if i had a nickel for every time i have told my partner "everything is tuberculosis" since starting this book, i'd have a lot more than two nickels.

I really can't listen to music while I read, I find it distracting (especially if it has lyrics). But I will passively make character playlists of songs I think a specific character would listen to. I like to imagine it as their ipod library LOL

Does anyone else like to make music playlists for books or series they have read? And do you listen to them while you read? Is it more for ambiance or does the music really embody the book for you?

fun little question for y’all: if you could choose one of your favorite books/book series to be adapted to the screen, which would it be and why?

follow up questions to that: would you want it to be a tv series or movie/movie series? animated or live action? and for extra fun, who would you cast for some of the main characters as actors for a live action, or voice actors for animated?

I thought it would be kind of fun to see where in the world people are, and then folks can make friends with people from the same countries/ares (if they way, not pressure obviously).

I'll go first. I'm Canadian, and more specifically I am in British Columbia (Vancouver Island if you want to get fancy).

Try to find your country and join that thread!

Everyone else?

Hi community 😛 I was just wondering what characters look like when you’re reading! Is it just a body with some hair, or do you go into the details of eyes, hair style, hair type, shoes, etc.

My friend imagines everything down the details (especially if they’re not given) to fill in the gaps, she says it makes them feel more real! I read Don’t Let The Forest In and I just imagined a curly headed male shadow for one of the characters 😭 maybe I’m lacking in creativity haha but lmk what you guys imagine down in the comments because I’m curious!!

Lately I've been trying to make a list of books from my collection back home (I moved overseas earlier this year!!) that I would like my family to ship over, and realized a lot of what I miss are my more educational based books and materials - which got me wondering:

Do you count things like recipe books that have narrative sections, home maker how to's (think Martha Stewart), educational books/materials for personal reading, and crafting/DIY books on your reading trackers? Why or why not? Also I'd love any recommendations people have for more of this type of non-fiction book!

Physical book readers - I was chatting with some bookish friends and we were talking about managing shelf space.

Are you the type of reader to keep all your books, or do you unhaul? If you unhaul, do you do it as you read or do you do it maybe once a season?

How else do you manage your space?

I am moving overseas next week for school with 2 suitcases and 2 carry-ons...not much room for books! I mostly read ebooks, but there are a few physical copies that I just had to make room for:

• If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio; this is one of my favorites and I enjoy rereading it and annotating it.
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne; I haven't read this yet, but the copy I have is TINY and I think it will be a great travel buddy.
• The Fern House by Brooke Hamilton-Benjestorf; another one of my favorites, also travel-sized. A nice comfort read.
• A New Environmental Ethics: The Next Millennium for Life on Earth by Holmes Rolston III; this was the textbook for an environmental ethics class I took in 2024. I reference it frequently for my writing and studies.
• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke; you guessed it, another favorite! You can safely assume that any other fiction books I list here are also favorites. I read this in 2023 and have been wanted to reread it since. I bought a physical copy specifically to annotate.
• Tin Man by Sarah Winman; another one that I bought to reread and annotate.
• Being a Beast: Adventures Across the Species Divide by Charles Foster; I haven't read this yet but it is relevant to my studies and writing interests. The blurb is so whacky and I can't wait to get into it.
• A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold; this was also referenced a lot in my ethics classes, so I finally got my own copy.
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott; I've read select passages of this for a creative writing class. I found a weathered copy at an estate sale a while back and will be using it to support my writing.
• Earth in Mind by David Orr; another that I am working to annotate to expand my knowledge around environmental ethics and supplement my education.
• The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells; yet another comfort read! I need to find other people who have read this.
• The Intersectional Environmentalist by Leah Thomas; I found this at a bookstore a few weeks ago and am SO excited to get into it.

These are all neatly lined in my suitcase, protected by my hoodies. I was very picky about what was coming with me, but I feel confident in the list I've ended up with. (If the nonfiction environmental books sound interesting to you, check out my Earth, Ethics, Environment list! I'd love suggestions for what else to add.)

If you made it this far, what do you think? What books would you bring if you were moving abroad?

I passively read all of the time. I have read 60 something books this year and I could tell you the plots to maybe half of them. And Ive noticed that writing a review is really hard for me because I have a general feeling of the book and not specific feelings about the characters or plot.

I compare passively reading to putting a show on in the background. I know what's going on but im not really paying attention all that well. And im definitely not taking it all in.

I think this is partly due to my reading style. I dont really see the words on the page. I don't notice the grammar and writing style unless something is definitely wrong and trips me up. But other than that I watching the book play out.

The only time that I take the time to read is when it is written in a style that is harder to read. Like a classic. I notice the nuance of sentence structure and importance of punctuation. But a lot of the time I lose the magic of the story because I'm so bogged down by making the words make sense. Critical thinking do be hard.

It's like my critical thinking brain and imagination brain are in a battle for who controls the narrative. And one has a functioning memory and the other just calls out the window and hopes someone's listening.

Anyway this is all to say that im very intrigued by the Personal Curriculum trend going around. I think this a great way to read critically and really take in the books you choose to consume.

Also I think passively reading is fine for the most part unless you want to remember the book. Reading is entertainment and doesn't have to be critical. It can just be enjoyable. Anyway cheers. I'd love to hear your opinion on this subject and learn about your reading style.