So there are three books that I loved the style of storytelling/storyline that I would like to read more of but I have no idea how to put it into words.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman

It’s been years since I’ve read these books but they have just stuck with me and I love them so much.

Plz halp

It’s apparently very very different than the musical/movie…My teenager wants to read it and I’ve seen some people make some pretty wild claims about the content. I found a PDF and did some skimming/searching and didn’t find anything crazy - did I just not look at the right terms or is it just not that bad?

If anyone has page numbers they think I should read before I commit to her reading it, that would be very helpful. Pretty open to her reading things, but want to verify some of the things I’ve seen people say versus what is actually written on the page.

A newly-made friend suggested we buddy read a lovely novel together after we discovered we've both had it on our lists for a while.

I've actually never been part of a book club and I also haven't done something smaller like this (in effect, a two-person virtual book club?). I've always been a solitary reader. How does one go about it?

I want it to be a fun experience for both of us, not just reading a few chapters every day until we're done and then exchanging notes (isn't that how it usually works?). What can I suggest to make it more enjoyable for both of us? Something different?

I would like to do this again with her in the future, so I want to make it a truly unique and memorable experience for both of us that we can look forward to every time.

Thank you in advance for all your ideas!

Long story short, I just finished 'Don't Let the Forest In' and love is not a strong enough word for what I feel for it. I'm looking for more book recs like this, specifically gothic queer fantasy horror. I've read 'A Dark and Drowning Tide' and the Sworn Soldier series, which i liked, but 'Don't Let the Forest In' is just something else. Any help is appreciated!

So a royal romance or something kind of family drama where the female protagonist is pressurized into getting married to a nice and perfect man but she is the rebellious sort who does not want to tie herself down. This man chases her and protects her and ultimately they fall in love and the girl gives in. Really wanting to read such types. Please suggest if you know any.

I'll let you know the types I've liked so far(unrelated to the description I just gave) SYLVIA DAY, crossfire series Julie garwood, the bride Lisa kleypas the wallflower series Make me sir, by Cherise sinclair

Hey guys, I just started reading Betty by Tiffany McDaniel and I’m LOVING IT! If anyone else has just started reading Betty too/wants to start, we can discuss after every chapter?

Also I heard it’s a solely heartbreaking so I can’t wait to discuss it with someone as we read!!

I'm working on some instructions for reading short stories for a group I lead. (Our plan is to read short fiction, rather than novels, for our monthly discussions; folks are finally turning on me for the page-lengths of some of the books I've assigned over the years...)

I would love feedback on these three steps, and would especially love to hear some of your own suggestions for making sure you're spending quality time with what you read.

My assumption is that if a story is worth reading once, it's worth reading twice. (Yes I know I'm suggesting three times. Do I contradict myself? Etc etc.)

1. Read the piece through once, without taking notes or doing too much analysis. The first time through, you're getting a sense of the work's landscape, how the pieces work together to create an ecosystem. You want to see what the story looks like from the outside first.

2. Wait a day or so. Read the piece through a second time, but now with pen and paper. (Or fingers and keystrokes.) Create a character list. Jot down any favorite lines or metaphors. Write out summary.

3. Give it another day or two. For the third reading, just brainstorm the stuffing out of the story. Let your mind come to with crazy hypotheses. Make connections with other books (or really any other media). Start to get a sense of what the story is all about. And then think about what else it could mean.

I'm sure there are stories for which this system is just not appropriate, so I'm not suggesting there is any such thing as a definitive way to read; but I'd like to be able to give some structure to those who sometimes need it, and thought this community would be an ideal place for suggestions.

What should I read/buy before it's potentially banned by the gov? I've read the first handmaid's tale and am buying both in the series and a few others like 1984, animal farm, and soylent green. Any others I should read? I like fiction, fantasy(not book tok spicy),ect. I just like to read. I'm a regular at the library, but I want books that may not be there if they start disappearing if that really does happen.

Read Love In The Skies and more at www.readersnook.africa

Do you guys like read word by word or do you guys just slide it through the text? Because I don’t know if im reading text correctly and its making me frustrated and making me sway away from reading in general, I hate it.

I bought this book years ago after hearing about it on the “Stuff you should know” podcast, and I’ve FNALLY started it a few days ago! It’s pretty fascinating so far, and I highly recommend it. :)

“The Nazi regime preached an ideology of physical, mental, and moral purity. Yet as Norman Ohler reveals in this gripping new history, the Third Reich was saturated with drugs: co-caine, opiates, and, most of all, methamphetamines. Troops were encouraged, and in some cases ordered, to take rations of a form of crystal meth-the elevated energy and feelings of invincibility associated with the high even help to account for the breakneck invasion that sealed the fall of France in 1940, as well as other German military victories. Hitler himself became increasingly dependent on a cocktail of drugs-ulti-mately including Eukodal, a cousin of heroin-administered by his personal doctor.

Thoroughly researched and rivetingly readable, Blitzed throws light on a history that, until now, has remained in the shadows.”

Hi reading folk ~

I see a lot of posts from people who are frustrated by their poor focus. Everyone is different, but I'd like to share why I don't make a big deal out of my own lack of focus and how I stop feeling bad about that.

As a child, I was a great reader despite my noisy big family (4 kids). I was reading 3 to 8 books of +400 pages per months. But since I stopped needing a high focus to understand de words I'm reading, I loosed my ability of being focus on the story only.

As a teenager, I couldn't help but creating a parallel story in my head, with me alongside the protagonists or replace them by my friends. Indeed, if you asked me to summarized what I was reading... 70% of the story isn't in the book 🥲. By this time, I was reading around 1 to 3 books a month

As an adult... I'm tired after work, I can't read in the subway, I can't read without falling asleep or overthinking about my personal life. In 2019, I finished only one books with less than 400 pages.. and it takes me the entire year !

I used to think it's because of phones or short content on internet. But when I stop working at a company an entire year (health issues), I slept a lot, becomes less anxious and successfully start reading again like if I was a child !

It didn't last, I only read 3 books (~350 pages) before going back to my teenagehood habits.

Now it's been 8 months since I started a lot of books and didn't finished any of them because I prefer to invent the rest in my head 👌

I stopped being mad at myself for that, because I think the only reasons I can't focus is "being tired by the life" and "enjoy my imagination".

I can't do anything for the 1st one, excepted of trying to organize my life to rest and regain energy (not possible for everyone).

The last one become my way to consume books and I'm good with it ~

I have a question for the community:

If someone tells you they’ve read a book, how would you know if they actually understand it? And more importantly, do you think there’s any real value in having proof or certification that shows someone has truly read and comprehended a book?

I’m thinking about how much our knowledge matters in personal and professional settings, and whether formal proof of what we read could add value. What are your thoughts?

Does anyone know of a completely free text to speech generator that doesn’t sound like I’m using google translate? I drive for a living and have been wanting to listen to books as I drive but some of the ones on audible drive me insane with the way they read them. Any help/suggestions are appreciated!

I’ve always been someone who enjoys writing but didn’t enjoy reading but in an attempt to better my writing I want to read some books. I picked up fire and blood as I’m a huge fan of Game of thrones and House of the dragon and my biggest issue is that I can read the pages and understand what’s going on even though it takes me a few tries, but I every time I put the book down and pick it back up a day or 2 later I’ve forgotten everything I just read. Any tips?

Hello there, I've been having some issues with reading in the last years. I'm not able to read a book all at once, I always stop in the middle of the book, and then I completely stop or continue few weeks/months later.

Also, I'm not able to read a book that doesn't appeal me completely, for example I was able to read the count of Montecristo in 2 months but I've never finished 100 years of solitude because I got lost with all the names and all the things that happen.

I know that this problem also depends on myself, I'm a procrastinator, I can't find a routine on anything in my life, and I'm bad on focusing on something..

Anyway, do you have any tips for me?

I just finished Mistborn book 1, and I wanted to take a beeak before continuing onto the series. These are the top picks from my TBR:

• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
• Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Monthomery
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (I hope I spelled that right?)
• A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
• Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
• Love, Iris by Elizabeth Noble
• The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Black

Which ones do you recommend?

I found this line in Letters from a Stoic, Letter 7, titled On Crowds

Harvard University Ve Ri Tas #799 registered addition

It’s not that i can’t read german. I can’t read the heavy cursive😭😭

Hi all,

I'm a young author and I recently got my first book published; It's a fantasy-mystery hybrid called Hercules is Dead. If you like stories involving mythical beings which take place in our current modern world, I hope you'll give it a read! I've included a link below for anyone interested.

Hercules is Dead – Poets Choice

Listening to The Old Man and the Sea narrated by Donald Sutherland was a real surprise. Typically, I don’t listen to fiction audiobooks, but I was looking for something short while preparing dinner and came across it. Sutherland’s voice suited the story wonderfully, adding great depth to the experience. Although he reads slowly, carefully enunciating each word, this pace gives space to appreciate the simplicity and weight of Hemingway's writing.

I didn’t realize the book was so short—the version I listened to was only around two and a half hours. Yet, despite its brevity, it has a timeless, classic feel. The writing is straightforward, not overly descriptive, yet it holds a surprising depth. Told primarily from the perspective of one character, the story pulls you into his mind, letting you feel his inner monologue and sparse responses to his own thoughts. It was reminiscent of The Road by Cormac McCarthy; I wouldn’t be surprised if McCarthy took some inspiration from Hemingway, or even directly from The Old Man and the Sea.

While on the surface it’s about fishing, the story feels like a metaphor for life itself, making it surprisingly emotional and impactful. There’s a meditative quality to it, as we follow the old man and his quiet, solitary thoughts. The violence also took me by surprise. The details of killing fish and other sea creatures aren’t overly graphic, but they’re striking and intentional, adding layers to the story. This brutality underscores both the harsh realities of life and the resilience of the human spirit. In impossible situations, Hemingway seems to say, a person can find the strength to push forward.

The prose is beautiful, creating vivid imagery of the man’s struggle at sea. Though it’s a tragedy, I found it unexpectedly optimistic. Despite how things turned out, his effort wasn’t in vain. The old man’s struggle profoundly impacts the boy, and that alone makes his journey worth it. There’s something timeless in the idea that hardship makes us stronger, and this story is a powerful depiction of that truth.

Alone, with no food or sleep, it’s just the old man, the fish, and his thoughts on the boat. The Old Man and the Sea is perfectly written in its simplicity. If classics aren’t usually your thing, this book might not completely change your mind, but it’s a fantastic, short, and powerful one to try. Straightforward and deeply resonant, I highly recommend it.

I recently created a blog where I discuss books. If anyone is interested I can share the link!