It’s my birthday! Here, the evening is about to start and I am looking forward to a chill evening with my new knitting project and a book.

Since I’m 30 now, I gift everybody in the lovely Pagebound community 30 minutes of undisturbed reading!

Love, Woolly Bookworm

I need to shout into the void but I don't want to trigger anyone so please take care of yourself if you're currently dealing with grief or losing loved ones, maybe you should avoid this rambling.\

This year is rough. I've been reading a lot. More than I usually do. The year started with anxiety over several matters like immigration, grandparents reaching 99yo this year, and I didn't realise at the time that I finally pushed myself to try audiobooks. A month ago my baby cat started being sick, I got worried but thought I'd deal with it. He died brutally of cancer within two weeks. I said goodbye exactly a week ago today, and I am not doing well. I miss him and I want him back. I don't want to cry all the time and I feel empty so I redirect my time to reading. At least I'm in pages and I don't think about what makes me sad. Took me years but that kicked me into finishing The Priory of the Orange Tree and idk I was stubborn I guess I read Secret of Secrets for good measure. I have no opinion about the Priory, I think I could have loved it but I don't have space for things to make me happy ? I hated SoS however and that fueled me while it lasted.

Yesterday, not even a week after cancer took my cat, my dad had something to say. He has cancer. It feels like a stupid joke, a badly written tv show. I cried a while and went back to read a book rather than just feel empty and tired and just sad. Can't tell you much about what I read because it's not really the point. I use books to not think about what's currently happening. I can't express how it's too much grief. How my cat faded so fast now it feels like a bad taste foreshadowing of what's to come for my dad.

I've read 40 and something books this year and I don't think I really have anything to say about them. I've consumed them in short shots of dopamine and every minute I don't read is just an anxious and sad one but I also don't have the quality of reading, just the need to turn my brain off for a while. Except if the book gets sad. If it tries to be a heartwrenching, sobbing end. I can't do this, not right now. It doesn't hit and to be fair I don't want to be punched by emotions anyway. Feels like I made a wall of made up stories while keeping them at bay. A very "entertain me little man" behaviour.

I don't know, this is probably not an open discussion topic. I just feel drained. I don't want to think about cancer, dads or cats, but then I'm shutting down every emotion and everything is ashes.

Hello readers! I can feel a bit of a slump coming up because it’s starting to feel like a routine of picking a book up, rather than actually WANTING to 🥲

As by the caption of this post, I’m looking for fantasy / romantasy recommendations 💕 (I also like sapphic stories!)

I don’t like overly smutty / spicy books such as fourth wing and acotar. I’ll read a book where it has a small amount of spice I can easily skip over.

I love ✨ :

royal / medieval fantasy Fae / folk fantasy Themes of war Kingdoms Books that have elements of romance, but where it isn’t the main focus. Redhead mmc’s 🤞🏻

My favourite reads for a look at my taste😋 :

The folk of the air series (The cruel prince) once upon a broken heart caraval Red queen Shadow and bone trilogy throne of glass The shepherd king duology (one dark window)

What is a specific scene in a romance book that made you put down the book/kindle and say "What the actual fuck am I reading?"

Don't forget to drop the title 👀

New ick is the word “balls” when referring to male anatomy. Really took me out of the scene. Will be reporting back soon for a more detailed review. I have some things to say. edit: i had NO IDEA that this would blow up. thank you guys lol pls do not start a war. i didn’t mean to abandon you guys 🥺 i should been more detailed in my stance lol. i just dont think anything regarding draining, refilling, or slapping or like anything to do with balls should be in the scene 😭😭😭 cause i’m like 🤨 whenever im really into something and it’s like “yeah i can feel my balls slapping” LIKE EW NO BAD NO squirt bottle.

Does anyone accidentally lie when they want to read? I swear I don’t even do it on purpose. My mom just asked me if I was going to watch a movie with them (my family), and I responded with, “yep.” And then proceeded to plop myself in my room and pick up my book…….It’s like a subconscious thing 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

As a mood reader, I often look around my (very, very wonderfully full!) shelves and find I am not quite in the mood to read a single book on them. I love gathering more recommendations to add to the ever growing pile (and to cater for niche moods and vibes!), so I love to ask people what’s on their shelf to read next.

What is the next book on your TBR/reading plan?

I’ve been a bit down recently and looking for a pick me up. I’m trying to avoid a sad/stressful read. Any recommendations for books that are genuinely just a fun and quick read? I read mostly general fiction but always down for a fantasy, romance or mystery book! ✨