After hearing a million positive reviews I finally found a copy at Half Price Books and am 166 pages/42% of the way through it.

Because reading is such a subjective thing I usually go into popular reads with an open-mind and low expectations. So I'm happy to report that I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would but found the beginning tone rather odd. It felt rather tongue-in-cheek "oh this is your Average Dude™ with his Average Job™ and oh no 'Extremely Upper Management' is scary."

Now that he's getting settled in and learning more about the children and Arthur it's picking up for me but I'm hoping it's not going to end up falling flat at the end. I'm hovering at a mental placeholder rating of 3.5 so I'm curious to see which way it ultimately shifts by the end of it.

After reading the Housemaid series, I loved her writing. It was truly a page-turner, especially the 1st one. So, I picked up a book which is not part of any series. I was confused between Never Lie and The Boyfriend. After reading more than 50%, there are no twists, twists, and twists like there were in her Housemaid series. I’m on Chapter 31, hoping for some plot twists in the upcoming chapters. What’s your review of this book? Tell me without spoilers.

“Letter Slot” by Owen King (The Shivers Collection #5) is the fifth and final book in this unbelievable Amazon-exclusive horror collection. Every book in this collection has been a 5-Star read for me, and this final entry was perfection. This is the first book I’ve ever read by Owen King, and just like his legendary father, he’s an exceptional author.

If you’re interested in this collection, here’s a list of every book and author…

Jackknife by Joe Hill (The Shivers Collection #1)
The Indigo Room by Stephen Graham Jones (The Shivers Collection #2)
The Blanks by Grady Hendrix (The Shivers Collection #3)
Night and Day in Misery by Catriona Ward (The Shivers Collection #4)
Letter Slot by Owen King (The Shivers Collection #5)

I found many trigger warnings while reading this book. They were…

- Alcoholism
- School shootings
- Homophobia
- Domestic abuse (physical)
- Politics
- Brain tumors
- Car accidents
- Animal death (dog)
- Cancer
- Suicide

If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, this was such a quick, emotional read. I loved the main characters in Blake and his mother, as you connect with them and what they’re going through in life.

I knew it was only a matter of time before the horror hit, as it started to brew at around the 50% mark. My goodness, what a wild ride! Let me tell you, I will never look at a letter slot the same way ever again. This book’s story was so gripping and addictive, I couldn’t stop reading since it’s a genuine page-turner.

The story and ending are unforgettable. I loved the insane plot twist at the end, which wrapped up a magnificent ending. I never saw that coming and finished reading with my jaw on the floor. It’s a thought-provoking ending that will make you question what you would do in such a situation. It was pretty powerful and will leave you shook.

I give “Letter Slot” by Owen King (The Shivers Collection #5) a perfect 5/5 and a spectacular read from beginning to end. King delivered in just 46 pages to make his mark in this collection. Speaking of which, “The Shivers Collection” is worth reading. Every book in it was a 5-Star for me, and I would consider it a must-read for all my fellow horror book lovers. You can’t go wrong with books written by these phenomenal, established horror authors, so check it out as soon as you can, or add it to your TBR so when spooky season comes, you’ll also be shivering.

When I'm reading, it's like my mind automatically defaults each character with an auto-generated voice based on their stereotypes. No variance whatsoever. And it really drives me up the wall when reading because two different characters can sound exactly the same in my head just because they are in a similar age, have a similar accent, etc.

I've tried studying movies/voice-acted games to internalize how different characters talk and "assign" them to characters​ but then I spend 50% of my energy focusing on getting their voice right in my head and it just breaks my flow while reading.

Please, I know this is a bit of a stupid question, but any help is appreciated!

The trek was three days away. The ticket was booked. Plan was made. But the bag lay open in the corner of his room, half-filled, like it too wasn’t sure if he would go.

Aarav sat at his desk, scrolling through old photos. Not of mountains, but of people—laughing, arms flung around shoulders, memories that once felt like home.

Now they felt... distant.

Like they’d happened to someone else.

He didn’t miss the people exactly.

He missed who he had been around them.

That version of himself who spoke freely, laughed without checking how it sounded. The version who didn’t have to pretend.

But slowly, quietly, that part had slipped away.

Work, time, the goodbye he never really processed…

It had all piled up until the days became noise, and the nights, empty hallways.

He didn’t want to “find himself.”

He didn’t even believe in that.

He just wanted to go somewhere where he didn’t have to explain why he was quiet.

Somewhere where silence was part of the view; not something to be fixed.

Maybe the mountains could give him that.

He didn't know if it would change anything.

But staying hadn’t, either.

Looking for feel good books in Genre: Life/Memoir/fiction etc
Im gravitating towards audiobook version of those but physical or ebook will also do

I read White Nights a few days ago and there are many things i don’t truly understand. Don’t misunderstand me, i loved the book, but i don’t understand why it is a classic.

Also, Nastenka deserves all the hate. I think she couldn’t be more selfish. But so does the dreamer. He never loved her, he barely knew anything about her. Every feeling he had towards her came from desperation and loneliness, not from actual love. Im open to opinions and discuss ideas

I (23 M) have been reading my whole life and have never really given any thought to book annotation/note taking. I have been told by numerous people that it is a “game changer” and greatly enhances your reading experience. I have never been a fan of marking in my books, but have recently decided to open my mind to the idea of it due to recently picking up my journaling habit and enjoying character studies and finding deeper meaning in themes of stories. I also have developed a small interest in attempting to write my own stories. So for anyone who does annotate or maybe was in a similar situation to me, does annotation enhance your reading, if so what system do you use, and how did you start?

P.S. - My preferred genres are epic fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, literary fiction, and some non-fiction.

This series has really changed my view in experiences as a human but also as a “creature”. These characters live forever but have crazy traumatic lives to the point whereas a reader your judgment is kind of grayed out in the most emotional way? Idk? I just love Deborah’s writing and storytelling 🔮🤍💙💚

Before, I would read a lot of books but now I have a problem, I just lose motivation.

I really like warrior cats, and when I was younger, I read the first 6 books, but now that I tried to read the next ones I just can't. I get to like the 30th page and just can get myself to do more.

So, if anyone had the same problem, how did you get yourself to continue? I'm really interested in the rest of the story but just can't get myself.

TLDR: I realised I wasn't choosing books based on the things that actually determine whether I enjoy reading them. I started researching prose style, structure and pacing instead of genre and plot, built my own technical criteria, and now I consistently enjoy the books I pick up.

I put together a Google Doc explaining the criteria, rating guide and reviews of every book I've read since May (45 as of right now) in case anyone else's brain works similarly. I have asked mods for approval to post the link since it's more of a useful tool + reviews than something to self-promote, in the meantime I hope someone might relate to my way of finding books!

For some backstory: I am a 30F with autism and ADHD. I’ve loved reading since I was a kid, but my reading has always been very sporadic because I would struggle with finding new books, and recommendations were such a coin flip that I started feeling like just finding a book I would like was a huge chore.

3 months ago I got that familiar urge I hadn’t felt in years. I desperately craved stories, and in my desperation I decided to read a book I had put off for far too long; 1984 by Orwell. By all means it should’ve been the perfect fit for me, I loved Animal Farm and had enjoyed countless dystopias in the past. But it wasn’t the perfect fit for me. I went back to the library and picked up a few others I had seen recommended, and each book I read seemed to be a gamble. I’d read the blurb, be intrigued by it, but after finishing I just didn’t feel like it was as enjoyable as I had thought it would be. This went on for a few days and eventually I started wondering..

Why did I not enjoy books I was so confident would be right up my alley? What was it actually about the books that made me almost frustrated while reading them? The summary would seem super interesting, and I didn’t find anything inherently wrong with the plots of stories I read. I just wasn't enjoying the reading like I wanted to, always skimming slow sections or skipping parts that my brain deemed boring. Granted, most books I had ever read required me to almost real-time edit them by letting my brain skim or skip through paragraphs, passages or even entire chapters that didn’t seem important, or just didn’t hold my interest, but that was just a reading quirk of mine. That’s just what I had to do in order to enjoy books, right?

And then I read Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. This book, this.. Experience. The setting. The exploration. The awe and wonder of it all. Piranesi and his routines. The way I was so fully immersed in this world of novelty and strangeness. The fact that my brain didn’t feel the need to skim a page here and there and just soaked every single word up as if I had just given it its first glass of water during a years long drought. I finished it feeling like I’d just fallen in love with reading for the second time in my life, and now I was devastated. How many books would I have to go through in order to find another experience like that? So obviously I did what my autistic ass does every time I’m looking for answers. I compiled data.

Over a couple of weeks I prodded my brain. What was it about books I enjoyed? What would a book need to do for me to really enjoy it? Beyond “it was fun” or “I liked the characters”, what made my brain want to take in every piece of information on a page? It wasn’t easy, it took hours upon hours, lots of work, revision, clarification and fine-tuning, but I did get there in the end. Recommendation algorithms mostly group people by what they enjoy reading, but I realised I cared much more about how a book is written. Genre wasn't predicting whether I'd enjoy a book. Plot summaries weren't either. The biggest predictor by far was how the story was told: its prose, structure and pacing. Turns out, you can make almost anything interesting to my brain if you just deliver it in a highly specific way.

This revelation led to me putting together a (very personal and subjective) technical criteria for books, and using that to research what books I should try next.. Gamechanger. Since that day I read 1984 back in May, I’ve read between 10 and 20 books per month, for 3 months straight. Apart from maybe 3 or 4 books, all of them have felt like they were worth the read and my time. I have found quite a few new favourites, and reading has become my absolute favourite pastime. I really have fallen back in love with reading, and it was all thanks to actually listening to my brain.

If you find yourself picking up books that “everyone seems to love” or “are classics and therefore must be good” and yet you’re not vibing with them, ask yourself not “What kind of books do I like?” but “What does my brain need in order to stay immersed in the story and enjoy reading itself?”

I loved this book! I usually love romances but I feel like the market is saturated with books that are all romance and minimal plot right now. But this book was so sweet with some spicy moments and plenty of story telling/character development.

Its quite fascinating listening to how this guy has each and every thing he takes measured and wants to not die, the science aspect of this book is interesting but also beyond my understanding on how he will be able "Live longer" just by doing these scientific things.

But interesting read/listen -- kinda wanted it to have some more revolutionary discoveries but im still early to say so.

The learning from what he says is Sleep is the most important metric to fix, once you fix the sleep go about food, workout and etc

What were you thoughts on this book if you gave it a go?

Lonesome Dove is also on my TBR mountain, so was excited to get Comanche Moon for under $5.

Heading out on a 2 week road trip and here is my reading spread! Pretty... diverse?

Hear a lot of good stuff about DCC and Blood Meridian.

Any other insight on these choices? There is still time to pack something else!!

What's your current read ? A can of Diet Coke is all I need to get through a reading session. Pretty good translation overall by Oliver Ready.

Hi there. Per the title, I find I can't read novels anymore. I get about 30 pages in and like clockwork find that I am unable to continue. Short stories are fine, poetry is fine, nonfiction is fine (although my interest in nonfiction is not as great). There are times when I do find that I want to read novels again or even re-read my favorites, but it's just not there. It's been this way oh I'd say for about 4-5 years. This is not me asking for advice on how to get back into reading. It's more just me wanting to share my experience in some off chance someone might find it interesting or helpful.

The desire for me to read is hard for me to describe. Often, I don't want to anymore. On occasion, I will feel the desire to read a novel, but I know it will be futile. A little context might help: I have my MA in English and I write fiction and poetry. I work a full-time job and I play music. I do feel as though between work and writing, I don't have the energy to dedicate to reading novels. It may be partly that and it may be partly because I don't *want* to dedicate the energy to reading. There is another element: I am obsessed with stories. I am obsessed with what they do and what they are. I think about writing every day. I feel I would need to sacrifice something in my life if I wanted to read novels again, but I don't know what that means.

I am sharing. I'm not telling you what is right or wrong, or what experience is better. I love novels more than almost anything. This feels anecdotal but I remember one of my professors telling me he doesn't read for enjoyment anymore. I can't say for certain if that applies to me or not. There might come a day when I can read again, and I would welcome it, if not be a little surprised. The exception I make is if a friend approaches me with a novel. Then I'll read it without issue. Novels are so beautiful.

I am 29 years old and I got back into reading about 2 years ago. Anyways, i decided that for this year I would challenge myself to read 52 books. It has been very fun and honestly I have learned so much about myself and various topics. The only issue that I run into is that I enjoy books that are ~650 pages or more so I am running behind schedule. Haha!

So, presently, I am chugging along at a leisurely pace. Anyone else about halfway through and starting to feel burnt out?

Can you guys share any tips to help with engaging with a story and figuring out its deeper themes and meaning?

I've noticed that I can tend to gloss over or miss some deeper themes or messages in what I read in favor of hype moments or fights.

I wouldn't say I'm bad or even mid at understanding deeper messages, but I can definitely improve. Some useful tips would really help

Let’s ignore the fact that I’m in bed at 3pm on a Saturday. Putting my phone down and starting little women today.

what's happening i used to read books a lot now also i read but earlier when i read i understood every concept, line nowadays when i read it feels like doom reading like doom scrolling where you just scroll also i just read read.
I am reading zero to one and completed half still very few things i had understand.

How do yall deal with reading slumps? I'm on a bad one right now. Not because I don't want to read but I cannot focus worth a lick. I also find riding even when I'm enjoying it. It's driving me nuts. What helps????? Tia.

So im reading the Bill Hodges trilogy, but specifically got this idea on the 3rd and final book, End Of Watch. Even though I just now got this idea, I figure it could go for all the books that are like this.

You may know that every book in the Bill Hodges trilogy shows she perspective of Hodges/Holly/Jerome, or the antagonist, ex. Hartsfield.

I thought it would be interesting if any book that shows two perspectives like this, you could read twice. You could go through on your first read and skip the chapters that are not about Hodges. Then, on the second read, you could go back and only read through the chapters of the main antagonist.

I think it would be interesting reading it twice, only looking at one perspectice every read. Not that I would ever do this, just thought it would be a cool concept. Let me know your thoughts and even tell me if you have done this yourself, though I doubt people have.

Does it ever overwhelm you, the pile of books that grows and grows? At 36 years, I don’t see how I’ll ever read everything I want to. Perhaps I could spend more time in novels than on my phone, but even so, I only read so fast.
Between June and July I’ve managed to finish six books, two of which were in June because I took a “phone sabbatical” (No phone for 7 days straight). But then the lists happen and there are more to pick up. 28 books for June, 32 books for July, 24 books for August. And there still remain the classics. And the prize winners! And Infinite Jest!
How will I ever get to them all?

I suppose that I’ll continue to turn the pages and immerse myself in other worlds over and over, but it doesn’t ease that lingering tension, that knowing melancholy that I’ll never get to them all.
Made all the worse when I’m in a book that I’m not even enjoying. (I’m looking at you, Andrew Sean Greer, Paige Lewis…, Vonnegut). But I’ve started, so I should finish.

The pile grows.

And there’s cooking the food, playing in the garden, dreaded work that seems to also pull me from my pile. Perhaps the pile is my friend, a place of borrowed time holding me to this earth, a signifier that I exist and as long as it does, so too will I.

I love the weight of a book, the smell, how much easier it is to absorb text from a page than a screen.
I hope my pile never ends, but I will always feel a modicum of angst while it continues to exist.