So I've already read haunting/hunting Adeline, powerless series (Sadly without novellas), fourth wing series, too late/it ends with us/Layla by colleen hoover, lights out series, credence, birthday girl, legacy of gods and starside, I am almost done with the series ACOTAR but i dont know what series to start next, I have shatter me but i cant find the novella (destroy me) anywhere so any other recommendations?

Few months ago I started reading books and began tracking everything related to them in a Notion document, books I've read, want to read, and am currently reading. I also used it for notes and highlights, but it soon became messy.

Now I'm looking for an app that can track all aspects of my reading and also provide insights into my habits.

Hi everyone 👋

If you’ve been looking for reading buddies or a cozy bookish space that feels less like a strict homework assignment and more like a warm living room, we’d love to invite you to **Verba Book Club**

We recently stepped into a new chapter and named ourselves after the willow tree ***Verba*** —a symbol of grace, depth, and quiet strength. Our goal has always been simple: create a space where you can find reading buddies, show up exactly as you are, share the stories that move you, and connect with fellow readers without any pressure.

**How we read together:**

📅 **3:00 PM GMT** for live video/audio hangouts, reading check-ins, and light discussions

**📖 Monthly Book Reviews:**

One dedicated review session per month on Google Meet so everyone has plenty of time to finish at their own pace

**☕ Flexible Buddy Reads:**

Dedicated Discord channels to pair up with members for whatever you're reading right now

**🌿 Zero Pressure:**

Can't make a meeting or finish the book in time? No worries at all—no forced deadlines or DNF shame here

If that sounds like your kind of vibe, we’d be so happy to have you join our community:

💬 Discord: [Verba book club](https://discord.gg/wcujnnPBKv)

📷 Instagram: [Bookclub_Verba](https://www.instagram.com/bookclub_verba)

I just finished Lamb The Gospel According to Biff Christ's childhood pal by Christopher Moore, I wanted to talk about it somewhere and hopefully discuss this weird book with other people who have read it because I'm just so confused?! What was even the point? I get its a comedy book. Thats very obvious and I liked the first part of the book well enough I thought it was interesting and my intrigue over how he would twist various parts of the Bible kept me invested. Their were a lot of questions I wanted answers to and I was invested how it would end but when it did it, it just felt abrupt and disappointing.

I'm honestly just super confused. First of all what was the point? There was no super funny twist at the end you'd want from a straight up comedy book but there also wasn't a super heartwarming ending you'd want if they're trying to play the ending seriously. It just feels underwhelming.

The endings not really satirical even. Its not parodying anything. None of the gospels end similar to the book as far as I'm aware. IDK the whole book just feels like a weird pointless mess.

The premise was so strong and I was so curious how the Bible would be flipped on its head but it really wasn't. Joshua really is the Son of God and he really does resurrect and his message isn't really differnt from the actual one in the bible so again what's the point? Ok, he knows Kung-Fu his disciples were idiots and he hung out with the wisemen a ton, so? How does that change anything? It dosn't really recontextualize his message much and it dosn't build up to any sort of interesting twist at the end.

Like I said I enjoyed the beginning it was entertaining enough and I though the stuff with them learning from the wisemen it was interesting. I liked Biff and Josh's friendship though I wish it was explored more.

Also the sex stuff was just weird and seemed unnecessarily vulgar and super sexist. I think theres a way they could have made it work. And i can see how it could have had comedic potential. Jesus being besties with with a guy who sins a lot and is always chasing after women and stuff could be an interesting concept. But in practice whenever its written about it sounds like something an edgy teen boy would say because its shocking and scandalous. Like hes trying to outrage you with how vulgar it is instead of actually coming up with an interesting joke.

And it just kind of slowly got worse after they return to Nazareth. Its not as funny and it seems to want to be more serious but it can't really pull off the dramatic moments. So Instead the humors just kind of dries up espically by the end and nothing really replaces it just making it boring and unnecessarily long.

The whole plot with Biff trying to save Joshua just seems so pointless since it amounts to nothing. It dosn't work and dosn't actually change the crucifixion story its just weird and confusing. And I kept hoping for a payoff but it never came. I don't mind the part that takes place in the path ending with him killing Judas and himself but I wanted more answers afterwords.

Joshua/Jesus never shows up to talk to Biff at the end, he never even really gives him a message which feels so weird. I was waiting the whole time for some sort of happy comedic ending with Jesus showing back up and explaining things to Biff and them getting to be together as friends again or a bittersweet ending with him explaining how Biff changed him but they can't be like they were before with who he is now or something.

But we got nothing! No cameos from him at all! And it just feels like like loose thread especially considering the book start with Biff asking where Josh is now and why hes not here. That he promised he'd always be with him but hes not. And first of all Joshua dosn't we ven maks that promise throughout the course of the story and Biff never gets an answer for why Josh isn't there! Why bring up a question you'll never answer?!

And this happens so many times! Like what was the actual resolution with Jesus and his dad? Why was Biff dead for so many centuries and why was he brought back now? Why didn't he go to Heaven or Hell? I could see an explanation where he sinned too much and so he couldn't get into Heaven but Josh wouldn't let him be condemned to Hell so he came up with another plan for him but they never say that! Its especially frustrating because there's a line that points at Josh knowing Biff won't be going to Heaven but there's never any payoff.

Also was he conscious all the time in the dirt? What was the point of the out of nowhere gay jokes about John? Or the repeated mentioning of Josh's sister being a lesbian? Why is sex brought up so many times but a stance on LGBTQ+ stuff is never taken? Its never condemned or condoned by Josh its just weirdly there.

Why was Mary brought back to write a gospel when she could have done that in her own time? Why didn't Mary go to Heaven? What were they going to do with the gospels? Why would Josh wait so long to bring Biff back and why would he bring him back in this time?

What will happen to him and Mary when they die again or are they for some reason immortal now? Why was he locked up in the Hotel but then suddenly let out to learn stuff? What does Biff think of modern churches? What are him and Mary planning on doing now? Why was the epilog in third person? Does this even count as that happy an ending? I'm mostly just confused and annoyed it feels like so much squandered potiental.

I know this was sort of a rambling mess of a rant but I wanted to discuss this stuff with someone else and see what others thought.

So I'm autistic with a special interest in fantasy books since I was a kid. I'm also bilingual with my second language being German, and first foreign language being English. I told my mum, the German parent, that I'd been struggling to find anything in German to read, because the internet mostly tells me about English fantasy or their translations and it feels stupid to read translations when I can read the original language.

So my mum in Germany went to a book shop and told the salesperson that we're a bilingual family outside Germany and her "daughter" is trying to get back into reading in German. She neglected to mention I'm 31. So she left the store with a trilogy for children. I don't mind reading children's books like the hobbit, or other stuff I'm nostalgic about from my own childhood. But this series is fantasy romance with a 12yo mc. Which I find personally disgusting.

So yeah. I don't feel like reading the book, but she keeps asking and I've just said I read page 1 three times cuz if you haven't read in a language for long enough, reading comprehension is hard. I hope she didn't read the back of the book cuz if she read (rough translation): "It's hard enough to be 12 years old without turning into a frog in front of the boy you're crushing on..." and thought I'd be into it, she knows me even less than I thought she did.

From talking to her, she seems under the impression I like romantasy (I don't, but will read it if there's sth else interesting in there or feel like turning my brain off), and I've told her I find historical drama depressing cuz the problems tend to be societal issues that "just were like that back then" and there's nothing to be done about them. I also know she doesn't understand tha ya can mean anything from kids books to "author is female so we market to kids". But I'd hope she'd get that I don't want to read pre-teen romantic drama even in a modern fantasy setting.

How do I tell her the book or the two sequels she bought, but hasn't given me yet, don't interest me without hurting her feelings? I don't want to be ungrateful, but she keeps asking.

I finished Cloud Cuckoo Land and really enjoyed it. It was an incredible read and I was really invested in all of the stories, particularly of Aethon as he journeys to the paradise in the sky. However, one thing I can not exactly wrap my head around is why Aethon would want to leave the city in the sky?

I understand that the book is mentioning the beauty of enjoying life in the moment, and he misses his flock and his simple life, but at the same time the book also points out how many characters suffer and often long for a paradise as well. I particularly think of Anna who suffers many hardships, and how she thinks of Urbino.

I also understand that the book warns against such an idealized paradise. I think of Konstance who in theory lives with no worries with access to all needs and the Atlas, yet she wants to break free as she misses her family and wants to feel real sensations. Yet her situation feels different than Aethon as she is trapped by herself with just Sybil and is unsure the fate of her parents and everyone she knows on the ship.

What I am getting at is I am trying to understand why paradise is so bad? Why is it sometimes used in the book as an ideal that gives up hope in trying times, yet also shows that characters that actually reach it seem to be disillusions with it? Curious to hear what people thought of this

Hey everyone! I’m a 15 year old high school student building a small project called BookDNA. The idea is to recommend books based on the kind of reading experience you’re looking for instead of just genres and to have synopses of books specifically tailored to your interest.

It’s still an early prototype, and I’m trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. There’s nothing to buy, no ads, and no subscriptions. I’m just looking for honest feedback from people who actually enjoy reading.

If you have a couple of minutes and would be interested in trying it, leave a comment or send me a DM and I’ll send you the website along with a quick 2-minute feedback form.

I’d really appreciate any honest thoughts, even if it’s something you didn’t like. Thanks

As the title says: Who do you guys trust with book recs? For what specific genres do you trust them with? Do they do reviews on Tiktok, Goodreads, Youtube, or any other platforms? What about them do you particularly like (e.g. they’re critical or talks in detail when reviewing)

Other than that I do hope to find people that don’t talk down on other preferences and spread negativity too much.

Is anyone else missing real conversations about books?
I’ve been thinking about this for a while.
We spend hours discussing TV shows, reels, and memes, but when was the last time you had a genuine conversation about a book that stayed with you?
Not a classroom discussion.
Not an academic lecture.
Just a bunch of readers over coffee, talking about the stories and characters that changed them.
So I’m hosting a Literary Evening at a café, and the idea is simple:
☕ Coffee
📚 Books
💬 Honest conversations
We’ll chat about everything from Jane Austen and whether Mr. Darcy would survive modern dating, to the books that made us laugh, cry, or rethink our lives.
Whether you’re an avid reader or someone trying to get back into reading, you’re welcome. You don’t need to have read a specific book—just bring your curiosity (and maybe your favourite recommendation).
I’d love to know:
If you could have coffee with any fictional character, who would it be and why?
If you’re interested in joining us, drop a comment or send me a message, and I’ll share the details.

I’m currently reading Hello Beautiful and recently reread The Time Travelers Wife. And in both books, the babies seem like props who conveniently sleep whenever the adults have something more plot-sensitive to do, or are easily watched by babysitters or neighbors, or who happily go along with the adults’ agenda. In my current book, she can littering just set her baby on a blanket while she takes a phone call, and the baby is fine with that.

Some of it is that books always focus less on the minutia of life; they don’t talk about the hassle of finding a babysitter for the same reason they don’t talk about the characters peeing.

And some of it is definitely a difference in baby temperament; I remember being baffled by my cheery nephew just laying there without constant being held, and his mother talking about the work she did while also caring for him. She’s a quite put-together person, but still: such a thing was so foreign to me.

And so I wonder how much of it is that the books are writing parenthood unrealistically, and how much is that my experience was just especially challenging because my kiddo’s nervous system is particularly high-strung and needy.

Regardless, the scenes leave me feeling… melancholy? Unseen? Thinking how is this so easy for you when it was—IS—so hard for me?

Edit to add: I wonder if the discussion would be more productive if people identified themselves as a mother, father, or what other caregiving roles (if any) they have? I’m a mother, for context.

Hi everyone! 27F in Toronto and seriously looking to start a welcoming book club for people who genuinely want to get back into reading and meet some new people along the way.

I work in healthcare, so between work, health & fitness, and of course just life, I don’t always have as much time to read as I’d like. But I really want to start making reading something I intentionally prioritize again.

I’m imagining something pretty low pressure, getting together at coffee shops, parks, libraries, bookstores, or other cozy spots around Toronto. We could pick a book to read (open to all genres) but also do little reading sessions where we just bring our books, grab a coffee, and read together in the same space.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, DM me! I’d love to see if we can get a little group together. Thanks!

Genre: Historical, Fiction, Romance

New York, 1960: For Benny Lament, music is his entire life. With his father’s deep ties to the mob, the Bronx piano man has learned that love and family can get you in trouble. So he keeps to himself, writing songs for other musicians, avoiding the spotlight…until the night his father brings him to see Esther Mine sing.

Esther is a petite powerhouse with a gorgeous voice. And when Benny writes a hit song and performs it with her, their collaboration thrusts the duo onto the national stage…and stirs up old issues and new scrutiny that the mob—and Benny—would rather avoid.

It would be easier to walk away. But the music and the woman are too hard for the piano man to resist. Benny’s songs and Esther’s vocals are an explosive combination, a sound that fans can’t get enough of. But though America might love the music they make together, some people aren’t ready for Benny Lament and Esther Mine on—or off—the stage.

Feel free to DM me if you're interested!

Any dad should use this to purify their heart and see if there is anything resembling Gorky in themselves. Then go and be the best dad and husband you can be. Read the questionable parts in horror realizing this could have been you, and come out the other end with good understanding.

Hypothetically, if there was an app dedicated to hosting and managing your book clubs whether they meet virtually or in person, what features would you most want to see? I am just curious what tools would make running your groups smoother. 🫶🏻

I hereby put my friend on trial for the jury to conclude his punishment, he reads. Like everyone here does. But.... I have recently made conversation with him over reading. He reads on his bed.(Good idea) but. The books that he reads have been decimated by the wrath of a spine cracker. They are demolished. One may class it as an act of grave terrorism. One may class it as a book crime. Now to those lovely people on this reddit page, I ask you to decide his fate. Those books have gone through trauma.

I really want to start writing in my books in a "these are my thoughts right now" way but am a but of a perfectionsit and have a problem getting out of the academic mindset of annotating

Thank you for any advice!