What are some of your favourite and least favourite troupes and cliches in books and why??

Who was your first book boyfriend and where did you find him? Did you find him in the depths of KU or did you find him on the covers of a penguins publishing co book?or If you're like me, you found him on wattapad. My first book bf was Blake Eaton from the book "i sold myself to the devil for the vinyls, pitiful i know". He was everything and more I could ask for, still one of my top book bfs of all time🥺🫶 So, who was yours?

Ok, so this library hold could not have come at a worse time, but we're going to make it work. Trying to set myself up for success here. This is a big book and I'm determined to finish it before the library wants it back.

Cup of tea: check. Water: check. Snack: check. Candle: check. Background noise: check. Do I need anything else? I hope not.

So this just popped into my head when I saw some posts about Tolkien and now I'm curious. Who are the beloved characters that you just can't stand?

I'm not talking the characters we love to hate, but rather characters that everyone else seems to adore but you find to be the bane of your existence, would cross the street if you saw them coming, if they have no haters you're dead, etc. I know we like to keep things positive around here, but sometimes it's also nice to be gripey and rant about your least faves too 😉

To kick us off, mine is Tom Bombadil. I genuinely cringe every time I reread LOTR and get to his parts. I want to push him into Withywindle river mid-song or give him to the Great Willow. Literally do not understand why people like him.

I know there is a Hate Club™ for Sciona but hear me out for a second. M.L. Wang has done a remarkable job of writing a character who has had their entire belief system turned on their head. Sciona only knows what she was raised to believe and as she learns the truth she is changing. Sure, there are quite a few bumps along the way but this woman is trying to undo an entire lifetime of habits and beliefs and she is GETTING THERE. Does that make her a good person? Maybe not. She really is insufferable at times. But she is unlearning her prejudices while actively doing "the right thing."

i think i'm approaching a point where i'm starting to heedlessly add books to my tbr. not a big deal but i originally intended to be more thoughtful about the books i was adding (i.e., am i realistically going to read this?) but then i came across a bunch of books (mostly historical fantasy, retellings, and nature non-fiction) that skyrocketed my tbr to nearly 100 books in the span of a few days lol. so in an effort to actually make progress on my tbr, i'm setting my limit to 100 books.

does anyone else place limits on their tbr? or are you the type to just add whatever remotely catches your interest?

I began working full-time again a month ago, and I'm truly struggling to find the energy to pick up a book. I know the key for me is to make it a habit, but does anyone have any tips or little things that helped them stay consistent? I just don't want to lose the love I have for my hobbies because I'm getting to caught up in other things. :/

I passively read all of the time. I have read 60 something books this year and I could tell you the plots to maybe half of them. And Ive noticed that writing a review is really hard for me because I have a general feeling of the book and not specific feelings about the characters or plot.

I compare passively reading to putting a show on in the background. I know what's going on but im not really paying attention all that well. And im definitely not taking it all in.

I think this is partly due to my reading style. I dont really see the words on the page. I don't notice the grammar and writing style unless something is definitely wrong and trips me up. But other than that I watching the book play out.

The only time that I take the time to read is when it is written in a style that is harder to read. Like a classic. I notice the nuance of sentence structure and importance of punctuation. But a lot of the time I lose the magic of the story because I'm so bogged down by making the words make sense. Critical thinking do be hard.

It's like my critical thinking brain and imagination brain are in a battle for who controls the narrative. And one has a functioning memory and the other just calls out the window and hopes someone's listening.

Anyway this is all to say that im very intrigued by the Personal Curriculum trend going around. I think this a great way to read critically and really take in the books you choose to consume.

Also I think passively reading is fine for the most part unless you want to remember the book. Reading is entertainment and doesn't have to be critical. It can just be enjoyable. Anyway cheers. I'd love to hear your opinion on this subject and learn about your reading style.

I know Buwan ng Wika just passed but I missed it (I don't live in the Philippines anymore) 😩 This is a plea for book recommendations for all my kababayan 🙏🏽

Currently I have Bata, Bata Pa'no Ka Ginawa and looking to find a copy of Kalahating Bahaghari and Hurricane Wars. I visit about twice a year so I want to make it a point to buy more Filipino books, or at least books by Filipino authors.

I'm still upset at how this book played out especially the ending. However, it was not as bad as my initial reaction made it out to be. I still have many issues with it. But I did enjoy the magic system !

I love putting bookish videos on in the background while I do chores. Who are your favorites? Bonus points if they are underrated gems. I watch a lot of the popular ones and would love to branch out and find more in my niche.

As a student, I found myself reading books at odd times, often between classes, during lunch, riding the bus, at peculiar hours of the night! It honestly depended on how busy I was on a particular day! I’m curious to hear what times my fellow readers read at?

I've been thinking about this because there are so many posts about The Spellshop right now, and honestly… I identify with Kiela so, so much. I feel her in my heart!!

Introverted, book-loving queen - someone who would always rather spend time with her stories than with people. The way she clings to books, the way she just wants to be left alone (but still kind of craves community) ... feels so much like me. A lot of her quotes were almost painfully relatable, like they came straight out of my own head.

So now I'm wondering: who are your characters that feel like you? The ones where you read them and think, "Oh no, that's me"?