I've just read "Crooked Kingdom" and it was amazing - I may have enjoyed it even more than the first book. And the characters are fantasting in this one as well :D
I follow a brazilian book channel(All about that book) that day in day out reblogs your tweets, and I always liked them, your thinking got me good, today I remembered your tweet picture and went on a hunt to find you and your tweets about the shit stuff people put in books and think it's normal, then I ended up here, your voice is so soothing to me and you have subtitles!! I COULDN'T LOVE YOU MORE! ♥
Ahh, now I really want to read the Fairyland series! A heroine that stole my heart last year was Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. She can be aggravating at times but I love the passion and wonder with which she experiences the world around her and I relate to her a lot (I was a pretentious, motor-mouthed little drama queen child like her)! Perhaps my favorite thing about her is that the adults in her life all try to condemn aspects of her behaviour that are considered "improper" for a little girl, but they can't help secretly appreciating Anne precisely for those transgressions. Plus also I definitely read her as queer and no one can tell me otherwise. Her lady crushes are too real and too precious. 💗
I felt the exact same way about Lilac. Her stubbornness was just so annoying until that point where I actually started to like her. Blue's practicality is definitely one of my favorites of Blue's qualities, especially in the first books. In the later books, I feel like she definitely falls to the wayside and it focuses more on the boys. Nina and Inej were definitely my favorite two heronies that I read this year. I love their very different personalities and how they worked together. I see so much of myself in them and so much of who I want to be.
That makes me so sad about Blue! She is the star of the show to me, hands down, probably followed by the rest of the ladies of 300 Fox Way. I mean, I'll still finish the series, but I'm gonna be bummed out about it.
The most anticipated video of the whole year for me! Intelligent, and also hilariously funny. My stomach hurts from laughing (and I have a hiccups). Will drink some tea now.
Love love love this series!!! BYE BELLAAA. I've been meaning to read Six of Crows all year - 2017 will have to be the year! I loved that I could tell through your commentary that their personality traits were seen through actions and not just descriptions - that's always a big seller for me 😊
I'm still going to read Breaking Dawn (for the recaps) so I'll only literally get to say bye to Bella in a month or two. The good news is she'll be eligible to be THE WORST again on my list for 2017... It took me a while to get into Six of Crows, but once I made it through, I really left with an appreciation for the characters. It was certainly the best part of the story! :)
Wow! So many characters I really want to get to know based on your description on them. Especially the heroines from Serpentine (which I've never heard of and has a cool cover) and The school of good and evil. 😊
Serpentine was a solid read and it was fast and entertaining, so I'd say to give it a try! I think I gave it a 3.5 stars, so about better than average. I only heard about the book because I saw the author speak at the event and she is so lovely. Really just a ray of sunshine!
ooh, i'm glad you mentioned Signal To Noise because i bought it as a discounted ebook kind of on a limb (okay same for Shadowshaper and Serpentine. yay cheap ebooks that might not be terrible!) thanks for doing these videos, man. they're the best.
AH I just got so excited when I saw this in my feed. This actually made me start thinking about character development a lot and I'm really motivated to go work on my WIP so kudos to you..? Thank you! I'm really glad Lilac made it to a decent spot on this list...I feel like it'd be really easy to write her off but I love her and she's definitely my favorite character out of that whole series. As for my personal favorite YA heroine that I read this year, I have to go with Kel from the Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce. She is just incredible and means so much to me. She is THE role model that I would want to give to young girls.
Make those characters amazing! ;) I really liked Tarver and Lilac by the end and I think I liked Lilac even more for how far she came in my estimation. She really did her best in the situation and with how she was raised and just everything. It was admirable. And this definitely makes me want to read this series. That's high praise!
I thought this was about your favorite YA heroines for a second there and was surprised when the Twilight cover came on screen😂 I could listen to you talk about this topic all day❤️
Great list! Some of my faves this year were Leah Westfall from the Gold Seer trilogy, Abigail from the Jackaby series and Zhara from The Forbidden Wish :)
awesome video! loved the list, might have to do it myself as well. But additions to my list would have to be Ada and Corinne from Iron Cast, and Ferin from Golden Hand.
"The only thing keeping her in check is her own stupidity." I am choking with laughter! And I totally agree with you re: Nina and Inej - loved both of them. You are right to be scared of Crooked Kingdom. It was good up to a certain plot point and then, for me, just fell apart. Amazing characters, though, and I agree, the story isn't about a heist nearly as much as it's about the characters.
So.... apparently I had downloaded signal to noise recently and I didn't realize it? But it's kinda perfect cause I was looking for diverseathon books, and I'm excited to read it. Even if the main character is a pain. I'm also planning my third attempt at reading Illuminae. We'll see what happens.
Signal to Noise is a gem and I hope you enjoy it! I think I'm going to put up a review for Illuminae in January and basically, yes, it took me 4 tries in total before I could get into it enough to finish....
mynameismarines I'm mainly having a hard time following the storyline. I've been told to try listening to the audio while I read the physical book so... that's my next plan to try to read it.
My issue is that I would put it down and it was like the moment I did, I no longer cared about it. I was okay with it while reading, but when it was closed, it was forgettable...!
mynameismarines yeah, I can totally see that! I enjoyed it as I was reading, even if I was confused, but I don't particularly miss it when I'm not reading? I basically want to read it because 1) I want to know what all of the hype is about and 2) I did get a free copy at YallFest and had it signed so... I feel like I have to read it now!
***** I'll keep all of that in mind. Thanks! I think the big hurdle will be finding the chance to sit down and read those 200 pages at once lol. But maybe I should take notes this time around. We'll see I guess. But I really do want to read it because I've heard so many good things!
LOL I loved how you talked about Bella. Very spot-on. The weird thing is that I really enjoy it when people slam the Twilight series, but afterwards I can still be like '*sigh* I love this series.' 😂 Even though it's SO BAD. Nostalgia is a powerful thing I suppose haha.
Yeah, I get that. I know lots of people read it when they were young and impressionable. Reading it as an adult, though? If the bad writing isn't enough, there's racism and appropriation misogyny and an abusive relationship. I cannot.
I liked Six of Crows over Crooked Kingdom (which I think puts me in the minority), but I still think it's a good book and the duology on the whole is strong. I love the characters. All of them. So much.
I ADORE YOU N I JUST FOUND YOU! No one else has ever spoken my words of disdain for Bella Swan quite like you....-whispers creepily- I like your brain....mkay creep moment done. IM SUBSCRIBING
You didn't like Bella? *gasp* *all of the gasps* ahaha,jk,obviously.You're not terribly wrong at all though,even back in my Twilight days I wasn't too impressed with Bella as a character. Whenever you talk about ACOTAR/ACOMAF I feel like about 10 years are added to my life,I swear. YES,I LOVE BLUE SO SO SO MUCH,MY PRECIOUS NINA AND INEJ ARE MY EVERYTHING.I so relate to relating to Inej and aspire to be more like Nina and I absolutely adore your interpretation of Inej,I keep nodding.
Yeah, the biggest plot twist is me not liking Bella. ;) I CANNOT with her. She treats everyone miserably. She doesn't like anything at all except for Edward Cullen, not even herself. It's THE WORST. That's fun because reading ACOMAF probably took off 10 years of my life? It's like I'm transferring. I cannot wait to see how Blue ends the series. Nina and Inej ❤️
My daughters used to share their ya with me and I thought I would lose my mind with the Twilight series. Bella was the most self absorbed teen in the world and this is from a mom with five daughters. I am trying to read the Maas books but the abuse is horrible and I have to wonder if it sends young women unhealthy views for relationships. I enjoyed your list. Thanks!
HELP: I watched an Interview with Maggie Stiefvater where she behaved incredibly obnoxious. She kept referring to herself in third person and kept saying things like "NOBODY does so and so to Maggie Stiefvater", "Maggie Stiefvater NEVER does so and so". T e r r i b l e. Because of that, I don't want to read the raven cycle anymore, but I keep hearing good things about it. Now I'm torn between giving it a go or not. Has anyone had a similar experience, where you didn't like the author as a person but liked the book?
I'm planning this whole video in the next month or so about how "knowing" or experiencing an author can have an effect on our reading. I've mostly had the opposite experience, though: I LOVE the author in person and it makes me feel bad that I didn't like their work too much. Holly Black is one of those authors. I've always just kind of felt okay about her books but she is a GEM. I've heard interesting things about Chainani, but I read his book before I had a negative experience. As for Stiefvater, I've seen her in person a few times and I met her once and she was really nice! And on panels she is hilarious, but also, she's really strange. I think if she came off as obnoxious, it was probably some extension of just how beat of her own drum she is? That's a guess. THAT SAID, her books are very, very HER. They are weird and atmospheric and very in your face with their writing style. I wouldn't stay away from a book because I disliked the author, unless they were problematic vs annoying. However, in this case, if you find her obnoxious, it might mean a bad match for her writing, if that makes sense. That was rambly but that's what I got!
mynameismarines I agree, there are different degrees to "not liking/not agreeing with" an author personally. I started to question myself, whether I was simply overreacting. I probably was. But if she writes the way she presents herself, I'll probably stay away from her books for now. I decided to read Six of Crows instead. Thank you so much !
It truly was a rollercoaster with her, but in the end that felt pretty legit considering that she was stranded on a weird ghost alien planet, or whatever.
Oh, Lucia and Cleo from the Falling Kingdoms series; both could be so much more but alas. Oh man, Meche is such an asshole and it's so great and totally agree at being just annoyed but understanding her stubbornness. Inej and Nina for the win; I can't wait for you to read Crooked Kingdom to hear your thoughts. Love this video. :]
OMG yes for Alex - this whole book could have been better and I wanted her to be more badass and full of life. And I also loved to hate Sophie - although there's some problematic stuff about gender in the second book. Blue is one of my favorite characters of the year - she is SUCH an even keel person, and a great foil for Gansey. I kind of want a whole series just about Blue.
That book wasn't bad but I had really high expectations so I felt extra disappointed in Alex. It's so interesting that someone just left a comment on another video about how The School for Good and Evil was their least favorite read of the year and now I'm wondering if I missed something. I know that I've heard things about queerbaiting as the series goes on, and now about gender. I feel like there were times when Soman was specifically using tropes to say something, but maybe he ends up erring on the side of supporting the tropes?
I think the School for Good & Evil devolves as the books progress. To me, it's that Soman *tries* to be a feminist writer and is trying to push at problematic tropes. But it feels like a dude writing about how girls think about feminism and gender without actually talking to girls. I liked that he was trying to flip some expectations, but I just don't think he was successful, particularly around gender and relationships in the second book.
When you did this last year, I made a note to consider doing something similar. Then I remembered how many books I read and that sometimes I can't even remember the characters' names like 2 days after I finish a book and LOL NOPE. Sigh. (Personally, I think the thing I hated most about Feyre is her stupid-ass name. More like Fey-ugh.)
I always kind of want to push myself to read more, but not at the cost of not being able to retain what I read. I mean, not that I remember everything I read now, but I obviously retain a lot of details and impressions, ya know?
Oh I love Sophie so much! She's one of my favourite characters and 'Howl's Moving Castle' is one of my favourite books of all time! I just love Diana Wynne Jones's writing. Have you read 'Castle in the Air' yet? It may be the most perfect sequel I've ever read. Or you may also like 'A Tale of Time City' by her which I read this year and it was wonderful! The main character is a lot like Sophie in the reagard how she handles things thrown at her. And yes to September! I discovered the series last year and read the first four books so thankfully I have one left to read and love this year :D But September is so great and I love that she does things on her own and thinks out of the box! Love this Video! Xx
I own both Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways so I'll be getting to those this year. My issue is ALWAYS that I want to reread before I read on in the story... I have a serious rereading problem. But I will almost certainly finish up that series this year. I'm so happy you also love September. She's so precious to me especially because she faces things so head on and matter of factly. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
omg YES I HATE BELLA SO MUCH. I read the book when I was like 12 or something (all the girls in middle school were back then lol) and I was the only one that HATED her personality as her as a narrator but all the other girls loved her because she loved Edward it was a mess, and when I started out with ACOTAR I actually thought Feyre could be a strong female character but then when I got towards the end of it and by the time I started ACOMAF I just couldn't stand her anymore plus the book itself is just really problematic which really sucks because it had so much potential being a beauty and the beast retelling but now it's gotten to the point that is it even a retelling anymore lol
abookishfairytale okay I know this will probably just annoy you being so late but I have to say I agree soooo much about Bella. NOBODY in my VERY bookish family hates her but I DO!!!! And she is very whiny and pathetic. I do like acotar. The first book is very slow but there is a reason for that that is later explained. I dislike how maas' book series start so slow but I still like the trilogy
Your video from last year popped up into my recommendations yesterday and I was literally thinking: Awww, I loved that video! It's too bad she didn't do it this time. AND HERE YOU ARE. I agree so much with Lucia from Falling Kingdoms. I started sort of liking the series with the third book, but Lucia is a MAJOR bitch and her unconquerable powers make it even worse.
HERE IT IS! HERE IT IS! I want to keep reading Falling Kingdoms in theory because I have so many unfinished series, but I'm having a hard time liking any of the characters and of all of them, Lucia is the worst.
You talk about Bella's character and you mention racism, mysogyny and abuse in the comments. Could you give specific examples from the text, on which you base your opinion. I've noticed that people repeat these things about "Twilight", as if they are the truth, but the only justifications I've seen so far are obviously biased and manipulative - they take facts out of context, give them a negative twist, when there is a clear positive interpretation, and ignore the contents, which doesn't fit.
So you are saying that a bunch of people are all just manipulating the text/what they see in it in order to willfully see abuse, misogyny and racism in the text, despite evidence to the contrary within the same? Why? Why would that be easier to believe rather than the fact that Meyer has coded abuse, misogyny and racism into her story? To be clear, I don't think that Meyer intentionally set out to do or say any of these things, but I think there is so much subtle anti-woman and anti-Native thoughts that bubble up, from the way that Bella thinks about her friends and her mom and her own body and self and emotions. Rosalie's entire backstory is full of victim blaming because she was so beautiful and then in turn Carlisle turns her because she's too beautiful to be wasted. The Natives in the story, whose legends get appropriated, are always described as lesser and always have the negative connotations attached to them-- dogs, weaker, feral, out of control, unable to contain their anger, stinky, etc. Multiple times, Meyer describes Edward as perfect and in her list of why (chiseled, cool, handsome) she includes "white." Edward is incredibly manipulative. He controls who Bella sees and what she does. He sneaks into her room to watch her sleep, without her consent. He uses kisses and affection to "distract" her or he withholds that when it's convenient for him. He takes apart her God damn truck so she won't drive herself places. Jacob forces himself on Bella multiple times and threatens suicide to get Bella to kiss him. Bella becomes depressed and suicidal when Edward is gone and then we are told multiple times that this is because her love was super true and all that gets tossed aside when she is reunited with her also suicidal boyfriend.The fact that this entire series is based on Edward wanting to love Bella MORE than he wants to kills her (not that he doesn't want to kill her-- just that he loves her more than wanting to...) tells you all you need to know about the abusive relationship it is. Those are the examples I came up with off the top of my head, though I've written recaps of each chapter and am sure I'm missing plenty. And you can say that's all my interpretation of the text, and I'll say that your interpretation is to ignore those things and consider this literature worthy of defending. Agree to disagree!
I agree to disagree. I don't want to speculate why people do something. I am saying that the views, which you have summarized here, misrepresent the books. Whoever is interested, can see for themselves if this is or isn't so. I suppose you'll block me, but whatever. I don't see why you think that Bella cares only about herself and Edward. She cares deeply about her parents. There are a lot of examples for this. In "Twilight" she decides to live with her dad, so that her mom can travel with her new husband. She has helped her mom a lot, while she was in Phoenix, and now she does the same with her dad. When James starts chasing her, she doesn't run away, but makes Edward take her back to her dad's house to divert James and keep her dad safe. When she falls into a depression in "New Moon", she thinks of her mom and dad, and keeps going. She goes to James in Phoenix to save her mom. She cares a lot about Jacob and has feelings for him. She remains friends with him in "Eclipse", though this is hard for Edward and Jacob actively tries to ruin her relationship with Edward. She even admits her love for him, when she is afraid for his life, though it kills her to hurt Edward like this. Bella cares deeply for Edward's family, too. Besides her love for Edward, the other reason for her wish to become a vampire is that she will be a part of his family, and that she will be able to defend herself, so that Edward and his family won't risk their lives for her. I don't see an anti-woman and anti-Native subtext in Bella''s attitude to her friends, her mom and herself. She treats the Native Americans in the same friendly and respectful way as she treats everyone else. She is friends with Jacob and the pack. She cares about Jacob very much. I wrote about him and her mom above. She is friends with both boys and girls and treats them equally. Alice is her best friend in Forks. She loves Esme. She is also friendly with Emily and Angela. I also don't see an anti-woman subtext in Bella's attitude to herself. She holds herself to high standards and is successful in achieving her goals. She is smart, hard-working, sensitive and kind to everyone. She is self-reliant, organized, brave, a decision-maker. She does well at school, takes AP classes, works and saves money for college, helps her mom and dad a lot in the housework, she has interests in literature. She thinks she is not good enough for Edward, and she has her reasons for this, when she compares her 17- year-old self with no extraordinary beauty and abilities, to a person with amazing supernatural and personal abilities and appeal, a mind-reader with a 100 years of learning and experience. She suffers from a mental disorder after the break-up (depression, hallucinations), which is something, which may happen in real life. However, she is not suicidal, she keeps going. She does not think of dying, when she jumps off the cliff. It's reckless, but she doesn't want to die. "Rosalie's entire backstory is full of victim blaming because she was so beautiful and then in turn Carlisle turns her because she's too beautiful to be wasted." - In the books Rosalie's story is presented as a terrible crime, a tragedy, the blame is on the rapists, and Rosalie's revenge is justice. The focus is on how much Rosalie has lost and what it has done to her. There is nothing but sympathy and grief, and this is what Bella feels, when she hears her story. This is what Carlisle says: “I couldn’t just let her die,’ Carlisle said quietly. ‘It was too much - too horrible, too much waste." You think this means that she was too beautiful to be wasted. I think it's like she had everything on her side, she had youth, beauty, hopes for the future, and a chance to make them come true, and all this has been wasted. Carlisle turns her, when he sees that she would die, and he hopes that she and Edward can be together and Edward will not be alone anymore. Edward is not impressed by her beauty, for him she is a problem, because she is very recognizable. "The Natives in the story, whose legends get appropriated, are always described as lesser and always have the negative connotations attached to them-- dogs, weaker, feral, out of control, unable to contain their anger, stinky, etc." - It's not all the natives, but the werewolves that are described as "dogs, weaker...stinky." They are described in this way by the vampires - their natural enemies. Young werewolves have anger issues. It's not that they are unable to control their anger, it's that they can't control their shifting, when they are angry. They suddenly shift and whoever is near, may be hurt. There is no active violence. The werewolves see the vampires in a similar way - weaker, "leeches", "bloodsuckers", can't control their bloodlust, stink. One of the main themes of the story is how the werewolves and the Cullens go beyond their prejudices and get to know and trust each other. The idea that one needs to get beyond one's prejudices about a certain group, to know the real persons and see what they are like, is developed in the relationships of Bella, Seth, and Jacob with the Cullens. There is also Charlie (a white chief of police, no less), whose best friends are Native Americans and who refuses to treat the Cullens with prejudice. These facts speak against a racist subtext. "Multiple times, Meyer describes Edward as perfect and in her list of why (chiseled, cool, handsome) she includes "white." - All the vamps are strikingly beautiful, not only the Caucasian. Besides, Meyer describes Edward through the eyes of a girl deeply in love. If it has happened to you, you know that when you love somebody, you don't see them even physically the way other people see them. You can't take your eyes away from them. I think this is where the repetitions of "perfect" come from. He is a vampire, a white skin and body as if made of marble (pale, bloodless) are a part of his appearance the same as the color of his eyes and hair. If Bella had loved a vampire from another race, he would have been beautiful and "perfect" in her eyes, too. To seek a subtext in that feels as far-fetched as it gets. "He controls who Bella sees", he doesn't let her "drive herself places" - Actually he wants her to stop going to La Push, where all the young werewolves live, because it is dangerous for her (example - Emily). That's why he disables her truck once and then asks Alice to keep her at their house, while he is away. You know how this ends - they argue, Bella stands for herself, and Edward accepts her opinion that it's not so dangerous, and her decision to keep seeing her friend Jacob. So Edward starts driving her to and from La Push himself, even though Jacob is his rival for Bella and actively tries to ruin their relationship. Edward puts Bella's well-being first every single time. Idk how this behavior can be seen as abusive. He tolerates Jacob and is ready to give up Bella if she chooses Jacob. He doesn't accuse her and make her feel guilty about Jacob. This is not what an abuser would do. "He sneaks into her room to watch her sleep, without her consent." - Yeah, but again, his reasons are important. Edward is not a stranger, a rejected guy or a guy with no chances. He is the most appealing guy at school. He doesn't need to stalk her in order to be in her life. For her own good, at that time he abstains from having anything to do with her, which would have been easy, if he had wanted. The only thing he allows himself in his despair is to watch her sleep and listen to her talk in her sleep. In the books he does this for several days, and admits it to her afterwards. "He uses kisses and affection to "distract" her" - he does that when she is afraid of travelling on his back through the forest, and when he wants her to agree to marry him and have sex later, because of his religious upbringing and fear for his and her souls. "The fact that this entire series is based on Edward wanting to love Bella MORE than he wants to kills her (not that he doesn't want to kill her-- just that he loves her more than wanting to...) tells you all you need to know about the abusive relationship it is."" - He has to fight his bloodlust and deny himself instant gratification every single moment in order to be with her. It's the opposite of abuse - selflessness, sacrifice. He overcomes his nature, retains his humanity, and does everything it takes for them to be together. In "Eclipse" he has changed and has really got over the bloodlust for Bella, because of the horror he has been through, when he thought she was dead in "New Moon".
mynameismarines This. 100% this. Maybe it's because I wasn't the target audience, but I never understood the appeal of these books. I read them (up until Bella miraculously becomes impregnated by 150-year old dead sperm...then the book went flying across the room) and just did not get why so many people were obsessed with these books. Bella is absolutely horrid. Becoming so depressed after your high school boyfriend dumps you that you start putting yourself in dangerous situations just because? That is NOT something that should be romanticized. That's not love, it's obsession, and it's not cute.
when you talked about nina and inej i started crying lololol you perfectly described why i love them and it just got to me
❤️
I feel this in my soul, mainly because I cry a lot.
I'M SO SCARED TO READ CROOKED KINGDOM.
I've just read "Crooked Kingdom" and it was amazing - I may have enjoyed it even more than the first book. And the characters are fantasting in this one as well :D
Inej and Nina are goals and beautiful and amazing and I just love them so much.
I really REALLY like the way you think.
lol, THANK YOU. ❤️
I follow a brazilian book channel(All about that book) that day in day out reblogs your tweets, and I always liked them, your thinking got me good, today I remembered your tweet picture and went on a hunt to find you and your tweets about the shit stuff people put in books and think it's normal, then I ended up here, your voice is so soothing to me and you have subtitles!! I COULDN'T LOVE YOU MORE! ♥
Ahh, now I really want to read the Fairyland series!
A heroine that stole my heart last year was Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. She can be aggravating at times but I love the passion and wonder with which she experiences the world around her and I relate to her a lot (I was a pretentious, motor-mouthed little drama queen child like her)! Perhaps my favorite thing about her is that the adults in her life all try to condemn aspects of her behaviour that are considered "improper" for a little girl, but they can't help secretly appreciating Anne precisely for those transgressions. Plus also I definitely read her as queer and no one can tell me otherwise. Her lady crushes are too real and too precious. 💗
nokiddingbrainless Anne is the best!
If you like Anne, read Emily of New Moon! And then after that, read The Blue Castle! Montgomery does such awesome stuff with heroines.
I love the way you can rant about books without being overly negative and give specific reasoning. New subscriber!
Thank you so much! I appreciate the subscription. :)
I felt the exact same way about Lilac. Her stubbornness was just so annoying until that point where I actually started to like her.
Blue's practicality is definitely one of my favorites of Blue's qualities, especially in the first books. In the later books, I feel like she definitely falls to the wayside and it focuses more on the boys.
Nina and Inej were definitely my favorite two heronies that I read this year. I love their very different personalities and how they worked together. I see so much of myself in them and so much of who I want to be.
That makes me so sad about Blue! She is the star of the show to me, hands down, probably followed by the rest of the ladies of 300 Fox Way. I mean, I'll still finish the series, but I'm gonna be bummed out about it.
Have you considered creating a YA Heroine Hall of Fame?
A wonderful idea! I can induct characters in once I've read through the series and they are no longer eligible for my yearly list. ;)
The most anticipated video of the whole year for me! Intelligent, and also hilariously funny. My stomach hurts from laughing (and I have a hiccups). Will drink some tea now.
This is such a high compliment! I love to make people laugh.
I appreciate it (and you) so much. ❤️
Love love love this series!!! BYE BELLAAA. I've been meaning to read Six of Crows all year - 2017 will have to be the year! I loved that I could tell through your commentary that their personality traits were seen through actions and not just descriptions - that's always a big seller for me 😊
I'm still going to read Breaking Dawn (for the recaps) so I'll only literally get to say bye to Bella in a month or two. The good news is she'll be eligible to be THE WORST again on my list for 2017...
It took me a while to get into Six of Crows, but once I made it through, I really left with an appreciation for the characters. It was certainly the best part of the story! :)
Wow! So many characters I really want to get to know based on your description on them. Especially the heroines from Serpentine (which I've never heard of and has a cool cover) and The school of good and evil. 😊
Serpentine was a solid read and it was fast and entertaining, so I'd say to give it a try! I think I gave it a 3.5 stars, so about better than average. I only heard about the book because I saw the author speak at the event and she is so lovely. Really just a ray of sunshine!
ooh, i'm glad you mentioned Signal To Noise because i bought it as a discounted ebook kind of on a limb (okay same for Shadowshaper and Serpentine. yay cheap ebooks that might not be terrible!)
thanks for doing these videos, man. they're the best.
LOVE this idea for a video. a topic that's so important to talk about. also ps, you're super pretty.
Six of Crows was the last book I finished in 2016 and yes. Yes yes yes. I loved Bardugo's character development.
The group dynamic was my most favorite thing about the whole book. It made me volunteer for a heist...
I loved this video!! It was such a creative way of ranking books. I absolutely adore Nina! She is definitely one of my favorite female characters.
Thank you! And Nina deserves all the love.
AH I just got so excited when I saw this in my feed. This actually made me start thinking about character development a lot and I'm really motivated to go work on my WIP so kudos to you..? Thank you!
I'm really glad Lilac made it to a decent spot on this list...I feel like it'd be really easy to write her off but I love her and she's definitely my favorite character out of that whole series.
As for my personal favorite YA heroine that I read this year, I have to go with Kel from the Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce. She is just incredible and means so much to me. She is THE role model that I would want to give to young girls.
Make those characters amazing! ;)
I really liked Tarver and Lilac by the end and I think I liked Lilac even more for how far she came in my estimation. She really did her best in the situation and with how she was raised and just everything. It was admirable.
And this definitely makes me want to read this series. That's high praise!
Inej and Nina are my Queens 😭😭😭😭🙌👑💯
I thought this was about your favorite YA heroines for a second there and was surprised when the Twilight cover came on screen😂 I could listen to you talk about this topic all day❤️
Great list! Some of my faves this year were Leah Westfall from the Gold Seer trilogy, Abigail from the Jackaby series and Zhara from The Forbidden Wish :)
Thank you for sharing! I haven't read these, but I am interested in The Forbidden Wish! :)
I hope you enjoy it. She crafts her own story wonderfully, very original I think
I've been looking for some YA recs, so this was great. I added Serpentine and Howl's Moving Castle to my TBR!
awesome video! loved the list, might have to do it myself as well. But additions to my list would have to be Ada and Corinne from Iron Cast, and Ferin from Golden Hand.
Thank you! It's fun to think of your reading in this way, for sure.
"The only thing keeping her in check is her own stupidity." I am choking with laughter!
And I totally agree with you re: Nina and Inej - loved both of them. You are right to be scared of Crooked Kingdom. It was good up to a certain plot point and then, for me, just fell apart. Amazing characters, though, and I agree, the story isn't about a heist nearly as much as it's about the characters.
Loved this video! Such a creative list.
ik this is 3 years old but i just started the video and i love ur lipstick!!
Great Video. Happy New Year !!!
Thank you so much and to you as well! Much happiness to you in 2017 :)
I loved this video. thank you for sharing. have you read the red rising series? I think you'd enjoy it!
THIS IS GOLD!!!!
❤️
I love this video so much!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed. 😊
So.... apparently I had downloaded signal to noise recently and I didn't realize it? But it's kinda perfect cause I was looking for diverseathon books, and I'm excited to read it. Even if the main character is a pain. I'm also planning my third attempt at reading Illuminae. We'll see what happens.
Signal to Noise is a gem and I hope you enjoy it! I think I'm going to put up a review for Illuminae in January and basically, yes, it took me 4 tries in total before I could get into it enough to finish....
mynameismarines I'm mainly having a hard time following the storyline. I've been told to try listening to the audio while I read the physical book so... that's my next plan to try to read it.
My issue is that I would put it down and it was like the moment I did, I no longer cared about it. I was okay with it while reading, but when it was closed, it was forgettable...!
mynameismarines yeah, I can totally see that! I enjoyed it as I was reading, even if I was confused, but I don't particularly miss it when I'm not reading? I basically want to read it because 1) I want to know what all of the hype is about and 2) I did get a free copy at YallFest and had it signed so... I feel like I have to read it now!
***** I'll keep all of that in mind. Thanks! I think the big hurdle will be finding the chance to sit down and read those 200 pages at once lol. But maybe I should take notes this time around. We'll see I guess. But I really do want to read it because I've heard so many good things!
Even in 2018 every time I hear someone drag twilight I get fully invested
LOL I loved how you talked about Bella. Very spot-on. The weird thing is that I really enjoy it when people slam the Twilight series, but afterwards I can still be like '*sigh* I love this series.' 😂 Even though it's SO BAD. Nostalgia is a powerful thing I suppose haha.
Yeah, I get that. I know lots of people read it when they were young and impressionable. Reading it as an adult, though? If the bad writing isn't enough, there's racism and appropriation misogyny and an abusive relationship. I cannot.
I have to say I completely agree with your opinion on Sophie!
I liked Six of Crows over Crooked Kingdom (which I think puts me in the minority), but I still think it's a good book and the duology on the whole is strong. I love the characters. All of them. So much.
I ADORE YOU N I JUST FOUND YOU! No one else has ever spoken my words of disdain for Bella Swan quite like you....-whispers creepily- I like your brain....mkay creep moment done. IM SUBSCRIBING
You didn't like Bella? *gasp* *all of the gasps* ahaha,jk,obviously.You're not terribly wrong at all though,even back in my Twilight days I wasn't too impressed with Bella as a character.
Whenever you talk about ACOTAR/ACOMAF I feel like about 10 years are added to my life,I swear.
YES,I LOVE BLUE SO SO SO MUCH,MY PRECIOUS
NINA AND INEJ ARE MY EVERYTHING.I so relate to relating to Inej and aspire to be more like Nina and I absolutely adore your interpretation of Inej,I keep nodding.
Yeah, the biggest plot twist is me not liking Bella. ;)
I CANNOT with her. She treats everyone miserably. She doesn't like anything at all except for Edward Cullen, not even herself. It's THE WORST.
That's fun because reading ACOMAF probably took off 10 years of my life? It's like I'm transferring.
I cannot wait to see how Blue ends the series.
Nina and Inej ❤️
My daughters used to share their ya with me and I thought I would lose my mind with the Twilight series. Bella was the most self absorbed teen in the world and this is from a mom with five daughters. I am trying to read the Maas books but the abuse is horrible and I have to wonder if it sends young women unhealthy views for relationships.
I enjoyed your list. Thanks!
HELP: I watched an Interview with Maggie Stiefvater where she behaved incredibly obnoxious. She kept referring to herself in third person and kept saying things like "NOBODY does so and so to Maggie Stiefvater", "Maggie Stiefvater NEVER does so and so". T e r r i b l e. Because of that, I don't want to read the raven cycle anymore, but I keep hearing good things about it. Now I'm torn between giving it a go or not. Has anyone had a similar experience, where you didn't like the author as a person but liked the book?
I'm planning this whole video in the next month or so about how "knowing" or experiencing an author can have an effect on our reading. I've mostly had the opposite experience, though: I LOVE the author in person and it makes me feel bad that I didn't like their work too much. Holly Black is one of those authors. I've always just kind of felt okay about her books but she is a GEM. I've heard interesting things about Chainani, but I read his book before I had a negative experience. As for Stiefvater, I've seen her in person a few times and I met her once and she was really nice! And on panels she is hilarious, but also, she's really strange. I think if she came off as obnoxious, it was probably some extension of just how beat of her own drum she is? That's a guess. THAT SAID, her books are very, very HER. They are weird and atmospheric and very in your face with their writing style. I wouldn't stay away from a book because I disliked the author, unless they were problematic vs annoying. However, in this case, if you find her obnoxious, it might mean a bad match for her writing, if that makes sense.
That was rambly but that's what I got!
mynameismarines I agree, there are different degrees to "not liking/not agreeing with" an author personally. I started to question myself, whether I was simply overreacting. I probably was. But if she writes the way she presents herself, I'll probably stay away from her books for now. I decided to read Six of Crows instead.
Thank you so much !
I was the same with Lilac.. I liked her then I would hate her then like her again.
It truly was a rollercoaster with her, but in the end that felt pretty legit considering that she was stranded on a weird ghost alien planet, or whatever.
Oh, Lucia and Cleo from the Falling Kingdoms series; both could be so much more but alas. Oh man, Meche is such an asshole and it's so great and totally agree at being just annoyed but understanding her stubbornness. Inej and Nina for the win; I can't wait for you to read Crooked Kingdom to hear your thoughts. Love this video. :]
😂😂 glad i found this channel
OMG yes for Alex - this whole book could have been better and I wanted her to be more badass and full of life. And I also loved to hate Sophie - although there's some problematic stuff about gender in the second book. Blue is one of my favorite characters of the year - she is SUCH an even keel person, and a great foil for Gansey. I kind of want a whole series just about Blue.
That book wasn't bad but I had really high expectations so I felt extra disappointed in Alex. It's so interesting that someone just left a comment on another video about how The School for Good and Evil was their least favorite read of the year and now I'm wondering if I missed something. I know that I've heard things about queerbaiting as the series goes on, and now about gender. I feel like there were times when Soman was specifically using tropes to say something, but maybe he ends up erring on the side of supporting the tropes?
I think the School for Good & Evil devolves as the books progress. To me, it's that Soman *tries* to be a feminist writer and is trying to push at problematic tropes. But it feels like a dude writing about how girls think about feminism and gender without actually talking to girls. I liked that he was trying to flip some expectations, but I just don't think he was successful, particularly around gender and relationships in the second book.
When you did this last year, I made a note to consider doing something similar. Then I remembered how many books I read and that sometimes I can't even remember the characters' names like 2 days after I finish a book and LOL NOPE. Sigh. (Personally, I think the thing I hated most about Feyre is her stupid-ass name. More like Fey-ugh.)
I always kind of want to push myself to read more, but not at the cost of not being able to retain what I read. I mean, not that I remember everything I read now, but I obviously retain a lot of details and impressions, ya know?
😂😂😂😂😂💀Watching Twilight and making fun of it with my friends is my guilty pleasure...
I really enjoy your content, but I spend half the video being distracted by the fabulously colorful books behind you.
Oh I love Sophie so much! She's one of my favourite characters and 'Howl's Moving Castle' is one of my favourite books of all time! I just love Diana Wynne Jones's writing. Have you read 'Castle in the Air' yet? It may be the most perfect sequel I've ever read. Or you may also like 'A Tale of Time City' by her which I read this year and it was wonderful! The main character is a lot like Sophie in the reagard how she handles things thrown at her.
And yes to September! I discovered the series last year and read the first four books so thankfully I have one left to read and love this year :D But September is so great and I love that she does things on her own and thinks out of the box!
Love this Video! Xx
I own both Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways so I'll be getting to those this year. My issue is ALWAYS that I want to reread before I read on in the story... I have a serious rereading problem. But I will almost certainly finish up that series this year.
I'm so happy you also love September. She's so precious to me especially because she faces things so head on and matter of factly.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
omg YES I HATE BELLA SO MUCH. I read the book when I was like 12 or something (all the girls in middle school were back then lol) and I was the only one that HATED her personality as her as a narrator but all the other girls loved her because she loved Edward it was a mess, and when I started out with ACOTAR I actually thought Feyre could be a strong female character but then when I got towards the end of it and by the time I started ACOMAF I just couldn't stand her anymore plus the book itself is just really problematic which really sucks because it had so much potential being a beauty and the beast retelling but now it's gotten to the point that is it even a retelling anymore lol
abookishfairytale okay I know this will probably just annoy you being so late but I have to say I agree soooo much about Bella. NOBODY in my VERY bookish family hates her but I DO!!!! And she is very whiny and pathetic. I do like acotar. The first book is very slow but there is a reason for that that is later explained. I dislike how maas' book series start so slow but I still like the trilogy
Your video from last year popped up into my recommendations yesterday and I was literally thinking: Awww, I loved that video! It's too bad she didn't do it this time. AND HERE YOU ARE.
I agree so much with Lucia from Falling Kingdoms. I started sort of liking the series with the third book, but Lucia is a MAJOR bitch and her unconquerable powers make it even worse.
HERE IT IS! HERE IT IS!
I want to keep reading Falling Kingdoms in theory because I have so many unfinished series, but I'm having a hard time liking any of the characters and of all of them, Lucia is the worst.
All of Maas' characters are worse than Twilight though just saying.
You talk about Bella's character and you mention racism, mysogyny and abuse in the comments. Could you give specific examples from the text, on which you base your opinion. I've noticed that people repeat these things about "Twilight", as if they are the truth, but the only justifications I've seen so far are obviously biased and manipulative - they take facts out of context, give them a negative twist, when there is a clear positive interpretation, and ignore the contents, which doesn't fit.
So you are saying that a bunch of people are all just manipulating the text/what they see in it in order to willfully see abuse, misogyny and racism in the text, despite evidence to the contrary within the same? Why? Why would that be easier to believe rather than the fact that Meyer has coded abuse, misogyny and racism into her story?
To be clear, I don't think that Meyer intentionally set out to do or say any of these things, but I think there is so much subtle anti-woman and anti-Native thoughts that bubble up, from the way that Bella thinks about her friends and her mom and her own body and self and emotions. Rosalie's entire backstory is full of victim blaming because she was so beautiful and then in turn Carlisle turns her because she's too beautiful to be wasted. The Natives in the story, whose legends get appropriated, are always described as lesser and always have the negative connotations attached to them-- dogs, weaker, feral, out of control, unable to contain their anger, stinky, etc. Multiple times, Meyer describes Edward as perfect and in her list of why (chiseled, cool, handsome) she includes "white." Edward is incredibly manipulative. He controls who Bella sees and what she does. He sneaks into her room to watch her sleep, without her consent. He uses kisses and affection to "distract" her or he withholds that when it's convenient for him. He takes apart her God damn truck so she won't drive herself places. Jacob forces himself on Bella multiple times and threatens suicide to get Bella to kiss him. Bella becomes depressed and suicidal when Edward is gone and then we are told multiple times that this is because her love was super true and all that gets tossed aside when she is reunited with her also suicidal boyfriend.The fact that this entire series is based on Edward wanting to love Bella MORE than he wants to kills her (not that he doesn't want to kill her-- just that he loves her more than wanting to...) tells you all you need to know about the abusive relationship it is. Those are the examples I came up with off the top of my head, though I've written recaps of each chapter and am sure I'm missing plenty.
And you can say that's all my interpretation of the text, and I'll say that your interpretation is to ignore those things and consider this literature worthy of defending. Agree to disagree!
I agree to disagree. I don't want to speculate why people do something. I am saying that the views, which you have summarized here, misrepresent the books. Whoever is interested, can see for themselves if this is or isn't so. I suppose you'll block me, but whatever.
I don't see why you think that Bella cares only about herself and Edward. She cares deeply about her parents. There are a lot of examples for this. In "Twilight" she decides to live with her dad, so that her mom can travel with her new husband. She has helped her mom a lot, while she was in Phoenix, and now she does the same with her dad. When James starts chasing her, she doesn't run away, but makes Edward take her back to her dad's house to divert James and keep her dad safe. When she falls into a depression in "New Moon", she thinks of her mom and dad, and keeps going. She goes to James in Phoenix to save her mom. She cares a lot about Jacob and has feelings for him. She remains friends with him in "Eclipse", though this is hard for Edward and Jacob actively tries to ruin her relationship with Edward. She even admits her love for him, when she is afraid for his life, though it kills her to hurt Edward like this. Bella cares deeply for Edward's family, too. Besides her love for Edward, the other reason for her wish to become a vampire is that she will be a part of his family, and that she will be able to defend herself, so that Edward and his family won't risk their lives for her.
I don't see an anti-woman and anti-Native subtext in Bella''s attitude to her friends, her mom and herself. She treats the Native Americans in the same friendly and respectful way as she treats everyone else. She is friends with Jacob and the pack. She cares about Jacob very much. I wrote about him and her mom above. She is friends with both boys and girls and treats them equally. Alice is her best friend in Forks. She loves Esme. She is also friendly with Emily and Angela. I also don't see an anti-woman subtext in Bella's attitude to herself. She holds herself to high standards and is successful in achieving her goals. She is smart, hard-working, sensitive and kind to everyone. She is self-reliant, organized, brave, a decision-maker. She does well at school, takes AP classes, works and saves money for college, helps her mom and dad a lot in the housework, she has interests in literature. She thinks she is not good enough for Edward, and she has her reasons for this, when she compares her 17- year-old self with no extraordinary beauty and abilities, to a person with amazing supernatural and personal abilities and appeal, a mind-reader with a 100 years of learning and experience. She suffers from a mental disorder after the break-up (depression, hallucinations), which is something, which may happen in real life. However, she is not suicidal, she keeps going. She does not think of dying, when she jumps off the cliff. It's reckless, but she doesn't want to die.
"Rosalie's entire backstory is full of victim blaming because she was so beautiful and then in turn Carlisle turns her because she's too beautiful to be wasted." - In the books Rosalie's story is presented as a terrible crime, a tragedy, the blame is on the rapists, and Rosalie's revenge is justice. The focus is on how much Rosalie has lost and what it has done to her. There is nothing but sympathy and grief, and this is what Bella feels, when she hears her story. This is what Carlisle says: “I couldn’t just let her die,’ Carlisle said quietly. ‘It was too much - too horrible, too much waste." You think this means that she was too beautiful to be wasted. I think it's like she had everything on her side, she had youth, beauty, hopes for the future, and a chance to make them come true, and all this has been wasted. Carlisle turns her, when he sees that she would die, and he hopes that she and Edward can be together and Edward will not be alone anymore. Edward is not impressed by her beauty, for him she is a problem, because she is very recognizable.
"The Natives in the story, whose legends get appropriated, are always described as lesser and always have the negative connotations attached to them-- dogs, weaker, feral, out of control, unable to contain their anger, stinky, etc." - It's not all the natives, but the werewolves that are described as "dogs, weaker...stinky." They are described in this way by the vampires - their natural enemies. Young werewolves have anger issues. It's not that they are unable to control their anger, it's that they can't control their shifting, when they are angry. They suddenly shift and whoever is near, may be hurt. There is no active violence. The werewolves see the vampires in a similar way - weaker, "leeches", "bloodsuckers", can't control their bloodlust, stink. One of the main themes of the story is how the werewolves and the Cullens go beyond their prejudices and get to know and trust each other. The idea that one needs to get beyond one's prejudices about a certain group, to know the real persons and see what they are like, is developed in the relationships of Bella, Seth, and Jacob with the Cullens. There is also Charlie (a white chief of police, no less), whose best friends are Native Americans and who refuses to treat the Cullens with prejudice. These facts speak against a racist subtext.
"Multiple times, Meyer describes Edward as perfect and in her list of why (chiseled, cool, handsome) she includes "white." - All the vamps are strikingly beautiful, not only the Caucasian. Besides, Meyer describes Edward through the eyes of a girl deeply in love. If it has happened to you, you know that when you love somebody, you don't see them even physically the way other people see them. You can't take your eyes away from them. I think this is where the repetitions of "perfect" come from. He is a vampire, a white skin and body as if made of marble (pale, bloodless) are a part of his appearance the same as the color of his eyes and hair. If Bella had loved a vampire from another race, he would have been beautiful and "perfect" in her eyes, too. To seek a subtext in that feels as far-fetched as it gets.
"He controls who Bella sees", he doesn't let her "drive herself places" - Actually he wants her to stop going to La Push, where all the young werewolves live, because it is dangerous for her (example - Emily). That's why he disables her truck once and then asks Alice to keep her at their house, while he is away. You know how this ends - they argue, Bella stands for herself, and Edward accepts her opinion that it's not so dangerous, and her decision to keep seeing her friend Jacob. So Edward starts driving her to and from La Push himself, even though Jacob is his rival for Bella and actively tries to ruin their relationship. Edward puts Bella's well-being first every single time. Idk how this behavior can be seen as abusive. He tolerates Jacob and is ready to give up Bella if she chooses Jacob. He doesn't accuse her and make her feel guilty about Jacob. This is not what an abuser would do.
"He sneaks into her room to watch her sleep, without her consent." - Yeah, but again, his reasons are important. Edward is not a stranger, a rejected guy or a guy with no chances. He is the most appealing guy at school. He doesn't need to stalk her in order to be in her life. For her own good, at that time he abstains from having anything to do with her, which would have been easy, if he had wanted. The only thing he allows himself in his despair is to watch her sleep and listen to her talk in her sleep. In the books he does this for several days, and admits it to her afterwards.
"He uses kisses and affection to "distract" her" - he does that when she is afraid of travelling on his back through the forest, and when he wants her to agree to marry him and have sex later, because of his religious upbringing and fear for his and her souls.
"The fact that this entire series is based on Edward wanting to love Bella MORE than he wants to kills her (not that he doesn't want to kill her-- just that he loves her more than wanting to...) tells you all you need to know about the abusive relationship it is."" - He has to fight his bloodlust and deny himself instant gratification every single moment in order to be with her. It's the opposite of abuse - selflessness, sacrifice. He overcomes his nature, retains his humanity, and does everything it takes for them to be together. In "Eclipse" he has changed and has really got over the bloodlust for Bella, because of the horror he has been through, when he thought she was dead in "New Moon".
mynameismarines This. 100% this. Maybe it's because I wasn't the target audience, but I never understood the appeal of these books. I read them (up until Bella miraculously becomes impregnated by 150-year old dead sperm...then the book went flying across the room) and just did not get why so many people were obsessed with these books. Bella is absolutely horrid. Becoming so depressed after your high school boyfriend dumps you that you start putting yourself in dangerous situations just because? That is NOT something that should be romanticized. That's not love, it's obsession, and it's not cute.