Most of normal people is set in college; it's also very much about communication , miscommunication and trauma. The beggining can feel a bit like high school drama but the rest of it feels very much like literary fiction and it's very character focused! The best part of the book is Sally Rooney's writing, which I think you'd enjoy!
Its also such a Marxist feminist vibe!!! The majority of the relationship is explored through the lenses of each individuals privilege - whether that be economic or through gender. I LOVED IT!!!
Emma, I’m so glad to hear that it sounds like you are making progress with your ability to read! I’m also dealing with a chronic condition that makes it difficult to read physical books (severely limited circulation in my hands) as a result of having Covid in December. Your strength and openness has been truly inspiring to me. Best of luck! Also, thank God for Audiobooks and voice dictation for typing ;) Edit: I'm continuously reminded of my favorite quote from Avatar: The Last Airbender "You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." -Uncle Iroh
Oh my God EMMA! Your channel has come so far! I'm sad I fell behind in your videos again with all my crazy college stuff but I'm so excited to be able to catch up with you when things tone down! I miss your energy in my life 🥺
the first time i read the alchemist was in Arabic because its my first langauage, i was in grade six or seven probably and i loved then so much. i have also had the experience of readign it last month again and still adored it . its really a pity that i didnt get to read it in english yet and i just cant imagine how fascinating it would be💔
i cant imagine how beautiful it would be in Arabic! im going to start learning it very soon Inshallah so it'll be exciting to give the book a reread :)
I can just feel that I’m going to be watching your videos over the summer after my exams are over - only a month left and then I have a long summer before sixth form and I can’t wait to just chill, read and enjoy the sun 😌 p/s - your comment sections are always so pure and peaceful
Thanks for another gorgeous video! I love each and every single one of them Edit: Also a super huge congratulations for reading so much with your own eyes!!!! Not that there's anything wrong with listening to audiobooks, of course (and I really loved how you spoke about them a few videos back), but that must feel so incredible to have been able to! I'm just so happy for you
speaking of Normal People, i find you look so much like Marianne from the show! maybe it's the bangs :) i'm also verryyy rarely a fan of contemporary romance, and i probably picked up Normal People 5+ times this year before i could get past the first few chapters. but once i finally did, i absolutely fell in love with it. i'd recommend giving it another go at some other time!
I agree! I think it is one that people who don’t like contemporary can love. I think what throws people off is the blurb on the back because it makes the book seem like one thing when in reality it is so much more. The book is really not “plot” focused
Love your channel I am on vacation and just saw your video about the little library’s ! I’m going hunting for them today I’m Sarasota Florida! So excited 🤗😄
Tbh my manager at work is trying to ruin me since a month now. I'm always anxious when i get ready for work because of it and i have to go in an hour now. You uploaded your video at the right time. It relaxes me a bit before i have to be her slave again 😭💕
I hope it gets better for you. I have a tyrant boss too, both regarding his attitude and the work load itself. You're not alone, we'll get through it 💕
I just bought "normal people" yesterday. Idk what to think about it but I heared many people loving it so I bought it. We'll see how it goes. I can still gift it to someone else lol
i just finished it today, i read it because the majority said it was great.......what do i think? i give it two stars and tbh with that i'm being very generous...it's just not my cup of tea. this is solemnly my personal opinion but please don't get your hopes too high cauz there is a chance you could end up being disappointed like me.
I can see why some people won’t like it but i feel like it’s a book that at least most people can appreciate. Like the writing is so incredibly well done that I think it is worth reading even if you don’t care about the plot.
Got all the essentials. Coffee ☑️ Cozy blanket ☑️ Kitty ☑️ A new Emmie video to enjoy☑️ I honestly love your content so much. Keep doing what you’re doing because you’re amazing at it! ✌🏼
omg im so sorry for the planner mistake but i was so confused when you did that, i just sat there trying to figure out if i forgot a week day. also I LOVE YOUR KEYBOARD
Hey Emma, I absolutely LOVE the orangey-brown nail polish that you wear. What's its name/what company is it from?? (if you don't mind sharing of course) Your videos are a delight to watch!
If you appreciate the voice of the great actor you will love his narration of the poems of T.S. Eliot. I found it on Apple Books but I am sure it can be found in other places; it was produced by BBC Radio 4. Listening to it is practically a religious experience. Thanks for you channel, you do a great job.
Plants and books are the best combo! Thanks for sharing! When you have a second check out our superhero tag video. We tried to tag you in it but you're so popular you probably didn't even see it :)
I sooo agree with you about Neil Gaiman, though I only liked Anansi Boys and American Gods(fantastic),and even though I love Good Omens it goes only for the Pratchett parts.somehow I can tell what Neil Gaiman wrote and I cannot stand it(especially when compared to Pratchett's bit)do give American Gods a go, it was great,and such an interesting topic.
Yes, Baby Yoda in random places in the background. I went through a Neil Gaiman phase when I was in high school or college. I've read American Gods, Good Omens, Neverwhere, Sandman Book of Dreams, and Smoke and Mirrors. I haven't re-read any of them in depth since. While I loved all of them when I read them the first time, I haven't felt compelled to re-read them. Clive Barker, on the other hand, is very much a repeat-read author.
Eventually I really hope you read normal people again! I think it’s one that is known for being enjoyed by people who also don’t love contemporary. The writing in the book is just so incredible and I really hope one day you read it! (Or one of Sally Rooney’s other books)
love your vlogs sm, they're my fav! 🌸 Also you look so cute with this glasses, and at first, before you said you could take a selfie to try on these glasses, I thought you were also a model in those pics lol!😁 happy friday!
i did not like the ocean at the end of the lane at all either, have you read my year of rest and relaxation ? i finished it in one night it's incredible
Hi Emma! I was wondering that because you have read so much of Shakespear, you’d make a video on where to start with his works? As always thank you for the lovely soothing video, enjoyed it as always. Sending lots of love 💕
Hi, Emma. I love your channel! I've discovered so many books by watching your videos. I was wondering, what's the journal you use? I've been looking for a good one and yours seems exactly what I've been looking for. Greetings from Belgium!
I felt exactly the same way about American Gods. It was well written on the surface, but it just left me thinking: so what? Still the only Gaiman book I've read so far.
Ayy, I was super excited to see that you're also reading Frankenstein in Baghdad. I'm almost done with this book too and so far I'm loving it. P.S. Hadi is pronounced as Ha (same sound as the Ha in hat) di (dee) :D
SPOILERS FOR THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE(? Just to be sure!) ... ... ... I find you quite harsh on The Ocean but maybe it is because I'm currently working on a thesis using it as well as Coraline. Personally I thought that it was interesting how you could never be quite sure whether he was imagining it all or not and at times I really started to doubt the people around him. More importantly, Gaiman's treatment of childhood trauma was really well done in this book. It was respectful and poignant and as someone with childhood trauma myself I really felt understood and taken seriously. It's genuinely touching how careful and tactful he is when writing children's experiences and thoughts. The treatment of memory is also really nice (and perfectly in line with his depiction of trauma since memory loss often goes hand in hand with trauma) and the ending was honestly heartbreaking because the narrator had finally managed to remember his past but ended up forgetting all over again. It's too bad you did not enjoy it but hopefully you will keep on giving Neil Gaiman chances!
hey Emma, loved the video!💕 since you asked to correct you on the pronunciation, hadi is pronounced 'ha- thee' like the d sound is soft if that makes sense
Paulo Coelho is like "Paulo Coelio", with the i on pronunciation hahahaha im from brazil and feels awesome to know that a brazilian author is being read by people from other countries!
I TOTALLY get what you mean about Neil Gaiman's writing being substanceless. I read all of American Gods hoping for it to get good, but whenever something interesting happened, he managed to make it flat and boring. Every part of that book left me thinking "so what?". But his literature for younger readers is sooo good. You are not alone!
Your videos are so calming, I love your channnel! Ps. If it helps, the "lh" sound in Paulo Coelho is pronounced approximately like "lee" or, more accurately, like a "L-yuh" sound :)
Hello new friend!! Loving your videos!! I may be sending you an IG message in the future just to chat and stuff because your content and books and just YOU are so wonderful!
I'm so glad you said that about Normal People. It's been repeatedly recommended to me and I just...I'm not feeling it. I still put it on my tbr, but waayyyy at the bottom.
Not that i can change your mind but I would like to note that the book really isn’t about what it says on the back cover. It reads like literary fiction and the writing style is worth reading for anyone once you get into it a bit!
I listened to the audiobook on Scribd earlier this year and it was pretty meh. I like literary fiction, I live in Ireland in a town very like the one described in the book, and I related to aspects of both of the main characters but overall it didn't really interest me.
About Neil Gaiman, I think I get what you mean about this particular book. However, I would still say Fragile Things is my favorite from him. It's a collection fo poetry and mostly short stories. I like American Gods too but the TV adaptation messed it up.
