i see a lot of lists with so-called cozy books and i understand it’s the new marketing term that sells like romantasy is (was). but most of these cozy books actually talk about heavy subjects like being overworked, suicide, death (human and animal), and depression. sometimes without an happy ending. and those books would have never been labeled as cozy had the authors not been east-asian or had a pastel cover with a cat on it.

yes, i’m afraid some racism is at play here. from readers as well as editors who put cats on every japanese books despite the book having no cat at all. if a book about the inevitable death we are all about to face came out by someone with an american name, it would rarely be labeled as "cozy🌸🥰", especially if the ending was dreadful.

my question is, do we not have the same definition of what is cozy?

to me, a cozy book is something that leaves you with a positive feeling or a positive outlook on life. not something that leaves you crying and haunted.

this is my first twisted tale, so i’m very excited to see how this will go !

i did not expect this to be set in present day, and i usually don’t enjoy that in fantasies, but i can see how that can possibly work very well for this one.

Edit 2: There are too many comments on this post now. I cannot keep up, sorry if I fail to respond when mentioned/addressed.

Edit: The general consensus seems to be that downvoting as a feature is definitely not the issue but how it is being used should be amended so that it is used more responsibly/kindly. On the flip side we can also all just stop taking it to heart and roll with it + some users are weary of discussing this again and again ( I apologize for that since I was not aware that this is a super overdone issue).

I know there have been posts before about forum moderating and other instances of people bringing up the issue of downvoting. But I wanted to ask if generally the consensus is pro downvoting on pagebound and that too so excessively. I find it to be on the edge of bullying and hostility. I am one of the earlier set of users but I stepped away for a bit as I was in a reading slump and I recall how much more comfortable and enjoyable the community was before this feature was being abused (that's how I would put it atleast). Excited to hear your thoughts on the matter. Do you guys really think moderating quality is worth all the hostile bullying? Because we can't really get people to see it as "oh we are just correcting you on a technicality" without giving them mob lynching energy when we come so strongly to attack them. This is not a complaint about the feature as much as it is a concern over how it's being used.

Hi all!

I am hoping you guys could help me find some genre books that do something a little different from the norm. maybe it blends genres, has a weird plot or structure, reads more like literary fiction, or takes stylistic risks.

Sci-fi, fantasy, horror, romance, thriller, etc. Any genre is fine, as long as it made you think sth like “well, this isn’t what I expected from this book/genre”

Thank you~

as an avid reader, I often read for intellectual purposes and other times which is majority, for the fun and vibes. i read classics as I read a romance book, to enjoy and have a good time.

I often review my books based on what I felt, rather than a proper analysis (unless I find myself analyzing and properly writing one) and as though it happens that I read a book (sometimes popular) and hate it for no other reason but that I didn't enjoy it. I didn't, say, like the story. I had no other reason, etc.

I was wondering how do you all review your books or tend to look for other people's reviews? if someone reviews with a 1 star with no explanation, do you feel agitated that they didn't explain or just let them be? do you like to write a whole analysis of what you read or just one sentence is usually enough to describe your experience.

PS. I admire people who have the ability to articulate perfect and long reviews, find the time to properly address your feelings regarding what you read.

as the title suggests, i really want to get into classics and recently came across this one version of picture of dorian grey that shows the places it’s been censored and changed and that peaked my interest. but because it was over £250 i passed on it. 💀

i also tried reading dante’s inferno because i wanted to read katabasis and she recommended them as good to know reads. as you can tell, i was thoroughly confused and lost.

im an immersive reader and at this point i absolutely neeeed audiobook to get into the story. its so much better that way (for me).

can someone who’s into classics recommend me where to start, which translations to start with (and are easily accessible in both audiobook and physical/ebook versions)? i’m not particular on a specific one since clearly i don’t know shit. 😹

please drop your recommendations below, i’m extremely grateful for any advice. 🙏🫶