HELP REQUESTED!

My friend group started passing around books to annotate and gift — each person adds notes, doodles, or little thoughts for the next reader. It’s my turn now, and this copy is for my best friend!

I’ve never annotated a book before, and part of me still cringes at the thought of 'defacing' it, but the book they did for me ended up being one of my favorite gifts ever.

So, give me your best advice! How do you like to annotate? What tools or systems work for you? And if you were getting an annotated book, what kind of notes or touches would you want to see?

Hesitating to Highlight,

🖤 X

hi!! i’m looking for some uplifting , maybe cozy books that will help you feel better when you just feel meh:/ any genre is welcome<3

Why am I just now reading this book? It's so good! The us vs them mindset is still relevant all these years later. This might end up being a book I re-read annually.

I liked it better than the movie. I haven't seen it in a hot minute but from what I can remember they did a pretty good job with the adaptation considering how old it is and the fact that it released only 3 years after the book was published.

The characters were very different, I didn't expect Hammond to be such a whiney piss baby regarding his precious dinos even when his grandkids were missing. True grandpa of the year right there. Lex was annoying but she's a kid so it's to be expected. It's written really well and it gives you alot of backstory for the company leading up to the creation of the park without it feeling boring or slow.

I'm gonna have to watch the movie soon while the book is fresh in my mind.

I find Lily a bit warped. Yes, maybe due to her family history. But still...

This is really sappy so please ignore it if it’s not your kinda thing 😂

I just wanted to say thank you to the makers of this app and to the community too - I’ve really struggled with reading this year, my grandma was really sick from last October and she passed away this August on her birthday, and i haven’t been reading much at all this year because of the stress.

it wasn’t until I downloaded this app at the beginning of the month that I started finding real joy with reading again - and especially with discussing books. the next thing you know I’ve read 18 books in one month out of a total 40 managed this year which feels so wild.

So yeah thank you for being such a lovely creative community and wonderful app creators!

This post is based on some thoughts I had after watching the video "performative readers, ‘book girlies’ & the aesthetification of books", by The Book Leo. It is a great video, I do recommend you to watch it!

But, basically, she gives her thoughts about how nowadays, especially with BookTok and similar, reading is becoming 'a performative act', and an aesthetic created around reading. She also talks about how people judge others based on what they read, like if someone only reads fantasy, then this person is not a true reader, is shallow, and all that blablabla that I believe most of us have already heard one day. And there is also the other extreme of people who follow a certain aesthetic and only read (or at least they appear to read) classics, are intellectuals, and simply put are the contrary of what she called 'book girlies' aesthetic.

Well, all that said, the video got me thinking about my own position as a reader, and what reading actually means to me:

A little background: I am graduated in language and literature, Portuguese and Ancient Greek in Brazil, and now I'm getting my PhD, in Classical Literature. So reading is a part of my job, and a big one. Not only that, but also reading the classics. Iliad, Odyssey, tragedies... and it is tiring. To the point that I took a break from reading as a hobby, and just now I'm getting back at it. And as a hobby, I only read the fantasy romance stuff. Am I less of a reader for it? Comparing to someone that read classical literature for fun? No. My point is: I don't think we should consider less of a reader someone that only read fantasy, romance, or fiction in general. Or think that a person is more intelligent than another because they've read classics only. Coming from a country where the latest researches show that the number of readers is decreasing fast, if you read, YOU ARE A READER. The type of literature doesn't matter. Just read what you like, and think, criticize, take notes, interact with the book you're reading.

Thank you for reading this long post! What are your thoughts on it?

Hello guys. I feel like I need to have this discussion because a lot of people don't know what cultural appropriation is. Adopting something after mocking the culture the thing comes from or mocking the originators for doing it or renaming it to suit your needs without crediting its origins is cultural appropriation! If you, however, as non poc wear a bindi— call it a bindi— and appreciate what it represents; it's not cultural appropriation! I've seen a lot of people from various cultures absolutely love when white people try something from their culture. PROVIDED you give the credit where it belongs! In real life, you can minimise cultural appropriation by buying things from the original creators 🫶

That being said, I would like to put some of this in for budding authors here. If you decide to use any of these in your books, please do some research for its origins! I can only speak of south asian origin of course. So guys, please start a thread of what's been culturally appropriated from your culture and how would you like people to address that?

So here you go!

Checks - Originated from Madras fishermen! During colonisation, these were exported and made a exclusive to mobility of the British! Because the quality was so good!

Bandana - originated as Bandhani, which mean to to Tie! worn by people in the northern parts of India. Especially Kashmir and you might see it on Romani people as well!

Boho Jewellery - THESE ARE JHUMKAS AND HAARS. I kid you not, I used to die searching for JHUMKAS in london until someone told me to type boho jewellery. Oxidised jewellery and big ass jewelleriew have been worn india for centuries. Visit any temple and you'll see it. So Jhumkas are south asian in origin. Hope that helps!

Kohlapuri Chappals- the sandals with the band around your big toes originated from Kohlapur and is the lifeblood of Dalits and was worn ORIGINALLY by Dalits.

Maang Tikas- these are the things that you see in coachella where you wear jewellery in the middle part of your hair. Love to see it, but please. give credit to the people it originated from!

Bindi - it's been boiled down to a fashion accessory but Bindis often symbolised the third eye and Shakti or the Goddess Durga and her various forms. Women in India wear it not just because it looks fashionable but it's been culturally passed down to us from our foremothers

"Scandinavian Scarf* - This one pisses me the hell off. It's a DUPATTA. Y'al look hella pretty with it but it's a dupatta. It's a long cloth draped over your neck and shoulder. It's different from a scarf because you don't use the same material, print and stitching for scarf and you don't drape it like a scarf.

Okay that's it for today! Again, I love seeing people of different cultures wear these things. But again, buy from the original creators, and use appropriate words and enjoy looking slay as hell! Please share your cultural thing appropriated below and what people should call them and how they should acknowledge them instead.

Anything Is A Bookmark Jellybeans, what is the strangest thing you have used as a bookmark?

Me, a booksleeve, even while the book was inside a larger booksleeve

Or it could be a mug coaster

Ryle is weird. Who behaves like that? I find him such a red flag. If I were to meet a Ryle Kincaid in real life, I would stay away from him. Am I the only one who thinks this way?

i find myself wishing there was a way to add my childhood reads to "read" without having to post-date it/add it to your finished list. i think it would be a really fun feature that none of the other apps have.

for example: i read all of hp, hunger games, twilight, etc. when i was a kid and would like that to reflect in my past reads but not affect my current library.

does anyone here have a solve for this? is it as simple as creating a "childhood finished shelf" and adjusting the dates? am i all alone in this?

My first book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I looove her style! Her descriptions are just so beautiful, and I like how she manages to make Noemí's personality shine through her thoughts, even using third person narration.

Also, I'm at the point of the story when Noemí arrives at her cousin's house and is it me or is this giving Crimson Peak? 👀

I've been my friends' moral support for the past three days while she's giving evidence in court. Well, the victim support centre, which means I've spent the last couple of days stretched out on the couch reading while she gets put through the grinder by the defence. It's been so good to be able to check in on what everyone's up to throughout the day. It's kept me grounded. And its so much better than scrolling on the socials & getting force fed short form content ☺️

Happy Monday, Pagebound!! 🎀

Hope you all had an amazing week last week!! 🤍🌸💌

Sorry I missed the usual 'Happy Sunday'! As some of you may know from my profile or talks we've had, I'm a competitive baton twirler 🏆 This weekend we had a competition, however I was unable to compete due to sustaining a lot of soft tissue damage, a bruised bone and an abnormality in my left ankle and foot, as found out from a trip to the pharmacy, a call to the doctors, and then 2 trips to the hospital (with a 111 call in between) and 5 x-rays across Wednesday and Thursday, so instead I've been busy doing my practice judging and supporting my team that I coach in as well as usually compete with! 🤍 Although I have to say, a massive boot and crutches are not the most fun to now be dealing with and it's certainly been a tricky week 😂

On the topic of injuries though,

🏥QOTW🏥: When you are injured or ill, what changes happen with your reading?

For me, shorter reading sessions tend to occur due to being unable to focus! Because of that, I like being cosied up in bed as opposed to anywhere else with PJs on, a fizzy drink to hand (usually Pepsi Max) and a bowl of fruit 🍓🍉🍏 Something about shorter sessions makes me feel a little under achieved, but its good to keep in mind that health and recovery is important! 🏥

~Bunni🌸💌🤍