Instagram story viewer> @chmsreads> Posts

chmsreads

@chmsreads

302

followers

297

following

Books, boarding passes and unsolicited opinions

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Finished Fourth Wing and a half marathon in the same weekend. One was a page-turner, the other was a test of endurance….. #chmsreadsandruns by @chmsreads

20

8

a day ago

Imagine being so genuinely kind and compassionate that the world mistakes you for an idiot.

And that’s exactly what makes Prince Myshkin such a heartbreaking character.

He is not stupid. He is not as naive as people think he is. He sees how cruel, selfish and deeply flawed people can be but somehow still chooses to see the good in them. Even when they don’t deserve it.

And I think that’s the sad truth about people, even today. We are so quick to mistake kindness for weakness, compassion for foolishness and someone’s willingness to forgive as an invitation to hurt them again.

It’s honestly quite sad how relevant a novel written over 150 years ago still is.
And perhaps that’s something we should all take away from this book. We never really know what someone else is going through, what they’re carrying or how much our words and actions might hurt them. The least we can do is try not to add to their suffering.

Being kind shouldn’t make someone an idiot. And being treated with kindness shouldn’t give us a reason to take advantage of it.

And the irony of calling someone like Myshkin The Idiot? Brilliant.

Because by the end, you really start to wonder who the actual idiots are. Myshkin or everyone around him?

P.S. Meet Chandler Bing everyone . I don’t think I’ve ever properly introduced him here. He is the other love of my life. And yes, he’s just as judgmental as he looks. #chmsreads by @chmsreads

33

19

5 days ago

Haunting opening lines in literature - Part Two. 📖

Oh, some brilliant, tortured soul called Dostoevsky really knew how to make you uncomfortable from the very first sentence.

A bitter, miserable man who is painfully self-aware but somehow still manages to be his own worst enemy. He overthinks absolutely everything, contradicts himself constantly and seems almost determined to stay miserable…🙄

And that’s what makes Notes from Underground so unsettling. He is not some evil villain. He is just a deeply flawed human being and some of his thoughts are a little too relatable for comfort.

And to think Dostoevsky himself was once moments away from being executed by firing squad- only to receive a last-minute reprieve. Imagine coming that close to death and then going on to write about the darkest corners of the human mind. No wonder his writing feels so haunting..

P.S. Not sponsored by #Rhode unfortunately… sigh….

Also, this is my longest elaboration yet. If you are still reading this- damn, thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

#chmsreads by @chmsreads

18

6

8 days ago

If the first page is this unsettling, imagine the rest.. Written in 1915 and still painfully relevant in 2026!

Will never stop recommending this one.
#chmsreads by @chmsreads

19

3

9 days ago

#Bloom was the paid actor btw…. #chmsreads by @chmsreads

21

7

9 days ago

And whatever my @indigo sweatshirt says…. #chmsreads by @chmsreads

20

6

17 days ago

A little break from existential dread. Apparently, sometimes all I need is a Vampyre, a Were, and a ridiculous amount of romantic tension…
Ali Hazelwood, this was ridiculously fun! 🩵 #chmsreads by @chmsreads

23

2

24 days ago

1930s NYC. Lucky Luciano was one of the most powerful figures in organized crime, with the mob involved in gambling, bootlegging, loan-sharking, drugs and prostitution.
Then came Eunice Carter, a Black female prosecutor and Polly Adler, one of NYC’s most famous madams - and suddenly you have these incredibly powerful women right in the middle of a world completely dominated by men. This is the history that made me want to know more! #chmsreads by @chmsreads

20

2

a month ago

R.F. Kuang’s new book on release day?!
Thank you, @torontolibrary @libby.app 🩵 You really get me. #chmsreads by @chmsreads

22

3

a month ago

One of those books that feels a little too personal when you’re an Asian girl - like reading the parts of yourself you never knew how to put into words. #chmsreads by @chmsreads

31

6

a month ago

Went to Powell’s bookstore in Portland, Oregon and obviously couldn’t leave empty handed 📚
#chmswillreadheetbroneday by @chmsreads

20

1

2 months ago

Somehow it’s getting stranger by the pages! #chmsreads by @chmsreads

21

1

2 months ago