Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
Progress Posts 2017
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44: A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next"
What is the magic of the internet making you read? The Woman Upstairs by Claire MessudDid you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery? I knew of it and already had it on my TBR and my actual bookshelf. At some time in the past year, a fellow tenant in my apartment building had "paid it forward", leaving the novel in the mailroom for the next reader to take home and enjoy. That lucky duck was me.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"? This year, I'm all about reading books I own and then sharing them with the universe - meaning I own too many books!
Although I'm no longer sure, I might have entered All the Light We Cannot See in the search bar. And it's likely I did multiple searches until I found a book that really appealed to me and which I owned. However, along with The Woman Upstairs, several other enticing books appeared on my "What Should I Read Next" recommended list, which I want to read in the future.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow? Yes! I hadn't known of the website's existence previously, but I'll definitely give it a whirl again when I'm not sure what to read next. The recommendations were outstanding.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I'd impulse bought the Kindle version not long before because it was on offer for 99p. I probably wouldn't have gotten around to reading it for a long time without this though.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
I really wanted to use the book from week 43 in the list, but Ice Cold just brought up a selection of books by two well known authors. They didn't feel like "discoveries", so I put in other books from my list until I got an author I'd never read before.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Probably not. It grows enough without more help.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery? I have never heard of this book.. Nor have I ever heard of the Author. I am quite intrigued by the first few chapters so hope that I will enjoy the book and maybe find a new author that I enjoy!
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I put in Jody Picoult cause I really enjoy her books with topics of meaty debatable issues.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow? I might go back to the website again in the future if I remember where it is. But I never seem to have a problem adding to my TBR list!! But I do enjoy the hunt of looking thru books so I might enjoy the search better on my own than the book just being handed to me. But might depend if i am in the mood for a certain book type i could find authors like the one I am interested in. :)
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- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Never heard of this book.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I didn't enter anything. I'm a big fan of http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com for a year or so and this book recommendation was in one of the newsletters. I already read several books recommended by Anne Bogel and enjoyed all of them.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Yes, of course!
What is the magic of the internet making you read?The Forgetting Time
by Sharon GuskinDid you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery? Yes, but I'd just heard the title, not what it was about.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
Unfortunately I don't remember what I put in. I did several searches.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow? Maybe.
What is the magic of the internet making you read? 
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
This was a complete discovery and I loved it.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I used
which is one of my all time favourites. Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
I've used this website before to find books, its a little hit and miss because it relies on one or two key words and for me it usually doesn't pick up on the key words I'm really looking for.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read? Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery? No at all.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"? I tried with titles of other books. I did many searches because I was looking for something that the library had it too. I found this one when I searched for something similar to Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow? Yes, probably :)
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I loved My Cousin Rachel and Rebecca, I've also read another couple of her novels, so The Scapegoat wasn't a complete surprise.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I used the author name and it come up as one of the possibilities.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
I use it, but not often
-What is the magic of the internet making you read? Memory Man by David Baldacci- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery? A discovery
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Nothing, this book came up as a suggested read from the Goodreads website based on my current reading choices.
Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"? No
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow? Definitely
What is the magic of the internet making you read?A Tale for the Time Being and The Complete Maus
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
The first I knew of and wanted to read, the second I had never heard of.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I looked up in the search bar four different titles: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, The Tsar of Love and Techno, The Catcher in the Rye, and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. I picked A Tale for the Time Being from the suggestions for The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, and The Complete Maus from the suggestions for The Catcher in the Rye.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Probably! I thought it was really fun, and some of the suggestions I had read and enjoyed so figured it was fairly spot on.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Seveneves
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I wanted to read it this year, so it was a perfect fit.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I entered one of my favorite read of last year: Ready Player One.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
I don't think so, I already have much too many books to read.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Us
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
It was already on my TBR. I intentionally scrolled through the list until I found one on my TBR.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I searched for The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which is one of my favorite books. I only did one search.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Nah, it grows enough already!!
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I already owned the book
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I tried out a few books and this one came up when I entered Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
No my TBR is already big enough :)
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Did not know about the book but I had heard of the author often.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
Yes. I had read so many of the first 100, that I had to keep looking. I wanted a cozy mystery.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Not likely.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?
Off The Gridby C.J. Box- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery? I actually just got the book a few weeks ago.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"? William W Johnstone, no when I saw this book and I knew I already had it ,that's the one I went with
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow? Maybe
- What is the magic of the internet making you read? If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery? Never heard of it before and the title just grabbed me.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"? I have no idea. As I remember there was some sort of list, but that was in December...so what do I know.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow? Probably not. My TBR is like a rabbit, it seems to grow all by itself.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Louisiana Longshot by Jana Deleon
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I actually already had it on my Kindle but I haven't read it yet.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I entered Chosen by Denise Grover Swank because I love Denise's books. I only did the search once
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
I might if I ever run out of books to read
- What is the magic of the internet making you read? One Plus One
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I had heard of it after reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes but it wasn't on my to read list.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
Big Little Lies - as I read it last year and gave it 5/5.
I actually have played around with this for about 6 months but just wasn't ready to commit!
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
No, I didn't really like it that much.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Knew beforehand.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
...and yes--what a thing to make someone admit!! ;)
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Maybe... I did a few other unrelated searches and I don't really agree with some of the results... so we will see!
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Knew beforehand.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.
Yes, I searched quite a lot until I was satisfied with the result :)
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
No, I didn't like the results very much.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
i knew of it beforehand, but hadn't planned on reading it.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
i entered the book Cinder in the search bar n it led me to this book.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
i don't think ill be using this website again. i already have a pretty big TBR. plus, the website did not recognize or show me a lot of results for authors and books i liked.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I knew of it beforehand.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I entered Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody. I only did one search.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Probably, even though my TBR is big enough as is.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy (Runaways #1) by Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona (Artist)
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I'm pretty sure that it was a new discovery for me.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I actually can not remember... But I did do multiple searches for sure.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Yep.
What is the magic of the internet making you read? Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I think I had heard of it. I know I like Dick and have done some research into his catalog.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I had to do 3 searches. The first two yielded only books that I have already read.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
I probably won't, TBH. It was fun, I'll give it that.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Commonwealth
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Yes
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
A Gentleman in Moscow
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Probably not. I see no connection between these two books.
Celia wrote: "- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Commonwealth
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Yes
- What did you enter in the search bar (b..."
Celia, don't discount A Gentleman in Moscow. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. A great story with wonderful characters -- and it's not just about royalty :))
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I knew of it, it's pretty famous.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
The Hours by Michael Cunningham. I'm not surprised that the first result was Mrs. Dalloway, considering the book loosely revolves around it (although honestly it never even occurred to me that it would for some reason).
I only put one book in and took the top result - that's the way I decided to play it.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Ah, my TBR needs no help to grow, but I do think I'll use the website again if I have a particular book that I love, and want to find something similar that I might enjoy.
Celia wrote: "- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Commonwealth
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Yes
- What did you enter in the search bar (b..."
Thanks Stacey. I LOVED Gentleman in Moscow. Its Commonwealth that doesn't seem to fit.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I knew about it beforehand.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Not for a while at least. I'm trying to lower my tbr and already have a lot of books I know I want to get. I don't need surprises right now.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read? The Expatriates - recommended from Rich People Problems- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery? I was aware of it but don't think I really new what it was about.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"? I enter a lot of books many that gave no results or books I had already read or decided not to read.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow? Probably not
Mod
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Yeah this was on my tbr already.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
The Martian
Oh god I had to do so many searches. 3 or 4 times the site told me it hadn't heard of the book I put in or had no suggestions. And then twice I scrolled through a whole list without seeing a single book that remotely interested me. Their algorithm is absolutely terrible - none of the books seem to have all that much to do with each other. Maybe it works better if you read a lot of chick lit or something, but nothing I tried got it to deliver good suggestions.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
NO WAY. This site sucked, big time. Seriously I would have been better off going to Amazon and getting suggestions based on what other people had bought.
Mod
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Yeah this was on my..."
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth was really good though.
I read A Darker Shade of Magic with a rating of 5 stars. I desperately need the next two books in that trilogy.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I had heard of it but wasn't sure I wanted to read it.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I entered the author Anne Fadiman and got lots of returns. Before that, I entered Elizabeth Wayland Barber but the response was they didn't have enough in their database to provide suggestions based on that author.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Yes! I already have added a couple other books that came up when I searched Anne Fadiman.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Black Hole
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
It was on my TBR
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I think I looked up Middlesex and this was one of the books that popped up. It probably wasn't my first search
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Absolutely not, the suggestions were not relevant whatsoever and the design is garbage
What is the magic of the internet making you read?The Closers by Michael Connelly
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
The author Just clicked till the next book in the series came up, that I hadn't read yet
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
No way. I will just read what I want to read. Thought this site was pretty useless really. Just click till it comes up with what you want
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Fool's Assassin
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I had it on my TBR already. So it was nice to have it suggested
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
Words of Radiance was the book I entered. I just finished it and wanted another book similar in style.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
No. My library has cards printed up that list similar authors for those looking for new reading material. I mostly use this list for discovering new books for my TBR. The people here have such diverse reading tastes that it has broadened my horizons which is what I really want to do.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I knew of it beforehand and had read one of the books in the series, but not the first one.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I entered Louise Penny. I did a few searches since I wanted to find a book I already owned and wanted to read.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Doubt it. It's an interesting tool if you need ideas but I don't need to grow my TBR! I'm trying to reduce it.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read? Red Rising
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I knew of it, many people here loved it :)
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I used The Girl with All the Gifts, it gave me a nice batch of books I liked and others that are on my TBR! Yes, I did multiple searches to find a book that ended with recommendations I wanted to read.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Probably not, but I found the idea interesting. Wanting me to grow my TBR is evil, anyway :p
Progress Post- What is the magic of the internet making you read?
White Nights by Ann Cleeves
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Yes, I knew about it.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I looked for Louise Penny because I wanted a cozy mystery author
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Probably, if I ever get to a point that I need more recommendations (not sure when THAT will happen)
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
This one was a fairly new discovery. I actually added it to my to-read list not too long ago and then proceeded to find it at a resale store, which I took as fate sending it my way. When it showed up on my book search, it was serendipitous.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant. I did a few previous searches that didn't pan out; thankfully, this one did.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Probably not.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
Yes, I wanted to use something already on my TBR.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I can't remember what I searched, but it took multiple tries to get something on my TBR (which is over 1000 books.)
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Nope. I agree with others that the algorithm seems particularly awful. I also find the website so aggravatingly slow I would never go there again unless forced.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I didn't remember it specifically but it was already on my To Read list, and I've read a few other things by Claudia Gray and liked her writing.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I did a search based on A Court of Thornes and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Probably not, it doesn't have descriptions within it, and the list seemed okay. The recommendations section from goodreads seems easier
1. I read a book from the podcast version of What Should I Read Next. I always come away with so many book suggestions. The book I chose was Modern Lovers by Emily Straub 2. I did not know of this book before the podcast but it seemed so relevant to my life at the moment that I had to read it.
3. I got my recommendation from the podcast but I often search the website as well.
4. I am a weekly listener and a regular user of WSIRN. My TBR has grown tremendously from these two sources.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I read this author's first series and so I had been excitedly waiting for this next series. I thought it would be a trilogy again so I had been waiting for all three books to release before reading it. Then I found out it was just a duology and was so excited because that meant I could read it now instead of waiting :)
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I "cheated" on this because I have been doing all my prompts completely out of order and I made this one work for me. I had already read the first book Six of Crows for another prompt. I knew that I most definitely needed to read the next book (because I freakin' love this author and the world she created) and I wanted to make it fit a prompt so I could make a little more progress on my ATY challenge. So I assumed that if I used WSIRN and typed in Six of Crows, there was a good chance it would spit out the book I wanted. And it sure did!
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Not that my TBR list needs to grow any more right now.....but yes I probably will try this site out some more and see what I find.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?Fate's Edge (The Edge #3) by Ilona Andrews
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I love Ilona Andrew's books, but hadn't planned on reading this one yet.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I entered Silence Fallen (Mercy Thompson #10) by Patricia Briggs. I did multiple searches, because I wasn't too keen on anything before this one.
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
I don't think so.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I had heard of it before, yes. It's one of those books I had been kicking around for a while, but this was a good motivator to push me to read it.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
I think it was Macbeth or A Doll's House. I entered several books into the search engine before I made the choice as far as what to read.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Maybe. I had a pretty big TBR list already, but it is fun to see new recommendations.
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?Delirium- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery? I had seen it before but I don't think I put it on my tbr list.
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"? yes I remember doing multiple searches.
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow? No I seem to do this just fine on my own.
What is the magic of the internet making you read?The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach
Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
I actually had a copy in my TBR pile, so yes.
What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
A Little Life, by Hannah Yanagihara (this was my second entry, the suggestions for my first choice didn't really grab me).
Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?
Strangely enough, I never seem to run out of books to be read, so probably not.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Stones from the River (other topics)The Art of Fielding (other topics)
Delirium (other topics)
Macbeth (other topics)
Oedipus Rex (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ursula Hegi (other topics)Sophocles (other topics)
Leigh Bardugo (other topics)
Claudia Gray (other topics)
Claire North (other topics)
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For those of you reading in order: Oct 30 - Nov 5
To discuss the book, don't forget to add it in the A-Z folders or join the existing discussion. Please, don't discuss the book here.
Progress Post
- What is the magic of the internet making you read?
- Did you know of this book beforehand or is it a complete discovery?
- What did you enter in the search bar (book, author)? Did you do multiple searches before finding "the one"?
- Will you use this website again in the future to make your TBR grow?