The shade thrown at goodreads is why I love this channel 😂 “everything has good reviews on goodreads” love the videos, hope your recovery is going well!
Hey Emily, would you ever consider doing a video on bookish terminology?? Like tropes, plot-based, character-based, magical realism, low fantasy, high fantasy etc etc?
I DNF a lot. I used to be the opposite- had to finish everything even if it was torture. Then I realized that life is short and my TBR list waaaaay too long. Love the dedicated bathroom read confession! We all have one, I'm sure.
I started dnf’ing books a year ago and it is life changing! My average rating this year is 3,9 stars but that’s because I dnf everything that doesn’t reach the 3 stars mark 10% in. And so far it works! As you said life is short and our TBR lists are too long. 🙈
Sometimes I like to go back to books I DNFed, simply because I tend to be a mood reader, and sometimes I just have a bad attitude about reading a book. 🤣 Especially if it’s been overhyped.
Please please finish Being Mortal! As someone in the healthcare field, it is so important to talk about how we want to be treated in our last moments of life. Obviously it's a super somber and difficult discussion, but end-of-life care can really make a huge difference for not only patients but also their loved ones. Gawande is my favorite medical author, and that was my favorite book by him!!
I loved Being Mortal! The second half of the book switches from talking about nursing homes to people of all ages battling diseases. It talks about how there should be more of a focus on how people want to live out the rest of their lives rather than doctors doing everything they can to try to prolong their lives.
I think Eleanor Oliphant is being made in to a movie with Reese Witherspoon. For some reason when I got that book (in my Book of the Month subscription box) I really did not think I was going to like it. I kept reading it at work and giggling and my coworker was like “you sure are laughing a lot for a book you hate.” It’s actually decent. Worth reading.
The Enchanted is so good, I'm not used to magical realism but I thought it was really well done here. And Eleanor Oliphant is great too, you'll warm up to her!
I haven't tried reading the life changing magic of tidying up or anything, but I was at Barnes and noble the other day and saw the life changing manga of tidying up and that looked super cute!
For a non-domestic thriller, I highly recommend The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager! I really love his books, but that one's my favorite! All three of his books are currently in the works for being adapted! Also, I love Eleanor Oliphant! It's definitely more character-driven than plot-driven. It took me about half of the book to fall for her, but when I did, I found her story really endearing! 💕💕💕
Anna /holdthepage I really like Riley Sager too! The Last Time I Lied got me back into reading thrillers after years of not reading any, so I'm really fond of it 💕
@@alinao4246 Same for me! It's been so long since I read any thrillers, since they often leave me disappointed. I'll definitely be readinf his future books! 💕💕💕
@@amn384 me too! I can't wait for Lock Every Door to become available at my library... btw, if you're interested, I recently found a thriller that sounds a bit like The Last Time I Lied - takes place in a summer camp. It's called I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie. I haven't read it yet but it seems promising!
Just popping in to give a thriller rec in case you haven't read it yet. I really loved Night Film by Marisha Pessl. Its one of those books that's truly athmospheric in the best way.
Reading in the can is real tho! TMI but that's how I sneaked books into my life when I was on grad school and all I read all the time where papers and research
Ooh, if you find time, definitely finish the Power of Habit! Only the first third of the book deals with personal habits, another third goes through what bad habits can do to institutions or companies, and another third looks into the influence of habit on social movements (if I remember correctly)! That was a really interesting read for me, I remember actually being unable to put it down in the last two thirds.
I loveeee the life changing magic of tidying up. It really did change my life! I flew through the book. Loved Maries passion/obsession and was able to implement some of her ways
I have a couple of books on my pile of shame, the one I really need to pick up on is La Terre by Émile Zola because I want to finish the whole Rougon-Macquart series finally... Thank you for keeping it real with us!😉
Books in the bathroom is totally normal. I actually had a toilet paper holder that had a book rack on bottom. It eventually broke and i miss it because no where else currently to keep a book safe and dry.
I really loved Eleanor Oliphant, but it did take some time to get into it. Marie Kondo had some ideas that I found really helpful, even though the book often felt a bit cringy. I think you can probably get all the info you need from the TV series (haven't seen it). Hope your recovery is speedy and easy.
There are 3 thrillers that I have read that really stand out (they're all YA, just a heads up): 1. The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich... it's about either a set of twins sharing one body OR a person with a split personality where one gets the day and the other gets the night. They communicate through little notes they leave each other and only the day version's best friend knows about the two of them. The story is told through narrations of the friend's constant video taping, the night girl's diary, and interviews with the police. Basically, they are trying to figure out what happened at this school a few years ago and this girls (or girls) is the main suspect. 2. Little Monsters by Kara Thomas... this is about a girl that moves in with her father and his new family and she immediately becomes part of this super tight knit group of friends. One night, one of the friends never comes home, and the main character is the main suspect for her disappearance. I was completely thrown for a loop when the final part of the plot was revealed, although certain aspects are probably in many other YA thrillers. This reminded me of a much better version of Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus (which was still good, but much more predictable). 3. S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett... this is about this girl who is a scholarship student at an extremely elite and exclusive boarding school. She and a few other outsiders get invited to spend the break at the most popular guy's house for his annual hunting trip party thing with all of his friends. And then things get verrrrry weird. I could guess some of what would happen due to the synopsis, but it really tripped me up at the end especially. There are so many weird and eerie things that happen and I loved every moment of it.
I actually dnf'ed Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine as well after 2h of the audiobook... It just was so weird to me? I never once thought it was funny, it actually made me really sad and in a weird way, was actually triggering for me, even tho I have none of her issues. All the weird situations she gets into, the waxing scene, the stalking ... Not funny at all, just sad.
Josepha Anni I had to return the audiobook too for a similar reason. Ended up giving it a try in print and found better success with it. It wasn’t my favorite book I ever read and still parts I didn’t like. Personally, I don’t believe the hype is real on this book.
@@RachelRamirezCaroline maybe I'll try the physical book, could just be that the narration made it seem so sad 😂 but I'm still traumatized from the waxing scene at the beginning and it's been nearly a year 😂 I'll need some more time before I continue/try again
I started to dnf books in 2018 and wow, it feels good!! I always wanted to finish all the books I started before that, and it was painful! Now, when I don't feel it, I stop reading, maybe to get back to it later, but, most of the time, never to get back to it ^^' I'm currently reading a book I'm not feeling; I mostly reached the 50% mark, and I'm hesitating … it smells bad for the book! Hope you're feeling okay! Love you and your videos!
Yes, thank you. I have not been able to sit through a single 'self-help' book, even when I needed it. I enjoyed the TV show, but when I'm in a mood to declutter, I don't need pointers. If anything, I need someone to tell me to stop or we will be sitting on the floor with nothing to look at because I just want it all to go away.
Challenger Deep is a great book for understanding schizophrenia from the mind of a schizophrenic. However, it's not something I'd recommend for most people, even though I really enjoyed it. The style of it can be very hard to get into, especially if you don't know what you're reading beforehand.
I usually say I have a book on "pause" if I put it down but want to read it again, mostly because everything that I DNF I give away almost immediately since I don't have that much shelf room, so that way I can separate them properly lmao On a TMI note, everyone at my house reads a lot so we actually have a little magazine rack in the bathroom where we leave books too lol
Speaking of habitforming and bathroom TMI, I literally formed my language studying habit by making myself do a Duolingo lesson whenever I go to the bathroom 😂
Wow I really identify with your issues with self-help books! 100% agree. Definitely re-pick up "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" - it sounds like you're fairly near the beginning and it gets way more interesting and important from then on. 👍
I honestly get kind of mad every time I remember that Henrietta Lacks/her family didn't get any money from the cells they used. For anyone who doesn't know, HeLa cells are really famous in genetics and cancer research because they proved that cancer cells can replicate without limit (which is not the case for regular cells). It's such a major discovery! They should have been given some compensation!
Four of my favorite thrillers authors are Lisa Jackson, her sister Nancy Bush, Lisa Gardner, and Karin Slaughter. They write about serial killers and murders.
Purple Gothic Angel I second these (except I’ve never read Nancy Bush), but I would also add Nora Roberts, Karen Robards, Preston & Child, Sue Grafton, JD Robb, and Lee Child.
If you get enough recommendations for 'non domestic' mystery/thrillers, can you please make a video because I'm over all of those type of books as well.
The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books and it totally picks up in the second half. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is definitely well worth the read too. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
I used to be all: I HAVE To finish every book I read!!! And then it really took away the joy of reading for me! I stopped reading for a long time, because I felt guilty or not good enough for not finishing several books, and I started a new one but knew I had to and wanted to finish another book I had already started etc etc. Now, I try to think that life will never be enough to read all the books I want, and it's definatley way, way too short to waste it on books I don't like or don't connect with! And since awhile back, the joy of reading has returned and I'm at ease with myself!
I’m just like you and hate magical realism, but the enchanted worked for me because I’d remind myself it’s technically just his imagination as a coping mechanism :D now it’s one of my favs 💜
I put down Eleanor Oliphant too and have meant to finish it because of rave reviews. I'll give the audiobook a try when you announce that you're doing this reread III GUEEESSSS.
you definitely have top finish song of Achilles. I know the heartbreak is tough but its a very rewarding ending. The audiobook was so sweet as well. You won't regret it!
I know it’s not the most exciting choice but I swear The Power of Habit is so worth it! Not only does it teach you how to change habits, it’s also helpful in understanding how habits are formed in the first place. Anyway, not saying you have to pick it up immediately, but it might be worth a look at some point!
You summarized it perfectly with domestic thrillers. It took me awhile to figure out how much I can't relate to any of those characters or relationships. Also just any romance prominent books are not my cup of tea.
I love how you couldn't keep a straight face while saying you had that book in the bathroom 😂 you should see the looks I get when people see me brushing my teeth while reading 🙈 PS: I hope you are feeling better!
My mum has a little saying “self help books only work if you help yourself” and I have to agree with her. I.e. You can read 300 pages on tips and tricks to sort your life out, anecdotes and statistics and feel very productive without actually changing anything in your life OR you can skim the chapter titles (or hell, even google some tips instead) to help you get your shit together and start doing them.
I have a weird little tip that helps big books seem smaller to me, and maybe it will help you. I look at how many pages a book has, set a goal for when I want to finish it, and see how many pages minimum I would have to read per day in order to finish it in, say, a month. It sounds kind of obvious until you realize that (my edition of) Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson, which is huge, you only have to read 43 pages a day to finish it in 30 days. That's it. Then I'll use note cards to space out the pages, going over if its in the middle of a chapter. Then I know I only have to read that tiny, tiny section.
Have you read Mythos by Stephen Fry? I have been listening to the audio version, Stephen Fry narrating Greek mythology with his added sarcasm and humour, it's great :)
I wanted to try out audiobooks but didn't know where to start, and i saw this recommendation, just finished the book and i absolutely enjoyed it, thank you for the recommendation
Thank you for this video and as a person who feels the same about self help books, I felt better to know that there are others out there not caring for them without being mean to them. I didn't even get Marie Kondo :). From your dnf I think Elinor Olyphant Is Completely Fine is a great novel (I have the audio version and loved it) - and the bathroom book is a great idea. I'm thinking of keeping a short story book in the bathroom now for emergencies :) I hope you are healing well and what a great eyeliner drawing (not a person who does make up but even I'm impressed with it)
I'm a brazilian guy and I like to watch some foreigners channels to practice my english. I'd like to say that your diction is so good hahaha so the content of your channel! :)
Have you read the Hannibal series? It’s super good and is probably considered a thriller/mystery series! Would recommend! Also! i work at a bookstore and constantly see people buying popular self help books like You Are a Badass...therefore i would LOVE to see a reading vlog of you just destroying it lol, it would make me feel a lot better about having to see it every day.
These videos always make me feel so much better lol... Fun fact: for anyone feeling particularly ambitious, mes amis francophones, Le Comte de Monte Cristo is available on Project Gutenberg for free, along with 59,000+ other public domain books.
I have the hardest time DNFing books I don't like. I always feel guilty or like I'm not giving them enough of a chance. So because of that, I only have 5 books I've ever DNFed... and I still plan to give half of them another try XD
I didn't love A Song of Achilles. I might've been expecting more since it was so hyped. Love love love The Count of Monte Cristo! It's an all time fave of mine.
Some self books I like, others I too get second hand embarrassment. If the Tv adaptation works better for you and you connect with it more then that's awesome! For some I feel like I need a visual or I can't connect to the ideas being presented.
Girl, Wash your Face ... 🙄🙄🙄 I got sucked into the hype, but I almost threw the book across the room after 13 pages. I finished out the chapter, but it made me so “ragey” that I just said no, and immediately unhauled it.
This Kondo hype...It says on the cover "the JAPANESE art of decluttering and organising", and, DAH!, I couldn't relate. I'm not even going into this spark-the-joy bull (my towels and toilette paper don't spark anything but are indispensable in my life), but I live in a terraced house in Poland, not an apartment in Tokio and experience weather changes within four seasons. The idea of keeping summer clothes in my winter wardrobe - the author argues AC is now omnipresent so we can wear spaghetti-strapped dresses all year round - made me roar with laughter. Fortunately I acquired this repository of knowledge from my library and there it went. RIP.
@@LexTime89 OK, you're right: it was suggested we should not change the wardrobe according to season, and keep the warm clothes in summer (the AC thing) and the light ones in winter (when the heating's on). ;-)
don't know if you'll ever see this comment. but there is a german thriller I really liked called 'the package' by sebastia fitzek. It's been recently translated to english. maybe you'll like it
Self-help books are not for me. They’re just a genre I can’t get into in book format. I might give the domestic thriller a chance haha. I feel like it helps that I don’t read a ton of them.
i recently started Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and i really like the writing and just how odd Eleanor is. Hope you can get back to it soon. I'd love to know what you think of it 💖
I also have a toilet-book 😂 Right now it is Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Books I can't finish otherwise I put by the toilet so I can read a few pages at a time. If I still can't finish it I DNF it.
I read about the same amount of Song of Achilles and gave up - I feel the same way about - I just put it down and never went back and I feel bad because so many people love it
