With slight anxiety I’m about to be so vulnerable on the main feed, I highly relate to the description of the Nice Ladies. I very often feel like what’s the point in being angry, but I’m looking forward to reading more and learning how to effectively use anger for good. I feel very safe and secure with Harriet in this moment.

”Eating with the seasons is a way of honoring abundance. By going to meet it when and where it arrives. A world of produce houses and grocery stores enables the practice of having what you want and when you want it”

My mom once said to me, "I only eat food that comes from the store, not from the ground." When the shock subsided and I could finally form words again, I asked, genuinely curious, where she thought the food from the store came from. She told me that she knows it comes from the ground but she doesn't have to see it so it's different. Different in the same way that people couldn't fathom killing a cow but would happily eat a burger. (I'm not judging, nor am I absolved of the hypocrisy - I eat fish). But the point is we are so far removed from reality that we could never even fathom not having our favorite foods available every single day of the year. And yet there is still such a terrible scarcity mindset. "If I don't buy it now, if I don't have it now, I may never get the opportunity to again!" This way of life carries over into every aspect of our lives and creates an atmosphere of constantly living for the future rather than living for what we currently have.

With the community growing quickly, I wanted to have a central location for all new book suggestions. If you think there’s a book that fits in this quest, make a new comment on this post!

What qualifies a book for this quest? The books in this quest are structured around a game or trial rather than just including games/trials somewhere in the book. The entire narrative is about preparing for the games, the games themselves, and the aftermath of the games.

Examples of books that would not fit despite including a game/trial plot point:

• The Will of the Many by James Islington
• The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
• The Poppy War by R F Kuang

While the games/trials in these books are important to the story, the books are not about the games/trials.

10/28/25 note: I am currently focusing on adding diverse voices to balance the quest a bit more.

Contest by Matthew Reilly would be a great addition, and I feel its a different kind of story from several on the list. Could potentially add some more variety while still fitting the theme. 🙂

I'm not entirely sure but I think Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko would fit here as wel?