I only skim if I’m reading for a deadline. If I find myself wanting to skim while I’m reading for pleasure, I just put the book down. When I’m enjoying a book, I read every word.

That said, I might come back later to a book I put down if I feel like I just wasn’t in the right mood at the time.

To play Devil’s advocate: one very well could have PTSD triggered by those things if those things were involved in their traumatic experience. Triggers can get incredibly specific—someone might have PTSD triggered by the scent of body wash their abusive ex used or by the song that was playing on the radio right before a near fatal car crash, even though neither m of those things are remotely bad in and of themselves.

An appealing cover will make me more likely to pick up a book that's an unknown quantity to me—where I'm unfamiliar with the author and the book's reputation doesn't precede it—to then read the synopsis and see if it sounds interesting enough to go ahead and read. If I'm already familiar with the author or someone whose taste I vibe with has said their opinion of the book, that carries more weight than what the cover looks like.

I’m super rusty now, but even when I was still actively studying French at the college level, it took me sometimes up to twice as long to read something in French as it would have taken me to read something in my native English. It’s normal and expected that you won’t read as fast in a second language as you will in your native language.

I don’t know of any apps off the top of my head, but I’d be shocked if something like that didn’t exist. The local libraries may also have book clubs if they do any kind of programming—a lot of US libraries do though I don’t know about other places in the world. I work at a library in Missouri and we have book clubs, and I also joined a Zoom book club hosted my friend who is a librarian in New York.

People have already given some good suggestions but another one I would add is you might want to consider joining or starting a book club! Knowing you’re going to discuss a book with other people can hold you accountable for reading it, and it can be a good way to branch out and read stuff you might not normally have picked on your own.

Seconding this. The library is your friend, always, but especially if you’re not totally certain what you’re looking for in a book and don’t want to waste money on something you don’t end up enjoying.

I pay attention to the Stoker Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, Hugo Awards, and Nebula Awards. Shirley Jackson Awards usually go to great work, so that’s the one I like the most. I think Stokers are also pretty good though a little more of a mixed bag than the Shirley Jackson Award, which I think trends a little more big brain horror than the Stokers. Hugos and Nebulas are basically an anti-recommendation to me at this point, especially in the short fiction categories; most of what I’ve seen nominated for them has been slop the past few years.

I used to mostly buy books since I’m a big time re-reader but at this point I use the library more. I don’t really have any shelf space left or really any space for more shelves and I work at a library now so it’s very convenient to check out books since I’m always gonna be there anyway.

For anything labeled dark romance, it’s pretty common; it’s basically a coin flip as to will it have SA in it or not. It’s also not uncommon for older historical romances to include scenes where the consent is dubious or non-existent—these books didn’t get a reputation as “bodice rippers” for nothing—but it’s not as common in more recent historical romances (unless they’re also dark romance). In other subgenres, like sweet romance and rom-coms, it’s very very rare to have SA even as an alluded to element in the story, much less described graphically on page.

I mean, ACOTAR and Twilight are wish fulfillment books. They’re completely unserious stories so of course they’re not going to portray war with realism or kill off major characters or even likable side characters. They exist to entertain, not to challenge.

Not to say that all serious stories include death or that all stories that include death are serious, but if you’re looking for realism, YA fantasy romance is probably not the place to look for it lmao

It’s fiction, it’s not “unsafe.” Get a grip.

If you want to read books where no main character dies, just don’t read books about war no matter what genre they are. Picking up a book about war and being shocked that major characters get killed in the story is like picking up a romance novel and being upset there’s a love story in it.