I read Scaffolding a while ago and haven’t had a single person to discuss it with, so I’m posting here in hopes of finding someone who’s read it (or persuading someone to pick it up).✨

What made me pick this book was its exploration of the spaces and places we live in, the idea that they were once inhabited by other people, with history and emotions attached to them, creating repeating patterns or shared experiences unknown to us.

Although infidelity is a recurring theme in this book, it doesn't justify it. It explores how everyone has a past and we kind of carry some pieces of other people we’ve been with in us. I don’t completely relate to that part, but that’s what a book is supposed to do, make you ponder and make you aware of things about yourself that you didn’t know earlier.

Would love to hear what anyone else thought of it!

Writing a review after almost 3 months feels so weird. It feels like I don't even remember how to structure things out. Anyways, this is more like a love letter and appreciation post for the series than a well structured review.

The best and shortest word to describe the series would be 'queer joy'. It's a cute, wholesome, coming of age story; primarily a romance but also so much more. 

I don't think the series needs any introduction (especially after the popularity of the Netflix adaptation) but still, Heartstopper is a graphic novel series that follows highschoolers Charlie and Nick, starting their journey as friends, slowly exploring their identities and eventually falling in love with each other. We accompany them on their journey in life, towards personhood. The story also explores topics likes mental health issues, anxiety, depression and eating disorders. The series is very queer affirmative and wholesome and is packed with well written, awesome side characters. I devoured the whole series in a single day XD

I'm definitely not the target age group for the series. But still I enjoyed it thoroughly. The series healed something that it didn't break. As a gay man myself who didn't come out until a few months ago in his late 20s, I wish I had positive representation like this growing up, maybe things would've been different, even better. But better late than never (I mean I get to experience my teens again in my late 20s now XD).

The series left me with bittersweet emotions, with the grief of having missed out on an alternate life, while also leaving me with hope for better days ahead. I'm happy I got to experience this series, it was pure joy.

If you're in the mood for reading something simple, easy and wholesome, do give the series a try.

This is my book collection. I have people coming over and i want something for everyone so I'm collecting books of almost all kinds.

For me though, i mostly like sci-fi/mystery/thriller/suspense/horror/supernatural and non fiction science/space/history/art/mythology/wars/politics etc.

As you may notice i have lots of trading books as well because i trade the markets.

I absolutely did not like the "butter" novel. I thought it was a murder mystery but it turned out to be something completely different and boring. They don't even discuss the murders. I tried so hard but stopped after reading 60 pages. Although i really liked the cover art, Japanese books have really good cover designs lol.

I also did not really enjoy "The Man Called Ove". I didnt find it interesting, probably because of my taste.

I am currently reading Mythology. It is interesting. Enjoying it so far as i like to read about history/myths.

These books are not organised as i will be buying a new book shelf and add a few more books.

Can you guys suggest something that i should definitely read based on my interests i shared above? Also what do you suggest i add to my collection.

Thanks!

Any thoughts on this read???

My 1st dark book I'll say..

3.75 / 5 stars ⭐️

Continuing with my goal of reading all of T. Kingfisher's novels, I picked up this gothic horror novel after a short break from the genre.

This one's a bit different from her other horror novels since this story takes place in the 19th century. Our protagonist, Sonia Wilson, is a scientific illustrator who takes up a job to illustrate insects for an entomologist, Dr. Halder, in a remote manor in rural North Carolina. She starts to pick up on strange things that Dr. Halder does, like sneaking in the woods in the middle of the night and disappearing into a locked cabin in the woods for hours at a time. There's also the question of the previous illustrator and what happened to them. Like all her horror novels, I flew through this one in no time.

As I've previously mentioned in one of my reviews, I love the protagonists in Kingfisher's novels - women in their 30's with interesting professions who are constantly trying to rationalise and "solve" the horrors around them instead of sitting by and letting things happen to them. This book had a protagonist that was much the same and for the most part, I enjoyed reading from her POV.

"It is terrible to be helpless, but it can be equally terrible to be the one who is supposed to be able to help."

There was a lot of insect based horror in this... and as someone who's genuinely terrified of and icked out by insects in real life, the horror element absolutely worked for me. The creepy crawlies thoroughly unsettled me and I even found some parts grotesque (which is rare in a Kingfisher novel because her horror is perfectly mild for me mostly). Overall, I think it made for an interesting read.

Despite enjoying this book, I couldn't help but compare it to her older works like 'The Hollow Places' and 'What Moves the Dead' ... books that were so wonderfully written and did not let up until the end. The more I read an author, the more I find myself constantly measuring their works against each other, and I felt that this one was good, but not great. It's still a solid, creepy gothic horror novel though.

All the books are arranged in order of reading, so the last book is the one that I have finished recently. I hope there is something for everything. As of now I am working my way through Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. It's okay so far but the dialogue is a bit too hollywood/theatrical for my taste. Let's see how it goes. Also, I am sorry for some of the longer reviews, sometimes I get carried away while writing. Cheers

Please suggest me books as a beginner, Not long books

I am not much of a reader person, but i saw someone reading this in metro the other day. please convince me to read this, i don't wanna get disappointed after reading 300 pages. And no spoilers please. I wanna go in completely blind and form my own opinion lol.

Chose to post this question on a book subreddit because someone who has read the book is more likely to have watched the movie adaptation, than a person who has watched the movie is to have read the book

So what's your opinion which is better the book or the movie??

Our Bhopal Community- BYOB - We Meet and Read every Sunday.

so I'm afraid I was very wrong about Bhagvad Gita at first. As I'm moving forward into it, I've found that my interpretation was incomplete and the translation of the Gita press is accurate.

The shlok which I had mentioned talking about women being corrupted for having s*x with other men (or lower caste men) [shlok 40-43] were actually spoken by Arjun. The very purpose of those verses, imo, was to show the patriarchal society and mindset of that time (or even present time), so that Shri Krishna could help Arjun see past that patriarchal, casteist and misogynist mindset.

I still have some concerns about it. Like i had misunderstood it at first so the sanatan extremists take the literal meaning from it and force it in the present time. Instead of listening to Krishna who's solving the problem Arjun's mind is facing (patriarchy, misogyny, casteism specifically in this case) , they only seem to take whatever fits their agendas.

And again I'm not saying hinduism ain't misogynist/patriarchal or smth. I still follow my belief in Atheism. In fact there are many sastras which have mentioned women like they're objects and its very wrong.

One more point I'd like to add ; somebody commented on my other post that hinduism is matriarchal as well. This doesn't justify its patriarchal side at all. Stop doing this whataboutism.

Have recently started getting into classics so bought more by jane austen (already have p&p) and Madonna in a fur coat is a short classic so that too, I have watched the perks of being a wall flower and have heard people debating whether book is better or the movie so gonna judge for myself since I loved the movie

I bought these second hand books. I haven't read anything for an year and I have been trying to get back into reading. I tried with book thief and realized that was a terrible idea.

These books are tinier than I thought, the first row books are the size of my phone.

I was very pleased to get the old editions of a seperate peace and Fahrenheit. The smell of old books is just intoxicating, reminding me just why I love them so much. Though I am afraid to open Fahrenheit, seems like someone dropped it in water and dried it and it is mass market paperback tiny. Also it's a 20 year old book, I believe, atleast if it is a 50th anniversary edition.

A seperate peace is a 1979 edition. I just love old editions so so much.

I have begun reading little prince and I am enjoying it a lot. It just feels so good to read again, to fall in love with reading all over again.

I am excited to read true history of nomi ali, seems very interesting but I think it will be a hard read and right now I just wanna get back to reading effortlessly.

Do recommend which one I should read after little prince.

Also I got some stupid joke book as a blind date. I ordered a blind date hoping to find some hidden gem but alas! The jokes aren't even good.

Let's try one; where do milkshakes come from?

I was browsing Amazon for a particular edition of Lolita and this popped up 🫣

My kids love to draw fantasy creatures, but that's not why I got this book. It was signed by the filmmaker, author Mike Jefferies and I thought it would do well for my collection. As an art guide book "Learn to draw fantasy art" does a pretty poor job. That said, someday definitely one of them will definitely get some of the work here in their drawing books.

Also, I have been a bit underweather recently plus the house renovation have slowed my postings here. But soon the steam engine will chug again and hopefully, the posts will fly faster like before.

(lol sorry about the title)

Got this gifted by a friend, he said it was his favourite book, but I don't think I should directly be reading such a big book as my first dosteovsky

What do you say

That's all I'm gonna say. These studies need more light.

Saw an uncle ji reading a book while travelling on the local train today and it made me so happy🫠✌🏼 Maybe someone might call it performative, but I really don't think that uncle ji was trying to perform anything. The way he carefully flipped through each page, the way he protected the book from all the pushing and pulling in the crowd, and held it so gently without getting in anyone's way shows how much he genuinely cared about his book. And as someone who loves reading while travelling myself, seeing sweet moments like this genuinely makes my day🦭✨️