Hi! I'm Olive Fellows. I talk about books here on RU-vid and write about them in freelance book reviews. I enjoy reading nonfiction, literary fiction, and the occasional genre fiction book.
At this time, I'm only considering traditionally published (i.e. not self-published) books for review.
In general, I'm not sure the managers of most B&Ns stores have the knowledge to do this. Let's see . . . . The problem is that "show rooming" was a thing for bookstores long before Amazon . . . .
Have you tried Lapsang Souchong tea? That's definitely for fans of smoky beverages! As someone else said, it's so helpful to have the books listed in the description box - thank you for doing that. Your reading tastes & interests are soooo similar to mine; despite that, you always talk about so many books I've never heard of. It's perfect, I'm glad I found your channel!
Hey Olive! Love your channel, my favorite book related influencer. Take all the time you need, reading should be joy and not stressful especially with creating content around it! Enjoy your summer!
I did noticed the changes and I totally love it. I'm a book person so I get your video. Hope Barnes and noble never goes away. I'll continuo to be a customer as long as their doors are open.
People used to TALK about how much they loved hanging out in a Barnes and Noble, but ultimately, people would give Amazon $100 of business before they would give 1 penny of business to Barnes and Noble--because in the end, people are just talk, and what they really care about is price. That's why Amazon is the behemoth it is, and these other stores are teetering on the edge.
I live in NYC and have been disturbed by the disappearance of the nearby B&N stores. I wouldn't blame management exactly for the decline but more the changing of the culture of our society. With that said, I hope that the new management will keep B&N going for a long time to come. Thank you for the video.
I added a couple of these to my reading list. I've read Jac Jemc before, but it was a book about a haunted house, I remember liking the writing style. I hope you enjoy all the books you got.
What an amazing haul! Thanks for the shout-out and I hope you enjoy Eyeliner! I will definitely revisit this list in the near future; however, I immediately added Mongo & Epitaph for a Peach to my TBR. Thanks for this great video and happy reading!
very spot on. when you grew up easy, you get attention and attract people effortlessly you never learn certain skills, you are not used to tricks, fights, you are not used to sacrifice things to get what u want. and when you lose your parents early in such calculating and competitive bubble, nobody teach you, guide you, you are on your own, vulnerable young unassuming pretty thing. an easy prey who thought she could catch her game just like being herself, not realizing the game changes the moment you lose one father. not having a mother with good value also matters.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers has been stuck in my head since I read it, probably 10 years ago. It’s never moved from my top 10 list in all these years.
The city I grew up in lost it’s Barnes&Noble, in 2012. Thankfully there were still a couple stores relatively close by, depending on where in the city you were. However, towns and cities that relied on our B&N were screwed. My teens and twenties, my hangout spot was funny enough, a B&N store. I could sit and do homework while enjoying a coffee. It was also a bonding experience with my mom. We’re VERY heavy readers, and getting her to buy me a book was easier than anything else as a teenager. Escaping into another reality for a while is a nice break for me. I favor fantasy or sci-fi for that reason, but I think a favorite of mine is urban fantasy. Taking the world we live in, and finding something unique and mysterious about it. One fond memory I have is the midnight release of the 5th Harry Potter book and going with my whole family. My sister and I both got a copy of the book so we attack each other for it. 😂 While my sister and I did activities, my parents hid in the back reading all night. 🤣 We walked out of the store with maybe $200 dollars worth of books. Did I mention we’re heavy readers? 😅 One thing that is more recent I would say is the recommendations from the book sellers. I always wanted to work at a B&N store, but this is one retail place that is VERY hard to get a job at, because they want you to have particular skills. With what you spoke about, it makes sense that you need to know your customers products very well, like a librarian.
Welcome back :) happy to hear you took a break on your terms. Funny Story was such a corker - after reading EH on your recommendation, I'm very happy to see Funny Story on this list! The age of magical thinking sounds brilliant also.
I’m only 3 minutes in and I have already added the first 3 books to my books to buy list. I love a thriller and once I Googled the synopsis of each I knew they had to be bought.
I ❤when employees in the bookstore display their favorite books because they are probably book lovers too and you can connect with another book person.
It's sad that Barnes and Noble is on the decline because it's honestly the only store I enjoy going to and supporting. It's a place where you're allowed to sit in a quiet space with some coffee and read a book or get work done on the computer. There are libraries but those tend to draw in drug addicts and the homeless in my town. Too bad the modern world is allergic to reading books in general.
I went ahead and bought Eyeliner (I am intrigued by a whole book on it) and Epitaph for a Peach (which made me think of a childhood favorite, Peachtree Island.) Thanks for all your recommendations - a great haul.
I love your channel and I’m happy to see a new video. It will be sad when you’re not going to be doing Non Fiction November in your channel but I completely 100% understand why. Also I just put on hold at my library for Infused for audiobook cause I am a massive tea lover and it sounds awesome!
Congrats on hosting an author event! I read Eyeliner earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I learned a lot and appreciated that she didn’t shy away from the harder (oppressive) realities of life that many folks experience while keeping the overall tone lighter and approachable. Great mix of cultural study and history, imo
I used to enjoy going to the book stores in the mall. Walden and B Dalton respectively. You had your best sellers shelf. The new release shelf and finally just the very simple standard sections like Fiction or Mystery. It got the job done without too much overwhelming selection. I don't want to spend 4 hours milling around a book store.
Congrats on moderating a panel and checking off a bucket list item! I loved how many of the novel covers seemed to go with your clothes! Interested in hearing about the Into the Groove and Kaikeyi which I've had since publication but haven't gotten to yet.
I read Amy Chua's novel, The Golden Gate when it first arrived. I spent my childhood in the general area and the shining white Claremont Hotel was always a landmark. Thanks for the pronunciation of the author's name. And I DNF Other People's Clothes. It was highly recommended, but too repetitive for my taste.
So you're into marketing and have a degree, that's nice but what kind of books do you like reading??? Well we all know the Covid did some damage but the problem Barnes and Noble has and this applies to all book stores is they're not stocking the books people want to read. Like hollywood and disney, America's publishing companies are not putting out product that people want so they're not buying. When I tried to get published I exchanged e-mails with Jerry Pournelle and he wrote me that most publishers were hiring women out of college, 'little women from wesley' he called them, few of whom had even read books for fun and they decided what their bosses would publish, they wanted a 'diverse' market and feel obligated to publish not what the market wants but what they feel people should be reading and the results as awful as they are speak for themselves. I used to walk the shelves of my local barnes and noble and among the fiction, especially Science Fiction, not one book there did I want to pick up and read because the writers didn't know what they're talking about and their characters well they stink along with their plot lines and everything else. So in short, produce books people want to read and the problem is solved.
I don’t know how I came across your channel, but I do enjoy your book reviews. You certainly have a talent for this career. Most informative. Thank you. Carol from California
Thank you for a great overall review of Helene Hanff’s work. One has to wonder, considering the success of 84 Charing Cross Road, why she continued to live in financial precarity. I’m wondering what the terms of her contracts were and to what extent she was given a bad deal.
I read the Lady and the Panda. Part of it is very sad but it is historical, but I am glad that I read it. Made me think about how other animals are gathered for zoos.
I can remember going to the mall when there was 3 different book stores in it. Barns wasn't one of them but there was one 2 towns over. It shut down and moved next to the mall since. The 3 in the mall all closed and barns will too. It's like looking at a video store that has somehow lasted past 2010. Or the music stores remember them their all gone yet we all still watch movies and listen to music.
If you like the premise of "All My Colors" you may like the 2019 movie "Yesterday" in which a freak event causes everyone, save one man, to forget The Beatles.
