I’ve had to call my FiL so many times for him to explain the nuances of Judaism to me that McBride (rightly) assumes is common knowledge that he’s now invested in this book too and had ordered his own copy.

I share a library card with my grandma so I can get her audiobooks via Libby, she’s enjoyed this a lot in the last year or so as age has made physical reading harder than it used to be. She was an english major back when she was in school and this has left her with a fondness for Shakespeare. I keep a list of suggestions for her but she’s starting to go through the ones I think she’ll really enjoy, so I’m wondering does anyone have any Shakespeare related book suggestions? Fiction or nonfiction is good.

But I am aware of Hamnet already and Im not looking for things actually written by Shakespeare, I know those are available. Also I’m not looking for ya, she is over 80.

Isn't she lovely?

As has the summary! Can we get the book page updated?

"Learned Edmund, a disillusioned scholar, is transporting yet another precious relic from one stuffy temple to a different stuffy temple. Another great adventure for the ages…

But when Edmund is set upon by bandits, in desperation, he breaks the cardinal rule and grabs for the relic, an ancient sword. To his surprise, instead of unsheathing a rusty, ancient weapon, an alarmingly handsome man appears, wielding daggers of blue steel and cutting the thieves down.

This man is the Dervish, an immortal warrior who’s been trapped for centuries in a sword of enchanted steel, and is angry as hell about it. He hates the curse that put him there, and he wants to hate Edmund, just as he has hated every wielder before him.

But the damned scholar is just so sweet and clever and kind. And while the Dervish may be able to protect Edmund from bandits, cultists, dragons, and strange inhuman diplomats, he may find it much harder to protect his own heart."

I was not expecting Learned Edmund to be the love interest in this one. That raises so many questions! I am also delighted to know that the next one in this series features a queer pairing. I have wanted to introduce my best friend to Paladin's Hope because I know she'll love the romance, but the horror elements are going to take her out. Having another option that's less intense will hopefully give her somewhere else to start.

Anyone who's read Swordheart: predictions? thoughts? questions?

Asl rep in books? Romance mostly . I love Slap Shot but the asl rep is a young child , I think she's 4 and I'm 26 so , does anyone have any rep? I might have to learn ASL soon

HI omg!!! Welcome to our much-anticipated dystopian quest!!

In these wild unprecedented times we live in, but even since being a very disillusioned child, I loved to read dystopian literature. Sure, I do enjoy a good cozy read, too, but these books really make me think and feel seen. So this quest is really for everyone who has been told that they're overreacting to the news, because these authors clearly took a look at what was going on in the time they wrote their books and thought, "I'm going to take this ideology to the furthest logical conclusion, and I bet you it's not going to look so different from what we actually have going on around here."

Like many of you, I really hungered for a dystopian literature quest, and so when I became a TC, I started working on it right away. This was a labor of love for me, I considered 173 different books to get us down to this core initial set of 40 books. I have a long list of books that I am hoping to eventually add, but I also would love to get your recommendations, please feel free to add those to this thread.

In working on the quest, I learned a lot about the different types of dystopias we see represented in literature, and I will be making a post explaining those soon as well as which types each book presents (some are combos, which is fun!), once everyone gets to take a look around! I did make the conscious choice to avoid books that were purely post-apocalyptic, though those are often grouped with dystopian works. Instead, this quest will focus on books that present societies - some are crumbling, some are thriving, some are insular mini societies set against the outside world - but avoid those books that are comprised of a natural disaster, and the protagonists not knowing if they are the only people left alive and wandering around, if that makes sense!

Welcome, welcome, and if you'd like, go ahead and share what brings you to dystopian literature, if you have any favorites or recommendations, and anything else you'd like to share with the group! I'm excited to quest here by your side!!

Alright so I turn 30 on the 28th of this month 🫢 and I’m curious if anyone has recs in fantasy or dystopians where the woman is like at least over 25, but in her 30s would be great. Or older! Heck I’d love to read a fantasy series with a 40 year old woman are you kidding?

I have read one, Swordheart, I really liked that she was much older than the typical FMC is. And current I’m reading the plated prisoner series and I know Auren is 25 which is nice. And I’d like to know if there’s more. It doesn’t bother me necessarily that most FMC’s I read in these genres are younger (18-22) because I still see myself as younger than I am 💅🏼 or I just kind of picture/envision my younger self or even sometimes my current aged self anyway.

Thanks!

So I’ve been trying to get into audiobooks and I wanted to know if anyone knows any good audiobook apps. I’m currently using audible and with audible I hate that I have to have credits to listen to a book and can only use that credit to listen to a “free” book so if anyone knows any other app recommendations please let me know. Thank you so much!!!!!🥰🤍

Are you ever reading/listening to a book and an author uses a word you just absolutely HATE. That word for me? Niggling. (Context: “But at the same time, she might have niggling doubts about him.”). I JUST HATE. IT. SO. MUCH.

It’s time. We’re saying it out loud.

What trope makes you immediately reconsider your life choices when you see it in a synopsis?

The chosen one? Love triangles? Amnesia? Insta-love? The "I can fix him" dynamic?

Confess your literary pet peeves below. This is your safe space to vent.