In a pretty bad book slump! I usually listen to an audio book and read a physical book, but I haven’t been able to get into a physical book since the beginning of summer! I’m listening to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies and I’d love a good companion book. Whatever that might mean to you! Anything similar or different in a way you think works like complimentary colors!

I was having a scroll on TikTok today and came across the most beautiful poem, which reminded me of why poetry is so cathartic. When you read something that names your exact feeling, only someone else wrote it, at first you experience the emotional overload of seeing what you feel named and projected onto a format that intensifies the sensation. But secondary to that you feel, in a comforting sense, that you are not alone, because someone, somewhere in the world has felt the same way, and felt it so intensely that they wrote it down, and now it's reached you.

I would like to properly get into poetry. I would call myself a rookie but I actually feel that it's the one field where the only criteria to participate is being human. Nonetheless, I don't know many poets, collections or websites where I can continue to explore. I would love to hear suggestions.

I love reading romantasy and epic fantasy with romance. However, I do not wish to read or watch or hear anything related to romance for a while, as I am currently convinced love is purely fictional and I won't be able to experience it ever. (Today I got dumped via an AI-generated text. AI-GENERATED TEXT. Now I know that when someone is not ashamed of telling you the last time they willingly picked up a book was in middle school, that is a huge red flag. Such people lack not only the empathy to try to understand what the other person is feeling, but also the reading comprehension skills required to come up with a proper answer on their own. I dont feel even a little sad, it just feels like I just parted ways with ChatGPT. Good riddance I guess... I hope I am the first and last person to experience this, but I also know I wont be. I hate AI a bit more each day.)

It feels good to put my anger into words, but back to the purpose of this post: It is kind of hard to find books with absolutely no romance, especially in fantasy. If it won't be too specific to find, I would also very much like books that would make me laugh. I feel a reading slump approaching, so I would appreciate any help 😊

EDIT: I want to thank each and every one of you for all your recs and especially for your support! Your comments mean the world to me :) I realised once more just how much I like being a part of this community. Love you all 💙

I’d love to hear more perspectives on:

1. why you follow someone else on PB and
2. what types of interactions you typically have

I tend to follow people who have similar taste in books and/or a library that I can yoink from! I also pretty much 100% follow back anyone who follows me. I absolutely love following others that reciprocate likes/upvotes/comments.

For interactions, I ♥️ most of my friends’ updates and tend to comment on bigger milestones (leveling up, badges, etc.) unless they do not interact with me in that way. I don’t want to be a bother if someone else doesn’t find value in likes or upvotes, or doesn’t comment on others’ posts.

But then I sometimes get sad when I see users who follow me interacting a lot with others, but not me. If not friend, why friend-shaped?

So, what about you? Are you more of a yapper and not a liker? Does it hurt your feelings if someone follows you and doesn’t interact? And then what do you do - nothing, block them, or unfollow?

Anyway, I realized hearing perspectives and experiences from others could help give me insight into how we each utilize the “friend” portion of PB. As of right now, I’m only limited to my personal experience! Thanks for your thoughts. 💗✨

Hey 🫛🐝s

Today is the 1 year anniversary of my Nana passing away, and unfortunately now the day we lost Dolly Parton. My Nana was a force of a woman, and a big part of why I love reading so much. She always encouraged me to read more and read more difficult books as a kid and now the books I have inherited from both her and my Papa are some of my most prized things. Dolly was a huge advocate for children’s literacy and her charity gives away millions of books to kids every year.

Who are some the elders in your life who impacted your reading? Have you or kids you know gotten any books from Imagination Library? Please share any stories you may have, I love sharing and hearing memories of loved ones🩵🩵

Sooooo I've been having this really great discussion here with @JohnNickleback about what it is we look forward to most and love most in books.

For me, the absolute best part is the beginning. When I know very little or nothing, and everything is a new discovery, a first step, a new adventure! Nothing beats this feeling of something new and exciting just beginning and I crave it like I crave air. I'm also a lot like this in real life, so I think it just translates to books as well for me. Same goes for series, I love the start and get a bit bored in the middle and then the end can be exciting too. But nothing beats a great start!

On the other hand, @JohnNickleback instead loves to get into the details, the know how and how it's all working and being used. The thinking and theorizing of what can be done how and who can use it in what way. I find this exciting too, but not nearly as much as the beginning.

There is of course the end, the middle part, the grind, the slower parts where we get to breathe before the next thing etc. So many different parts of a book!

What is your favorite and why?🤔

Does it differ for you if it's a series? Is for example the middle book in a trilogy always your fave? Or maybe you prefer the actionable third?

So excited to see where people land and what is the most commonly loved part!!

(Side note, why is there a progress choice on posts in the club forum?🤔 Bug?)