Hello all! While the age old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" is a good lesson to live by particularly in reference to people, I think we've all found ourselves buying a book or being offput by one based on the cover once or twice (or many times beyond that). I recently subscribed to a fantasy book subscription box and the covers are absolutely GORGEOUS. I'll be the first to admit that a pretty book has a way of enticing me, even if its just enticing me to read the back cover. So, I thought I'd pose this question to the masses of Pagebound and give myself an oppurtunity to not only get book recommendations (perhaps), but also look at some beautiful covers. So, what are some of your favorite books covers? They don't even have to be books you've read (or even liked), but a cover that captivated or stuck with you. I'd love to hear your top picks, and hopefully they'll even inspire even more books on to my TBR. Some of my personal favorites: The "Emily Wilde" series by Heather Fawcett. I haven't read all three yet, but I'm obsessed with the covers. I don't typically buy hard cover copies of books, but the original US "Encyclopaedia of Faeries" cover was so beautiful to me. I haven't yet read "A Study in Drowning" by Ava Reid , but the cover of both the first and second book I love. There's something Another book I haven't read, but love the cover, "Anatomy" by Dana Schwartz. It's simple but so effective! I'm eager to hear your favorites!

Hello y'all! I just wanted to create a post where we could all talk about our favorite local bookstores and gush over them! You can talk about why you love them, give out recommendations, etc. I'll start with saying that I love Powell's and Book with Pictures out here in Portland, OR. I specifically love the Powell's location in Downtown Portland because of how big it is (4 floors!!!) and how the bookstore is organized. I find it very easy to navigate and I always feel like I've done a full workout once I leave. I love Book with Pictures because it's a comic store that caters very specifically to queer, BIPOC, disabled and neurodivergent folks. It's queer and woman-owned and I just feel incredibly safe there as a trans hispanic person. Also, it's BEAUTIFUL inside! I haven't visited yet but I plan on visiting Parallel Worlds, too. It's a fantasy and sci-fi bookstore (and some horror I hear 👀) with used and new books. I'm hoping to visit this year for my birthday.

this is so, so bad. but I cant stop reading

super excited to see how the apple tv series turns out.. they better do it justice.

Not sure if this is the place for it but I'm so excited about the books I received for my birthday this year and really wanted to share my love for books with other people who love books, so here I am! And here you are! Any books you guys have read that I should bump to the top of my TBR?? • Human Acts - Han Kang (historical literary fiction, based on the Gwangju Uprising in South Korea) • Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson (literary fiction/romance, discussions of race and masculinity as I understand it) • A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami (magical realism, this was pitched to me as a weird dream which I looove) • My Sister, the Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwaite (mystery/thriller with a dark comedic twist??) Three translated short story collections: • Night Train to the Stars - Kenji Miyazawa (japanese fairy-tale inspired) • Murder in the Age of Enlightenment - Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (japanese classics) • The Dangers of Smoking in Bed - Mariana Enríquez (argentinian, horror) And a box set of the first three books in The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson :) I'm planning on finishing Misborn era I & II before diving into Stormlight though Birthdays make me mushy so don't mind me but I'm so grateful for Pagebound for giving me a space to yap about books. I genuinely feel like this is the sort of space that's been missing in my life and I love interacting with all of you!!! Thank you :)) and I hope to yap about books for many many more years

I have been on Pagebound for a few months now and I genuinely think that Pagebound is such a wonderful idea come to fruition. I’ve been using other bookish apps for years and never felt inclined to post written reviews when I’m done with the books (I feel too intimidated sometimes especially when I feel differently about the books and the book community can be harsh 😰). But on Pagebound, the no pressure ability to post my thoughts at random intervals throughout the book helped me develop the confidence to post reviews on the books I finished reading as well and I’m starting to find joy in that. I’m glad I stumbled upon this site. It’s been magnificent and the community is amazing. Thank you so much!! ☺️

Today there will be an event where R.F. Kuang will be chatting about Katabasis and other things. The event can be viewed online, which is what I am planning to do! This online watching is based on donation and all you have to do is to sign up. Couple of weeks ago someone had mentioned this book festival here in the forum (the original post), and last week I watched V.E. Schwab's event. So, here I am doing a community service for anyone who would be interested. The link to the book festival's website is here.

Hey, Pagebound readers! I've noticed something about book covers that really bugs me: those featuring real people/photographs. Whether it's a face staring out or a posed figure, I get an instant aversion, and I suspect I'm not alone. I can’t quite explain why... maybe it’s too direct or breaks the imagination’s spell? If you also get this reaction, what’s behind it for you? Do you get through it and read the book anyway? The truth is that I've never ever read a book with a cover like that, even though I understand there are many great books behind those covers... I simply can't get past it. Can you help me unpack why these covers turn some people off? What about them clashes with the reading experience? 📚

Hello everyone! I just finished reading beartown 2 and i cannot get over it (it was just too good). Because of that, i need some more sport-based books like Beartown or All For The Game series. Im looking for a book that is higly sport based, with lots of rivalry, stress, deep problems, interesting characters (with impressive backstories) and great writing. Any recommendations?