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September Reading Recap: Love Hurts, Vampires Bite & Debbie Has Had Enough

gabrielatravels — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:49:00 GMT

September took an interesting turn. From a simple math equation that made me realise I should finally dedicate more time to reading to avoid having my reading challenge for 2026 compromised, to running into some very special books, where two of them are from an author I've worked with in the past and couldn't wait to read her writings, this is by far my favourite monthly recap of the year.

September was also the month I was born in, and of course I used this as an excuse to cut down my wishlist some books, which helped me a lot with my reading slump. So with no further introduction, let's see what this month brought in my reading recap!

1. Culpa vuestra (Culpables, #4)

by *Mercedes Ron* ★★★★★

I've got to read the first 3 books of the Culpables series last year, in 2025, when I also thought it was going to be a trilogy because, as some of you know, I rarely start reading a series unless I own all the books in it. It might sound weird, but I prefer postponing the read because I'm afraid I might forget the action or the overall story if I read a book now, then one in a few months and one next year.

Maybe this happens because I mix a lot of genres and books in between, but even so, that was not the case for the Culpa Vestra that I've read after a little over 100 books that kept me busy in between the 3rd and 4th volume of the series.

I started reading the book very curious because, from how the 3rd volume ended, I didn't see a new book coming. Then its title made me think that it could focus more on Nick and Noah's families. More like a "before" story. But it turned out I couldn't be more wrong about it.

The good part is that we still got to enjoy Noah and Nick to the maximum, because they remained the main characters of the book, and they didn't return with a relaxing atmosphere but more like a lot of action on all plans, the book quickly turning into a real thriller after the first half I've read. I won't lie, I did guess who the "bad" guy was pretty quickly, but the actual twists of the story came completely unexpected and made me want to read more than planned for quite a few days. Which is what I call a really good book.

I also rated this on: Goodreads

2. Immortel

by *Lexa W.* ★★★★★

This was my first time purchasing the books of a Romanian author I've also worked with in the past when I created some minibooks for both her and a giveaway we hosted on Instagram.

However, even before sharing some thoughts and speaking to each other, I kind of found myself drawn to Lexa's way of thinking, the thoughts she shared, her passions, and any post I was seeing from her on social media.

When I got Immortel, I thought it was going to be one of those short books of poetry that is definitely not for everyone, but which I already knew I was going to love just for the sake of being a poetry lover, in all its forms. The reality, though, hit harder.

That happened because Immortel was a lot more than poetry. It was a collection of unsent messages, quick thoughts saved on mobile notes, letters to different consignees, as well as short stories from personal life. More than that, on almost every two pages you could find all kinds of illustrations that made the reading so much easier and fun to get into since they expressed pretty much what was addressed in words, but through art, this time.

And if this doesn't sound interesting enough, the thing that hit the most was finding myself in 99% of the writings. From interior moods to emotions and feelings and anything else. I don't know if it was the right book at the right time, but I felt every single row read with my whole body, especially that the book is concluded with a letter to the author's cat, which I felt like it was my letter addressed to my own cat. Simply loved this.

I also rated this on: Goodreads

3. Amour

by *Lexa W.* ★★★★★

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Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

leaky20 — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer is another book that I finished recently. Its a short science fiction novel with just under 200 pages. Its a quick read that I completed in a week.

The book is written in a serious kind of manner, in a logical and to the point sort of manner. It has dark scientific undertones and a psychedelic aspect and feel about it that you can see in the cover art imagery. Speaking of the cover art, I really love the 10th anniversary designs they came up with for this book and for the series as a whole. They combine and intermix flora and fona in a glitchy hallucinagenic fashion. I like it a lot and it really fits with the story overall.

You may also recognize the book from the movie with the same name that stars Natalie Portman. The book obviously had a lot of similarities to the movie but it was also quite a bit different, which was nice. Generally when reading a book after seeing the movie I find that I just replay the movie in my head. In this case that didn't really happen for me which made it mostly a new experience.

Brief Synopsis

A biologist and team of other scientists travel into "Area X," an expanding zone of natural landscape that is slowly transforming everything within its borders. From, there adventure and mystery ensues.

Themes of the story are control, paranoia, transformation, and others.

The book is a mystery and mostly remains a mystery throughout. Its not the type of story that does not provides answers, rather the type that raises more questions. There are multiple books in the series though, so maybe by the end all is revealed? I haven't read any of the other books yet but plan to at some point. I liked the story enough to see it through.

I gave this one a 4 out of 5 stars. Its probably not one that I would recommend to others though. I don't think that it would necessarily appeal to everyone. I enjoyed it though.

Have you read this book and/or series, or have you seen the movie. What did you think? Let me know in the comments.

September Reading Recap

chris-uk — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Image made using ChatGPT

September came and went in a flash, and with that, it's time for my monthly reading recap. After a not-so-active reading month last month, I'm pleased to be back on pace, even though I'm still a little behind on my yearly goal.

I managed to finish 3 books this month, and all from different Genres to keep my mind fresh.

It brings my total for 2026 to 21 books out of 30. I'm behind schedule, but it can easily be recovered if I manage 3 books for each month ahead. I'm fairly confident I'll hit this goal, as I have a couple of books already over the 50% mark, so the pressure isn't on just yet. Going forward into 2027, though, I probably won't set it to 30 and may bring it down a notch.

The first book I read this month was Carrie. It had been on my TBR list for a while, but with one of the Fable book clubs voting for it to be read in September, I thought, why not get it out of the way. I really enjoyed it. Having been a fan of both the films and slightly excited for the upcoming TV series, I found the book easy to slip into, and the story flowed well.

Secondly, I decided to read a book I first read many years ago at school: Animal Farm. I haven't read any other George Orwell books, but I really enjoyed the story when we studied it in History class while learning about the Russian Revolution. I was also lucky enough to watch the animated film that was released many years ago. After seeing that he has a few books considered controversial, I thought, why not give this one another go and see if I could pick up anything new. Overall, a great read.

Lastly, I finished off the month with the fourth Hunger Games book, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. A prequel to the trilogy, it gives President Snow an origin story and shows how he became the man he did. I liked it. I wouldn't put it up there with the trilogy, but I'm glad I read it, and it's a great segue into the next book I started, Hunger Games Sunrise on the Reaping.

I have begun using a new book tracker alongside Goodreads and Fable called Hardcover, and after 2 months of use, I am enjoying it and will keep it going forward.

I find the stats quite interesting, and as you can see, I have inconsistent months. I put the summer months down to the heat that had a big impact on my reading. July saw a shift towards Audiobooks.

If you would like to follow my reading a little more closely, click any of the following Hardcover Fable Goodreads

Halloween month is here; there will certainly be some spooky reads in October. Thanks for reading.

Regresar a la orilla: Por qué 'Al Faro' de Virginia Woolf sigue siendo un espejo del alma (Lectura de septiembre 2026)

williamvc95 — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:13:06 GMT

Hay libros que no se leen, se habitan. Y luego está Al Faro (To the Lighthouse), de Virginia Woolf. Ese tipo de novela que, cuando la cierras, sientes que el aire a tu alrededor ha cambiado, como si acabaras de despertar de un sueño particularmente vívido donde la luz del sol se filtra de una forma extraña y melancólica.

Si nunca te has acercado a Woolf, puede que el nombre te intimide. Se dice que es "difícil", que su estilo es complejo. Pero hoy quiero romper ese mito: Al Faro no es difícil, es simplemente humana. Es tan humana que a veces duele.

La estructura de un recuerdo

La novela se divide en tres partes, casi como una sonata o un cuadro que se pinta en diferentes momentos del día:

La ventana: Donde conocemos a la familia Ramsay. Es un despliegue de vida cotidiana, de tensiones familiares, de cenas, de discusiones sobre si se podrá ir al faro mañana o no. Aquí es donde nos sentimos parte de la mesa.
El paso del tiempo: Esta sección es, quizás, una de las más valientes y fascinantes de la historia de la literatura. Aquí, la casa queda vacía y el tiempo entra como un intruso. Las páginas pasan y la vida se desmorona; la muerte, la guerra y la ausencia ocupan los espacios donde antes había risas. Es aquí donde entendemos que el verdadero protagonista no es el señor Ramsay ni la señora Ramsay, sino el tiempo mismo, ese agente invisible que lo cambia todo.
El faro: El regreso, la búsqueda de cierre, el intento de capturar aquello que ya no está.

El arte de vivir dentro de una cabeza

Lo que hace que esta novela sea especial es la técnica de Woolf. Ella no te cuenta qué hacen sus personajes; ella te deja ser ellos. A través del monólogo interior, la autora nos permite flotar en la psiquis de cada uno.

Estamos en la mente del señor Ramsay, con su inseguridad intelectual y su necesidad constante de validación; estamos en la mente de la señora Ramsay, con su amor inmenso y a veces asfixiante; y estamos en la mente de Lily Briscoe, la pintora que intenta capturar la esencia de la vida en un lienzo, mientras lucha contra la mirada del mundo.

No hay grandes giros argumentales. No hay una trama de acción trepidante. Y, sin embargo, la tensión es constante. La tensión de saber que el tiempo se agota, que la belleza es fugaz y que nuestras conexiones con los demás son, a menudo, intentos desesperados por no estar solos.

¿Por qué leerla hoy?

La nostalgia en Al Faro no es un sentimiento "de viejos". Es ese dolor dulce por lo que ya no está, por las versiones de nosotros mismos que dejamos atrás en casas donde ya no vivimos o junto a personas que ya no están en nuestra mesa.

Leer a Virginia Woolf es aprender a mirar. Es darte cuenta de que un segundo puede durar una eternidad si se vive con suficiente intensidad, y que los años pueden pasar en un suspiro si no estamos atentos.

Si buscas una lectura que te sacuda suavemente, que te haga cuestionar cómo percibes a quienes te rodean y que te regale una prosa tan bella que dan ganas de subrayar cada frase, dale una oportunidad a este faro.

Te prometo que, cuando llegues a la última página, verás el mundo —y tu propia historia— con una claridad diferente.

¿Has leído algo de Virginia Woolf? ¿Qué te pareció esa forma de narrar desde dentro? Te leo en los comentarios.

Otras lecturas en el mes

Hijos de Dune Frank Herbert
Las once mil vergas Gustave de Apollinaire
Los ríos profundos José María Argueda

Am I allowed to say that’s me?

kesityu.fashion — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:59:30 GMT

Reading Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins made me realize how differently I perceive my feminine and my masculine traits in terms of safety and acceptability, shaped by the world around me. Where does a healthy balance between the two lie?

The right place...

I have been wanting to read that book for a while now. Last time I desperately tried to download it on to my kindle, my amazon account failed me and kept on blocking myself out, until I gave up. “Fuck that kindle shit.” And I have never touched it since.

I had a few days in Zurich, between Arosa with G. and going back to Montreux. On one of my usual strolls by bike through town I stopped by at an open bookshelf and who looked at me straight in the face? David Goggins. “Hmm so I guess it’s time to read it now.” I am thinking, and start about the next day.

...at the right time.

My mood is strange in that moment. I am in Zurich and “being back there” hit me a lot harder than usual this time. I am still way too close to that life I am so eager to leave behind. And this time that hits me hard. I feel trapped. A bit useless. A few doubts are creeping up. What plays into account might also be the countless conversations with G. over the past month about contributing to other peoples life. And the question whether or not just being and enjoying things like slow breakfast and mountain hikes could be justified as leading a life worth while.

I feel torn between two worlds and a lot of different voices are getting loud in my head. Some telling me I was fighting hard, some doubting my whole existence, some pushing me to achieve more, some showing me how far I have come.

(I am starting to tell the story here, instead of feeling it. That’s what blocks me.)

Feeling it.

That book speaks to a part of me that I appreciate and fear at the same time. Something in me I am unsure I am allowed to say “That’s me.” Because “Do I really have enough proof of it? Or am I just trying to be though because it sounds cool?”

It’s a part of me that loves to fight and go for the impossible just to see how far I would get. A part of me very attracted to discipline and tight frames. In myself and in others.

That part is strongly connected to something much deeper. Something that has always been there. A feeling like it is unsafe to be soft, unsafe to be feminine. Sometimes that feeling surfaced as the wish to be born as a guy. Just focus on one task and fight it through no matter what, build the body, the business, the life with sheer discipline. Sometimes it manifested as me refusing any traditional relationship models. At least if I couldn’t be a guy I could fuck like one. As if that could just be a conscious choice made at any given day. But I was more comfortable suppressing my emotions, than sitting and feeling unsafe with them.

It’s a part of me that gets triggered when people, especially guys, share their emotions vulnerably. “Stop crying and just figure your shit out, like everyone else!” A voice shouts loud in my head. I get annoyed. And I indeed walked away from people many times after that voice showed up.

It’s a part of me that can run head first through concrete walls for the better and the worst. Where I can hold on and fight until the bitter end, for things that are long gone and broken. And also for myself in the darkest hours, reluctant to ever give up even if that means a constant uphill battle with no end in sight.

Being with F. made me cycle to Istanbul, the moment where I felt how much more I was capable of than I would have ever thought. Breaking up with F. made me fight for myself, for my life on never ending uphill slopes and push to my limits burning out every inch of discipline I could have ever imagined.

I feel like I switched between obsessing over that strong and dedicated part of me, to the point where I put discipline above all other feelings. And on the other side completely giving in to comfort, giving up any resistance neglecting my masculine side as much as the feminine, at least in that state they were equal.

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[Book] Review: The Rose Bargain By Sasha Peyton Smith

esther-emmanuel — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:17:00 GMT

My love for historical dramas led me to this fine novel that blends the genre with fantasy about a girl who walks into a ballroom carrying the usual weapons of a debutante: a beautiful dress, good manners and the hope of making a respectable marriage. Her expectations are high if only to defy her family. But in The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith, even beauty has a price and sometimes that price is a piece of your own body. This idea made me curious about the author's world as this is my first time reading any of her works.

The Rose Bargain looks like a fine Victorian romantasy but underneath the colourful gowns, balls, handsome princes and faeries is a rather uncomfortable story about what women are expected to sacrifice to survive which is what held my attention all through the 389 pages.

Set in London 1848, the author takes her readers to an alternate England ruled by Queen Moryen, an immortal faerie who gained control of the country centuries earlier with the aim of ruling forever. Each year, young women entering society have a chance to make a “Rose Bargain” with her. They can trade something precious for a quality they want such as beauty, talent, charm or some other advantage that might help them secure a good husband. The catch is that the payment is often painful. A girl might give up part of her body, a sense or a memory for something she has always wanted.

The author builds this magic system to feel almost normal to the characters and the girls grow up knowing that becoming desirable might mean giving away a part of themselves. But not the main character, Ivy Benton, who has more pressing concerns than becoming the prettiest girl in the ballroom. Her older sister, Lydia, disappeared after making a bargain with the queen and returned with memory loss.

The scandal of Lydia's disappearance has damaged the Benton family's reputation while their financial situation is also falling apart. Ivy wants answers but she also knows marrying well might be the only way to save her family. Then Queen Moryen announces that her son, Prince Bram, is looking for a bride, turning the marriage season into a competition. Ivy enters alongside other young women knowing she might lose any chance of marriage. Will she succeed in her agenda to save her sister?

Genres: Historical Fantasy, Adventure, Romantasy, Magic
Publication: February 2025
Pages: 398

My Review And Rating

The plot is interesting and reminds me of The Selection by Kiera Cass though the fantasy and historical elements sets them apart. Still, The Rose Bargain is well written and enjoyable. I liked the way the book plays with the idea of choice especially in a time when girls were not allowed any. The girls choose whether to bargain or not and they choose what they want. But the uncomfortable part is how much of a choice is it when society has already decided that a woman's future depends on her beauty, marriage and family reputation?

I find the main female character, Ivy, particularly interesting and likeable. She enters the competition not because she dreams of marrying a prince. She has a family to save and a sister she wants to understand. That made her easier for me to connect with. I also liked the friendship between the competing girls. They begin as rivals, yet some gradually become allies and friends. Their different perspectives also give the story more room to explore the pressures placed on women from different backgrounds.

The romance was enjoyable for me although I didn't buy the love triangle because it's a familiar romantasy pattern. There is the seemingly perfect prince and the complicated, dangerous one so figuring out who deserves Ivy's trust becomes part of the fun. I liked the tension more when it connected to the larger mystery than when it leaned too heavily into romantic uncertainty.

The worldbuilding is another strong part of this book. I liked the combination of Victorian era and faerie magic. The ballroom scenes, gowns and social expectations give the story that Bridgerton setting while the bargains and fae politics being in a darker fantasy atmosphere. The author blends these elements perfectly to deliver a fascinating story.

Though this book occasionally leaned into familiar young adult romantasy territory, I found the idea of treating bodily sacrifice as part of beauty culture unsettling. It's almost a magical version of the ways women are encouraged to hurt, restrict or change themselves to fit an ideal.

Rating this book, I’d give it 7.5 out of 10 stars. The Rose Bargain is a well-written and interesting historical fantasy. It kept giving me enough mystery to turn the pages. The deeper I got into the story, the more I became fascinated by the world Sasha Peyton Smith had created.

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Reseña y análisis de la saga Pecados Placenteros | Review and Analysis of the “Pleasant Sins” Series

jennivic — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:17:09 GMT

Hola comunidad!! <3

Estoy súper emocionada de estar por acá de regreso. El día de hoy vengo a hablarles sobre una saga que me atrapó desde el primer instante: Pecados Placenteros, escrita por Eva Muñoz. Sé perfectamente que esta historia genera opiniones muy divididas; mientras a muchos nos encanta, para otros no es para nada de su agrado. ¡Y es totalmente válido, para gustos hay un sinfín de colores!

Sin embargo, en esta reseña no me quiero limitar a discutir solo el romance o los comportamientos tóxicos de algunos personajes —que sin duda los hay y entran en un debate necesario—. Lo que realmente me fascinó y me impulsó a escribirles hoy es cómo la autora te envuelve en una cascada de emociones, amenazas, estrategia militar y manejo de información que son importantes de analizar. Aunque la saga todavía no está terminada y voy por la mitad del tercer libro, la experiencia de leerla y conocer este universo ha sido increíble y hoy quiero contarles qué tal me pareció.

I'm super excited to be back here. Today I come to talk to you about a saga that caught me from the very first moment: Pleasant Sin, written by Eva Muñoz. I know perfectly well that this story generates very divided opinions; while many of us love it, for others it is not at all your liking. And it's totally valid, for tastes there are countless colors!

However, in this review I do not want to limit myself to discussing only the romance or toxic behaviors of some characters - which certainly there are and enter into a necessary debate. What really fascinated me and prompted me to write to you today is how the author wraps you in a waterfall of emotions, threats, military strategy and information management that are important to analyze. Although the saga is not yet finished and I go in the middle of the third book, the experience of reading it and knowing this universe has been amazing and today I want to tell you how it seemed.

En esta historia nos adentramos en el universo de la FEM (Fuerza Especial Militar) en Londres, una organización de altísimo rango que se encarga de capturar a los criminales más famosos y peligrosos de la élite mundial. Por un lado tenemos a Rachel James, una teniente muy conocida, atrevida, fuerte, audaz, súper inteligente y especialista en combate, que además viene de una familia amorosa y estable.

Por el otro lado aparece el personaje más polémico de la historia, al que yo le digo "el loco": el coronel Christopher Morgan. Christopher es un hombre sumamente apuesto, pero también frío, impulsivo, déspota y con actitudes bien feas y tóxicas en muchos momentos. A este hombre no le importa pasar por encima de nadie, y mucho menos coquetearle de forma indecente a Rachel, creando un bucle y un mundo lleno de demasiadas cosas.

Pero más allá de si Christopher es un hombre tóxico o de la relación entre ellos dos, lo que realmente sostiene la historia es cómo la autora nos habla de un mundo de criminales, narcotráfico, militares y demás temas que hoy en día son tabú. Eva Muñoz se tomó el tiempo de investigar y estudiar todo este contexto para darnos una trama muy bien elaborada sobre el crimen de élite que te mantiene atrapada en todo momento.

In this story, we delve into the world of the FEM (Military Special Forces) in London, a high-ranking organization tasked with capturing the most notorious and dangerous criminals among the global elite. On one hand, we have Rachel James, a well-known lieutenant who is daring, strong, bold, extremely intelligent, and a combat specialist—and who also comes from a loving and stable family.

On the other hand, we have the most controversial character in the story, whom I call “the madman”: Colonel Christopher Morgan. Christopher is an extremely handsome man, but he’s also cold, impulsive, despotic, and displays truly awful and toxic behavior at times. This man doesn’t care about stepping on anyone to get what he wants, much less flirting indecently with Rachel, creating a vicious cycle and a world filled with far too much drama.

But beyond whether Christopher is a toxic man or the nature of their relationship, what really drives the story is how the author takes us into a world of criminals, drug trafficking, the military, and other topics that are taboo today. Eva Muñoz took the time to research and study this entire context to give us a very well-crafted plot about elite crime that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

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A Lil Book Dump

jhymi — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:02:21 GMT

You may find this hard to believe but I genuinely googled “Do books fall under media” before posting here. And I know it’s crazy because duh. But I genuinely was unsure, and even with confirmation from like three sites, I’m earnestly hoping I’m right, and this post doesn’t get muted. Cause that would be a damn shame, lol.

Anyway, I have read, I will not say a plethora of books because I’ve been busy with school (Unless Law books count), but a significant number of books since I left here, and I kept thinking after each book that I should probably jot it somewhere but I always ended up forgetting.

Anyway, this is not an actual review but a premise to all the books I’ll be reviewing in the coming days. Sadly, I haven’t read that many African books, which is rather unlike me. I’ve been delving more into psychological thriller, which is precisely the genre I was reading before I left here. Talk about a lack of evolution. Lmao.

But bear with me, as I give you a brief run down I’d a the few books I’ll be reviewing, and a summary of what you can expect.

Starting strong with...

Love, Mom by Iliana Xander

I actually didn’t expect to like this one as much as I did. It was scintillating, and a refreshing escape from the other books I’d been reading, most of which followed a similar style, owing to the fact that they were all written by the same author.

It’s funny but I actually had to browse to remember the storyline of this book, but yeah, watch out for my review.

Shallow River by H. D. Carlton

Anyone who’s an ardent lover of dark romance, or at least used to be an ardent lover, like I was, should be familiar with this name. If not for any reason, for the fact that the author wrote the bestselling books, “Haunting Adeline” and “Hunting Adeline.”

Now, I have a few choice words for this book, and I’m quite nearly bursting at the seams at the chance to review it to you, but not for the reasons you’d expect.

Books by Freida McFadden

I’ve been obsessed with books by Freida since nearly a year ago, and it’s safe to say that my obsession has only been tamed, and by no means vanquished.

During my little sabbatical, I have read quite a number of books by this author, and they include: Never Lie, Dear Debbie, The Perfect Son, The Divorce, The Locked Door .... Basically all the THEs you can think of, and although the style, as to be expected, is similar in all the books, the suspense, thrill and shocking revelation are by no means old.

Owing to the fact that I’ve only read a few books, and nothing I can really be proud of, I’ll just have to scintillate you with reviews of the aforementioned books. Believe it or not, Hive fosters good reading culture, and I remember that the joy of being able to make canva designs and review a book was almost as exhilarating as reading the book itself.

So, there you have it.

I’ll do my best to start reading avidly again. If the weight of all the other things on my head doesn’t practically submerge me. Just kidding.

Jhymi🖤

_{Images are screenshots from my e-library.}

The Hike by Drew Magary

leaky20 — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT

I recently finished reading The Hike by Drew Magary, a fast paced adventure story with existential philosophical undertones.

Brief Synopsis

While on a business trip hours away from home, a middle aged man decides to go on a hike in the woods before meeting his clients for dinner at his hotel. He heads out into the woods and stumbles upon a supernatural pathway that he cannot get off of. While on the trail he faces a continuous series of obstacles and challenges that he must face and overcome if he should ever leave the pathway and return home to his wife and children.

One of the nice things about this book is that it get started with the action immediately, without any sort of delay or build up. I was surprised and excited by fact that things were already happening within the first few pages of the first chapter of the story. Its kind of nice when things start happening right away rather than taking multiple chapters to kick things off.

The book reminded me of a video game, a fairytale and an escape room all rolled into one wacky adventure. It was mostly light hearted with some really great and entertaining characters, but also with enough seriousness and philosophy to keep me interested.

The book is very fast paced, like I said, with each chapter bringing forward a new challenge and a new adventure for the protagonist. I will admit that at first I found this aspect of the novel to be a little boring in that everything felt inconsequential and almost repetitive in a way. After a short time it all started to feel like a repeating pattern, in which a obstacle or challenge would be presented and then the protagonist would simply over overcome it. At first that removed any sort of suspense for me and I had to push my self a little in the begining and just tell myself that this is just meant to be an entertaining "vibes" kind of story. But then maybe around the 40% mark I really started to get into it, when I realized that there is a sort of underlying existential philosophy being presented here. That for me made it more mysterious and brought back the suspense and I found myself really wanting to find out the meaning of it all. For me this part of the story gave me something to think about on a deeper level and is the part that stayed with me after I finished the book.

I will say that the philosophical aspect that I'm referring to was subtle. At no point did the book feel heavy to me, though there were some parts that were meant to be more emotional. If you don't like deeper meaning to your books than you could also easily just read this one for the adventure vibes and entertainment, and I think it would still be a satifying read if thats your jam.

I think that there is too much going on here to turn this one into a movie but I could definitely see this becoming a 4 to 5 episode miniseries.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars overall. It was a fast paced, fun, and with enough substance to keep me thinking about it for some time afterwards. I would recommend!!

What do you think, does this sound like an appealing book to you? Have you read any of Drew Magary's other books? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

[Book] Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray

dwixer — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:59:15 GMT

While we talk about money and success, it's also important that we talk about love. Because among them all, marriage with a woman becomes a lifetime institution and once you fail in it, the misery lasts for a long time. This book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus was written by John Gray and operates on a simple, powerful metaphor stating that men and women originate from two different planets. Which means they both have their distinct culture, communication style, values, and emotional needs. Gray asserts in his book that misunderstanding and falling out of love stems from forgetting the fact that men and women naturally think, process stress, and react differently.

According to Gray, rather than trying to change one's partner into a carbon copy of himself, he believes it's important to always remember the fact that the two genders are different and that's what makes a healthy relationship.

In the chapters, Gray breaks down several responses men and women have in different situations. For example, during stress, men may choose to handle stress by withdrawing, solving problems silently, or probably distracting themselves with news, games, or sports, but women handle their stress by talking through all their feelings to feel understood and supported. If anyone tries to handle stress the opposite way, misunderstanding may likely arise.

Men and women are motivated differently. While men feel motivated when they are needed, trusted, and appreciated, women feel motivated when they are cared for, cherished, and supported. The book contains several examples that show how men who are from Mars differ in handling and responding to situations from women who come from Venus.

What makes the book catchy is, first, the metaphor, taking complex psychological concepts and turning them into an immediately recognizable cultural framework. This book also helps reduce guilt and self blame, making everything fall back to the fact that they exist from a different planet. In the book, there's a deep empathy and equal framing by highlighting good intentions behind every flawed behavior, and finally, Gray shares a lot of personal stories in his book, making it relatable and easy to grasp.

However, the book, judging from its excuse for every behavior, may turn out to be an excuse for poor behavior without making an effort to change, and a part of the book shows a reinforcement of rigid gender stereotypes.

If you want to understand how different genders react, respond, and manage in different scenarios, then this book is for you.

Rating: 70/100

Originally posted through scrobble.life/books.