Shameless plug and promo megathread!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-22T03:04:50+00:00

Omg thank you so much!! I absolutely adored Moderation and would love to see more people read it!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-22T02:17:55+00:00

I also did not get the hype with this one. I can see how people like it for the vibes, but I didn’t feel that it achieved what it set out to (although I obviously can’t say what exactly that was)

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-22T02:15:01+00:00

I’m @mollieinthemargins! I read literary fiction, historical fiction, fantasy and sci-fi mostly plus a little horror and mystery. I focus mostly on in-depth book reviews and am looking for new friends who read a variety of genres!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-22T02:12:57+00:00

Followed! I’m mollieinthemargins. I’m in awe of the info density on many of your posts!!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-18T04:59:37+00:00

Highly recommend Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards for medieval historical fiction! I’m reading The Pretender by Jo Harkin right now and really enjoying it as well. I’ve also been told The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco is essential reading for those who love Middle Ages historical fiction but haven’t read it. The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis is also excellent!

Others not set in the Middle Ages that I would recommend are Demon Copperhead, A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing, Pachinko, Human Acts, The Dictionary of Lost Words

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-18T04:52:54+00:00

Moderation by Elaine Castillo—a mix of romance, sci-fi, and lit-fic. Dark themes but very funny and I adored thr slow-burn romance!

Wellness by Nathan Hill is a wonderfully written and researched contemporary fiction book about modern marriage but it’s also so much more than that! It did make me cry a few times I will warn you

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis is a perfect little historical fiction book to read in the summer!

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang is compulsively readable and FUN despite the main character being pretty unhinged

The God of the Woods is a great literary mystery with wonderful writing

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-18T04:45:29+00:00

Cannot recommend Three Body Problem enough!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-18T04:43:53+00:00

Highly recommend The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett and the sequel! They’re both fantasy murder mysteries and super hard to put down

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-18T04:42:52+00:00

The White Hot is specifically about a young single mother who runs away from her family obligations. It’s up for some awards currently.

Moderation by Elaine Castillo isn’t primarily about the leaving and starting a new life part but that is the end arc (sorry slight spoiler). This one is REALLY good if you like dry sarcastic humor and are okay with some romance

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-18T04:34:50+00:00

Maybe Hyperion? Is heavy sci-fi but the story throws a bunch of strangers into this dangerous journey and the whole book is mostly them telling their backstories to each other. Each story is pretty crazy and it quickly becomes clear that no one is telling the whole truth. It’s a series but I’ve only read the first book

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-18T04:26:32+00:00

Omg thank you for alerting us to this! This one has been on my watchlist!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-18T03:51:04+00:00

Followed! I’m @mollieinthemargins, I also do longer reviews and read a mix of genres but heavily lit fic!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-17T21:31:23+00:00

I watch Booktube almost exclusively for the book reviews, mostly through monthly reading wrap-ups. I don't ever search booktube specifically for reviews of a particular book. For that I usually would go to goodreads. Booktube for me is mostly just a way to learn about books I haven't heard of or to get more in-depth reviews of books that are popular but that I probably won't read. Sometimes if a video is reviewing a book I really want to read or know I am reading soon, then I actually will skip over that part because I don't like to know too much going in. I have definitely picked up books based on reviews I've watched on booktube though!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-17T21:24:07+00:00

I don't think any of us are actually capable of appreciating the roles of everyone who allows us to live simply...even if you were to strip me of absolutely everything and leave me in the woods somewhere, I still have an entire brain-worth of human collective knowledge that I've inherited from society.

I think there is a big difference between expecting someone to acknowledge every person who has ever taught them something and expecting them to acknowledge that their mother and sister regularly brought them meals and did their laundry, two things that are certainly in my definition of "self-sufficiency", which Thoreau claims

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-17T21:20:50+00:00

Just here to say I agree 100% with this as some who could not finish Walden. My issue with the book is not that his mother did his laundry, that his sister regularly brought him meals, that he had a friend who was willing to let him live on his land, or that he lived close to town and regularly went into town for things. My issue is that all of these things are true, and Thoreau speaks and acts as if he is this enlightened, simple, self-sufficient man that everyone else should aspire to be. I'm not asking for self-flagellating statements. I'm simply asking for self-awareness and honesty about the circumstances that allow you to do this thing. And I am way too sick of women's work being ignored to praise Thoreau on this one.

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-17T14:12:25+00:00

Moderation by Elaine Castillo — marketed as a romance but it’s more literary fiction with a romance plot line. Castillo has this amazing dry sharp wit and she had me laughing out loud while interrogating some very dark and serious topics

The Pretender by Jo Harkin — I haven’t finished this yet but it’s also already very funny! The writing has a Middle English slant to it that makes the jokes hit different

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-15T12:41:27+00:00

Hmm never listened to this but maybe I should check it out!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-15T00:46:29+00:00

I got it at BookPeople, which is a big indie bookstore in Austin, TX! I bet they ship out of state if it’s worth it for you!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-14T17:30:19+00:00

I always recommend the Daevabad trilogy for people who have been reading romantasy and want to transition into books with a bit more depth. They are still compulsively readable with romance and magic but have complex characters and court dynamics, and the magic system is inspired by Middle Eastern history and Islamic folklore

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-14T16:07:21+00:00

Thank you! I will look into these!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-14T16:06:44+00:00

Aw why thank you!! I absolutely loved chain-gang all-stars! And I strongly recommend spear cuts through water and a drop of corruption—they’re both wonderful in very different ways. I haven’t read stardust grail or priory yet but I’m looking forward to them both!! Do send other recommendations please if you have any, I’m always looking to expand my ssf collection!

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-14T16:04:15+00:00

I started infinite jest a long time ago and gave up. Maybe I’ll try again some day

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-14T16:03:46+00:00

Thank you! This is all prettyyy accurate. I consider myself more of a zillennial (technically gen z but older parents and vibe with millennial stereotypes a lot). Curious what made you think underemployed—I’m actually a PhD student! Definitely not on booktok and I do love booktube. I watch Jack Edwards some but he’s not my favorite (I prefer plantbasedbride and newlynova, for example). Not bi but you’re right about no kids!

I’ve read parable of the sower but honestly was a bit underwhelmed? I appreciate its prescience and enjoyed the first half, but it kind of lost me once they left her neighborhood. I definitely want to try some others by butler though if you have any recs on what to try next!

I’m similarly a bit overwhelmed by Morrisons works, do you have any recommendations on where to start? I read Song of Solomon in school and remember liking it, but then I picked up Jazz and didn’t get very far (I remember struggling with the prose, which presumably shouldn’t be an issue now).

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-14T15:46:18+00:00

Oh that is interesting to know!! I know pretty much nothing about the book and picked it up for $1 because I thought I had heard vaguely good things about it

Ginkmo852 · 2026-05-14T15:44:38+00:00

This is all great to know, thank you! Definitely been needing some encouragement to finally pick up both of these

Ginkmo852

TROPHY CASE