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Why do I keep spoiling things for myself?
I have this terrible habit of needing to know everything and not just learning things naturally. I ruin the magic of suspense when reading, watching movies, and playing games. I'm currently reading The Fairy Godmother, book one in the Five Hundred Kindoms series by Mercedes Lackey. I am 75% into the book and just started googling if Elena and Alexander have a happy ending knowing that the magic forces at play only leave the option of Alexander becoming the Cad, breaking Elena's heart or The Betrayer who steals her magic or ruins her happiness somehow. Why do I need to know that before reading it? Why is it my instinct to Google answers and not find out things for myself? It ruins the magic!
I was just thinking about this the other night. I remember in the dexter TV show, at the end of Season 4, something extreme happens. My jaw hit the floor and I had to rewind the final scene a few times before I believed what I just saw. That scene shocked me to my core. No other TV scene has ever made me feel that way. It's because I never let myself be surprised! So I'm trying so hard to not spoil things for myself. Let everything play out naturally so I'm shocked, surprised, happy, or can say Ha I knew that was coming!
Thankfully I stopped googling my Elena and Alexander question. I really want to read the end of the book and just find out for myself. It just very hard when my instinct is to ruin the surprise because I need answers and need insta gratification. This habit sucks! I'm going to work very hard on never googling things like this again because I want the magic of being in the moment as the story unfolds and NOT know what will happen. Thanks for listening to my random rant of how I have a habit of spoiling books that I read. Is anyone else like this?
https://redd.it/1hn7ygd
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The Transience of Things: Yokohama Shopping Log
Just last night, I finished reading the manga series Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (also known as the Yokohama Shopping Log in English).
These series (which I’ll refer to as YKK from now on), have been seen as a part of many different genres, from Solarpunk to cozy fiction, to post-apocalyptic. And they are honestly all of them. It is a phenomenal read, mostly because of how it is able to convey so many emotions of nostalgia, sadness, coziness and calmness together.
The story takes place in Japan, sometime in the distant (or maybe closer, given current global events) future: climate change has rampaged the Earth, sea levels are rising more and more each year, and as it seems, the usual world order has, for the most part, faltered. Our main character is Alpha Hatsuseno (or just Alpha), a sentient android girl, who runs a small café in some isolated region in the flooded Miura Peninsula near Yokohama. The manga tells of her everyday life as she runs her business, meets with local neighbors and friends and partakes in various hobbies and errands.
There’s certainly both cozy and Solarpunk characteristics in the story: electric scooters seem to be a rather commonplace mode of transportation, bioluminescent streetlights exist in some regions, and of course, Alpha and a few of her friends are all sentient androids, living among humans. The plot is a simple slice-of-life story, dealing with everyday events in the life of the main protagonist and her friends, although sometimes diverting to tell a story from a different person’s perspective: Alpha rebuilds her café after a catastrophic typhoon, her neighbor, Uncle, reminisces about his youth days with his friend, the local doctor, and his nephew and Alpha’s friend, Takahiro, grows up from a young boy chasing a mysterious wild girl hidden in the forest, to a man that works and lives away from the familiarity of his old neighborhood.
If you’re looking for an action-filled story, then YKK may not be for you, although some more action-filled scenes and stories do exist in it. Even though it is certainly a part of both Solarpunk and cozy fiction imo, this series is bittersweet: as the story goes, and you see places and characters changing, while Alpha, being an immortal machine, stays the same, you realize the sad truth: this is a world that’s dying. This is the Dusk of Humanity, although, instead of fighting or falling into depression, Humanity has just accepted it, and has decided to spend its last moments as happily and peacefully as they can. Alpha embodies this the best: she’s curious about the world around her, even If it’s crumbling, always searching, travelling, and taking the time to observe and enjoy the little things, like fireflies or a meteor shower. It reminds us that there’s more to life than school or work. That our lives are short, and, we might as well enjoy the world around us while we can do it.
I loved this story, and it left a bittersweet taste in my tongue when it was over. I invite you to check it out. Although it is quite long, there isn’t as much dialogue as you would expect, so you can just follow the images. There’s also a short anime series, which can be found on YT from what I know, but I haven’t watched it yet (I’ll certainly will).
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I learned literally today that the 1947 movie 'Miracle on 34th Street' had an accompanying novella. It's bad.
Earlier today, I was researching one of my all-time favourite Christmas movies: Miracle on 34th Street, released in 1947. I found out that, as well as the well-known remake in 1994, there were also three television adaptations over the decades.
And there was a novella.
The man who came up with the original story for this movie, Valentine Davies, didn't write the screenplay. He offered it to his friend, director George Seaton, who sold the idea to 20th Century Fox, and who wrote the screenplay. But Davies still had "Story By" credit in the movie.
The studio decided to get a book published, to coincide with the movie's release. They put Davies in touch with a friendly publisher (Harcourt Brace & Company), who worked with Davies to get it written and printed.
It's only a short novella, about 23,000 words.
I bought it as an e-book today, and read it almost in a single sitting. It only took about an hour and a half.
And, it's awful.
Valentine Davies won an Oscar for Best Original Story for the movie. He got nominated for another Oscar for another screenplay. He was the President of the Screen Writers Guild for a hot minute.
But he could not write good prose to save himself. The writing in this novella is simple, blunt, and unexciting. It's only a step above "See Dick run. Run Dick, run." The vocabulary is adult level, but the sentence structure comes straight out of those childhood readers. There's so much simple exposition. He tells us in plain blunt terms what the characters think and feel. There's no subtlety. He'd obviously never heard of "Show, don't tell." And so on.
The only good parts of the novella are the lines of dialogue - which Davies didn't actually write. Davies openly acknowledges in his foreword that the novella is effectively a collaboration, because he used Seaton's writing from the screenplay as well as his own material. The contrast between Davies' sections and Seaton's material is painfully obvious.
I'm very disappointed.
At least the movie is still a classic.
https://redd.it/1hmrryr
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Favorite Books with Flying: December 2024
Welcome readers,
December 17 was Wright Brothers Day and to celebrate we're discussing books that involve flying!
If you'd like to read our previous weekly discussions of fiction and nonfiction please visit the suggested reading section of our wiki.
Thank you and enjoy!
https://redd.it/1hmnwa4
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Can Anyone Spoil A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg for me?
I've had A Redbird Christmas sitting on my shelf for a decade and finally chose to read it.
Throughout the book, I kept hesitating due to the focus on Jack. I have dealt with too much pet loss over the last few years and animals in movies and books hit me hard.
Of course, then I get to the part that I was dreading would happen. I don't want to cry on Christmas so once I hit this part, I chose to just put the book down and DNF.
I don't feel like by not finishing, I'm missing out on some great read. Much of the book you can tell how it could play out.
But I'm still curious how it all finishes. I saw in a review that Jack sort of comes back? I'd love to have the ending spoiled!
Thank you!!!
https://redd.it/1hmilue
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How do you feel about jumping timelines?
another commenter pointed out this could mean a lot of things. I suppose I mean any sort of nonlinear narrative. Either changing POVs, or jumping to the past/future.
I’m reading God of the Woods rn and it has this. Nearly every great lit-fiction book I’ve read in the past 5 years has this.
Sometimes I love it when you can skip chapters of a certain storyline you don’t like. Sometimes I hate it because there’s seemingly no benefit to the jumping - can’t I just read one goddmn linear story?
How do you feel?
https://redd.it/1hmdvks
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Child Military Camp Book?
Hello and Merry Christmas. Talking to family had me hear about a bill that Paris Hilton has been sponsoring and recently got passed about children facing abuse in a school-like-setting. It made me remember this book I read almost 10ish years ago about a Boy in the same situation:
He did something to get sent to a “military” school out east (USA), and when there realized it’s more/less a giant prison for kids. Weeks go by and he has friends he meets in this prison, there’s a bully that is secretly working for the school to keep kids “in check”, and eventually this boy and a girl he meets and falls for (she’s the only “different” one, or she at least knows this whole thing is messed up) they run and escape, hiding and sleeping in a gas station or something, trying to make it to Canada.
I read this book and loved it, but I can’t remember the name for the life of me. Google searches throughout the night fail me no matter what I put (maybe i’m bad at searching or google got worse). Anything helps, thanks!
https://redd.it/1hmc872
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Dickens books are hard work.
I'm reading Oliver ATM, and bloody hell, to the modern reader the writing style is arduous. The story itself is fantastic (there's a reason they his works are popular), but half a page exhaulting the reader, then another two or three paragraphs, describing how good looking a girl is.
Are his other works similar? It's not that I'm not enjoying the book, but it would be half the length without the waffle.
https://redd.it/1hm31he
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The End of Loneliness touched me in a way no book ever has.
I just finished “The End of Loneliness” by Benedict Wells. Came across this on a book channel I follow. I haven’t found much on it other than a couple posts. From what I understand it was a hit in Germany.
It’s a story that walks you through a man’s journey through life and loss. The writing was beautiful, I related with so much that was on the pages. A difficult but beautiful read. The first book I have given 5 stars in years. I would suggest this to almost everyone. I’m blown away I can’t find more discussion on it. Genuinely feel like this could end up as one of my favourite books.
https://redd.it/1hlumt2
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"Earthlings," what was your opinion? SPOILERS
>!I feel kind of neutral about this book. I'm happy it was short and I also did not care for the writing. The dialogue was very strange and unnatural and I'm not entirely sure if this is a result of translation, or if it was an artistic choice to make the aliens seem more foreign.!<
>!It was a weird book and the ending I'm sure a lot of people found disturbing, but It did not make me feel uncomfortable or nauseous, as some people describe. I was expecting something to this effect. I am also not sure if these people were sharing a delusion that they were Popinpobopians, or if they were actually aliens. !<
https://redd.it/1hlrr8y
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My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
I read and loved both Anxious People and A Man Called Ove (the only ones I have heard/seen people talk about) by Fredrik Blackman, but this one may be my favorite. It so perfectly captures youth, loss, and family. I felt I was in a bit of a slump before I picked this book up. It winds up fantasy and reality in a way so beautiful and childlike. It is full of whimsy and hope.
https://redd.it/1hlnq02
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Thoughts on the curious incident of dog in the night time?
I just finished reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and it was so different from what I expected. Going in, I thought it would be a funny, lighthearted book, but it turned out to be a deeper exploration of family, truth, and relationships.
When I started reading, I thought the book is going to be about the mystery of Wellington the dog’s death, but the book quickly became more about Christopher’s world and how he experiences it. His logical, orderly way of thinking was fascinating—he needs everything to be in its place, and his straightforward nature made the narrative unique. I never expected to dive into his personal journey and his struggle with trust and honesty.
One of the most striking parts of the book for me was Christopher’s relationship with his father. Despite the father's mistakes—like hiding the truth about Christopher’s mother and even killing the dog—I found myself sympathizing with him. His actions were inexcusable, but I could understand that he was just trying to protect Christopher from an overwhelming truth, knowing how much it might upset him. We've seen how Christopher reacts when things don’t go according to plan, such as when he gets upset, skips meals, or has a breakdown.
On the other hand, I felt really angry at Christopher's mother. Her decision to leave was selfish, and it was heartbreaking to see Christopher later choose her over his father, even though I could understand why he did. It felt like she betrayed him in a way that was harder to forgive.
In the end, the book showed me how much Christopher needs honesty from the people around him. He’s smart but simple in his needs—he just wants the truth, and when that is withheld, it breaks his trust.
I’m curious about others’ thoughts on Christopher’s parents and the way he handled the truth in the story. Did anyone else feel conflicted about the father's actions? And how did you feel about Christopher’s relationship with his mother?
https://redd.it/1hllczx
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Short stories by Richard Connell (author of "A Dangerous Game")
**There's more to Richard Connell than just his best-known story "A Dangerous Game"!**
American writer Richard Connell (1893–1949) is best known for his classic short story, "The Most Dangerous Game." That particular work has been frequently anthologized and is highly regarded for good reasons. It is a tense tale where a hunter becomes the prey for a sadistic man on a deserted island, and must use all his wits to survive.
But Connell was a very versatile writer who also wrote screenplays, novels, journalism articles, as well as many other excellent short stories. While "A Dangerous Game" is more of an adventure/suspense story, many of Connell's other short stories full into the category of wit, satire, and humour, and these I especially enjoyed. Some of my favourite short stories by Connell that I can recommend:
Adventure/Mystery genre
* Dangerous Game: A hunter gets shipwrecked on a secluded island, where he himself becomes prey for a sadistic aristocrat who hunts humans.
* The Stolen Crime: What happens if two men debate a way to make a perfect crime, and someone decides to act on it?
* The Law’s An Ass: Can a lawyer get away with a perfect crime that makes him immensely rich?
Humor/Quirky genre
* A House in the Country: A man is already preparing the tiniest details of the building of his own home, even though he owns nothing as yet.
* A Reputation: Saunders Rook wants to be popular in his club, and saying he'll commit suicide gets him plenty of attention, but will he have to stick to it?
* Honor Among Sportsmen: Two truffle hunters honor social conventions despite a disagreement at a truffle hunting championship
* Mr Pottle and Culture: To woo widow Gallup, simple barber Ambrose Pottle must outdo another suitor who is a brilliant conversationalist.
* Sssssssssshhhh!: A journalist visits a town where people mysteriously communicate to each other in cryptic hand signals - but why?
* The Battle of Washington Square: A vagrant finds people treat him with respect when he becomes a soldier, but what happens when he loses his memory?
* The Golden Bum: A powerful billionaire can't escape the trappings of his wealth, but is there was a way for him to enjoy a simple fishing life?
* The Man Who Could Imitate a Bee: An expert in birds finds that social success comes instead by mimicking the sound of a bee
* The Prince Has the Mumps: When the crown prince can't complete an important speech because of illness, his father the king comes up with an absurd plan.
* The Sin of Monsieur Pettipon: A ship's steward takes great pride in his immaculate cleanliness, but a passenger finds a shameful animal on his cabin floor.
In some ways his style reminds me a little of H.H. Munro (Saki) and O. Henry. You can easily find all these short stories online. Recommended!
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What are your favourite retelling a of classics to read as a pair.
I recently finished James by Percival Everett after a reread of Huckleberry Finn. I am now currently rereading David Copperfield before I pick up Demon Copperhead. What are your favourite retellings or re-imaginings that lend to a thoughtful deconstruction of the original?
I’ve had my fill of new takes on mythology and fairy tales, so am looking more for pairings like those mentioned above. Thanks!
https://redd.it/1hl81mh
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I hate the new Netflix signs on books
It's probably been said before but I have so much indignation about it. How dare you stake your claim on the original works, Netflix. You have your fingers in enough pots, now your symbol is plastered onto your source material??
It makes beautiful covers look tacky and I struggle with wanting to buy a book that looks like that. Just Ugh. It's just as bad as the indigo exclusive stickers that tear the cover off!
I've never done a hate rant but this seems like a reasonable one.
https://redd.it/1hl30dp
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I just finished Throne of Glass...I don't get the emotional hype
I read ACOTAR a few years ago and Crescent City when the most recent book came out and thought they were alright, so when my friend suggested I read her favorite series from the same author, I figured why not. Now, I was very explicitly told not to look online for any information regarding the books until I'd read the entire series, so when I finished the last book a few days ago one of the first things I did was get online and start looking up all the fanart and memes I'd so wanted to see while reading. And the most common sentiment I've seen? People sobbing over various parts of the series, talking about how emotional certain scenes were, and losing their minds over how many feelings the series invoked in them.
Now, I didn't dislike these books. I thought they were a pretty fun read (except for Tower of Dawn, but we won't get into that) and I rated most of the books a 4/5. That being said, I didn't cry once. None of the plot twists or cliffhangers had me gasping or losing my ish. The most emotion I felt pretty much the entire time was during a few scenes in the last book when I thought "oh that's cool, I'd like to see that in a tv show". This isn't usual for me either, I'm usually very emotional about books and shows to the point of overreaction (I cry every time I watch Kung Fu Panda). So I started thinking about why none of the big hitters in Throne of Glass got me. The best example of what I mean is >!in Heir of Fire when the orchestra plays in mourning black and then is "disappeared". Everyone talks about how that was the most emotionally impactful scene in the entire series, and while I definitely think it was a meaningful scene it didn't feel like the lead up to it made it feel like the gut punch it was intended to. It was sad (to me at least) because it was comparable to emotional moments in the real world's history, not because the world of the book was hugely impacted by it.!<
I can totally get why people would feel emotional about things in the book and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I can also see why people would disagree with me on how well-written the emotional beats are and I'm ok with that. Just because I don't get the hype doesn't mean I don't understand that there is hype. I just wonder if others had a similar reading experience, or whether anyone has pieced together why the book's emotional moments worked/didn't work the way they did.
https://redd.it/1hn43ab
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Check out r/bookclub's line up for January
#With approval from the mods
In January r/bookclub will be reading;
#- Gleanings
The Arc of Scythe #3.5 by Neal Shusterman - (Jan. 1 - Jan. 29)
#- The God of the Woods
by Liz Moore - (Jan. 2 - Jan. 30)
#- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store
by James McBride - (Jan. 3 - Jan. 31)
#- Magic Mountain
by Thomas Mann - (Jan. 4 - Feb. 15)
#- Go, Went, Gone
by Jenny Erpenbeck - (Jan. 7 - Jan. 28)
#- Silent Parade
Detective Galileo #4 by Keigo Higashino - (Jan. 7 - Jan. 28)
#- Children of Memory
Children of Time #2 by Adrian Tchaikovsky - (Jan. 15 - Feb. 19)
#- Foundation's Edge
Foundation #4 by Isaac Asimov - (Jan. 11 - Feb. 8)
#- Dead Man's Walk
Lonesome Dove #3 by Larry McMurtry - (TBD)
#- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
by James Joyce - (TBD)
We are also continuing with;
#- Oliver Twist
by Charles Dickens - (Dec. 8 - Jan. 19)
#- Fairy Tale
by Stephen King - (Dec. 16 - Jan. 27)
#The Sunlit Man
by Brandon Sanderson - (Dec. 20 - Jan. 10)
#The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah - (Dec. 22 - Jan. 26)
#Like Water For Chocolate
by Laura Esquivel - (Dec. 26 - Jan. 9)
For the full list of discussion schedules, additional info and rules head to the JANUARY Book Menu Post here
Come join us 📚
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Are we becoming a post-literate society? - Technology has changed the way many of us consume information, from complex pieces of writing to short video clips
https://www.ft.com/content/e2ddd496-4f07-4dc8-a47c-314354da8d46
https://redd.it/1hmp2t6
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Suggestions for home library management software?
I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for software for managing your book collections?
Like most people on this sub, I've not got a lot of books. Between my wife's and my grown up book collection and the kids' sprawling collection of children's books, there are a lot of books all over our house. And not only are they in great quantity, but they're also located in lots of different places- some on the main bookshelves in our lounge, some in each bedroom, some in the study, some packed away in longer term storage.
Frankly, it's impossible to keep track of.
I've looked idly at library software, but most of it is targeted at real libraries and is a) overkill with lending and payment features and the like, and b) expensive. I don't mind paying for software, but not institutional prices!
All I really need is something that will let me scan barcodes and tag a location for each book. Preferably something that'll play nice with desktop computers rather than just a phone app, but that might be asking too much!
So: any recommendations? What are you using to organise your books?
https://redd.it/1hmlclv
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Small changes that improved reading
As a lifelong reader, I’ve had reading phases and years where I clung to certain genres. There were also years where I had terrible reading slumps, and at times the reason for these slumps wasn’t so clear to me. Eventually, I discovered that if I cut certain things out from what I typically looked for in a book, I would enjoy it more.
One of the things I found out I didn’t like reading about was romance. Once I started looking for books that did not include romance at all there was a huge improvement. First, I found relief in nonfiction, and then I found excellent fiction books without any romance. This is not to say I won’t read a book with romance. Classics with romance are usually fine. There’s just something about contemporary fiction with romance that I don’t enjoy, especially when it’s central to the plot. I need a very good reason to pick a book like this up.
I find it interesting because I’ve had major reading phases throughout my life where I’ve jumped to various genres for long periods. In this way, I’ve come to better understand what I may or may not enjoy and have always been willing to try new genres.
I’m curious if other readers have discovered things that seem to kill a read for them. This is one of the things that got me out of a reading slump. What were some things other readers found for themselves?
https://redd.it/1hmhu4u
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A little life 😒
I’m only 500 pages in, so no spoilers please. But Jude is literally SO annoying and selfish. It’s making me mad. Everyone around him is putting their entire life on hold to be there for him and he can’t even attempt to get help for his problems. He acts like he cares so much about everyone else, but he sees how bad they are all hurt by his “attempt” and his self harm yet makes absolutely zero effort to solve anything. He refuses to simply try therapy (that they literally set up for him) or even open up to any of his friends/parents at his big age of 40-something. He actually refuses to do anything except sit around and feel sorry for himself.
I get he’s had a hard life but for how many years are you going to make Harold, Willem and Andy (etc) prove over and over again that they care about you, for how long are you going to take advantage of their kindness that you say you don’t deserve while continuing to shut them out then mope about being unloveable?
I feel terrible for Jude but why not try to become the person that is worthy of your friends’ love, if you think you’re too broken to deserve it.
https://redd.it/1hmclzd
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I've determined that either Jim Qwilleran, Koko, or Yum Yum is an arsonist.
Lillian Jackson Braun wrote 29 mystery novels before she died. Basic trope: journalist James MacIntosh Qwilleran always seems to find himself involved with a murder. The perfect trope for a murder mystery series. I do see a problem, though.
Every single place the guy lives, always seems to be destroyed by fire. In a series that spanned less than a decade, I believe he had at least 5 homes go up in smoke. Most fires were never "solved" so I think him or one of his cats was doing it. It didn't matter if it was an apartment he rented, an apartment that he owned, or an old apple barn he had converted into a home. By the time the apple barn home caught fire, I was ready to give up on the series. Too many fires. It was becoming a trope.
Have you found any other authors that fell into a trope cycle?
https://redd.it/1hm63sp
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Jewish Literature: December 2024
Shalom readers,
This is our weekly discussion of the literature of the world! Every Wednesday, we'll post a new country or culture for you to recommend literature from, with the caveat that it must have been written by someone from that country (i.e. Shogun by James Clavell is a great book but wouldn't be included in Japanese literature).
Today is the first day of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, and to celebrate we're discussing Jewish literature. Please use this thread to discuss your favorite Jewish literature and authors!
If you'd like to read our previous discussions of the literature of the world please visit the literature of the world section of our wiki.
Toda and enjoy!
https://redd.it/1hm0bxx
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Returning to Harry Potter as an adult
Harry Potter was my absolute favorite book series as a kid. Lately, I've been listening to the audiobooks narrated by the incredible Stephen Fry. I have complicated feelings about it. It's very nostalgic, and the world feels just as vibrant and immersive as it did when I was younger. However, it feels tainted by JK Rowling's virulent transphobia. It's hard to separate the art from the artist given that she's using the fame and money from the franchise to take away rights from trans people. There's also some unsettling elements present- this is a book series in which someone's appearance is almost always reflective of their character. If someone is too fat, too skinny, too ugly, etc, they are guaranteed to be evil or at least an asshole. I think you can see reflected here an attitude of essentialism, and it's not hard to imagine how someone who thinks that way could believe that gender is determined by the sex you're assigned at birth.
Anyways, here's some other assorted thoughts as I reread:
-Grief is definitely the theme at the heart of this series. I think that's more recognizable to me now, and it's a very well written element.
-Harry being a Horcrux is a REALLY good twist. It's foreshadowed from the very beginning, and is also very thematically interesting (the hero having an element of evil within him)
-I think I'm now much more interested by the adults' storylines, and how they pass on their conflicts and trauma to the next generation.
-None of the romantic relationships in this book have a shred of chemistry. It makes it worse that everyone has to be paired up by the end. The platonic relationships are all WAY more interesting.
-I don't agree with people who complain about plot holes in this series. Quidditch, the monetary system, wizards needing to stay secret, etc, are all things that are not necessarily supposed to make sense. It's whimsical and nonsensical on purpose. I think she really did slip up with the thestrals though.
-There's actually some pretty great commentary here on how fascism operates. I don't really agree with people who say the themes here are regressive or something- it's pretty strongly progressive and anti-fascist. Except for the house elf bits. Yeesh.
https://redd.it/1hltukz
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Has anyone read The New Yorker’s December fiction story?
I read “Between the Shadow and the Soul” by Lauren Groff, and it’s a wonderful story. The prose is great, she does a phenomenal job of creating tension, and the suspense kept me glued to my screen until the end. I’m having a hard time interpreting the story, and I’d like to hear some other opinions on the story to see if I’m understanding the subtleties of the story correctly.
https://redd.it/1hlo1aq
@r_books
If you read a book by an author and did not like it, do you read other books by the same author?
I have a couple authors on my list that I won’t read again. I’m wondering if I’m alone in that? It’s usually the first book I’ve read by an author, and not like the fifth and I stop, so I admittedly don’t go very far in these writers journeys because it’s like it leaves a bad taste and I won’t read anything else of theirs. Sometimes I feel like I’m missing out because other books sound good, but I can’t bring myself to read anything else because life’s too short to read books you don’t enjoy. So do you all read books by an author if you didn’t enjoy the first one you’ve read of theirs? Do you give them a second chance?
https://redd.it/1hlnqiq
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Librarians display love for books, history and keeping Jewish traditions alive
https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/local_news/librarians-display-love-for-books-history-and-keeping-jewish-traditions-alive/article_0a753432-c16c-11ef-8397-6720c7724603.html
https://redd.it/1hlkkh7
@r_books
Why isn’t book word count on every book database website?
The only site I’m aware of that lists the word count of a book is Kobo’s. It’s useful information and I don’t understand why it hasn’t been adopted across all sites. Movie database sites always list length in minutes.
It seems like it would be easy to do with appropriate word count software, and would be far more beneficial to have than to not.
Anyone know why this hasn’t been widely adopted?
https://redd.it/1hktx7z
@r_books
I’m 37 and I just finished John William’s Stoner…
And the story of William Stoner’s life has absolutely devastated me. They say this book will hit you differently depending on where you’re at in life when you sit down and read it and man oh man did it mess up my middle aged self. Stoner will stay with me the rest of my life, easily in my top 3 books all time and may be 1. Art like this make me so grateful to be alive.
https://redd.it/1hl6qwx
@r_books
The New York Bookstore That Lets You Visit France for an Afternoon
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/t-magazine/albertine-french-bookstore-new-york-212.html
https://redd.it/1hl25s3
@r_books