# POLL: Do you use/have turned on "Popular Highlights" on your Kindle?



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I've started a poll to see if how many KB'ers are using Popular Highlights.  From the discussion threads here, it doesn't seem like many, if any, of our members are using it.  However, someone is using it, based on Amazon's Top 10 Highlighted passage and the fact that those little dotted lines will appear under passages if I have the feature turned on.  So, please vote in the above poll; you're welcome to also leave comments, though we have other threads about this feature.  I'll start.

Betsy


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## RiddleMeThis (Sep 15, 2009)

I don't highlight or anything, but I find it interesting what others have highlighted so I've left the feature on. It will doesnt matter to me one way or the other.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I left it on for about a week or so just to see what it was about.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I voted that I turned it off. . . I could also answer that I have a K1 so don't get them. . .'cause I don't on it.  But I did turn it off on the DX.  

I wonder how many calls Kindle CS is getting about people who suddenly have these little wavy lines under the words on some books. . . . .'cause I just BETCHA that many folks got the update automatically, never really realized it, and never read any documentation.


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## Magenta (Jun 6, 2009)

I can't begin to express how much I HATE this feature.  Even more annoying is you have to turn off annotation back-up to prevent your highlights from being shared.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I have a Kindle 1, so no highlights for me, but I actually answered that I turned it off as I do read some on my iPad, and it was very annoying on the iPad.  

Betsy


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I turned it off as soon as I knew how.. IMHO it's a waste of developer time when they could have given us what we asked for, the ability to put on our own screensavers.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I have to admit, I don't care one way or another if my highlights are shared. I just don't want to read what everybody else highlights. I found myslef being drawn to the Popular highlights as soon as I turned to the page, even if they were at the bottom. I had to force myself not to look at them (kind of like how I ALWAYS have to look at what's in spoiler block, even though I don't want to read it)


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

Useless feature. Would much rather have had font choice/screensaver integration than Twitter/Facebook/Popular Highlights.


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## PaulGuy (Jul 9, 2009)

Tried it didn't like it. Mostly found it distracting.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I wonder how many calls Kindle CS is getting about people who suddenly have these little wavy lines under the words on some books. . . . .'cause I just BETCHA that many folks got the update automatically, never really realized it, and never read any documentation.


That is close to what happened to me. I had to manually d/l the update 4 or 5 months after the original hoopla, and had forgotten. I did wonder about the funny lines that were so distracting. When I realized what was up, I figured out how to turn them off at once.


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## teralpar (May 18, 2010)

I kept the Popular Highlights on for about 3 weeks before turning it off. It became too distracting, and I really didn't care what other people liked in the book. To me that feature is pretty useless--more time should have been spent on features such as multiple fonts, allowing screensaver uploads, etc.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

I voted "m'eh"  I didn't like it at first, and had it off, but then I turned it on for curiosity's sake.  Only a couple of my books have had highlights, so it hasn't bothered me that much.


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## Karma Kindle (Jul 27, 2009)

Popular highlights is like paying full price for a new book that someone has highlighted in yellow: it's amazingly annoying and makes me feel ripped off.  If I wanted to buy highlighted, marked up books, I wouldn't have a Kindle.  I'm a big believer that each person's journey through a book is their own -- and shouldn't be guided by signposts left by others in highlighter or underlines.


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## Madeline (Jun 5, 2010)

I have mine set to on.  Yes, they can be distracting, but for some reason I like coming across things that other people think are interesting.  It always makes me wonder..uh...why don't I think this is interesting, am I weird or something?


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

I hated the highlights. If I want something highlighted I'll do it myself. The dots were driving me crazy.


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## LibraryGirl (Dec 16, 2008)

Madeline said:


> I have mine set to on. Yes, they can be distracting, but for some reason I like coming across things that other people think are interesting. It always makes me wonder..uh...why don't I think this is interesting, am I weird or something?


 This is why I've left them on. I find it interesting.


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## SamuraiXSendai (Jul 12, 2010)

Jeff Bezos talks about the kindle or book "disappearing". The highlights make the kindle "re-appear" to me. But as some folks like them it's good to have a choice.


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

I turned this feature off on my K2i, but I just realized today that it's turned on in my Kindle for iPad and iPhone apps.  I was reading on my iPhone today and noticed a passage underlined.  I went back and re-read the passage just to see what was so interesting about it, LOL.


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## IUHoosier (Aug 6, 2010)

Magenta said:


> I can't begin to express how much I HATE this feature. Even more annoying is you have to turn off annotation back-up to prevent your highlights from being shared.


I agree. I turned it off the same day I downloaded the upgrade.


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## natgomez22 (Nov 4, 2009)

SamuraiXSendai said:


> Jeff Bezos talks about the kindle or book "disappearing". The highlights make the kindle "re-appear" to me. But as some folks like them it's good to have a choice.


I agree, I don't consider reading a team sport so I find this feature annoying. Discussions and comparisons are for "after", not "during". I turned it off as soon as I updated my kindle.


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## meglet (Feb 14, 2009)

Voted m'eh, although it's only sort of accurate. When I first noticed the feature, I hated it and turned it off immediately, I think on the iPhone app. I think it's off on the K2, also, but conversely I think I left it ON on the DXG. There's enough space there that the little pop-up about highlights doesn't block what I'm trying to read (usually) so I'm trying it out. Will probably turn it off eventually.


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## Jasonmh (May 7, 2009)

I voted Meh. I don't love it, but it doesn't bother me enough to turn it off. I have found it somewhat interesting on some of the business books I have read.
I have to agree with this though:



911jason said:


> Useless feature. *Would much rather have had font choice/screensaver integration than Twitter/Facebook/Popular Highlights.*


Hard to believe they can give us social networking features on the Kindle but I still can't pick a screensaver. That has got to be one of the top, if not THE top requested feature.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Jasonmh said:


> Hard to believe they can give us social networking features on the Kindle but I still can't pick a screensaver. That has got to be one of the top, if not THE top requested feature.


Shows the whole different strokes thing. I could care less about the screensavers, but they make some people foam at the mouth! Which is fine, they should have their Kindle their way.


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## ak rain (Nov 15, 2008)

have to live in WN area so no go but i don't think I would use - sounds distracting
sylvia


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## LesleyO (Feb 23, 2010)

I've left it on, and actually find it kind of interesting. Sometimes I will highlight an item, but often it's not anywhere near anything others think is worth highlighting. For me, it's a kind of psychological study, I guess, in what people find worth 'clipping' or highlighting. And my eyes aren't drawn to them at all, as some people seem to find -- guess I'm lucky; I just see them in the course of reading.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I don't highlight passages myself - I'd be more likely to bookmark a place I wanted to go back to but I rarely do that either. So I have no problems leaving my annotations backup on - I have no highlights to share, anonymously or otherwise. As to seeing other people's highlights, I can't imagine anything more irritating and distracting when reading a book and in any case, I don't need someone else to tell me which parts are interesting or significant, I can make my own mind up thank you.

I agree with the posters who say that too many of the "improvements" like this feature and the twitter/facebook feature are a waste of the developers time - they should be concentrating on the basics of making this the best ereader about - custom fonts for one thing and yes, an option for getting rid of those blessed dead authors! And while I'm sure there are many people who are into fish and birds, if you're going to throw a couple of animal pics into the mix, why not dogs or cats or horses - something more widely popular? Really, who thinks up these things?


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## r0b0d0c (Feb 16, 2009)

I turned it off after the first couple of days - found it annoying and distracting while reading.


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## KayakerNC (Oct 7, 2009)

Seems easy enough to shut off.

_To turn Popular Highlights on or off:
1.If you are not already on the Home screen, press the Home button.
2.Press the Menu button.
3.Use the 5-way to underline "Settings" and press to select.
4.Use the 5-way to underline "turn on" or "turn off" next to the "Popular Highlights" setting and press to select._


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Linjeakel said:


> I don't highlight passages myself - I'd be more likely to bookmark a place I wanted to go back to but I rarely do that either. So I have no problems leaving my annotations backup on - I have no highlights to share, anonymously or otherwise. As to seeing other people's highlights, I can't imagine anything more irritating and distracting when reading a book and in any case, I don't need someone else to tell me which parts are interesting or significant, I can make my own mind up thank you.
> 
> I agree with the posters who say that too many of the "improvements" like this feature and the twitter/facebook feature are a waste of the developers time - they should be concentrating on the basics of making this the best ereader about - custom fonts for one thing and yes, an option for getting rid of those blessed dead authors! And while I'm sure there are many people who are into fish and birds, if you're going to throw a couple of animal pics into the mix, why not dogs or cats or horses - something more widely popular? Really, who thinks up these things?


Since Lin pretty much said what I think, I'll just quote her post.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I think it's distracting - much like reading a textbook that's been marked up.  So off they went.  It's kinda amusing though if my highlights are shared.  Usually the only highlights I make are for grammar or spelling or OCR errors.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I don't use the "popular highlights, and I have sync turned off. and there's a HUGE reason. I have about 55+ books downloaded from KB authors. As I read through them, I highlight errors. As I finish a book, or all of the books by an author, I then type up everything relevant, with whatever corrections I think need to be made, and send the message to the authors. Usually it's just spelling errors, typos, missed punctuation whatever, rarely is there a super GLARING problem with the books I have purchased from KB authors. 
I would not want MY highlights being sent to anyone who was not the author. What I am highlighting is for their eyes only.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

That's really cool that you do that for them BT! =)


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I keep waiting for one of them to be upset that I would dare, but so far, they have all been very happy about it, or at least they have the tact not to tell me to go to


Spoiler



hell


.


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## Addie (Jun 10, 2009)

I've kept it on because it doesn't really bother me. I have yet to come across a book with tons of highlighting. If I read a book with a lot of highlighting (like one highlight per page), then I might get annoyed. I'm between "meh" and "yay." I find it interesting to see what other people highlighted and how many highlighted the same passage.


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## Brodys Mom (Nov 8, 2009)

The most useless feature ever.


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## JaneD (May 11, 2010)

LesleyO said:


> I've left it on, and actually find it kind of interesting. Sometimes I will highlight an item, but often it's not anywhere near anything others think is worth highlighting. For me, it's a kind of psychological study, I guess, in what people find worth 'clipping' or highlighting. And my eyes aren't drawn to them at all, as some people seem to find -- guess I'm lucky; I just see them in the course of reading.


This is pretty much how I consider Popular Highlights: an interesting psychological study. Doesn't distract me at all, so I don't mind it, though it certainly is not how I would have spent research time or money.


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## tbsteph (May 3, 2009)

AddieLove said:


> I've kept it on because it doesn't really bother me. I have yet to come across a book with tons of highlighting. If I read a book with a lot of highlighting (like one highlight per page), then I might get annoyed. I'm between "meh" and "yay." I find it interesting to see what other people highlighted and how many highlighted the same passage.


Concur. Personally I think Amazon developed this capability for a future update that students would find useful.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

K1 so N/A for me...HOWEVER, it would annoy the crap out of me.  Highlights of another person, to me, are the same as their opinion...If I want it; I'll ask for it.  I'd rather ask other boards members or start a thread and discuss a passage than do that (have it done for me).


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Absolutely hate it and turned it off immediately on all devices.  As others have said, I always hated trying to read a paper book someone else marked up, and I don't want to pay good money for a "new" Kindle book that's been desecrated in the same way.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I don't love it and might turn it off in the future, but it's a novelty now. Also, I tweeted a couple passages from my current read and that was sorta fun.


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## Prazzie (Oct 25, 2009)

I voted that I don't mind either way, because I haven't had the chance to use it yet. I started reading The Shadow of the Wind







by Carlos Ruiz Zafon this weekend and found several striking quotes. I turned Popular Highlights on to see whether other people also found them amusing, but there was NOTHING!* 

I turned it off after that, but I will probably check them whenever I start a new Kindle book.

*Since this was my first time using it, please confirm that I did it correctly? Whispernet was on, I went to Settings and set Popular Highlight to "on". Then, from within the book, I clicked Menu, but the Popular Highlights option was greyed out, which I took to mean that there weren't any for this book.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

I have them on, but don't use them except to notice that there are some fairly trite quotes/phrases underlines and people seem to underline the same things.. I'm guessing because they think if it is underlined, it must be significant.  Often it really isn't.


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## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

I guess I don't read popular books.  I think you have to have 3 more people highlight a section before it shows up and many of my books don't have any.  I did read one with a lot of highlights and turned it off when reading that book.  I thought the highlighted passages were pretty stupid, it would have annoyed me to keep the feature on.


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## luvshihtzu (Dec 19, 2008)

Very annoying feature.  What a waste of time for the developers.  I want Overdrive library access and the ability of changing the screen savers without using a hack!


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## BK (Feb 5, 2009)

luvshihtzu said:


> Very annoying feature. What a waste of time for the developers. I want Overdrive library access and the ability of changing the screen savers without using a hack!


Ditto to all three of luvshihtzu's statements.


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## ellesu (Feb 19, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I wonder how many calls Kindle CS is getting about people who suddenly have these little wavy lines under the words on some books. . . . .'cause I just BETCHA that many folks got the update automatically, never really realized it, and never read any documentation.


So _that's_ what those dots/wavy lines are!  I suddenly started seeing them, thought "uh oh! could be a problem developing!" But....they would go away (usually) when I turned the page so.... You may have just saved CS an unnecessary call - I'm sure they would thank you if they knew." 

Now that I know what they are....I'm looking forward to giving them a try.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

Too annoying. I don't care to know what other people think is important in the book I'm reading. I found it very distracting. Perhaps if I was in school and reading for a class I might care, so I don't think it's an entirely useless feature, just not a particularly useful one for the casual reader.

It's kind of akin to buying a used book and finding it covered in yellow highlighter.


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## AlexJouJou (May 16, 2010)

Total waste of time. Complete agreement. I didn't know what they were either. I found them in one of my Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books ALL over the place. When I realized what they were I went back and I have no idea why anyone would highlight any of the passages that were highlighted. It was like "Sookie went to Merlotte's and saw Sam talking to Arlene" HUH? 

Big vote no on this one. I agree it would have been much better to have other better apps. It seems to me like amazon is trying to find ways to make reading really "sharing" what with the tweet and the highlights...but I'm with others as far as reading being a solitary sport for me - if I want to share I'll do it after I finish...with someone I want to talk to and not some random stranger I'm reading what they highlighted on..I don't tweet or flitter or whatever


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## Sendie (Dec 3, 2009)

I just turned it on to see what it was.  It might be interesting to see what other people find to highlight since I've never highlighted books myself.  I may be turning it off in a few days if it's as annoying as lots of you are saying though.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

AlexJouJou said:


> It seems to me like amazon is trying to find ways to make reading really "sharing" what with the tweet and the highlights...but I'm with others as far as reading being a solitary sport for me - if I want to share I'll do it after I finish...with someone I want to talk to and not some random stranger I'm reading what they highlighted on..I don't tweet or flitter or whatever


I think the main reason Amazon added the Twitter and Facebook integration was to get a bunch of people talking on those networks about what they're reading on their *KINDLE*. Word of mouth = sales, maybe?


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## lonestar (Feb 9, 2010)

I'm not interested in this feature though I do use highlights on certain books.  I turned it off as soon as I realized it existed.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I'm surprised it's so unpopular but I guess if I didn't read non-fiction, it wouldn't interest me either. I read a lot of historical bios and non-fiction so I do a lot of highlighting and it's interesting to see what other people are highlighting.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I found it annoying and distracting and turned it right off.


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

I voted "Meh".  In a mystery, I always wonder if people highlighted before or after finding out whodunit.  In any event, it doesn't distract me at all, and it's ever so slightly interesting because I'm curious as to why others do highlight at all in certain kinds of books.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

911jason said:


> I think the main reason Amazon added the Twitter and Facebook integration was to get a bunch of people talking on those networks about what they're reading on their *KINDLE*. Word of mouth = sales, maybe?


So basically they thought it won't hurt if we irritate most of the people who've already spent their money with us as long as we can get some other people to do the same?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't see where the twitter/facebook linking would annoy people. If you don't care, just don't do it. It doesn't happen automatically. And, face it, the social networking thing is a big deal nowadays. . . .I suppose they felt it made sense to link up the way some of the smart phones do. Personally, I'd rather have my friends post what they're reading than that they lost a cow. 

As for the hightlights, I don't really care what other people think so I have it turned off. <shrug>


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## Quake1028 (Jul 11, 2010)

Don't care one way or another, but mine are off.


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## Z-man (Feb 18, 2010)

Wow!  I am surprised by the results of this poll.
I have mine turned on and actually enjoy it.  
I like that I can preview what others really liked about a book by going to View Popular Highlights.
Also, like a couple of others mentioned, I sometimes wonder why some people find a certain passage profound and it doesn't seem to move me at all.

But, I really do like having it on.  And, I was surprised how many people commented about they don't need anybody telling them what is important type of response.

Different strokes I guess.  YMMV


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## Rita (Apr 30, 2009)

I don't care for this feature at all. My reading is for my enjoyment only and don't really care to see what other people like or dislike. What I like in a book may not be a great cup of tea for someone else and vice versa.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I just found out this was a "feature" and that you could turn it off. I immediately did. On my iPod touch, sometimes the whole page is highlighted, and the page doesn't change when I touch the screen.


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## bluesplayer (Sep 30, 2010)

Magenta said:


> I can't begin to express how much I HATE this feature. Even more annoying is you have to turn off annotation back-up to prevent your highlights from being shared.


DITTO!


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## 4Katie (Jun 27, 2009)

Rita said:


> I don't care for this feature at all. My reading is for my enjoyment only and don't really care to see what other people like or dislike. What I like in a book may not be a great cup of tea for someone else and vice versa.


What she said.

I found it distracting. I just want to READ.


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