sashareads
š©š° | she/her | just your typical 25 yo anxious ADHDāer | sometimes I sound smart and insightful, sometimes I sound like I lost an argument with a doorknobš§āš©°
21164 points
3.75 average Ā Ā·Ā 460 reviews
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Chanel Miller, I doubt youāll ever see this, but I want you to know how deeply I admire you. Thank you - for your courage, your strength, and the way you kept going even when the world failed you. For standing up for yourself, and for everyone who didnāt get the chance to. For sharing your story with such honesty and for lending your voice to a fight thatās still far from over.
Your words carry a power that will stay with me long after I closed this book.
Open Throat is a gorgeous, unique, heartāwrenching, and thoughtāprovoking story about displacement, loneliness, and the quiet exhaustion of becoming what others expect you to be simply because youāre tired of proving you deserve to exist - all told through the point of view of a mountain lion.
I adored this book from start to finish. The writing is superb, the societal commentary is sharp, and the mountain lionās voice is handled with such care that it pulls on every single one of your heartstrings. Even the stranger moments feel grounded because of how clearly the narrative understands its own perspective.
Seeing the world through the mountain lionās eyes becomes an effective way to examine human behaviour. The story highlights how frivolous - and frankly ridiculous - we can be, how much value we place on things that donāt matter, and how easily judgement and expectation can push someone into a box they never wanted to occupy, only for people to pat themselves on the back for āprovingā you must have belonged there all along.
The streamāofāconsciousness style isnāt just a stylistic choice; it mirrors the mountain lionās constant negotiation between instinct, observation, and survival. That rhythm gives the book a sense of immediacy that works incredibly well. It might be a smidge weird, but that oddness is part of what makes it memorable.
I loved every moment spent in the mind of this radical mountain lion. Do yourself the favour of reading it. You wonāt regret it.
Okay, huddle up my fellow lovers of anything queer, tragic, magic and dark academia; this one is for us! Oh, and if undiluted yearning is your thing then youāre not gonna want to miss this either.
I have so many thoughts about this book, but most of them wander straight into spoiler territory, so Iāll keep myself contained. This is a book best experienced in its full, spiralling intensity.
Thoughts Be Bloody is a Hamlet retelling that places Horatio Bithersea at the centre and gives him a depth I feel is missing from the original play - he is also trans in this retelling.ā¤ļøāš„
The novel explores identity, loneliness, insecurity, loyalty, obsession, and the way fear of returning to isolation can twist itself into fierce devotion. It shows how ferociously we cling to the person who feels like they brought light into a dark room - even when that loyalty forces us to question who we are and who weāre becoming.
Itās a story about wanting, losing, and grieving so deeply it threatens to consume you. And threaded through all of this is a sharp examination of classism: how privilege shapes opportunity, how neglect shapes everything else, and how those divides echo through every hallway of the school and every branch of its magic.
Horatio tells the story himself, but the telling is so vivid that the line between hearing his memories and living inside them blurs. The structure wonāt be everyoneās preference - itās strange, nonlinear, and intentionally disorienting - but Patrick Auden makes that choice work beautifully. The writing itself is alive, pulsing with Horatioās fear, devotion, and unraveling.
As the tragedy unfolds (and it is a tragedy; it wouldnāt be Hamlet otherwise), Horatioās reality frays in a way that is exquisitely depicted. My heart sped up in rhythm with his, and the gothic atmosphere wrapped itself around every scene. Itās one of the most atmospheric books Iāve read in a long time, with prose that is both gorgeous and unsettling. I found myself postponing picking it back up because I didnāt want it to end.
The magic system is another standout. It expands steadily without becoming confusing, and the rules are both clear and flexible, shaped by ongoing magical research. The school and its magic arenāt just a backdrop; theyāre integral to how the book handles classism and the ways knowledge and power are distributed.
The novel also offers an unflinching depiction of how loneliness, insecurity, and isolation can make someone vulnerable to manipulation. Horatio and Hamlettās toxic dynamic is a striking example of how easy it is to lose yourself trying to become what someone else wants, especially when that person is charismatic and knows exactly what buttons to press. If you havenāt experienced that kind of relationship yourself, this book offers a clear window into how quickly selfāblame and rationalisation can take root - how easy it becomes to convince yourself that you are the problem, that theyād never do that, and forgive them when they do it anyway.
Of course, this is shaped by Horatioās point of view, and thereās plenty to analyse from Hamlettās side as well - but Iāll leave that to another reader.
It only feels appropriate to touch a little on how Thoughts Be Bloody holds up as a retelling of Hamlet. Doing so without spoilers for anyone who hasnāt read, seen, or heard Shakespeareās play is, of course, its own challenge. Even so, the novel marvelously preserves the structural DNA of the original. The truth is everāshifting, and in Horatio and Hamlett we see revenge complicated by hesitation and emotional paralysis.
If it isnāt already clear: I loved this book. I honestly canāt believe itās a debut novel.
Thank you to DAW and Netgalley for the ARC. The thoughts above are entirely my own.
Last updated: 16th of October 2026
I've always been a notoriously bad planner, but there are so many amazing quests that I really want to work onš¤¤ So... I've decided to try making an overview where I divide the quests into different seasons. For each season, I'll choose 2-4 quests to actively focus on, whether that's earning the first badge or leveling up an existing one.
For example, this fall I'm working on Beyond the Bodice-Ripper, Forgive Us Our Trespasses, The Sea Was Never Meant For Us, Queer Horror and The Werewolf Within.
I've mostly sorted the quests based on the vibes I personally associate with each season, along with a few keywords that feel like they capture those vibes. I'm close to finished, but if you have any thoughts on where a quest might fit, I'd love to hear them!š
āļø Winter - Keywords: cozy, reflective, escape āļø Memoir & Biography Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Fantasy Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Sci-Fi Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Classics Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Romantasy Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II (could also go under Summer for romance and adventure vibes) The Kaleidoscope of Time: A Time Travel Quest Contemporary Christmas Romances Love, but Also Food (could also go under Summer for romance) Cozy Fantasy Found Family in Fantasy Sci-Fi Charcuterie Black Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Speculative Fiction Asian-Inspired Fantasy One and Done Fantasy Epic Sci-Fi and Fantasy Series Meow-moirs: A Cat's Purrspective Medieval Times (could also go under Fall) Lady Knights Who Like Other Ladies Fairy Tale Retellings (could also go under Spring) Hockey Romances (Hockey takes place on ice. Ice is Winter. It could also go under Summer) Critically Acclaimed Memoirs (could also go under Spring) Russian Lit 101 British & Irish Classic Literature Classic Literature from the United States Japanese Literary Fiction Universe Quest: Realm of the Elderlings Universe Quest: The Cosmere + Cytoverse Quiet Novels Made for the Movies (could go under any season depending on what book you choose) From Bookshelf to TV (could go under any season depending on what book you choose) Worldbuilding Feast
šæ Spring - Keywords: growth, learning, discovering šæ Non-Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II True Crime Starter Pack Vol I Historical Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Greek Myth Retellings Mythological World Tour Justice for All Feminism Without Exception Solarpunk Futures A Quest For The Future: Climate Fiction Teach Me Something New and Oddly Specific Tiny But Mighty Nonfiction Plants, fungi, and trees - oh my Majestic Minibeasts: Moths, Millipedes, Mites, & More Through the Eyes of Animals Love in the Big City STEM Romance 102 Siblings Intro to Poetry Universe Quest: Lord of the Rings & Tolkien's Legendarium (could also go under Winter) Universe Quest: Rick Riordanverse Universe Quest: Octavia Butler's Afro-Futuristic World Poetic Stories LGBTQ+ Middle Grade Neurodivergent Middle Grade
āļø Summer - Keywords: romance, fun, adventure āļø Romance Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Games & Trials Flights of Fire Here For The Himbos (could also go under Winter) Monster Romance Series Starters Saddle Up, Sweetheart: Cowboy Romance Love by the Town Limits Forbidden Fruit: A Forbidden Romance Quest Cosmic Courtship: Alien Romance Fantasy and Sci-Fi with a Side of Romance Operation Epic Scope (for adventure - could also go under Winter for escape) Queer Detectives on the Case (could also go under Fall) Universe Quest: Maasverse (could also go under Winter) Supporting Women's Wrongs Men Loving Men in Literary Fiction Universe Quest: Discworld Sapphic Across Genres Achillean Across Genres Weird Girl Fiction
š Fall - Keywords: spooky, gothic, introspective, horror, mystery š Literary Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Thriller Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Horror Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Taboo Topics Dark Academia Blood Suckers Sapphic Vampires Queer Horror Botanical Horror Horrors from Beyond Gothic Literature Southern Gothic Fiction Strange Plagues The Werewolf Within The Monstrous Feminine The Sea Was Never Meant For Us: Ocean Horror Mermaids After Dark Forgive Us Our Trespasses: Religious Horror Evil Scientists Fictional Dystopian Societies (could also go under Spring) Beyond the Bodice-Ripper: Historical Romance (could also go under Spring or Summer) The MacLeaniverse (could also go under Summer) Skeletons In The Closet Whispers in the Walls Latin American Horror Feminine Rage Japanese Crime Fiction British and Irish Crime Classics Fever Dreams & Strange Realities Those Who Lurk Among Us: Monster Manga Welcome to the Circus Every Villain is a Hero in Their Own Eyes Tragic Love: Queer Edition North American Indigenous Horror
Quests I'm unsure where to put - help would be greatly appreciatedš„° Ay wey Mexican Authors Isekai Light Novels
Since this is a quest for all of us to enjoy, Iād love to hear what kinds of books youād like to see more of in the future. Iām not thinking specific recommendations (thereās a separate post for those!), but more about the types of stories youād be excited to discover through the quest.š
Of course, every book will contain elements of science fiction, fantasy, or magical realism simply because time travel is involved, but would you like to see more hard sciāfi? More fantasy? Horror? Literary fiction? Romance? Historical fiction? Something else entirely?
Iād also love to hear if there are particular themes youād like to see explored through time travel. Are there certain questions, ideas, or emotional journeys you find especially fascinating when time gets a little wonky?
Iāve tried to build a quest with a little something for everyone, so Iād love to hear what corners of time travel fiction you enjoy most and what youād like to be able to explore more of.ā¤ļø
Iām all ears, and Iām incredibly grateful for any feedback youāre willing to share.ā³āØ
Edited8wThank you to everyone who voted! The tally is in, and the winner is: The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhasš
You can start the book anytime between the beginning of September and the end of November. Thereās absolutely no pressure to read at the same time or pace as anyone else, though youāre more than welcome to coordinate buddy reads in the comments on this post.
Iāll leave a comment below sharing when I plan to pick up the book, and Iād love to read alongside you!š If youād like to join me, just reply to my comment and Iāll ping you when the time comes.
I want to make it clear that this is an UNOFFICIAL readalong - meaning no badge and no requirements. Iād love to see you in the forum sharing thoughts, ideas, and theories with your fellow time traveling adventurers, but thereās absolutely no pressure to join or engage beyond what you normally do when you read.
What is the book about? The Psychology of Time Travel spans decades and is told through alternating perspectives.
We start by following four female scientists who build the worldās first time machine in the sixties. Just as theyāre preparing to debut their invention, one of the women suffers a breakdown that threatens the entire project - and the future of time travel itself. In an effort to protect what theyāve created, the remaining women exile her from their team, erasing her contributions from history.
Fifty years later, time travel is everywhere. Ruby Rebello knows her grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. Then she receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, and Ruby becomes obsessedā¦
Thereās more to the story, of course - but weāll have to see where this timeābending adventure takes us.ā³āØ
I'm so excited to go on this adventure with you!
EditedThank you to everyone who voted! The tally is in, and the winner is: The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhasš
You can start the book anytime between the beginning of September and the end of November. Thereās absolutely no pressure to read at the same time or pace as anyone else, though youāre more than welcome to coordinate buddy reads in the comments on this post.
Iāll leave a comment below sharing when I plan to pick up the book, and Iād love to read alongside you!š If youād like to join me, just reply to my comment and Iāll ping you when the time comes.
I want to make it clear that this is an UNOFFICIAL readalong - meaning no badge and no requirements. Iād love to see you in the forum sharing thoughts, ideas, and theories with your fellow time traveling adventurers, but thereās absolutely no pressure to join or engage beyond what you normally do when you read.
What is the book about? The Psychology of Time Travel spans decades and is told through alternating perspectives.
We start by following four female scientists who build the worldās first time machine in the sixties. Just as theyāre preparing to debut their invention, one of the women suffers a breakdown that threatens the entire project - and the future of time travel itself. In an effort to protect what theyāve created, the remaining women exile her from their team, erasing her contributions from history.
Fifty years later, time travel is everywhere. Ruby Rebello knows her grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. Then she receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, and Ruby becomes obsessedā¦
Thereās more to the story, of course - but weāll have to see where this timeābending adventure takes us.ā³āØ
I'm so excited to go on this adventure with you!
sashareads commented...
Books in quests spreadsheet Okay, so I've made a simplified version of the spreadsheet and added some notes about how it works, so feel free to make your own copy if you'd like!š„°
The linked version is view-only, so you'll need to save a copy to your own Google account before you can make any changes.
I won't be updating this version of the spreadsheet, but it is current as of the latest quest drop (STEM Romance, Evil Scientist, Siblings, and Alien Romance), along with the additions that have since been made to other quests.
You can see the spreadsheet here: šPagebound - Books in Quest (Copy - not updated since Oct. 7th 2026)
Last updated: 16th of October 2026
I've always been a notoriously bad planner, but there are so many amazing quests that I really want to work onš¤¤ So... I've decided to try making an overview where I divide the quests into different seasons. For each season, I'll choose 2-4 quests to actively focus on, whether that's earning the first badge or leveling up an existing one.
For example, this fall I'm working on Beyond the Bodice-Ripper, Forgive Us Our Trespasses, The Sea Was Never Meant For Us, Queer Horror and The Werewolf Within.
I've mostly sorted the quests based on the vibes I personally associate with each season, along with a few keywords that feel like they capture those vibes. I'm close to finished, but if you have any thoughts on where a quest might fit, I'd love to hear them!š
āļø Winter - Keywords: cozy, reflective, escape āļø Memoir & Biography Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Fantasy Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Sci-Fi Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Classics Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Romantasy Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II (could also go under Summer for romance and adventure vibes) The Kaleidoscope of Time: A Time Travel Quest Contemporary Christmas Romances Love, but Also Food (could also go under Summer for romance) Cozy Fantasy Found Family in Fantasy Sci-Fi Charcuterie Black Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Speculative Fiction Asian-Inspired Fantasy One and Done Fantasy Epic Sci-Fi and Fantasy Series Meow-moirs: A Cat's Purrspective Medieval Times (could also go under Fall) Lady Knights Who Like Other Ladies Fairy Tale Retellings (could also go under Spring) Hockey Romances (Hockey takes place on ice. Ice is Winter. It could also go under Summer) Critically Acclaimed Memoirs (could also go under Spring) Russian Lit 101 British & Irish Classic Literature Classic Literature from the United States Japanese Literary Fiction Universe Quest: Realm of the Elderlings Universe Quest: The Cosmere + Cytoverse Quiet Novels Made for the Movies (could go under any season depending on what book you choose) From Bookshelf to TV (could go under any season depending on what book you choose) Worldbuilding Feast
šæ Spring - Keywords: growth, learning, discovering šæ Non-Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II True Crime Starter Pack Vol I Historical Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Greek Myth Retellings Mythological World Tour Justice for All Feminism Without Exception Solarpunk Futures A Quest For The Future: Climate Fiction Teach Me Something New and Oddly Specific Tiny But Mighty Nonfiction Plants, fungi, and trees - oh my Majestic Minibeasts: Moths, Millipedes, Mites, & More Through the Eyes of Animals Love in the Big City STEM Romance 102 Siblings Intro to Poetry Universe Quest: Lord of the Rings & Tolkien's Legendarium (could also go under Winter) Universe Quest: Rick Riordanverse Universe Quest: Octavia Butler's Afro-Futuristic World Poetic Stories LGBTQ+ Middle Grade Neurodivergent Middle Grade
āļø Summer - Keywords: romance, fun, adventure āļø Romance Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Games & Trials Flights of Fire Here For The Himbos (could also go under Winter) Monster Romance Series Starters Saddle Up, Sweetheart: Cowboy Romance Love by the Town Limits Forbidden Fruit: A Forbidden Romance Quest Cosmic Courtship: Alien Romance Fantasy and Sci-Fi with a Side of Romance Operation Epic Scope (for adventure - could also go under Winter for escape) Queer Detectives on the Case (could also go under Fall) Universe Quest: Maasverse (could also go under Winter) Supporting Women's Wrongs Men Loving Men in Literary Fiction Universe Quest: Discworld Sapphic Across Genres Achillean Across Genres Weird Girl Fiction
š Fall - Keywords: spooky, gothic, introspective, horror, mystery š Literary Fiction Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Thriller Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Horror Starter Pack Vol I + Vol II Taboo Topics Dark Academia Blood Suckers Sapphic Vampires Queer Horror Botanical Horror Horrors from Beyond Gothic Literature Southern Gothic Fiction Strange Plagues The Werewolf Within The Monstrous Feminine The Sea Was Never Meant For Us: Ocean Horror Mermaids After Dark Forgive Us Our Trespasses: Religious Horror Evil Scientists Fictional Dystopian Societies (could also go under Spring) Beyond the Bodice-Ripper: Historical Romance (could also go under Spring or Summer) The MacLeaniverse (could also go under Summer) Skeletons In The Closet Whispers in the Walls Latin American Horror Feminine Rage Japanese Crime Fiction British and Irish Crime Classics Fever Dreams & Strange Realities Those Who Lurk Among Us: Monster Manga Welcome to the Circus Every Villain is a Hero in Their Own Eyes Tragic Love: Queer Edition North American Indigenous Horror
Quests I'm unsure where to put - help would be greatly appreciatedš„° Ay wey Mexican Authors Isekai Light Novels
sashareads commented...
I donāt even remember which book it was, or if there was a book at all, but @jordynreads one hundred percent helped me find my PB legs. Not long after, I stumbled into my eternal loves @minsuni and @gracie, who both helped me shine and still doš„° Since then Iāve only met more and more wonderful, beautiful people whoāve shaped my PB experience and carved out their own little place in my heart. The list of people I want to give their due has grown so much that I wonāt even try to name everyone, but that doesnāt diminish how brightly each of them shines to me.
I connected with @kimikat, @daydreamday, @curiousmoth, @notlizlemon, and @robyn00 a little later in my PB journey, but they still deserve a special shoutout for always being ready to dive into any book with me, to yap and analyse and spiral, and for cheering me on in everything I doā¤ļø
While I came to Pagebound looking for a more ideal bookish space (which I did find), I found that the PB community came to be one of my fav things and I'd love to highlight that today š«¶š¼
For new and older users, what is maybe the first book, or most memorable book, that led to you finding your PB friends? If you've been around for a hot minute, maybe it's not the first book, but when/whomst did you suddenly feel welcomed by and from what book? For our new user-friends, if you are still learning how to interact, let us know which books you've been so excited to interact with on PB and maybe you'll find your friends in the comments :) I'd love to see how big our community is growing and which books have really helped make this place special for all of us! ā„ļøāØš
I'll go first: while it wasn't one of my first books, The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin forum was when I really started to get activeāand lo and behold is was our feral lovely @Fantasy who kept flirting scaring me in the forums (iykyk).
Ā© 2025 Pagebound
sashareads commented...
I'm looking to pick up the book around October 10th, if anyone wants to join meš°ļø