I absolutely loathe books which are more than 700 pages and are interconnected The only exception to this is Chloe walsh books I couldn't finish the zodiac academy and stopped on book 4 or 5 cause the twins were going through it

Do we really need long books?

Hello Boundlings!

Is there a page/percentage point that if a book doesn't have your attention by now it probably won't, or something specific that makes you go NOPE?

I am about 40% into Gentlest of Wild Things (by Sarah Underwood) and frankly, I just don't really care about the story or the characters still unfortunately 🙃

I've only ever DNF'D one book and even then I read until over 70% when I first considered DNFing at just 30% 😅 That felt like an accomplishment though because I need conclusions and tend to read to the end just in case it gets better, or to find out if I was right about something. I know I need to work on that though, my TBR is way too long to read books I'm not enjoying lol, but at what point should the decision to DNF be made? What is your DNF point or criteria? Help a girl grow a DNF backbone 😭

I don't know how many of the rest of you follow along with controversies in the book community relating to trademarks, book titles, and so on. I see quite a bit of it on Threads, particularly, as well as discussions on Reddit and elsewhere. There was the whole cocky-gate issue a few years back and, more recently, the hot girls read trademark controversy.

Whenever these issues come up, you see a fair amount of misuse of legal/IP terminology in the discussions (not just in posts but even sometimes in articles published by media outlets). People talking about "copyrighting" or "patenting" a book title, for example. I thought it might be interesting to some, both readers participating in book community discussions as well as writers, to review a few different types of IP so that the terms won't be misused so easily and some misconceptions can be put to rest.

I'll start with copyright, which covers original works of human authorship. Think books, poems, songs, paintings, photographs, and the like. Copyright doesn’t extend to individual words, short phrases, or (generally) titles, because there isn’t enough original authorship to trigger copyright protection. When someone says they are going to “copyright” the title to their book, they’re incorrect and probably don’t realize the distinction between copyright and trademark. Copyright also doesn’t cover facts, processes, or methods (a recipe, per se, is not protected by copyright, though photographs and text that goes beyond a simple recitation of ingredients and the instructions may be). Copyright also doesn’t extend to the utilitarian aspects of a “useful article,” so when someone says they’re going to “copyright” their invention, they’re usually confusing copyright and patents. Lastly, in many countries copyright arises automatically, by operation of law (usually vesting in the author). You don't have to do anything to have the copyright in what you create, though in the U.S. there are good reasons to register your copyright.

A trademark, on the other hand, can be just about anything that serves as an indicator of the source of good or services. We commonly think of logos and slogans, but trademark protection can extend to colors, sounds, and even scents. Trademark protection can, in some cases, extend to a book title or portions of a title, used across multiple books. In the book space, trademarks are where controversies around COCKY or HOT GIRLS READ land. However, people tend to overestimate the scope of trademark protection. For example, you’ll see people say that if an author gets trademark protection for a word, no one else can ever use it. That’s not true, because trademarks are generally limited to specific goods and services. Having a trademark for a word you use on books may not prevent someone else from using it as a trademark on machinery. Also, the fact that there is a trademark covering a word does not mean it can’t be used in non-trademark ways or that the trademark can’t even be mentioned. People also repeatedly claim that you can’t trademark a common word or phrase, but that’s entirely untrue (see the trademark for Apple computers, for example). You just can’t get trademark protection for a word that is generic for the associated goods or services. Apple works as a trademark for computers, it would not work as a trademark for apples.

The strangest misuse (to me) is when someone says they’re “patenting” a title, word, or phrase, though I have seen it more than a few times. Patents cover new, useful inventions (or in some cases discoveries). If you invent an new wrench, or 3-D printer, or medication, or process for making something, you may be able to get a patent on it. There are also design patents, which cover the ornamental features of an article of manufacture and do not extend to its utilitarian aspects. None of these are going to protect a title of a book, or a slogan used around a book, or the contents of the book. When someone says they’re going to “patent” a phrase or a book title, they’re usually confusing patents and trademarks.

There are other, related areas of law that you don’t see cited wrongly as much, such a trade secrets or rights of publicity (though I have seen plenty of social media commentary around the latter that is not correct).

So...that was longer than initially intended. Hopefully it will be helpful to some. And, I also hope it goes without saying that this is a very short discussion of the topic and there's more nuance and technicality to a lot it.

You people, help me out please. I am trying to find books that are not written by German or American authors. I‘ve already read things by authors like Osamu Dazai or Cixin Liu (at least I started on this one) but I am really trying to open my horizon to different cultures and different styles of writing. Thus I would also love recommendations for books that are not your generic popular English literature. Preferably without much romance, since I don’t enjoy that type of book usually! Thank you all for your help already!!

I've been struggling to find a good horror book. I would like some that will make me feel freaked out, have goosebumps/chills & just genuinely scared. Does anyone have any good recommendations please? 👻 Thank you 😊

My email: Please help!

Not in your FAQ but a question many readers want answered:

What is the Penguin Random House AI use transparency agreement with the authors they publish?

Presently I will not buy any books written 2024-present unless the author has prior works, publications, awards, or other references that establish the author as a part of a writing community. Social media only does not cut it. With that in mind, I propose putting the burden of proof on the publisher as to whether AI tools were used by the author and to what extent.

Can the publisher assure the consumer that generative AI was not used in a specific publication?

If AI tools are used by an author, can the extent of AI use be disclosed on a per-book basis? Sincerely, LaDonna

PRH response:

Dear LaDonna,

Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your perspective as a reader. We appreciate your thoughtful questions about the use of generative AI in books and the importance of transparency.

At Penguin Random House, we publish authors for their distinctive, original voices, perspectives, judgment, and creative abilities. Those qualities are, and will continue to be, fundamental to the books we publish. The works we publish must ultimately reflect the author's own authorship. Our publishing agreements with authors do not specifically address AI transparency, but our authors understand that they are responsible for producing work that is original and authored solely by them.

We do not provide consumers with a per-book certification or guarantee that generative AI was not used at any point in an author's creative process. Instead, it is our policy to publish a proper disclosure whenever AI-generated content is prominently featured in one of our books. As the technology and industry practices continue to evolve, we are actively considering the questions they raise for authors, publishers, and readers, including questions around transparency and disclosure.

Thank you again for taking the time to write to us and for sharing what matters to you when deciding which books to read and purchase. Reader perspectives like yours are valuable as we continue to navigate these evolving issues.

Best regards, Christine Stotz Director, Corporate Communications Penguin Random House

I've been struggling to find a good horror book. I would like some that will make me feel freaked out, have goosebumps/chills & just genuinely scared. Does anyone have any good recommendations please? 👻 Thank you 😊

I don't mean anything detailed in the guide, but things that people who don't pick up on social cues or unspoken rules (like myself sometimes) might be missing. I've been here for over a year and there are a few things I've felt unsure about.

One is that I'm noticing people declaring when they yoinked a book from another person. I'm not sure if it's considered rude not to do this (if we're expected to give credit to where we found it), or if I can yoink without saying anything.

The next thing is that I tend to upvote whenever someone responds to me, including if I simply said "congratulations" and they said "you're welcome". This is something I carried over from Reddit, where it seems to be etiquette in many communities to give upvotes like that, but I've been wondering if I'm annoying people, if they think I'm cluttering their notifications with an unnecessary upvote. I'm not sure because other people sometimes upvote me like that, but sometimes they don't. I wonder if this is etiquette that hasn't solidified yet.

Recently I saw some people saying that reviews are not the place to express disagreement, and that it should only happen in forum discussions. I personally haven't commented anything like that on reviews, but that's one that surprised me and made me wonder if that's a generally agreed upon etiquette rule or not. If I remember correctly, the person in question was being rude in terms of their content and tone, but it made me wonder if people consider it rude to bring any discussion to a review, even if it were done as politely as possible.

Has anyone else noticed etiquette that wouldn't be found in the guide? Does anyone have etiquette questions that they're pondering? Are these unspoken rules still in the process of forming?

(Btw please mention other potential unspoken rules that I didn't mention here, if there are any. I'm curious about things that I haven't thought about)

Hello everyone! I'm new to pagebound, so here I am creating my first post! What better way of doing it by getting to know you!

What matters more to you: beautiful writing, a great plot, or unforgettable characters?

Happy Wednesday, folks! It's time for the three Wednesday "W" questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What have you recently finished reading?
3. What will you read next?

Looking forward to seeing folks' response, and make sure you check out other peoples' answers to see if you can spot any folks who share your taste!