This is based on convos that developed from @Invisiblelifeofkait’s post about where we get book recommendations. I mentioned that I let my Pagebound feed do the heavy lifting because, good or bad, the experience of reading and reacting in the forums or through buddy reads makes pretty much any book a good time.

I’ve also noticed an uptick on my feed lately around buddy reads, and it got me thinking…

We usually do buddy reads for books we love—but I need to know I’m not alone in this other category of loving a buddy read for a book we hate. 😌

Some of my favorite reading experiences have been books I didn’t even enjoy, but still had an absolute time with because I was reading them with someone else and we were collectively losing it. The updates, the reactions, the immediate “did you GET to THAT part???” energy… unmatched.

Sometimes a great book gives you feelings. Sometimes a questionable book gives you content.

So I’m curious:

What’s your most iconic buddy hate read? Was it a slow burn disaster? A “why are we still here” situation? A plot twist that made you sit in silence for 10 minutes before immediately opening the group chat?

Bonus points if it produced memes, forum spirals, or ongoing commentary that was more entertaining than the actual book itself.

Drop your chaos reads below 👇

For those who (like me) didn't know what salad olivier is when they started reading this book, it's a Russian potato salad. It's mayonnaise-based and has carrots and pickles/cucumbers in addition to diced potatoes, and some versions also have eggs, other vegetables or fruits, and/or meats like chicken or ham. The Iranian version typically uses Persian pickled cucumbers and includes eggs and chicken.

This trend had been around for a while but they are always some of my favourites to come across. Great for both recs and satisfying my inner gossip lol. I thought it would be fun to try it here on PB!

Last: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - such a fun read that I did it in one sitting - kind of want to do a reread and annotate Now: The Butcher’s Masquerade by Matt Dinniman - this series is legit a laugh out loud kind of funny Next: The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica - I’ve been on a horror streak lately