Would you guys want a feature that lets you privately message other users or at least write comments that only you and the OP can read? Just out of pure interest, I'm sure it would have many advantages and disadvantages.

So many of us want screen adaptations of favourite books/ series. But I have a question for you all. If the adaptation you want made were to be made, where is it most likely to fail? Could it be improved by setting the adaptation in a different place or time?

Some ideas for me include a role impossible to cast well, a scope issue, triggering topics, or maybe you just don't trust writers not to change the iconic moment.

Personally, I'd love to see an adaptation of The Darkness Outside Us, but I don't trust creatives to hit the correct emotional tone, and maintain the hit that it needs. Also, I think casting the characters could be very difficult Loveless by Alice Oseman needs an adaptation. There is way too much risk they will mess up the aroace representation though. There is nothing that can be done about that.

What is ONE (and I said ONE so NO CHEATING) book you think everyone should read at least once in their life?

I have been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember. When I visit my parents house I see hundreds of books I read when I was a kid. Some of them I remember very well and others I can only remember that I did read them.

I was thinking about recently how vividly I remember the plot of The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. I read this book when I was maybe 11/12 and I am 25 now. I still remember the FMC's nature journal and afterwards I would also go sit outside and record all my observations in a journal. I remember her excitement at discovering a new plant. It has stayed with me all these years (I should do a reread now that I'm an adult). I did go on to get a degree in Conservation Biology focusing in botany and now I'm just a floral designer and avid outdoorswoman.

I'm just curious if anyone else has a book from their childhood that stuck out to them this much?

Do you guys have a book that you don't really like the plot or writing as much but you still consider it as one of your favorites solely because you have a sentimental attachment to it?

Mine is Turtles All The Way Down by John Green. I remember loving it when I was 16 because my best friend loved it and we bonded over it a lot. But i find myself thinking that it's not a book i'll pick up now and if maybe it's a little weird to still call it a favorite 😅 Does anyone have a book they consider the same?

What do you guys like to keep your Netgalley ratio at? And how do you think it affects the amount of ARCs you are approved for? I am a librarian with ALA affiliation so I feel like my ratio doesn't really affect the amount of ARCs I am approved for because I seem to be auto approved for many publishers. My ratio is at like 58% right now - is that good or bad lol

Lately I’ve read a lot of reviews saying that a book is “telling instead of showing.” What’s your opinion about this?

Personally, I like when the story tells me what the character is feeling. When it doesn’t, I sometimes get a little lost, especially when it comes to emotions or intentions. I think “showing” makes us interpret a lot, and sometimes the character is so different from me that it’s not possible to interpret them correctly. I like being inside the character’s mind rather than having to interpret their behavior.

I understand why a lot of people value “showing,” since it can make a story feel immersive and dynamic. But I don’t think “telling” is inherently a flaw. In fact, it can create a deeper sense of intimacy and clarity. When a narrative explicitly names emotions or motivations, it reduces ambiguity and allows the reader to connect more directly with the character’s internal world. For me is easier connect in this way

Hey! Random question, just for fun. What’s everyone using as a bookmark, right now? Mine’s a Scyther Pokemon card.

Happy reading, everyone! 💕