I really don’t know how Moby Dick has a reputation for being “dry” - I know that term is most often applied to the more textbook-like chapters, but even those can be interesting and funny. Its style is just so weird, from the biblical references, to Ishmael going from the protagonist to more of a narrator, to a few random chapters in the middle being written like plays with stage directions and all, it’s honestly one of the most captivating books I’ve ever read.

Not me, but one year my parents bought my brother The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. It didn’t go over well at all.

This question is stupid. Liking certain things isn’t a red flag that someonenis a bad person. Sure, people can be edgelords and have messed up interpretations of certain books and films, but they’re few and far between so I don’t really care. What’s more common is that I find fans of certain books/series annoying (e.g. harry potter adults), but being annoying doesn’t make someone a bad person, they’re just obnoxious.

I have a designated dnf shelf on my goodreads. They still end up getting counted towards my reading goal but I usually far surpass it anyway so it’s not like I’m “cheating” or whatever.

I can only pay attention to audiobooks when I’m doing a task that doesn’t require enormous amounts of brain power, usually chores, cooking, or drawing. I can’t just sit in my bed and listen to a book, my mind will drift and I’ll stop paying attention.

I was picky as a kid but now I’m even pickier as an adult. I have to balance personal reading with university reading - generally, I don’t wanna waste my time on schlock.

I just got back into reading this year after only really reading books for my degree. I knew I wanted to focus on getting through the literary canon, so I started with Moby Dick and Pride & Prejudice. While Pride & Prejudice is easier and shorter, I had a hard time getting through it due to disinterest. Moby Dick I enjoyed a lot more, I still think about it on a regular basis and it’s helped inform my taste going forward.

I know you’re asking about used books, but bookoutlet sells new books at a 50%+ discount so they’re a good way to get books for cheap. They’re Canadian too.

Maybe kind of a niche pick but Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles was absolutely horrific. Coles basically goes on and on about how much her characters’ lives suck and all the hardship they’ve faced. I’m okay with books that are upsetting or disturbing, but they have to be compelling on some level for me to enjoy them. This wasn’t compelling at all, it was bland, you could tell the author was trying really hard to get an emotional rise out of the reader from the outset instead of letting it build organically. Just immensely frustrating to read, I didn’t finish it.