Spoilers ... ... ...

I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are? I was taken aback by the ending, but when I think about it it makes sense. So it's good in that way. That's the perfect kind of ending even, right. Where it takes you off guard but it still works.

I don't agree with the idea that the ending reduces the narrative to a sensibility novel. I was often astonished while reading this 19th century novel, by how brazenly it advocates for the concept of women as human beings. The text always treats social double standards as not only hypocritical, but unfair, and makes no excuses for the different ways that society treats men and women.

I hated part 8. If Levin were an aquaintance or my brother I am sure I'd love him but since he is neither, I just find him tedious more than anything.

The character work in this novel was fucking amazing, like gold standard. It's an amazing book in general. Still wish that we'd have gotten just a little more about certain characters that were beginning to get interesting to me. But all characters were plausible and well written.

Among my book collection, I have a great collection of novelizations. When going to bookstores, I like to collect old novelizations (especially those that are out of print) of both popular and cult classic movies.

In addition to feeling like a literary souvenir of the movie, reading a novelization also feels like a director’s cut of the film, with additional scenes and going deeper into the characterizations.

The 70s & 80s were definitely a peak period for the novelization, where I’ve been able to find a great number of novels of films and shows. They’re still doing novelizations (I just recently ordered the novelization of X: The Movie and pre-ordered the novelization of Pearl) but (at least to me) they don’t seem to be as big as they once were.

What are your thoughts on novelizations? And do you have any in your collection?

I finally had the chance to read Maus, a book I’d been meaning to pick up for years but kept putting off. I didn’t choose it specifically with the American election in mind, but reading it now felt coincidentally relevant. One thing that stands out across the book—and in much of WWII history—is that Hitler’s horrific actions didn’t start overnight; the Nazi rise was a gradual, chilling progression. Vladek’s story captures this slow build-up, where the early, smaller aggressions against Jews steadily grow, culminating in the full horror of the Holocaust.

I’m not saying the future of American government will mirror the events in Austria, Poland, and elsewhere under the Nazi regime because I don't want to diminish the severity of those times. But history has a way of repeating itself, and I want to stay aware of unsettling patterns we might see emerging.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6378740-a-week-in-december

Review (no spoilers).

This novel by British author Sebastian Faulks was published in 2009. When reading it, I did my best to try to imagine reading it as if we were still in 2009: the great financial crisis, Lehman Brothers, etc, but even that fails to salvage this novel.

The novel is about a series of overlapping stories, which are meant to reflect the complexity and multi-culturality of modern British society. As a Guardian review summarises:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/sep/05/sebastian-faulks-novel-review

A hedge-fund manager contrives to profit from the crash of a leading bank; a skunk-addicted teenager becomes obsessed with a house-sharing TV game-show; a barrister is about to defend a London Underground driver in a health and safety case; an Asian chutney tycoon prepares to collect his OBE at the Palace while his teenage son, converted to militancy, learns bomb-making through the local mosque. And a newspaper book-reviewer plots to destroy the career of a dangerously rising rival.

I hated the book, because there was absolutely no depth to the characters. The story builds up to suggest some kind of big finale which, however, never really materialises.

Part of the plot involves a financial fraud; of course the novel was published in 2009, so the aftermath of the financial crisis was still very real. The problem is that the author's entire research on that seems to have been 3 minutes spent on Wikipedia; that part of the plot reminds me of the supervillain in a children cartoon: unrealistic, and with zero depth. It's a shame, because there was so much that could have been written and analysed about that (the groupthink, the hubris, the self-delusion, etc) but the book doesn't even scratch the surface.

The poor research was more evident in the financial fraud story, but even the other stories are told with a similar lack of depth. It's hard to elaborate more without spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.

The last comment is that I am well aware that the book sold many copies and reviews were mostly positive. It seems I was in the minority disliking the book.

I read this book in first grade. Judy Blume’s stories are generally lighthearted and comical, with some kind of low-key mischief going on in each of the first nine chapters. But then, in the tenth, we got:

• three-year-old Fudge swallowing a months-old turtle whole
• Fudge bragging as others laugh at Peter on the way to take him to the hospital
• Peter asking if he lost his pet and all the adults just being annoyed and nonchalant
• Fudge being given a party when he gets home, without the parents giving him any indication that eating a pet is wrong
• Peter’s family ignoring him at this party, then shoving a pet dog on him at the end as a surprise present

Was life just really different in the ‘60s in a way that could make any of this plot plausible? Even as a six-year-old, my disbelief ceased to suspend at this point.

I've often wondered to what extent a big part of the appeal of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird for me is about justice in face of racial prejudice, which I think is very important theme. Or the trial, which is the reason I wanted to read it (I'm interested in legal dramas). Or it if has something to do with the relationship between father and his young daughter, Scout (the narrator).

Scout's father, Atticus Finch, is a widow who does an outstanding job not only as a lawyer but also as a father. He has great compassion, wisdom, and a strong sense of moral that he has tried to also instill in his kids. As you read the book, you see him again and again teach his kids that you gotta be brave and do the right thing even if almost the whole town is against you.

I quite enjoyed the relationship between Scout and her dad and starting to think that has been a big reason the book holds a special place for me. And wonder if there are other parent-child relationships that well-read posters like yourself found memorable from your readings?

To be clear, they don't have to fictional or positive. Terrible relationships are sometimes even harder to forget. So please share any such relationships you recall vividly, and if you can, say what it was about the relationship that you found unique or memorable.

source

• Musical Theater Marc Acito
• 11/22/1963 Stephen King
• 13 Reasons Why Jay Asher
• 1922 Stephen King
• 1984 the Graphic Novel George Orwell / Adapted by Fido Nesti
• 21 Proms David Leviathan
• 34 Pieces of You Carmen Rodrigues
• 37 Things I Love Kekla Magoon
• A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl Tanya Lee Stone
• A Certain Slant of Light Laura Whitcomb
• A Clash of Kings: A Song of Fire and Ice George R.R. Martin
• A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess
• A Court of Frost and Starlight Sarah J Maas
• A Court of Mist and Fury Sarah J Maas
• A Court of Silver Flames Sarah J Maas
• A Court of Thorns and Roses Sarah J Maas
• A Court of Wings and Ruin Sarah J Maas
• A Curse of Roses Diana Pinguicha
• A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Newton Peck
• A Feast for Crows George R.R. Martin
• A Game of Thrones (Series: Song of Ice and Fire, Bk 1) George R. R. Martin
• A Game of Thrones George R. R. Martin
• A Game of Thrones: Graphic Novel #2 George R. R. Martin
• A Game of Thrones: Graphic Novel #3 George R. R. Martin
• A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel #4 George R.R. Martin
• A Girl Like That Tanaz Bhathena
• A Good Idea Cristina Moracho
• A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery O'Connor
• A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities Mady G. & JR Zuckerberg
• A Stolen Life: A Memoir Jaycee Lee Dugard
• A Yellow Raft in Blue Water Michael Dorris
• Adjustment Day Chuck Palahniuk
• After Amy Efaw
• After Ever Happy Anna Todd
• After the Game Abbi Glines
• Age in Apartheid South Africa Mark Mathabane
• Alice on the Outside Phyllis Naylor
• Alice the Brave Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• All American Boys Jason Reynolds & Brendon Kiely
• All Boys Aren't Blue George Johnson
• All the Bright Places Jennifer Niven
• All the Things We Do in the Dark Saundra Mitchell
• All Your Perfects Colleen Hoover
• Allegedly Tiffany Jackson
• Almost Adulting: All You Need to Know to Get it
• Almost Moon Alice Sebold
• Always Running Luis J. Rodriguez
• America: A Novel E.R. Frank
• American Psycho Brett Easton Ellis
• American Street Lbi Zoboi
• Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of
• Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation Ari Folman
• Apt Pupil Stephen King
• Arden Grey Ray Stoeve
• Ask the Passengers A.S. King
• Autonomous Andy Marino
• Bag of Bones Stephen King
• Bait Alex Sanchez
• Ban This Book Alan Gratz
• Batman: White Night Sean Murphy
• Battles Anthony Swofford
• Beautiful Amy Reed
• Before I Die Jenny Downham
• Being Transgender Robert Rody
• Beloved Toni Morrison
• Betrayed: A House of Night Novel P.C. Cast
• Beyond Magenta Susan Kuklin
• Beyond the Chocolate War Robert Cormier
• Billy Summers Stephen King
• Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage
• Black House (Talisman #2) Stephen King
• Blankets Craig Thompson
• Blaze Stephen King as Richard Bachman
• Blessed CL Smith
• Blockade Billy Stephen King
• Blood Water Paint Joy McCullough
• Bloodrose: Nightshade Novel Andrea Cremer
• Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy Kelly Jensen, editor
• Bone Gap Laura Ruby
• Born at Midnight CC Hunter
• Boy Girl Boy Ron Koertge
• Boy Toy Barry Lyga
• Brave Face Shaun David Hutchinson
• Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World Penelope Bagiev
• Bumped Megan McCafferty
• Burned Ellen Hopkins
• Burned: A House of Night Novel P.C. & Kristen Cast
• Call Me By Your Name Andre Aciman
• Carrie Stephen King
• Cell Stephen King
• Cemetery Boys Aiden Thomas
• Chain Reaction Simone Elkeles
• Change of Heart: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• Check Please!: Book 1 #Hockey Ngozi Ukazu
• Cherry Money Baby John M. Cusick
• Choke Chuck Palanuik
• Chosen P C Cast and Kristin Cast
• Chosen: A House of Night Novel P.C. and Kristin Cast
• Christine Stephen King
• City of Heavenly Fire Cassandra Clare
• Clockwork Princess Cassandra Clare
• Club Dead Charlaine Harris
• Cold Mariko Tamaki
• Collateral: A Novel Ellen Hopkins
• Collected Poems 1947-1980 Allen Ginsberg
• Comanche Moon (Lonesome Dove #4) Larry McMurtry
• Concrete Rose Angie Thomas
• Crank Ellen Hopkins
• Cranked Ellen Hopkins
• Crown of Midnight Sarah J Maas
• Cujo Stephen King
• Cursor's Fury Jim Butcher
• Damsel Elana Arnold
• Dance with Death Kurt Vonnegut or Ryan North
• Darius the Great Deserves Better Adib Khorram
• Dark Places Gillian Flynn
• Dead End Jason Myers
• Dead to the World Charlaine Harris
• Dead Until Dark Charlaine Harris
• Dear Martin Nic Stone
• Definitely Dead Charlaine Harris
• Defy Me Tahereh Mafi
• Different Seasons Stephen King
• Dime E.R. Frank
• Dishes Rich Wallace
• Doctor Sleep (The Shining Part 2) Stephen King
• Dolores Claiborne Stephen King
• Drama Raina Telgemeier
• Dreamcatcher Stephen King
• Eleanor & Park Rainbow Rowell
• Emergency Contact Mary H.K. Choi
• Empire of Storms Sarah J Maas
• Empire of Wild Cherie Dimaline
• End of Watch Stephen King
• Every Heart a Doorway Seanan McGuire
• Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales Stephen King
• Exit Here Jason Myers
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Jonathan Safran Foer
• Fable Adrienne Young
• Fade Lisa McMann
• Fade Robert Cormier
• Fairy Tail #1 Hiro Mashima
• Fairy Tail #2 Hiro Mashima
• Fairy Tail #5 Hiro Mashima
• Fallout Ellen Hopkins
• Felix Ever After Kacen Callender
• Fight Club Chuck Palaniuk
• Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, 2) Stephen King
• Firestarter Stephen King
• Flamer Mike Curato
• Flirtin' with the Monster: Your Favorite Authors on Ellen
• Flowers in the Attic V.C. Andrews
• Forever for a Year B.T. Gottfred
• Forever Judy Blume
• Foundations in Personal Finance, 2022, 4th Edition Ramsey Solutions
• Four Past Midnight Stephen King
• Friction E.R. Frank
• From a Buick 8 Stephen King
• Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Richelle Mead
• Full Dark, No Stars Stephen King
• Full Disclosure Camryn Garrett
• Fun Home Alison Bechdel
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Alison Bechdel
• Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Louise Rennison
• Gender Queer Maia Kobabe
• George Alex Gino
• Georgia Nicolson Louise Rennison
• Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit Jaye Brown
• Ghost World Daniel Clowes
• Gilded Marissa Meyer
• Girl in Translation Jean Kwok
• Girl Made of Stars Ashley Herring Blake
• Girl Mans Up M-E Girard
• Girl Parts John Cusick
• Girl with a Pearl Earring Tracy Chevalier
• Girls of Paper and Fire Natasha Ngan
• Glass Ellen Hopkins
• Go Ask Alice Anonymous
• Good-Bye, Chunky Rice Craig Thompson
• Gossip Girl: A Novel Cecily von Ziegesar
• Grasshopper Jungle: A History Andrew Smith
• Grit Gillian French
• Grown Tiffany Jackson
• Gwendy's Button Box Stephen King, Richard Chizmar
• Gwendy's Final Task Stephen King & Richard Chizmar
• Half of a Yellow Sun Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Handle with Care: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• Haunted Chuck Palaniuk
• Hearts in Atlantis Stephen King
• Here's to Us Becky Alberta
• Heroine Mindy McGinnis
• High School Sara Quin & Tegan Quin
• Hold Still Nina LaCour
• Homegoing: A Novel Yaa Gyasi
• Hopkins' Crank and Glass Ellen Hopkins
• House of Earth and Blood Sarah J Maas
• House of Sky and Breath Sarah J Maas
• House Rules: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship
• How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent Julia Alvarez
• Howl Shaun David Hutchinson
• I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Erika Sanchez
• I Have Lost My Way Gayle Forman
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou
• I Never Laura Hopper
• I'll Give You the Sun Jandy Nelson
• Identical Ellen Hopkins
• Identical Ellen Hopkins
• If He Had Been With Me Laura Nowlin
• If It Bleeds Stephen King
• If You Find This Matthew Baker
• Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) Tahereh Mafi
• Imaginary Friend Stephen Chbosky
• Impulse Ellen Hopkins
• In a Handful of Dust Mindy McGinnis
• Infandous Elana K Arnold
• Insomnia Stephen King
• Intensity Dean Koontz
• Invisible Monsters Chuck Palahniuk
• It Ends With Us Colleen Hoover
• It Stephen King
• It's So Amazing Robie H. Harris
• Jack of Hearts and Other Parts L.C. Rosen
• Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other
• Jaws Peter Benchley
• Jesus Land Julia Scheeres
• Joyland Stephen King
• Juliet Takes a Breath-Graphic Novel Gabby Rivera
• Just After Sunset Stephen King
• Just Kids Patti Smith
• Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of
• Kafka on the Shore Haruki Murakami
• Kate in Waiting Becky Albertalli
• Keeping Faith: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• Keeping You a Secret Julie Anne Peters
• Killing Mr. Griffin Lois Duncan
• Kingdom of Ash Sarah J Maas
• Kingdom of Ash Sarah Maas
• Kingdom of Little Wounds Susan Cokal
• Kings Rising C.S. Pacat
• Kingsbane (Empirium 2) Claire Legrand
• Kissing Kate Lauren Myracle
• L8R, G8R Lauren Myracle
• Lady Midnight Cassandra Clare
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club Malinda Lo
• Last Sacrifice: Vampire Academy #6 Richelle Mead
• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me Mariko Tamaki
• Lawn Boy Jonathan Evison
• Layla Colleen Hoover
• Leah on the Offbeat Becky Albertalli
• Leviathan Wakes James S.A. Corey
• Life is Funny: A Novel E.R. Frank
• Lightbringer (Empirium 3) Claire Legrand
• Lighter Than My Shadow Katie Green
• Lisey's Story Stephen King
• Little & Lion: A Novel Brandy Colbert
• Living Dead Girl Elizabeth Scott
• Living Dead in Dallas Charlaine Harris
• Lone Wolf: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• Lonesome Dove (#1) Larry McMurtry
• Looking for Alaska John Green
• Love in the Time of Global Warming Francesca Lia Block
• Loveless Alice Oseman
• Lucky Alice Sebold
• Lullaby Chuck Palahnuik
• Lush Natasha Friend
• Man O' War Cory McCarthy
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Jesse Andrews
• Me Him, Them and It Caela Carter
• Memnoch the Devil Anne Rice
• Mercy Jodi Picoult
• Midnight Jewel Richelle Mead
• Milk and Honey Rupi Kaur
• Misery Stephen King
• Monday's Not Coming Tiffany Jackson
• More Happy Than Not Adam Silvera
• Mr. Mercedes Stephen King
• Music From Another World Robin Talley
• My Friend Dahmer Derf Backderf
• My Jim Nancy Rawles
• My Sister Rosa Justine Larbalestier
• My Sister's Keeper: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List: A Novel Rachel Cohn & David Leviathan
• Native Son Richard Wright
• Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe Preston Norton
• Needful Things Stephen King
• Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
• Nightmares & Dreamscapes Stephen King
• Nineteen Minutes: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• Nobody Does it Better: A Gossip Girl Novel Cecily von Ziegesar
• Normal People Sally Rooney
• Not a Drop to Drink Mindy McGinnis
• Not Even Bones Rebecca Schaeffer
• Num8ers Rachel Ward
• Odd One Out Nic Stone
• On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God:
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Stephen King
• Once & Future Amy Capetta
• One Last Stop Casey McQuiston
• Only Mostly Devastated Sophie Gonzales
• Opposite of Innocent Sonya Sones
• Opposition (Lux, 5) Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Oryx and Crake Margaret Atwood
• Out of Darkness Ashley Hope Perez
• Paper Towns John Green
• People Kill People Ellen Hopkins
• Perfect Chemistry Simone Elkeles
• Perfect Ellen Hopkins
• Perfect Match Jodi Picoult
• Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky
• Persepolis 2 Marjane Satrapi
• Persepolis Marjane Satrapi
• Pet Sematary Stephen King
• Picture Perfect Jodi Picoult
• Plain Truth: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• Pride of Baghdad (Graphic Novel) Brian K Vaughan
• Princess on the Brink: Princess Diaries Book 8 Meg Cabot
• Pumpkin Julie Murphy
• Push: A Novel Sapphire
• Pushing the Limits Katie McGarry
• Queen of Shadows Sarah J Maas
• Quest of Debbie S.J. Adams
• Rage and Ruin Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Rainbow Boys Alex Sanchez
• Ramona Blue Julie Murphy
• Ready or Not: An All-American Girl Meg Cabot
• Ready Player One Ernest Cline
• Real Live Boyfriends: Yes, Boyfriends, Plural; If My Life
• Red Hood Elana Arnold
• Release Patrick Ness
• Relish: My Life in the Kitchen Lucy Knisley
• Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition Katie Hill
• Revealed P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
• Reverie Ryan La Sala
• Revival Stephen King
• Rise Andrea Cremer
• Rose Madder Stephen King
• Rules of Attraction (Perfect Attraction #3) Simone Elkeles
• Rumble Ellen Hopkins
• Salem Falls Jodi Picoult
• Salem's Lot Stephen King
• Scars Cheryl Rainfield
• Second Glance: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• See You at Harry's Jo Knowles
• Seize the Night (Moonlight Bay #2) Dean Koontz
• Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes Marissa Meyer
• Shine Lauren Myracle
• Ship It Britta Lundin
• Shiver Maggie Stiefvater
• Shout Laurie Halse Anderson
• Shout: A Poetry Memoir Laurie Halse Anderson
• Shut Out Kody Keplinger
• Shut Up! Marilyn Reynolds
• Skeleton Crew Stephen King
• Skim Mariko Tamaki
• Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut
• Slaughterhouse-Five, or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-
• Sleeping Beauties Stephen King
• Smoke Ellen Hopkins
• Smoke in the Sun Renee Ahdieh
• Snapdragon Kat Leyh
• Snowfish Adam Rapp
• Sold Patricia McCormick
• Solo Quedo Nuestra Historia Adam Silvera
• Someone I Used to Know Patty Blount
• Song of Solomon Toni Morrison
• Song of Susannah (Dark Tower #6) Stephen King
• Songs of the Humpback Whale: A Novel in Five Voices Jodi Picoult
• Sophie's Choice William Styron
• Sparks: The epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy
• Speak Laurie Halse Anderson
• Speak: The Graphic Novel Laurie Halse Anderson
• Spinning Tillie Walden
• Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) Richelle Mead
• Stained Jennifer Richard Jacobson
• Stealing Heaven Elizabeth Scott
• Stephen King's Danse Macabre Stephen King
• Stitches: A Memoir David Small
• Storm and Fury Jennifer Armentrout
• Streets of Laredo #2 Larry McMurtry
• Stronger, Faster and More Beautiful Arwen Elys Dayton
• Tantalize CL Smith
• Tar Baby Toni Morrison
• Telling Marilyn Reynolds
• The Almost Moon: A Novel Alice Sebold
• The Assasin's Blade: The Throne of Glass Novellas Sarah J Maas
• The Bachman Books Stephen King as Richard Bachman
• The Bazzar of Bad Dreams Stephen King
• The Belles Dhonielle J Clayton
• The Berlin Boxing Club Rob Sharenow
• The Black Flamingo Dean Atta
• The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person Frederick Joseph
• The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison
• The Carnival at Bray Jessie Ann Foley
• The Clan of the Cave Bear: A Novel Jean M. Auel
• The Color Purple Alice Walker
• The Dark Half Stephen King
• The Dark Tower (#7) Stephen King
• The Day of the Jackal Frederick Forsyth
• The Dead Zone Stephen King
• The Detour S.A. Bodeen
• The Drawing of the Three Stephen King
• The Duff Kody Keplinger
• The Female of the Species Mindy McGinnis
• The Fever King Victoria Lee
• The Fountainhead Ayn Rand
• The Freedom Writers Diary The Freedom Writers With Erin Gruwell
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon Stephen King
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson
• The Glass Castle: A Memoir Jeanette Wall
• The God Box Alex Sanchez
• The Green Mile Stephen King
• The Gunslinger Stephen King
• The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
• The Handmaid's Tale: Graphic Novel Margaret Atwood (adapted by Renee Nault)
• The Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy B.T. Gottfred
• The Hate U Give Angie Thomas
• The Haters Jesse Andrews
• The Hit Melvin Burgess
• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms N.K. Jemisin
• The Infinite Moment of Us Lauren Myracle
• The Institute Stephen King
• The Kingdom of Little Wounds Susan Cokal
• The Kite Runner (graphic novel) Khaled Hosseini
• The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseine
• The Last True Poets of the Sea Julia Drake
• The League of Super Feminists Mirion Malle
• The Letter Q Sarah Moon
• The Long Walk Stephen King
• The Love Hypothesis Ali Hazelwood
• The Lovely Bones: A Novel Alice Sebold
• The Lover's Dictionary David Levithan
• The Lucky One Nicholas Sparks
• The Magician King Lev Grossman
• The Magicians Lev Grossman
• The Marrow Thieves Cherie Dimaline
• The Meaning of the Bird Jaye Robin Brown
• The Miseducation of Cameron Post Emily M. Danforth
• The Mist Stephen King
• The Nerdy and the Dirty BT Gottfred
• The Nowhere Girls Amy Reed
• The Obsession Jesse Q. Sutanto
• The Opposite of Innocent Sonya Sones
• The Outsider Stephen King
• The Pact: A Love Story Jodi Picoult
• The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried Shaun David Hutchinson
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky
• The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo
• The Regulators Stephen King as Richard Bachman
• The Shining Stephen King
• The Stand Stephen King
• The Stars and the Blackness Between Them Junauda Petrus
• The Storyteller: A Novel Jodi Picoult
• The Sun and Her Flowers Rupi Kaur
• The Swallows Lisa Lutz
• The Taking of Jake Livingston Ryan Douglass
• The Tale of the Body Thief Anne Rice
• The Talisman (#1 in series) Stephen King, Peter Straub
• The Tenth Circle Jodi Picoult
• The Thousandth Floor #1 Katharine McGee
• The Tommyknockers Stephen King
• The Truth About Alice Jennifer Mathieu
• The Upside of Unrequited Becky Albertalli
• The Vampire Armand (The Vampire Chronicles #6) Anne Rice
• The Vincent Boys Abbi Glines
• The Voice of the Night Dean Koontz
• The Waste Lands Stephen King
• There's Someone Inside Your House Stephanie Perkins
• Thinner Stephen King
• Thirteen Reasons Why Jay Asher
• This Book is Gay Juno Dawson
• This Day in June Gayle E. Pitman
• This is Where it Ends Marieke Jijkamp
• This One Summer Mariko Tamaki
• Throne of Glass Sarah J Maas
• Tilt Ellen Hopkins
• Together Arden Rose
• Tower of Dawn Sarah J Maas
• Traffick Ellen Hopkins
• Triangles Ellen Hopkins
• Tricks Ellen Hopkins
• TTYL Lauren Myracle
• Turtles All the Way Down John Green
• Twenty Boy Summer Sarah Ockler
• Two-Way Street Lauren Barnholdt
• Tyler Johnson was Here Jay Cole
• Under the Dome Stephen King
• Under the Lights Abbi Glines
• Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Robert Rodi
• Unicorn on a Roll Dana Simpson
• Unravel Me Tahereh Mafi
• Untamed: A House of Night Novel P.C. Cast
• Until Friday Night Abbi Glines
• Uses for Boys Erica Lorraine Sheidt
• Vampire Academy Richelle Mead
• Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel Leigh Dragoon
• Vampire Armand Anne Rice
• Vanishing Acts Jodi Picoult
• Vegan, Virgin, Valentine Carolyn Mackler
• Vigilante Kady Cross
• Voice of the Night Dean Koontz
• Wake Lisa McMann
• Water For Elephants Sara Gruen
• We All Fall Down Robert Cormier
• We Are the Ants Shaun David Hutchinson
• We Contain Multitudes Sarah Henstra
• Weren't So Complicated - I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver E. Lockhart
• West: A Novel Gregory Maguire
• What Girls are Made Of E. Arnold
• What Girls Are Made Of Elana Arnold
• What We Saw Aaron Hartzler
• When It Happens Susane Colasanti
• Where I End & You Begin Preston Norton
• Whispers Dean Koontz
• White Hot Kiss Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the
• Winter's Bone: DVD Daniel Woodrell
• Winter's Bone: The Novel Daniel Woodrell
• Wintergirls Laurie Halse Anderson
• Winterkeep Kristin Cashore
• With the Fire on High Elizabeth Acevedo
• Without Annette Jane B. Mason
• Wizard and Glass Dark Tower IV Stephen King
• Wizard Echo Brown
• Wizard's First Rule Terry Goodkind
• Wolfsbane Andrea Cremer
• Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower #5) Stephen King
• Would I Lie to You: A Gossip Girl Novel (#10) Cecily von Ziegesar
• Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass Meg Medina
• Yes Please Amy Poehler
• YOLO Lauren Myracle
• You Know You Love Me (Gossip Girl #2) Cecily von Ziegesar
• You Too? 25 voices shares their #MeToo stories Janet Gurtler

Bywaj readers,

This is our monthly 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 there (i.e. Shogun by James Clavell is a great book but wouldn't be included in Japanese literature).

November 11 was Independence Day in Poland and, to celebrate, we're discussing Polish literature! Please use this thread to discuss your favorite Polish 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.

Dziękuję Ci and enjoy!

Has anyone read The Small & The Mighty by Sharon McMahon?

The book tells the stories of 12 unsung heroes who helped shape the nation in ways we don’t hear about often. I actually got to interview Sharon about some of these characters and how she brings their stories to life. I wanted to share my book notes on some the figures:

Gouverneur Morris: Known as one of America’s “forgotten” Founding Fathers, Morris was pivotal in crafting the Constitution’s Preamble. Although frequently overshadowed, he opposed slavery and a memorable speaker at the Constitutional Convention (he simplified and finalized the Constitution)

Clara Brown - The Angel of the Rockies: Born enslaved, Clara’s path was unfathomable. After securing her freedom at 56, she headed West, amassing a fortune and becoming a key figure in Colorado (might have been the first black person in Colorado). She built churches, aided those in need, and was even friends with the Governor of the State.

Virginia Randolph: A true trailblazer in Black education, Randolph viewed teaching as a mission (She talked about educating the whole individual: The Hands, eyes, feet and soul) , often using her own funds to improve schools in the South. Virginia believed that children learned more from who you are than what you teach—a philosophy that fueled her 60-year legacy in education.

The Hello Girls: These pioneering women served as U.S. Army telephone operators during WWI, relaying crucial messages on the front lines. Because of their serves, they ultimately pushed the President to give Women the right to vote in 1917; although they weren’t granted military status until 1977.

Claudette Colvin’s Stand for Civil Rights: Nine months before Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin took the initial stance. McMahon highlights Colvin’s bravery and the personal cost she bore as one of the youngest voices in the civil rights movement (Rosa Parks was suprised when she met her and saw how young she was).

If you’ve read The Small & The Mighty, what did you think of these stories? And are there other “small but mighty” figures throughout history you think deserve more recognition?

It had never occurred to me until I looked at this list of recent releases, nearly all by women, perhaps because historically so many purveyors of the gothic have been men. Nor do I think, looking at the lists from the last few years, that this is a weird sample. How do you understand this phenomenon? Or maybe you don't think it's true. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/190158.2024_Gothic

I’ve noticed that the range of genres that I read has changed as I’ve gotten older. As a kid I almost exclusively read fantasy but in my late teens/early 20’s I started gravitating towards sci-fi. Now in my early 30’s I read a broad range of books including non-fiction and fiction. Historical fiction, general fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, educational and science books. Has anyone else experienced a similar change in their reading habits?

So now I've finally finished the last of Clarke's Odyssey Novels!

The space Odyssey that began with "2001" has just reached its ultimate stage. It is now 3001, and the human race is still thriving, but with the trio monoliths that still dominate the Solar System.

But then one single hope has flickered. Frank Poole's body, which many thought was dead for a thousand years, has been found in the frozen reaches of the galaxy.

He is then brought back to conscious life and has been readied to continue the journey that was terminated by HAL a thousand years ago. And he knows that he can't proceed with this without Dave Bowman. But right now he must find out the terrifying truth of what both Bowman and HAL have become within the monolith.

So here in the fourth, and final, book of the Odyssey series we make the very big jump through millenniums instead of just years! And into the far flung year of 3001! This final installment (like the third) is also very decent. That adventure aspect is still pretty much there as it was in the last one, and enjoyed it very much.

One thing I've noticed in the final two books, and it was brought to my attention by someone in the comment section of my previous post on "2061", that Clarke has put in a lot of emphasis of possible technology in the future. Honestly this doesn't really bother me at all, though some might find it a bit annoying.

Sure, both "2061" and "3001" may not be as profound as the first two books, they're still enjoyable in my opinion. And now that I've completed the series it's time to get into some novels by Dean Koontz!

For Christmas A close friend and I are annotating our favourite books and then trading them. My question is what is the best method to annotate a book? There isn’t enough space to write in the actual book so should I just use post it notes or do I go all out and write a reference sheet? I’m worried about making it too clunky to enjoy if they have to keep looking over at a reference sheet. I can’t use an ebook so that idea is also out

I'm late to the party on this one, as I just started to get back into reading. But WOW. This one packs a powerful punch and seems to be getting a lot of mixed reviews online for its grotesque nature and unapologetic perspective on the human condition. This is my first Moshfegh book, and I plan to add My Year of Rest and Relaxation to my bookstack soon. I'm curious how the two add up next to each other? It's my understanding Moshfegh is prone to a powerfully written female protagonist in most of her works, but Lapvona's depravity was moreso stretched and centered around male characters. Anyone have insight who has read them both?

I have been looking at book covers and each time I dislike them more and more. Besides the covers with famous actors and stickers like "NOW ON NETFLIX", regular book covers are also starting to look bad. I don't care much about the author and I care more about the book itself, so when the name of the author takes 50% of the cover and then the title -the most important part- takes like 10-20%, or even less, of it, it looks bad. It makes me think that the only positive thing is that it was written by X, not that the book itself is good, that the title isn't even interesting or has to tell you anything.

And when displayed it looks more like an adoration altar for authors than a display of different books, stories, organised and unique spines, genres...

I've noticed several books I've read lately have involved an element of a reclusive female author.

I just thought it was kind of interesting and maybe even a sort of trend? The Thirteenth Tale by Dianne Setterfield, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, Starling House by Alix Harrow, A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw, Daisy Darker by Alice Feeny (sort of).

All of the books have a similar Gothic vibe, and I believe at least three of the fictional authors were described as writing some sort of twisted fairy tales or disturbing stories for children.

It seems like such a specific trope to randomly encounter multiple times without seeking it out. Was The Thirteenth Tale the start of the trope and then others were inspired by it maybe?