I have seen a few posts talking about challenges, but I just finished one, and I realized there is no place to hype about it. So I'm making this post for people to brag about reading challenges you finished this year (or recently) that were especially fun, or hard, or interesting. 😊 Brag away!

As for me: This year I joined the Transgender Rights Readathon. I don't read fast, so I didn't do the week-long version, rather the StoryGraph all-year version that had a bunch of bonus prompts. I ended up reading 17 books from trans authors and/or with trans main characters. It was fascinating, not only because of the new authors and the many forms of representation, but also because the challenge made me read genres I have not read for a long time (e.g. horror, literary fiction, poetry). I ended up with new favorite books and authors, and that makes me happy 😊

I already hate Joan's sister and I barely started.

Has anyone else had accessibility options that have surprised them? Today I was fiddling around with my NetGalley options for an ARC I have (I’m a new uses there so I’m doing lots of fiddling) and found there’s a voice option that acts similar to a screen reader! As someone who mainly does audiobooks for a variety of reasons, this is a game changer for me being able to get through ARCs easier and faster!

Did anyone else know about this? Any other online or in person accessibility features you’ve found that have been a nice surprise to make reading easier for you?

When it comes to readalongs on PB, do you aim to read one of the books, or all of them? I recently joined my local library and aim to use my library card to try and read all the books in the Autumn and Dia de los Muertos readalongs. I know I only need one for the Dia de los Muertos readalong, but I couldn't decide between the three options tbh 😂 And for the Autumn readlong, I really want the sparkly pumpkin tbh.

I'm terrified future readalongs will include authors I can't in good conscience support, because that would look me out of the sparks badges 😥 And of course I'm very sad that I can't get the past badges because I only found PB when the app was announced

I have so much of CK annotation left and until roy is done I can not rest or move forward in the book

Just picked up all 3 books from the library today! I'm so excited. I am going to start with Vampires of El Norte. Is anyone else participating?

i’ve been going through my current read at a snail’s pace and it’s driving me crazy. i really want to read more, and i’m interested in the story, but i just can’t seem to actually get myself to read.

have you guys figured out what motivates you to read more? what worked the best in getting you out of a slump?

please help a girl out, i am desperate 😫

As someone who has been around the bookstagram/ booktok / booktube or any bookish community in a social media platform for more than 6 years, It was so tiring to see the same 10 books being popping up on the feed. I was easily influenced, most of the "popular" books that I read were utter disappointment to me. (Normal people on the top of the list ). No offense to the authors or anybody who loves them, It didn't work for me atleast.

And then I found this community where I have discovered so many great books, people talking about their favourites with such passion and intellect that no "book influencer" can match. I am so happy to have to read all the genuine reviews you all post here and the thread of conversation that pops up below that.

I am grateful to be here, to be among people who love bookish talks.

So, tell me your criminally underrated favourite book. I'll go first, it's Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. ✨🎶

So I've finished reading The Spellshop and A Dowry of Blood from the Fall 2025 Readalong and really enjoyed them. I'm also looking forward to Blood Over Bright Haven and curious for Don't Let the Forest in.

But I'm a little scared to pick up Tender is the Flesh. I have the ebook so I will definitely try. But im suspecting a DNF just because of the reviews I read so far. 🥩🥴

If I decide to do this will that mean I don't earn the pretty glittery badge for the readalong? Do you really have to 🏁 finish all? Just wondering.

I’m not sure if I haven’t figured it out yet or if it’s not possible but can we change an edition of a book in this app? Like not in general but for yourself or smt.

So, I just watched a YouTube video about the ‘BookTok-ification’ of publishing. The video breaks down trends on BookTok and argues that modern publishing prioritizes virality over storytelling.

It suggests that publishing has become more about numbers and fast trends; almost like the ‘fast fashion’ of books, where authors are encouraged to release multiple books in a short amount of time. This often leads to similar-feeling books that can lack originality and quality.

Books are increasingly marketed through tropes (enemies to lovers, love triangles, fake dating, etc.) rather than through their actual stories. Causing lack of originality and many titles start to feel repetitive and less memorable.

There’s also the growing obsession with special editions and sprayed edges, sometimes the aesthetics seem more important than the books themselves. This trend can also drive overconsumption, with readers buying multiple versions of the same book just to have different special editions.

Since I’m not active on TikTok, I don’t see much of this first-hand. But being part of BookTube, Goodreads, and of course here on Pagebound, I can’t help but be a little influenced when picking my next read.

So, I’m curious: how do all my lovely fellow Pagebounders feel about this? Have you noticed or felt affected by any of it?

have you guys ever seen a book with a title that really confused you? for me it's "a treachery of swans", i genuinely have no idea what this title means

Please tell me I'm not the only one... I bought the two prequels for the Hunger Games and I bought the 3 Body Problem trilogy because I've been dying to read them. However, there I was on Kobo when I found a very interesting looking book that turned out to be a series and, guess what, it was free with my subscription and now, bam! New current read. And there my beautiful little books sit on my shelves, untouched, waiting. It happens so many times that I have things planned to read but something else just comes along like a shiny pokémon and oops, down the slippery road I go. Are any of you guys like that too? And if you're not, how do you fight it?