I absolutely love hearing both your & your husband’s perspective on books. I don’t read a lot of fantasy, so it’s nice to get some good historical fiction recs 😊 I’m really excited to see what you both think of the buddy read book next time, as I’ve decided I’m going to pick it up this month too! Love the vlog style btw, it helped keep my Christmas spirit going 😜
Oh, well I’m glad! I’m happy I had the time to put the Christmas clips together 😄 And yay, how exciting that you’re picking up the book too! I know some people who are reading it alongside us have already started chatting about it in the Byzans app buddy read.
I'm not sure what I like more about this post: the fact that you agree with me about Uprooted, or watching the hysterical segment of Red Dead Redemption. Pure gold. :)
Petition to give Sean a microphone :D I had to tune the volume up high when he was giving his thoughts on All the light we cannot see, and then back down again when you were talking :D
Yes to more vlogs!! I love you and your hubs buddy reading and only sharing with us throughout and vlogging it! Cool idea! I had a difficult time with Uprooted, but I really enjoyed Spinning Silver. And I also really liked A Curse So Dark and Lonely.....I was surprised by how much!!!
Oh my gosh, I seriously loved this reading vlog! There were so many fun bits and segments that you added that I really loved. I really hope you do more 😊
Bummer that you're not liking Uprooted. I loved everything about it. It was one of my favorites last year. I bought A Curse So Dark and Lonely last year, but haven't read it. You've gotten me very interested in it, so I'll be picking it up soon.
I love listening to audio books, but most of them feel too slow for me, so I always speed them up. I had fun watching your vlog, so I hope you keep going throughout the year.
I’m so glad to see someone agree with me on Uprooted! So many people love it and I just don’t understand. Also I love the buddy read with you and Sean! All the Light You Cannot See is so so good! And I love seeing more Luna 😊
I actually really loved Uprooted, don't know if you've finished it yet but it really picks up the pacing towards the end. In my opinion the main character's relationship with magic was really great in contrast to the Dragon's as the world was telling her that power only came a certain traditional way and she was forced to navigate her own powers alone. Though my opinions may be colored by the fact that I love folklore.
Marissa Claire I love it too. It’s has a softer magic system than most fantasy books, mainly because of the folklore/fairytale feel it has. The MC had more of a natural affinity to magic, so it was something she picked up easier without it being overly explained. So I understand why most didn’t like it
I do like uprooted a lot, and i think you are hitting on why I like it--it feels like a fairy tale. Fairy tales usually don't make sense (in comparison to other story structures) but they do give you an atmosphere that can me mystifying and fun. It is such a different book than most of what i've read when it comes to feel. Thanks for your thoughts!
That’s unfortunate about Uprooted because I read Spinning Silver in December and... did not enjoy it. I was hoping Uprooted would be better 😂. I’ll still try it out but I’m more nervous now 😬
I want to read “all the light we cannot see” now. I have to say I love Uprooted sooo... we have to agree to disagree. Spoilers... I liked the first part which I find to be a delightful misfit genius apprentice story. It’s fun and sometimes funny. I did find the city and court intrigue part a little harder to read. I really love the way friends show up for each other as the story unfolds. Stories of friends supporting each other is a theme that always gets me. Incidentally I also really like the way our hero retires to be a healer of nature. I wasn’t to be like her when I grow up. I may have a few books on the subject of restorative landscaping and forest gardening.
I did like Uprooted, but I enjoyed Spinning Silver much more I think. Also I've seen Temeraire on your shelves - would be cool to hear you compare Novik's writing style between those and her folktale books.
Yes for more vlogs! When I watch someone on a regular basis, I always like to see more of who this person is, what he or she likes etc. I think vlogs just make every channel more organic.
omg, those moments form the walk near the mountains. like, on an intellectual level I know people live in those locations, but as somebody who's been living on the other side of the pond and only ever seen them in westerns etc, it felt like you've been taking a walk on a movie set xD
Oh, well that’s kinda cool! Those mountains are only about 20/25 minutes away from my house (driving). The clouds that day are not typical; they made it look fake! 😆
Yes, the market is great! And I’m sorry-hopefully you’ll like uprooted 😮 A couple of other people have commented saying they love it, so it’s definitely a hit or miss for a lot of individuals.
I love Uprooted! The first time I read it, I felt that it was super fast paced (in a not great way) without much character development. But I went back and re-read it a few months later and found a lot of little character details that I missed the first time because I tore through it so fast. I don't disagree with anything Elliot said, though. I can see how it is not for everyone. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I felt the character development is so subtle that you almost have to create a good portion of it in your mind at times (which is probably not a good thing, but I enjoy making characters into my own version at times and this book allowed me to do that.) I know the story it's based off is supposed to be Baba Yaga, but I was definitely in it for the Beauty and the Beast similarities. *Mild spoiler, I guess* I did take issue with the age of the protagonist. I don't see any reason why she had to be seventeen and couldn't have been aged up if the author was going to go in a romance direction with a much older male character. IDK if they were trying to ride the line between the YA crowd and adult fiction. Also, yeah, the "I'm super powerfully magical because REASONS!" annoyed me, but I still love the book. On the second reading I got more of the "this character can do the impossible because she's never been taught that it can't be done", so I was able to go along with it. It is definitely not a perfect book, but the imperfections didn't rub my particular brand of ready style the wrong way. Personally, I did not care for Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik's next fairy tale inspired novel. I felt like it was super slow and had too many POV characters, but a lot of people have told me they like it more than Uprooted. Maybe you'd like that one more because it is so different.
When it first opened I heard "cheese maintenance!" And was like what?! 😂😂😂🙈 Also, so excited you guys are reading one of my favourite books! I loved all the light so much 💕💕💕. Marie and Werner ugh my heart! Also LUNAAAA top quality content right there hehe, we always call Mauser the king of cozy because he always steals pillows and the softest spots he can find 😂.
Ohhh, the King of Cozy is adorable! That needs to be a children’s book title or something 😆 Haha, and “geez” and “jeepers” are a fairly regular part of my vocabulary 🤣
Luna's commentary is the best. :D How dare Sean--killing horses?!?!? lol I forgot to ask you -- do you speed up audiobooks ever? I don't listen to them that often but when I do I have to listen at at least 1.5x speed!
I'm adding A Curse So Dark and Lonely and All the Light We Cannot See to my TBR. They sound good. Very cute dog! Our dog loves to lick your hands/arms/feet after you've put lotion on.
I had bought Curse so dark and lonely but haven't read it yet. It seems I need to start reading it. On the other hand I think I had enjoyed uprooted. The second half of the book is much better than the first half.
Yes. YES. Same thoughts for Uprooted. I love the ‘powers out of nowhere’ trope (is it a trope? Who cares), but not wherein this person comes out of nowhere and saves the day because the evil cannot be defeated with anyone of inferior power. Meh. I wanted to love it... but meh.
A Curse so Dark and Lonely sounds great. I love Beauty and the Beast. I will maybe borrow it or get it once the paperback comes out. Your enthusiasm is always infectious. Hmm . . . I enjoyed Uprooted but I partially agree with you about the prince in the story. I couldn't get into it the first time I tried. I think he got off way too easy. While the Dragon's reaction was terrible, it shows what sort of person he is. However, I think for that Agnieszka should have called him out. I don't find the untrained girl trope as annoying as most people do and I feel that Agnieszka had more training than Rey did, and I enjoyed Rey herself (I don't like that all the men around her were so weak and she had no equal, but I like her being strong). I dunno, Usagi from Sailor Moon is similarly OP and I like her a lot. Ciri is pretty much the same as Usagi (they're both bisexual blond goddess unicorn warrior princesses who happen to be the Holy Grail) and much about her is endearing (I know Ciri was first, but I read Witcher after I read and watched Sailor Moon, so Ciri gave me Usagi deja vu). Celeana/Aelin is OP and, cheesy as the books are, it's a fun read. I wish these women would have both female and male companions and rivals that pose a challenge to them or are of some help to them, but otherwise I like a strong protagonist. I felt Agnieszka had that with the dragon. That being said, you should read the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce to detox. Alana is no Mary Sue. EDIT: In case trolls come after me - I'm no fan of the Disney star Wars trilogy or the way Rey was written, it's just that her strength wasn't what bothered me. I love Daisy Ridley in the role as well. I didn't like how little she was present in Last Jedi and that she had no time to train and bond with Luke. I favour her x Finn over her x Kylo, but I didn't like either dynamic as the male character brought nothing to the plate and feel that both Finn and Kylo were underdevelopment and caricature-like. Both were cowardly and immature in their own way and neither grew up to be the adult partner Rey needed. I think her having little time with Leia was a missed opportunity to show bonding between the two women. Wish they didn't introduce so many characters and plot threads and focused on the old three and the new three. Poe was a decent side character and buddy for Finn but Last Jedi was overkill, Kelly Marie Tran is lovely but she, Holdo, Hux and the Pirate alien were just too many characters. Didn't see Rise of skywalker because its expensive so have no opinion on that. Force Awakens I didn't like because of the conclusions of the original three characters' stories - too disappointing and nihilistic, but I had hope for the new three. Last Jedi I didn't like because of how they treated the old and new characters and because there were too many plots. Couldn't tell you who Rey, Finn, Kylo and Poe were after that movie.
I read that Tamora Pierce series as a kid! That’s definitely one I’d like to reread again eventually, especially since I remember loving it, and sometimes middle grade can be hit or miss for me 😊
Your points about the stakes never being raised in Uprooted is, in my opinion, also the biggest problem with Name of the Wind. I know so many people love Name of the Wind, and it was certainly entertaining and very "readable," but that lack of raised stakes, the easy and quick resolution of every challenge faced, that just screams "amateurish writing" to me. My biggest problems with Uprooted were the mess of a plot (no focus; felt like she was making it up as she went along), and the utter ridiculousness of the wizard. He was impossible to take seriously.
Elliot Brooks Truly; you are the first person who’s ever agreed with me on that. Most people act like I’ve killed their puppy when I share my Rothfuss feelings. 🤷🏻♂️
I feel like if I'm reading I should make my wife read or leave the house because she is always talking to me while I'm reading.... I always wanna just tell her I can't pay attention if she's talking to me. Edit: I just say this cause I see you and your husband reading together! nice.
Haha, well to be fair, I often want to NOT read while my husband and I are both home, and sometimes I keep talking to him when he’s trying to read. He does it too sometimes, but occasionally we manage to both stop talking 😆
I wear lipstick from colourpop! I usually do some mix of the shades magic wand and Alyssa, and every now and then I’ll have a little of the shade dopey if I want it to be a tad deeper of a pink 💗💗💗
@@ebnovels it does for the first few minutes, and then you get used to it. English is my 2nd language and I usually end up listening at about 1.5 normal speed, it's so weird to go back to normal speed.
I disliked the audiobook of Uprooted. I found the narrator extremely slow and almost robotic. It was tough for me to get through and I honestly don't even know how I feel about the story because I was so influenced by this...
Ya I tried to listen to it last year, made it not quite halfway. Dont remember if I just gave up on it or if a book I was more excited about became available from my library.
I tried the audiobook for Uprooted and did NOT care for it at all. I thought maybe reading the physical book would be better, but that uh...situation you mentioned in the vlog, that's a hard yikers. So I'll be passing on that and trying Spinning Silver instead.
