Many lauded writers were/are drug addicts.

But have you ever solved a murder together? Because if books have taught us anything that will do it.

Into Thin Air read by Krakauer

Make a bunch of posts asking questions about it or comparing it to other things to make folks aware of the title.

Bonus if it is controversial I guess.

Yes in the book she dies a broken women. Head shaved and sold her body. Jean Valjean vows to look after her child, before she leaves this world. And so that is why he has a mission, before the police constable Javert finally tracks him down, and tries to get him sent back to the galleys!

I think that's the point of Tolkien writing Tom that way. Peaceful happy times often feel exactly like that. Reading it as a child it felt really boring but looking back on it now. The best times in life are often quite predictable, consistent and filled with people talking about quite normal boring things. That when you're a child you kinda take for granted. Civilized society is honestly magical compared to the barbaric nature of most human history. I think the magic of Bombadil is revealed when you have the patience. Tom is the contrast from that last safe part of the world to the rest of the dark dangerous one.

There's a reason the saying "may you live in interesting times" is a known curse.

A lot of comments here people read this book and see it as depressing that we are violent and doomed to repeat the violence.

But I think books like this are frequently written as a warning that if we are not careful, this is what will happen.... not that the author thinks it will happen, and probably hopes his book will prevent it.

So I don't see it as depressing. And the ending of the book with the two headed woman, while it seems depressing, hints that there may be evolution in progress, that the survivors will not have the same issues.

That's a common issue with self-esteem training, a prominent downside.

Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff is an excellent antidote to this.

Books that are about more well-rounded development of character strengths and virtues (positive psychology) tend to be better. There's some thought towards altruism, the greater good, feeling like part of something greater (secular or religious), etc. Self-esteem books are narrow in scope.

I love that book so much!

Yes the Bishop is in the opening chapters of the book. He lives with two ladies. One a cheerful and plump lady, who is talkative and merry. The other a slender and meek lady, who what she lacks in conversation, she makes up in godliness.

The two women take good care of the bishop. I won't spoil it for you what happens. Thanks for reading.

Tragic, absurd, ironic, not slapstick or joke-y.

Council is great. It's the moment where you realize that Tolkien's world is so young, that the entire universe's creation is still within living memory.

Thanks for the input

The only reason I completed that book was I had to read it for a graduate class.

Disney is one reason, but it was mostly Sonny Bono doing a solid for his Hollywood pals.

I have purchased all my books through bookshop.org since the scummy treatment of their employees by Amazon started surfacing. It usually takes a couple of extra days for a book to arrive, but that has made them more of a 'surprise' in the mail.

Also, if a book you want isn't available on Bookshop, it's usually because the publisher is in an anti-competitive agreement with Amazon, and you should call/email/tweet/toot the publisher (never the author) to complain.

16. I really want to dive into Russian literature!

It's one of my favs. The musical scratches the surface, basically just the highlights but is a good starting point for people that might be intimidated by the sheer size of this tome of a book.

I found that the depth in this book astonished me. I wasn't prepared to be totally lost in it. Lost in a good way. The depth of the characterization, the backstories of these people, just makes them unforgettable. Fantine was already a tragic figure in the musical, but my god when you read her backstory--none of which is really touched on in the musical--it makes you appreciate the despair you hear in the songs she sings in the musical (provided it's acted well).

I feel like Dickens would probably be replaced by Fitzgerald. The others... yeah, it's pretty much the same.

Yes! One could say that it's relevant!

I have never once bought an entire series prior to reading it. I rarely even buy two books in a series at once, unless I thought the previous books were exceptionally done and I wanted the whole thing - usually happens with a really good first book of trilogies. Recently that has been me buying the #2 & #3 of The Poppy War trilogy and the Masquerade trilogy.

Not really sure what you're talking about. Stories have always reflected the politics of their time.

It’s a nonsense book so, no, you read it just fine 😂

On their site under ‘helpful info’ they claim authors & publishers will be pleasantly surprised by contacting them via email.

Edit: helpful info>get in touch>I am an author…content at xigxag dot co dot uk

For the US, Kickstarter is a great way to support authors! Fun swag, a book or books, and this is by far the most profitable to the author because you are not just buying a book but investing in an author. Plus the author has a way to contact you and let you know when their next book is coming out. We can also build a relationship with our readers too. Amazon and other retailers don’t give us any way to contact previous readers.