Reader discussion: Consequences

Public reader discussion about Consequences in the WeRead Catalog by E. M. Delafield.

How is it that early 20th century authors foresaw the dystopian future now coming to fruition?

By cosmiccat4595

I keep seeing people bring up *1984* almost every day, but I feel like *Brave New World* and *Fahrenheit 451* are just as important. They’re kind of scary in how they seem to call out the kind of dystopian stuff we’re dealing with now. Do you think they were actually accurate, and how could the authors spot all that so clearly back then? Like, were they just warning us, and if so, why didn’t we listen? Also, what should we be paying more attention to today, and is there a way to use these books to help us avoid the really bad outcomes they show? It’s a lot of questions, but I guess that’s the point—how did they know, and why do so many stories point to the same kind of future? Why haven’t people taken the hints? And can fiction really help protect us here and now?

Can someone explain My Year of Rest and Relaxation to me?

By ancient

Just wrapped this up, and I honestly didn’t really get it. The writing is really pretty and I usually like books with characters you can’t stand. It also read super fast and I wasn’t bored, even though it feels pretty plot-light. But then I hit the end and I’m like… okay, so what was all that for? What’s the whole point supposed to be, and what is the ending even trying to say? It feels like it’s taking something really awful and turning it into this kind of basic “make your life meaningful” takeaway. I’m probably missing something, but I can’t tell what. Can someone spell it out for me?

Doomsday Book - Connie Willis

By Corner-Calm

I read 11/22/63 a while back and ended up thinking, okay, time travel stuff is actually a lot of fun. After that I went looking for more, and Doomsday Book by Connie Willis kept getting recommended nonstop. I knew it had something to do with a group of historians from Oxford in the near future who end up going back to the Middle Ages. But pretty fast it felt totally different from 11/22/63. There aren’t any repeat-day Groundhog Day vibes, and it’s not like they’re using what happens later. It’s more like you’re dropped right into one of the worst periods in human history: the Black Death. At first I thought it was kind of dull and slow, and I’m not sure if it was just my expectations. Then somewhere around a quarter of the way in, I got hooked and couldn’t stop. The characters are really great and they feel so real, especially with that grim setting. Has anyone else read it? What did you think?

We need to talk about Kevin and how it’s an excellent discussion of fault and the nature versus nurture argument

By midnightsummer

I’m only partway through, but wow—Lionel Shriver is crazy good. I can’t stop thinking about everything around Kevin: what really made him do it, who’s to blame, and whether this was just him from the beginning or if something happened along the way. Like, was the dad enabling him? Was Kevin raised this way, or did something outside shape him? Or was he basically like that from the start? And the whole thing feels complicated because it’s told through a perspective we don’t really get—Eva, the mother. It’s tough watching her try to deal with her feelings and figure out how to live with what her son did. From her view, Kevin was messed up from day one… but these letters are still from her side. So I keep wondering: is she leaving things out? Is there stuff she doesn’t know about? No spoilers yet—I’m not finished—but I’d really love to talk about it with people.

‘Deeply concerning’: reading for fun in the US has fallen by 40%, new study says

By pageCanon

Honestly, it feels like after scrolling social media all day I just can’t really stick with full paragraphs anymore—kind of surprised, but yeah.

Educated, Tara Westover

By BraveRabbit

I’m on chapter 13 right now, and the start of Shawn’s abuse is just wrecking me. The sick little games with Sadie, then the bathroom scene, and later the one in the living room with Tara… I’m so mad. Like, I can’t even believe a kid has to deal with that. It also makes me think about how common this seems to be, not just for girls but for teenagers and grown women too. And the fact that some men act like it’s acceptable just because they’re stronger physically makes my blood boil. I just needed to get it out somewhere because I’m angry in a way that’s hard to hold in. It also makes me really grateful that I don’t have men like that around me. I don’t know what’s coming next—if he keeps doing it to her for ages, or if she’ll somehow get away to another place. I’m honestly hoping she leaves sooner rather than later. I’m not even sure if this is the right place to post it, but I just keep wishing she’d had a better childhood and people who actually protected her.

I read 30 books this month! + ratings & thoughts on every one!

By mountainOlive

I gave myself a weird little challenge to get through a book a day for all of April and somehow I actually pulled it off. These are all the books I finished over the month, in order. Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers - 3.5 stars - I thought this was really sweet and a nice coming-of-age for late bloomers, and I loved the wlw and poc rep. But even with that, it was a bit too sugary for me and the main character annoyed me a little :/. If Not, Winter by Sappho - 4.5 stars - really gorgeous, close-up poetry, honestly tempted to get a few lines as a tattoo! I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver - 4 stars - really good enby rep, super emotional story about family conflict and figuring out identity. I’m definitely going to try more from this author. Boy Parts by Eliza Clark - 5 stars - so good! dark, sexy, chaotic and gritty. One of my best reads this year, and the main character is sooo unlikeable but you just can’t stop reading. Would definitely recommend if it’s on your tbr! Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters - 3 stars - I just didn’t get on with the writing style and it wasn’t plotty enough for me, so it kind of fell flat. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hover - 2 stars - honestly shocked that so many people liked this, I thought it was badly written and the dialogue was so cringe I could barely get through it. Erimentha Parkers To Do List by Ruby Granger - 2 stars - badly written, and the main character is unbearably posh and pretentious and thinks she’s better than everyone. The Pearl by John Steinbeck - 3.5 stars - really fast read with a good story, and the storytelling and imagery were amazing. I could picture the setting so clearly. I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick - 3 stars - had high hopes for this so it was a bit of a letdown. The whole thing just felt kind of pointless...? and I’m not that into Frick’s writing style. Probably better for someone younger than me. Late To The Party by Kelly Quindlen - 4.5 stars - loved this! such a good lesbian coming-of-age. It made me feel really nostalgic about my own teen years and stuff. Only complaint is there wasn’t enough descriptive imagery and the author seemed to assume I knew what America looks like (I don’t). These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling - 3.5 stars - another one I had high hopes for but ended up finding a bit boring. I do love the witchy vibe and it’s nice seeing YA that’s lighter and fun include that, but the characters all felt kind of shallow and by the end I just didn’t care much. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour - 5 stars - such a beautiful, moving story about grief. I really felt like I was in the main character’s head, going through all the confusion, guilt, sadness and loneliness with her. Definitely cried a lot reading this. All Adults Here by Emma Straub - 2 stars - if you want to be bored and confused at the same time for a few hours then this is for you. I’m genuinely annoyed I spent time on it. All Eyes On Us by Kit Frick - 3.5 stars - I liked this more than I Killed Zoe Spanos, it kept me guessing for a while and I was at least somewhat into the story. The characters were still a bit shallow and underdeveloped though. Mostly Me by Rachel Edmunds - 1.5 stars - felt very fan fiction-y, just not for me. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera - 4 stars - a really hyped book that mostly delivered! I didn’t full-on sob but I did tear up a bit. Lovely story about friendship and love, and it also makes you want to get out there and really live. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - 4.5 stars - loved this, thought the mental health and bipolar rep was really good and I related a lot to both characters. They both felt so raw and real. The author really captured the confusion and dread of being a teenager. One of my new favorites. The Push by Ashley Audrain - 5 stars - best book I read all year! I loved it so much I read it on kindle and then immediately bought the hardback. So messed up, dark, emotional and sinister. Loved the writing style and how the author handled grief, paranoia and post natal depression. The multigenerational stuff was amazing and made every character feel really complex. Incredible! Milk Fed by Melissa Broder - 3.5 stars - I wasn’t sure how I felt right after finishing it, but now I think I just don’t like it. It made me feel weird and kind of queasy. Maybe I related too much, because the main character is deeply lonely and unhappy. She has all these obsessions, rituals, thoughts and feelings that make you squirm. I said I didn’t like it, but I still gave it 3.5 stars I guess because I do love a disaster story. The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros - 4 stars - beautifully written little vignettes about a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago. It’s poetic and lyrical and nostalgic. There isn’t really a central plot, which I’d normally hate, but something about this just pulled me in. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan - 1 star - I seriously regret buying this and I can’t believe it still has to sit on my shelf, basically a cheap Sally Rooney. Not one exciting time happened, I need to get this to the charity shop ASAP. A Touch Of Darkness by Scarlett St Clair - 3 stars - I liked the modern take on Hades and Persephone, the way it’s been worked into current society. And I really liked the side characters, especially Hecate and Hermes. But I couldn’t stand Hades and Persephone together. Very wattpad vibes and the romance scenes made me cringe and shudder. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow - 4.5 stars - another favourite from this month, I really felt the main character’s desperation and how deep her depression was. I felt every struggle with her. The side characters are morally grey and sometimes unlikeable, but that made them feel real. I really felt part of the story. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston - 3.5 stars - disappointing with all the hype, I expected way more. I did still enjoy it overall and the romance bits were cute. But for a book built on fear, risk and tension, it fell so flat. Nothing ever really had consequences and things got fixed too fast to actually matter. The world building felt super idealistic, which is nice in theory but also made it feel kind of annoying and far fetched. I also thought the politics and presidency stuff just overloaded it a bit, like the author tried to cover too much so it ended up feeling wishy washy and shallow. I’d still recommend it, I just wish it was a little shorter. The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe - 4 stars - thought this was fab! The plot and characters felt really original and it stayed fun and unpredictable the whole way through. Nora is such a great character, clever and scary and I kind of love her. So morally grey and messy but you can’t look away. The pacing is really fast and the chapters are short. My only wish was that it was in chronological order instead of jumping around, because that made it a bit confusing. Other than that I’d definitely recommend it and I’m excited they’re making a film! She’s Too Pretty To Burn by Wendy Heard - 4.25 stars - loved this, another dark, corrupt, morally grey group of characters. The world building was beautiful, and if this was a film I can imagine it looking amazing. The author says it’s heavily inspired by The Picture of Dorian Grey, which felt really true and worked well. Sexy, thrilling and provocative. Victoria and Micks relationship had so much tension and beauty, I couldn’t put it down. Notes on Camp by Susan Sontag - 3.5 stars - super quick read, with a couple useful and interesting essays about Camp culture. The first essay was great, full of inconsistent, silly and hazy points that all work really well. I didn’t like the second one quite as much but it was still a good read. The Good Girls by Claire Eliza Bartlett - 3 stars - a bit meh, there were too many POVs so none of the characters really got room to develop, they all kind of sounded the same? I also guessed what happened halfway through and not much else really happened, so I got bored. Definitely has potential and if I was younger I probably would’ve liked it. Every Single Lie by Rachel Vincent - 3.5 stars - pretty chilling and sad, not my favorite and it did feel a bit dragged out, but I definitely didn’t see the twist coming and I never put it down once, so I was pretty hooked. The main character is annoyingly irritating though, which was the main thing putting me off. Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado - 3.5 stars - this was the last one I read in the month and I was tired and wanted something light and easy, and this was perfect for that. We follow Charlie Vega figuring out teenage life and relationships as a plus-size girl with a narcissistic parent. It felt like a really realistic look at being the “fat friend” and I loved the lgbtq+ and poc rep. Perfect light book to finish the month with. Has anyone else read any of these? If so, what did you think? Let me know, I always like hearing what other people thought :)

Early Nobel Prize Winners?

By bookmark_rough

Have you read any of the early Nobel winners (1901-1924)? I’m curious what you thought. So far I’ve gotten through a few: - 1907 — Rudyard Kipling: kind of dated and not really my thing, though I do think the criticism of his social views makes sense. - 1908 — Rudolf Christoph Eucken: a philosopher, definitely old-school, but still feels influential. I’m not sure I’d recommend him unless you’re already looking into that specific philosophy side of things. - 1913 — Rabindranath Tagore: some genuinely interesting Bengali writing and decent poetry, but it just hasn’t hit my taste. - 1917 — Henrik Pontoppidan: I liked him at the time, but I’m not sure his stuff holds up as well now. - 1920 — Knut Hamsun: hard to read, mainly because of the racism and Nazism. Still, I can see why people think the writing works on its own, even if it’s not amazing. - 1923 — W. B. Yeats: I’m not some huge Yeats person, but he’s a great poet and I do enjoy reading him. - 1924 — Wladyslaw Reymont: super interesting, but he also has controversial opinions. It can be a struggle to get through, though I usually end up finding it fascinating—especially *The Revolt of the Animals*, which feels like a pretty dark forerunner to *Animal Farm*. - 1925 — George Bernard Shaw: he’s obviously a big deal, and I really should read more. I’ve liked what I’ve read, just not as much as his reputation makes it sound like I should.

Three Body Problem - what am I not getting?

By envelope_tide

I was kind of wondering because this book has crazy good reviews, and people who usually like the same stuff as me recommended it, but I’ve only got about 100 pages left and it still isn’t really grabbing me. Maybe I should hold off on saying anything until I’m done, but I feel like I can kind of tell where it’s headed (I think), and I just... don’t get why it’s so praised. The plot feels really weird and I’m not super into any of the characters. I don’t know. What am I not getting? I even bought the whole trilogy at once because I was so sure I’d be into it. Edit: pretty much everything people said below ended up being right. The last 100 pages of 3BP pulled it together and had some really cool stuff I totally wasn’t expecting. That said, the huge middle section with the game just... yeah, it is what it is. Especially the last 50 pages or so. And now I’m flying through the second book, it’s awesome. Really looking forward to the 3rd and I’ll probably come back and edit this again once I finish. Edit 2: finished the second one in a weekend, loved it. Started the 3rd and it’s interesting so far. Edit 3: almost done with the 3rd. Holy shit. So good.

Has anyone recovered from reading addiction? How?

By orbitriver80

“Addiction” is basically when you keep getting pulled into something rewarding even though it’s messing up your life. So yeah—any compulsive thing that starts messing with your day-to-day is probably fair game. I know it sounds kind of goofy to say “reading addiction,” and people joke about it, but it’s honestly been real for me. I’ve caught myself organizing my whole day around reading, like fitting in chores around whatever escapist fiction I’m in. It’s like I’m stuck in my own head and whatever fictional world I’m on takes over. I get the “things aren’t going great IRL so you’re escaping” part. But I don’t know how you actually stop. It feels so comforting—so how do you just drop it and still read normally? How do you control your time without letting it swallow everything and try to be more present? How do you get your life together instead of just burying your head in the sand? Sorry if this is the wrong place—I wasn’t sure where to post. It feels a bit off to put it here with people dealing with stuff like coke/weed/alcohol, but maybe you can point me to somewhere more fitting.

Mixed feelings about The Unbearable Lightness of Being

By hiddenDeer60

If you’ve read it, I’m really curious what you thought. I only finally got around to it after spotting it in a second-hand bookstore (I was gonna buy it new at first, but a Goodreads review scared me off). Kundera’s writing is definitely catchy, but for some reason this one felt a bit rough around the edges to me. And it honestly kind of ticked off the feminist side of me. So yeah—what did you think?

Terms and their consequences

By OrbitThyme5

I’m reading a book about Indigenous cultural values, and they use the phrase “other-than-human” (including spiritual beings too) instead of the usual “non-human” for animals and stuff. I’m guessing they do that because of how they think about things that aren’t strictly “either/or,” but I’m not totally sure. I’m really interested in what difference it makes in your thinking when you use one term over the other. Like, maybe “non-human” tends to line up with a more Western/European way of framing the world, and that might have helped shape more speciesist views of other sentient beings. I wonder if changing the categories could actually shift people away from that kind of human-centered, “we’re the default” perspective and move toward something more equal and anti-speciesist, even within a Western mindset.

What thing can make book more enjoyable for you?

By AcarusBrisk

I’m really into the girl/boy bromance stuff, and the world building that comes with it. I also like when the side characters get more time and detail, like the main character isn’t constantly in the spotlight—just enough breathing room, and it somehow makes their relationships feel more important. The mystery subplot helps too. And I love the former-enemies teaming up against a bigger enemy. Plus, I need it to be told in order—I’ve read way too many books where you’re stuck in side stuff for like 40 or 50 pages before you finally get back to the main storyline.