interesting hearing your thoughts on A River Enchanted. I have it on my shelf, but havent picked it up because ive heard such mixed things. I thought I might just unhaul it, but you made me interested again!
I've suddenly entered my crime fiction era having never read anything from that genre before. How to kill a guy in ten ways is an absolute banger. Jesse PLEASE check out The Book Of Doors. I'm pretty sure that's from this year. I listened to it on book beat and the narration was really good
Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa is a trans Pride and Prejudice retelling! Lizzy Bennett is a trans man named Oliver (and Darcy is gay). It is so good and so effing relatable as a trans -masc person who was raised in a strict gender roles hyper feminine organization. As a p&p fan it has me kicking and giggling at the romance and queerness!
I am fully in my romance era this year, which is surprising because I've never been a huge romance reader! I also loved You Should Be So Lucky and am perfectly in agreement with your thoughts on the book. I'm enjoying seeing you read more romance too! I am immediately adding Don't Let the Forest In to my TBR as well.
You Should Be So Lucky is my favorite romance of 2024 (it won't be unseated from the top). We Could Be So Good was my favorite romance from last year and you dont need to read them in order. Its just a treat to see the characters in brief cameos here and there. I thought both books were slowburns with grumpy-sunshine, but the characters are all pretty unique as you get to know them.
GOD hearing such great praise for a river enchanted makes me SO happy bc i read it sometime last year and was so surprised watching the general consensus on booktok be that it's "too slow" ITS SO WHIMSICAL AND BEAUTIFUL
Always so excited when you drop a new video! The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, Butter by Asako Yuzuiki (English Translation released in 2024), and Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Abike-Iyimide is some of my favourite releases for the year!
I recommend "The Full Moon Coffee Shop" by Mai Mochizuki. It has calm, cozy, and something magical vibes! And, I'm so excited to see your new vlogs!! I always love your content so much ♪ I hope you enjoy your reading and creating things in the second half of this year💚
I love the US cover for the kamogawa food detectives so much! I also have it on my shelf as well... so I am sad to know it wasn't really one that got to you as much as you wanted. YES CG Drews appreciation!! I am so looking forward to don't let the forest in and the author is so lovely.
I haven't been on booktube in months but you're the first booktuber I watched :) Love you Jesse! So proud of you for dnf'ing a book 😂 I know how hard it is for you! You're progressing in your character arc 😎 Also love that you're still enjoying the romance books! I've been slacking with the reading for awhile now and I'm just getting back into it with a romance book. Sometimes they're the right kinda medicine.
I think I've only read two books that came out this year and you mentioned one in your video. (MiPHK) The other one is another novella What Feasts at Night, by T. Kingfisher. It's horror and the second book in a series, but I don't think you'd need to read the first book. If you're in the mood for something creepy, it's worth a look. I think I've read mostly fantasy this year, but that might be just because I read through a complete six book (in three volumes) series. Lately, I've been reading a lot of Cosmic Horror. (Another book series) Mostly, I think I'm in my Hoopla era, since I've been finding a bunch of books on my tbr/I've been thinking about reading on there in audio.
Aaahh so excited to see you’re wanting to read ‘Don’t Let the Forest In’! It’s top of my anticipated release list! C G Drews is an incredible writer, just keep the tissues on standby, she doesn’t pull her punches!
I still haven't read A River Enchanted but you should definitely also check out Divine Rivals by the same author!! I adore that duology and nothing comes close to that
My 2024 rec for you is When Among Crows by Veronica Roth. It's an urban fantasy novella and so so so good! I also highly suggest the audiobook which is narrated beautifully. It's a short quest story with impressive world-building. I loved it.
Most read genre for me is fantasy which is expected, it is my favorite genre. I have also read more romance and horror, which I haven't read much of last year.
i loved a river enchanted too!! and the sequel is definitely just as good if not even better- i read them both via audiobook and the narrator did such a fantastic job
Fantasy realism is my most frequent read. I think that is what you were referring to as what you were referring to you were reading w a touch of magic.
My goal this year was 35 books and I'm already at 27!! 🎉 another goal was that I am also on a book buying 'ban'. I've been doing good. The only exceptions were I read the first book in a series that I owned....and I had to go buy the rest. Or I took some to Schuler's and used the credit. But book math says that doesn't count 😂 My last goal this year was to read more from my physical tbr. I've read 9 and dnf 6, which are in a pile to sell back lol Also, I freaking LOVED The Wishing Game! I agree with you, I wanted way more detail and excitement with the challenges. Could easily have been 50-100 pages longer.
I have been avoiding new releases, lately, because I'm trying to stick to finishing my physical tbr and my already currently-reading unintentional dnfs. 😊
You absolutely don't have to have read We Could Be So Good before You Should Be So Lucky. I read them back to back & they're probably my favorite romances I've read this year. I'm somewhat new to Cat Sebastian and I've been devouring literally everything she's written. The way she writes banter & dialogue, and the chemistry between her characters always hits. And she's so good at giving us side characters who are fully fleshed out. I highly recommend reading the rest of her books (even the ones with the cheesy embarrassing covers, it's so worth it.)
I have been reading a lot more literary fiction than I did before. I always enjoyed that genre but this year it’s my jam! One of my favourites was My Husband by Maud Ventura 😍 I screamed
I became a first time mom in mid January, so my goal for 24 in 24 was CERTAINLY misguided lol but so far, given the fact that I went back to work and now have a 5 month old, I’m proud of the 6 books I’ve read! Book 2 to Godkiller came out this year and I highly recommend it!!
my anticipated releases of 2024 are: the warm hands of ghosts(wwi historical fiction paranormal), a dark and drowning tide (sapphic academic rivalry going on a quest), and lady macbeth (reimagining)
I've surprisingly been reading a decent amount of scifi this year, which I didn't usually read before. I usually read either fantasy (any age) or mysteries (not crime[thrillers]), but after reading The Locked Tomb series, and then falling in absolute love with the Murderbot Diaries, I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm gonna cheat a bit, but I want to recommend Merciless Savior by H.E. Edgmon. They're one of my favorite YA LGBTQIA+ authors because of how raw and real their writing usually is....but MS is the sequel to Godly Heathens, which was published last year. But yes. That duology. Just check trigger warnings.
Hmm...I think my favorite so far this year is The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey. It's a recent read for me. It's a fictional cold case novel, about missing children. There is murder in this book, it's a bit paranormal, the main agent grew up in a commune. There is a lot going on in this book, but I loved it. I do recommend looking for trigger warnings, if anyone is interested in checking it out.
I recommend checking out A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power! It covers similar themes to Weyward but centers Indigenous women in the United States through three generations. It's an underappreciated gem -- under 800 reviews on Good Reads. Not an easy read but I think it's something you might enjoy!
I'm reading this Manga called Kaiju number 8 is very interesting usually the main character is like a teenage or young adult but in Kaiju number 8 the main character is in his 30's i think you would like it and with a little luck by Marissa Meyer is my favorite 2024 release this year
I, too, am in my fantasy era and one thing I noticed to change in my reading taste is my feeling about romantic subplots. Like, I enjoy romance and romance books and my favorite book of the year so far (Just stab me now by Jill Bearup) has such a sweet one and I loved it, but does every single book need some kind of love story? I have read only one book this year without a romantic sub- or mainplot (Toffee by Sarah Crossan) and it was one that was outside of the mainstream. Like, stotries without a romance are possible. Why aren't there more of those? Or why don't we talk about them?
I agree it can be good to read some books with no romance. I have found a lot of middle grade books have no romance. Such as books by Mary Downing Hahn and Brandon Mull. Other titles coming to mind are: The Hobbit, All the Light We Cannot See, The Martian, A Monster Calls, The Giver series, Jurassic Park. Some old classic books have no romance. Terry Pratchett wrote his books with no romance or very little. I have not read a lot by Pratchett but a little in his Discworld series. Brandon Sanderson has less or none in his books.
1. Where sleeping girls lie by farifah Àbíké-Íyímídé. An absolute masterpiece that had me laughing, crying, gasping and immediately wanting to re read it. Major content warning though. 2. A book that disappointed me because i remember it being so much better, was infinity son by adam silvera. I wanted to re read the trilogy again because the third book just came out, but i couldn't finish book one. Idk what happened, but it sucks now. 3. I guess the 7 husbands of Evelyn hugo, because everyone kept telling me to read it. Im glad i did, its absolutely fantastic. 4. Moonraker by ian Fleming. I did a massive James bond marathon at the beginning of the year and wanted to try the books, i stuck around because i heard Moonraker was the best, but i couldn't finish. I absolutely hate the bond books, they are garbage. 5. The only other new release I've read this year is the girl in question by tess sharpe. But I will happily gush about that book. I love this series, the girls ive been is one of my favourite books, and this sequel completely knocked it out if the park. Idk if this is the end, it definitely ends like its the end, and if it is then i'll be sad, but unbelievably satisfied with this series. 6. First half. Well it was infinity kings, but im not going to get to it anytime soon. Second half. Not till we are lost by Dennis E Taylor. This is the 5th book in the bobiverse series which i read all of last year and absolutely loved. Ive already pre ordered it, and i cant wait to jump back into this world again. 7. uh... YA i guess. A lot of sci-fi as well. 8. Not really, a lot of my reading this year has been re reads. 9. Im 18/30 books on my reading goal. Im more than positive I'll make it this year.... I just jinxed myself didn't I 10. Pass 11. WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE!!!! I think it is right up your alley, especially because you loved ace of spades.
