I'm a girl but idk why I prefer reading from the perspective of a guy more than I do a girl, especially when it comes to romance, it's more interesting to me. So does anyone know of a good romance novel where we get to see the story through the eyes of a male protagonist? I just want it to be a…
The glorious 25th of May is approaching, and I'm re-reading Terry Pratchette's masterful Discworld series. In fact, I'm listening to the series as audiobooks, primarily narrated by Nigel Planar. If you've never read or listened through this series, what in heaven's name are you waiting for?…
Around the 1950s, the label Soundmark Records put out quite a few records of authors and poets reading their work, including James Baldwin, Robert Frost, Ezra Pound, Sylvia Plath, William Carlos Williams, E.E. Cummings, T.S. Eliot, William Butler Yeats, Langston Hughes and more. The recordings…
Hi guys! I'm a 30 year old woman from India. I was a voracious reader as a child but eventually I kinda lost the motivation to read despite wanting to. I recently sought mental health treatment and talked with my psychiatrist about the above mentioned problem. They advised me to restart the reading…
Can a book be good even if it has a bad ending? Can it be great with a bad ending? Is it unfair to judge a 500 page book on the last 20 pages, or is that part of the game? Does a meh ending mean that the first 480 pages weren't set up correctly? Most importantly (to me), does the need for a "holy…
I read Uprooted sometime last year and really enjoyed the way Novik could twist a familiar fairy tale. In a way, it reminded me of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and Howl's Moving Castle, but there was plenty of originality and great writing to make it seem more than just the sum of these…
There is a famous story on Reddit about a guy who's car breaks down on the side of the road, and a family pulls over to help. It was a hot day, and the gentleman spoke very little English (if I remember correctly, he was Mexican). The man helps this destitute individual, fed him by sharing their…
This book is success on three levels. First, it's an exciting cops-and-fugitives thriller. Second, it's an interesting dystopia of earth in decline and people in despair after nuclear war. Third, it has the philosophical or psychological mindfuck elements that I was told Philip K Dick had. I read…
Every booktuber on earth and Mars gives this book high praise but i started to take a shot everytime Vin reminded herself that letting people get close to you will only lead to betrayal. Literally chapter 4 back to back paragraphs repeat with that statement and the writing doesn't get much better. I…
The priest’s story was captivating, the fathers story was intriguing, and even the Consul’s story was good. The private investigator’s story was okay and the poets story I thought was kinda lame. So essentially, half of the book was amazing and the other half I rolled my eyes at the 15 sex scenes…
I do not mean them to have a controversial topic (Rape, Incest, body torture etc) but just good ass reads with great story that makes you wonder about things or keep you on your toes. One book I read that was like this (as in different and quirky) was house of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Can you…
Hello! So I’ve just read “The boy in the striped pyjamas” and I really liked it. I want to read something that’s similar to how the story is told and the twisted end. I would love if there was any series of books with a similar story, because I always get sad when there isn’t another book to…
Context - When I was a child, we had an unfinished basement that always had a bunch of old smelling boxes tucked away in the corner. We used to play down there all the time so naturally I ended up looking through most of them. In one was this huge thousand page book with the old cover for the…
My literary hero throughout my teen years LOVED coffee and lasagna, HATED Mondays (as every good cat should, right...), and spurted out an everlasting stream of sarcasm perfectly aligned with my sense of humor. Now I'm weeding and evaluating Garfield books for my YA collection, and am thrilled to…
Prior to my reading of the book, I had heard many folks raving about this book and how fantastic it was, so naturally I decided to give it a try. My fellow Redditors, I was not prepared for the feelings this novel engendered in me. It just radiated warmth, charm and whimsy. Story-wise this is…
So like everyone else on the planet I studied the Great Gatsby at school. I loved it, and have read it a few times since. I’ve always had a great appreciation for Fitzgerald’s skill at conveying a national mood in a story, but my recent re-reading was a totally new experience. The parallels between…
I like him as an actor in films, so I downloaded the audiobook version of his memoir/proclaimed self help book, Greenlights. It has a 4.26 rating out of nearly 62,000 ratings. I was excited. His narration was charming and fun to listen to, however when he started casually mentioning the domestic…
I've been having a lot of trouble with this because no matter how hard I try, I can't picture the characters talking like...that. Take this quote from Helen Burns in Jane Eyre: > Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering > wrongs. We are, and must be, one and all,…
I have a dear friend in her 70s who is pretty holed up in her apartment due to covid related concerns. She's been working hard on zoom for the past year (unable to retire due to finances) and I really wish she could catch a break! One thing that's been getting her through all this is Diana…
I noticed this sub only really revolves around fiction, probably because it's widely accessible and relevant for everyone. I myself mostly read non-fiction though and I think you can kind of see inside someone's deeper interests by seeing what type of non-fiction they read. For instance, I'm…
By the time I had finished Catcher in the Rye, I still didn't really understand why it's held as a masterpiece to a lot of people today, since I would describe it as nothing more than some twat faffing around Newyork. If anyone could give me an explanation, that would be nice. Also, my thoughts on…
I know that in the US and many other western countries King is an extremely popular author and people read his books when they are teenagers (at least that's my impression). I grew up in India, and English was not my first language, and I didn't even hear about him until my late 20's. I have…
It saddens me to think that there are books I read years ago, some maybe more recently, where I just cannot remember anything substantial. I often try to note down passages I like, turns in the plot, characters, but these get forgotten within a short space of time. Recently I looked over a few…
I love encouraging reading, and if i think that somebody would enjoy a book i’ll often buy it for them from a second hand book store. But I feel like my reputation as an avid reader has caused some of my friends who are curious about getting into reading to see me as some sort of library, and like a…
Hello all, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to promote myself on here but I have created a community where we can all freely speak about books that we dislike and why we wouldn’t suggest them to people. You are allowed to be yourself and I will not allow any hate comments or anything like that. Everyone…
When I don't read the book and it's not in my bookcase I put it in a protecting book sleeve so it doesn't bend the corners. When I am done reading a book it doesn't look like it's been read. When someone asks to lend a book I give them clear instructions on how I want that person to take care of my…
I'm 45 years old and have been reading avidly as long as I can remember. I put off reading this book because I thought it was a romance, which is my least preferred genre. Honestly, this book had me hooked by the first page! It is so beautiful and well written. I devoured it in less than 48 hours. I…
I sit in front of two computers 40 hours a week and my other main hobby is gaming which is another screen multiple hours a week. I’ve been using only a kindle paperwhite during pandemic and I just don’t like it. It feels like I’m reading a Reddit article instead of immersing myself in a story…
Exactly as the title suggests, I'm looking for books that will make me bawl my eyes out at 3 AM because I couldn't put it down. Books that had this effect on me: Flowers for Algernon A little life The kite runner All the bright places They both die at the end The song of Achilles Aristotle…
There have been questions for years about whether or not he will finish the series, but no one seems to ponder the possibility that he doesn't even intend to finish it. There seems to be little forward movement with the next book. Meanwhile, he's been busy writing other, related works (e.g. World of…
I’m (30) just super excited but I’m worried about tone when I’m reading. Despite being an avid reader, I’m a bit worried I’ll sound boring and when I read out loud my sentences aren’t very fluent because I sometimes read words out of order. I really love kids. So I’m gonna practice reading out loud.…
Let’s play a fun game. My examples are: “Only read the CliffNotes” “movie is always better” “I only read Bestsellers” “No-one has time anymore” “I bent your cover.” “Blandness allows for imagination!!” “Spoiler on the back” “Deckled Edges are best!” That’s all I got. What are some you can come up…
I just recently started the chronicles of Narnia and went through it one rush. I can't understand why I haven't read them earlier jn my life. Now, I am looking for something similar-is. I do love fantasy books in general, but I am looking now for something similar light. I love how there is no holes…
I read The Hobbit to my son and he loved it (and of course I’ve loved it all the times I’ve read it). It was the perfect balance of interest and magic for my son, while still being “mature” enough for me. We’ve also read Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman which is a very different style but it’s…
Granted, I haven't been reading a ton recently. I moved pretty far from home a couple months ago and brought a box of books with me - mostly favorites but also a few I've owned for a while but never read, thinking I'd make the effort to finally read them. One of those was Great Expectations. I was…
I’m not sure how to feel about this one, but I really do not like when mental illness is used as a plot twist or explanation that is underdeveloped. Specifically, when mental illness is used as a way to explain the behaviour of the antagonist or antihero of the story. To me, it’s been overdone and…
I absolutely loved this book, and I felt that it was a breath of fresh air. I love historical fiction, but I’ve only read western historical fiction. I am Asian, but I have not read a lot of works by Asian authors and I want to change that. Do y’all have any suggestions for books similar to…
I think one should write as much as they want in their books. I think one should fold their pages and underline anything that catches their eye. Recently I’ve started to reread The Brothers Karamazov, and my past annotations are from 5 years ago. It’s been absolutely amazing to try and understand…
Ray Bradbury said his famous Fahrenheit 451 story is NOT about government censorship but about "television destroys interest in literature." Yet even in school we were told this book is about government control and censorship. I even remember Tolkien hating his LOTR being compared to ww2 as an…
I just finished reading The Handmaid's Tale for the first time and from beginning to end I was deeply disturbed. I literally had nightmares about this book. The fact that everything that went down in the book started with congress being assassinated and then reading this after the riot at the…
I think we all resonate with most books to a certain extent and compare them to our lives but which book felt undoubtedly meant to be in your life and perhaps changed the course of your life? Mine was Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. So many coincidental things emerged from this book I had…
I deeply regret having read the first 11 books of the Sword of Truth series (after which I put the series down forever), but whenever someone asks me about the series, I freeze and my brain begins stumbling over multiple responses to express why I dislike it so much. So far, I can narrow it down to…
I get how this may sound absurd.. but I'm looking for a book written from the perspective of other characters, the antagonist for instance or perhaps various different side characters, and how they view or perceive the "protagonist" and their crusade or quest. For example, if the chapter is…
Hello! I'm hoping to find a book that takes place post-apocalypse (preferably due to nuclear meltdown but doesn't have to be!) where the main focus is on exploration and/or survival. Basically, ones where conflict isn't the main focus and focuses more on the post-apocalyptic world and navigating…
A few months back, there was a very popular post that was eventually locked in which the OP recommended Michael Parenti's Blackshirts & Reds as the "one political book you should read in your life". Although I'm actually a huge fan of Parenti, I think there are some other contenders for the title,…
When I was a nipper, I used to buy a book with my pocket money each week. By the end of the weekend, I had finished it and had to sit twiddling my fingers / rabits ears until next pay day. I kept pestering my Dad to take me along to the library to sign up, but I think he was a bit intimidated (he…
As editors of Reader’s Digest Select Editions, our goal is to cover hundreds of mainstream fiction books each year and select the best ones for our condensed series. We love it all—mysteries, thrillers, romance, dramas, psychological suspense, and especially those odd little gems that defy easy…
You know those moments when you come home from school or work and you realise that you have no work to do so you can read for hours on end? Or better yet when you have just accomplished something like passing an exam or getting alot of work done at your job and you read to celebrate? I just want to…
Hello! I’m looking for a book which could give me some insight or an experience which can seed some insight in what to do in life and how to figure it out. I constantly feel im not living my ”best” or ”right” life. When i lived in the city i wanted to live out in the countryside, now when i live in…
As the title says, just finished Going Postal and it's amazing. Quite different to what I expected too. It's funny and a light read at a certain level but also touches on big topics! But without making the whole story grim or boring. I've had Pratchett's books in my to read list for years but…
Libby is obviously a very popular app already and I am late to the party, so posting just in case you were unaware like me. If you like books (if not, why’re you here???) and especially Audiobooks, and you have a library card (if not, go get one today!) download Libby! The amount of money I could…
I'm 34 and my career path required a stupidly long training route. My partner and I throughout our training picked up so many books on the whim, only to leave them on our bookshelf. They became deadweight as we moved from city to city. A few months into my first real job, I finally found free time.…
We've been together for almost a decade now and I have never once seen him finish a book. He's really smart and has no qualms with reading other than not having enough down time in which to do so. Each time I finish a really good book, all I want to do is talk to him about it, but can never bring…
Everyone had always been talking about these series and it was on my tbr but I never got to it until this week and it was worth it. The beginning was slow but once things got going, they really went there! At first I made the mistake of saying this was a hunger games on steroids and more brutal but…
Not sure how exactly to word this, but I love both Valley of the Dolls and Little Women because they follow the characters through a long time and it kind of doesn't really feel like the book has a plot per se. Any recommendations of books that are similar in that sense? :) thank you!!
Apologies if this comes off as a naive question. I love reading. Always have an always will. I was one of those shy kids in school who had books as a form of solace. Even when I got older in high school, though the number decreased, I still managed to read a lot. Covid has been quite the ordeal for…
In general, I'm from the follow-your-excitement school of reading. Too many books, too little time to be wasted on something that doesn't grab you, etc. But, having just finished a book that I didn't like—I'm not going to name names, but the author and the book are both well-loved by a lot of other…
One of my pet peeves with books is when the covers have single word review quotes from big names. Things like “Incredible!” - NY Times or “Extraordinary!” - George R. R. Martin. Not only does it not tell you anything about the book these blurbs are often pulled from larger reviews so I have to…
So growing up I didn’t really do that much reading (besides forum/Reddit posts and school textbooks, etc) but during quarantine I decided to try my hand at reading a book for the first time in a long long time. Now, it took me a while to settle on a particular book, and even though there are many…
When did this become de rigueur? What happened to taking a stand alone story and then subsequently building a universe around it through disparate, but still connected follow up stories? More story to tell can certainly necessitate a sequel, but when and why did three books become the magic number?…
I work in a marine field and have loved the sea, lakes, and rivers since I can remember. In fact, my parents used to read me a glow-in-the-dark picture book about an undersea lab (if anybody knows the title of that book I would be ecstatic) I'm a big believer in giving books away to friends,selling…
I’m so excited. This guy came to my work and when I was on break, he left me a signed copy of a book he wrote that’s one of my favorite genres (post-apocalyptic fiction), and sent an email with a FULL COPY OF HIS UNPUBLISHED BOOK ! I had a patient about 6 months ago who told me he was a writer, and…
I read through The Godfather and boy was this book fantastic. The characters storylines really unique with it dealing with corruption and angst, romance, revenge and all that. And the ending is both unique and bittersweet and in some ways quite appropriate. But I think the weakest parts of the book…
It's not a tragic romance about true love- it's a warning not to let yourself be ruled by your emotions alone. The parents are ruled by a grudge preventing the happiness of their children and causing violence and death in the town they live in because neither wants to forgive the other. Like, their…
I like sci fi but I was a little worried bc short stories don’t tend to have the same impact on me that a novel has. That’s having been said, I absolutely loved 8/9 of these stories. Simply put, this is sci fi at its best: thought provoking and original. He tackled so many huge, important subjects…
I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for books that are similar to Nancy Drew but for adults. I used to read a lot of Nancy Drew when I was young and enjoyed reading mysteries. I mostly read fantasy, urban fantasy and science fiction novels but would really like to get into some mystery…
I'm studying to be a librarian. Recently, my professor said something about expanding your own library - read a genre you usually wouldn't, read books that doesn't initially interest you. It got me thinking about my own reading habits. I mainly read books from the same handful of authors, and when I…
I started Jurassic Park yesterday afternoon. I just hit page 100, and my god. What a treat. The slow build up in the beginning of books sometimes bore me, but this was special. I’ve watched the movie countless times since I was 2 years old (28 years old now), and I was obsessed with it. For some…
I was the type of person who swore off e-readers and told myself that I would only buy physical books. Then i was gifted a Kindle paperwhite. Holy cow. I have been reading so much more just due to convenience. I went from maybe 6 books a year to already getting through 6 books in the last month. I…
This probably isn't even that big an accomplishment but after a long time, I successfully managed to sit down and finish a book. I used to read a lot and I'm talking upwards of 100 books a year but as high school became increasingly hard, I had to cut down. Or maybe that was just an excuse because I…
My wife and I just watched our friends lose a 5-week long battle with their daughter in the NICU, and it’s shaken us both up a fair bit. My wife wants to read a book that is light hearted. She is a mom to the greatest son, she’s 21 years old, and loves romance, art, and the outdoors. Thank you in…
Allow me to set the scene. I'm ready for a new book. I consult the internet and find a list of the top ten or whatever of the last year. Most of them don't apply to my interests, but maybe a few of them do. I go to a bookstore. I find one off the list and, out of curiosity, I check out the reviews.…
Has this ever happened to you? Many times, I have had well-meaning people suggest a book and comment that there is a big plot surprise at the end....but then hasten to add that they aren't going to spoil it. But they DID just spoil it........ A plot twist is obviously most effective when you aren't…
I like browsing Goodreads and reading reviews to determine if a book is something I want to spend money on. The suggestions given by the algorithm are sometimes head scratching, but my reading interests are sort of all over the place so it makes sense. What really bothers me is that Goodreads allows…
I’m reading Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn right now and was thoroughly enjoying myself until halfway through when it suddenly became some weird high school fan fiction. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, I had to go home early from work for not concentrating.” Maybe I’m…
Basically, I kept going in life because of the books I want to read. It makes me excited.. Idk where I'll be without it and it beats every person I'm friends with IDK it's just it's the perfect companion, and I just want to daydream about reading good books because I'm busy now doing mid term test.…
I have ADHD so my mind races at a million miles an hour on the regular, I would say I idle at 75. I want to sit still and read, I’ve bought so many books that I’m so excited to read, a literal miniature library and it’s infuriating that it’s difficult for me to just sit in peace and read, if any of…
Through Covid, I've been eating my lunches on a bench outside work or in my car when the weather is bad. I decided to start going back through some of the classics that I was able to find on Project Gutenberg and other places. In the past year I've read: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Picture of Dorian…
I recently, unexpectedly, lost my eyesight. A recent realisation is that I have read my last ever book in the usual sense. It's quite sad when I think about it given how much I love reading and even have a library in my house. What makes it worse was the last book I read was rubbish, I didn't really…
Every time I think of this book, I immediately get transported to the mandatory economics class (Econ 101: Macroeconomics) I took in college. The professor opened the lecture with: “Most importantly, with this class you will understand how the world works.” At the time, I dismissed this statement by…
I just finished A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole which I thought was brilliant and hysterical. (despite being a bit dated in its stereotypes) I thought it rode the wave of satire perfectly, not making it too ridiculous nor too common. The ending was just about perfect for my money.
I’m am currently reading The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I can’t put it down. I blew through The Name Of The Wind. It’s almost like I have a compulsive need to finish the story. I haven’t been this caught up in a book series since Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Trilogy. Even though in this…
I want to start this off by saying I am 20 and have never really been into Lord of the Rings. I saw the LotR movies for the first time last year. I have to say The Hobbit was amazing. I love the way in which Tolkien wrote this book and how every chapter feels unique. Whenever the narrator made note…
The particular author that I am talking about is an amazon author. She has actually went after people who would point out her mistakes in her books, going so far as to put the corrected mistake in her books, three to four times over (kind of as a f u to the person, and saying "look at me I am using…
I personally love getting annotated books (as long as I can still read the words, nothing scratched out) it’s like looking into someone else’s experience reading a book. I’m a sucker for finding old writings in books, I’ll try to find drawings in textbook margins because I find the thoughts of…
I don't do this any more but when I was young, dumb and in the military I would enjoy a few drinks, or two, or...well a lot while reading. I drank so much that I would pass out reading and think I had finished the book I was reading. I would wake up the next day and reread the ending to make sure I…
So my partner has a copy of House of Salt and Sorrows that has 30 pages of The Leaving swapped into it. She was mentioning earlier today that "I wonder when they are going back to the FBI agent they've spent quite a while on the rest of the characters." You'd think someone with a PHD in English…
I don't read a lot of romance so maybe this is a dumb question, but I've always got the impression that romance books are typically pretty drama filled with the couple and a lot have will they or won't they dynamics. But is there like a genre of books that doesn't have a lot of drama and there isn't…
I worded this quite vaguely since I think it's quite applicable across many facets in our lives. But recently, I've noticed more and more how people let other's opinions influence and even dictate what they choose to do and not to do. I've noticed in some friends of mine that they will turn away…
Last night I woke up by my dog and was super confused by the dream I had. I'm currently reading a college sports romance and had a dream about the sports team needing to win. I woke up thinking "We have to win this game!" To be fair I did read the book right before I fell asleep and was thinking…
I have been getting into reading lately and I find reading like getting to know a friend. When I read a fantasy book in particular I find it like building a relationship. Sometimes I feel lonely or maybe think I am but when I read I feel an immersive about of joy or a sense of belonging with the…
The Prophet is a poetry collection where a different people in a town asks a prophet his opinion on... anything, really. Marriage, death, love, generosity - even things like food and clothes are covered. It’s beautiful and because of its brilliant structure very easy to follow, so if poetry is new…
I really enjoyed (maybe not the right adjective with it being so gruesome but you get what I mean) the film 'Midsommar' and wondered if there's any books with similar themes/tone. Anything featuring cults, ancient rituals/witchcraft, psychological horror of joining a cult or escape a cult. Would…
I don't have a lot to say, and I don't want to spoil anything, but I wanted to recommend Lovecraft's story The Lurking Fear because it's the one that made me stop reading midway and take a break from Lovecraft for months. I have a small collection of mental health disorders, so sometimes I need to…
I’ve recently really got into reading and I’ve found these books that I feel are really going to have me not wanting to put them down. However I looked for the series and it’s like £50. I know it’s the series and that’s how much to expect but is there anyway to get them cheaper. I know libraries…
In every eight of ten intellectual stuff that I consume, this book is referenced either directly or indirectly and it is rightly so that this book has become such an important piece of work if you consider the fact that it has managed to convince us to accept something that might be hitherto…
I just got about halfway through the book. It's crazy, those Russians could really write back then. However, did Dostoyevsky create the first incel? The narrator is like 90% of Reddit users lol. Full of vitriolic bile, over estimating their own intelligence and uniqueness, but never actually…
Picked this up after seeing comments here. Really a good read. It could become a classic due to the fact, it is more a commentary on humankind in general than just zombies. I’m down to the last 50 pages and don’t want it to end. Thanks to whoever suggested it because I probably would never have…
So not only is this my first post on Reddit, but it is also my first post on r/books [/r/books]. I am so excited to be part of this community of like-minded individuals! As the title says, I just finished up The Fellowship of the Ring last night and it was such an amazing read! The detail that…
I've always loved to read but I've never had anyone to speak about books. I'm the only person I know who reads, it's quite disheartening not to be able to share my joy with people who have the same interest and understands. I recently started a new book series and I was excited to share it with…
I found that jumping straight into "adult" books again left me unable to follow the story. Goodnight Mister Tom is a simple children's book that I read in school at around ten years old and, the way I see it, a story is a story - children's book or not! Goodnight Mister Tom is a damned good story.…
I've noticed that I cant clearly visualize the characters faces when I read a book. Not only this, but I never "construct" a new face when a character is described; I usually visualize them as a real life face I already know (often an actor). My mind for some reason is very stubborn with faces and…
Of the books I’ve read this year, two have been so utterly absorbing that I’m desperate for more! Circe by Madeline Miller and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. What I liked about them: strong, female leads, a touch of otherworldly magic, an outside perspective on life, beautiful…
Rodion Raskolnikov is one of the most profound, complex and unique characters of universal literature. Rivalizes with Hamlet and Anna Karenina in that regard. We initially encounter a troubled young man, rotting in poverty, self-perceiving himself as a pseudo-Messiah figure with deeply rooted…
Hello r/Books [/r/Books]! We are a small reading community called r/ClassicBookClub [/r/ClassicBookClub], and we read and discuss a chapter of a classic book each day in a dedicated spoiler free discussion thread. Our readers nominate and vote on the books we read, and the winning book for our next…
I don´t know if this gains any traction, but I thought to start a little memorial post here. Let me hear your best memories, quotes and ideas you have about him and his work. Terry Pratchett had a big influence on how I think and view the world. The concept of second thoughts was something that…
I just started reading "Later" by Stephen King and realized how great short chapters are. There are some amazing books in this style, such as: "the fight club" by Chuck Palahniuk, "the book of disquiet" by Fernando Pessoa, and Machado de Assis's novels. I do love novels with long chapters as well,…
I read Catch-22 twice, both times getting almost halfway and hating it, not getting it. For some reason I tried a third time a year or so later, and now regard it as one my favourite books ever. I'm glad I stuck with it. I had similar, but less intense, experiences with quite a few non-fiction…
Warning: a Stormlight Archive spoiler below. Last October I was obese. I had been like that for 25 years. I decided to start running. At first it was so hard. And boring too. I needed something to distract me. I decided to finally try an audiobook. I chose one called ‘Stormlight Archive’ by…
I picked up Dark Matter by Blake Crouch from the library this morning, based on a suggestion in a previous thread. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book in a single sitting, but I just could not stop. What a fantastic novel! Big thanks to the user that made the suggestion, and I’ll be looking…
I’ve just started Never Let Me Go. I’m only a quarter of the way in or so and nothing much has really happened, certainly nothing tragic. But there’s this incredibly real sense of deep sadness, foreboding even, of something deeply wrong. I’m being drawn into caring a lot for these kids and I’m…
It was today, I traveled inside the pages of East of Eden. Steinbeck pulled me in, like a ship around a giant whirlpool. The first few pages describing the Salinas valley, it's beauty and lively tale. I felt at peace reading his prose, each word like a beautiful melody to my soul. I fell in love.…
I bought this book, because I've seen plenty of people praising it. I tried to read it, but gave up after 100 pages. I just can't understand what is good about it. It's certainly not writing, because it's really obvious that the author was a teen when writing it and didn't have much experience back…
An amazing philosophical short story. Someone I care about showed me this recently. Really hit me on an emotional level. I don't know if most of you have heard of this or not, but give it a read. Will take 10 minutes, and really make you think. https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/emily.klotz/engl1302…
I don’t know if any scene, aside from Snowden’s death (and even that had a dark punchline about Milo stealing morphine) was played entirely seriously, but there were a surprising number of poignant moments throughout the novel. Snowden’s death is the obvious go-to, but I’d also include Yossarian’s…
I dont get very emotional over movies but when I read books there is a different feeling of intimacy between characters that film does not quite capture. I cant recall every crying during reading a book but have heard of people who have. I would love to know what books those were and what was it…
I just got done with Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and I can say with some certainty that it is one of the worst books I have ever read. Cline’s overall prose is just... it’s just awful. I don’t know how else to put it. The story itself is perfectly fine, but the way he tells it (and boy does…
I used to read a ton as a teen. Any YA novel you want to cringe at I probably read it in a day. I'm a huge fan of science fiction fantasy. Magic. Secret worlds. Other beings. I haven't really read since leaving what I was reading to avoid in my life and honestly I'm starving for that kind of…
Just finished reading The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis and it is one of the best books I've ever read. While it is usually regarded as "Christian apologetic", I can certainly see how it would be very useful for non-Christians and nonbelievers. It is full of good advice not only to avoid the…
"Dear [ardently grateful], Thank you very much for your lovely email—this is one of the best kind of letters any writer could receive! I am so glad to know that my books were meaningful to you, and especially that they provided consolation at moments when you needed it. I think I might need to…
Background: I wrote Dean Koontz a letter asking why some of his characters are fully evil with no redeeming qualities. I explained that some of my acting coaches discouraged us from playing villains that had no redeeming qualities, and he decided to respond with this. I will add that I now disagree…
I just started the 5th book, and I'm loving that I can spend more time with each main character. I'm actually reading the books through my local library via interlibrary loan (I live in New Hampshire, USA). My local librarian said these are some of the only copies in the state and They have only…
Was reminiscing about a book I read around age 12. The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin. I loved that book, and I had no idea it was such a big book for schools! Apparently it won first place in 2012 for school books. Anyone here remember that book? My school didn’t have it for required reading I just…
In the Dream House dissects the experience of an abusive relationship. A rough read due to the subject matter, but also something I would recommend to anyone interested in dynamics of abuse. She uses so many intertextual references to compare this autobiographical experience to, explains behaviours…
I am currently reading Dune (yes, bc the film is coming out this year) and as a film student I usually watch the film before reading the book it is based on. Since Dune was postponed due to the world collapsing and all that I decided to change my tendency. Still a bit confused as to how many Dune…
So about 2 years ago I started The Eye of the World for the first time and put it down after getting about halfway threw it, I then tried to finish it 2 more times. I really can't come up with a reason (or just don't remember) why I stopped but I picked it back up about 6 months ago and just today…
Disclaimer: I posted this a few weeks ago but it got removed because I added a word that rhymes with SCHMOILER I’m not trying to karma whore. I just cannot stop thinking about this book. Every day. I’m a huge history buff. I don’t know how I went through high school and college without having to…
I’ve been growing suspicious of my Little Free Library being used by others in the neighborhood as a way to take books and sell to the local Half Price Books, and today I found a book that I donated to the LFL on the shelf at HPB. It was an old hardcover copy of a book on training puppies that I’ve…
I sat down by the window while waiting for my coffee and crêpe, pulled out my book, and only got a few sentences in before having to set it aside, finding myself too distracted and drawn in to what I was overhearing at your table. You were there with your mom, working your way through a picture book…
I love to talk about politics and current affairs with my Dad when we chat on FaceTime every week, but we have quite different views. Most recent discussion is the Harry & Meghan interview, and I find it very difficult to argue my point without getting heated because I can’t believe my Dad’s side of…
I've been trying to find a self-help book in the last few years that would change the way I think and act in life. But all I've ever found has been boring, repetitive, and pretty useless books. I've tried dozens of the top rated self-help books and I haven't found a single book which doesn't seem…
Eragon was a favorite series of mine in high school. Grew up with that series. (Movie was horrifying). For fun I decided to go back and reread them...... I couldn’t get through the first book. WOW. Those books were so badly written. My teenage brain apparently could not comprehend. I now have no…
Dear Jake: Thank you very much for your kind thoughts and for taking the trouble to communicate them. Reading a novel is such an elective enterprise—after all no one HAS to read a novel—that a writer is always gratified to know that his work has repaid a reader’s time. I’m very happy to learn that…
Crime and Punishment was the one for me, it hit me like brick when I realized that I was like Raskolnikov (not that I commuted a crime), but that I was very prideful and believed I was better than others. The book really humbled me and made me realize that I am not better than anyone and not one of…
Many of my friends were bragging about how great "The Alchemist " was and how it changed their life. I don't understand what the protagonist tried to do or what the author tried to convey. To be honest I dozed off half way through the book and forced myself to read it cuz I thought something…
I’ve always been into reading after I read Harry Potter back in second grade. The thing is, I only wanted to read more ‘grown-up’ books because I thought it made me mature. Turns out I ended up missing out on a bunch of really good books. Recently I started wanting to read Percy Jackson and Artemis…
Since my teenage years I had this problem : I was self conscious. I wanted to impress others. Even if what I was doing didn't resonated with my personality i did it just for the validation of other people. This caused a lot of stress and I even started losing my original identity. But after reading…
No spoilers. I loved the movie. I always have - apart from one particular scene with Sam. So after many years, I figured it time to read the novel. Holy hell! Firstly, it was incredible. Secondly, I have zero idea how the movie ever came to be. I'm used to movies diverging slightly from the…
What quotes hit you guys the hardest? Whether it be a quote on inspiration, corruption, hardship, or happiness, what was something a character or narrator said that you just couldn’t stop thinking about? For me the hardest hitting quote out of the countless books I’ve read is from The Things They…
I don't even know how to say literally because english is not my native language so i'll try it . don't you find incridble boring every single heroe that has a destiny ? a prophecy ? is born a genius , it's born from incridble parents , born from a god or smth .i just can't read about another…
Since I started reading as a child I always had trouble reading action scenes. I can visualise in my head character, location, most of the action really but as soon as some one throw a punch I have no clue what's happening. Ok he his standing...no in the mud...wait "they jumped on the roof" what…
I’ve always loved this pairing from Howl’s Moving Castle (I haven’t actually read the book), and I just saw a tiktok that described it like “a bisexual woman who prefers women falls in love with a bisexual man who prefers men and they’re both surprised about it.” I wanna see more of this trope.…
Yes, you read that correctly, the NBA star wrote these books and I was genuinely reluctant to read them because I was already making assumptions about the quality of the books. I wasn’t judging the book by its covers, but by its author. Some famous basketball player wrote these books? Ugh, I bet…
I always thought of myself as an omnivore when it came to literature - I dipped my toe into most mainstream genres fiction and non-fiction and liked most of them. There has been however one that I automatically skipped and always thought of it as somewhat silly and that is romance. In our family it…
What's a book that you'll never grow out of and will always be ready to reread, regardless of its genre or target audience? For me it's Shug by Jenny Han. I read it once in middle school and have been attached ever since, I could read it a million times in a row even though it's not typically the…
I have read a lot of Faulkner, and I have liked most of it. I've repeatedly heard that Go Down, Moses is a sleeper in his canon - one of the best things he ever wrote, but overlooked due to it not quite being a novel and not quite being a short story collection. Finally I decided to check it…
I'm fairly certain it falls in the YA category, but then again a lot of powerful books do. This one hits close to home in a way pretty much any other book I've read have never done so before. I was living in St. Louis, my birthplace & forever home, when Michael Brown was murdered/shot & killed by…
It's funny I finished a scanner darkly just a few moments ago, around 2:45am my time. Did the same thing with Flowers for Algernon a weekish ago(except I read all of FfA in a day and did not do the same with ASD). Anyways the results of both stories left me with the same feeling and felt remarkably…
Just read one of Khalid Hosseneni's famous work "Kite runner", so much heart breaks to handle till the last 10 pages. The way he had beautifully described Afghanistan is amazing. Feels so unreal that people in this same world live in such a condition. Hassan is my favourite character of all ,…
Consuming a string of demanding novels in a row can be draining. That's when you throw in a palate cleanser, like a classic whodunnit or a breezy best seller. Something like Joe Ides after Blood Meridian. Or Hiaasen after Ishiguro. Louise Penny after Wolfe Hall. Any great one-two punches you can…
I tought first this garden is a magical but it wasnt.Book about a child and garden this garden closed 10 years ago and nobady dont go in there and one day Mary found a key and a secret door. Later she is go insade she girls was so bad ugly girl and this girl with this garden be so beatiful girl and…
This is essentially just a recommendation, but the How to train your dragon audiobooks are amazing! They're read by David Tennant and he does amazing voices for all of the characters and you get really immersed in the story. The stories work well both for children and adults, me and my girlfriend…
Now I’m not saying that the Mafia is a good thing, obviously I know they are bad eggs, but this book made me understand: I get why the characters or real life people would rather go to the Don for financial, business, family, political or other issues. In their eyes “justice and the right arm of the…
A little background. I'm a 75 year old fella and have always enjoyed reading. I read science fiction as a pre teen and as a teenager, mysteries in my 20's and 30's, not much in my 40's or 50's (work was pretty consuming), and now I have been reading fantasy for the last several years. I have read…
The disturbing scene in the show was somehow ten times worse in the book. And let me be clear, not in intentional way to highlight the wrongness of the act. The scene was treated with even less of the gravity it deserved. I was honestly surprised, because the book and the show were about on par with…
This is likely a me problem rather than something widely experienced. One of my greatest joys in catching a flight somewhere was purchasing a book for the journey in the airport WHSmiths. There was usually some offer and I ended up with more than one. A lot of the time at least one of the books was…
I can't remember how many times I have been asked what my preferred genre is. And sure, there are certain plots I enjoy more than others. Usually that's the case because writers of certain genres tend to write in certain ways. I love reading about different stories and people. I love reading about…
A few days ago, my father gave me his copy of Ender's Game that he read in 85 at my age (15) and told me to read it. At the beginning, I was reluctant. Card's pose was difficult to follow at first, and while Ender is a fascinating character, he isn't exactly charming in the first few pages. Plus, I…
As I am writing this, the top post on the sub is someone sharing about their experience listening to World War Z on audiobook. They mention that they "read" the book, and there are a lot of upvoted comments telling OP that OP didn't "read" the book, they listened to it. Some of these commenters are…
Just finished the ensemble audiobook. What a ride. I had seen the movie before I read the book. And now I'm super disappointed in the movie. I didn't care much for it before but after the book it's now just a massive missed opportunity. But enough of the movie. This was one of the most efficient…
The other day I was thinking about a book I read and recalling a specific scene. Only, for some reason I thought it was a movie I saw. Took me a minute to remember that I was thinking of a book, not movie. I think the lines between the two sometimes blur for me because I see things so vividly in my…
As someone who doesn't have many friends, reading has been somewhat of a lifeline for me. Instead of wallowing in self-pity I pick up pretty much anything I can get my hands on (non-fiction, fiction, anything) and just escape into the world of literature for several hours. When I'm out at college…
I love the aesthetic because honestly, I need to romanticize studying or I fail. Unfortunately, a lot of books/movies deemed "dark academia" like Secret History, The Dead Poet Society, The Portrait of Dorian Grey, The Riot Club, ect. are kind of male oriented. I want to read something that has…
I’ve seen people call it pretentious. Yes, it is pretentious, but it is also a masterpiece. This book is the definition of lyrical. I would love to know everyone’s thoughts on this. While this is the first work of read of Kundera’s, I am convinced he is brilliant. I loved the way each character…
I just finished reading a series which I enjoyed pretty well, and now that I’m done, I just feel a little emptiness me. I’m happy that I finished the series, and sort of grew up along side the characters, but I’m also sad that I have to leave them behind, if that makes sense. I just want to sit in a…
In the early days of the Cold War, while surgeons on either side of the Iron Curtain competed for transplantation firsts, an American neurosurgeon [https://twitter.com/hashtag/neurosurgeon?src=hashtag_click] asked: Why not transplant the brain [https://twitter.com/hashtag/brain?src=hashtag_click]?…
I'm not sure if you could really call this a genre, maybe just a type of book. But anyway -- I love fishing horror. I know that sounds weird. But I find nothing more genuinely creepy than a horror book/movie/game that is involves fishing. My favorite book that fits in this category is, of course,…
This is a realization I had somewhat recently. It may or may not speak to other folks, but I figured I would at least post my experience and see if there was any discussion folks were interested in having. For so many years, my main book process has been 1. Search online for genres I like. 2.…
Novel lovers please help! I have almost exclusively read nonfiction until this year and I’m trying to jump into novels that you can really lose yourself in. But I really like to learn something when I read a book. What are some novels you read recently that left you with some new knowledge on a…
I have seen a lot of people feeling guilty about not being able to complete reading a book. There was a time when I picked up a book, didn't like after going through 30% of it but still continued to finish it. Or when wasn't able to finish it, I felt bad for some reasons. I don't think it is the…
I finished The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas a few weeks ago and HIGHLY recommend it. The characters and, I’m sorry to say, storyline are very plausible and relevant to the world where we live today, so getting through it is really easy. 400+ pages, but if you appreciate quality fiction, that fact’ll…
I tried sharing this on r/todayilearned [/r/todayilearned], but they wouldn't let me, so I thought I'd share it here. r/books [/r/books] seems to be a possibly more interested crowd anyway... As a bookworm, I like to see what some of my favorite public figures like to read (musicians, actors,…
This has long been a pet peeve of mine that's grating on me more and more lately. I understand the reasoning behind including analytical essays with new editions of classic novels, and I often enjoy reading them....but not until after I've finished the actual book, because I don't want spoilers. So…
I've always been someone who reads aloud to people. It's something I love doing. When my sister (who is 14 years younger than me) was little I'd take her to the library and read with her for hours just pile after pile of books and right up until she was 12 we would read together. We've worked…
US publishing industry gripe here: I noticed that the current mass market paperback edition of Frank Herbert's Dune is one of those "tall" versions, where they increase the height by an inch. In the case of Dune, they've also increased the spacing between lines of text and thus increased the page…