing reviews. I've decided for now, that I'm going to add the original version of a book (so if it was written in English, I'll add the English one, if it was originally in Spanish, the Spanish one and so on) - even though I didn't technically read that version. But I am curious, what do you do?

I just downloaded the app and its amazing 😁😁😁😁 This is so cool 😍

I'm looking for a book i can blow through in one sitting without it consuming my entire day. I'll consider anything up to 200 pages but I'm really looking for something in the 70-125 range. Queer author or characters is a must!! Other than that i generally like fantasy, magical realism, soft sci fi, speculative fic, and weird shit. I can't stomach a lot of horror but i don't mind a little for flavor. Hit me with your best novellas, short stories & novelettes!!

I just read the first chapter of a book called Speculative Whiteness for my college class on fantasy/sci-fi lit, and it talked bout how alt-right white men tend to dominate some sci-fi spheres and the themes they use to justify their racist/sexist rhetoric (space colonization, superior "races", etc).

The book was published relatively recently, but I feel like we don't see as much alt-right sci-fi as we might have in the past? Maybe I'm just not on that side of the book community (thankfully), or maybe I'm missing something. Do you think that alt-right men still dominate sci-fi? I want to make it clear I'm not looking for recommendations; I'm just struggling to come up with examples that I could use in my class discussion.

I was also curious if anyone thinks this trend continues into fantasy and/or books written by women. I was specifically recalling the Silver Elite controversy with potentially right-wing rhetoric in a "dystopian" novel, but I don't think it's as extreme as what Speculative Whiteness was describing with the alt-right white men.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8SoKELr/

What do people think of the TikTok above!

I agree with everything. I sometimes find recommendations on booktok/gram a left to be desired (and undercounting of bipoc literature )?

Would love to know your opinion ?

Why do you read ? Is it just an escape or something else for you

.. is there anything better?

I have several systems.. my read books are all together, alphabetical. My poetry books are in one spot, the 🌶 ones are in one spot (no accidently scarring visitors..)

My unread ones... some are by genre, some are by size.. some are by binding (all the hardcovers together..) it's organized chaos!

Do you have a system? Does it change? Or has it been the same since you started collecting books?

I just brought this up to a fellow book reader and she hadn’t thought about it before so I thought I’d make a discussion post about it to get everyone’s thoughts!

I’m reading a book right now that is giving me the vibes that AI was used during the writing process, I could be wrong (I see a lot of AI usage at my job to assist writing so that’s why I tend to notice) and I really struggle with authors using AI.

I feel that this turns their writing into not their own and the way that it makes the writing feel more robotic. Has anyone else noticed this? i’ve seen a lot of talk of authors using AI for their covers, but I haven’t seen a lot of talk about AI assistance with writing.

Exactly as the title says. I love reading and have a lot of books I want to read that just came out, but I just can't get into the flow. It's taking me weeks to finish a book, and I have even been trying different genres to get me out, but I just can't.

What are some fast-paced, fun books with likable characters who are witty? I would prefer a romcom, but am up for anything. I do want there to be a happy-ish ending, basically a mood lifter.

I will literally try any book lol, but if you would like me to specify: I love Emily Henry, Lynn Painter, B.K. Borison, Ali Hazelwood. I tend to go for hockey romances, enemies-to-lovers, he falls first, 'who did this to you?' vibes (not necessarily all at once lmfao). Some of my favorite reads include The Crimson Moth duology, the GrishaVerse books (the Crows supremacy), Better Than the Movies, Long Live Evil, and The Return of Ellie Black.

Thank you for reading my solo yapp session and I would really appreciate the help!

When it comes to genres I read I'd consider myself somewhat of an omnivore. I think there is barely any genre I don't read or haven't read. Obviously I have preferences as everyone does, I read a lot of fantasy, a bit less of science fiction, and nonfiction makes up around 1/4 of my annual reading. Still, I love a good thriller, some are very close to my heart, and a cozy crime or romance book can be a great read in between heavier things! I've been fascinated by historical fiction like Ken Follet's, and sometimes I dabble in literary fiction or horror (although I draw my line there sometimes). Comics are a beautiful art medium and if you give me a Manga I'd probably try it out even though I haven't read one in 10 years, and I think middle grade / YA books can still be a great read for adults!

So, I'm curious to hear how it is for other people, cause my friends are sometimes a bit shocked when I tell them abt all the different stuff I read ^^ I still think there are probably a lot of people that read as diversely as I do, if not even more!