i'm cryingg pei ran's password is literally just his surname split into its component radicals 😭😂 裴 = 非衣 feiyi

So I've just started listening to audiobooks and tbh I was just making an exception for ONE book. Except now it's become a part of my routine and I look forward to listening to it. Now, this brings me to the title of this post: Welcome to Nightvale. Anyone remember it?! It was the first "podcast" i was ever exposed to and i was an avid listener for a few years, found a bunch of cool songs, and it always put me to sleep (in the best way). So it kind of reminds me of the same feeling I have now that i've discovered audiobooks.

I have three questions related to this topic... was anyone else a fan? And, has anyone found any books that captures the whimsical (sometimes dark) absurdity that was Welcome to Nightvale? Third question.... I know we have epistolary novels... but what about a novels written as radio broadcasts? That would be kind of cool. Right? Maybe? Any books like that in existence?

So today I was talking with a bookclub I was going to join, but decided against it because unfortunately I was very very different from them and they just wouldn't have a good time since I don't fit in at all. (Womp womp for me. Maybe next time!!)

For a moment, we actually almost started an argument. They brought up the last book they read, and I meantioned that I also read it and unfortunately didn't like it... I know I shouldn't have said this, I was just nervous and blurted it out!! But the conversation basically turned into an argument that hate-reviews and/or overly negative reviews should not be public if they aren't constructive because the author spent a lot of time on their book and it won't change now that it's published, that if you aren't an editor or author yourself you don't have the credentials to offer such criticism, and that all reviews should offer some kind of constructive criticism to help the author grow for their next work...

And more, but... I didn't really feel like retelling how a group of people yelled at me... 😭

So. I write pretty negative things about a lot of books. Unfortunately I am very fussy and picky with books most of the time, and I have definitely written a hate-review(?) or two before. But I NEVER tag authors or insult them as a person. I always thought that if you buy a product, you are open to criticize and dislike it, because reviews aren't for the one that made the product... but for people looking to buy said product.

The whole thing made me feel some type of way, and I'm not sure if I'm just being sensitive because they called me out but I just wanted to know what other people think and how you guys write your reviews! Do you think authors belong in reader/review spaces? How do you go about writing your reviews? I'm very curious and I want to do better with my own reviews.. 🦭

As I have come to fear in my time as a reader, my love of Chinese webnovels has led me to hit a fork in the road at last. I'm on a 134 day reading streak and just found out that the next book I'm planning to read isn't even available on goodreads, so there's no way to import it here either </3
I'm seriously considering picking up a manga to re-read alongside it just so that I can keep my streak alive lol. It's not a big deal but my obsession with "number go up" is Real. I really should figure out if there's a way to request books to be added to goodreads because I fear that this will only happen more and more in the future since I'm getting to the point where I know enough Chinese that I can start reading books that don't have any English translations whatsoever. Yay for me but boohoo for my precious streak! Even if I have to move heaven and earth, I'll find a way to keep it on life support!!