I haven't used Grammarly in quite a long while, but I knew from media reports that they'd been adding GenAI into the product. It looks like one of the features (which they just deactivated) purported to give "Expert Review" as though one were receiving it from real authors, journalists, and academics, including Stephen King and Neil deGrasse Tyson, none of whom consented to having their names used in connection with the product. According to investigative journalist Julia Angwin, who filed a class action lawsuit in federal court in New York, the product wasn't even good but sometimes made the writing actively worse.

Anyway...if you use Grammarly, keep their foray into GenAI in mind. I'm not sure who at that company thought this was a good idea, but WOW!

Its been on my mind what king of reader I am, so started thinking of how to describe it and compare it to others.

So I started thinking of reading personalities as a 3-part combo:

Reader Style + Reader Motivation + Reader Behavior

Pick one from each category and combine them to describe your reading personality.

1️⃣ Reader Style: How you process books

Analytical Reader: You break books down into parts—characters, themes, prose, pacing—and enjoy understanding why something worked or didn’t.

Emotional Reader: Your main connection to books is how they make you feel. If a book hits emotionally, you’ll forgive a lot of flaws.

Immersive Reader: You read to disappear into another world. Atmosphere and worldbuilding matter more than analysis.

Fast Flow Reader: You read primarily for story momentum. Plot and pacing matter more than prose or themes.

Reflective Reader: You love books that make you think about life, philosophy, or meaning.

2️⃣ Reader Motivation: How you choose books

Vibe Reader: You pick books based on tone, atmosphere, or aesthetic.

Mood Reader: You read whatever fits your current mood.

Genre Reader: You stick closely to specific genres you love.

Trope Reader: You actively look for specific tropes or relationship dynamics.

Author Reader: You follow specific authors and read everything they write.

Recommendation Reader: Your TBR mostly comes from friends, reviewers, or the community.

3️⃣ Reader Behavior: How you interact with reading

Curator Reader: You organize reading like a collection or archive (lists, spreadsheets, vibe maps, reading challenges).

Explorer Reader: You actively seek out new genres, formats, and unusual books.

Comforter Reader: You often return to favorite genres or reread beloved books.

Completist Reader: You love finishing series, author backlists, or themed reading goals.

I think I am a Analytical Vibe Curator reader because I tend to pick books based on aesthetic and atmosphere, then over-analyze them afterward and categorize them into elaborate systems.

Do you guys read super in depth reviews before reading a book or midway? Sometimes i don’t want my personal opinion to be altered too much by heavily detailed reviews so i’ll avoid it. But other times im either loving or hating a book so much i just have to see what other people are saying (spoiler free ofc) What are you guys thoughts? I always read quite a few basic reviews of books so i know im not wasting my money. But im more so asking about the lengthy more in depth ones.

this is a feature i know has been requested on the roadmap already, but bc i cannot wait for that feature to be reviewed and bc i am noisy af, i am asking y'all to introduce yourself to the community with 3 emoji's 🦦

maybe we can connect simply through (emoji) vibe 💫

this is me: ⭐️🐚🫐

Tired of encountering Insta Love books. I love a good medium-paced romance or a slow burn.

Please rec some queer romances with excellent character development (no Insta Love).

Tessa is so down bad for Imogen from the very beginning, this is every girl’s dream. I really love the way Imogen’s character has been meticulously built as an antithesis to the girl-kissing-but-boy-crazy, heartbreaking, “male centered” bimisogynistic stereotype, and one of the many kinds of bi women that the discourse refuses to acknowledge—overly cautious in a way that hurts herself more than others, more interested in authentic romance and friendships than sexual experiences, struggling intensely with comphet (the kind aimed specifically at questioning women) that is ironically coming more from gatekeepy queer circles than from straight people in her life, a consistently great ally and respectful listener towards others—to a fault in the form of disservice to her own self.

I’m really looking forward to how things fall into place for Imogen, and while I empathize with Gretchen a lot (another very clever character and yet another example of the kind of bi woman ignored by the discourse—or seen as a rare, valiant hero/spokeperson for “actually committed sapphics” of sorts, which I of course disagree with), I kind of want her to be held accountable for how she’s pidgeonholed Imogen into a caricature straight person role. Gretchen’s character is a great way to demonstrate bi activists don’t think individual sapphics the enemy, we just think everyone needs to reroute how we channel their frustration into the patriarchy/bigots and be cautious about heavily policing other queer/questioning/allies—and that divisive behaviour is certainly not limited to lesbians. I love the counter-example of a more open-minded queer friend group that have been able to process their traumas in healthier ways, I love Imogen’s obvious (and endearingly oblivious) queer femme(4butch) behaviours, and I’m so excited for more Tessa scenes. <3

I’ve known this book was going to be great from the moment it was announced and the But I’m a Cheerleader-inspired cover art dropped, but it’s almost dizzying (in the best way) how Betty is zeroing in on contemporary toxic internet behaviours. I feel like I’m fifteen reading Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and once again experiencing Betty magically open up the world a little more when it’s most needed, and the dedication to Sophie Gonzales, whose Perfect on Paper was also a cultural reset, was so heartwarming. 🥹

What's y'all's biggest book related and/or not book related unpopular opinion?

Mine are, that books are made to be shared and we should give away/lend books out without any intention of getting them back more often! And, that the person sitting in the middle seat in a plane SHOULD get both armrests.

Are you kinder to indie authors? More willing to rate debuts higher? Less understanding when it comes to errors in traditionally published books?

Over the last year, I’ve heard a lot of arguments for and against treating certain releases differently, and I was wondering where other people fell on the topic.

Personally, I try to review everything the same way -- at the end of the day, if I’m paying for a book, I’m entitled to an opinion on it, regardless of how it was published and who wrote it, right? But, on the other hand, there is a part of me that somehow feels like I need to be more... positive, I guess, when it comes to debuts and indies? So, rather than feeling comfortable saying I just didn’t enjoy something, I find myself wanting to sugarcoat it when I say anything negative (even though reviews are for readers and I don’t even want authors reading my reviews).

So, yeah, how do you review different releases? Do you think it’s fair to have different standards between trad and indie publishing, or debuts and established authors? Do you think there should be a difference in how we review things?

I need you all lovely people's thoughts on something in a book, please.

But before, fair warnings : I will be talking about something that might be considered a spoiler but won't mention the book's title. And 2, I'll be talking about infertility, so if that's a sensitive topic for you, please take care of yourself and proceed with awareness.

Here's my issue. I think the book I'm currently reading might be problematic but I'm not sure if it is or if it's me. It really puts a damper on what should be a fun read. So I would like your opinion. In the book in question, which is marketed as a silly erotica novella between the Easter Bunny and a couple, the couple is struggling with infertility. It's devastating to them and puts a strain on their marriage. It's heavily implied from the start that they won't be able to try any more fertility treatements in the future either and had many miscarriages in the past. But then Easter Bunny shows up and tells them that in exchange for 1 wild night, he'll give them a baby. He can make the wife pregnant and assure she'll carry the baby to term. Which I'm having issues with?

It feels very "magic dick fixes you" vibe and it feels offensive to me, but I'm also not dealing with infertility myself. I think if it was magic dick allows someone in a wheelchair to walk again, it would be really offensive, and isn't it the same here with infertility?

I'm really conflicted about this and it makes it hard to actually read the book. Because either it is offensive and I read the book knowing that, or it's not offensive and I get to enjoy the complete silliness of the scenario. Right now, I just feel slightly icky and I don't like it. The mix of a very heavy topic with a completely bonker erotic scenario was already weird enough.

EDIT : added for context, this is in the blurb " Book Title is the third installment of Series, a series of humorous, spicy standalone novellas featuring some of your favorite holidays (and holiday figures). For mature audiences only." It's definitely advertised as erotica

If this question has been done before a mod can tell me, and I will delete it

But what's 3 or 4 books yall think are overhyped , underhyped and just hyped enough? I sound like Goldilocks when I spoke that outloud

Mine would be (And very controversial in ways)

Overhyped: Heated Rivalry because I tried but the third person point of view kind of irked me at first . I will try again

Unerhyped for me would be one barely anyone has talked about : Nite Shift. It's a basketball romance , they are college aged so that's always a bonus in my books

Just hyped enough: This might also be controversial like my overhyped book but Good Spirits . Yes , you barely get alive person x ghost but I think it was just hyped enough

Again, if this has been asked, I can delete this it's not an issue . I just like asking questions to make people think