So nowadays when I pick up a book it seems like the same plot and everything, idk why but it's been really putting me off reading.

I came here to ask if anyone has any books with an original plot or near original or something different, if you have any recs tell me below please!!

My only request is that it not have spice, as I feel uncomfortable reading it.

This man is constantly reminding us that he is talking about a child!! Why, on God's green earth, would anyone reading this think "it's a forbidden love story"?!?!???? Are people, like, okay? Like in general?

At any time this man mentions Lolita he mentions her age (a child) and people have the audacity, the actual gumption! to call this a love story!?!?!?? What about this book screams love story to people OMG I'm about to get myself a gun AND LIGHT THIS MOTHERFCKER UP 🙆🏾‍♂️🙆🏾‍♂️🙆🏾‍♂️

But then again, considering everything that's been revealed lately, this was probably the creeps trying to normalise bullshit and some people falling hook, line, sinker.

Jesus, take the wheel 🤢

A year or two ago I learned of the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize, which is exclusively open to young women (30 & under, in the US). Frankly I had never considered that building a personal book collection might be something other people would notice and care about, but when I read about the contestants' collections, I get it!! I love that they explicitly do not care about the collections' monetary value, it's all about "their originality and their success in illuminating their chosen subjects."

link

This is not a prize I'm eligible for, but I found it interesting. I "collect" books in the sense that I've been building and curating my personal library for 25+ years, but what percentage of those books would rise to the level of a specific Collection? Because my interests and therefore my books are all over the place... Reading about this prize made me think about my own collection a little more and start noticing more themes emerging in what I've been curating! Here are some of the micro-collections I've identified so far within the larger number of books I own:

— instructional books on mending/clothing repair, and more general sewing books that include information on mending — different versions of The Three Billy Goats Gruff (I was the Littlest Goat in a kindergarten production and am still disproportionately fond of the story) — books on gender in the French language/le langage inclusif/queering French — vintage horror paperbacks (paperbacks from Hell) — fairy tales & folklore from around the world — different editions of Peter Pan — my own personal Moby-Dick curriculum for further reading — big ol' artist retrospective coffee table books (these are exorbitantly priced if you buy them new but I pick them up for pennies all the time at library sales. Imo after visiting museums/seeing artwork in person, this is the next best way to experience it. Exponentially better than the internet) — old DK Eyewitness/Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections/Where's Waldo?/I Spy-type books (my inner child flips their shit over this kind of stuff, lol) — weird Maine: cryptozoology, ghost stories, folklore, etc — regional field guides to different types of wildlife and plants

There are also obviously certain authors/anthologists/series I collect (vintage Agatha Christie, old Alfred Hitchcock anthologies, Nancy Drew, etc)

I am curious, what do you collect, and why??

I am writing this post right now because I am paranoic. I have a huge irrational fear of ants (and other insects but the problem right now are ants). 😅 And I have an ant infestation and they are all over the place but their trail comes from my bedroom, so I'm going to be sleeping with them i guess??? Anyways I wanted to ask for a book that could make my fear go away! I think a book from an Ant perspective would be funny and could really help but all types of books are welcome. 🫠 Thank you so much in advance. 🫶

Trying to figure out how to word this title was interesting, lmao. I realize it sounds clickbait-y, but it's an actual thing!

So I was already in a bit of a novel reading slump. I did get back into reading One Piece, though! (I don't track manga here, so it's been quiet for me here, lol. I'm at the Egghead Island arc, if you're curious).

But then, on 24 June, I went to the ER because my ankle was in severe, 9/10 pain. After a shorter-than-expected wait, I had a fluid sample drawn from my ankle, and it turned out that I had an infection in my ankle that caused Septic Arthritis (basically a temporary arthritis caused by infection in a joint, that can lead to permanent and severe arthritis if left untreated). So I ended up getting emergency surgery to flush the infection from the ankle.

I was hospitalized for a week, and I had my copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with me the whole time, and I just... didn't touch it. It's the perfect time to read, and my brain was like "Nah, you've got zero motivation to read right now. Enjoy boredom!"

Anyone else get that feeling? You're in a position where reading would be perfect, but you just... can't? (I'm hoping to shirk this slump soon)

What the title says, do you have any good nonfictions to recommend?

I read quite a few already but I tend to mostly read (micro)history or science and I would like to get more knowledge on geography. It's just a subject I never touch and I think it's an area I'm lacking knowledge in since my high school geography classes are far behind me now. I'm also not too sure where the line is between history and geography.

Bonus point if it's not about the US, but other than that I'm open to everything and anything geography as I'm starting from basically 0 so everything would be useful.

Thank you fellow PBees 🐝