Looking for reviews of new and not-so-new books, particularly in the fantasy, sci-fi, and romance genres? Looking for books that are diverse and have feminist sensibilities? You're in the right place! I read ~300 books a year and my reviews suggest who would (or wouldn't) enjoy a book, regardless of my personal taste. Expect 2+ videos a week!
The White Guy Dies First sounds like a really refreshing and fun collection, gonna have to check that out! And oooh yes, Heir of Fire is just such a blast hahah. I DNF wayyyy too little, but if I do then it's often within the first 20% and I justify it for myself by saying it's just 'not for now'... only to then never get back to it lol. Series DNFing is way easier for me, I drop off mid-series left and right oops 🤣
I wish I was better and DNFing. It’s not that I’m bad at it, but it’s more I’m not ready to accept defeat sometimes. There was one book I DNF’d after only 2 pages. But it’s when you just KNOW in your heart of hearts you’re reading the most average book that I struggle.
I know I need to DNF a book when I've been forcing myself to read it for 2 or 3 days. There might be a rough patch in any book, but if that patch isn't over after 3 days, it's time to quit. Usually that happens around the 20% mark for me.
Cathy Yardley! I loved Role Playing and love the fact that oldee people are getting romance (I am 47). How much does it touch on the husband's death? I ask as my brother is Type 1 diabetic and experiencing some complications now that he's in his 50s.
I love Nesta. I feel that the Acheron sisters embody the three trauma responses. Feyre- fight, Nesta-flight, Elain- freeze. And Elain kind of annoys me.
I DNF if I'm hating the book or if I'm bored, mostly the later. I sometimes push through a boring book if I've loved other books by the same author, but in general I don't have time nor energy for mid books these days 😂
When I rait a dnf it's usually when I'm 50+ more into it now lower than that no I don't. When I dnf a book if I start skimming or very much zoned out of the Aduiobook
I'm still settling on a system for DNFs, soft ones happen all the time, but hard ones are more difficult for me. Sometimes I feel myself forcing to continue but I have to stop doing that bc there only so much time and so many more other books to read ksks😊
I DNF liberally bc there are so many books I wanna read and frankly there's not enough time. For me, it's usually a writing issue so I can generally spot it within the first 5-20%. Sometimes, I'll be stubborn and try to push through but end up DNFing anyway.
I DNF a lot. Lol. How I decide varies by book. Usually if I am bored or a book isnt hitting I will give it like 2 chapters after I start thinking about dnfing then call it quits. Sometimes a book will do something so offensive I will just nope out right then.
The data and charts in this video spoke to me on a personal level, I've never seen anything so beautiful. I'm glad you enjoyed Anxious Gen! I read your Goodreads review and couldn't agree more about sleepovers lmao like I'll allow myself to be paranoid about certain things, and definitely that there needs to be an addendum/add on/ some expansion to include unique dangers posed by race or identity.
When I realize I don't want to pick the book back up and am not reading at all. Can be a hard or soft DNF, but DNF it goes so I can allow myself to pick something else up.
I don’t DNF often. I’m usually really good at picking up books that I know will likely work for me. Typically I’ll DNF if the writing is just not jiving with me, I am bored, or I just truly hate it. Sometimes I will continue a book I’m not liking if I am having a good time with how ridiculous it is or if there is a big question and I just need to know what the solution is.
I soft DNF all the time. A LOT. Sometimes for years. (I'm looking at you, Dune, Game of Thrones, and Wheel of Time. Someday.) Hard DNFs are for offenses. Gratuitous SA, authorial misogyny, child or animal torture, nonconsentual power play. Also, really bad writing that desperately needs an editor.
Depends on the genre but I'm pretty brutal this year with DNFs because I'm in a reading slump. If I'm not engaged by chapter 2 or 3 I DNF because I'm not going to waste my time trying to finish something that is very unlikely to be higher than 3 stars and risk of 2 stars is high. Biggest reason for me to DNF is writing style. And that is easy to pick up early on in a book.
I will DNF at any point once I'm not enjoying myself. This means I'll DNF 0.01% into a book or 99%. I don't make any money off of reading so i base things purely on both enjoyment and an understanding of the sunk cost fallacy. I also don't track my DNFs. If I didn't like it that much I'll remember why. If I don't remember than no harm in picking it up again. Maybe it'll work for me that time. Related sometimes there are books I'm convinced I'm going to love, I just need to find the right time to read them. Most recently this was The Valley and The Flood by Rebecca Mahoney which became an all time favorite once I was in the right headspave to appreciate it. If I'd tried to force myself to read it when I first picked it up it would've been a very low rating. I think it's important to know when a book just isn't the right book for right now. Anyways, big fan of DNF'ing. Don't think I've ever "pushed through" and ended with a book I enjoyed.
Thanks for sharing! I agree, sometimes you just need to put a book down for now. Usually if DNF within the first few chapters I don't review it, unless it's something from Netgalley or something I found really offensive and want to give people a heads up. Which is pretty rare.
I get through maybe 10% and if I think it’s three stars or lower I’ll DNF. I just don’t have the hours to donate to books I won’t remember in a year. That said, I also don’t expect the publishing industry to deliver more than maybe 30 books per year that are excellent within my tastes.
I both DNF and DFN; I DNF when I just quite simply don't like the book. I DFN when something isn't working for me at the moment, but interesting enough where I want to try it again later. This is usually when I have other things on my plate or it just doesn't fit my mood or whatever. 15 Novels, 3 Audio Books (more depending on my audible trial), 10 light novels, then a host of webovels, manga and manwha. Why force yourself to read something you are not enjoying. I DFN'd Jade City because in our very sunless January I wasn't in the right mindset for it, but may come back around to it at some point. I DNF'd In a Jam because I found it boring (It might work better as an audio) I think we SHOULD practice DNF and DFN'ing simply because it will keep us happier and allow us to read the books we want to read.
Thank you for this. Just getting started. I want to figure out the easiest way to make the tiktoks that are just the book with text around highlighting your favorite parts.
Would LOVE to do a trip like this in 2025!! The November one sounds fantastic but is 3 weeks before my wedding haha. Also way to go with prioritizing your mental health and making some great choices for your needs. :)
Hope you feel better soon!! 🙏🏽 My favorite is also ACOSF 😅❤I loved Nesta's character arc and super unpopular opinion.. Feyre kinda annoys me 😬 I mean, I do get why everyone loves her but her and Rhys together are like that too perfect couple that you love but also wanna gag & roll your eyes at sometimes 🙄🤣
I’ve been a subscriber from the very beginning! 😉 I just love your content! I had no doubt that you would crush this! You always read what you say you’re going to read! 💜 my eyebrows shot up to the roof when you mentioned “whispers” of BEA and Bookcon making a comeback?!?!?!?! What?!?!?! TELL ME MORE!!! I went in 2018 and had the time of my life! Loved this trip down memory lane! 🥰
I think the title of the collection is also interesting. At first, you think that Celaena is the assassin, but as the story goes on, i realised that the assassin is Arobyn and Celaena is the blade as Arobyn keeps using her as a tool. I really love it when at first you think a title means one thing, but as you're reading it, you realise it means something different
I just finished this amazing romance by Cathy Yardley which is called Role Playing and it's about an introvert divorce (Maggie) and a demi-sexual nurse (Aiden) who meet true gaming. It was so lovely and I just wanted to share that for other people who like older couples in their romance.
This was so fun-- I started following you in 2020 so was fun to see your evolution! Pretty impressive how many you did read .. and a lot of favorites too!
Like if you thought ugly love of haunting Adaline where trash to note: ugly love repeats a characters name 7 times in a sentence also the entire plot could have being fixed with an email
This was fun! I know I was watching by 2020, but I think I might have started lurking around 2019. And yes, I noticed the vocal change! You started to sound more relaxed when talking after the first year or two. The thing that surprised me was the overwhelming percentage of your upcoming releases that you did end up enjoying. Your predictions are working. :)
I do! I was much younger and kind of miserable because I was always hungry and starving myself on a weight loss program that was terrible for my health. It took a long time to eventually start on a path to nourishing my body and getting frequent movement. This year I’ve gotten back into weightlifting for the first time since my mid-twenties and it has been amazing. I just didn’t want to get into all of that in the video.
