ANTICIPATED FANTASY, SEQUELS, AND LIBRARY HOLDS ~ June TBR 

The Howl's Moving Castle book is very different from the movie but so so good anyway. I love both, but the book does quite a few things in a more interesting way, and it's also just a whole lot of wholesome fun. I'm not usually a fan of light-hearted stories, but that book will always be in my top 5 novels ever because it's just so much harmless, 100% good and clever fun!

I love Howl’s Moving Castle! It really made me fall in love with D.W.J.’s writing. Very different from the movie, in a somewhat chaotic way. Much more fairytale-like. It’s a rare case where the book and movie are different enough that I can enjoy both without comparing too much. I’m super excited to hear your thoughts!

Note: The Howl’s Moving Castle movie is pretty much a separate story. The only similarities are Sophie turning old and stumbling upon Howl’s castle. Everything else, pretty much a different story and different characters.

I love The Howl's Moving Castle!. I also took your advice and read The Shadow and Bone Trilogy. I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner.

So excited for you to read Howl's Moving Castle! I read it as a teenager and absolutely loved it, I thought it was better than the movie. I did reread it a few years ago, and I think it didn't hit quite the same, but I still think it's a really good book and consider it one of my favorites still, although maybe just biased based on nostalgia from my first reading. It does diverge significantly from the movie though. The beginning is pretty spot on, but there's a lot of differences as you get deeper in the book.

I love the Howl's Moving Castle book! I've reread it a few times, and it's definitely a comfort read for me. The vibes are quite different compared to the movie, and I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts about the book!

oooo very excited to see you moving onto Unbound! Hope you enjoy it :) If you have the novella, I'd recommend reading it before starting Unbound. It introduces a few faces you'll meet in Unbound. If you don't have it let me know and I'll sort that for you quick sticks!

Great TBR!

I really enjoyed D.W.J. when I was in middle school. I should try rereading some of them now.

My goal for June is just to finish some series (currently making my through Star Wars, Bridgerton, and the dandelion dynasty). I just finished the familiar and unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I liked the setting, it’s pretty unique. My main issue was the pacing and the lack of character-depth. But hopefully it’ll work for you!🤞🏼

How many times does Elliot visit the library?

Juse tbr Warbreaker and Sunbringer!

Funnily enough I've just received my copy of Unbound and I'm so looking forward to reading it

6:33 I was reminded of Rappaccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne when you started talking about this book. Beatrice was also a character in Theodora goss trilogy the extraordinary adventures of the Athena club along with other fictional characters.

For now not planning to reading any of those books in June. My main focus is going to be the new buddy read that we're starting: A Soul to Keep by Opal Rayne. (It's a Monster Romance but it does lean a bit into the darker aspects of it, and it's inspired by the Magus Bride from what I understand. It's also book 1 of a 7 book series called the Duskwalkers Brides.). Finished Paranesi this month (which I actually really liked because I don't mind the idea that it's both Fantasy and Litrary. Storygraph had that tag on it, and it helped me flip my mind on how to read it and it actually helped me understand the point of the book. It's using the more litrary genre aspect to enhance the Fantasy Genre in ways that explores trauma, Privlage abuse, and the messiness of healing from that trauma that sometimes it shuts off memories to let the person heal emotionally and mentally to handle those memories later. So the Ending usually "unsatifying" for those who expected a more straight foward Fantasy when it's not that. Also the focus wouldn't be the worldbuilding because of the Litrary aspect as that's not the point. Having read Deerskin prior to this one I think also helped me catch that aspect as well. It also has a "not so satifying" ending in the different way as that is a little bit more straight foward in the Fantasy department but still not really "normal". As it's more exploring things that aren't worldbuilding and more of the emotions of the charater you're following and how the healing process from trauma would look like to that person. The two are similar in that regard. I also really like the audiobook for Pranesi.) Trying to finish Bringer of the Scourge Before the beginning of June but I think that may not happen with where I'm at. 40% our of 255 pages And I kinda read in a way that, while I'm speeding up, I kinda read a deeper level where I'm also processing what is going on and the details. Especually since I'm also going to start the Buddy Read I may have to hold off Bringer of the Scourge until I finish my Buddy Read if I can't get done before June.

I'm planning to finish the Dandelion Dynasty in June! I'm 25% of the way through book 2 right now.

I’m so excited for you to read trials of empire! It’s defintely heavy on the horror in some places, but it’s so good!

Hi Elliott 👋🏾👋🏾👋🏾 The Trials of Empire scared me so much, that I had to stop reading it. Did not DNF it, just letting it simmer away from me for awhile. 👻 The world building around those dark venues are very well portrayed. 🙈I really liked The Familiar...it was my first Leigh Bardugo novel. Love Luna and her theme music. 🐾🐾🐾

A Botanical Daughter feels a bit like a few plots from Star Trek: TNG!

I loved city of stardust! The audiobook is great

Can't wait to see what you think about Howl's Moving Castle. It's my all time favourite

I don’t know any of these! So looking forward

❤📚❤️ Wishing you a great June reading month. I'm still impatiently waiting for Poison in Their Hearts by Laura Sebastian!

I plan to read Five Broken Blades in June. I've been striking out with high fantasy lately though.

Hi! I am so excited you are reading Empire of dirt. I just finished the series. It gets better with each book! I think I will read Ascendant next. Definitely will read Howls Moving Castle. I have never read it. Thanks for another awesome video!

I have plans to continue the Howl's Moving Castle series and have had Ascendant on my list to read so I am excited to read it even more now.

Have a great month.

Empire of Dirt - title has to be a Nine Inch Nails allusion, right? Also, Nataly Gruender has a Medusa novel (also told from Medusa’s POV, but not YA) in August. I read a pre-release blurb that described it as “Neil Gaiman meets Madeline Miller” (and blurbs are, of course, always accurate!). Maybe you could do a sort of comparison video-unless Greek myth retelling fatigue precludes it?

At present I'm working through Jade City as part of our buddy reads over on the Patreon discord. It's pretty exciting! I also want to read Guns of the Dawn, for another buddy read. I saw you had a video for it, but I'll wait to watch that one until I've finished the book, I think. I also want to try and read a little more of Words of Radiance in preparation for Book 5 of Stormlight Archive! So much to read, so little time!

I have pushed “The Dragonbone Chair" by Ted Williams (Memory, Sorrow & Thorn #1, Epic Fantasy) to June, and will continue on with book #2, “Stone of Farewell”. Next on my June TBR, I have “A Brightness Long Ago” by Guy Gavriel Kay (Historical Fantasy inspired by Renaissance Italy) and “The Darkness That Comes Before” (Prince of Nothing Trilogy #1, Dark/Epic Fantasy inspired by the Crusades and I heard it described as “if Frank Herbert of “Dune” fame, had written Joe Abercrombie’s “First Law” trilogy”…).

I want to read a botanical daughter! Sounds so good!

I started the Ninth Rain a couple days ago based on your recommendation so that and then maybe the sequels!

Woohoo!!

I LOVE Howl's Moving Castle-it's definitely got some differences from the movie(mostly that the story is more in depth!). I just finished City of Stardust and was extremely disappointed. The characters were super flat, it was a lot more violent than I expected, and it just seemed like it couldn't figure out whether it was a YA or adult book (to its detriment)

PLEASE tell us if you enjoyed City of Stardust! I received an ARC of it but I had a difficult time getting into it, I always enjoy your perspective on books.

I literally JUST finished hmc 😂

I'm looking forward to the sequel of greenwild by pari thomas, the city beyond the sea.

Really liked The Familiar! I know it has mixed reviews but I loved this one, the vibes were great and I thought it was such a unique, intriguing historical fantasy 😍

I've just finished Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. It's great! When you get a chance, you should read it, El

Good afternoon my dear friend

I love Howl’s Moving Castle! It’s one of my favourite books. However I should say that the Ghibli film diverges significantly from the novel. But both are fantastic stories. I’d say I prefer the book more.

I'm waiting on last book of Ascendant to come out to continue with the series because I loved the whole level up type of magic system and Ashe and Holt just too cute. I'm quite hyped to get started on Justice of Kings and I might enjoy the different focus on books 2 and 3 more. I read The Familiar and was quite disappointed with it or I guess I can say it was what I was expecting since I'm not really a big fan of Bardugo, her books are just not for me and I need to accept that and move on.

Wishing you all the best with ur June TBR reading this summer 🌈📚📙📖📖📚🌈🌈🩷💜💜🩷🍄‍🟫🍄‍🟫❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❣️🪻🪷🪷🩵🌻🌹💜🩷❤️❤️❤️❤️📖📖📙📚🌈🌈🍄‍🟫💜❤️‍🔥🍄🍄🪻🪻🌹🌻💛💞💙💙

June my main goal is Dark Age by Pierce Brown. I usually read 2 books a month but no clue what that other book will be. I’m thinking God Killer by Hannah Kaner

I recently read A Botanical Daughter... it's pretty good.. though I could have done without one certaim part .. 🤢

I’m finishing the ACOTAR series and reading another book on strategic thinking. Besides that I’m trying to determine my next “fun read” since A Court of Silver Flames is an audiobook..: and I like to have physical and audio going.

I wasn't planning on it but for June I'm planning on reading LGBTQ books, primarily in a fantasy setting. There have been a lot of my TBR list and I figured why not now? One exception being the final book in the Fatemarked Epic.

I know you love studio ghibli and video games. I’m sure someone has recommended it to you already. But I 10/10 recommend Ni No Kuni! The first one has cut scenes done by studio ghibli 🩷