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15 of Your Favorite First Lines from Books Published in the Last Five Years
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on March 23, 2017
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, a hobbit in a hole, and the pleasure of burning…. We all know the classics. But what are the new opening sentences that have hooked you?
This week we asked on Facebook and on Twitter: What's your favorite first line from a book published in the last five years? Today we've got your top answers. Did yours make the list?
"If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: In love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are."
From The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Don't see your favorite first line? Then share it with us in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
7 Great Books Hitting Shelves This Week
Lisa See Recommends Books on China, Talks Enduring Characters
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on March 23, 2017
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, a hobbit in a hole, and the pleasure of burning…. We all know the classics. But what are the new opening sentences that have hooked you?
This week we asked on Facebook and on Twitter: What's your favorite first line from a book published in the last five years? Today we've got your top answers. Did yours make the list?
From The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
"Yeah, I know. You guys are going to read about how I die in agony, and you're going to be like, 'Wow! That sounds cool, Magnus! Can I die in agony, too?'"
From The Sword of Summer
by Rick Riordan
by Rick Riordan
"Let's start with the end of the world, why don't we? Get it over with and move on to more interesting things."
From The Fifth Season
by N.K. Jemisin
by N.K. Jemisin
"My mother always started the story by saying, 'Well, she was born in the backseat of a stranger's car,' as though that explained why Wavy wasn't normal."
From All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
by Bryn Greenwood
by Bryn Greenwood
"Call me Ishmael. I won't answer to it, because it's not my name, but it's much more agreeable than most of the things I've been called."
From Let's Pretend This Never Happened
by Jenny Lawson
by Jenny Lawson
"Our dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our village."
From Uprooted
by Naomi Novik
by Naomi Novik
Don't see your favorite first line? Then share it with us in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
7 Great Books Hitting Shelves This Week
Lisa See Recommends Books on China, Talks Enduring Characters
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
What's New This Week: 7 Great Books Hitting Shelves Today
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on March 21, 2017
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on March 21, 2017
Need another excuse to go to the bookstore this week? We've got seven! Bulk up your Want to Read shelf with these brand-new standalone titles.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
by Lisa See
You should read this book if you like: Historical fiction, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, tea, remote Chinese villages, powerful stories about family
Read our interview with Lisa See here. >
The Collapsing Empire
by John Scalzi
You should read this book if you like: Science fiction, interstellar empires, unusual alliances, thrilling space opera, galaxy-saving starship captains
The Polygamist's Daughter
by Anna LeBaron with Leslie Wilson
You should read this book if you like: Memoirs, true crime, radical cults, life on the run, musings on love and faith, the meaning of home
The Hidden Memory of Objects
by Danielle Mages Amato
You should read this book if you like: YA contemporary fiction, found-object art, "murderabilia," a touch of romance, a quest for truth
The Secrets You Keep
by Kate White
You should read this book if you like: Psychological thrillers, self-help authors in need of help, secretive husbands, deadly dinner parties
A Colony in a Nation
by Christopher L. Hayes
You should read this book if you like: Nonfiction, politics, Twilight of the Elites, exploration of racial inequality and the status of democracy
The Arrangement
by Sarah Dunn
You should read this book if you like: Fiction, humor, potentially ill-advised attempts at open marriage, New York exurbs, wine
BONUS: The wait is over—check out three of the buzziest sequels coming out today!
Pyromantic
by Lish McBride
The second book in the Firebug YA fantasy series
(Start off the series with Firebug)
Mississippi Blood
by Greg Iles
The sixth book in the Penn Cage mystery series
(Start off the series with The Quiet Game)
If Not for You
by Debbie Macomber
The third book in the New Beginnings contemporary romance series
(Start off the series with Last One Home)
What are you reading this week? Let's talk books in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
Lisa See Recommends Books on China, Talks Enduring Characters
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
by Lisa See
You should read this book if you like: Historical fiction, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, tea, remote Chinese villages, powerful stories about family
Read our interview with Lisa See here. >
by John Scalzi
You should read this book if you like: Science fiction, interstellar empires, unusual alliances, thrilling space opera, galaxy-saving starship captains
by Anna LeBaron with Leslie Wilson
You should read this book if you like: Memoirs, true crime, radical cults, life on the run, musings on love and faith, the meaning of home
by Danielle Mages Amato
You should read this book if you like: YA contemporary fiction, found-object art, "murderabilia," a touch of romance, a quest for truth
by Kate White
You should read this book if you like: Psychological thrillers, self-help authors in need of help, secretive husbands, deadly dinner parties
by Christopher L. Hayes
You should read this book if you like: Nonfiction, politics, Twilight of the Elites, exploration of racial inequality and the status of democracy
by Sarah Dunn
You should read this book if you like: Fiction, humor, potentially ill-advised attempts at open marriage, New York exurbs, wine
by Lish McBride
The second book in the Firebug YA fantasy series
(Start off the series with Firebug)
by Greg Iles
The sixth book in the Penn Cage mystery series
(Start off the series with The Quiet Game)
by Debbie Macomber
The third book in the New Beginnings contemporary romance series
(Start off the series with Last One Home)
What are you reading this week? Let's talk books in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
Lisa See Recommends Books on China, Talks Enduring Characters
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
Lisa See Recommends Books on China, Talks Enduring Characters
Posted by Cybil on March 20, 2017
When The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane begins in 1988, Li-Yan and her family work as tea pickers in Spring Well, a village in the Yunnan province of China populated by the Akha people. Spring Well has no running water, no electricity, and has only ever seen one car. Over the next 25 years, with the skyrocketing popularity of Pu'er tea, everything changed.
Pu'er is a rare tea made from the leaves of tea trees in the Yunnan province, some of which are thought to be thousands of years old. As the most educated girl in the village, Li-Yan finds herself at the center of her village's new relationship with tea exporters, a path that will take her far away from the village she never thought she'd leave, all while hiding her own painful secrets.
Author Lisa See is known for the extensive research and rich detail she puts into her bestselling novels set in China, including Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love. Goodreads spoke to See about helping her readers discover China and how her characters stay with her. The following is an excerpt from our full interview that appeared in our March newsletter.
GR: Goodreads user Elizabeth asks: I'm interested in learning about Chinese culture and history as a result of reading your books. What other books (fiction or nonfiction) would you recommend to get a better understanding of China?
LS: Peter Hessler went over to China as an English teacher and lived in a little river town along the Yangtze. The book he wrote about it, River Town, is charming, but he's also written several others that are really great.
Nicholas Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, have written several good books about China—they were New York Times correspondents in China together.
Simon Winchester went to the very source of the Yangtze River and then followed it down to the mouth of the river. His book The River at the Center of the World is sort of a history of the river, what's along the river, and how life is changing there, and it's fantastic.
GR: Goodreads user Michele asks: Once you complete a book, do you find it challenging to move on from the characters you have so thoroughly cultivated in order to create your next work, or do some characters continue to occupy your consciousness long after the book is finished?
LS: Absolutely. I don't think of it as my moving on; it's more like they move on. I hate to say it, because it makes me sound like a crazy person, but there are times when I'll be out doing something and I can hear Lily say something to me, or Pearl, or A-ma. They'll talk to me—the ones from the past, but also the ones I'm currently working on. They'll kind of crop up like, "By the way, I'm still here."
Check out more recent blogs:
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
The National Book Critics Circle Awards Pick LaRose, Evicted
St. Patrick's Day: Some Fictional Alternatives to Green Beer
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
Posted by Cybil on March 20, 2017
When The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane begins in 1988, Li-Yan and her family work as tea pickers in Spring Well, a village in the Yunnan province of China populated by the Akha people. Spring Well has no running water, no electricity, and has only ever seen one car. Over the next 25 years, with the skyrocketing popularity of Pu'er tea, everything changed.
Pu'er is a rare tea made from the leaves of tea trees in the Yunnan province, some of which are thought to be thousands of years old. As the most educated girl in the village, Li-Yan finds herself at the center of her village's new relationship with tea exporters, a path that will take her far away from the village she never thought she'd leave, all while hiding her own painful secrets.
Author Lisa See is known for the extensive research and rich detail she puts into her bestselling novels set in China, including Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love. Goodreads spoke to See about helping her readers discover China and how her characters stay with her. The following is an excerpt from our full interview that appeared in our March newsletter.
LS: Peter Hessler went over to China as an English teacher and lived in a little river town along the Yangtze. The book he wrote about it, River Town, is charming, but he's also written several others that are really great.
Nicholas Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, have written several good books about China—they were New York Times correspondents in China together.
Simon Winchester went to the very source of the Yangtze River and then followed it down to the mouth of the river. His book The River at the Center of the World is sort of a history of the river, what's along the river, and how life is changing there, and it's fantastic.
GR: Goodreads user Michele asks: Once you complete a book, do you find it challenging to move on from the characters you have so thoroughly cultivated in order to create your next work, or do some characters continue to occupy your consciousness long after the book is finished?
LS: Absolutely. I don't think of it as my moving on; it's more like they move on. I hate to say it, because it makes me sound like a crazy person, but there are times when I'll be out doing something and I can hear Lily say something to me, or Pearl, or A-ma. They'll talk to me—the ones from the past, but also the ones I'm currently working on. They'll kind of crop up like, "By the way, I'm still here."
Check out more recent blogs:
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
The National Book Critics Circle Awards Pick LaRose, Evicted
St. Patrick's Day: Some Fictional Alternatives to Green Beer
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
Today Only: Get up to 85% off NYT Bestsellers! (U.S. members)
Posted by Cybil on March 19, 2017
For one day only, get amazing deals on more than 30 New York Times bestsellers! U.S. members save up to 85% on popular ebooks including Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: The Revolution, the heartbreaking After You by Jojo Moyes, and Tana French's edge-of-your-seat thriller In the Woods.
Want more great books at great prices delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up to get personalized ebook deals based on genres you love to read, including:
Posted by Cybil on March 19, 2017
For one day only, get amazing deals on more than 30 New York Times bestsellers! U.S. members save up to 85% on popular ebooks including Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: The Revolution, the heartbreaking After You by Jojo Moyes, and Tana French's edge-of-your-seat thriller In the Woods.
Check out the full list of exciting deals to find your next favorite book!
Want more great books at great prices delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up to get personalized ebook deals based on genres you love to read, including:
- Bestsellers
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Fantasy & Sci-Fi
- Romance
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
- Young Adult
Happy reading!
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
Posted by Cybil on March 17, 2017
Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast hits theaters this weekend! For many readers, this is so much more than a princess movie: The "tale as old as time" is as much a love story about Belle and her books as it is about Belle and her prince-turned-monster.
In other words, Belle is important to book lovers. Luckily, so is the actress who's portraying her in the new film. From Hermione to UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson is basically our modern-day Belle—and she talks like her, too.
And, like Belle, Emma can't keep her love of books to herself. Last year, she joined Goodreads and started Our Shared Shelf, a feminist book club that now has more than 150,000 members around the world.
Every other month, Our Shared Shelf selects a new book to read and discuss. They're currently tackling Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype (a nice parallel with Beauty and the Beast), but you can check out all of their past selections below.
Our Shared Shelf's Book Picks
Of course, all of the above makes Gaston very uncomfortable….
If you like "getting ideas and thinking" like Belle, consider joining our Our Shared Shelf. Your fellow bookworms—and Emma!—are waiting. Join the book club here.
Check out more recent blogs:
The National Book Critics Circle Awards Pick LaRose, Evicted
St. Patrick's Day: Some Fictional Alternatives to Green Beer
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
Posted by Cybil on March 17, 2017
Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast hits theaters this weekend! For many readers, this is so much more than a princess movie: The "tale as old as time" is as much a love story about Belle and her books as it is about Belle and her prince-turned-monster.
In other words, Belle is important to book lovers. Luckily, so is the actress who's portraying her in the new film. From Hermione to UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson is basically our modern-day Belle—and she talks like her, too.
And, like Belle, Emma can't keep her love of books to herself. Last year, she joined Goodreads and started Our Shared Shelf, a feminist book club that now has more than 150,000 members around the world.
Every other month, Our Shared Shelf selects a new book to read and discuss. They're currently tackling Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype (a nice parallel with Beauty and the Beast), but you can check out all of their past selections below.
Our Shared Shelf's Book Picks
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If you like "getting ideas and thinking" like Belle, consider joining our Our Shared Shelf. Your fellow bookworms—and Emma!—are waiting. Join the book club here.
Check out more recent blogs:
The National Book Critics Circle Awards Pick LaRose, Evicted
St. Patrick's Day: Some Fictional Alternatives to Green Beer
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
The National Book Critics Circle Awards Pick LaRose, Evicted
Posted by Cybil on March 16, 2017
The National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced Thursday evening, with Louise Erdrich taking the prize for best fiction for LaRose. The Round House author enthralled the judges with her tale of a tragic accident and an act of atonement with roots in Native American culture.
The NBCC is made up of 1,000 book critics and editors from across the United States. Each year the group selects winners in six categories—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biography, criticism, and autobiography.
Be sure to add these winners to your Want to Read list! Here are some of the NBCC's picks:
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
by Matthew Desmond
Winner of the nonfiction award. Average Goodreads' member rating: 4.46.
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life
by Ruth Franklin
Winner of best biography. Average Goodreads' member rating: 4.23.
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide
by Carol Anderson
Winner for best criticism. Average Goodreads' member rating: 4.41.
In addition, the book critics awarded the Sandrof Award for Lifetime Achievement to Margaret Atwood and the John Leonard Prize for a first book to Yaa Gyasi for her novel Homegoing.
See the complete list of NBCC finalists.
Check out more recent blogs:
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
St. Patrick's Day: Some Fictional Alternatives to Green Beer
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
Posted by Cybil on March 16, 2017
The National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced Thursday evening, with Louise Erdrich taking the prize for best fiction for LaRose. The Round House author enthralled the judges with her tale of a tragic accident and an act of atonement with roots in Native American culture.
The NBCC is made up of 1,000 book critics and editors from across the United States. Each year the group selects winners in six categories—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biography, criticism, and autobiography.
Be sure to add these winners to your Want to Read list! Here are some of the NBCC's picks:
by Matthew Desmond
Winner of the nonfiction award. Average Goodreads' member rating: 4.46.
by Ruth Franklin
Winner of best biography. Average Goodreads' member rating: 4.23.
by Carol Anderson
Winner for best criticism. Average Goodreads' member rating: 4.41.
In addition, the book critics awarded the Sandrof Award for Lifetime Achievement to Margaret Atwood and the John Leonard Prize for a first book to Yaa Gyasi for her novel Homegoing.
See the complete list of NBCC finalists.
Check out more recent blogs:
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
St. Patrick's Day: Some Fictional Alternatives to Green Beer
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
St. Patrick's Day: Some Fictional Alternatives to Green Beer
Posted by Cybil on March 16, 2017
Ready to "drown the shamrock" this St. Patrick's Day? Goodreads is here for you: We've compiled a list of more delicious alternatives to green beer, with one wee caveat—these special drinks and cocktails began as fictional libations.
Please share your own favorites! Which drink do you most wish were real or which have you actually found in real life (we know some butterbeer aficionados out there)? Share your best recipe guesses in the comments!
What literary-inspired drinks will you be imbibing on St. Paddy's? And if you need more real-world guidance, try these Listopias: Best Cocktails and Best Home Brewing Books.
Check out more recent blogs:
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
The National Book Critics Circle Awards Pick LaRose, Evicted
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
Posted by Cybil on March 16, 2017
Ready to "drown the shamrock" this St. Patrick's Day? Goodreads is here for you: We've compiled a list of more delicious alternatives to green beer, with one wee caveat—these special drinks and cocktails began as fictional libations.
Please share your own favorites! Which drink do you most wish were real or which have you actually found in real life (we know some butterbeer aficionados out there)? Share your best recipe guesses in the comments!
GREEN SWIZZLE
"The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy," collected in Carry on, Jeeves
by P.G. Wodehouse
It's still green! Bertie Wooster himself declares of this Wodehousian version of a Caribbean rum swizzle,"...if ever I marry and have a son, Green Swizzle Wooster is the name that will go down in the register." Some sources report that Wodehouse did not invent this himself, but no doubt he had his own twist.
by P.G. Wodehouse
It's still green! Bertie Wooster himself declares of this Wodehousian version of a Caribbean rum swizzle,"...if ever I marry and have a son, Green Swizzle Wooster is the name that will go down in the register." Some sources report that Wodehouse did not invent this himself, but no doubt he had his own twist.
PAN GALACTIC GARGLE BLASTER
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams
Dubbed "the alcoholic equivalent of a mugging" and "the best drink in existence," a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster should be consumed with caution: Drinking one is "like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick." Adams helpfully provided a recipe, but you might have trouble finding all of the ingredients (Fallian marsh gas, the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger...).
by Douglas Adams
Dubbed "the alcoholic equivalent of a mugging" and "the best drink in existence," a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster should be consumed with caution: Drinking one is "like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick." Adams helpfully provided a recipe, but you might have trouble finding all of the ingredients (Fallian marsh gas, the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger...).
GINGER SCALD
The Lies of Locke Lamora
by Scott Lynch
With hints of pear and radishes, this unusual drink is finished by plunging a red-hot poker into the liquid. Locke describes "when the cold burn of the ginger scald hit his lips (limning every tiny crack with stinging heat, and outlining every crevice between teeth and gums in exquisite pain...)" Yum! Goodreads Author and food blogger Chelsea Monroe-Cassel offers an excellent recipe, complete with hot-poker handling instructions!
by Scott Lynch
With hints of pear and radishes, this unusual drink is finished by plunging a red-hot poker into the liquid. Locke describes "when the cold burn of the ginger scald hit his lips (limning every tiny crack with stinging heat, and outlining every crevice between teeth and gums in exquisite pain...)" Yum! Goodreads Author and food blogger Chelsea Monroe-Cassel offers an excellent recipe, complete with hot-poker handling instructions!
END OF THE WORLD DELIGHT
Cat's Cradle
by Kurt Vonnegut
A darker take on a green drink, as befitting Kurt Vonnegut. "He wanted me to give him a drink on account of the world was coming to an end. So I mixed him an 'End of the World Delight.' I gave him about a half-pint of crème de menthe in a hollowed-out pineapple, with whipped cream and a cherry on top."
by Kurt Vonnegut
A darker take on a green drink, as befitting Kurt Vonnegut. "He wanted me to give him a drink on account of the world was coming to an end. So I mixed him an 'End of the World Delight.' I gave him about a half-pint of crème de menthe in a hollowed-out pineapple, with whipped cream and a cherry on top."
BUTTERBEER
Harry Potter Series
by J.K. Rowling
Allegedly slightly alcoholic, this wizarding favorite can be served hot or cold, and J.K. Rowling says, "I imagine it to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch." For the launch of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, Chef Steven Jayson spent three years perfecting an official butterbeer recipe, which is unfortunately classified!
by J.K. Rowling
Allegedly slightly alcoholic, this wizarding favorite can be served hot or cold, and J.K. Rowling says, "I imagine it to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch." For the launch of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, Chef Steven Jayson spent three years perfecting an official butterbeer recipe, which is unfortunately classified!
SCUMBLE
Discworld Series
by Terry Pratchett
Raise a glass full of Discworld apple-based moonshine in memory of Sir Terry Pratchett. "A lot of stories are told about scumble, and how it is made out on the damp marshes, according to ancient recipes passed down rather unsteadily from father to son. It's not true about the rats, or the snakes' heads, or the lead shot. The one about the dead sheep is a complete fabrication. We can lay to rest all the variants of the one about the trouser button. But the one about not letting it come into contact with metal is absolutely true..." You can try some fan recipes here and here, or even buy an officially licensed version!
by Terry Pratchett
Raise a glass full of Discworld apple-based moonshine in memory of Sir Terry Pratchett. "A lot of stories are told about scumble, and how it is made out on the damp marshes, according to ancient recipes passed down rather unsteadily from father to son. It's not true about the rats, or the snakes' heads, or the lead shot. The one about the dead sheep is a complete fabrication. We can lay to rest all the variants of the one about the trouser button. But the one about not letting it come into contact with metal is absolutely true..." You can try some fan recipes here and here, or even buy an officially licensed version!
SPICE BEER
Dune Chronicles
by Frank Herbert
If you're not up for dodging monster sandworms to harvest spice, the most coveted substance in Herbert's universe, you'll have to learn how to brew your own cinnamon-infused ale, a "fermented substance called 'spice beer,' potent and pungent with a strong cinnamon bite at the back of his throat. [Keedair] found the drink exhilarating and ordered a second" (from The Butlerian Jihad).
by Frank Herbert
If you're not up for dodging monster sandworms to harvest spice, the most coveted substance in Herbert's universe, you'll have to learn how to brew your own cinnamon-infused ale, a "fermented substance called 'spice beer,' potent and pungent with a strong cinnamon bite at the back of his throat. [Keedair] found the drink exhilarating and ordered a second" (from The Butlerian Jihad).
GRAF
The Dark Tower Series
by Stephen King
Perhaps a close cousin of Pratchett's scumble, this apple beer is the drink of choice in Stephen King's Mid-World. Lots of homebrewing fans have tried their versions, ranging from hard apple cider to dark malt, including this one with full video instructions!
by Stephen King
Perhaps a close cousin of Pratchett's scumble, this apple beer is the drink of choice in Stephen King's Mid-World. Lots of homebrewing fans have tried their versions, ranging from hard apple cider to dark malt, including this one with full video instructions!
Check out more recent blogs:
If Belle Were on Goodreads, She'd Probably Act a Lot Like Emma Watson
The National Book Critics Circle Awards Pick LaRose, Evicted
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
20 Problems Only Book Lovers Understand
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on March 15, 2017
Non-bibliophiles don't always feel your pain…but you're among friends here! We asked on Facebook and Twitter: What's a problem only book lovers understand? We got more than 1,000 amazing responses. Check out some of our favorites and share your own bookish struggles in the comments.
1. "The urge to buy books even though you still have too many books to read at home." Rie VdWarth
2. "Feeling sad for people who don't really exist." Kimberly Moniz
3. "RUNNING OUT OF SHELF SPACE!!!" Kim
4. "Getting interrupted when you are on the last few pages of a book." Sobe Daya
5. "The book hangover. When a good book finishes but you can't start a new one because you're still too immersed in the last book to move on." Meagan Lewis
6. "Wanting every book in a library section but knowing it is impossible to read all of them." Richard Azia
7. "Waiting so long for a sequel that you forget what happened in the first book." Jessica Luong
8. "When you're lying in bed and it's all cold in your room—and the hand holding the book freezes to death, even though the rest of you is warm under the blankets." Alina Marie Swan
9. "Finishing a book and having to wait a whole year to read the next in the series." Sarah Scanion
10. "Trying to keep the book dry while reading in the bath." Patricia Boland
11. "Ordering a book online and getting the book with the movie cover. A book with a movie cover just doesn't feel the same." Anna RN
12. "Not being able to read and eat lunch at the same time because you don't have a third arm." Bernadette
13. "When someone borrows your book and doesn't return it for ages!" Pallavi B
14. "Deciding. Which. Book. To. Read. First." Monique Balsamo
15. "Getting to a 'can't stop reading' spot in the book and it's 3:00am." Joan Chesley
16. "When you have a book with you, but it's not the one you wanted to read right then." Virginia Osborne
17. "Being forced to stop reading by other obligations, but choosing to ignore those obligations. Then getting in trouble." Feel Like Fangirling
18. "Packing for a trip and never being able to bring enough books." Erika Gallion
19. "Having a book fall on your face because you're reading on your back while holding the book up." Manuel Cedillo
20. And the ultimate book lovers' dilemma: "So many books, so little time." Navy Reading
Don't see your reader-specific problem? Share it with your fellow Goodreads members in the comments! Chances are you'll find someone (or many someones) who feel your book pain.
Check out more recent blogs:
7 Great Books Hitting Shelves This Week
Your Most Successful Book Club Picks
Readers to the Rescue: Your Best Book Club Tips
(Top image credit: Illustration by Quentin Blake for Roald Dahl's Matilda.)
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on March 15, 2017
Non-bibliophiles don't always feel your pain…but you're among friends here! We asked on Facebook and Twitter: What's a problem only book lovers understand? We got more than 1,000 amazing responses. Check out some of our favorites and share your own bookish struggles in the comments.
1. "The urge to buy books even though you still have too many books to read at home." Rie VdWarth
2. "Feeling sad for people who don't really exist." Kimberly Moniz
3. "RUNNING OUT OF SHELF SPACE!!!" Kim
4. "Getting interrupted when you are on the last few pages of a book." Sobe Daya
5. "The book hangover. When a good book finishes but you can't start a new one because you're still too immersed in the last book to move on." Meagan Lewis
6. "Wanting every book in a library section but knowing it is impossible to read all of them." Richard Azia
7. "Waiting so long for a sequel that you forget what happened in the first book." Jessica Luong
8. "When you're lying in bed and it's all cold in your room—and the hand holding the book freezes to death, even though the rest of you is warm under the blankets." Alina Marie Swan
9. "Finishing a book and having to wait a whole year to read the next in the series." Sarah Scanion
10. "Trying to keep the book dry while reading in the bath." Patricia Boland
11. "Ordering a book online and getting the book with the movie cover. A book with a movie cover just doesn't feel the same." Anna RN
12. "Not being able to read and eat lunch at the same time because you don't have a third arm." Bernadette
13. "When someone borrows your book and doesn't return it for ages!" Pallavi B
14. "Deciding. Which. Book. To. Read. First." Monique Balsamo
15. "Getting to a 'can't stop reading' spot in the book and it's 3:00am." Joan Chesley
16. "When you have a book with you, but it's not the one you wanted to read right then." Virginia Osborne
17. "Being forced to stop reading by other obligations, but choosing to ignore those obligations. Then getting in trouble." Feel Like Fangirling
18. "Packing for a trip and never being able to bring enough books." Erika Gallion
19. "Having a book fall on your face because you're reading on your back while holding the book up." Manuel Cedillo
20. And the ultimate book lovers' dilemma: "So many books, so little time." Navy Reading
Don't see your reader-specific problem? Share it with your fellow Goodreads members in the comments! Chances are you'll find someone (or many someones) who feel your book pain.
Check out more recent blogs:
7 Great Books Hitting Shelves This Week
Your Most Successful Book Club Picks
Readers to the Rescue: Your Best Book Club Tips
(Top image credit: Illustration by Quentin Blake for Roald Dahl's Matilda.)
What's New This Week: 7 Great Books Hitting Shelves Today
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on March 14, 2017
Posted by Hayley Igarashi on March 14, 2017
Need another excuse to go to the bookstore this week? We've got seven! Bulk up your Want to Read shelf with these brand-new standalone titles.
Hunted
by Meagan Spooner
You should read this book if you like: YA fantasy, Beauty and the Beast retellings, Russian fairy tales, supportive sisters, ruined castles
Never Let You Go
Written by Chevy Stevens
You should read this book if you like: Psychological thrillers, stalkers and home invasions, strong mother-daughter relationships, crazy plot twists
See Stevens' favorite books on obsession and revenge.
New York 2140
by Kim Stanley Robinson
You should read this book if you like: Science fiction, global warming, a submerged New York City, the power of community, skyscrapers
The Rules Do Not Apply
by Ariel Levy
You should read this book if you like: Memoirs, reinvention, dark humor, the struggle of "having it all," stories of adventure and heartbreak
Dragonwatch
by Brandon Mull
You should read this book if you like: Children's books, epic dragon showdowns, underdogs, imaginative fantasy worlds, supernatural powers
A Bridge Across the Ocean
by Susan Meissner
You should read this book if you like: Historical fiction, the chaotic aftermath of World War II, transatlantic crossings, courageous war brides
Utopia for Realists:
Why Making the World a Better Place Isn't a Fantasy and How We Can Do It
by Rutger Bregman
You should read this book if you like: Nonfiction, pragmatic manifestos, economics, success stories and lively anecdotes, changing the world
BONUS: The wait is over—check out three of the buzziest sequels coming out today!
The End of Oz
by Danielle Paige
The fourth book in the Dorothy Must Die YA fantasy series
(Start off the series with Dorothy Must Die)
Drunk on You
by Harper Sloan
The fourth book in the Hope Town contemporary romance series
(Start off the series with Unexpected Fate)
The Cutthroat
by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott
The tenth book in the Isaac Bell historical adventure series
(Start off the series with The Chase)
What are you reading this week? Let's talk books in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
Your Most Successful Book Club Picks
Readers to the Rescue: Your Best Book Club Tips
25 Big Books of Spring
by Meagan Spooner
You should read this book if you like: YA fantasy, Beauty and the Beast retellings, Russian fairy tales, supportive sisters, ruined castles
Written by Chevy Stevens
You should read this book if you like: Psychological thrillers, stalkers and home invasions, strong mother-daughter relationships, crazy plot twists
See Stevens' favorite books on obsession and revenge.
by Kim Stanley Robinson
You should read this book if you like: Science fiction, global warming, a submerged New York City, the power of community, skyscrapers
by Ariel Levy
You should read this book if you like: Memoirs, reinvention, dark humor, the struggle of "having it all," stories of adventure and heartbreak
by Brandon Mull
You should read this book if you like: Children's books, epic dragon showdowns, underdogs, imaginative fantasy worlds, supernatural powers
by Susan Meissner
You should read this book if you like: Historical fiction, the chaotic aftermath of World War II, transatlantic crossings, courageous war brides
Why Making the World a Better Place Isn't a Fantasy and How We Can Do It
by Rutger Bregman
You should read this book if you like: Nonfiction, pragmatic manifestos, economics, success stories and lively anecdotes, changing the world
by Danielle Paige
The fourth book in the Dorothy Must Die YA fantasy series
(Start off the series with Dorothy Must Die)
by Harper Sloan
The fourth book in the Hope Town contemporary romance series
(Start off the series with Unexpected Fate)
by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott
The tenth book in the Isaac Bell historical adventure series
(Start off the series with The Chase)
What are you reading this week? Let's talk books in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
Your Most Successful Book Club Picks
Readers to the Rescue: Your Best Book Club Tips
25 Big Books of Spring
Your Most Successful Book Club Picks
Posted by Cybil on March 13, 2017
There are a lot of variables that go into a successful book club (from venue, to host, to group dynamics, to wine selection). But the most important piece of the puzzle can be tricky: Picking the perfect book. It must be one that people will actually read, inspire a lively conversation or debate, and make the person who recommended it look like a genius (obviously).
So, we turned to our social media community to learn about your most successful book club picks and what made them winners. And can we just say, get ready to impress your book club. Check out all of the responses on our Twitter and Facebook pages. In addition, here are some of our favorites from your comments:
A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman
"My book club just discussed it and everyone loved it. There are so many things to talk about. The characters, their trials, the humor, the heartache. So much good stuff!!" wrote Jennifer Hamatake Colovich.
The Book Thief
Written by Markus Zusak
"It's a brilliant book, told from the perspective of death. It would lead to an amazing discussion about life, love, death, sacrifice, war etc. It's definitely worth your time," wrote Tobias Hellquist.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
"It's a fantastic book, set in World War II, with many different areas to discuss," wrote Sara Hufnagle.
The Devil in the White City
by Erik Larson
"It is my group's all time favorite book and we've been together for 12 years. Its historical name dropping was delightful," wrote Chris Markestad.
The Rosie Project
by Graeme Simsion
"Our book club recently enjoyed The Rosie Project. The main character is just like a popular TV character. The book was amusing but also thought provoking. We have read too many serious books in a row and needed a break," wrote Cathy Teague.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
by Bryn Greenwood
"I found it to be very morally challenging because it gets you rooting for questionable relationships and irregular protagonists. It's a great book to discuss, because it's interesting to see how others view the moral themes," wrote Jess Griffiths Sheldon.
Persepolis
by Marjane Satrapi
"It's relevant and great read with a lot of good details. Plus, it's a graphic novel so everyone will be able to finish it no matter how busy they are," wrote Nikki Denton.
Want even more great book club picks? Check out Goodreads' most popular bookclub books (and filter by week, month, or all-time most-popular picks). And recommend your book club picks in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
Readers to the Rescue: Your Best Book Club Tips
25 Big Books of Spring
Celebrating the Joy of Rereading a Favorite Book
Most Anticipated YA Books of 2017
Posted by Cybil on March 13, 2017
There are a lot of variables that go into a successful book club (from venue, to host, to group dynamics, to wine selection). But the most important piece of the puzzle can be tricky: Picking the perfect book. It must be one that people will actually read, inspire a lively conversation or debate, and make the person who recommended it look like a genius (obviously).
So, we turned to our social media community to learn about your most successful book club picks and what made them winners. And can we just say, get ready to impress your book club. Check out all of the responses on our Twitter and Facebook pages. In addition, here are some of our favorites from your comments:
by Fredrik Backman
"My book club just discussed it and everyone loved it. There are so many things to talk about. The characters, their trials, the humor, the heartache. So much good stuff!!" wrote Jennifer Hamatake Colovich.
Written by Markus Zusak
"It's a brilliant book, told from the perspective of death. It would lead to an amazing discussion about life, love, death, sacrifice, war etc. It's definitely worth your time," wrote Tobias Hellquist.
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
"It's a fantastic book, set in World War II, with many different areas to discuss," wrote Sara Hufnagle.
by Erik Larson
"It is my group's all time favorite book and we've been together for 12 years. Its historical name dropping was delightful," wrote Chris Markestad.
by Graeme Simsion
"Our book club recently enjoyed The Rosie Project. The main character is just like a popular TV character. The book was amusing but also thought provoking. We have read too many serious books in a row and needed a break," wrote Cathy Teague.
by Bryn Greenwood
"I found it to be very morally challenging because it gets you rooting for questionable relationships and irregular protagonists. It's a great book to discuss, because it's interesting to see how others view the moral themes," wrote Jess Griffiths Sheldon.
by Marjane Satrapi
"It's relevant and great read with a lot of good details. Plus, it's a graphic novel so everyone will be able to finish it no matter how busy they are," wrote Nikki Denton.
Check out more recent blogs:
Readers to the Rescue: Your Best Book Club Tips
25 Big Books of Spring
Celebrating the Joy of Rereading a Favorite Book
Most Anticipated YA Books of 2017
