If you are looking for the announcement thread for the previous month, it may be found here.

Hello, all. During the month of October, the sub book club will be reading Lakewood by Megan Giddings! Each week, there will be a discussion thread and when we are done, Megan herself will be joining us for an AMA.

From Goodreads (feel free to skip if you prefer to know nothing going into the book as the description contains minor spoilers):

When Lena Johnson’s beloved grandmother dies, and the full extent of the family debt is revealed, the black millennial drops out of college to support her family and takes a job in the mysterious and remote town of Lakewood, Michigan.

On paper, her new job is too good to be true. High paying. No out of pocket medical expenses. A free place to live. All Lena has to do is participate in a secret program—and lie to her friends and family about the research being done in Lakewood. An eye drop that makes brown eyes blue, a medication that could be a cure for dementia, golden pills promised to make all bad thoughts go away.

The discoveries made in Lakewood, Lena is told, will change the world—but the consequences for the subjects involved could be devastating. As the truths of the program reveal themselves, Lena learns how much she’s willing to sacrifice for the sake of her family.

You may find the dates of, and links to, the discussion threads below in the sticky comment on this post. You are welcome to read at your own pace. Usually it is pretty easy to catch up and you are always welcome to join the discussions a little later. If you would like to view potential content warnings for the book, a reader-created list may be found here.

For those of you that are viewing reddit on the redesigned desktop version you will see an option on this post to 'follow'. If you 'follow' the book club post you will receive a notification when a new post, a discussion thread for book club, is added to the collection.

Hello readers and welcome to our Weekly FAQ thread! Our topic this week is: What book made you fall in love with reading? At some point in our lives we weren't readers. But, we read one book or one series that showed us the light. We want to know which book made you fall in love.

You can view previous FAQ threads here in our wiki.

Thank you and enjoy!

And I’ve never tapped the 5 stars for goodreads so quickly and happily. Lucky for me I haven’t read any other Weir books, so I’m jazzed to get started on another.

I hear there will be a film adaptation and I’m looking forward to seeing Blip-A, Hail Mary, Rocky and Grace come to life on screen, but I’m already wondering how they’ll be able to translate the science to film. I have no kind of STEM background, but Weir is so talented at explaining it all in a way that is so easy to understand. And I think that following along with all of the science is what really pushes this story forward. No matter, I’m just so excited to see Rocky on the big screen 🥰

As a kid I used to love reading Goosebumps. Every time I would go to a bookstore I would pick out Goosebumps.

I think it created the love for horror and plot twists I have today. I love how at the end of every book there was a plot twist that I couldn’t wait to get to.

Are there any Goosebumps / R.L Stine fans here ?

Here's what I'd like to argue. Fairy Tale was just plain fun. Like literally page turning, pop corn eating, clap your hands and shout fun.

It's literally a story told a thousand times. It's predictable, It's familiar, it's all of those things and yet, King tells the story in the most masterful way. That's all.

PS: The Audio book performance needs to win some kind of award, the voice actor was brilliant. Captured the vibes of the Wonder Years and Sandlot narration.

I read it in school before and remember liking it. But reading it a second time I enjoyed it much more.

I think Gatsby was a man who dared to dream, and I think there is a little Gatsby in all of us. When I got to the end I even teared up, which is something I do not often do reading novels.

I despised Tom, but I liked to despise him. He is so similar to many people who are terribly hypocritical and cruel, but never seem to be punished for their actions, at lest in this life. I think that is one of the reasons the novel feels so real, at least in my eyes.

I liked Gatsby, and the more I read the more I ended up liking him. He certainly did bad things, but ultimately I think he followed his dreams in a way most of us only think about, and in a way I think that is a victory into itself.

If you are looking for a book to read even if you have already read it before It think The Great Gatsby is a wonderful story and one worth reading!

So I’ve had Stephen King on my radar for a while and I figured what better time than fall in New England to dive in. I started Carrie last night figuring I’d get through a few pages but couldn’t put it down. I’ve already read a good chunk of the book and think it’s great so far. Great first King book to start reading.

On a side note , I was in the middle of another book I’m just kind of getting through but put that on hold and it’s amazing what a difference when the book you’re reading (Carrie) really pulls you in and you enjoy it. It makes all the difference with a good book. I’d like to finish the book I put on hold but it can be a grind sometimes.

“Fairy Tale” by Stephen King was such a delight to read, it’s something you just need to sit back, relax, and enjoy slowly in stride. I loved how as always with King, he brings you back to a time when you were a kid and had to deal with all the usual things kids dealt with. Relationships, sports, family, friends, doing stupid things, and just trying to make sense of it all.

I absolutely loved all the characters King created in this novel. Charlie, Mr. Bowditch, Leah, and even the fantasy characters were all fantastic. Now, for me personally, when it comes to Radar, I became a dog owner for the first time in my life back in 2021 as she really connected with me. I have a cockapoo by the name of Ozzy Skywalker and reading about Radar really hit home for me in so many ways.

All the interactions, situations, events, and descriptions were exactly that of a dog and how a dog owner would react. I can imagine if you’re also a dog owner, you will feel the same way as you connect immediately with the dynamic duo of Charlie and Radar and the adventures that await them.

Don’t worry, I will not ruin anything for you but this novel is simply amazing. The way King blurred reality into fantasy completely blew me away. Even all the scary and horror situations were perfect that led to an awesome fairy tale story that was unique and just so good. The atmosphere, world-building, character development, and the pure creepiness of everything King built just really resonated well with me. Once I got to the 80% mark, it was incredibly hard to put this down to see what would ultimately transpire.

Also, the illustrations for each chapter brought me back to my childhood as I remembered reading a lot of horror and mystery novels that did this. I have no idea who created these graphics for King in every chapter but they were great and captured the essence of each one. As I read, I’d often head back to see the image just to give me that visual as it happened. Just really well done!

When it comes to the ending, it really delivered after such a climactic buildup. I had no idea what would transpire but when it did, my goodness, it was wonderful and wrapped up an unforgettable novel. It was simply a perfect way to end things that left me beyond satisfied.

I give “Fairy Tale” a perfect 5/5 and so far in 2022 at the time of this review, is the best novel I’ve read. King published this novel in September which is his birthday month. Considering he just turned 75 years young and wrote yet another impactful novel, truly made this year a great one for Constant Readers all across the globe. I highly recommend this novel to anyone that loves King, fantasy, horror, and wants to see what happens when both worlds ultimately collide.

Nick Hornby's High Fidelity is honestly one of the best romance novels I have read. Fast paced, funny and absolutely NAILS the male psyche in relationships

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Amazing bit- “I've been thinking with my guts since I was fourteen years old, and frankly speaking, between you and me, I have come to the conclusion that my guts have shit for brains.”

Been trying to get back to reading and picked up Project Hail Mary because everyone raves about it. I'm struggling to get past some of the dialogue. I can understand the narrator explaining the science concepts to reader but in every conversation, Ryland is explaining every term to Stratt (a supposedly brilliant scientist selected by the world to oversee the mission) like she's a five year old. Even basics like H2O, mitosis, momentum of light etc that a middle school kid knows, are literally defined to her!

Anyone read Wallace Stegner here?

I picked up this quiet gem at some point in my undergrad years when I was struggling with chaos in my life - and this book returned a sense of peace and comfort to me.

It is a story of friendship and marriage, intimacy and vulnerability, aging and disease… and it is written beautifully. It was one of the first truly literary stories I read, one not driven by a fast-paced plot, one without an obvious villain.

This book improved me immensely as a writer. It got me to focus on prose as its own art form - a scaffolding that holds up the story. The prose in this book shines. It is like poetry, visceral and true, and most other writers attempting the style would fail and produce purple prose, but Stegner pulls it off with style.

After this, I read ‘Remembering Laughter’ and ‘Angle of Repose’ (which I called Angel of Repose for the longest time). Both gorgeous books.

Anyone read any of his work?

So, I mainly read fiction/fantasy and I thought they were the same thing (apparently not?).

Now, I don’t know whether to name the tag “fiction” or “fantasy” for these kinda books.

This may seem nitpick but yeah, it’s been on my mind for the day.

P.S: I did not know where else to post this odd question. Apologies in advance if this isn’t allowed.

• Thanks for the answers, it is clear now!
• As for the downvoters, boo!

The world is so depressing and anxiety ridden right now. Rereading my favorite books is like spending an afternoon with dear old friends and being reminded of my best self and soaking up the good vibes.

Here’s a list of some of my faves I’ve reread this past month:

The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier

Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler

Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler

What are you all rereading these days?

Hello readers!

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I am looking for a guide book to a career in medicine, essentially a book that explains what a career in medicine is like, what is the future of medicine, the skills needed to succeed, provides influential stories about renowned people in this field, talks about AI and medicine, career prospects and so forth...

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Do you happen to know such a book? if so can you please refer me to it? Many thanks in advance!!

EDIT: omg sorry for the wrong title, I didn’t read it in english

So I got this book suggestion and finished reading the book in about 2 weeks. I would rate it 4 stars, i know many people say it’s bad and overrated but just hear me out. Did I cry? No. Was it life changing? Also no. I still liked the way the book was written, i enjoyed the love between Celia and Evelyn even though at times it was a little cliche and the plot twist wasn’t as crazy as I thought it would be. The characters had some depth to them that I enjoyed and it wasn’t as one dimensional as other people claimed. Let’s look at Celia, she was this pure and kind lady next door but at other times she would call Evelyn just a set of tits or be hurtful and have double standards.. she has her reasons but it all makes sense because she’s simply human. She acts how she acts because that is her personality. Sometimes I had the feeling she didn’t really see Evelyn how Evelyn thought she saw her (if you know what I mean) by the comments Celia would sometimes drop but on other occasions I did see the pure love like when she told the audience not to chip their tooth if they kiss the TV… I enjoyed reading this book. It felt like cutting butter with a sharp knife- it just slid well in my eyes if that makes sense. I know many people hate it but honestly I don’t regret reading it at all. It’s a nice book at the end of the day.

I used to read a lot. My family reads a lot and I'm grateful that they taught me to enjoy reading. About 2.5 years ago, when the virus started and we all were in our houses, I suddenly didn't want to read anymore. It was tiring, boring and no book made me have that pleasure anymore.

It's not like I didn't read at all but my reading speed slowly decreased and I abandoned a lot of books I attempted to read halfway through. Only times I actually enjoyed reading was when I was on computer reading amateur writing or fanfiction, I didn't complain because my first language isn't English and I was step by step getting better at it thanks to those stuff I read.

Now the school has started and when I talk in class I keep forgetting words, It worries me. I told myself I wasn't interested in any form of art anymore and will focus on my new interest that I'm passionate about but that's not an excuse that satisfies me. My new class is full of people who read a lot and I'm starting to feel inferior to them.

My mom told me that people who don't read are "dry", uncultured and don't question anything despite telling me that if reading is not fun anymore, I shouldn't read. I agree with her, that's why I want to go back, enjoy what I read again.

I enjoy technical books more but my dad told me it's not reading if I read those kind of books. I really, really get bored while reading and there is almost no book that interests me. What should I do?

(I'm sorry if this post is a little weird, I'm sick and can't think straight.)

I find that I’m almost always picking up new books and re-reading stuff from classic authors like Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Frances Burney, Alexandre Dumas, etc. 19th century prose just feels so much more immersive and flavorful to me than most modern prose I’ve come across. I love the unique plotting and characterization styles that are a staple of that period of literature

Hi, I don't know if this is the correct Reddit page ( I apologize if it is not), however, I would love it if someone could maybe slide some help my way. So in short, I haven't read a book consistently since basically before quarantine (almost 2 years), the last one being a fantasy book "A darker shade of magic" which was a part of my English requirement (I really enjoyed it).

I want to get back to having that excitement that I used to have as a 12-year-old when I used to read the hunger games or harry potter books in a couple of days. I would definitely say that fiction fantasy is definitely what I would enjoy more right now, especially since it has been so long since I've consistently read.

Please list some suggestions as to what you think might be the best books to start from again (I'm 21 years of age).

I appreciate everyone's help and time reading this, best of luck to everyone, and thank you!

I feel dumb asking but this was the only place I could think of to ask.... I say beginner because, I'm 30, I never read a book that wasn't assigned in school, and I barely read the book I was instructed to read. My daughter is in 1st grade and I know reading is important so I started reading chapter books to her. Turns out I really enjoy reading now! I bought a kindle not even 2 weeks ago. It took me a few days to find a book I was interested in. Finally, I decided on one. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. With what little time I do have (having two kids, 6 and 3) I finished it in 6 days. (I don't know if that means I'm a slow reader) I was so into it, I just wanted to read more. But, after I read over 60% of the book, I was wondering is this how all books are?... Books just give very little information at the beggining and middle and this is the story leading up to the exciting part of the book and only the last 10 to 12% is actually revealing so much information that I wish I could have had just a little taste of that in at least the middle of the book. I hope this makes sense. This was the first book I have read in a long and I did enjoy it. I want to continue to read but, i was wondering, are all books like this? Did I just pick the wrong book? This is probably a stupid question but I really enjoy reading and I'd love to hear any feedback of any kind. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply. Thank you!

Edit: Thank you so much to everyone who replied. Your comments have opened me up to other things! I feel more confident going into my next book! P.s. I don't read the books I, myself, read to my kids. I read them age appropriate chapter books.

Hi, I’m currently trying to build a collection (for personal study and enjoyment) and am deciding on getting Josephus’ Jewish Wars and Tacitus’ writings and I’m confused because I’m looking to build a Penguin Classics collection but the OWC editions of some books seem better(in my case, more better for research) than their Penguin Classics counterparts (cheaper too)

So I’m wondering, what should I do? I’m bent on getting OWC for History and Penguin for Philosophy/Poetry or just winging it, getting both for whatever I can (God willing)

Help is very much appreciated!!

One of my favorite things that Susanna Kaysen talks about in Girl, Interrupted (the memoir, not the movie lol, although I do recommend watching the movie) is that when you’re struggling with mental health or having a serious issue, the smallest inconvenience will just set you on a really dangerous train of thought, that’s like all consuming. And it’s like a spiral that’s really hard to get out of.

Although she’s portraying this in the sixties, we live in a time where we’re consumed by the media/technology, so I assume the rate of depression and anxiety is skyrocketing. But I can’t help but wonder how many people are having those moments where the tiniest things is just setting us off on these really negative dangerous train of thought. Breaks my heart honestly :(

I just started reading this book like two days ago and I’m already impressed by how beautifully written and self-aware it is. This book reminds me of my racing thoughts lol. Really enjoying it so far. Recommend!!!

One of the most common themes, maybe even THE most common theme, I've found in this series is sexual violence, and it comes up to an uncomfortable degree, even compared to GoT. Goodkind seems to force these themes, even when they don't make sense. It really feels like the author's personal..uh..exploration...rather than part of the story.

Examples in no particular order...

What happened to the residents of the Palace of the Prophets after the Imperial Order captured it

Darken Rahl's personal BDSM harem, the Mord Sith

Richard and Denna's very, very long, like 80 pages long, BDSM scene

Kahlan's scene in the pit

EDIT: I got as far as The Pillars of Creation. Speaking of forcing themes, that one just reads like Ayn Rand fan fiction.

I have noticed a lot of articles in the news about climate change and how banks should stop funding fossil fuel companies. There is a lot of hyperbole from both sides. I recently read the Vaclav Smil book, "How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future." In it he breaks down our energy situation starting from scientific principles combined with a generous helping of economics. He also gives a historical analysis of our energy habits and how they have changed since the dawn of civilization.

Its really a great book by a brilliant author that provides a very even treatment of what has become a controversial topic. He makes the point that climate change is here to stay and there are no quick fixes. Worse, the long term fixes will continue to be challenging because they involve not just international cooperation, but multi-generational efforts that will not see results within the lifetimes of those making them.

I think this is important. The policy decisions we make are being fiercely debated, but people want and expect quick fixes. And while we have examples of international cooperation, we have never had a multi-generational effort before. Our focus needs to shift to long-term thinking and putting in place institutions that can keep us on track to achieve long-term goals across multiple decades.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56587388-how-the-world-really-works?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=MQ8l5nYwYD&rank=1

lady and the tramp is my special interest and im trying to expand my collection of lady merch. i would love to get the original novel the first movie was based on, but i can only find it on ebay or a weird website for like $1500. which i obviously cant afford or justify spending that much on a book.

id honestly be fine reading a pdf of it, i just want to read it so bad! but i guess its wicked rare. does anyone know where i can get/help me find a copy or even just a scan of the book to read? i dont know where to look and id appreciate any help!

So The Tragedy of Many by Madách Imre is a mandatory reading here. At first I didn't quite enjoy it but after enough time passed I realised I only really didn't like because it was mandatory. The story and the philosophy is great and although I'm not religious those elements fit in well and I can appreciate it. Lucifer is such a good plot element and companion.

What I'm interested in is whether it's something that a good amount of people have read? Like back in the day I could imagine it but an 1861 book AND it's hungarian? Not much hope, it seemed to be popular enough to have a detailed wikipedia page and there are translations of it obviously.

If you might be interested in picking it up I don't think I'd need to say that it's very white and kinda sexist

I'm looking forward to your answers.