Oof that’s a tough question, I’m not really sure! A lot of the series I loved in elementary and middle school went on longer than the few years I read them and I also used the library a lot back then, so less buying. For example, I loved Goosebumps, Fear Street, and Redwall, but I was reading them in the 90s when they were being actively published and they continued passed the time I would have been reading them. I’d be tempted to say it’s probably something I read in early or mid- high school, like the Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell.

By “controversial content”, do you mean the existence of queer and trans people in the world and an inclusive narrative?

Whether it gets said or not, the vast majority of the time people talking about “age appropriateness” in books are against books that include critical discussion of racism/slavery/homophobia/transphobia/misogyny, or take an inclusive perspective on gender identity, unorthodox gender presentation, non-heterosexual sexuality, non-heterosexual families, and women’s rights.

Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese was definitely a very emotionally powerful book. A general fiction book that deals with complicated family relationships and consequences of Canadian colonialism on families. The main character, Franklin, is a teenager living with an adoptive father. He gets news that his estranged biological father is dying and wants to see him one last time. Highly recommend it.

Yeah, I’m just very stubborn lol I’m not a big fan of audio and also would just really love to have a complete mmpb collection of the Heresy. I’m hoping against hope some of these will be part of the next reprints on the WH webshop 😅

This is very much my take on it too. I’ve never been big on DNFing books and as much as I’ve hated some books, I’ve never actually regretted reading any of them. Every book provokes thoughts and feelings, as you say, and imo those are worth having even if about something I didn’t like. I’ve always found something to reflect on, in some shape or form, in every book.

None because I don’t want to add to my TBR pile right now lol

But if someone really did want to get me books for the holidays, if they managed to find me the Horus Heresy mass markets for Shadows of Treachery, Angel Exterminatus, and everything between Mark of Calth and Vengeful Spirit that would make an absolutely epic present 🔥

That’s weird, I remember Portrait being fairly straight forward. Read it for an Irish Lit class and absolutely adored it. One of the books that had a profound impact on me at the time. I last read it in 2006 or 2007, but left a lasting impression.

Don’t think anyone should have to “sell” you on it. If you don’t want to continue, don’t continue. If you want to figure out whether or not you should continue perhaps provide more info on why you didn’t like it. Was it because Fitz’s pov was a child’s pov? If so, the series spans nearly his entire life. Did you find it too slow? If so, it might not be a good fit for you. Did you find Fitz annoying? If so, then, again, it might not be a good fit for you, since you need to enjoy being in Fitz’s head to enjoy the series. I’m very much a fan of the series and Fitz is my favourite character, but the series just isn’t a good fit for some readers.

I’m not American, but thought I’d go through an see how many I’ve read. I think I’ve 31-32 or these. Some I’ve never heard of before at all, though, like Mind Invaders, Looking For Alaska and some others.

I’m not American, but thought I’d go through an see how many I’ve read. I think I’ve 31-32 or these. Some I’ve never heard of before at all, though, like Mind Invaders, Looking For Alaska and some others.

Are two completly different and sometimes overlaping hobbies.

I wouldn’t say they’re “sometimes overlapping” so much as that it depends on the person. For me, personally, buying books and reading books are very much the same hobby. While I have a decent sized TBR at home, they are all books I bought specifically because I plan to read them and have fit them into a “gonna read this within the next 1-3 years” plan. Which might sound like a broad timeframe for some, but I’ve already planned out 90% of my 2024 reads and have a good idea of what will be leftover for 2025. So yeah, the buying and the reading very much go hand in hand for me. I’m very much a “completionist”, so buying books I have no intention to read would annoy me beyond belief, lol.

Love Udolpho too! Such an awesome novel! I remember being taken by surprise when I read it for the first time with just how hooked I got.

Love Udolpho too! Such an awesome novel! I remember being taken by surprise when I read it for the first time with just how hooked I got.

That I’ve read within the last 10 years:

• Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe (1794)

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (1817)

• Plutarch’s Greek Lives (~1st-2nd c.) from his Parallel Lives, but I’ve only been able to get a copy that included some of the Greek ones (Theseus, Themistocles, Solon, Pericles, Alcibiades, Cimon, Aristides, Lysander, Nicias). Loved it though!

Other oldests I’ve loved but that I haven’t read in more than 10 years:

• Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (Saga of Hervör and Heidrek) (~12th c.)

• Egil’s Saga (~11th c.)

• Confessions of St. Augustine of Hippo (4th/5th c.)

That I’ve read within the last 10 years:

• Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe (1794)

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (1817)

• Plutarch’s Greek Lives (~1st-2nd c.) from his Parallel Lives, but I’ve only been able to get a copy that included some of the Greek ones (Theseus, Themistocles, Solon, Pericles, Alcibiades, Cimon, Aristides, Lysander, Nicias). Loved it though!

Other oldests I’ve loved but that I haven’t read in more than 10 years:

• Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (Saga of Hervör and Heidrek) (~12th c.)

• Egil’s Saga (~11th c.)

• Confessions of St. Augustine of Hippo (4th/5th c.)

I think the books I’ve read this year that have lingered most in my mind are:

• A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess - it lingers both linguistically and conceptually. There are certain superficial aspects that may be “dated” but even if I don’t agree to certain of Burgess’s conclusion it’s a book that is still great for continuing to think about cycles of violence, sanctioned/unsanctioned violence etc.

• Brother by Ania Ahlborn - maybe one of my themes for this year is cycles of violence and abuse in general lol Anyway this one still sticks with me for the character work.

• Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun - such a great book with a lot of food for thought on multiple levels, including ways that the author definitely didn’t intend.

Users used to be able to nominate books, but they got rid of that a few years ago.