As part of broadening my literary palette this year, I want to start reading some poetry. The problem is, I have had little/no exposure to poetry in academia and I don't know where to start. I read almost every genre and would love some recommendations on classic and contemporary poetry that are "must reads" in your opinions!

I just added every single book I own (physical or audio) to PB and grouped them as finished, paused (which I'm taking as I got more than a few chapters in and didn't dnf but haven't gone back to yet), or tbr, and then did the math. only 54% of my library went into the "finished" category.

before I did this I estimated 65% read. my partner reckons when you own over 300 books, anything over 50% read is impressive, but idk ... I feel like that's a lot of neglected books!

how are your shelves measuring up, folks? or do you not even worry about this?

I hope this wasn't asked before. I tried searching Hope and I didn't see anything related to what I want to ask.

Initially I wanted to ask if there are books you'd recommend with the vibe of the Good Place (I just finished a rewatch), but as I realise this might be too specific, I wonder if you have hopecore books recommendations. (Or hopepunk) Basically what it sounds like, books that give you hope. If the prompt with the Good Place helps in any way, I welcome those recommendations as well. Basically I want books that I can read when I feel down or hopeless and to remember that as long as we live we can try again and again and again and do better. I hope this makes sense. Looking forward to any recommendations!

PS: my first thought about this category would be Lord of the Rings but I've yet to read the books, sadly.

Hello :)

I’m new to Pagebound and would love to hear if anyone else is a slow reader like me! I always am amazed at how people can read 50-100+ books a year and I’m usually at about a measly 10-12 😅

Any other slow readers out there?

hi friends!! i’ve been trying to make reading fun this year (more so than it already is, that is) and one way i want to do that is by doing a playlist inspired by my reads! this particular idea was inspired while reading Crying In H-Mart by Michelle Zauner, since she is also known as the musician Japanese Breakfast. each book i read will have one song dedicated to it on this playlist. this song choice is up to interpretation, whether it’s based on something in the text or makes you feel similarly to a character. i invite others to do the same!

my first three songs of the year are as follows:

• “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush for Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• “august” by Taylor Swift for People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry
• “Choke” by I Don’t Know How But They Found Me for Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

if you end up doing this with me, let me know what the first songs on your playlist are! happy reading and listening 🫶

hello Pagebound friends! i inherited this quest from our founder, Lucy. while i don't know her original criteria for choosing the first 40 books, i've come up with some general guidelines that i think this quest should follow. this is going to be a bit of a long-winded post but i wanted to let everyone know my thought process going forward!

since the title of this quest specifically highlights "Critically Acclaimed", and based on the books that are already included, this will be the general criteria for now:

• positive reviews from respected critics or publications • awards and nominations • commonly included on "best of" or other similar lists • scholarly attention, such as the book being referenced in academic discussions, essays, or scholarly literary analysis • longevity & relevance, meaning memoirs that continue to be relevant to cultural and professional discussion across a long period of time

however! there are some caveats that i think need to be mentioned.

i think there is room for some variation considering how common freelance book critique is on the internet, how influential online critique/reviewing has become, and how the internet has expanded literary circles.

i also think it's important to recognize that marginalized authors often do not receive the same amount of professional literary praise as non-marginalized authors. awards and mainstream critics & publications historically favor white, Western, often cis male authors, and marginalized authors often get fewer or less serious reviews. on top of that, there are many publishing barriers in place for marginalized authors that mean their books often don't get marketed widely and their work is often overlooked, or sometimes strategically suppressed or banned.

because of these issues, i will also take into consideration things like: • consistency, as in the book receives praise from multiple sources and not just virality • cultural impact, as in if the book is sparking deeper conversation in literary communities (both professional and casual) for its craft, style, and impact • adding on to the above, memoirs that are especially recognized in literary circles (both professional and casual) for courage, honesty, or an overall contribution to social/cultural understanding

TL;DR: i'd like to stick to memoirs that are specifically acclaimed for their literary merit and cultural or scholarly impact, rather than just memoirs that are bestselling/popular/viral. i want the books included to be works that contribute meaningfully to conversation and literature. i especially think this will help the quest not get overwhelmed by a ton of celebrity memoirs or other similar releases.

now with that all being said, i'm open to any suggestions and would be happy to sort through and see what i think is a fair addition :)

Something funny Like makes you LAUGH Almost all the books I have can send me into a depressive episode and I need to fix that

I havent read this but seen so many good things about it.I want to give it go but Im scared it might be a very difficult read.English isnt my first languange but I have read a ton of books in english,but none from the Bronte Sisters. So any suggestions if i should just take the plunge and read it or maybe start from something else to see if its for me or not?

Hello friends! We're six days into 2026, and already there are so many new people—welcome!—which has me reflecting on how Pagebound made my life better in 2025 and how I hope it will make all of yours better in 2026. Whether you've been here for a few days or a few months, I would love to hear how Pagebound has made your life better and in what ways it's changed you.

For me, I've started thinking about what I'm reading more, since participating in discussions necessitates having actual thoughts. This has translated to me enjoying the books I'm reading more, and then to me overall loving reading more. I love getting to yap about books in a community that wants to hear it. On top of that, Pagebound has given me some amazing friends that I wouldn't trade for the world. I love this online community so much, and I'm so looking forward to meeting new friends this year. 🥰