In Japanese, there's a word for people who buy books but don’t read them “Tsundoku” (積ん読) (not to be confused with "Sudoku", that is my favorite game). In Thai “กองดอง” (Kong Dong) refers to a pile or collection of things that are accumulated but not used or processed. In French, “Bibliomanie” refers to an obsession with collecting books, sometimes to the point of hoarding them without actually reading them. In German, “Lesestapel” is a term for a pile of books meant to be read but it often implies they might not be. In English I think sometimes the word "Lazy" fits me.

I buy books all the time. At book fairs, in bookstores and even online, I’m always finding something interesting something that calls out to me. Sometimes I read and finish them (I read around 52 books a year). Sometimes I start and stop halfway and sometimes I don’t even take the book out of the bag. By now I probably own more than 1000+ unread books. So how do I justify buying more books when I still have so many unread ones?

A breakdown of books being removed for DEI purposes. It's so all encompassing that one can say it is targeting culture itself. Your thoughts?

I've decided to start reading more non-fiction books this year. Stories of real people always fascinated me and it's always amazing to see how they convey their experiences through words and ink. I read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou last month and it's by far one of the best autobiographies I've come across so far.

This book is the first one from the series about her life and covers her life from childhood till the birth of her son. From the very first pages, I immediately became interested in Maya's story and the more I read, the more I felt like I knew her. It was like reading about a dear old friend.

Maya's life had not been easy. From a young age, her and her brother, Bailey, experienced the pain of abandonment when their parents sent them to live with their grandma in Stamps, a small Southern town. Their life in this small community, although not luxurious, it was comfortable and provided Maya with a sense of comfort and familiarity. From a very young age she developed a love for reading and writing, to which she would devote her life later on.

Everything changed once Maya and Bailey's mother decided to take them with her to St. Louis. Bailey was ecstatic to live with his mom but Maya was reluctant to abandon the place she called home. During this period, one of the worst events in her life occurred - she was raped by her mother's partner.

My heart panged for eight years old Maya. She was so confused and afraid. The portrayal of the aftermath and what happened after her rapist's conviction made me want to cry. She had to keep it secret because that monster had threatened to kill Bailey and Maya, who loved her brother so much, spoke no word. After that, she became a shell of her own self. She avoided talk and the only person with whom she felt comfortable talking to was her brother.

Throughout her life, Maya had experienced racism. A particular event that made my blood boil was when a white dentist, whom her grandmother had helped in the past, refused to treat her painful tooth ache because of their color. I literally saw red. But Maya did not succumb. Determined and strong spirited, she learnt to endure hate and not bow in front of white folks -whom she strongly disliked. I cheered for her when she managed to secure a job as a streetcar conductor -the first black woman in San Francisco to do so, mind you!

Speaking of racism, what surprised me is the portrayal of racism from black people towards Asians in the '40s, when Maya and Bailey moved to San Francisco to live again with their mother. WW2 had a great impact in the Asian community of the city and that lead to black people's rise in economy. Although they didn't abuse Asians in the same way whites treated black people, they still treated them in an inferior way, especially after gaining financial power. I know that this is an insignificant part in Maya's story but I found it interesting that she did not shy away from showing how abused people will seek to stand above weaker ones, once they gain the upper hand.

Family relationships was one of the most prominent themes in the book. Throughout my read, I found the parts about Maya's interaction with her family to be very emotional. She loved her grandma and uncle, even though they showed it in different ways. She struggled to reconnect with her mother, treating her as a stranger, only to warm up and even look up to her. Their relationship was oh, so complex and yet so beautiful. But the relationship I adored was the one with her brother. As someone who has a sibling, I related with Maya's love and devotion to Bailey. The siblings were close to each other and even when they argued, they still cared.

I loved Maya's prose. The writing was mostly simple but in some parts it became lyrical and beautiful. There was beauty even in sadness and sorrow. The descriptions of the places and people were very vivid and there were so many extracts that made me pause and think for a moment.

Although the book has many sad moments, there is also so much hope and optimism. It reminds us that we need to work to make a better life for ourselves and that we shouldn't allow anyone and anything to take our will to live. The journey is not easy. But the outcome will be worth.

I really admired Angelou. I really did. A strong, independent woman, who loved her family and who sought a better life. Despite the hardships she had endured, she didn't back down and she managed to navigate in her life, no matter where she was or with whom. I am more than eager to read the rest of her biographies and it's certain to say that I have found a new role model.

I LOVE Libby -- I shall start by saying that. This is by no means meant to downplay how awesome it is.

But managing the queue has felt a bit like a chore, and I wanted to know if y'all more experienced Libby uses have developed a strategy.

I mostly use Libby for audiobooks, and I like long books. However, my library only allows 7 days for poplar books. When you have a 28 hour audiobook-- well.... finishing it would become a chore, because at minimum, you'd have to listen to 4 hours a day.

Here's my problem: I know the common strategies -- listen while you do dishes, listen on commutes, etc. etc. I already know that. But planning to listen that much every single day for four hours minimum makes reading feel like a job. I do not want my hobby to feel like a job. I want to listen when I can fully enjoy it. Making sure I map out reading times feels like optimizing the fun out of reading.

That inevitably means the rental will lapse, and with popular books, it may be another two months before I can get it again.

If there is anyone out there with a similar struggle, what strategies do you take? Do you take notes so it's easier to pick back up in a few months? Do you just carry on listening and hope you remember relevant details?

My personal solution hasn't been great - I've just purchased it from audible where I can listen at my own pace, but I really want to use the library more.

I just read Reginald Rose’s 12 Angry Men for the first time, which is a bit embarrassing to admit considering I’m a defense attorney. I have yet to see the play/film. I quite enjoyed this read. Captivating, quick, and drove home the central theme of not judging a book by its cover (AKA recognition of personal bias, particularly in the context of extreme decisions) throughout. It was a fun read. Thoughts?

Firstly, what are your thoughts on the titular character? Some people glorify her as a feminist icon (lived life on her own terms, was sexually free, etc) but I can't perceive her like that. She whipped a horse until it bled. I also might be reading too deeply into Maxim saying that she told him things on the cliff in Monte Carlo that he can never repeat again (and I don't think he was talking about her adultery, because he repeatedly acknowledges that). I don't take a lot of the things Maxim said about Rebecca for granted, but I do believe she was a terrible person. I also have a problem in general with people trying to put characters in contemporary boxes ("Rebecca was a girlboss"), I feel like it dilutes/strips them of any and all nuance.

Imo Maxim was the victim in his first marriage because Rebecca recognized and manipulated his attachment to/love for Manderley and went back on their agreement. I don't condone his murdering her but he was pushed to it because she manipulated him and orchestrated it so that she'd continue to haunt him even after she was gone. She was evil and manipulative for sure, everyone who didn't love her, hated her, there was no in between.

What do you think of the relationship between Mrs de Winter #2 and Maxim? Do you think it's predatory? I don't think it is, although there was definitely a power imbalance and he was a neglectful husband. I don't think he loved her in the beginning (or even for much of the middle), but he was genuinely fond of her because she was the complete opposite of Rebecca (and yeah, some of those qualities were because she was young and very naive.) I think he starts to respect her/lean on her more after his confession, and after Manderley burns down they find companionship and peace with each other, but they are far from the perfect match. I lowkey think she'd be better with Frank, he was much more attentive and thoughtful and they were compatible but she pedestalises Maxim too much for that to ever happen lol

Manderley burning down was good for both of them (especially Maxim) and is the reason they end up as a somewhat happy couple. Both of them have a toxic(?) relationship with the house and neither of them could have moved on from Rebecca's shadow if they continued living there.

I just finished The Mercy of Gods and can’t stop thinking about it. The sheer scale of the story is so typical of Corey’s work, but this one managed to feel even more expansive.

One of the most impressive aspects, in my opinion, was the focus on xenobiology—and not just as a backdrop. The authors clearly put a lot of thought into what it would mean to design alien species whose biology shapes their entire perception of reality. It reminded me a lot of Ed Yong’s nonfiction book An Immense World, especially in how it explores the concept of Umwelt—the idea that every species has its own sensory reality. Here, that idea is fully sci-fi’d: alien beings experience the world in fundamentally different ways based on their physical makeup, and this directly impacts their communication, strategies, and even their ethics. I loved this.

Now, here's where I put my tinfoil hat on... Heavy spoilers ahead for both The Mercy of Gods #1 and The Expanse.

I'm not convinced this novel is truly outside the Expanse universe. There are some very intriguing breadcrumbs. For one, the planet Anjiin could have easily been settled through the ring gates—then isolated when the gates collapsed. The society is extremely science-oriented, just like many of the groups that migrated through the rings in the original series.
Then there’s the enemy of the Carrynx, described as “hard to kill,” which immediately reminded me of the strange, self-reassembling creatures from Strange Dogs. Could this be a sign that one branch of humanity somehow harnessed the same tech or biology?
At the end, the Carrynx mention that humans are biologically similar to their enemy. So likely a distantly evolved human offshoot—maybe changed by time, or altered by the alien tech harnessed from the Strange Dogs?
My partner even speculated that the Swarm might be the protomolecule in a new form. And honestly... if Amos suddenly pops up on stage and ends up leading the resistance, I’m would not be surprised.

Would love to hear other thoughts—especially on the world-building and how folks interpreted the Umwelt aspect of the aliens. Also, thoughrs on my theory, and if anyone else seeing the connections?

Possibly the strangest book you will ever read. And possibly my most favorite book of 2025.
I can not imagine how anything will top this experience this year.

I am in heaven.

Horror and Absurdist Humour are my two favortie genres and this book has been a treat, reminded me to re-listen to the episodes.
I used to listen to horror audio shows but then I stopped and night vale along with the magnus archives were my most favorite, so imagine my surprise when I came across the book!
I was in love, from page one. Like a stranger and an old friend at the same time.
So absurd, creepy, and yet profound.
I am an absurdist at heart and I am in heaven rn. had the best week reading welcome to night vale.

Went to add it to my goodreads shelf and discovered there are two more.
heaven.
It's healing me with how real it gets all of sudden.
The writing is amazing.
The kind of book where you really can not predict the next sentence and out of nowhere comes a profound quote:
"Look, life is stressful. This is true everywhere. But life in Night Vale is more stressful. There are things lurking in the shadows. Not the projections of a worried mind, but literal Things, lurking, literally, in shadows. Conspiracies are hidden in every storefront, under every street, and floating in helicopters above. And with all that there is still the bland tragedy of life. Births, deaths, comings, goings, the gulf of subjectivity and bravado between us and everyone we care about. All is sorrow, as a man once said without really doing much about it."
"You say your life is unraveling. Your life cannot unravel. Your life is your life. You haven’t lost it. It’s just different now."

and the critique of modern society: "A warning to our listeners: There have been reports of counterfeit police officers on the roads, who, instead of looking after our interests, work under arbitrary authority to unfairly target and extort those who are least able, societally, to fight back. If you see one of these FalsePolice, act right away by shrugging and thinking What am I gonna do? and then seeing if anything funny is on Twitter."

Last year I discovered and then read all 41 Discworld books and since then my taste has changed for the better and I have become even more selective in what I enjoy reading, and this book has blown me away.
It's strange in the best way.

love. it.

Before I start I want to make clear that I think the Percy Jackson and the Olympians books are really great YA/children's novels. I love them as stories and books, especially for kids, and these books deserve better audiobook narration.

That aside... I've listened to ~200 audiobooks in my life. Without a doubt, the Percy Jackson books have (in my opinion) the worst directed/edited narration of any of those audiobooks.

Many, many lines are read incorrectly...

• characters are given accents that don't match the text.

• serious characters are given super-goofy inappropriate voices, like

  • Luke being one of the main villains but having a surfer dude voice,
  • Ghosts haunting Percy sound like the old Disney giant from Jack and the Beanstalk who can't say "pistachio"...
  • Blackjack is unlistenable, and I'll bet money Jesse Bernstein's vocal cords still haven't recovered from the injuries sustained while voicing Blackjack.
  • Tyson sounds mentally disabled.
  • And more.

• 10 or 20 sentences per chapter spoken with incorrect emotion, incorrect tone of voice (to the point you have to stop and think what the text actually was trying to say), and/or spoken with emphasis on the incorrect words... and flat-out mispronuciations.

It's extremely distracting. It's bad-bad for a professional production of one of the most popular children's novel series in recent history.

The narration sounds like what I might sound like if someone just randomly turned on a recorder while I was reading Percy Jackson to my kids.

I'm not a perfect reader either. Like the actual narrator, I would read some sentences incorrectly just like he does... the difference is that if I were recording a major audiobook release, I would expect my director or editor to listen to what I said so I could re-record those lines that sounded off.

The only two possible conclusions in my mind are either that the audiobook director and editor were completely incompetent, or that the narrator was so bad that they had to give up and make do with the best of a bunch of bad takes... Like maybe they knew after 20 bad readings that it wasn't going to get any better? Who knows.

I know this is super harsh but it's also genuinely how I feel in the middle of Book 4, I literally can't believe how bad the narration is on this. Again, I've listened to probably about 200 audiobooks.

I think it's on the editor and director (Did they have one? They say there was but I don't see much evidence). There was no pride on the production side... this would have been much better if there was better direction and better editing.

But there wasn't.

These are great books for kids and deserve better narration.

So, I read a lot, like most folks in this subreddit, and I have really tried to read more from authors around the world. I’m no linguist, so I’m forced to read the English translations of these works, but I’ve found some interesting patterns in world literature that I thought I might share. I find that various languages really lend themselves to different types of writing mediums and styles. Obviously these are very broad generalizations, just my experience.

-English is an incredibly vocabulary heavy language, borrowing from virtually every other language at this point. Their champion is the novel, to no one’s surprise with writers like Dickens or Austen. English literature tends to be wordy but not verbose, it just usually requires that many words to adequately describe what you’re referring to. English novels tend to be morally driven, as opposed to character or plot driven.

-More than english, I think the Novel is really best expressed through Indian and Russian literature. Tamil is believed to have the largest vocabulary of any language, but more than that both Russia and India have incredibly rich folklore backgrounds. Both cultures prize plot over other elements of the book, and both culture’s works frequently have casts in the hundreds. For me, and Indian novel is always full of high drama and tragedy, without falling into being goofy. Russian literature, especially Tolstoy, is often same, with others like Dostoevsky or Turgenev being more inward facing. The one real split between these two is that the Russians tend to write philosophically more than the Indians.

-French literature is (as is almost stereotypically French) emotional. Hugo, Proust, Dumas, etc. all cut to your heart and beg you for a passionate experience. Plot comes secondarily but organically to the relationships between characters. French literature speaks to your heart.

-Korean literature is, to me, akin to the historic differences between film and television. While the latter evolved from radio and storytelling, the former was derived from photography and was about striking visuals. Korean literature will never say 10 words when 1 would suffice. Korean books tend to be very short but evocative, creating an ambiance that you live in rather than a plot that you pursue. It’s very peaceful and often very melancholic.

-Japanese literature is both similar to Korean and completely different. The Japanese focus more on plot and often have significantly larger novels, but compared with western literature it’s still not what I’d consider plot driven. Instead, Japanese literature meanders, taking the reader where it chooses in a zig zag, loop de loop path that can often be hard to follow. There is no 3 act structure, but that’s not to say that Japanese literature is lost, only that you may feel lost while in it. It still resolves and you see that every detail was almost always planned from the start.

-Irish literature tends to be short and playful. Rules get thrown out of the window. Joyce is of course the poster child for Irish writing, but Beckett or Toibin also play with form and give you shocking experiences without you having realized. With Irish writing I wouldn’t say plot or characters are the primary goals, but rather the story is. Irish writing always feels as though someone is sitting in front of you telling you a story, one you can’t always follow, but one they insist upon. I love it.

Again, these are broad strokes and only a few cultures are discussed. I’m curious what others think though and what other similar patterns can be found in other cultures’ works.

I'm seeing this sentiment online more frequently nowadays, and I feel like I'm out of the loop. Amazon usually has cheaper books than other booksellers in my country. I also read primarily on my Kindle Paperwhite and listen to audiobooks on Audible, so I've thought of them as a net positive in the book ecosystem.

But clearly, a lot of people feel strongly about going Amazon-free and don’t like them. So I'm wondering: what am I missing here? If you’re someone who feels this way, I’d really appreciate it if you could share why.

Thanks!

Edit: I’m not trying to defend Amazon — I’ve just never really thought much about this before, and I’m genuinely wondering if I should change how I see them.

Edit 2: Some of the comments mention Amazon becoming a monopoly and Bezos being too rich — which makes sense. But it got me thinking: a lot of other big tech companies like Google or Apple also have monopoly-like influence and billionaire founders. Is there something specific about Amazon’s role in the book world that makes people more vocal about it?

Wow. I just don't even know what to say about this story other than I think it's some of his best work ever. I've read everything by Stephen King since I was a kid and I don't think there's anything I didn't like. Maybe maximum overdrive actually, but anyways this story is fucking amazing. I started listening to the audiobook when it first came out but couldnt get into it. I kept trying to listen to it and i dont know i just kind of assumed that since Charlie's alive and telling us his story, I know what's going to happen. The stakes didn't feel high enough for me. But holy shit, it really took me a while to get into it, but I think this is one of his greatest novels. One of my favorites to be sure. I'm hooked on it. Absolutely love Stephen King's writing. I sincerely think he's one of the best authors who consistently writes great stories. I'm a huge fantasy fan (I even like The Eyes of the Dragon and his dark tower series). Anyways this is a great fucking story. I haven't read too much of his newer stories, but this is just great.

A century after it was published, F Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is more relevant than ever. Sarah Churchwell on the trouble with ‘careless people’

Welcome readers,

Have you ever wanted to ask something but you didn't feel like it deserved its own post but it isn't covered by one of our other scheduled posts? Allow us to introduce you to our new Simple Questions thread! Twice a week, every Tuesday and Saturday, a new Simple Questions thread will be posted for you to ask anything you'd like. And please look for other questions in this thread that you could also answer! A reminder that this is not the thread to ask for book recommendations. All book recommendations should be asked in /r/suggestmeabook or our Weekly Recommendation Thread.

Thank you and enjoy!

I just finished it today.

I somewhat enjoyed it, it was intriguing and frustrating at times, also fascinating with some parts, but looking back upon the flashbacks I realize "oh, there is a point to them."

I'm not really sure what to rate it as. It's not terrible, it's not the greatest, but it's not mediocre either. But it wasn't as though I keeping an eye out for plot holes or inconsistencies. I just read it and wanted to see where the story went. (Perhaps my fault for not thinking critically, I only realize flaws until I see other people point them out.)

What I don't get, however, is the genres the book is labeled as online. Fantasy and Sci-Fi. Well, fantasy I get.

I read the book, quickly realizing it was set in a fantasy world, but a fantasy world without magic or fairies. But it 100% was not our world.

But I read the entire book, and not once did it feel like a sci-fi book. Unless you count melting gold as sci-fi, or this being a world that isn't ours. Either I somehow missed the sci-fi or it just doesn't exist.

Is it actually sci-fi or just the internet mislabeling it?

I really enjoyed Ready Player One—the nostalgia was great, and it was a dumb, fun ride. But as much as I liked the references, the book made me cringe more times than I care to count, and everything outside of the nostalgia was either bad or forgettable. Still, I decided to give Ernest Cline another shot and read Armada, another video game-centric novel—this time with absolutely no redeeming qualities.

Cline has an obsession with making his protagonists know-it-alls who are effortlessly amazing at video games, and while that was off-putting in RPO, I didn’t realize how bad it was until I started reading Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. This is my first book by Dinniman, and I’m only a few chapters in, but wow—what a refreshing change. The protagonist isn’t some flawless genius, the game mechanics are well explained, and the humor actually lands. You can tell that Dinniman is genuinely funny and well-versed in modern culture, with references that feel natural rather than forced.

Dungeon Crawler Carl feels like everything Ernest Cline wanted to write but completely missed the mark on—though if making millions and getting a decent movie adaptation counts as failing, I guess we should all be so lucky.

Yesterday I finished The Red Orchids of Shanghai, and honestly, I feel broken. With everything happening in the world right now, and the direction humanity seems to be going toward, this book obliterated whatever bit of hope I had left in our collective goodness.

For those unfamiliar, it’s a non-fiction book of a 14-year-old Korean girl kidnapped by the Japanese Imperial Army during their occupation of Asia. The story follows her forced journey across East Asia as a "comfort woman"—a euphemism that barely scratches the surface of the systemic dehumanization, abuse, and violence she endured. The worst part? Knowing this isn’t fiction. These were real lives, real atrocities, and real systems.

I’m struggling to process it. Has anyone else read this or similar books and felt this level of despair? How did you move past it? I tried switching to something “lighter” and picked up The Book Thief although I see it's also set during WWII, so maybe not the best desicion from me lol.

When I started reading this novel by recommendation of a friend, I expected a simple novel centered around a power fantasy. I'm glad to report that I was so very wrong. This is a sweet and very catchy story, with the struggles of the LGBT community and the centuries of oppression maskerading as "tradition" interwoven with the plot in a spectacularly intelligent way. I liked Heartstopper, but it felt too preachy at times. This, instead, taught me about queer history in a very subtle way, making people from centuries ago feel like living links in a very long, wonderful chain.

This might be my favourite queer romance yet, and inspired me to up my game with the gay romance novel I just finished writing and I have now to edit. I'm glad I read this and sad that I didn't read it sooner.

I often read many people who say that a book was ruined because of the ending and how some novels lose strength when they reach the finale, but I'd like to know the other way around. Has there been any book that has been boring, or not just satisfying but the ending (or even some fragment, dialogue, even a phrase) has made it worthy of reading for you?

In my case, I can say that the Road by Mc Carthy was not as endearing as I thought it would be; I honestly did not like it, found it too dry and felt that the topic was something I had seen several times before. But the ending when the father says to the kid that once he dies he can still talk to him, was really precious and I was like ''this is what I was waiting for so long!'' (it wasn't that long given the book is actually short).

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks was another let down. I appreciate Banks and his freedom in which he can dwell between normal topics and tackle sci fi whenever he wants to, I admire that of him, but I can't seem to truly enjoy his works (something that saddens me, because I'd love to). However, the plot twist of Wasp Factory was really intriguing and had me reading deeply for like 10 pages and wishing the entire book had been like that.

I have other examples, but I'd like to read yours.

Do you happen to have experiences like those? Where you hate a book but you rescue something really valuable out of it?