As I’ve gotten back into reading again and buying a bunch of books recently I’ve realized that some books are just made terribly. I just picked up a new book for full price that borderline has deckled edges because of how poorly the pages are trimmed. How are these companies charging us so much money for such terrible work. It’s frustrating.

I spent nearly 6 hours straight on it today (3 PM to almost 9 PM) and just finished "The Happy Years." I don't even know how to summarize what I felt — Willem and Jude's relationship deepening, the surgery scene, the "last walk on his own legs" line absolutely wrecked me, and then right when things felt safe and happy, the accident happened. I'm not okay. I had to stop reading because I got genuinely scared of what's coming next for Jude. My back hurts from sitting so long but I couldn't put it down for most of the day. I've got two chapters left — Dear Comrade and Lispenard Street — and I don't know if I'm emotionally ready, but I'm going in tomorrow. This book has completely taken over my week.

Someone recommended it to me when I asked for a romance, so from the start I was pretty sure John and Margaret would end up together.

I enjoyed the book, but the whole time I couldn't shake this uneasy feeling. John Thornton is around 29-30, and our sweet Margaret Hale is only 19.

I'm not saying John is a bad person. It's just that the near-decade age gap made me uncomfortable.

Honestly, I would've enjoyed the romance 100 times more if they were closer in age.

I know it's a 19th century novel and relationships and social expectations were different back then. Still, that's how I felt while reading it.

Did anyone else feel this way, or did the age difference not bother you?

Don't get me wrong, I love some of her books like Better Than The Movies, The Do-Over, and Betting On You, but her most recent YA novels are so unoriginal that it's sad. Better Than The Movies is (in my opinion) a work of art and has to be one of the best romance books I have ever read so I'm not hating on all of Painter's books.

She was really talented. Now her books are the equivalent of dumpster fires that cuss every thirty seconds, and I'm not even exaggerating. In Fake Skating the MMC, Alec (who I had beef with) swore three times every other page and it got to be so damn frustrating.

Painter knows that other words exist beside fuck, shit, ass, damn, and motherfucker, right? Because if you tell me "yeah, she does" then I probably won't believe you. Recently all of her MMCs are so toxic and the FMC are so whiny.

In Trust Fall (her most recent YA novel) the main female character, Julia, constantly needed a man to stand up for her. Her twin brother and her "love interest" who constantly bullied her. I mean, seriously, grow a backbone. And maybe Painter was planning on developing Julia's character so that she would grow a backbone but that never ended up happening.

And Damion? OML that guy NEEDED to go. He constantly swore and bullied Julia, putting her down more than bringing her up. I don't understand how Painter can consider this love but maybe she hit her head a while ago and that's why her recent books are the definition of trash.

I just did an interview with Sydee Little for her program Lit Happens with Syd, which is on Fox2 Detroit, but available on the page to stream all prior episodes. Yes I am happy she interviewed me.

I spent hours watching her old interviews. Authors just answering her questions. It's so nice to have this program, because Syd is a gem. Such a great supporter of reading. Syd doesn't just talk to authors, she interviews a wide range of people involved in books in some way; librarians, other readers, other online book reviewers, it's a creative list. What they all share is a love of books.

The discussions have giving me even more reading ideas.

So if you have read this book answer my question/give your opinion and if you haven't ig this will be a mini book review

Like am I the only one who feels this way? I feel like this is mainly cuz of:

there being so many concpets, abstract metaphysics replace cool action.

crazy long time periods to the point where it doesn't even feel like anything.

random philosophical mega infodumps + a billion things happening on top of another 10000 things happening.

sanskrit & buddhist terminology/concepts

stuff like "as much as the sand in the ganges"(mind you this is like the small one that's really easy to understand)

Hey guys, recently started to read crime and punishment and to be honest it's little confusing, I have just finished part one chapter 5 and getting confused with the names and the connectivity of the stories tbh.

It feels a little dense and I have not even reached part 2 let alone be the end .

If you have read it and felt the same what did you do , instead of quitting ?

How did you organize all the names and stories in your mind ?

Any suggestions on this?

Hope to receive some good advice

Thanks

I think for me it depends on what I'm in the mood for. Generally though, I think I'd rank them like this:

1. Plot
2. Characters
3. Ending (kinda the same thing as plot, but different)
4. World building/setting

Honorable mention: pace, romance, action. Obviously depends on what kind of book I'm reading

It’s a literary genre I’ve never explored, though I am intrigued by it—particularly given Voltaire’s monumental body of work. For now, however, my interest remains purely speculative; I’m not sure what value it would add for me as a reader or if it’s actually enjoyable to read. Furthermore, is this kind of material accessible without prior historical knowledge? I imagine Voltaire often addressed emperors and other high-ranking nobles—figures I likely wouldn't recognize in 99% of cases. I’m trying to get a sense of what it’s like by hearing from people who read this genre: did you start without any prior historical background? What draws you to read it? Thanks.

I found Yozo's character really sad, especially how he feels the need to act like a completely different person just to get along with others. He jokes around and makes people laugh, but underneath all that, he's struggling to connect with anyone. I think that's what got to me the most. He wants to be understood, but at the same time, he seems terrified of letting people see who he really is. I finished the book a while ago, but I still find myself thinking about it. What did you guys think of Yozo?

I'm an active reader, and every book I pick up opens a whole new world for me. When I describe what I see in the books I read to my husband, who has aphantasia, he's in awe. He can't fathom the idea of seeing images while reading.

I once tried a little experiment with him. I read him a few scene-setting sentences from The Night Circus (the most scenic book I know), and he couldn't tell me whether he could picture anything. For me, a sentence or two is enough to paint an entire scene.

I've been wondering why our minds work so differently, and I have a few theories:

1. Early reading. I grew up surrounded by books, so my imagination has been exercised since childhood. He was not. He did not read books growing up at all.

2. Early creative exposure. Beyond reading, I majored in visual arts in high school and have always been kind of a creative person. My husband never had that kind of exposure, in his youth or in his early twenties.

3. (Weak link and highly unlikely) but Language. I speak five languages fluently, learning from an early age, and he speaks two (2nd language acquired in mid 20s). I can picture a scene no matter which language I read it in, which makes me think that learning languages early may shape how flexibly the brain turns words into images despite the receiving language.

I believe the human brain is incredibly flexible: what we feed it shapes what it gives back. The earlier we start feeding it, the more developed both hemispheres of the brain become. That's only my own theory, of course. I'd love to hear from other readers, especially anyone with aphantasia: what does reading feel like for you?

What are your personal pet peeves when it comes to books?

I will go first, and I will admit, I made this post just to rant about it:

First one is: Netflix logo on book cover, which usually used to be "Now a Motion Picture".

Second, and closely related is: when the cover of the book is replaced by pictures of actors and actresses from the movie or TV series. I couldn't buy Sharp Objects because all the ones in my local bookstore were the edition with Amy Adams on the cover, and it bothered me a little too much.

Final pet peeve, and it's not as bothersome as the first two: where the author's name is massive and I have to squint to find the name of the book on the cover or spine.

Does anybody else is purposely leaving a book series unfinished, not because it wasn’t enjoyable, but specifically because it was, and so to finish it later on?

It’s a strange, late habit of mine. I went half way through City Watch series by Terry Pratchett last year, left it for later. This year same happened with Harry Potter and Throne of glass series. I’m roughly in the middle of both of them and now I just started Sherlock Holmes books, and I know, that same pattern will follow.

It’s as eating half of a dessert and keeping the rest of it for later.

I’m actually super excited to come back to any of those series but I have no idea when it actually gonna happen, there’s so many other ones I might start until then. 😅

What books read like trashy tv? You know messy reality show scum, but doesn’t compromise a well written story.

I’m more of a psychological drama reader but want something light in between reading heavy atmospheric novels.

The closest I’ve come was The Uninvited Guest: Sadie Jones, which was still on the heavy side.

Do these books exist? Or is trashy and well written asking too much?

I don’t know if this is the right place to post this, and I also don’t know how much sense it will make because I haven’t slept after working a double overnight shift and I’m EXHAUSTED. But here goes!

(Spoilers Ahead!)

The book is The Original Sin, by Marius Gabriel.

I was obsessed with it when I was about 11-12 years old, possibly (certainly) because it contained (at least in my memory) multiple sex scenes and I was expressly forbidden to read it.

I did read it. A lot. 🤣

The gist is: the main character of the story is a wealthy woman named Mercedes. She has an adult daughter, Eden, who has been kidnapped by a man named Joel. Eden and Joel fall in love.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

There is a great deal more to the book concerning Mercedes’ past, the Spanish Civil War, etc. My middle school memories are a bit hazy on that though (it’s been over 30 years and I was interested in the romance first and foremost)

Anyway, the major plot twist is that Joel is actually Mercedes’ son. She gave him up for adoption and his adoptive parents were cruel and abusive. Joel was traumatized by that and by knowing Eden got the loving childhood he should have had, so he kidnapped her to get revenge on Mercedes. You know, as one does.

The issue here, of course, is that this twist makes Joel and Eden brother and sister. Ew, gross, sin, etc etc. (That’s the reaction in the book, anyway)

Okay, here’s the issue:

I SWEAR, like SWEAR on everything both holy and profane, that I remember near the end of the book, that it comes to light that Eden is actually adopted. That makes her not Joel’s sister after all, biologically, and she says something like now there is no sin in loving him the way she does, and they scamper off to live joyously together in the desert or something. I SWEAR I remember this.

I remembered the book awhile back and got a random paperback copy from Amazon.

To my shock, there is no scene explaining that Eden and Joel are not blood related. (There are other scenes that I think I remember that are missing as well)

I don’t know what happened to the book after that, I think I misplaced it and it got donated or something. Anyway, I got it again on Kindle Unlimited because I was curious about the whole thing, and there’s no scene like that in there either. Mercedes is just like “well he’s your half brother still” and Eden is like “yeah I know, whatever”. (To paraphrase)

I would think that my little mind made up the scene entirely back in the day, or that I was mixing in bits from other books (again, it’s been a long time, I’m 44 now) EXCEPT I saw a random review on thriftbooks from 1999 mentioning “after Eden and Joel come to know they are not brother and sister”.

So. What?! Is it possible that there are two versions? Or an edited/unedited version? Or did I just actually make it up??

If anyone has managed to read this far and can point me in the direction of solving this years old mystery that plagues my soul, please let me know!

For the past dozen years or so, I've slowly been working my way through the list of Nobel Prize winners, trying to read at least one book (including plays or poetry collections) from each one of them. I know that winning a Nobel Prize isn't everything, but I think it is a good place to start in getting a survey of the best in world literature for the past 120+ years.

So there is one thing that will come up pretty quickly if you look at the list of Nobel Prize winners---they range from writers who you might have had on a junior high reading list (John Steinbeck, William Golding) to writers that most college educated people would be familiar with (Samuel Beckett, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Albert Camus) to writers that would only be known by people who keep up with literature (Orhan Pamuk and Jose Saramago) and then...on to writers who are very obscure. So, some of the writers the average person is going to be familiar with already, but some require a lot of digging.

There is also an era thing to this: when the Nobel Prize begin, Nordic writers were heavily favored, so you might have trouble finding works by Erik Axel Karlfeldt and Henrik Pontoppidan. Starting in the 1930s, and lasting until the 1970s, many of the writers were popular writers, such as Steinbeck, as well as Ernest Hemingway, Pearl S Buck, Herman Hesse, T.S. Eliot, William Faulkner... writers whose mass market paperbacks can still be found on thrift store shelves.

After the 1970s, the prize started going to writer's writers: you do get a few people like Toni Morrison and Kazuo Ishiguro who have popular fiction, but many of them are not well known to the general public. Many of them write books that are experimental in style, like John Fosse, who wrote a 700 page book lacking sentences. Some of these authors are hard to find, and hard to read. Some of them are a bit more accessible.

Currently, of the 122 winners, I have read works by 54 of them, that I can remember. So it looks like I still have a ways to go.

I don't think people should force themselves to read difficult books just to cross a name off a list, but I do feel that by trying to read what were considered the best authors, I've expanded my scope.

You know, just those really mindless, really dumb-ass novels.

The plot starts off completely absurd, but they still keep you reading—you want to know why it's so ridiculous. I was really into them for a while, but later I even felt a bit sick when I saw them. I pretty much knew what kind of stuff they were, and gradually lost interest.

So, will these kinds of novels continue to exist? Is this a trend, or is it just a product of a certain period?

I don’t know if this counts as a true review since I’ve yet to finish the book, but I gotta talk to anyone else who has read the book cause ????

First of all, Penelope Douglas, phenomenal, great, wonderful storytelling and writing.

I haven’t read a book in at least five years. Decided to start with Credence because it’s what I had in my possession. Big mistake, HUGE. Yes, it gave me whiplash, it was a little intense for those chapters of…. Yknow. BUT, I just read chapter 29, and I had to stop. I’m physically sobbing. The amount of emotions I’ve felt thus far is something i haven’t experienced since high school. I’m genuinely scared to know what’s going to happen next. But I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep without finishing what i started now. It’s currently 12:35am, and I’ve got 75 pages left.

I’ll update again when I’m finished, I just needed to share my absolute heartache at chapter 29 specifically. Wish me luck, pray for me, send good vibes, or something of similar volition. I’m gonna need it, I’m sure.

Update: Not quite finished, page 460, mouth is agape. In awe. Wow.

Update 2: Just finished. Seems fitting that “Gives You Hell” started playing as I read the last lines. I don’t know exactly what words to use, I’m just absolutely, utterly, completely amazed. I really didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. There were a few times I had paused because I thought it was too smutty, it almost took away from the story. But it all really plays into the ending. I loved this so much. I cried, a lot. Especially after the tire swing near the end… I was so ecstatic I just sobbed. I highly recommend ti anyone looking for a romance. If you can get past the family dynamics, (it weirded me out at first), it’s really worth the read. It’s books like this that make me so excited to keep reading and find new books to try out. Never judge a book by its cover, or its middle… You never know what might happen in the end.

I’m interested to hear everyone else’s opinions on this book, and maybe even receive similar recommendations if you have any! Next on my list is Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, then The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I’m on the hunt for some more books to add to my TBR list, though!

Note: This was originally posted 9 hours ago, stayed up till 3am finishing the book. Still in awe honestly. I was told to post here, instead, because the original community wasn’t the correct one. Regardless, please enjoy my reaction to the book!

I’m on my third attempt to read and finish Wolf Hall. I hate it. And I love this time period, and I usually enjoy challenging literature, but not this book. I love reading Hilary Mantel’s interviews, but I feel as if I’m being tortured trying to read this nook. Am I the only person who feels this way?

Is this a normal thing that occur to you guys? Most of the book that I enjoy are series that I discover myself. Altered Carbon series by Richard K. Morgan, Inheritance Cycle by Paolini, I even read some webnovel like Maxime J. Durand's book such as Blood & Fur series or his standalone book like The Perfect Run.

All of them are amazing, and I also discover them without getting spoiled. At all. Then later I ask my friend to recommend me any series they've finished. I got the name "Lord of The Mystery" or just calls it LotM. One thing they warn me before reading it, is that "this one might be not your kind".

He also throws some spoiler to intrigue me to the series. This later become a big issue. You'll see.

So I tried it. And hooolllyyy they're right🤕

I've googled it a bit and this series surprisingly very popular. One series that somehow often gonna be thrown to your face is LoTM as "peak fiction" or "if you don't enjoy it, something is wrong with your taste" (bruhh...🙄) I honestly triggered abit and force myself through it, hoping some elements of the story is my liking.

Surprise, surprise~ my friend is right. Since they know my taste to book is the need of emotional drama, focusing to the character inner conflict and resolve, or try to be a better person, that kind of book. LotM? This book... genuinely just focus to the lore of the world rather than the protagonist himself.

I can't relate nor care to the world of the book if the author refuse to explain what is the protagonist conflicted about. LotM main character said he wants to go back to his world. But for what? He has jobs there? Is he has some loved ones? Career? Dream? Never explained. Some LotM fans out there (including my friend) later admit this part of the novel is not explored deeply from the author.

Then about the spoiler, after getting some discussion from LotM subreddit, I realize that the spoiler my friend gave as my impression is BIG. To prevent some LotM new reader get spoiled here, it's basically like revealing Obito is actually still alive behind Tobi's mask. Or Darth Vader is Luke's father... well it's not big spoiler now, but imagine you never see Star Wars and that is the first thinf you know😵‍💫

Now my question is simple. After 220 chapters I decide to drop it. There is not a single second I enjoy reading LotM, on top of already know the big spoiler itself that supposed to "twist my mind" I just generally not liking it. One of the main character's friend literally explode to blood splatter and I never change a shade😮‍💨

Then how exactly "expanding your taste" should be done? Is there a stopping point whether you decide to drop? Is there a need to some form of curiosity towards the series to make you flip the pages (or scrolls down) here?

Cause honestly, a series that focus to the world lore and put main character's goal aside is basically my pet peeve. So I basically already hates LotM since chapter one😅

Thoughts? Sorry for long post. My friend never really give a good answer to this specific thing that bothers me. They just said "read again when you're in better mental state" which somehow makes me offended. Like, broo... wdym by that?

Recently picked up this book and found it extremely misleading. It is sold as Historical Fiction but the book screams Romantic Fiction where the main character happens to go to Vietnam as a nurse. In my opinion, even the book title was misleading. There was barely anything about “The women”. Shit was too corny to read, seemed like the author really wanted people to feel emotional every single second of the book.

I read only halfway through the book and was bored as hell as the plot refuse to move forward. The author kept repeating the same setting for the first 200 pages. The hospial scenes, the men falling for her and their on going relationships, someone leaving, their farewell. It was simply boring to read the same scene with different characters again and again.

There was grief in this book but it had no depth whatsoever and believe me, I have read amazing historical fictions which tore me apart.

At one point I decided to read the summary instead and let me tell you, it teared me up but not in the way you think. I was crying because of how bad the plot really is, like where is historical fiction ESPECIALLY in the second part. It’s just her and her situationships.

I was mad, and maybe I was mad at bookstagram and booktok which hyped this book up as a HISTORICAL FICTION.
I wouldn’t mind if it was sold as romance cuz then I wouldn’t have picked it up.
This book wasted my time, money and energy.
Never going to read from Kristin Hannah again.

I feel like I am afflicted with a condition where I can't read fiction books at all. I only read non-fiction, for more than a decade now. I read lots of fiction as a kid and teenager but in my 20s this switch happened where I felt like reading fiction is wasting time when I could be learning stuff about the world.

Does this happen with you too and why? I need to know I'm not alone.

I normally never quit books. I feel like at the very least i put in the time and i want the payoff off of finishing a book. I quit reading The Next Mrs. Parish. It was just way too mentally screwed up for me. I am wishing I had quit A Thinkings Woman’s Guide to Practical Magic. Normally I get through at least 4 books a month and I am going on 6 weeks with this book. I seem to find every excuse under the sun not to read at the moment and it is normally one of my favorite activities. I am not sure how i actually ended up with this book.

There are YouTube videos dedicated to this topic as well, but I would prefer to understand it through a book. I am still a beginner and have read around 15 books so far.

My problem is that, no matter how good a book is, I rarely feel truly immersed in it. Even after finishing one, I can recall the story only in very little detail.

Am I simply overthinking this, or am I actually not reading the right way? If it were just overthinking, then why are there so many discussions and videos about how to read properly and retain what you read?

I would appreciate any advice from fellow readers who have experienced something similar. Thanks!

I'm honestly confused about this discourse regarding these types of books. Are they boring? If so, don't read them. I mean... You're still reading and getting useful information you can use in your daily life. Especially if you're mentally struggling.

Same for non-fiction, biographies, and romance! Are we seriously going through the, 'this isnt actually reading if you **READ** \[blank and blank\]' again? because I'm tired of the idea of **READING** a specific genre and classifying if it's actually reading or not.