sashareads
she/her | 25 yo ADHD’er | sometimes I sound smart and insightful, sometimes I sound like I lost an argument with a doorknob🧑🩰
19193 points
October 2026
3.80 average · 449 reviews
Click a segment to filter
I am not even a little bit okay right now
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 you’re 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 I’ll 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.❤️🔥
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 we’re becoming.
It’s 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 won’t be everyone’s preference - it’s strange, nonlinear, and intentionally disorienting - but Patrick Auden makes that choice work beautifully. The writing itself is alive, pulsing with Horatio’s fear, devotion, and unraveling.
As the tragedy unfolds (and it is a tragedy; it wouldn’t be Hamlet otherwise), Horatio’s 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. It’s one of the most atmospheric books I’ve read in a long time, with prose that is both gorgeous and unsettling. I found myself postponing picking it back up because I didn’t 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 aren’t just a backdrop; they’re 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 Hamlett’s 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 haven’t experienced that kind of relationship yourself, this book offers a clear window into how quickly self‑blame and rationalisation can take root - how easy it becomes to convince yourself that you are the problem, that they’d never do that, and forgive them when they do it anyway.
Of course, this is shaped by Horatio’s point of view, and there’s plenty to analyse from Hamlett’s side as well - but I’ll 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 hasn’t read, seen, or heard Shakespeare’s play is, of course, its own challenge. Even so, the novel marvelously preserves the structural DNA of the original. The truth is ever‑shifting, and in Horatio and Hamlett we see revenge complicated by hesitation and emotional paralysis.
If it isn’t already clear: I loved this book. I honestly can’t believe it’s a debut novel.
Thank you to DAW and Netgalley for the ARC. The thoughts above are entirely my own.
In Love Lethal, Death Divine, we follow Liana and Melia - two women with seemingly nothing in common except their marriages to Amron (at different points in time) - as they fight for what their hearts want most. At first glance it may look like love drives them, but I’d argue it’s really about freedom: for themselves and for the people they love. The story explores what we’re willing to sacrifice, and how distance from the world you came from can reshape your understanding of it and of yourself.
The world‑building is top‑tier, the prose is gorgeous yet accessible, and the incorporation of Eastern Adriatic history and Slavic folklore is a joy. The characters and relationships are well developed overall, though I do wish we’d seen more of Ferisa and Melia’s relationship as it grew.
Although Amron sits at the center of the story, I wouldn’t call romance the book’s driving force. Time travel, gods, scheming, and political intrigue join together in that role. The ending never feels fixed, which creates delicious tension throughout - and the yearning is just 🤤
My biggest gripe is the lack of time markers at the start of each chapter, which makes the opening a bit confusing. The information is eventually woven in, but later than I’d prefer.
Love Lethal, Death Divine shares a universe with Ghost Apparent and Dark Woods, Deep Water, but it absolutely works as a standalone.
If you love fantasy driven by scheming, gods, political intrigue, complex family dynamics, well‑rounded characters, and a touch of romance, this one will hit the spot.
Last updated: 1st of October 2026
I've always been a notoriously bad planner, but there are so many amazing quests that I really want to work on🤤 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!💖
❄️ Winter - Keywords: cozy, reflective, escape ❄️ 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
🌿 Spring - Keywords: growth, learning, discovering 🌿 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
☀️ Summer - Keywords: romance, fun, adventure ☀️ 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
🍂 Fall - Keywords: spooky, gothic, introspective, horror, mystery 🍂 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
Quests I'm unsure where to put - help would be greatly appreciated🥰 Made for the Movies From Bookshelf to TV Welcome to the Circus Every Villain is a Hero in Their Own Eyes - possibly fall? Tragic Love: Queer Edition Poetic Stories Achillean Across Genres Sapphic Across Genres Ay wey Mexican Authors Neurodivergent Middle Grade - possibly spring? LGBTQ+ Middle Grade - possibly spring? Universe Quest: Discworld Isekai Light Novels
Since this is a quest for all of us to enjoy, I’d love to hear what kinds of books you’d like to see more of in the future. I’m not thinking specific recommendations (there’s a separate post for those!), but more about the types of stories you’d be excited to discover through the quest.📚
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 sci‑fi? More fantasy? Horror? Literary fiction? Romance? Historical fiction? Something else entirely?
I’d also love to hear if there are particular themes you’d 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?
I’ve tried to build a quest with a little something for everyone, so I’d love to hear what corners of time travel fiction you enjoy most and what you’d like to be able to explore more of.❤️
I’m all ears, and I’m incredibly grateful for any feedback you’re willing to share.⏳✨
Edited4wThank you to everyone who voted! The tally is in, and the winner is: The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas🎊
You can start the book anytime between the beginning of September and the end of November. There’s absolutely no pressure to read at the same time or pace as anyone else, though you’re more than welcome to coordinate buddy reads in the comments on this post.
I’ll leave a comment below sharing when I plan to pick up the book, and I’d love to read alongside you!😍 If you’d like to join me, just reply to my comment and I’ll ping you when the time comes.
I want to make it clear that this is an UNOFFICIAL readalong - meaning no badge and no requirements. I’d love to see you in the forum sharing thoughts, ideas, and theories with your fellow time traveling adventurers, but there’s 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 world’s first time machine in the sixties. Just as they’re 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 they’ve 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 obsessed…
There’s more to the story, of course - but we’ll have to see where this time‑bending adventure takes us.⏳✨
I'm so excited to go on this adventure with you!
sashareads commented...
I'm looking to pick up the book around October 10th, if anyone wants to join me🕰️
EditedThank you to everyone who voted! The tally is in, and the winner is: The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas🎊
You can start the book anytime between the beginning of September and the end of November. There’s absolutely no pressure to read at the same time or pace as anyone else, though you’re more than welcome to coordinate buddy reads in the comments on this post.
I’ll leave a comment below sharing when I plan to pick up the book, and I’d love to read alongside you!😍 If you’d like to join me, just reply to my comment and I’ll ping you when the time comes.
I want to make it clear that this is an UNOFFICIAL readalong - meaning no badge and no requirements. I’d love to see you in the forum sharing thoughts, ideas, and theories with your fellow time traveling adventurers, but there’s 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 world’s first time machine in the sixties. Just as they’re 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 they’ve 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 obsessed…
There’s more to the story, of course - but we’ll have to see where this time‑bending adventure takes us.⏳✨
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!🥰
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: 🔗Pagebound - Books in Quest (Copy - not updated since Oct. 5th 2026)
Last updated: 1st of October 2026
I've always been a notoriously bad planner, but there are so many amazing quests that I really want to work on🤤 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!💖
❄️ Winter - Keywords: cozy, reflective, escape ❄️ 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
🌿 Spring - Keywords: growth, learning, discovering 🌿 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
☀️ Summer - Keywords: romance, fun, adventure ☀️ 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
🍂 Fall - Keywords: spooky, gothic, introspective, horror, mystery 🍂 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
Quests I'm unsure where to put - help would be greatly appreciated🥰 Made for the Movies From Bookshelf to TV Welcome to the Circus Every Villain is a Hero in Their Own Eyes - possibly fall? Tragic Love: Queer Edition Poetic Stories Achillean Across Genres Sapphic Across Genres Ay wey Mexican Authors Neurodivergent Middle Grade - possibly spring? LGBTQ+ Middle Grade - possibly spring? Universe Quest: Discworld Isekai Light Novels
sashareads commented...
I don’t 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 do🥰 Since then I’ve only met more and more wonderful, beautiful people who’ve 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 won’t even try to name everyone, but that doesn’t 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 do❤️
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 🫶🏼
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! ♥️✨📚
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 active—and lo and behold is was our feral lovely @Fantasy who kept flirting scaring me in the forums (iykyk).
