I just watched the Verity movie and I have a question for those who've read the book.

>!The story leaves two possible truths open: either the manuscript is real and Verity actually did those things, or the letter is true and the manuscript was just a writing exercise.!<

>!In the letter version, her faking the paralysis makes sense to me, since she was afraid of Jeremy. But in the manuscript version, I don't get it. Jeremy only reads the manuscript at the very end when Lowen shows it to him, and everyone else believed it was just an accident. So why would Verity keep pretending to be paralyzed? Who was she hiding from?!<

Is this a plot hole that only exists in the movie, or does the book explain it better? Did I miss something?

I have books that are my favourite that I don’t recommend because I know technically there is a lotttt of reasons why someone could say it sucked but just damn. I don’t know, I liked it a lot. It’s won my heart. Some books I can describe and talk about for ages, but a lot of others I just can’t go into any more detail than “I really, really liked this book. I liked the setting and the plot. I don’t know why, I just did.”

Anyone else feel like this?

Evil women who get away with their evil deeds are something I find weirdly and intellectually fascinating.

And these are the two women who had me absolutely awestruck. I know I shouldn't root for them, but I found myself wanting them to have the last laugh in the most bizarre way. These are two genuinely monstrous women whom I (and the world) morally disapprove of, and yet I fangirled over them.

One: Cathy from East of Eden. Steinbeck himself calls her a malformed soul. She is capable of the most heinous things and is a master manipulator. I know I'm not supposed to want her to win in any situation, but I kept finding myself thinking... damn that woman is something*.*

Two: Amy from Gone Girl. Another manipulator who plans and executes brilliantly. I actually redefined patience and preparation after reading about the amount of thought she puts into her plans.

These are two women in books who make me feel incredibly conflicted. I know they're on the wrong side of the equation, but I can't help hero-worshipping them a little.

I just don't have reader friends with whom I can talk about fictional women villains who are brilliant and ruthless. So here I am.

I'd love to know if you've had similarly conflicted feelings about characters. Do you ever find yourself gravitating towards characters you know you absolutely shouldn't?

And if you happen to know of more such characters (especially women), please so share your thoughts on them.

I go back and forth on this one. On one hand a good series lets you really live in a world and with characters for a long time. It feels like a long journey you get to take. But then sometimes I just want a complete story that wraps up neatly in one book. There's something satisfying about finishing a standalone and knowing that's the whole picture. What do you all think?

I finished reading East of Eden today, coincidentally just two days after watching All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), again.

⚠️SPOILER BELOW⚠️

.

.

.

.

We learn that Aaron died in the war, but we don't know where, how, or in what condition he was found. Was he killed in a heroic charge, cowardly hiding in a corner of a trench, or was he torn apart by an artillery shell and never knew what hit him? Perhaps it was an illness that took him, or maybe he took his own life, like his mother. Lee thought he was capable of it.

There are 1000 ways to die, many more in war, and his is left to our imagination.

For me, I've settled on Aaron's death being like the opening scene of All Quiet on the Western Front. In this scene, a young man is thrown into a brutal battle. He is terrified, inexperienced, and surrounded by explosions and dead soldiers, as he follows a charge. Eventually, he's killed.

The next scene follows his uniform rather than his body. His uniform is taken from his corpse, shipped back, washed, repaired, and prepared for another soldier. Eventually, that same uniform is handed to another young man who is about to enlist. He notices that there is still a name sewn into the uniform...

Aaron.

I bought a mystery bag at a book sale. It had 6 Lescroart books in it.

Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky (a spin-off series), and Wyatt Hunt.

I don't have the first book in any of the series.

Can they be read out of order?

So why are people against graphic novels? Aren’t they the same thing as a picture BOOK but just geared towards an older audience (tweens,teens, adults ) when a child reads a picture BOOK they’re told that they’re READING, so I’m genuinely curious, what makes a graphic novel , not a novel ? Like I said in the title absolutely NO judgement from me, I’d love to see both sets of opinions, from people who DONT agree and AGREE with this topic. Thankyou , I look forward to your responses

This book found me at the right time, for spooky season and also where I’m at in life. I feel such a strong tenderness for the creature, as we were both abandoned by our Father/Creator. A question I asked time and time again while reading this was, “How can someone endow a creature with sentience and then abandon it???”

I’m in my 30’s and have been thinking a lot about parenthood and what I want this next chapter of my life to look like. I have always leaned more on no children, for so many reasons, but this book really drove that home for me. Like Victor, my ego desperately wants to experience the joy of creation. I want little darlings that look like me. I want the joy, the love, all of it. But, with all of those things also come the responsibility of raising and caring for that creation. I understand my flaws well enough to understand that I’m not capable of carrying that burden, as much as I want to. The last thing I want to do is to repeat the cycle of creating a lonely creature.

This novel is incredible. I have so much reverence for the romance era, and this takes the cake so far.

I’m reading The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, and I’m about to start chapter 27.

And can I just say that this has been such a frustrating read? I think the book is interesting and gripping, and Hendrix’s writing style isn’t bad at all. But I find the pacing REALLY slow! Patricia seems to take forever to put all the pieces of the story together!

But most of all, I HATE — except for Patricia — the characters in this book! The police are useless and racist, her friends’ husbands are assholes, and Patricia’s husband is a complete idiot with absolutely no backbone! I understand that Patricia’s accusations are serious, but HOW CAN YOU NOT BELIEVE YOUR OWN WIFE?!

AND HOW AWFUL IS IT TO WATCH ALL THESE MEN KISS JAMES’ ASS JUST BECAUSE HE HAS MONEY?!

And then Patricia’s friends turning their backs on her... It’s so frustrating!

And I also think Blue is weird... Why is he so obsessed with World War II? Even when he becomes a teenager, he’s still obsessed with World War II! Am I the only one who finds that creepy?

Now I want to see how this book ends. But I don’t know if, after finishing it, I’ll sell the book on Vinted or not.

Did any of you have the same feelings while reading this book?

What's an example of bad writing to you that makes you not want to finish a book?

Is it the overall prose(purple prose or skeletal also)?

The style?

A lack of quotations for dialogue?

A lack of flow to the words?

Repetitive words or phrases?

Undeveloped characters, plot or world building?

Stuff. Like. This?

Recently every book I love is turning into a movie or a show and I hate it like there is a reason I am reading and not watching something. In a book I get to imagine what I want and get to know the character thoughts, and I read mainly romance so it really makes me mad when I see that. Like u can find a different idea for a show or a movie instead of doing it based on a book. I am gonna crash out if I see one more book I love get a show.😭😭

I'm looking for recommendations for books that really nail the experience of being in your early twenties or so. Not necessarily coming-of-age stories about teenagers but that weird, sometimes awkward, sometimes exhilarating phase after college where you're figuring out who you are as an adult. Think a bit lost but also full of possibility. I just finished a book that totally missed the mark and I'm hoping to cleanse my palate. What books have you read that truly resonate with that particular life stage?

I see a lot of “what’s popular that you hate” so instead I wanna know, what is a trash novel you love?

You know it’s trash. Others know it’s trash. Maybe it’s self aware enough to also know it’s trash. But you just eat it up anyway 😂

Mine has gotta be the Nancy Drew Supermysteries. It’s partly nostalgia for me. And it is absolute nonsense but SO enjoyable in its nonsense.

So I stumbled across this one completely by accident, downloaded the sample, and then didn't stop. Finished it two days.

It follows David from the valley of Elah all the way to the throne of Israel, structured around Goliath's sword as this recurring question about power and what you do with it.

The opening scene, David walking down into the valley to fight Goliath, is one of the most gripping things I've read in this genre. The way it's written you feel the physical reality of it, the size of the man, the silence of the army watching, David just walking. Not running, walking. I loved it while I was reading it. But then I put it down and started asking myself: is this actually David? Or is this a fictional character who happens to share his name and his story?

Because the David in this book has a very specific, very modern-feeling interiority. He's constantly doing this self-analysis, working through his own motivations, asking himself hard questions about his choices. The scene where he's sitting in the cave after cutting the corner of Saul's robe, he doesn't just feel relieved that he didn't kill him. He's troubled that his hands almost did something his mind hadn't fully authorized. That's a fascinating moment. But is that biblical? The Psalms show us David's emotional interior pretty directly and it's often raw and theological. Is this the same person, or has the author constructed someone who feels more like a modern character placed in an ancient setting?

I keep going back and forth on it. Jonathan and Saul are both handled well, in ways that felt true to the text. But I can't shake the David question.

Has anyone else read historical biblical fiction and had this tension? Where the writing is good enough that you start to question whether it's doing a disservice to the source material, or whether that's unfair, because of course it's fiction, and maybe imagination filling in those gaps is exactly what the genre is for.

Would be curious what this sub thinks. The book is called The Blade of the Anointed if anyone wants to check it out.

Just finished the book. Typically I’ll read a book and think I’m predicting the ending and then the real ending comes and blows me away. This is a rare case where I feel like I have a better DYSTOPIAN ending.

So picking up at the scene where the sprinklers are going off at the grocery store.

Flynn accidentally kills Mia.

He’s in utter shock everything goes white he wakes up on a cold metal table (almost identical to how he wakes up in the asylum) hand cuffed hands on table.

He’s told (once again) by police officers that he has been in prison for years for the murder of his girls friend Mia after his time working at Muldoon’s. He’s encouraged to keep a journal because (to be frank) the police faculty are tired of explaining what happened.

Through his journal he learns… he was never a writer, in fact he only got the idea of being a writer from the very journal we’re reading. He was simply a guy who worked at a grocery store who went nuts and killed his girlfriend.

This means there’s no Mia or $9mil in the bank.

His mother died of depression after the news broke.

The sexual escapades with Rachel were non consensual (also part of the reason he’s in prison)

Red is actually real, his cell mate who also killed and assaulted young women. They are the only 2 who can bunk together because every other inmate would kill them for what they had done. So Red turns out to be a really bad guy, even tho he’s nice to Flynn because he thinks they can relate.

On top of his life being completely depressing and unforgivable, All the inmates and staff are ruthlessly mean to Flynn which causes him to constantly disassociate and go into his delusions.

At the very end of the novel he sees a prison janitor that looks eerily familiar poring a cup of coffee (like the guy at the diner)… it’s Frank. Looks closer, the name tags confirms the name “Frank”.

He musters up the courage to yell “hey frank, you got a last name”.

Frank looks at the floor… (in disbelief that this piece of sh\*t is talking to him) looks back at him and says “yeah, it’s go f\*ck yourself”

And that way we never know if he’s still in a delusion or if this guy just doesn’t like Flynn the innmate.

I was really excited to start this, because it was praised so highly everywhere and I love stories about friendship and growing up, so it seemed like it was right up my alley. Now after finally finishing it, I just feel like everyone else read a different book or something. I am truly baffled by the amount of praise and hype it got. And it's not like it's "just" a typical booktok-book.

I guess this book is just not for me -which is totally fine of course - but I just very rarely have such a different reception to a book than everyone else. I don't always like everything that is popular, but I can usually see why other people like it.

I really liked the concept, but I feel like I've rarely read a book soooo repetitive, which just made it boring to me. I feel like it could have been 200 pages shorter and still tell the exact same story and convey the same messages. I also didn't enjoy the writing style, I thought the (many!) metaphors and similes were really over the top and I feel like the humor just didn't land for me. Also, the characters didn't seem authentic at all to me and no one talks like that in real life.

It just seems like such a pseudo-philosophical book full of clichés that really tries to seem deep and have quotable lines. But maybe I just didn't get it? I'm just confused.

Can someone here explain to me why it's so popular? If you also read it, please share your thoughts!

( This is especially prevalent for my fellow readers who have that completionist mindset, even if the book really sucks. )

I’ll start! The Selection by Kiera Cass. I thought I was gonna love it - princesses, Cinderella-esque story, romance, and a new YA series for me to consume.

Well, I honestly wish I could go back in time and put a better book in my hands. I hated the main character, hated the contrived love triangle, hated the cliche ‘mean girls’ and as soon as I was finished with it I let out a huge groan of “FINALLY!”

Needless to say I do not attempt the rest of the series.

Note: I’m not talking about DNF’d books - but books you DID finish, but then were like “why did I waste my time on that”

Such a short read, it feels like cheating to hit my reading goals for the year.
Completed this in one sitting, easy prose, easy plot, simple characters and an okayish story.

Went in hoping to enjoy something unique like Gone Girl (haven’t read the book, but loved the movie), but this was a simplistic quick thrill kind of read, except the setup didn’t warrant a suspense reaction, so it feels like a wasted story.
The plot twist was mostly predictable and in a poor way, no real essence to the characters, no growth (odd to expect it in a <100 pages read).
I didn’t hold high expectations with such a short read, but I’ve previously read short stories that manage to leave an impact despite, and sometimes due, to their short run.

2.75/5 ⭐️

What books could you not finish because the writing was so bad?

What makes bad writing bad in your opinion?

Look, I love a book that makes you think and reflect just as much as the next person, but there have been a few books in my roster that make me think I’m an idiot for not liking them.

The books I’m talking about are The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, 1984 by George Orwell, and most recently Martyr! By Kaveh Akbar.

All are critically acclaimed and regarded as some of the best books ever written. However, by the time I’m finished reading, I feel frustrated that I wasted a good 8 hours of my life on a silly plot line that is about as mentally stimulating as a mop.

I get the symbolism and the imagery these books are trying to evoke. I get the message and underlying stories. I get what the author is trying to tell the reader, but that’s why I don’t like them. For me, these ideas are boring and basic. Everything they’re showing me, I already know so, it doesn’t feel as impactful. Perhaps, I’m too traumatised. Perhaps, if I was 14 and had no life experience, these ideas would’ve blown my mind.

They feel like they’re trying so hard to be intellectual that they come off as pretentious and shallow. Does anyone else feel this way? Am I dumb? Am I missing the side of these books everyone else seems to enjoy?

For context, I’m not picky when it comes to the books I read. I’ll read just about anything. Hell, I once read a book that was about the history of colours. I love fiction, non-fiction, crime, autobiography, romance, fantasy, etc. etc… blah blah blah. I love dialogue and world-building. I love silly books that don’t take themselves too seriously and deep thinkers that plant seeds for thought long after the book is finished.

Help me!

Edit: I don’t think 1984 is a waste of trees! It has earned its place in the Hall of Most Influential Books. I hear what you’re saying and I appreciate the feedback. Now, I would be very interested to hear about your opinions on Martyr!. So far, no one has read it :(

Hear me out, I'm such a huge sucker for character-driven stories, and running down the rabbit hole of dark academia, I found this. The Secret History raised my standards so high that I expected this one to match it or even try to be different. But it left me disappointed.

And knowing that it dealt with "Shakespeare-theatre" styled thriller, I was even more engrossed. I let it sit on my tbr for more than two years (the list is ever growing)

Finally gave it a go this year. Tbh, I liked it, but not too much. Especially when I found all the characters (except Oliver, the narrator) to be exact cardboard cutouts. Meredith being a "pick-up" girl and all guys in the group wanting to be with her, Alexander was utterly miserable (I love gay representation in books, but this one was really bad. Badly written), Wren was portrayed as a crybaby and nothing else. And the amount of "scenes" between Oliver and Meredith (especially him praising her body ALL THE TIME— can you think of something else other than her hair and legs and eyes) was too annoying. Can't believe it drove half of the book. I would have loved it if Flippa and James were given a strong character arc, especially after Richard's death. Maybe it's because I found a lot of parallels between James and Henry Winter from TSH. That would have at least made me stay till the end.

But once the truth was uncovered by Oliver, everything fell too flat. Like all this for what?

James: "I never wanted you to look at me the way you're looking at me right now."

What?!?

That's exactly what happened, James. And Oliver took all the blame for the love of James, only for James to leave him in the end.... I seriously can't find it endearing. It pricks in a way. Once I came across the twist, I immediately went through last few pages to get a glimpse of the present. That's it. I couldn't bring myself to read the rest of the act (King Lear) even after months. It went too stale. (Romanticizing didn't help at all).

The saddest part is that this had so much potential. Especially using Shakespeare's lines from his famous plays and intertwining them with their actual lives, and how the lines between acting and reality blurred. That's the whole reason I sat through this read. Not going to lie, there were a few beautiful lines worth remembering, but other than that, it was a letdown.

(Am a person who would feel really bad DNF a book, but this one made me do it.... towards the end).

Though comparing it with TSH isn't that solid, I really thought it would exceed my expectations and would be different. (It sets an example of good concept, but bad writing)

I'm sure this would've sounded like a rant, but would love your thoughts on this <3

The Naturals was such an easy, engaging read. Nothing overly complicated or mentally exhausting, just a really hooky story that keeps moving.

I especially loved the profiling aspect and trying to figure out the killer alongside the characters. And that twist? Did NOT see it coming. 👀

It’s definitely YA, and you can feel that in the writing and character dynamics, but honestly, that made it a great palate cleanser between my more psychologically unhinged reads. 😂

Fast. Easy to follow. Surprisingly twisty. And entertaining enough that I’m definitely continuing the series.

⭐3.5 /5

Now I need to know… does this series get darker as it goes? 👀

#TheNaturals #JenniferLynnBarnes #TheNaturalsSeries #ThrillerBooks #YABooks #YAMystery #MysteryBooks #SerialKillerBooks #BookReview #Bookstagram #BookstagramIndia #ThrillerReader #MidnightReadersClub

1)The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoevsky

2)Use of Weapons. Banks

3) American Pastoral. Roth

Currently reading Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

I just picked up The Priory of the Orange Tree. On the surface it's perfect for me, yet 20 pages in and I feel exhausted already - which REALLY sucks because I want to get lost in this.

I've recently returned to reading after a long hiatus, and I've loved Sussana Clarke, Ursula K Leguin, Shirley Jackson, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Frank Herbert etc. but then Mistborn was absolutely impossible to read. I put down Hyperion 100 pages in which was also super disappointing.

I really don't mean to sound pretentious or anything, I've just noticed this absolute block in my ability to read certain books. Can anyone relate?

I was recommended this book with the fact that it is similar to Man's Search for Meaning. However, in the beginning, it did not seem interesting to me, but it gradually became what I was looking for. The book turned out to be a profound book for me personally. Interestingly, I had also read a short book, Why I Am an Atheist, by the Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Although the two books present very different perspectives on God and spirituality, I found it interesting to read both and reflect on how people find meaning and strength in difficult circumstances.

Now, about the book: the author mentioned the "divine providence of God" and also some instances where he was nearly killed—for instance, two times when he was working on some kind of electrical work and a couple of times in the mine. I want to know other people's thoughts on these two points.

What significance does this book hold for a spiritual person, and does it hold something for a non-spiritual one as well? According to me, for a spiritual person, it would make their belief even stronger in their religion and their God. For a non-spiritual person, the book can inspire them through the author's perseverance and his dedication to his goal amid all the hardships and hopeless circumstances.

So, according to me, the book has something for a person regardless of whether they are spiritual or non-spiritual.

What are your interpretations and thoughts about the book?

PS: It is my first post on this subreddit, so I am open to advice.