u/OccasionNo6078

I want to read about this region of America. Let me know about some book recommendations. Preferably fiction or fantasy 🤗

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I’m genuinely curious about this. If someone leaves Appalachia for a better-paying job, education, or a better quality of life, do they usually stay financially connected to their family back home? Do they send money, help with expenses, or invest in their hometowns?

I am an Indian and a lot of our country's people live abroad or in different cities leaving their home town and villages. They all send money back home for their parents to build homes and live comfortably. Do people in Appalachia do that?

Or is it more complicated—perhaps people who leave are struggling financially themselves, become disconnected from their families, or feel that they shouldn’t be responsible for supporting everyone they left behind?

I’d especially like to hear from people who grew up in Appalachia and moved away. What’s your experience been like? (I am just curious about this and have no intention of demeaning Appalachian)

I made a crochet account on Insta to showcase my crochet project but OMG! There is a Tsunami of crocheters. Everyone is doing this art and its a trend. I am glad they are. I am happy they are exploring but everyone wants to monetize the crochet business. Crochet requires so much time and effort. With the market already flooded with cheap crocheters ready to work for pennies, why would they buy something from you if you want to be dependent on this business. I think crochet is seeing a hype up market at present and it will take a few years when most people will be out of the race and only serious about crocheting for fun and to do business or creative enough for art will survive. What do you guys think?

Also, anyone here who is just enjoying the craft without money in their mind.

Anything that is fun to watch and relaxing. It will be good if it is a comic spy movie or any thing that is not stressful. Any recommendation? Also, no K-Drama....have watched enough of them

Hey,

I am in Ajmer and thinking of going to Pushkar for the weekend but I know hostels don't allow Ajmer residents to stay. Any other affordable place where I can stay which is safe for solo traveler woman and safe

Just want a place to relax. Any place you can suggest where I can go and chill. Let me know.

I have watched many shows and videos on Youtube regarding Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia regions. Appalachia region. I would like to know what it is like to raise a family in 2026 in your region. Is it good? I understand children would want to leave but if there are any family raising kids there, what is it like?

As a woman, I liked the first two parts but the third part is such a pretentious take on feminism. I mean, she didn't show up at her own wedding due to some excuse but the 'Good Guy' still chose her in the end. If we reverse the gender, will we be so forgiving towards a man who do such an act.

All that 'I don't like traditional wedding because I am not like other girls' - C'mmon! Why does everything traditional has to be questioned or mocked or looked down upon. I know it is set in a time when women were genuinely suffering but they have exaggerated this topic which has already been covered by numerous books and series at this point. I couldn't watch this movie and fast forward it entirely. Movies need to think ahead of time and this topic is really boring, NOW.

I have a lot of white hair and want to start using hair colour or black mehndi. But I want to use something that is organic without chemicals and affordable. Please suggest within Rs 500.

Why have the companies stop making good tops for women. Most options are either shirts or short kurtis. Why? Where are good tops gone? Most are investing time on good kurtis not on tops 😔

I went there today and the cafe is losing its charm with bad washroom, torned ceiling and cracking wall paint. The cafe is on such a nice location but I felt the maintenance is not good. Kaizan Coffee is taking its place although it is too loud. I really think someone should buy Budan UNcle cafe and bring it back to its original calm glory where you can sit and enjoy the view

I know that one should not be stuck in a toxic relationship or be in unhappy marriages. But I have noticed that people who are single especially in late 30s or beyond, do have a lot of bitterness and resentment in them. Even the people who get divorced, they get bitter with time.

I know - I know, bitterness is a choice. But if you see in any office, once who are married will pick their battles wisely. They have other things to attend - looking after wife/husband, taking kids to school or hospital appointments. THey have a life outside office. The once who are single/divorced will take everything personally or emotional outburst is real. Men and women both (not everyone but a lot of them do).

The ones who are single or divorced will take things personally, hold a grudge or remember each and everything you said even in minor encounter. I think most humans are not meant to live alone. They need to have a purpose or a family to call their own. They need that belongingness. Something to look forward too. HUmans want a tribe and they search for it.

One of my cousin got selected in that and now I am wondering whether it is good to send her there. How are the faculties and education standard

One thing I’ve noticed in so many Western series and movies is that the protagonist’s parents and family are almost always portrayed as the source of their problems. They hate their parents for giving them a reality check, setting boundaries, or simply disagreeing with them. But if the exact same thing is said by a friend or therapist, suddenly it becomes profound wisdom and emotional growth.

I understand that toxic families exist, and people absolutely need to set boundaries or leave abusive situations. But why is leaving the family home so often portrayed as the only path to personal growth? Why can’t a character grow while balancing family, individuality, and healthy boundaries?

Eastern societies can be toxically collectivist, where family controls every aspect of your life. Western societies sometimes seem to swing to the opposite extreme—hyper-individualism, where family is treated as an obstacle to happiness.

There has to be a middle ground.

I’ve just started reading the third book, The Light of All That Falls, after finishing the first two books - The Shadow of What Was Lost and An Echo of Things to Come.

While reading the recap at the beginning of the third book, I realised that I had completely missed or forgotten so many important details from the first two books. Now I’m reading the recap and thinking, “Wait, when did this happen?”

I usually enjoy complex fantasy, but I found The Licanius Trilogy really confusing at times. The plot, timelines, characters and all the twists can be difficult to keep track of.

I’ve also read the first two books of Islington’s The Hierarchy series, and I honestly think they are better written. Maybe because The Licanius Trilogy was his first series, he was still figuring out how to handle and organise so many details. It feels like his writing and storytelling improved a lot in The Hierarchy.

So, is it just me being dumb, or did anyone else find the first two books confusing as well?

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- I loved how the novel subtly tells readers about the horrors that took place in Barcelona and Spain during the fascist regime. History is not just a backdrop—it shapes every character and every tragedy.

- The storytelling is exceptional. Everyone in the book is telling a story to someone else, and each story opens another door into the past. It creates a rich, layered narrative that completely pulls the reader in.

- Zafón's prose is beautiful. The references, quotations, descriptions, and atmosphere are perfect. While reading, you can vividly imagine Barcelona and truly feel the pain, love, fear, and happiness of the characters.

- The novel transports you into another world. Few books create such a strong sense of place and emotion.

- My biggest criticism is the almost obsessive devotion everyone has toward Julián Carax. He is treated as a larger-than-life figure, even though he is ultimately just a man trying to survive.

- Nuria's love for Julián felt excessive to me. Despite having a husband who loved her deeply, her emotional attachment to Julián overshadowed everything else.

- Miquel's sacrifices for Julián were enormous—he gave up his wealth, his future, and ultimately his life. While moving, it also felt uncomfortable in its intensity.

- I don't entirely blame Julián. He never asked people to sacrifice themselves for him; he was simply surviving under terrible circumstances. The people around him projected their ideals and fantasies onto him.

- I think this reflects the era in which the story is set. People often fell in love with an idealized version of someone rather than the real person. Romantic obsession and self-sacrifice were deeply intertwined with notions of love.

- Nuria's descriptions of Julián in her letters to Daniel felt overwhelming to me. Perhaps I no longer understand or relate to that kind of all-consuming love.

- Acts such as Miquel giving up everything and Nuria spending her wedding money on a gift for Julián felt more unsettling than romantic.

- I disliked the way Clara was portrayed. She was not a villain; she simply did not return Daniel's feelings.

- Clara valued her friendship with Daniel, but expecting her to fall in love with a teenage boy would have been wrong. Her character deserved more empathy and a happier ending.

- Despite these criticisms, The Shadow of the Wind remains a beautifully written, immersive, and unforgettable novel that stays with the reader long after the final page.