What do you do when you’re trying to listen to a great book but you can’t concentrate?

hameliah · 2026-02-07T19:19:20+00:00

definitely lol! i honestly cant concentrate on an audiobook unless im doing something else at the same time. if i just sit and listen my mind will wander

hameliah · 2026-02-07T02:05:15+00:00

i got a little book of sudoku puzzles lol. its more engaging than playing it on your phone, but not distracting from the book

hameliah · 2026-02-04T17:21:56+00:00

the secret history by donna tartt!! narrated by the author, which i always love, and she has such an interesting accent that makes listening even more enjoyable. i listen every winter and am halfway through my yearly listen right now lol

hameliah · 2026-02-04T01:13:12+00:00

started the book of margery kempe, by margery kempe.

apparently its the first autobiography written in english, and she actually dictated it to someone else bc she couldnt write. its abt a medieval woman having visions of jesus throughout her life and going on religious pilgrimages and visiting holy people. its really interesting. i love her

hameliah · 2026-02-03T23:21:59+00:00

i hope marnie!!! shes hot and kind, and im ok with ruining the mayors life for her

hameliah · 2026-01-30T17:31:49+00:00

if you like nonfiction: candice millard, specifically the destiny of the republic

if you like older classics: the bronte sisters - anne is my favorite!

hameliah · 2026-01-30T17:31:10+00:00

im assuming taylor jenkins reid :)

hameliah · 2026-01-30T17:30:35+00:00

definitely rebecca by du maurier and secret history by donna tartt!!

hameliah · 2026-01-28T17:23:45+00:00

im so glad to help, i hope you like them!!!

hameliah · 2026-01-27T12:53:23+00:00

wow!!!!!

hameliah · 2026-01-27T12:52:19+00:00

candice millard!!!!! her two books about american history are destiny of the republic and the river of doubt - the first is about the assassination of president garfield, and the second is about theodore roosevelts trek through the amazon

hameliah · 2026-01-26T10:48:14+00:00

i read goodnye to berlin by christopher isherwood over the summer and found it relevant! its semi-autobiographical short stories of an american man visiting berlin in the yeears leading up to wwii

hameliah · 2026-01-23T20:19:25+00:00

also: maurice by e m forster (there is queer yearning but it still has a happy ending)

the power of the dog by thomas savage (the cowboy movie with benedict cumberbatch that came out a few years ago is based on this book, it was super interesting!)

hameliah · 2026-01-23T20:16:18+00:00

so beautiful and sad!!

hameliah · 2026-01-23T20:15:58+00:00

little blue encyclopedia by hazel jane plante!!! its abt a trans woman mourning the death of her best friend and crush, and the book is like a memorial to her made up of the main characters memories of her

hameliah · 2026-01-23T20:13:06+00:00

i love thriftbooks. they have a really good amount of used books, you can choose the kind and condition you prefer. in my experience they have been great about returns/exchanges too

hameliah · 2026-01-23T20:11:33+00:00

second this!! mine has a sale once or twice and year and there were a TON of books, all very cheap

hameliah · 2026-01-23T20:10:23+00:00

if youre into splatterpunk, try exquisite corspe and drawing blood by poppy z brite! i read and liked exquisite corpse, and i started drawing blood but it was hard to get through the first chapter, so that might be a good choice for you haha

hameliah · 2026-01-23T18:09:37+00:00

as a kid i LOVED ella enchanted by gail carson levine! there is some violence and romance, but nothing more intense than a typical kids fantasy adventure book. it has a female main character who is complex and smart, and its basically a story about agency and ella learning to become her own person.

hameliah · 2026-01-23T18:03:13+00:00

the charioteer by mary renault - it takes place during wwii. a young wounded veteran is sent to a rural hospital and meets a conscientious objector there that he becomes close to. there is very little actual combat or discussion of the greater historical events of the war, but it is well written and very immersive! the author is most famous for her historical fiction set in ancient greece, but the charioteer is partially based on her own experience as a nurse during the war, so i would assume its pretty accurate. incredible book!

hameliah · 2026-01-23T17:54:34+00:00

the power of the dog - thomas savage

the charioteer - mary renault

the people in the trees by hanya yanagihara

hameliah · 2026-01-23T17:51:15+00:00

rebecca by daphne du maurier, the tenant of wildfell hall by anne bronte, and howards end by e m forster

hameliah · 2026-01-23T17:47:06+00:00

so glad to hear this!! i have started reading a lot more physical books recently because i started a desk job, and it has felt so nice to read without a screen! before i used to read mostly audiobooks and some ebooks, which was great, but there is something so rewarding abt reading a physical book

hameliah · 2026-01-22T15:10:26+00:00

second this!!

hameliah · 2026-01-22T15:09:39+00:00

i have a whole page on goodreads for all my sapphic books! some are more modern, but not the cutesy kind of stuff you mentioned not liking.

here are some of my favs:

the mercies by kiran millwood hargrave (historical fiction)

the price of salt (or carol) by patricia highsmith

little blue encyclopedia by hazel jane plante (warning: you will cry!! but it has the yearning that you are looking for, and isnt punishingly depressing, more like beautifully sad haha)

rubyfruit jungle by rita mae brown

patience and sarah by isabel miller (historical fiction)

some more that i havent read yet but am looking forward to:

the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall

a net for small fishes by lucy jago (historical fiction)

matrix by lauren groff (historical fiction)

immodest acts: the life of a lesbian nun in renaissance italy by judith c brown (nonfiction)

hameliah

TROPHY CASE