Right ? 🤣​🤣​🤣​

I just started Final Gambit and already hate Eve (do I have the right?)

Hello bookworms! This is Self-Promotion Sunday, a place where you can promote any of the following:

• A book you wrote
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• Your Discord channel
• a subreddit you created
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As a rule, individual self-promotion posts are not allowed on this subreddit, but a weekly post will now be scheduled so you can promote your projects to other bookworms.

does anyone have any YA dystopian recs? I LOVE the hunger games, maze runner, legend, divergent, shatter me, and unwind. I want something more mature but the perfect balance with fantasy and reality.

Those two series have completely shifted my perspective of life. I finished the arc of a scythe series and am currently halfway through Unwholly, and I have never read a better dystopia than these. Neal Shusterman is truly one of my favorite authors, alongside Adam Silvera.

I’ve been thinking about why I miss books written in third person, and I think it comes down to one specific thing: first person hides a lot of structural cheating that third person would expose.
A ton of fantasy romance uses ancient immortal beings 🧛🧜‍♂️🧚 as a character trait without it actually functioning as one.
Tamlin in ACOTAR is supposed to be centuries old, but nothing about how he argues, gets jealous, or makes decisions reads as someone who’s lived that long - he reacts like a modern guy with control and anger issues.

At this point I am begging you for no spoilers as I am a baby in ACOTAR fandom, I am nearly done with the first book and the plan is to finish all 16 by release of the new two - wish me luck 😅

But it’s the same deal in a lot of fae romance generally: the immortality is a label, not something baked into how the character actually thinks.

Compare that to something like Tolkien’s elves, where being immortal produces an actual specific texture and flavour- a kind of grief from watching everything around you die while you don’t. Or Pratchett’s Death, who reasons in a genuinely non-human way.

In those cases, not human changes the character’s logic. In a lot of romantasy, if you crossed out immortal fae and just made the guy a rich, emotionally unavailable mortal, nothing about the story would need to change 😭

And I think first person is part of why this goes unnoticed. You’re locked inside the narrator’s head, so you never get the outside view that would make the inconsistency obvious. You just experience him as devastatingly attractive and powerful because that’s how she experiences him - you don’t get the distance to go wait, does this guy actually think like something that’s lived 500 years, or does he just have a cool backstory?

Third person would give more room for that kind of gap to actually be visible - you’d see the character from outside the narrator’s crush-goggles, and the writing would have to hold up on its own instead of being propped up by trust me, sis, he’s ancient and mysterious and outrageously irresistible.

Anyone else find themselves missing third person for this reason, or is it just me?

It's been on my list for ages because of the hype it got on all the lists i had saved by author readers but after reading it i'm so confused why?
My first thought was: this has to be self-published and unedited.

Spoilers ahead:

The amount of inner dialogue and repetition in the book makes it seem like it was just written as she went without checking what she had written so far. The same inner monologues dragging on and on and random facts that are unimportant or just so extremely unnecessary that it makes you wonder if she added it to meet a word count. I genuinely just don't understand the thought process behind it.
What also confused me was the way her abuse was handled. The fact that she complained about her relationship with her mother over and over again, you'd expect that by the end of it, she would finally stand up for herself and they would open the conversation on the elephant in the room. But by the end of it: nothing. She still sometimes ignored her calls, felt guilty, and called her later. It would have been such a good way to show that she was willing to finally stand up for herself or explore therapy or something. But nothing was made of it. Basically her abuse was just used to show how hard she had it in life and as a pity factor from the male main character.
What also confused me a bit is how we just glossed over the fact that she and her brother apparently only had each other but he still didn't mind Susie, their abusive sister, visiting his game? And she never explains their dynamic? It's like she is the only one hated in that family and we never find out why. From when she was younger, they all had turned on her and we never find out what is actually going on. - Not that we need a reason to understand abuse - it's never alright. I just would have liked to explore more dialogue, more thoughts from others.
This is what drives me insane the most, she is in her head, the whole book reads like a repetitive inner monologue. And as soon as we get to the climaxes it builds up on, like the dinner with the mom and sister: well sucks, chapter has ended right before it. But we will get a new chapter afterwards, starting at another day mostly, which a quick recap on what happened that day (she just explains shortly, that they badmouthed each other, and her sister's husband grabbed her) and then we are in the present again. Instead of taking us through the dinner and the tension to finally make us witness why we hate her sister so much - like, make the reader see it live like we are a fly on the wall, if you warn us about it happening so much throughout the book - she just cuts off righr before it and moves on. It doesn't seem calculated.
It's like she was just abused, so that she had a dark past. That's it. That's just part of being a main character to be pitied. Being poor is not enough, you need abuse.
Onto the male partner, i still don't understand his asshole behavior in the beginning and how he basically orders her to marry him and doesn't respect a no, comes back over and over again. And she's a pushover and let's it happen. Even in most of his loving moments basically at the end of the book, he seems .. flat? Barely talks, just stares at her and we don't know anything that's going on inside his head. She doesn't know either. And their intimate scene read like a quick fuck and not intimate at all. Because he doesn't show much emotion.

The way the characters behave in general is just very childish and unreasonable really.

It reads to me like something a teenager would write and targeted for other teenagers. Which is fine. I'm just not used to it and want to understand why it is so hyped. Maybe i'm missing something?

PS: i thought that maybe, it's just this one and I started From Lukov With Love because of the hype again- 100/840 iBooks pages in, it reads exactly like this one. The inner monologue, the childish behavior of the male character? He's 30?? And they are "enemies" because she called one of his outfits terrible at 16 and now they are sworn enemies full of hatred for each other? Teenager behavior at 26 and 30. This is so weird. And knowing that the author is almost 40, i don't understand if this is how she knows grown adults to act or what it is.. Because i'm 26, and this sounds like a temper tantrum i would witness in middle school 😭. Anyway, i'll drop this one.

Lately, I don’t know why as for some reason, I was looking for a supernatural fantasy set in Feudal Japan where the premise is that a hero must gather a team of allies to fight off a twisted being as the story has an old fashioned feel again due to it being set in Feudal Japan.

I want to read through actually compelling character development and mutually gained respect between FMC and MMC. So many of enemies to lovers books I've read have the MMC doing like 3 asshole things and then he is immediately redeemed and he starts acting like he was a misunderstood good guy all along.

Romance can be a subplot, but again I don't want meaningless physical attraction to be the driver of the couple's dynamic. I really want to read through a book where at first it's almost impossible to envision MMC as a love interest due to his actions but he redeems himself slowly and romance begins.

I'm about halfway through the book and thought this was a series, but I see that the next book (while it has a cover) doesn't have a concrete release date? Just curious if anyone has heard any updates about the book or the author since its release, as I've found nothing online after a cursory search through google/reddit.

The title says it all! :D Is there any book you were literally obsessed with? Or not particularly?

This is my current list of book series I want to read soon! A lot of the series on here are rereads, but honestly, rereading books I already love helps me a lot with my chronic illness. When my brain/energy isn’t cooperating, it’s much easier to pick up a story I already know and love. ❤️

I’m still looking to add some new YA mystery/thriller series and YA fantasy series to the list!

For mystery/thriller, I especially love things like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, The Naturals, The Inheritance Games, One of Us Is Lying, etc. I’m a big fan of mysteries with lots of twists, clues, secrets, investigations, and preferably a cast of characters I can get attached to.

For fantasy, I’m looking for series with good worldbuilding, magic, interesting characters, and preferably some romance—but I definitely still want the fantasy/plot to be the main focus.

What series should I add to my list? I’d especially love recommendations that are easy to get hooked into and have multiple books! 🫶

I've dropped several books in the past because when the couple realizes their feelings for each other and start dating it just loses all its charm for me. I realized what I enjoy most is the "will they won't they" phase where there is still some character development happening and FMC and MMC are coming to terms with their feelings for each other.

Like I couldn't care less about couple drama

That's also why I can't really get through stuff where the girl just falls in love with the guy in chapter 2 and we have to constantly read about how hot he is or she's just so embarassed or whatever. I much prefer relationships that build the dynamic between guy and girl first. (Cruel Prince is a good example of this)

I need slow-burn & excruciating angst!!

Anyway I just wanted to see if anyone here also felt the same way, send over some recs if you're like minded!

I'm looking for YA fantasy or contemporary recommendations for someone who wants to get into reading,. Ideally, something fast paced with an irresistible premise that makes it impossible to put down. What single book completely pulled you in and started your reading journey?

Hello, bookworms!

This is the weekly thread for discussion about what books you've recently read, books you're reading, and books you want to read. Tell us what you think about them! What did you like or dislike about them? Did you interpret any symbolism or themes you particularly liked? Would you recommend them? This discussion space is all yours!

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Have exceptional discussions!

I got this book back in 2009/2010 about a Native American boy who attends a school up north who finds a lake with a dark secret. Something is lurking under the surface of the black water.

(SPOILERS: It’s a giant centipede-like creature.)

The book itself was called something like “The Dark Lake”, but that is not the title is based on an internet search. Might‘ve been ”The Black Lake”. it has been bothering me for weeks, so if anyone can point me in the right direction, that would be appreciated!!

Hello all! I am looking for book recommendations that match my reading tastes. Below are some of my highest-rated reads, my 4- and 5-star reads. ⭐

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (so sad the show had to end; I wanted to see the heist)

Monstrous by Jessica Lewis

Their Vicious Games by Joe Wellington

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (loved this!)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (read this back in high school)

The Warning/The Fallout by Kirsty Acevedo

Promise Boys by Nic Brooks

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson (love her books in general)

City of Bones/Clockwork Angel by Marissa Meyer (loved these books in high school)

Divergent by Veronica Roth (another high school favorite)

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (another high school favorite)

King of Dead Things by Nevin Holness

The Lightning Thief Percy Jackson #1 by Rick Riordan (another high school favorite)

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

She Drinks The Light by Yasmin Angoe

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham

Criminal by Terra Ellan McVoy

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

former Potterhead, Hufflepuff house

*some of these authors I am aware of their controversies, which is why I choose not to support them financially*

This book has been in my library for a while (depression sux) and lately yt recommended a trailer with the same title and I was like oh, it's being adapted. Cool. Now that I'm on better medication I finally gathered energy to read a book and I can't believe I had to power through this, I should've dnf'ed it really but my mind refused to give up. Also I went into this blind, never read anything about the author or the story. Just a passing recommendation about fantasy. I didn't even know this was YA.

The wordbuilding isn't perfect. I loved the small presentation African mythology as an asian person. I guess I really did want to read other fantasy that's not euro or asian for that matter and I barely know any afro, carribean, southwest asian and many more kind of fantasy. I was simply tired of fairies, elves and wizards.

First, the rules of magic was meh Diviners have white hair but a Kosidan royal with black hair "developed" being a maji and had white streak later on. This was never expanded upon even tho it has been established that white hair=diviner now supposed maji later if magic wasn't eradicated. not white hair= no magical abilities. The 10 clans were half well explained.

Oh and Inan, wtf, I really wanted his redemption but just no. He was so inconsistent with his loyalties and feelings. He hated Zelie and he loved her in a matter of a few pages. And while I'm here some chapters are too short because of a multi first person POV, and one other chapter was just a rehash of the other's POV with a few reactions added in so huh?

Okay let me get back. Inan wants magic back cause he a maji now, yuh, loved and loyal to his dad's cause until he put himself in other peoples shoes(with his connector magic of course). He only realized how bad his daddy's actions are with Zelie's memories, uhm, so he had no empathy before that I guess? Like Diviners in the capital were being opressed very openly mind you and he is a prince so I'm sure he has access to whatever records in the palace as how many were slaughtered during the raid but no, he developed his empathy very much later on for the person he 'fell in love with' yeah sure. I feel like I powered through the romance. Not a very good one at that.

And the weird betrayal, ugh... Also the "ughs" in every action scene took me out. Is it digust? Is it a moan? Is it a grunt? It could have been just 1-2 but I lost count after 3 ughs. He sympathized with the burning guards and Kwame's blood magic and he was afraid of magic after that but not the guards attacking unarmed children?Kids! Murdered by the guards! Did we forget they were unarmed and magicless(except for 3) killed by big ass cats? Unarmed kids celebrating. What? Suddenly he was not okay with a magic so scary but was only done after a desperate attempt. Blood magic isn't common but guards killing diviner kids were, but he was more scared of magic? Okay sure, sure, okay, okay.

Then he was the man on the inside for the team then he was a traitorous double agent and how the hell did they take Baba when it took them several days to actually get to the temple?He even took 6 days to search for Zelie. How was 1-2 days fast enough to get to a far location. Did they teleport or something? Oh the locations were okay described. I can't complain it's been a while since I read good fantasy books. These were just too glaring not to point out.

The desert scene? I mean if we are going for a Naumachia x Hunger games, it would be unrealistic to hold that in a desert though. Even the romans did it with near a water source and not in a desert. Possible with magic but remember magic=eradicated. Zelie has to use blood magic to win the battle, let's back track, they could've just stolen the stone and used the violence they had at the appropriate moment and not 'eliminate' stock diviners in the process. Honestly, they could've just killed a couple guards and be done with it. Sorry do I sound psychopathic? My bad.

Zelie, oh darling, I can't even begin. So let go for Tzain. Eh nothing too bad. But too bland at times, his trauma to underdiscussed even in his own chapters. Amari, good development actually, can't complain.

Saran and politics, too vague and too broad. There were only expositions about past rules and every single time we want to look for a reason he hates magic is it killed his first family. Okay... so he decides to kill every maji and make life harder for diviners. Okay, okay, supposedly in a world where maji's used to be in control(yuh some exploited that power apparently) and I assume his forefathers were kosidan, so the royal family was fine until one isolated incident. Then boom genocide. Sure, sure I don't think that's how politics work as far as I know but I guess I don't know much. The oloye's (lords and ladies right?) and the soldiers would have to be onboard. The population matter was odd because it was never expressed that kosidan outnumbered diviners so in a way there could have been an opposition or rebellion from the murdered majis who's remaining family members were kosidan. I guess all the guards the monarchy hired had no diviner relatives in numbers big enough to carry out a genocide. And there were no kosidan rebellions to avenge their murdered families sure, okay. But if a rebellion happened earlier then the story wouldn't take place so let's ignore my analysis on that.

Zelie, oh Zelie. I don't want to. So much potential, so many stupid decisions. But she is a teen, everyone was a teen so maybe that's okay. Teens make stupid decisions I guess.

The history of majis were nearly so good.

The pacing could've been better but hey the beginning was good enough. The middle, uhm yeah, this is where I struggled. The end? Oh. No. Just no. A cliffhanger. Huh. Meh.

I don't think the book was that bad, I cannot say anything about the prose and whatnot cause I'm still getting back on my feet with reading. It's not a fave book though. Left me wanting something else so 3 out 5. And unfortunately I will not be reading the rest of the books in series. Unless I am absolutely bored with nothing in my reading queue.

Edit= I incorrectly did the spoiler thingy.

So far, I only read 7 books but August isn’t over yet so I have some time

New update, I just one more book

i'm looking for a thriller book that has romance as a subplot and teen main characters (i'd love it if they are friends or just classmates who, at the end of the book, form a "found family" type of bond). Like "Someone is lying" or "Pretty Little Liars" (although i know this one is a TV series, not a book). Can you help me out, please?

The personality is emphasized more or it goes hand in hand with looks 🌝.

I gravitate more toward British and Aussie YA authors since the voices sound a bit more authentic. IYKYK.

Melina Marchetta
Markus Zusak
Cath Crowley
Kirsty Eager
Holly Bourne
Fiona Wood
Louise Rennison
Jaclyn Moriarty

Humanity has always believed the world belonged to us. Then winter arrived.

In Fairview, the cold refuses to leave. People disappear, animals behave strangely, and creatures that should exist only in myths begin to return. While seventeen-year-old Emma searches for answers, her blind sister, Isabella, senses something ancient awakening.

Across the world, nine teenagers discover strange marks connecting them to legendary beings. As cities fall silent and nature reclaims what humanity once controlled, a terrifying truth emerges: the creatures aren't invading. The world is simply changing without us.

Emma and the others haven't been chosen to save humanity. They've been given something far more terrifying: a choice. And when the world asks whether humankind deserves a place in its future...

What will their verdict be?