Just finished the first half, and I just cannot stop thinking about American Psycho. Meursault is so detached from himself and the world around him that it almost feels unreal, and I feel that it is very similar in how Patrick Bateman is made to be this critique of the thing that is being played on screen. I understand that Camus is often described as an existentialist, and that definitely reads in The Stranger, but might it also be that Meursault is written in such a detached way because Camus was trying to make a point about embracing life despite the horrors?

i was reading this and i saw it say —shire, which i also read in Jane Eyre. was that a thing of the 19th century novel writing or what???

Happy Friday, Boundlings! 💜

Do you have plans this weekend? Are you doing something adventurous and bold or keeping it lowkey and chill?

Drop your weekend vibes with a gif or string of emojis!

Wishing everyone the best weekend! ✨

Hello boundlings! I want to hear about songs that remind you of books. It can be a direct reference to a specific book, a general vibe that matches a genre or theme, or a totally obscure link that’s maybe only a connection for you personally (tell us why!).

Backstory here is that in response to Spotify’s immensely disappointing AI-generated Wrapped experience last year, this year I have an ongoing 2026 playlist that I am curating for myself by adding songs that speak to me in a specific moment in time. It’s 100% vibes based, and because I also kinda measure my life in books, unsurprisingly several of the songs I’ve added so far are also connected to books. Made me curious to hear if anyone else out there connects songs and books like this!

Here are my bookish songs and why:

Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” and Tame Impala’s “Dracula” - obvious connections there 😁 Delta Rae’s “Bottom of the River” and “I Will Never Die” - these give dark witchy feminine vibes, which is a main theme of a lot of what I read. Also a Gothic vibe, I think Southern Gothic, though I don’t have a lot of experience in the Southern Gothic genre yet. Glass Animals’ “A Tear in Space (Airlock)” reminds me of Atmosphere even though the song has nothing to do with the themes of the book 🙃 It’s just that every time I hear the chorus of the song, I picture Vanessa in space and imagine a single tear rolling down her cheek (or rather, not rolling down her cheek, because space). Mika’s “Relax, Take it Easy” - The lyric ”Relax, take it easy, for there is nothing that we can do” reminds me of this line from Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir All The Way to the River: Letting it [life] unfold, like an opening hand. Despite my resistance, without my command. (Don’t get me started on how problematic that book is, but I’m problematic too because I got a ton of relatable quotes from it 🙃)

Tell me your bookish songs!!