hello Pagebound friends! i inherited this quest from our founder, Lucy. while i don't know her original criteria for choosing the first 40 books, i've come up with some general guidelines that i think this quest should follow. this is going to be a bit of a long-winded post but i wanted to let everyone know my thought process going forward!

since the title of this quest specifically highlights "Critically Acclaimed", and based on the books that are already included, this will be the general criteria for now:

• positive reviews from respected critics or publications • awards and nominations • commonly included on "best of" or other similar lists • scholarly attention, such as the book being referenced in academic discussions, essays, or scholarly literary analysis • longevity & relevance, meaning memoirs that continue to be relevant to cultural and professional discussion across a long period of time

however! there are some caveats that i think need to be mentioned.

i think there is room for some variation considering how common freelance book critique is on the internet, how influential online critique/reviewing has become, and how the internet has expanded literary circles.

i also think it's important to recognize that marginalized authors often do not receive the same amount of professional literary praise as non-marginalized authors. awards and mainstream critics & publications historically favor white, Western, often cis male authors, and marginalized authors often get fewer or less serious reviews. on top of that, there are many publishing barriers in place for marginalized authors that mean their books often don't get marketed widely and their work is often overlooked, or sometimes strategically suppressed or banned.

because of these issues, i will also take into consideration things like: • consistency, as in the book receives praise from multiple sources and not just virality • cultural impact, as in if the book is sparking deeper conversation in literary communities (both professional and casual) for its craft, style, and impact • adding on to the above, memoirs that are especially recognized in literary circles (both professional and casual) for courage, honesty, or an overall contribution to social/cultural understanding

TL;DR: i'd like to stick to memoirs that are specifically acclaimed for their literary merit and cultural or scholarly impact, rather than just memoirs that are bestselling/popular/viral. i want the books included to be works that contribute meaningfully to conversation and literature. i especially think this will help the quest not get overwhelmed by a ton of celebrity memoirs or other similar releases.

now with that all being said, i'm open to any suggestions and would be happy to sort through and see what i think is a fair addition :)

Viola could read the phonebook and I’d hang onto her every word.