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Smilepal

20-some archivist who can't read enough books. I love fantasy, crime novels and non-fiction, but always open to suggestions! If I’m not reading, I’m probably gaming 👾

6917 points

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Pagebound Royalty
Winter 2026 Readalong
Made for the Movies
British & Irish Classic Literature
My Taste
All the Sinners Bleed
A House with Good Bones
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Reading...
Detransition, Baby
3%
Brave New World
65%
East of Eden
33%

Smilepal made progress on...

3h
Brave New World

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley

65%
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Smilepal commented on gracie's update

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Smilepal commented on a post

5h
  • A Master of Djinn (Dead Djinn Universe, #1)
    Thoughts from 50%

    I am getting more and more disappointed with this book. The first paragraph really grabbed my attention, I thought: finally a really well written fantasy book, the prose seemed so promising. But it just got worse... Not to say it's bad, I'd say it's decent, but the dialogues just are just so flat and lifeless. Also, I was lead to believe this was the first book in a series, but there are soooo many references to stuff happening before the plot of this book I feel like I started reading the series in the middle. Aside from the plot itself, there don't seem to be any established rules about how magic works in this world? And if there are no rules, then EVERYTHING is possible, yet Fatma seems to be surprised by some things, so I guess not everything is possible? Lastly, Fatma must be just the worst detective (sorry, agent), in the history of crime fighting, just jumping to conclusions every chance she gets. I'm really struggling to keep reading but I am determined to finish.

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  • Smilepal entered a giveaway...

    5h

    Vera Kurian giveaway

    A Step Past Darkness

    A Step Past Darkness

    Vera Kurian

    SIX CLASSMATES. ONE TERRIFYING NIGHT. A MURDER TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING… There’s something sinister under the surface of the idyllic, suburban town of Wesley Falls, and it’s not just the abandoned coal mine that lies beneath it. The summer of 1995 kicks off with a party in the mine where six high school students witness a horrifying crime that changes the course of their lives. The six couldn’t be more different. • Maddy, a devout member of the local megachurch • Kelly, the bookworm next door • James, a cynical burnout • Casey, a loveable football player • Padma, the shy straight-A student • Jia, who’s starting to see visions she can’t explain When they realize that they can’t trust anyone but each other, they begin to investigate what happened on their own. As tensions escalate in town to a breaking point, the six make a vow of silence, bury all their evidence, and promise to never contact each other again. Their plan works – almost. Twenty years later, Jia calls them all back to Wesley Falls—Maddy has been murdered, and they are the only ones who can uncover why. But to end things, they have to return to the mine one last time.

    print10 copiesUS only

    Smilepal commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

    13h
  • In the spirit of the Winter Olympics….

    What winter sport (or heck, any sport) would you like to see a romance novel written about? Obviously, tons of hockey romances exist, but I’d kill for a curling romance.

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  • Smilepal commented on a post

    14h
  • Brave New World
    Thoughts from 33%

    why do 1900s socio-political commentaries always feel like such an acid trip

    29
    comments 14
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  • Post from the Brave New World forum

    14h
  • Brave New World
    Thoughts from 23% (page 41)
    spoilers

    View spoiler

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  • Smilepal commented on a post

    14h
  • The Ministry of Time
    Thoughts from 11% (page 36)
    spoilers

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  • Smilepal commented on a post

    15h
  • Three Holidays and a Wedding
    Thoughts from 0% (page 1)

    Here we are with a pet peeve before page one. "Little did they know...". That has got to be one of the laziest, most cliché phrases.

    11
    comments 8
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  • Smilepal made progress on...

    15h
    Detransition, Baby

    Detransition, Baby

    Torrey Peters

    3%
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    Smilepal started reading...

    15h
    Detransition, Baby

    Detransition, Baby

    Torrey Peters

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    Smilepal wrote a review...

    16h
  • A Tale for the Time Being
    Smilepal
    Feb 20, 2026
    5.0
    Enjoyment: 5.0Quality: 5.0Characters: 5.0Plot: 4.5
    🐈
    ⛩️
    📕

    I haven’t read a book in a very long time that’ll stick with me like this. It’s not fast paced, or gripping necessarily but the words linger. There’s a lot of deliberation, almost a carefulness. The style is also very unique, I can honestly say I’ve never read anything quite like it! It focuses on protagonists Nao and Ruth, and a mysterious connection between the two, over time and space, and is both a diary and a mystery—hard to describe but certainly an experience. This book does cover some serious themes, including assault, bullying and suicide, so if those are particularly sensitive topics, proceed cautiously.

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  • Smilepal commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

    17h
  • WHERE FROM📍

    What’s a book (or series, or movie, or both!) that takes place where you’re from?!💭✈️📍

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  • Smilepal commented on celinewyp's update

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    19h
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    Smilepal commented on bookbliss925's update

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    Level 2

    100 points

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