Oh I am so in. I’m loving the writing and can’t wait to read about rich people wedding drama.

I can’t fricking believe that I didn’t have these books growing up. Somehow I was vaguely aware of them but didn’t seek them out or had friends who liked them. Honestly, I’d have been even more of an insufferable fantasy/archery kid if I’d had them, so there’s that 😂😂

I’m glad I have them as an adult anyway. I read the Alanna quartet last year and absolutely devoured them, and am finally picking up the next ones. This is specifically for an August reading challenge I’m doing with friends where one of the prompts was a book that younger me would’ve loved. This book pins me down entirely. The hedgehogs are talking to her!

Damn does the full cast audio voiceacting ever go crazy.10/10

Now this could just be me and I'm a terrible person but I find that authors have a really hard time making art or music seem authentic. It often just feels kinda cringy but I can't put my finger on why?!

For example if a character likes drawing an author will be like "I got lost in the beauty of my own work, sketching those pools of ocean blue I dreamt of nightly. I drew page after page, by the time I finished the sun was coming up, my pencils were just nubs, my thumbs bled from the exertion."

Or if the character is a musician they'll be like "I felt the vibrations of the strings into the core of my aorta" or something lol.

It sometimes feels like the author is almost oversimplifying what it means to be an artist (which is odd because a writer is an artist).

The most "popular" example I can think of is Feyre randomly whacking out her painting kit at any given opportunity in ACOTAR.

The only time I've found it done well is in Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. The artist wasn't just lustfully sketching their muse, but making interesting mixed media pieces, the meaning of which was very pertinent to the story.

Am I making any sense?? It just often feels very difficult to take these representations seriously. Whereas I feel like when characters have other hobbies or jobs, they are more normal about it.

I'm working on an essay about redemption in media and having a hard time finding literature that isn't for children or young adults. I've asked in a few places before but I will try here. This is my requirement list.

1. The story features a character undergoing redemption and working towards being a better person. A recommendation to have them suffer or make amends to qualify.
2. They have to actually have done something morally wrong/harmed another. Stealing a loaf of bread to feed yourself or getting into a disagreement with your buddy isn't enough. Honestly, the more reprehensible the better here.
3. No children. We expect kids to mess up and make mistakes. I'm looking for 20 at the youngest.
4. The story is not intended for young readers. There's plenty of stories in YA and children's literature about this, but I haven't found a lot of nuance there.

Some of the popular ones already in the suggestion pile are A Christmas Carol, Thomas Covenant, and Crime and Punishment

What the heck is a TBR? I just have over 300 reads saved to Libby lists, over 200 reads on my kindle wishlist, at least 100 unread books on my shelf (and surrounding area) and I still spend my free time browsing for more 🤣

As many of us are, I'm gradually planning for and chipping away at my HRCYED and I am at an impasse that I need an assist on!

For the birthday challenge, I was born in a Year of the Horse. Here's the thing- I fuckin hate horses. They freak me out IRL, I've never understood the hype even as a child, they're too big and they're legit scary and people are too chill about them. I'm not a mean hater and they do have my respect- but from a distance because I don't fuck with them. So what book am I to read? I know if I leave it to figure out later, I'm going to put it off until the end and have to hate read a cowboy romance because I can't think of anything else.

I want to try making a personal list of books to read that have at least one diehard fan. I'm looking for the book that you bring up when someone says they want to get back into reading. The one you don't think ever gets enough attention because something else in that genre became popular. The one where people say "that was a book?" after discovering a movie or tv show they enjoyed was based on a novel.

My list starts with Howls Moving Castle, my own personal choice, that I have actually recommended to anyone asking.

I was just reorganizing my shelves in the app and realized how many books are misled as romantasy when they are fantasy or ya. I thought SHATTER ME was a romantasy for god's sake. So the research began and turned out I've only read 13 romantasy (acotar series, bloodwing academy, fae and alchemy series, ouabh, empyrean series) books and others belonged to either fantasy with romance as a subplot section or dark fantasy section (like Alchemised by Senlinyu).

So I need some actual Romantasy suggestions which are not marketed as the genre because it's in trend, and fantasy recs are welcome as well (turns out I love the genre and the high stakes).

Alright, Boundling fam. What do you do when a book makes you angry mad frustrated pissed annoyed screaming at the walls?

Usually, I’ll bitch about it to whoever will listen (or not tell me to stop talking, really), read bad reviews, think about how I’d want to see it done instead, etc etc.

But that’s not enough for me right now for this book. I need ideas and no I will not DNF. I need to finish this book so I can finish it so I can judge it to hell without guilt.

Also, please tell me I’m not absolutely deranged for feeling this way. Tell me this is a reasonable coping method I beg.