i almost QUIT! reading YOUR best books of 2022

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00:00 Intro
01:29 The Dead Romantics
06:12 A Psalm for the Wild-Built
09:55 Lessons in Chemistry
14:55 Funny Feelings
19:28 Notes on an Execution
26:48 Legends & Lattes
29:55 Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
37:05 A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
42:00 Half a Soul
44:35 Babel
51:00 Conclusion
people mentioned: ‪@ellias‬ (who also has a great review on Babel that i'll link below)
• babel was kinda meh, n... (review starts at 7:25)
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Опубликовано:

28 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 191

@bluebirdeyes Год назад

I like the inclusion of the little progress bar below the cover when you're talking about a book!

@chandlerainsley Год назад

thank you!

@aphroditereads Год назад

I feel like this was very fitting considering how lackluster 2022 was as a reading year for so many of us

@notthemostread Год назад

💯💯

@Sama-yd4cl Год назад

I think Babel was done perfectly for it’s purpose like you said and for me that’s why it’s a 5 star read. It shouldn’t be lighter or more entertaining or more fantastical. That would take away from the purpose of it. If it were more exciting I honestly think less people would finish it truly understanding the point. It would’ve been dangerous to her message to let peoples heads get in the clouds with other elements. Colonialism is heavy af, which is why I believe she wrote it the way she did. This is literally the only mainstream book that discusses it so blatantly - not written by a white man - and so making it just another magical series wouldn’t wake people up the way she wanted it to. If more people were well aware of this subject, she would’ve been able to be more nuanced but sadly that’s not the reality atm. Most people that read it and liked it found it to be a wake up call and it truly shocked them. That’s what she wanted I think.

@bluebirdeyes Год назад

I feel you about the women suffering thing. Like, things may have been difficult in many ways, but they don't have to be miserable. Even right now, there is still a lot of bigotry in the world, but there are also a lot of marginalized people living normal, happy lives. Some books kind of feel like they make characters suffer just for the sake of drama, rather than an actual nuanced portrayal of a person's life. Not that it's unrealistic for someone to go through a lot of awful stuff, but sometimes it just feels gratuitous. Those kinds of stories can be very cathartic, but it's definitely not for everyone.

@melissareadsbooks Год назад

I’m loving the progress bar you included in this video! I love when creators keep the book cover up while discussing a book, but including the progress bar too is extra saucy 👌🏽✨ The dead romantics was 3 stars for me too. I also guessed the ending. It was a fine book 🤷🏽‍♀️

@hslotfan Год назад

a good girl’s guide to murder is SO GOOD and the rest of the series is AMAZING it just gets better and better i hope you keep reading the trilogy !!

@nananananalu Год назад

Oh I'm so glad you enjoyed Legends & Lattes! I finished it today and it was so good

@-autumnfeelings Год назад

Finished a Good Girls Guide to Murder as the first book of the year and it was immediate 5 stars for me. And the ending was great to me. Everything was full with clues and hints and I loved the way the chapters were divided in normal descriptions and interviews

@evelyn10_18 Год назад

This is always my favorite video of yours to watch!! Thank you so much for the dedication;)

@Loonadance1212 Год назад

So excited to see you read the next two books in the Good girls guide to murder serie ! They are sooo good

@lem_moon Год назад

YAY! AGGTM was my big favourite

@lem_moon Год назад

Also re: your question at the end - I loved this book because the mystery made sense (to me), and they drip-fed it so well. I really loved the characters and found everything as believable as you can in a YA murder mystery where a teen is solving a crime. The writing had a good balance of descriptive and straightforward and overall I was just HOOKED. ps. they're making this into a mini-series on TV!

@emilycasavan8678 Год назад

I love the format that you used to this video. The 50% through and 100% through with the rating at the end.

@AmrutaRanade Год назад

this was so incredibly helpful!!! helps me pare down my TBR 🙏🏽💖

@billie4767 Год назад

just finished watching another video of yours (after a binge yesterday haha) because i wasn't seeing any of your vids for a while and this came at a good time! love that your videos are exciting, creative, and i feel like you are genuinely in a league of your own when it comes to the quality of your videos ❤ okay i cant wait to see your thoughts on babel 🤭. . I've been at crossroads with it.

@alyxandriaang Год назад

Omg haha so many of these are my faves 😂 honestly this is such a fun idea and you’re awesome for being so open-minded!!

@kziarko24 Год назад

I really appreciate hearing your take on notes of an execution. After hearing so many amazing things about, I have been struggling and I was wondering what I was missing. Thanks for making me feel validated 🤣

@melissalawson4512 Год назад

OMG I hated Lessons in Chemistry too! I’m so glad to hear I’m not alone in regards to the ‘book of the year’ 🙄

@jayweasley Год назад

So annoying😭 I DNFed

@austynhl9484 Год назад

I liked it, but likely only because I related to the grief and new parenthood aspect. I HATED how it was described. It's NOT historical fiction. It's not a romance. I nearly DNFed because the blurbs were so misleading.

@natatatrn Год назад

I DNF'd it after 5 chapters. I felt like I had given it enough of my time. It was marketed as "laugh out loud funny" and it was not.

@libraryofana Год назад

completely disagree about Notes on an Execution but I respect your opinion!! it's actually not just my favorite book of last year, but on my top books of all time. I pretty much felt the opposite on most points you made against it hahaha. I'm glad you tried though! always like seeing what the different perspectives are and how people interpret/absorb things so differently.

@ReadAndThrift Год назад

Glad to see this because I picked this up at the library today 😂 I’m excited to read it

@gracerracer3405 Год назад

I agree. I think it's supposed to be gray and there isn't supposed to be some super villain - that's the point. Often murderers aren't 100% all bad and do have terrible childhoods/backgrounds. I don't think we're supposed to sympathize with him but we're also not not supposed to sympathize with him.

@valeriarossini543 Год назад

@@gracerracer3405 yeah exactly!! I found it a bit strange that she wanted the killer to have a motive, when irl most serial killers don't have actual motives for doing what they do...

@ktxx22 Год назад

This quote from the text is, IMO the onus of the book. It’s a knock against the true crime/serial killer mania that is prevalent nowadays as well. “Hazel believes that a person can be evil and nothing more. There are millions of men out there who want to hurt women. People seem to think Ansel Packer is extraordinary because he actually did.”

@freyaalice9593 Год назад

Same! I believe this will be a future classic

@MoJordanReads Год назад

I actually looooved Half a Soul. I thought it was so cute and charming. I do agree that it's pretty slow but I find a lot of book that I love are slow and more character focused so it was good for me. I was surprised, though, by how many others loved this because a big part of my enjoyment was based on a personal connection to Dora - I feel like I have always struggled with how my emotions come off the others so I related with some of her struggles in a way and that really made the story more special for me. But I also loved how she and Elias supported each other and I thought it was really charming and moving, while also being fun and magical. I like a bit of whimsy and wit in my stories so this really hit all the boxes for me!

@h.j.froehlich326 Год назад

If you enjoyed the writing and themes of A Psalm for the Wild Built, I'd definitely recommend reading the rest of Becky Chambers's work. Her Wayfarers series is almost like an episodic anime like Cowboy Bebop, but with that coziness of Psalm. There are aliens, and you get to read from varied perspectives. Her books are definitely quiet reads, but I find the way she works through her characters very satisfying.

@alicemarie7000 Год назад

The next two books in the “Good Girls Guide to Murder” series are so good too! The last book is INSANE

@al700000 8 месяцев назад

I totally agree with the monk and robot books, they feel much more like part 1 and part 2 than separate books. They really should be read together.

@denissemondragon Год назад

Totally agree with what you say about Babel and the author trying to prove a point and then building a story around that. I had high hopes because I loved the poppy war but this felt so lacking in nuance. As for tomorrow X3 I think I loved it because the characters were so fleshed out, flawed, and human. I was invested in their relationship not because I liked everything they did but because it felt so real and I really cared about them, even the side characters. Also sometimes the author throw in certain lines I found emotionally hitting. Anyway, thank you for going outside of your comfort zone, love listening to your opinions, especially because you're honest and able to critically analyze things, thank you for doing what you do!

@CatalunaisReading Год назад

A Psalm for the Wild-Built was the only one of these books I'd read. Although some of them are on my TBR. For me, Psalm was a cosy hug, which is what I've felt reading their other work in the past. The enthusiasm and optimism that Mosscap shares for the living word was lovely to read. I did say in my review that I felt the story was too short, but having read the second instalment, I feel like each new book is going to be like sitting down to cup of Dex's tea.

@angiegomez8123 Год назад

I read a good amount of Latinx romances last year and FELL IN LOVE! More than just liking romance I really appreciated the way the connection I felt with the characters relationship or lack of relationships with their culture, language, their settings (some taking place where I GREW UP!! Which btw doesn’t happen often - from Bronx, NY) Even the touch of different sayings people through Latin America have (because fun fact, we’re all different) was super fun for me and really took me back. I literally laughed out loud when something my boyfriend always says (from Argentina) was said in a book!! (I’m Dominican for context so we speak a different Spanish)

@angiegomez8123 Год назад

I haven’t seen many people read these books or review them so I’m honestly unsure if you’ve seen/heard/read them but just in case here were some of my faves!! - Primas of Power series by Alexis Daria (#1 You had me at Hola; #2 A lot like Adios) final book in the series comes out this year! - Twice a Quinceañera - I think my most favorite of them all - by Yamile Saied Mendez - Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson (second book in the series one coming out this year!!! - can be read as a stand alone) - and one book that kicked off my reading in 2020 was Dominicana by Angie Cruz (historial fiction - I definitely wouldn’t call this a fantasy - a retelling of the authors family member living in DR and immigrating to the US during the dictatorship and the hardships of adjusting to a new country, battling culture and desire, and so much more)

@aliesbookishlife Год назад

Glad you enjoyed funny feelings!! I said that one since you already read and loved two of my other faves of 2022, love on the brain and waking Olivia!!

@LittleMizzLozZziiie Год назад

Glad you liked funny feelings it was one of my faves last year. I honestly couldn’t read this many books by recommendation. I just know I wouldn’t like them all and would end up getting grumpy cus I know what I like in my books at this point 😂 I got to the 50 percent mark on babel and decided it wasn’t for me - it was well crafted and had a good message but I had to force myself to read it.

@sarabrown9730 Год назад

I absolutely adored Half a Soul but partially because magical realism and historical fantasy is my favorite genre. If you don’t enjoy that genre, then I totally understand why the book would be too crazy and cooky.

@fayla8127 Год назад

i loved it too, it’s so whimsical & cozy

@victoria4 Год назад

Lol at my current read being in the thumbnail. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. Literally on page 50 but I’m loving it 😅

@jaginaiaelectrizs6341 Год назад

It's somehow so satisfying watching that progress bar.^--^

@Chelsea2023K Год назад

I'm excited to watch this 💜

@marigam Год назад

Love your sweatshirt! (I'm thinking about books!)

@sfs825 Год назад

TOTALLY agree about Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. I absolutely hated Sadie by the end, she took zero accountability for anything, and blamed everything bad that happened to her on Sam, even though a lot of things that happened were consequences of her own decisions. Ugh. I do not get the hype.

@dckim50 Год назад

So glad to hear someone else who really disliked Lessons in Chemistry. I normally love historical fiction but had to DNF this book half Way through. It was just so irksome and the character was so unlikeable. Hope you enjoy your next month of reads more! good news the new Finlay Donavan book comes out tomorrow which I’m excited about since the other 2 were some of my favorite books from last year.

@libraryofalexis Год назад

AGGTM is one of my all time favorites! Also the only book I read on this list. Some of my faves from 2022 were The Roughest Draft, Better Than the Movies, & You Deserve Eachother!

@user-wf9zg7jt2k 4 месяца назад

Thanks for the video! I felt the same way about "The Dead Romantics"

@bebella9005 Год назад

When I saw on your Instagram that one of the books was a 5-star read for you, my guess was Funny Feelings! This was a surprise haha

@typeonereader Год назад

So glad you enjoyed AGGGTM! Hearing Elias's review hurt haha

@margaretroarty4509 Год назад

I felt the same exact why about Half a Soul and The Dead Romantics. So glad to know I'm not alone!

@crystalsbookishlife Год назад

I'm here for all your thoughts on any book you read, even a favorite of mine...which I don't think any of these were lol

@crystalsbookishlife Год назад

Your passionate hatred of Notes on an Execution is giving me chills 👏

@jewelsbyjuless Год назад

I assume you used the books that were mentioned the most, but I would love to see the complete list from the submissions. I read 3 of these and none of them were 5 stars for me

@60sbaby70sgirl Год назад

I read Lessons in Chemistry and was really conflicted. I think you pointed out what I didn't realize was one of my problems with the book. It ends with a big revelation about the guy and his family and she kind of gets what she wants in the end, but did she really? I don't know what I feel about this yet. I've been considering re-reading it, but now I'm not so sure I will.

@sumpfmaus8887 Год назад

A good girls guide to murder, so happy you included it. I must say it has the best audiobook production I ever listened to. I highly recommended to check it out, if you haven't read it before 👌🏻

@t.a.summers Год назад

I didn't know that about Lessons in Chemistry and that's not my cuppa either, so I'm keeping that away and won't pick it up personally. I've heard mixed opinions about it in general. Notes on an Execution I was told to not go into without being aware of massive trigger warnings among other things. 😬 I know I'm not ready for it, so I'll put that aside for now. I definitely appreciate, as usual, hearing your thoughts on these, even (and especially) for the ones that didn't work for you.

@t.a.summers Год назад

I'm glad you liked two of the books I really enjoyed as well last year (Legends and Lattes and A Good Girls Guide to Murder.

@samcoleman7550 6 месяцев назад

i LOVED the first 2 good girls guide series ( im not gonna mention the third)

@mle2271 Год назад

Hi! Not sure I've ever commented on a video of yours, I'm such a fan! I agreed with most of your reviews for the ones I read as well on this list, especially Lessons In Chemistry. My top favorites were these: The House In the Cerulean sea by TJ Klune Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Soloman The Measure by Nikki Erlick Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister I hope you continue to make challenge videos, but I will always watch your content.

@itsjasminagain Год назад

I was looking at my goodreads and I only had one 5 star read in 2022, and it was Project Hail Mary. 2022 was kind of a blah book year for me, luckily this year is looking much better so far!

@hslotfan Год назад

please do a reading vlog of the rest of the good girls guide to murder series

@cynthialovesbooks Год назад

I'm sorry you didn't have a good time with these books. I haven't read any of these but I am planning to read Legends and Lattes and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. As far as my favorites of 2022, I would say: The Consigliere & The Oracle (standalone duet in the Valentini Family series) by Serena Akeroyd (it's mafia, heavy plot, very spicy, and I'd recommend the audio for this one); Praise and Give Me More by Sara Cate (GMM was my favorite of the series); and the Regret duet by Aly Martinez (enemies to lovers, single dad, good plot and spice).

@lmf221 Год назад

The Dead Romantics really connected with me not because of the romance but because of the family and the grief journey and the discussion of loss and the meaning of the lives that touch ours. I just found it to be really healing and optimistic even when it was almost entirely about death.

@clairex31 Год назад

I read that book not expecting a lot, but I came to like it more than any books hyped out by social media.

@dreenyan Год назад

All this video has taught me is that I can enjoy your content but not trust your taste to match mine at all 😅

@theliterarylawyer5304 Год назад

I feel like I was in the same camp as you. I wasn't a huge fan of Notes on Execution or Tomorrow x3. I dnf'ed Babel about 25% in because nothing was happening. All of the books I was hyped for last year didn't live up to my expectations which was super disappointing.

@null6955 Год назад

i was torn by babel too. on one hand it was cathartic to see characters of color take their fate into their own hands, but on the other hand she had to really force it. she wrote letty as a dumb b from the start so it just didn't even matter by the end of it. we were just told about their friendship when we could've, you know...seen it. there's a great nuanced story there if kuang didn't choose to write a textbook...

@fayla8127 Год назад

i agree about their friendship… the scenes themselves never really convinced me they were friends, just people who spent time together because they were different from the rest (either because they weren’t white or male). that’s why it didn’t hit as hard when the ‘friendship’ started falling apart

@joylynn0620 Год назад

I found Legends and Lattes the same rating and had a similar reading experience. It was just a delightful read. It's not ground breaking but it's break from my normal reads. I gave Half a Soul 3 stars. I believe it's also considered cozy fantasy but after I read it I realized that I don't like romance with no sexy times. Or with fade to black. Give me the sexy time please. I have Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Babel on my tbr. I think I will like 3T based on your experience though.

@karensamuel5616 Год назад

I skipped the section on Half a Soul because I bought the audiobook yesterday. Hope I don't hate it! lol

@katelynnbarnett9787 Год назад

I just finished Babel two days ago and I feel the exact same way about it!

@hannahhensley8497 Год назад

Well I'm reading Lessons in Chemistry for a book club in February and now I'm nervous 😅

@shiannebowlin2736 Год назад

Out of this list, I only read Babel and Notes, and didn't like either one🙈 I wanted to like Babel, and I really liked the themes and the history of languages. But it missed the mark for me, which I attributed to my dislike of dark academia in general. I didn't like Notes for reasons similar to yours. I felt like it wanted to take a stance and be powerful, but was very restrained, almost as if it didn't want to alienate either side of the argument. I haven't read the others because most of them are hyped and I've come to realize I don't have the same taste as the general population😅

@foldimarcsi7493 Год назад

I totally agree with you on notes on execution. I actually half-way DNFed it, because I was expecting something else with more thriller element and more content from the killer's point of view. It think is was marketed not the proper way.

@mariaklein9442 Год назад

What is your favourite man’s pov romance book ? Not a due pov, just a man point of view and story ?

@ranasafi4858 Год назад

you should read "as long as the lemon trees grow" by Zoulfa Katouh. PLEASE. Good representations of Arab Muslims characters and very informative of Syria's situation.

@lauraroethle Год назад

I am really surprised by this list. I had only read 2 and only heard of 4 of these books. I am not sure when and how you requested the recommendations but these aren't books I would have picked. I would love to see you do it again and hope I can recommend a book next time!

@RoxiriOrSokai Год назад

That's funny! Which one have you heard of? All of them have been extremely popular lately in different book spheres I'm in

@BLaurieG Год назад

Idk how I had such a good time when I loved a lot of the books that got graciously eviscerated here (Lessons in Chemistry, Babel, The Dead Romantics) but somehow this video has sold me on subscribing to your channel, lol.

@theblueiMe Год назад

Out of all the books, I only read Babel and also gave it 3 ⭐️. I really didn't have a true favourite last year, but I think one of them is Jade Legacy

@libby3461 Год назад

I loved Notes on an Execution but I can also see how not everyone would enjoy it. You mentioned one of the things you didn't like was the lack of motive for the killings but I thought there was definitely motive. Just because Ansel himself said he didn't know why or there wasn't a reason doesn't mean that there wasn't one. That was just his perspective and I don't think he wanted to admit his motives. Or he just wasn't capable of analyzing himself or his feelings to know why he did the things he did. I think this is a book that's open to some interpretation and readers will get different perspectives on it which is ok.

@Josieeeeeeeeeee Год назад

omg read the rest of the a good girls guide to murder series it’s addicting and the last book is insane!!!

@chandlerainsley Год назад

i definitely will have to!

@michelacarletti3671 Год назад

Totally agree with your thoughts on tomorrow x3

@jaimeerindy4573 Год назад

Thank god I didn't bother with Lessons In Chemistry. I knew I wouldn't like it and you have confirmed!!

@prettynino12 Год назад

this is def a me issue, but every time a white person on book tube reviews Babel and feels indifferent or don't care for it. the comment sections are always filled with other white people saying the most micro-aggressive and dog whistling racist stuff ive ever heard, and knowing that I think it might be time for y'all to at least put disclaimers when reviewing books by authors of color with themes surrounding colonialism and racism

@chandlerainsley Год назад

totally down to start doing that! what would you recommend?

@jiminici3351 Год назад

completely agree!! not a you issue at all. it's disturbing. it's also a window for them to be open about their reasons for disliking it which a lot of the time equals frustration that colonialism and racism was talked about so directly and openly and so contrary to their personal experiences in life. and just the most hate filled anti intellectualism. somehow when a poc who is a woman writes a book that isn't baby spooning and bubble wrapping concepts it's too much, it's not worth dissecting, it's trying too much. it's a modern classic that's already made it into curriculums and the reactions from some people are really really saddening.

@WestAussieDiamondArtReads Год назад

I gave Babel 3 stars because I wanted to see more of the language etymology side of things than the magic side although I didn't understand the whole sliver making/magic part of it either. I found the ending - before the last chapter - a bit anti-climactic. I would have loved to have seen what the ramifications of the ending were.

@clarecarter9172 Год назад

Totally agree on Babel-thought it was so smart and RF Kuang is a genius but it felt like a “fun textbook,” not like a novel

@JennyTHJRXu Год назад

I agree on Notes on an Execution. I understand what the author was going for and what people liked about the book, but it wasn't how I read it. The feeling I had after I read it was similar to your's. I gave it three stars and unhauled it.

@haleycramer628 Год назад

The issue with The Dead Romantics is it is 100% reylo fanfiction repackaged and when you realize it you can’t unsee it. I’ve got no issue with that but I wished I had known that going into it. Benji Andor was a little too on the nose for me.

@blueeyedgirlS Год назад

I loved the dead romantics, BUT I feel it would of been SO much better if we had gotten Ben's POV. Like where did he go when he wasn't with Flo

@blair94 Год назад

I agree that some books just do not translate well into audio, it can really pull you out of the story. Also, sometimes it’s the narrator that can make or break the book. I’ve had to dnf a few books solely because of the narration 😅

@cassiek67 Год назад

Oof, this was a dry list of favorites! I’m definitely adding Good Girl’s Guide to Murder to my tbr. I’ve only read the romances on this list, and I liked The Dead Romantics, and really disliked Funny Feelings, but just because so much page time was devoted to Farley‘s jokes and they weren’t funny to me. My favorite book of the year was probably Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez.

@chandlerainsley Год назад

such a good pick for a favorite

@heathers_happily_ever_afters Год назад

The only book I've read from this video is Babel and I gave it 4 stars. My top 10 for 2022 is: 1. Lonely Castle in the Mirror 2. Imaginary Friend 3. I'm Glad My Mom Died 4. Love on the Brain 5. Talon 6. Serpent & Dove 7. Daughter of the Moon Goddess 8. Confessions of a Curious Bookseller 9. Once Upon a Broken Heart 10. Only a Monster

@ruthiehawks3052 Год назад

ooof i have not read a single one of these books (and i probably won't 😅) some i haven't even heard of which is funny to me. my favorite books of 2022 were the 100 years of lenni and margot, we were never here, and the language of seabirds. they were my only three 5 star books but idk that they'd be your thing. (i'm glad my mom died was also a favorite but i didn't rate it and i know you've read it before)

@stephaniedefreitas1292 Год назад

I didn't like Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow either! There were parts I did like but overall I don't understand the hype around it. Glad I'm not the only one.

@hale311 Год назад

I am so glad you liked a girls guide to murder! Are you going to finish the trilogy?

@chandlerainsley Год назад

i think i might! my sister says the second book is her favorite

@scubacat22 Год назад

Okay, it was a relief to find someone else who didn't like Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow either! I don't understand why everyone is falling over themselves about this book. I thought Sadie was a very unlikeable character. She was brilliant, but kept giving her power to men, and then complaining when they got credit. She kept abandoning Sam, who continued to stand by her through everything. She was a terrible friend, and not worthy of his devotion. I also didn't really like Lessons in Chemistry, although for different reasons than yours. I don't know if you would like my top reads of last year, but they were Song of Achilles and the Heartstopper series. Feel free to give those a read if you're interested.

@chandlerainsley Год назад

i really enjoyed Heartstopper :) wasn't as big of a fan of Song of Achilles but that's probably due to my general meh feelings about mythology and retellings

@popcorn1304 Год назад

I feel the same about Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I was so disappointed cuz that books gets SOO much hype. I finished it being genuinely confused 😅

@Ashley-my2vu Год назад

I’m sorry you hated Notes on an Execution so much. It’s one of my favorite books of all time simply for how much it made me think about the death penalty and if someone’s always bad for their entire life because of one bad act. I didn’t think it was trying to sway you one way or the other on the death penalty, but simply make you think about it. And it sure as hell made me think about it. A lot. I respect that you didn’t have a good time with it though.

@mokimo1454 Год назад

Dead romantics was so annoying I had to stop reading midway😭

@Daisymayspeaks Год назад

You’re the first person who has said that fantasy romances don’t really work that well. That I’ve heard say it out loud. Because I agree. I’ve had people recommend me fantasy romances and only a handful of them are actually really good. The rest are just OK. The concept of a fantasy romance sounds interesting but most the time it doesn’t work out.

@mombythebooks Год назад

My feelings with Babel were basically that it's *right* but it's not *good.* like NOTHING happens in the first half. We montage over the friends becoming close so we don't actually form an attachment to them. Robin is bland. I just felt like the ending was so cinematic trying to evoke so many emotions that it didn't really earn throughout the book. Like everybody had 1 personality trait and that's it. Idk I honestly would have liked it more as just a straightforward essay on colonialism tbh because I don't think any of the actual story elements really added anything. 😬🤷‍♀️

@luxursunsets Год назад

thaaank you, super weird writing bit and cliche in some parts. really hard to form scenarios at some parts too.

@itsnoterica Год назад

That's exactly what I said! I would've enjoyed it more as an actual nonfiction essay rather than an essay disguised as a half baked fantasy. Don't even get me started on the footnotes...

@luxursunsets Год назад

@@itsnoterica tell me about the footnotes lol

@ChemicalPenguinn Год назад

ooh this is going to be interesting...

@Maddielovergirl Год назад

I have surprisingly read every book on this list so I definitely have some thoughts. The Dead Romantics I loved and was a five star but I understand why someone wouldn't enjoy it. A Psalm For The Wild-Built I don't remember a single thing about and I thought it was meh. Lessons In Chemistry I loved but I understand it might be hard to read. Funny Feelings was enjoyable enough but it was far from my favorite romance book of all time. Notes On An Execution just has a message I disagree with so I knew I wouldn't like it and surprise, surprise I was right. I thought Legends And Lattes was boring but that might be because I'm not a fan of slice of life stories so I should have known. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow I enjoyed it but I do think it was a little bit over-hyped. A good girls guide to murder was not for me Half A Soul I read on one of the worst days of my life so I can't give it a fair assessment. Babel took me a while to read I read other books in the process of it because I think it would have altered my experience had I read it in a couple days but I loved it and it was very revealing to me and I just love to learn while reading.

@deshonw7940 Год назад

Funny Feelings is the only book on this list I liked. Like you it was a 4 star read. My favorite from last year was Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan.

@chandlerainsley Год назад

such a good one!

@allisonmyers5874 Год назад

DNF’ed The Dead Romantics around halfway through. A dead love interest was not it for meeeee

@chandlerainsley Год назад

yeahhhh definitely agree

@porscheamartin Год назад

I wasn’t a fan of babel. It put me in a reading slump and was a chore to get through. I was waiting and waiting for it to deliver on its hype but it never did.

@kendall09 Год назад

This is exactly why I don’t like most non-romance main stream literature. People always seem to hype them up like the stories are so deep and well-crafted and “really make you think.” And the thing is, I don’t read to think. I read for enjoyment! And most of these messages that we are supposed to gain from reading these stories just don’t land with me they way they seems to with everyone else!

@avery3833 Год назад

Just some of my thoughts on Babel: I think Chandler’s point about colonialism being woven into every aspect of the story is correct, but it’s necessary. While I’m a white person myself, I have tried my best to self-educate and hear from others. Colonialism is most definitely interwoven in most aspects of POC’s lives, especially during the time period Babel was set in. I also think the monotony of the first half was a purposeful choice. Kuang allowed readers to better understand how colonialism could infect each part of one’s life. The slow beginning made Robin and the others feel so much more real and tangible. Without the long introduction, which still has important themes within itself, there would be too little characterization for the book to have impact.

@MelLovesMoviesAndBooks Год назад

its cuz you shouldve read my fav....bright like wildfire by juliette cross

@Life.W.Walkinshaw Год назад

I've read a few of these and didn't like any of them also except legends and lattes I first heard of it from Jordanline Reads... and devoured it lol but now I know not to red the others lmao...

@Ana-zz7hp Год назад

to me, it seems like babel is a gateway book to new or inactive readers & that’s why it got hyped up

@itsannalewis Год назад

What do you mean by “half korean american and half american-he’s mixed”? What’s half american? Do you mean white?

@MsAlyssaJM Год назад

I DNFed the tomorrow book. I thought it was so boring. I didn’t even borrow the execution book after reading the summary. It sounds like the murder podcasts/videos. I actually just finished the chemistry book and really liked it because I could identify with some of her struggles and it clicked for me. I also liked the humor in it.

@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm Год назад

I’ve heard such mixed things about notes on an execution. 😬

@asdfghjklasdfghjkl321 Год назад

I gave Babel 2-Stars 💅💫

@rainshadow605 Год назад

I love RF Kuang, but I feel like you don't read her books for a fun time. I've read all of her books so far and they're all pretty emotionally devastating and emotionally exhausting.

@chandlerainsley Год назад

i guess that's fair! i thought the Poppy War was emotionally exhausting but i also really liked the fantasy elements and the way the plot moved