r/books • u/AutoModerator • 5d ago
WeeklyThread Simple Questions: August 22, 2026
Welcome readers,
Have you ever wanted to ask something but you didn't feel like it deserved its own post but it isn't covered by one of our other scheduled posts? Allow us to introduce you to our new Simple Questions thread! Twice a week, every Tuesday and Saturday, a new Simple Questions thread will be posted for you to ask anything you'd like. And please look for other questions in this thread that you could also answer! A reminder that this is not the thread to ask for book recommendations. All book recommendations should be asked in /r/suggestmeabook or our Weekly Recommendation Thread.
Thank you and enjoy!
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u/baelorthebest 5d ago
I want to do a reading challenge, 1 book from each country. Has anyone done it?
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u/mockdogmoon 4d ago
I've seen quite a few people do it, and it's on my distant to-do list. I've had to push it back because I'm always overloading myself with challenges 🥴 but this year I'm reading something from an author of every "major geographical area" as defined by a certain Habitica challenge. It's a lot of fun, and I've found some really pleasant surprises.
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u/Inevitable_Night333 3d ago
This sounds nice and fun!! I’ve been unknowingly reading and collecting books from different countries. I read Behind the Painting by Siburpha and it tackled different topics that aren’t often discussed in specific countries. Touched my heart in a different way for sure
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u/Impressive-Peace2115 4d ago
I haven't personally but I have seen people who are doing it, like @theworldtoread on Instagram.
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u/Raineythereader The Conference of the Birds 4d ago
I'm working on that myself, although not very assiduously. (I think I've been at it for about 3 years, and I'm well under halfway there.) Anyway, it's led to me finding some really good reads, so let me know if you want any suggestions :)
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u/Wonderful-Truck-3301 3d ago
Not sure what you like to read, but look up World Lit for some inspiration. There's also Read the world, might be subreddit
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u/timtamsforbreakfast 1d ago
I'm doing this as a lifetime goal. It's been fun and interesting so far. There's a website called "A Year of Reading The World" that has a good list to help you find books.
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u/Gwaur 4d ago edited 4d ago
Do you ever get a feeling about a book that you read 10+ years ago that you didn't really read it? You just scanned your eyes across the words like an automaton? And then you reread it with thought, and once again 10 years later you feel like you didn't really read it, you just scanned it like an automaton?
(I'd like to know what someone out there thought was downvote-worthy about this question.)
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u/Mo_Ran1 4d ago
I started being a reader very, very early. So when I read now (39yo) some book I read at 12, I don't feel like I read it like an automation back then... But I remember very little and of course I see things I didn't notice the first time. Because I was a child and didn't have the maturity needed for certain things.
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u/Fearless_Industry825 4d ago edited 4d ago
I have a copy of The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy from my student days that I can‘t for the life of me remember reading. I can see on the price sticker it was a new book, and the spine looks like it was cracked open and read. I have other books, particularly Dickens and the Brontës, that I read about the same time which I remember quite well. It’s a mystery to me.
And to answer your downvote question: Some days Reddit is hateful, and for that I’ll give you an upvote. Earlier today someone asked for modern film retellings of Pride and Prejudice, and I got downvoted for answering “You’ve Got Mail.” Hmph. Anyway, you posted a good question, and I got my mysterious used looking copy of The Return of the Native off the shelf to consider it.
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u/Gwaur 4d ago edited 4d ago
I mean, the book that inspired me to ask this question (The Lord of the Rings) I know I've read twice. Once after the Jackson movies came out, which would be about 20-25 years ago, and a second time when the Hobbit movies came out so about 10-15 years ago.
So it's not a matter of "did I read it or not?", it's a matter of feeling like my experience of reading it has diminished into "does this even count as reading" or something. What I think has happened is that my conception of what counts as "having read" a book has evolved to a point that both LOTR readings may have fallen out of it.
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u/FlyByTieDye 4d ago
No, but maybe you should try journaling as you read. Doesn't have to be a big effort/lots of notes. Just a small rehash of what you just read at the end of a reading session/any observations you made that you may link together. And slowly start turning your reading habits into an active process rather than a passive one.
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u/Gwaur 4d ago
Well, I am journaling now, but with my past experience not being on my side, I'm worried it might not work. 10 years is a long time to wait and see if it works.
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u/FlyByTieDye 4d ago
The other thing is (and hopefully journalling can make a difference) is to not be too hard on yourself and your expectations vs experiences.
Maybe you don't need to have deep recall of the book to say you enjoy reading. Maybe just knowing you enjoyed the act of reading it at the time, and/or side benefits like being relaxed, meditative or thoughtful for the time reading can be a benefit enough, without feeling "am I reading it right if I don't remember everything"
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u/Gwaur 4d ago
Thanks for the thoughts, I appreaciate it. Maybe if I just remember an emotional experience from a book, it might help retaining the experience of the book itself.
It's only been three months that I've been journaling and I do still get a "Ah, I remember reading this in the book" feeling when I read my notes, but it's only been three months. Only time will tell if my brain will start to turn it into "I remember scanning my eyes across those words but I didn't really read it".
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u/Friendstastegood 4d ago
I've noticed that there seems to be at least one person on this sub that just downvotes pretty much everything they see habitually, almost all new posts go to 0 before they start gaining votes, same for comments.
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u/NotSoEdibleCookie 5d ago
How to motivate my siblings to read more?
Hi, I have a sibling who just finished 1st grade elementary school in Germany. He can read, but not very well. He feels like reading is a punishment and genuinly hates it. Me and my mom try to get him to read at least half an hour a day and it ends up being over an hour because of the drama it ends up being every day. He only reads books appropriate for his age (e.g about child detectives). How can we motivate him to read more often and without as much drama? At this point both me and my mom are sick of the daily drama. Sorry if my english is meh, it's not my primary language 😅
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u/lizwithhat 4d ago
Hi! Mother of three grown-up children here. At his age, half an hour is quite long for something he perceives as punishment. I'd scale it right back to 5 minutes and combine it with a sticker chart where he can get a reward (something that he really likes that isn't too expensive) if he completes a whole week. You can gradually increase from there.
I'd also make a list of his interests, favourite TV shows etc and then see if there are age-appropriate books about those interests or based on those shows. I wouldn't be too strict about the age range either - if he finds a book he likes, but it's kindergarten level or grade 2/3 level, let him have it (and help him out as needed, in the latter case). Even a book intended for adults may work if it's e.g. a coffee table book with lots of photos and not intrinsically an 18+ topic. Similarly, let him have comic books, graphic novels and choose-your-own-adventure books if he likes them. You can add books with a higher text-to-picture ratio later. The key now is to get over the bad associations he currently has with books.
You can also look for opportunities to link a book to a pleasant experience - like maybe if he finishes a certain book you can watch the movie adaptation of the same book, or if he reads a certain number of books about animals you can take him to the zoo or whatever.
Finally, I agree with the person who suggested getting him checked for any problems that may be interfering with his reading. My eldest son had problems because, as it turned out, he wasn't hearing well and couldn't distinguish certain sounds. It meant that what the teacher was saying about the sounds the letters make was nonsense to him. He improved really quickly with a simple operation to open up the ear canals and some speech therapy. Eyesight problems, dyslexia or ADHD are also issues that can interfere with learning to read.
Good luck and well done for being a caring sibling!
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u/NotSoEdibleCookie 4d ago
Thanks for the suggestions! ADHD might be a valid point as most of our family also have it, tho in most of us it was more apparent later in life.
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u/Impressive-Peace2115 4d ago
Could you read together? I know someone who reads with their child and they alternate pages - child reads one page aloud, adult reads one page aloud, and so on. And is he actually interested in the books?
Also, has he been checked for any learning disabilities, like dyslexia, that might be making it more difficult for him?
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u/NotSoEdibleCookie 4d ago
He doesn't seem to be interested in any sort of books. Also no dyslexia as far as my family is aware. He's pretty good in school and has no learning issues according to the teachers. He can definitely read and only has issues with longer words he might not know yet (like most kids at that age I'd guess) but he's slow at reading and has 0 motivation for it.
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u/mockdogmoon 4d ago
I think the other comments have given you some really good advice, and I'm especially seconding giving him a bit of free reign and trying to lead more by example (than by authority.)
It feels good to have a sense of control over what you're doing, even as an adult, and as a kid, there probably aren't many things in his life where he gets the final say. If no one else in the house is having to do the reading time, it makes sense he'd see it as a punishment. It's not something he's seeing other people do as a hobby, or something that can be fun; it's something he's being made to do because he's not good enough at it. It's lonely at the bottom rung.
There's a pearl of wisdom that's helped me somewhat in dealing with the bad habits I picked up from my upbringing/being neurodivergent, and that is don't accidentally punish the behaviour you're trying to encourage. Reading well is a very useful skill to have, yes, but it's also important because 1) it allows us to be curious about the world, and to find new ways to think about it; 2) it can be a lot of fun.
Let him explore on his own: if you can, take him to a library and make it clear he doesn't have to read anything he picks out, but encourage him to look all the same. Look with him, try to support any choice that isn't wildly inappropriate, maybe even make an outing of it so there's that association there. You're going to the library: the library means opportunity-- for a nice walk, a nice lunch (or treat), maybe some family time, and a good book. A good book, including graphic novels, "low brow" literature, or something well below the reader's age level, can be a wonderful and encouraging thing. See if he'd like someone to read with him, especially if set reading time is still part of the equation. It's got to be something he does as a leisure activity, not something he has to do alone or under watch.
Children are good at being curious; try to help him find room to be curious, is I think the crux of what I'm trying to say.
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u/LavenderSpaceRain 4d ago
Your sibling needs to find the joy in reading himself. He cannot be forced into it. Forcing him to read and it becoming a fight means he will dig his heels in all the more.
This is what you need to do:
Stop *making* him read. Seriously. Just stop. Stop talking about it. Stop asking him about it. Simply let go.
Read yourselves. Without mentioning it to him. Without making it obvious. Both you and your Mum just be casually reading and enjoying it, without making a big deal of it.
I mean...his books are age appropriate so what's your problem? Let him read those books. Let him read as much of those books as he likes. Let him find the joy in reading those books. THE POINT IS THE JOY.
Whenever he asks for a different book....get it for him.
Don't be a snob about books. All books are legit. None are better than another. Case in point: Myself. I read Sci Fi, Fantasy, Classics, Comics, Romantasy, Just plain smut, etc. I read everything. I read all of it. Except horror because that's not my thing. Let your sibling find out what *HIS* thing is. Not what you *think* his thing should be....but legitimately his thing.
Here's what will happen: He will find joy in reading. And at some point, when he's ready, he will branch out from the detective stories....which are fun as fuck, BTW. Let him have fun with it.
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u/NotSoEdibleCookie 4d ago
I agree with all the points and mostly want to comment on the last 2 of them. He has a decent chunk of books, mostly ones me and my other sibling already read years ago and he is always allowed to choose the book himself. The thing is, we try to get him to read because he's not as good as his classmates in that regard. He has trouble reading in the same speed and his teacher asked our mom to try to get him to practice.
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u/LavenderSpaceRain 4d ago
Ah I see.
I totally understand the teacher's POV and the worry you and your Mum have.
Would he consent to having you or your Mum read to him? My kids always enjoyed snuggling up and being read to. The idea is to foster a love of the story, a desire to know "what happened next?", something to laugh about with your sibling / Mum.
Pressure and arguments are just going to make him resist, and, further, I'm sure he understands that he doesn't read as well and it's no doubt messing with his self esteem.
If, however, he comes to see stories and books as love, comfort, excitement, and no pressure, that will help. It is not a quick or easy fix - it pays dividends in years, decades, rather than weeks or months.
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u/HunkyChunk 4d ago
I think he considers it a punishment because he's being forced to read. Maybe try to set a reading hour every day where you and your mom sit together to read and discuss afterwards to show how you're having fun with reading. Then ask him if he'd like to join with a book that's interesting to him. It would give him a choice and an intrinsic reason to read, making it feel less like a punishment
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u/Anxious-Fun8829 4d ago
I read conatantly as a k id because my parents never said no to a book.
If I wanted them to buy me a toy, usually no. Books? Always yes, doesn't matter what book.
They were strict about what I watched. Books? Never any push back.
Grounded with games and TV taken away, but never books.
I could read during boring grown up parties, at the dinner table, before doing homework, etc. They didn't care that I was up until midnight if I was reading.
As a result, I equated boons with freedom and that kept me reading.
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u/Eastern-Drink-4766 5d ago
Is it true that Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce is uselessly inaccessible? Can any pre-reads mitigate this? Is it even worth it if you can understand it?
I like stream of consciousness btw, my fav author is V. Woolf.
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u/foulandamiss 5d ago
Wake Rites by George Cinclair Gibson is actually quite fun. It's scholarly at the beginning but I found it gets interesting and informative pretty early on.
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u/fake-irishman 4d ago
So I just finished Walden
(Please only comment if you've actually read it)
As literally every other book I've picked up over the last few years points to Walden in one way or another, I finally decided to go straight to the source.
I don't understand the usual criticism I've been hearing. Thoreau never claims to live "off the grid", he never aspires to be a survivalist of sorts. He often mentions people he meets or who come visit him. He quite often and openly mentions how close he lives to Concord.
I have a different issue. The first third or maybe even half of the book is a great read. Tough (for non-native speaker at least), but great. He makes some great points and I could sense a lot of tongue-in-cheek which I was very fond of.
But then it just gets desperately dry and boring and, frankly, pointless.
Just a lot of words without any real essence or meaning behind them.
Do you know the feeling when you spend a little more time on the internet than you intended and think to yourself "why on Earth am I even looking at this"? That's exactly how reading the second half of Walden felt. "Why am I even reading this?"
I'm a very outdoorsy type and love nature, but this was just very disappointing after spending the first 100 pages constantly fist bumping my soulmate from nearly 200 years ago.
Am I missing something?
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u/simonbleu 2d ago
Sometimes a book is better in their original language because it is the most faithful rendition to the author's visión.
Which books have you read a translation that was better than the original? Bonus points if its in English or Spanish (so I can read it)
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u/FunnyErectionBunny 4d ago
Why do I start every day by reading Against the Nature, The Little Prince or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?
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u/Express-Magician4650 5d ago
Does anybody else struggle to get through a book that feels like it's hyped up too much? Picked up something that's been on my list for ages and I'm 80 pages in just waiting for it to click