mxbookworm is interested in reading...

The Bone Orchard
Sara A. Mueller
mxbookworm TBR'd a book

The Library at Mount Char
Scott Hawkins
mxbookworm TBR'd a book

The Amalfi Curse
Sarah Penner
mxbookworm TBR'd a book

House of Frank
Kay Synclaire
mxbookworm is interested in reading...

Upon a Starlit Tide
Kell Woods
mxbookworm commented on a post


I've been getting quite some suggestions for books for this quest, so I thought it might be easier to have a specific place just for suggestions (if you've already commented books, don't worry about it, I've already have them written down š«¶).
Please ensure that the book has a sapphic romance/sapphic main characters that are important to the plot! And don't forget to write both the name and author of the book. Looking forward to your suggestions :)
mxbookworm commented on mxbookworm's update
mxbookworm wrote a review...
I really enjoyed this book- I think itās on my top lists of sapphic books that Iāve read (under One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston and Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo). I enjoy romances with more plot and I felt like this story skirted the common plot tropes to feel new and fresh while still being a generally feel good romance story. I can understand where others got frustrated with the characters- theyāre both flawed in their own ways. However, I think real flawed characters make a story more real. Reading this I felt they were both neurodivergent coded (I know my personal experience with autism mirrored a lot of what Cat said thought about social interactions). However, I really enjoyed getting both protagonists perspective (something I havenāt seen since reading Ashley Herring Blakeās Bright Falls series). Iād suggest this to anyone looking for a romance with a big more plot, especially a sapphic romance, or anyone chasing the two-narrator style of Blakeās series. Iāll definitely keep an eye out for new books by Tara Tai!
mxbookworm finished a book

Single Player
Tara Tai
mxbookworm commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
Hi fellow boundlings š„°š
recently my algorithm has flooded me with so many articles and videos about the ongoing literacy crisis. Which I think everyone here is aware of and I have already seen multiple discussions about that topic here, but it is still something that really alarms me. And then the constant (rather concerning) debates on social media, like some people claiming to only read the dialogue in books, or that time someone on social media accused authors or being ableist for using difficult words in their writing, or even worse authors who use more complicated words then being accused of using AI.
Thankfully, PB is a safe haven far away from all this, but still, reading about all of that scares me enormously. And it also reminds me of Newspeak in Orwellās 1984 and how that was used to simplify language more and more and thus increasingly limiting peopleās vocabulary. (Please correct me if I remember this wrong, since I read that book a good while ago š )
My idea was that everyone could comment a word or two (or as many as you want) that you recently learned about, and their meaning. That way we can maybe all learn some new words by looking through the comments. And by writing them down and talking about them maybe we can also remember them better.
I use the term new words rather loosely here, so please feel free to interpret it however you like. For example you could share: š a word you recently read that you truly didnāt know before and had to look up š” a word you had never encountered before but could infer the meaning from context š a word you technically know the meaning of but donāt often use in your active vocabulary when you are speaking or writing (but wish you did) š£ļø or honestly even just a word that you know and love but that is not well-known and that you wish more people knew about
Also, you are obviously completely free to write the definition in your own words, or copy from a dictionary.
I hope you like this idea and I look forward to reading all of your comments! šš„°
mxbookworm commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
Iāve been toying with the idea of keeping a āWord Journalā for awhile now, as a way to improve my personal vocabulary and get in the habit of learning what something means instead of just glossing past it. But after reading an article and bumping into multiple words I either didnāt know or wasnāt totally certain on the meaning/usage of, I decided to finally go through with my plan.
My goal now is to bring a little journal around with me as much as possible and any time I come across a word Iām not confident about, I take a moment to learn what it means, how to pronounce it, and how itās used in a sentence, and Iāll write that all down in the journal. Hopefully, with each entry my vocab will grow bit by bit, and Iāll foster a greater curiosity in myself.
So, my point now in posting about this is to ask if anyone here has or is doing something similar? Or, in general, what your relationship is with language vs what it used to be or what you wish it was?
Bonus Q: Have you recently come across a word that perplexed or beguiled you?
Perplexed [per-plekst] an adjective meaning to be filled with uncertainty; puzzled
Beguiled [buh-giled] transitive verb meaning to engage the interest of or to lead by deception; hoodwinked
mxbookworm made progress on...
mxbookworm started reading...

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
Caroline Criado PƩrez
Post from the Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II forum
So excited to start this one! I read the first anthology last year and was thrilled to see this next one coming out this year. My preordered copy just came in!
mxbookworm started reading...

Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II
Shane Hawk
mxbookworm commented on a post
mxbookworm wrote a review...
This was a very well written story of one boys life in Ireland, through the view of that child. I especially appreciated how McCourt kept his true childhood recollections in (misunderstandings parts of life that we as adults know but he as a child didnāt). The plot line also felt more steady than many memoirs Iāve read with a clear and thorough focus on his journey from America to Ireland, his time in Ireland, and his determination to get back to America.