to-read
(162)
currently-reading (6)
read (70)
did-not-finish (0)
politics (32)
dark (27)
social-commentary (19)
contemporary (14)
book-fear (13)
history (13)
abuse (12)
classic (12)
currently-reading (6)
read (70)
did-not-finish (0)
politics (32)
dark (27)
social-commentary (19)
contemporary (14)
book-fear (13)
history (13)
abuse (12)
classic (12)
favourites
(12)
contemporary-classic (9)
philosophy (9)
ya (9)
disturbing (8)
american-literature (7)
fantasy (7)
feminist-li (7)
meh (7)
russian-lit (6)
greek-roman (5)
mythology (5)
contemporary-classic (9)
philosophy (9)
ya (9)
disturbing (8)
american-literature (7)
fantasy (7)
feminist-li (7)
meh (7)
russian-lit (6)
greek-roman (5)
mythology (5)
pinguin
is currently reading
bookshelves:
currently-reading,
contemporary-classic,
dark,
history,
book-fear,
prize-winning,
social-commentary,
american-literature
“One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.”
― A Thousand Splendid Suns
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.”
― A Thousand Splendid Suns
“because wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.”
― The Bell Jar
― The Bell Jar
“There is no longer a single idea explaining everything, but an infinite number of essences giving a meaning to an infinite number of objects. The world comes to a stop, but also lights up.”
― The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays
― The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
― The Bell Jar
― The Bell Jar
“Objects should not touch because they are not alive. You use them, put them back in place, you live among them: they are useful, nothing more. But they touch me, it is unbearable. I am afraid of being in contact with them as though they were living beasts.”
― Nausea
― Nausea
Science and Inquiry
— 4531 members
— last activity Jul 21, 2026 09:45PM
This Group explores scientific topics. We have an active monthly book club, as well as discussions on a variety of topics including science in the new ...more
Political Philosophy and Ethics
— 6514 members
— last activity 22 hours, 3 min ago
Study and discussion of the important questions of ethical and political philosophy from Confucius and Socrates to the present. Rules (see also the ...more
pinguin’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at pinguin’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by pinguin
Lists liked by pinguin








































