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I had no interest reading on my own and would only read for homework. But when Mom started reading Harry Potter to us, I would steal the book to read ahead. What really put gasoline on the fire was being introduced to His Dark Materials and Redwall in middle school. And shout out to Sabriel by Garth Nix.
Jun 17, 2025
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so i canāt tell you exactly what kicked that off for me. i will say, what exacerbated it was seeing a girl in my second grade gifted and talented class reading harry potter and the goblet of fire and i was jealous bc the book was thick as hell and we were only 7!! so i started the series out of spite so i could get to the fifth book before she did.
because i read so many books as a child, i would say theyāre All formative to me in some way. but when i saw this ask, the first book i thought of was āthe miraculous journey of edward tulaneāā¦ this may sound sad but it was the first book i remember ever making me cry. i didnāt know you could be connected to a book like that until then, so i think of it warmly and fondly. itās like wow there really are new worlds and beating hearts between pagesā¦
(i also remember reading another book that made me cry when i was slightly older. it was about a girl without a shadow who had some sort of cat familiar that followed her around. i remember fighting tears so hard but also canāt remember the title for the life of me.)
(a series of unfortunate events had me hooked too. i think i was into some pretty somber stuff loool).
because i read so many books as a child, i would say theyāre All formative to me in some way. but when i saw this ask, the first book i thought of was āthe miraculous journey of edward tulaneāā¦ this may sound sad but it was the first book i remember ever making me cry. i didnāt know you could be connected to a book like that until then, so i think of it warmly and fondly. itās like wow there really are new worlds and beating hearts between pagesā¦
(i also remember reading another book that made me cry when i was slightly older. it was about a girl without a shadow who had some sort of cat familiar that followed her around. i remember fighting tears so hard but also canāt remember the title for the life of me.)
(a series of unfortunate events had me hooked too. i think i was into some pretty somber stuff loool).
Jun 17, 2025
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šdunno how old i was and it obviously wasnāt the first time iād read but i believe my brain turned on to make a memory of gleefully poring over a kid fantasy for a reasonā stories opened the world for me even as a littleāun
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šas a young child: Magic Treehouse, The Secrets of Droon, The Boxcar Children (used to tear off the corners of pages and let them dissolve in my mouth, donāt ask me to explain why idk I was a weird kid, but all the boxcar books at my dads house are full of lil nibbles)
middle school: Leviathan series by Scott Westerfled, Leven Thumps, Maximum Ride, Bone graphic novels, various superhero novels
used to read a ton growing up but kind of stopped reading for fun in high school and through college. had a book club for a few years as an adult but been struggling to get back into causal reading regularly
middle school: Leviathan series by Scott Westerfled, Leven Thumps, Maximum Ride, Bone graphic novels, various superhero novels
used to read a ton growing up but kind of stopped reading for fun in high school and through college. had a book club for a few years as an adult but been struggling to get back into causal reading regularly
Feb 28, 2024
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Alright y'all, standards have gotten a little lax around here and rec quality has taken a dip (I'm including myself in this). Here are some pointers for High Rec Standards.
ANATOMY OF A REC: TITLEāThis is the rec or recommendations. This is NOT a lead in. Type exactly what you're recommending here. What appears in the Title should finish this sentence, "I recommend _____."
BODYāThis supports the rec and anything goes. Supporting statements, supporting essays, additional recs, you can get silly, you can pontificate. You can do anything you want. Except putting the main rec down here. Where does it go? That's right. In the Title š
IMAGEāNo rules. Add one to preference. It can be relevant or a non sequitur.
LINKāI highly recommend links but it's not as important as the Title or Body. If you are recommending something that has an online presence (music, movies, websites, products, etc.), Piffies want to click on it immediately. Don't make us google. Be kind a leave a link.
EMOJIāNo rules. Express yourself.
ANTI-RECS: They exist and they are valid recs. "Anti-Rec: _____" clearly communicates this is something best avoided. But a better way format this type of Rec is to use a modifier or verb that flows with "I recommend _____." Ex. I recommend... Not Eating Tacks, Avoiding Area X, Leaving Off the Anchovies, etc.ā(Formatting Anti-Recs this way first recommended by tyler the Creator)
ANATOMY OF AN ASK: TITLEāThis is the question or topic of the Ask. Asks can solicit advice or start a discussion. You have some flexibility here because the Ask is expected to be expounded upon in the body if it needs more context. Just be clear. Again, this is not a lead in. Be direct and ask the question or state the topic.
BODYāProvide more context. Narrow the recommendation field. Add relevant links. Remember, the Ask goes in the Title š
EMOJIāNo rules. Express yourself.
ANSWERING AN ASKāRecs on Asks can break style as dictated by the Ask. If the Ask is looking for Recs, give Recs following style. If it's asking for opinions, give your opinion. Asking for links? Give links! Respond however you would respond some someone IRL. Asks start a conversation so you can be more conversational. But keep in mind that these Recs will appear in the main feed. So where you can maintain Rec style, do so.
Example: WHATāS YOUR CURRENT LETTERBOXD TOP 4?
A response to this with High Rec Standards would look something like this: TITLEāLists your current Letterboxd top 4. You are recommending these four movies. BODYāFree reign here. Drop your Letterboxd @. Talk about the movies. Make a quip. Emoji. Relevant links. Nothing. IMAGEāOptional. Screenshot of your top four. Frame from a movie. Dealer's choice. LINKāAdd your Letterboxd profile only if you want to be found. EMOJIāWhatever. But it'd be nice if it was relevant.
DISCLAIMER: This is a living community document! These are only my recommendations for a foundation. Debate and Discussion of proper style are Encouraged. Any editions and changes to the PI.FYI STYLE GUIDE will be notated with attribution.
Changelog: 07.26.2024āClarified a Rec is not limited to one recommendation. Recs can recommend multiple things. Thanks to shegoestoanotherschool for identifying the issue. / Added guidance for Anti-Rec format. 02.11.2025āMoved SpongeBob Bubble Blowing Technique video link from the top level into the body ("some pointers") so the embed wouldn't override the High Quality instructional graphic.
ANATOMY OF A REC: TITLEāThis is the rec or recommendations. This is NOT a lead in. Type exactly what you're recommending here. What appears in the Title should finish this sentence, "I recommend _____."
BODYāThis supports the rec and anything goes. Supporting statements, supporting essays, additional recs, you can get silly, you can pontificate. You can do anything you want. Except putting the main rec down here. Where does it go? That's right. In the Title š
IMAGEāNo rules. Add one to preference. It can be relevant or a non sequitur.
LINKāI highly recommend links but it's not as important as the Title or Body. If you are recommending something that has an online presence (music, movies, websites, products, etc.), Piffies want to click on it immediately. Don't make us google. Be kind a leave a link.
EMOJIāNo rules. Express yourself.
ANTI-RECS: They exist and they are valid recs. "Anti-Rec: _____" clearly communicates this is something best avoided. But a better way format this type of Rec is to use a modifier or verb that flows with "I recommend _____." Ex. I recommend... Not Eating Tacks, Avoiding Area X, Leaving Off the Anchovies, etc.ā(Formatting Anti-Recs this way first recommended by tyler the Creator)
ANATOMY OF AN ASK: TITLEāThis is the question or topic of the Ask. Asks can solicit advice or start a discussion. You have some flexibility here because the Ask is expected to be expounded upon in the body if it needs more context. Just be clear. Again, this is not a lead in. Be direct and ask the question or state the topic.
BODYāProvide more context. Narrow the recommendation field. Add relevant links. Remember, the Ask goes in the Title š
EMOJIāNo rules. Express yourself.
ANSWERING AN ASKāRecs on Asks can break style as dictated by the Ask. If the Ask is looking for Recs, give Recs following style. If it's asking for opinions, give your opinion. Asking for links? Give links! Respond however you would respond some someone IRL. Asks start a conversation so you can be more conversational. But keep in mind that these Recs will appear in the main feed. So where you can maintain Rec style, do so.
Example: WHATāS YOUR CURRENT LETTERBOXD TOP 4?
A response to this with High Rec Standards would look something like this: TITLEāLists your current Letterboxd top 4. You are recommending these four movies. BODYāFree reign here. Drop your Letterboxd @. Talk about the movies. Make a quip. Emoji. Relevant links. Nothing. IMAGEāOptional. Screenshot of your top four. Frame from a movie. Dealer's choice. LINKāAdd your Letterboxd profile only if you want to be found. EMOJIāWhatever. But it'd be nice if it was relevant.
DISCLAIMER: This is a living community document! These are only my recommendations for a foundation. Debate and Discussion of proper style are Encouraged. Any editions and changes to the PI.FYI STYLE GUIDE will be notated with attribution.
Changelog: 07.26.2024āClarified a Rec is not limited to one recommendation. Recs can recommend multiple things. Thanks to shegoestoanotherschool for identifying the issue. / Added guidance for Anti-Rec format. 02.11.2025āMoved SpongeBob Bubble Blowing Technique video link from the top level into the body ("some pointers") so the embed wouldn't override the High Quality instructional graphic.
