I liked The Kiss Quotient (mostly). Both of the Coulson Whitehead books are great. Pride and Prejudice is great. Jane Eyre is great but it’s not very Horror-ish.
I just read You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty a few months ago and LOVED it! My jaw was on the floor! It will be on my best books of the year. Also Honey & Spice was amazing! Even though I feel like I’m out of college age romances, this was super cute! I enjoyed The Kiss Quotient a few years ago and really enjoyed it as well.
That makes me feel good that I have some solid romance choices on my shelves for when that mood arises. I don’t read much romance but I always need one once every blue moon haha
"You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty" is perfect for folks not really into romance (raises hand! lol). I loved it! The story shocked me but was a gem of a read! I really enjoyed "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" - although it made me big mad lol smh. Americanah was better than I thought it was going to be!
Solid TBR, and I haven't heard about Kevin Devine and the GDB in like 10 years, wow that takes me back to when I used to listen to them collaborate with Andy Hull from Manchester Orchestra. Anyways, for a Historical Fiction read you should start with the best of the best (since Historical Fiction is my 2nd favorite genre behind fantasy) which is either Pillars of the Earth OR The Warlord Chronicles. Good luck with your reading journey!
Funny story: I used to work at a music venue which had some sort of musical event every single night. Several years ago, my best friend was in town at the time & we didn’t have much to do so we decided to check out whoever was performing at the music venue that night. Kevin Devine and the GDB were the ones performing. I hadn’t heard of him before but we had such a great time!! Bought that shirt immediately & then listened to his backlog for months. The collaborations with Andy Hull are some of my favorites! 💛 In terms of Historical Fiction: I have Pillars of the Earth on my list. I’ve had others recommend that one to me. I have not heard of The Warlord Chronicles though. I’ll check it out!
@@scottieshereereads Yeah their band Bad Books always has songs just scattered throughout my playlists especially "It Never Stops", whenever that one comes on I have to stop whatever I'm doing and just chill. Well I'm jealous now, thanks for that 😄 Pillars of the Earth is next level, I haven't met a person who doesn't love that one, just make sure to give yourself a week or two to tackle that beast.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre, as you know. :) I have read Yellow Wife (hard-hitting, and so sad) and The House of Eve and loved them both. I really like Sadeqa Johnson, and I will definitely read her next book, whatever and whenever that might be. I read the Nightingale quite some time ago, but I did rate it a 5. But I agree with an earlier commenter - All the Light We Cannot See is an excellent WWII read. A Man Called Ove is a heartwarming read, and the movie adaptation is very well done. I am curious to check out Americanah.
I forgot that you have read Sadeqa Johnson! I'll definitely have to give her a chance. I've honestly only heard wonderful things! Just need to be in the right headspace for her hard-hitting works. I've also been convinced to read All The Light We Cannot See first. I own that one as well!
Frederick Backman and Kristen Hannah are two authors where I read a single book and just had to read all of their books bc I was so moved. The first Backman book I read (and loved) was My Grandmother Asked me to Tell You She's Sorry. I also loved A Man Called Ove, but not quite as much as the first one. Still a banger though. Those are the two I've liked best of his so far. With Kristen Hannah, the amazing book was The Great Alone. Since then I've read 4-5 other books by her and my other favorite was The Women, a historical fiction about combat nurses in Vietnam. I haven't read The Nightingale yet--like you, I own it but haven't picked it up yet--I suspect I will enjoy it but get books are more hit or miss for me. The two I mentioned are amazing but others like Magic Hour and Between Sisters are pretty meh. I'm still reading everything of hers though bc the ones that are great are so great it's worth reading a few slightly above average reads to find them.
Thanks so much for the Hannah & Bachman play by play! There’s so many options for where to start with both of them so this is very helpful! 🙂 Let me if you do get to The Nightingale & how it compares to her other works!
I love Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez!! Beach Read, Funny Story, and Just For the Summer are my favorites of theirs 😊 And I love Kristin Hannah! The Nightingale was so good, as well as The Great Alone and The Women. Backman is another favorite of mine, haha, especially Beartown. I’m planning to read Dracula this fall for the first time and can’t wait! And umm, you need to read Price and Prejudice/Jane Austen in general 😳😂 I listened to the Duke Classics audiobook for P&P and it was quite entertaining and funny!
I really appreciate that audiobook recommendation!! There’s so many versions & adaptations that it can be slightly overwhelming. 😅 I promise I’ll pick it up! Hopefully by the end of the year!
If you like WW2 books, I’d recommend All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr over The Nightingale. I didn’t dislike The Nightingale but Hannah’s writing is inferior compared to Doerr and some of the situations didn’t seem realistic. I also have Americanah on my shelf to read! And my channel name is inspired by Pride and Prejudice, it’s my favorite book! I promise it’s not dull 😊
I actually own All The Light We Cannot See as well! You’ve convinced me to pick that one up first. That’s a hot take that his writing is even better especially since it’s a YA novel but I completely believe you. Hahah I’ve heard others say that they liked ATLWCS the best.
@@scottieshereereads Yassss!!! Go into it with the knowledge that Austen is master of irony and satire. The first line, for example, is pure irony. Most people only focus on the romance aspect of her novels but they are so much more. She is making social commentary on money, marriage, social status in early 1800s England and because she is so skilled at it, contemporary readers probably didn't realize they were being made fun of. Virginia Woolf said that Austen is hard to catch in the act of greatness. Good luck! 😀
A few morning thoughts: One book that isn't worth the hype, in my humble opinion, is Beach Read. I share your mediocre thoughts for romance, though I pick them up for a quick, engaging read from time to time. Beach Read was a DNF for me - just couldn't get into it. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand is a MUST read in the WWII historical fiction realm. I haven't read 1984 or Animal Farm since high school, but I remember them as very thought provoking books. Papa J reread 1984 this past spring, so he could advise you better than me.
Oooo Emily Henry is so hit or miss for everyone!! I feel like one of her books has to work for me but I have no idea which one it could be. 😅 I have some other romances that are more interesting to me (and I hear more consistent praise for them). I'll likely pick one of the up first. I'll check out Unbroken! I haven't heard much about that one. I should ask Papa J what some of his favorite classics are!
@scottieshereereads just letting you know just in case you aren't into nonfiction, that unbroken is nonfiction about a Zamperini who was an airman in WWII who got shot down(can't remember how for sure) and it's about how he survives on the ocean before his rescue.
Also, Animal Farm, along with Parable of the Sower, feel so prescient for today's current political climate smh. Great pick at Orwell! I think Jane Austen is kind of overrated :-(
