Quick semi announcement that the new app version was released on Android! This includes Midnight mode (ie dark mode) and a bunch of other quality of life improvements.

Hopefully we can get Apple out ASAP but we've been waiting over a week on their review, it's been a bit of a battle! But we didn't want to keep Android waiting while Apple is stuck.

Hello to everyone hanging about on Pagebound! I hope you're entering into August with a commitment to yourself and a determination to make the best out of whatever you are dealing with this month.

I’m feeling particularly in my element today sitting down next to the cards I pulled for us. I have loads of very messy notes in front of me, and two stacked cups from my coffee and tea on the side of my laptop, the top one which I started to use as a garbage can for candy wrappers and pencil shavings. You get the picture. 🍬

Anyway! I am excited to talk about book inspiration for this month. This is usually a bit of a longer blog, so if you are interested, I’d love it if you’d keep me company for a bit, and let’s talk about books! :) _

How this works I pull some cards for us and write a little bit about what I’m seeing when it comes to reading inspiration for the month ahead. You are welcome to simply take what resonates from the reading and move on with your day, or, if you think of any specific books that align with what I’m describing, comment those titles down below for people to check out. These readings don’t aim to be particularly predictive, and they aren’t meant to be taken as gospel. This is simply a bit of fun, something to bring you some reading inspiration if you need it, and an opportunity for us to further connect as a community. _ I’m using the Lilifer tarot deck, created by Marion Costentin, published by Little Darkness. The spread is designed by me. Here are the questions we will be looking at, and the cards we got. For a better experience, I recommend viewing the pictures below on the Pagebound website!

For our general reading potential and inspiration for August we have Ten of Wands, and potential issues are represented by the Ace of Swords. We have been getting high-powered Wands cards in this position since June. That fiery energy seems to still be there, and lots of it, and the Tens often symbolize a culmination of something. The thing with this kind of active energy is that being exposed to it for long periods of time can be overwhelming and hard to manage successfully. Considering we've been riding this wave since June, we might want to be cautious about how we proceed in our reading practice. The moment when we receive the Ten of Wands might just be a perfectly timely reminder to reassess our plans and strategies in order to prevent ourselves from taking on more than we can handle and burning out as a result.

The Ace of Swords as the potential issues hints at our ideas of what a successful reading practice looks like, prompting us to think about our reading not in relation to other people, but in relation to what we want to ultimately get out of it. There is nothing wrong with impulse reading, or jumping in on books our friends are planning for August, as long as we are honest with ourselves regarding how much we can handle at this time, and as long as we are clear that we are getting something valuable out of it. _

Let's look at some book inspiration for August. Five out of Six cards is of the Major arcana, so we are dealing with some big themes this month!

For non-fiction books, we have the Queen of Wands as the main theme, with Strength symbolizing the specific aspects of the theme. Our approach is illustrated by the The Hierophant (I love the way this artist depicted The Hierophant in this deck!)

The main theme is of the passionate and creative nature. This Queen is a mature figure that does not shy away from being who they are. They don’t consider themself as ever being too much, or too loud, or too weird. This Queen embodies confidence, inspiration, and all our passionate pursuits in life. They are led by a stubborn determination to achieve their goals and they have valid reasons for that self-assurance.

With this general theme in mind, the Strength asks us to look beyond what’s easily apparent. It asks us to explore what it takes to follow our heart despite everything that may be in our way. We’re talking about books that directly or indirectly pay homage to the creative and the “unusual” souls in this world (individually or as a whole) diving deep into the complexities of what it means to take part in any creative act or passion project that is openly out there for other people to see: the road blocks and the problem-solving, the failures that stand behind every success, and the constant inner battle to stand firm for what we believe without becoming self-destructive.

This interpretation aligns with our book style and approach. The Hierophant is an experienced teacher and a wise guide. This card might suggest that those kinds of books that may be best for this are the books written by our elders, or generally by people who have much experience on the topic and are happy to share their stories if it means helping the community as a whole. We are looking at a wide selection of reading material: from books about specific artists or artist groups, to those about activists, community organizers, authors, figures from the occult world, and all kinds of performers (actors, singers, dancers, drag queens, etc.). This selection also includes books that are written as practical guides for the reader to directly engage with, so we might also want to consider how we show up in the world when it comes to our passions and what books might have useful tips and exercises for us to work through. _

Let’s look at the bottom row of cards here, the ones that pertain to fiction books. We have nothing but the major arcana, and if you look at the illustrations, there is fiery energy in every single one of them! We aren’t dealing with the kind of stories that talk about quiet everyday life. This is the stuff of legends and adventures!

Our story theme is symbolized by the Judgement card. This is a card of transformation, one that has been in making for a long time. Often, this card talks about a welcomed change, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a hard one. Our characters are vulnerable and at times very scared, but they are led by something bigger than themselves.

The card that represents our characters’ biggest struggles is The Emperor. This card often talks about leadership, authority and tradition, and in this position it’s telling us that our characters are going against the grain in these stories and challenging the status quo. The change we are talking about in the Judgement card has to do with those in power. Our characters know that things have stopped working a long time ago and that change is necessary.

Our last card is The Chariot talking about the approach and the story framing. This is the card of the journey. This is a dynamic kind of story, one that is hard to put down. The road ahead is unclear, and there are most definitely hurdles and moments of weakness… but the commitment to the journey takes our characters through. There are growing pains, dangers and inconveniences, but they ultimately learn how to ride this chariot to victory. This kind of liberatory journey brings a chaotic energy, and our characters have to be okay with leaving what they once knew as their comfort zone in pursuit of a better world for everybody. _

That’s some August musings, from me to you! If there were any specific book titles you thought of while reading, you can drop them in the comments, and maybe we can give some recommendations to one another. _

When it comes to my reading practice, I technically only finished one book in July, however I started and read most of one that aligned well with last month's cards, and then also went back to some of the ones I started before. I’m pretty happy with myself.

I honestly felt like I read every available second in July, but as someone who takes a bunch of notes and goes on research tangents every time something's interesting, I read very slowly. I read so many books in the past where I felt like I forgot the contents only a few months after, and that was getting to be a big problem for me. I didn’t feel like it was because I was not paying attention, things were just not sticking. Eventually I decided to take notes every time a book is interesting to me, so even if I have to re-read it, I can still look at my notes and remind myself of the important sections more easily, as well as reference them later on if needed.

Anyway! Just figured there may be other people like me who feel like they don’t always retain information well. I think our brains all function a bit differently to one another, and we just have to find what work best for us. That said, I don’t think that simply taking notes fixes everything for me, but it does make me feel more comfortable knowing that even if I don’t remember important information, it will likely be somewhere in my notes where I can easily find it.

Thank you for sitting with me for a bit today. Happy reading, and I hope something really nice and comforting happens for you in August. :) _

Previous readings: July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026

I just reached the letter full of Songs that Emma writes to Kit — those are real. Why am I only finding them now?? I listened to a few, and they could've elevated my reading experience. Love finding book playlists!!!