My Most Disappointing Books of 2020 (And A Rant)
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- Опубликовано: 5 июл 2024
- Mike gives some strong opinions about booktubers being told they aren't allowed to make videos like this, so he made one.
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0:00 Introduction
0:33 A Rant
4:07 6 Most Disappointing Books of 2020
14:00 Final Thoughts
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Развлечения
Hey bookworms! Sorry if you weren't looking for a rant in a video like this, I just don't like bullies on Twitter going after booktubers. Hope everyone had a great Christmas!
@@Dave-sk9mn ¹1¹1¹
@@Dave-sk9mn 0
@@Dave-sk9mn 0
I'll admit, I usually don't care for rant-videos or "worst-book"- kind of videos, but I don't mind the ones you've done. You're never mean-spirited or shouty about it, you're always up front about it being your opinion, and acknowledge that others might disagere. I like that.
I've followed one or two book-tubers who've slowly slid into having rage-reading and "bad books" as their main content, and after a while it just gets exhausting to watch. I mean, I get it, some people like that kind of stuff, and all better for them. And although I don't much like those videos myself, I agree with what you said, I don't think it's right for twitter-bullies to go after those book-vlogers.
You guys are not book critics and official reviewers, you are better.
Why? Because you are down to earth, no circlejerk of elitism and writing for peers and not for consumers. No agenda pushing, etc.
And i love it.
Merry Christmas, Mike and everyone who reads it, and happy new year.
I, in general, try to stay away from books that have great “reviews” from the professional reviewers, because usually those critically-acclaimed books are not my style at all. I come to Booktube to get recommendations, because the creators are real people who actually read the books and enjoy the same type of things I do. Down-to-earth is SPOT ON!
No one is ever above criticism. Ever. Keep doing what you do, Mike!
Even Brandon Sanderson says Elantris isn’t very good. People need to chill.
That's funny, because it's still a good story lol.
@@jericosha2842 I tend to agree. It's been a while since i've read it, so I'm shy on a lot of the details but I remember it dragging on a bit at times. Also I had trouble connecting to some of the main characters. Plot was good overall though.
I liked Elantris well enough. I read it after I read Mistborn, which was the first of Sanderson's stuff I read. I'm glad I didn't read it first because I don't think I would have continued with him if I had.
While I didn't like Elantris as much as Warbreaker, (I expected to love it.)I still liked the worldbuilding and the characters...hmm need to reread it.
Trevor Wingard I’m glad he knows it wasn’t very good. I read that book. And it was definitely a disappointment.
It really feels like booktubers/readers don't criticise the books enough.
I like when people talk about books they didn't enjoy. It makes it more authentic. When somebody only raves about every book I question if they're honest or not.
I’m making my way through the Wheel of Time, really looking forward to the pod racing scene in Winter’s Heart!
And OMG the duel between Rand and Darth Demandred was so epic, although I didn't like that they explained being able to channel the One Power with midichlorians, oh well.
*blurt laugh*
! Spoiler Alert !
my sister just started Winter’s Heart.. i made sure she was appropriately warned.
Make sure you give her a bigger warning for Crossroads of Twilight.
I buy books because you recommend them. That makes you official in my eyes.
✊✊
PS - I dig the 90s throwback tee.
Happy Christmas to all of the book worms out there.
Amen, Mike! If we only ever said wonderful things about the books we review, no one would have any reason to listen to us because we wouldn’t be believable. I love the therapeutic pause after you mentioned Sanderson. Ha ha! Even a writer with as much success as he has can have a miss.
I think you're more likely to write bad books if you're successful. You already know a good chunk of people will buy and like it regardless of quality.
@@forwhy8723 Excellent point, and that definitely happens!
Great video! I completely agree with you, by the way. It was disappointing to see the behavior of certain authors toward that booktuber. I am relatively new to "booktube", but it's quite clear that "most disappointing books" videos are not a new phenomenon. People have every right to express their opinions, even negative ones, respectfully.
There are a few of these books (Elantris, The Talisman, The Hunger) that are on my TBR. I still plan to read them, but will temper my expectations a bit.
This is off-topic, but there have been similar situations in non-book fandoms, where certain folks get quite rude and aggressive when fans dare to have a negative opinion about something: Star Wars (The Last Jedi), Supernatural (the finale), TMNT (lesser known example regarding the 2012 cartoon series; also a very long story)
Anyway, thank you for taking the time to make this, and for sharing this.
Thanks for your respectful video. Actually, one of the things I like most about your channel is your balanced approach to all your reviews. I don’t always have the same experience with a book, but we don’t need to have the same tastes. Keep doing what you do. Merry Christmas Mike!
Hear head !
The Phantom Menace reference broke my heart haha. I love the prequel films.
Anyways, loved the video! You are spot on when you said that writers should expect criticism, and, as an author myself, I can say it's the nature of the beast. Some people will love your work, others will think you can't worth crap. On one of my stories I had people who thought it was well written, while a few others thought my writing was subpar.
You can't please everyone, and to be a professional writer (or a hobbyist who enjoys putting their work out there as I am), you need to learn how to take criticism, valid and bullshit alike.
Merry Christmas, Mike. I don't comment often but I do love your content and you're definitely one of my favorite booktubers. I'm glad you released this video because the idea that you shouldn't voice your disappointment in books from booktube is dumb. Of course you will have books you won't enjoy. Heck, while I enjoy you praising stuff, seeing you pinpoint exactly why you dislike a book and constructively point out a better example a revision actually is a useful tool. Namely, for the author if they are willing to listen and also future writers as well. Nobody seeks to make a bad book/ bad product. But what one should takeaway is that your work will always have some kind of flaw. And that's ok.
Strive to improve the best you can. The moment one becomes complacent is when they are prone to failure.
The sip of coffee before talking about Sanderson is priceless LOL 😂 Elantris didn't work for me either, that's why I used to stick to Mistborn for a long time. But now I've read other stuff from the cosmere.
I just started Theft of Swords (only on page 34). I picked it up based on the fact that the used bookstore had all 3 of the first trilogy and knew/know nothing about it. Kinda nervous about the boat book, but we'll see how it goes. Not gonna give up on it. I'm thinking about doing the Malazan read-a-long, but I'm also nervous I won't keep up. I devoured books throughout school, but made a goal to read 12 books this year and I'm only on 9 (and I don't think I'll finish before the 31st). All that to say I don't trust myself to keep up, but will probably get Gardens of the Moon and at least try. Really enjoy your channel!
You Booktubers are more important than “journalists.” Your opinions are real and come from your hearts. I have chosen many books because of you alone, Mike. Thank you! Keep it all going💕
Merry Christmas Mike! Good list can definitely see where you're coming from but I would still rather read every book on this list back to back than have the experience I had reading Rythmn of War
I read Elantris after Mistborn and I felt exactly the same, then realising it was written earlier took away almost all the disappointment. :)
I planned to do a "disappointing books of 2020" video back in March! 😅 it'll be up in January though! love that you added this to your schedule!
I appreciate that you took this opportunity to address this controversial topic (and it should really not be controversial at all). And you did it with the approach that I like the most: constructive criticism. And let's be honest here. There are many books competing for our attention as readers; from a purely economic perspective, the time I spend on one book cannot be spent reading another book so resources are limited. It is appropriate (in fact, welcome!) for reviewers to say whether a book worked for one's taste or not and help understanding why it worked or not. It helps audiences to decide whether to read the book (above, too many books for the time available and a reader has to select what to read) and, in my opinion, authors as well if they are willing to listen. Constructive criticism is at the heart of growth for anyone, in my opinion. Well done Mike!
This is why I read all the three star reviews for a book(they tend to be more thoughtful and balanced and you can get a better sense of the books quality from them) or wait for a book tuber whose tastes are close to mine to recommend it before buying. Books are too dang expensive and too much of an investment of time to read something you don’t enjoy and honest reviews are a gift to people who only have so much free time. I have two kids I hustle to different events and cook meals for a house to maintain and a wife I like to spend time with. My reading time is basically me sacrificing sleep and it is precious, so from the depths of my heart...Thanks for being honest.
I appreciate all of your work. Everyone has a right to their opinions too. Gavin didn’t make his worst books or most disappointing books video to insult anyone, he even said it was his opinions. Much like you, he talks about why the books didn’t land for him. I appreciate Booktubers who actually read the books, and who are honest - not every book is going to be great, and that’s not an insult to the author. If an author can’t handle that people have differing opinions, maybe they need hide in a basement away from anyone who thinks differently. They need to put on their big girl panties or grow a pair. I think most Booktubers create videos as a work of love for the books, not for some kind of spotlight. The authors that reacted and targeted Gavin on Twitter lost any business from me (although, to be honest, I had never heard of any of them, so they may dabble in different genres than I read). Keep doing what you are doing, Mike! You’re content is spot on, and you are by far my favorite creator on Booktube. I appreciate this video too.
Love the Channel. You have introduced me to several books over the past year. As far as books that didn't work for me I read in 2020.
Quil by A.C Cobble, Malorie by Josh Malerman, Unsouled by Will Wight, The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington. Keep up the great videos.
Let me guess, the author vs. reviewer drama was from Book Twitter, wasn't it? I don't have Twitter but I'd be surprised if it wasn't from there because Twitter, whatever faction it is, is the home of all things bigoted and disgusting. Like most of this is just unnecessary drama. I honestly feel like most people on Twitter just need a nice, attractive therapist or a fluffy pillow to scream their fucking heads off!
Of course it was. Everyone just turns it to 11 with the anger on that app.
See that's why I don't go there. Nothing good happes there.
I'd forgive Erickson anything, up and including murder (not that he would ever do it).
I think it sometimes just depends on where you're at in life. What your emotional levels are.
I have read books and depending on the mentioned aspects, my enjoyment of the books differed.
Perhaps this applies to other people too and would influence what they feel is their most dissapointing reads of the year.
"I covered A LOT of Brandon Sanderson this year."
Long sip of coffee...
lol
I happen to enjoy when readers give rant reviews to bad books. There are so many positive reviews for books that are horrible; we really need to achieve some balance. Liked and subscribed.
I'm someone who loved The Talisman, but then I originally read it when I was 18 and living in Belgium as an exchange student wayyyy back in 1984. I was already a fan of both authors, and so I gobbled it up. Straub is much less accessible than King, but I dig him. I completely understand why you wouldn't like the book, and I'm even willing to admit I liked it less when I re-read it a few years ago. Sometimes a book "speaks" to you when you're in a certain frame of mind or even place. At the time I needed anything that reminded me of home.
With regards to negative reviews in general, I'm totally with you, Mike. In my case, I've had to weather a number of negative reviews of my first book. My attitude is to take them with a grain of salt, and to understand that some people are just not going to like what you write/have to say. Most of my reviews have been very positive, so I don't sweat the negative ones.
Not disappointed with this video. The older I get, the easier it becomes for me to get disappointed. Especially when a book becomes so popular, is everyone's "favorite", and is a "must read". When I was younger I had a thing about finishing every book I ever started to read whether I liked it it or not. Now It's like, man there's just not a lot of time left! I know there's still so many good books out there to read. Happy New Year!
Mike , you keep going. You are obviously a lover of books and a seeker of stories and that's good. Remember when we speak out about anything at all ,we are vocalising not just our point of view but the point of view of others who may feel seem the way. Others may disagree with our assesments and that's fine; their voices will represent others who feel the way that they do since you cannot have an absolute. So keep ranting ,commenting and criticising that is the way we all gain true knowledge
I felt the same exact way about Elantris. It was the last book I got to in the cosmere and I really had to just force my way through it.
Mike, I love your channel, and I appreciate what you do here. We here have your back brother! I too have read books that didn’t work for me. And I’m a lifelong Prince fan, and I don’t like every song of his. It’s life. Merry Christmas and keep doing what you are doing!
I completely agree with you about the rant argument.I also learned that the reviews on Booktube are very subjective. The best example for me is Elantris, it was my first Sanderson book and I loved it. After that,reading Warbreaker and Mistborn I saw the differences, but still, I enjoyed Elantris more (the only book I cried for) than Mistborn Era II. My most disappointing book this year was:The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky. P.S.I hope you will make a video about your best books which you read this year.
Appreciate the Christmas day content! I have to work and this made my day 100x better.
Always appreciate your honesty, I've picked up many great books from your advice so keep fighting the good fight. Your opinion is yours and I agree books can be criticized without nastiness.
Two books that didn't work for me this year was The Name of the Wind, and Path of Daggers.
Appreciate the rant and agree 100% with everything you said 👏🏼
Coming to this video super late, but have to comment. I am literally SO HAPPY you are talking about Sullivan and that you are buying his books and mostly enjoying them! He is definitely underrated! I do have to say that I LOVED the Emerald Storm.😅 I'm now 3 books into the Ryiria chronicles and really enjoying it!
Merry Christmas Mike :-) love your videos, keep up the good work
Agreed on all fronts! Very few of us knowingly pick up books we expect to dislike, so when you're stoked to get into something you've been looking forward to picking up for a while and it is a dud to you it sucks. It feels good to commiserate with others who may also have been disappointed. That's the value in lists like these for me anyway. My most disappointing books this year include Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (I've either enjoyed well enough or loved all her other books she's ever put out, but I DNF'd Ninth House after 100 pages) and Home Before Dark by Riley Sager (ugh, it's like a store brand Haunting of Hill House, which is my favorite thing ever so I don't appreciate cheap knock offs of it).
Ninth house was my introduction to Bardugo and I was very “this is it?” All the time. Not a bad book but I was expecting something more I guess, since the author is hyped as hell.
Love your honesty Mike. You’re a good man. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I read Elantris a while back and remember liking it pretty well, though I remember Mistborn and Warbreaker being a huge leap forward for his writing even then. And after reading Rhythm of War recently, I wanted to go back and reread all the Cosmere stuff so I could catch whatever cross-overs I may have missed. But I DNF'd Elantris that second time through, about 150 pages in. It just wasn't doing it for me and a figured I definitely didn't need to RE-read it at that point, so I moved on to a trilogy my dad was wanting me to read. Elantris really does pale in comparison to pretty much all of his other works, but I suppose that just speaks to how well he was able to springboard into writing and keep his momentum. One decent book and then hit after hit is still a fantastic career.
I value honesty in the BookTubers I follow even if my opinion differs. Thanks for an awesome year of reviews, Mike!
Thanks for watching!
Strongly agree with your rant! The point of reviewing books is that you help other people decide what books they will probably like and probably dislike. A reviewer disliking a book doesn't necessary harm the author, because their reasons to dislike a book, might be my reasons to be interested in it and pick the book up. I do agree that it needs to be done respectful, but if a reviewer can only praise books and not say anything negative, it kind of throws out the entire point of making and watching reviews.
Honestly, I can listen to whatever you say and your voice just helps me calm down.
I was like "IF HE HOLDS UP RHYTHM OF WAR WE ARE GONNA RIOT" then he said Elantris and I was like.... "oh okay. That makes sense." LMAOOO
No book is without criticism
@@forwhy8723 of course. All art is subjective!
I was kinda enjoying it, though I'm yet to finish it.
@@cybersketcher1130 Elantris or Rhythm if War?
@@mooahhdeeb Elantris, though not for the characters.
Elantris is definitely the weakest Sanderson novel in terms of quality, but I am still excited for a sequel, because Sel as a world is one of the most interesting worlds in the Cosmere, and I'd like to see him revisit those characters with all this extra experience under his belt.
Edit: That said, I also want a warbreaker sequel more, because Nightblood. Nightblood alone is enough reason to make it my most anticipated book.
I loved Elantris, I didn't have any expectations because I knew it was his first published book.
So, I'm about to venture into Sanderson's adult books, so would Elantris or Warbreaker be the best places start? I prefer to read the weakest ones first, because I really enjoyed the Steelheart trilogy probably because I haven't read his best work yet. Loved the video!
I think that Talisman reads best for a younger reader. I read it when it was new(ish?) book, in my sophomore year of college (1984/85). I read it after reading Eyes of the Dragon, by King, which I also loved.
I have never gotten around to reading the Dark Tower series, but now that I know some of my favorites (Talisman, Eyes of the Dragon, The Stand, It, Rose Madder, 'Salem's Lot) are tie-ins with the series, I'm going to be diving in, starting in October.
I'm looking forward to be reading the expanded world version, using Jimmy Mango's list as my guide.
people often make the Mistake that Elantris is about Raodin... they are wrong the Main Character and the best Character is Hrathen.
I chose to read Sanderson's works in publication order. When I read Elantris I was completely blown away by how good it was. Now that I've read a lot more (including almost all of his other work) I'm not sure it would hold up to another reading
Good example of how to do a video like this. Completely respectful and valid criticism. Also I'm reading Winter's Heart right now and even though I kind of like it I definitely agree it spends a lot of time on lesser characters.
As far as author collaborations, what do you think about the books Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle did together?
Thanks for the great video! Just found you and subscribed. I totally agree with your opinion. Sometimes it’s just subjective. If we would all love the same stuff the world would be pretty boring. Can’t wait to watch more of your videos. Happy holidays!
Thank you for your honesty and humor! I loved the Greatcoats! Although Saint's Blood might not be the strongest, it has one of the most devastating scenes of the series.
Hi Mike I’ve been with you from the start of your channel
I always look forward to your videos, they are always respectful and informative
I’m still on the fence about Malazan 🤣
Have a wonderful Christmas and I hope Santa brings you lots of books
Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family 🌲🛍
All very valid points. No book or author will ever appeal to everyone, and anything created that gets put out in public will receive criticism.
As long as the criticism is a fairly given opinion you can learn from it , engage in a discussion or ignore it .
Even if it's unfair or stated as fact, you can learn, discuss or ignore.
Attacking is never the right option, and mostly a sign of immaturity.
Hey Mike!
Thank you for turning my attention to Steven Erikson. I knew about the books, as I worked in a bookstore way back in 2002-2004. I just started reading Gardens of the Moon, and am already 1/4 of the way through. I'm going to keep reading. Thank you for your insights!
Booktubers ARE legitimate critics. I don't understand why some people refuse to acknowledge this fact. Just because Booktubers aren't a part of a major journalist publication doesn't mean that they aren't performing the same cultural function of a critic. And, yes, Mike, I agree, Booktubers should be left alone to make their lists, as long as they're not being malicious. On the other hand, those Booktubers (just like the authors they criticize) need to be okay with the criticism they receive, whether that's from their fanbase or from anyone really.
PS. Can't wait for the MALAZAN read-along :)
And Merry Christmas!!!🎄
I don't know what I was doing wrong this year, but I read mostly books that ended up being just ok, in my opinion. I was most disappointed by the final few books in the Witcher series. The series started out fairly strong, but in my opinion it kept getting worse and worse, until I finished Lady of the Lake and just said "wait. what?" Two others that come to mind are Royal Assassin, which was a total surprise because I loved Assassin's Apprentice, and Armada, which disappointed me enough that I have no desire to read anything else by the author. I'm going to pay better attention to my book selection next year. Personally, I prefer honest reviews of books even if it's an unpopular opinion. I adore Sanderson's works but Elantris just wasn't up to par. Makes sense, since it's his first (or one of his first, I forget). He hadn't yet hit his stride.
Merry Christmas Mike!
Merry Christmas!! Sadly I've DNF'd Elantris and have tried to finish it twice.
audiobook it if you can. sure helps with the sections that are poorly paced.
@@odiums_taint that's a great idea! Thank you!
I just got Ryria Revaluations for Christmas. Can't wait to read them, and knowing one of them takes place all on a ship sounds awesome actually! I'm a big Master and Commander fan.
Here I thought I was one of the few who dug those books. M&C I mean.
Mike, I'm sure you don't get to read all your comments. But if you get all the way down to...looks at the count...number 223...this video has almost convinced me to subscribe finally. I agree with you that one disappointing book doesn't make a bad author. And any criticism offered with explanation can be constructive. I'm a Sanderson fan and I TOTALLY understood when you held up Elantris. And I'm right there with you about Talisman. I've always felt weird about that one. There are a lot of scenes that work for me and character writing that feels true, but something in the delivery often feels false.
Are you on GoodReads? I would love to be your friend on that site and follow your reviews/ratings. I get about 100 in a year (I consider graphic novels books, dammit) and my reviews are something like a paragraph at most on average. Just something to give myself and others an idea of how I felt and what I was focusing on as I finished the book. Same picture. Same name.
Entertainment Weekly & People magazine do a Best and Worst Lists every year. No one goes after them for doing that. Mike, just keep posting what you want. If you want to make a Worst List, then do it.
Great intro and rationale for doing. Love this reasoning especially since you are overwhelmingly supportive of authors and positive. Cheers!
Merry Christmas Mike, hope you and the family have a great day :D
I kinda agree with Winter's Heart. There were some parts I didn't particularly care about, but to me, what lessen enormously the enjoyment, was the pacing. We get excited about the cleaning of Saiding, then the story jumps to Mat, I had to re build my excitement and then again we jumped onto other character. Not my favourite to be sure.
I read my first Brandon Sanderson book this year. I chose "Steelheart" because superpowers interest me more than magic. I felt the writing was pedestrian. I'm willing to accept that this series might be for a younger crowd, but it makes me hesitant to pick up more of his work because the prose really left me cold. Is "Mistborn" really that much better written?
No.
I loved Elantris but then again it was my first Sanderson.
Ahhhh my soul hurts! I loved Elantris! Please take this knife out of my heart! 😁
As a Sanderson fan I agree with others that the fanbase is sometimes really toxic and we tend to put him on too much of a pedestal. I personally like Elantra’s, even though I agree with your review. You can clearly see the beginning of ideas he would later develop, but it just still isn’t there. And also as you said no one is perfect.
I read Elantris after reading Mistborn trilogy and enjoyed Elantris much more! 😂 I need to read some of the others on your list and see if I disagree with those choices too! 😂 Love the videos, keep it up
Huge Sanderson fan here and I totally agree. I read Elantris after both Mistborn trilogies and had the same feelings. Should've read them in publication order!
Sanderson is one of my favorite authors for sure, and Elantris is definitely one of his that I don't like.
This is great. We need more criticism on book channels.
I'm curious about what Mike is referring to. Does anyone know what video or author being referenced?
I believe it was because the channel How to Train Your Gavin was getting hate on Twitter from authors for doing a worst books of the year video.
@@avendesora2495 thanks for that. I got to go check this out to see for myself how "bad" this is. I understand criticism can sting, especially when you're an author trying to sell a product. But the type of author reaction I'm hearing, pretty ridiculous.
Will you read my book when I finish it (if it's accepted by a publisher)?
Great video !!! and Merry Christmas !!!
They most likely feel threatened by some of the influence that 'book bloggers' can have due to the platforms they use being so large and Booktube increasing in popularity/size. Probably makes them feel better to decrease that threat in their mind by belittling it. The criticism they receive could be their best friend and some authors could do well in taking it with a pinch of salt and using it to improve on their writing flaws.
I agreed with you though Mike, criticism does not equal hate and there are plenty of writers out there who are still good people and decent writers regardless of flaws!
I prepared the popcorn ready to watch a big angry mob against your disappointment abound Sanderson books, I was expecting you to pull a book from the Stormlight archive... what a disappointment it wasn't (LOL) ;-). Always enjoy your video, thanks!
Mike keeping it real as usual!
No rest for the wicked Happy Christmas man. Ps if anyone gave you a hard time for winters heart it probably the majorities 2nd worst book of the wheel of time it's the slog for god sake
100% agreed on The Emerald Storm, I almost dropped the series there. But it bounced back for me, hope you like the 3rd omnibus too!
I read Elantris after 6 Mistborns, 3 Stormlights, Warbreaker, and even three of those superhero books. I quite liked it. Found those superhero books (names I can't remember is pretty telling) were far less than Elantris.
Good list, I really liked WOT but had to skim in the slow parts
Interesting! One of the reason to follow booktubers is to hear other opinions than my own. I read Elantris and Mistborn (both eras) this year. And Elantris was the one who stuck with me. Not perfect. Not one of my favorites in any way. But it had some really interesting ideas. So I looked forward to see what he did with this Mistborn series I've heard so much about. But wow, that let me down (I need to DNF things more often). Certainly one of my own most disappointing reads (technically I listened) of the year. I do agree though, that Elantris do not need a sequel. Part of what I liked was that it was a stand alone.
have you checked out the Emperor’s Soul audiobook? same world as Elantris & similar magic. but stands alone, and is shorter. and one of my favourite sanderson works.
@@odiums_taint Oh? Now that's interesting. Had no idea. Added to my TBR! Thanks!
I liked Elantis, but I gracefully accept your review 🙂 Love your channel Mike!
I recently finished B&N's H.P. Lovecraft's complete fiction. I really enjoyed most of his stories but had to slog through "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath." One of my favorite series of books is the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. I made the mistake of buying (on Kindle thank god) the three Second Foundation trilogy of books "Foundation's Fear" by Gregory Benford, "Foundation and Chaos" by Greg Bear and "Foundation's Triumph" by David Brin. I slogged through the first book, couldn't make it through the second and haven't even tried reading the third.
It is great but not every h.p lovecraft story is a winner for everyone
Mate you are the man for bucking social norms. One point, I think authors should have every right to respond to critics if they want to. But if they do it in a duchey way, people will see it.
I feel you on Elantris Mike. I've tried reading it twice and I was bored out of my mind. Still love most of his other works. Haven't got to Mistborn Era 2 yet.. I've heard mixed reviews. Thoughts?
I actually like Mistborn era 2 better than 1.
if you give Elantris another chance, make it the audiobook if you can.
mistborn era 2: i made the mistake of expecting more of era 1, and was a little disappointed. when i revisit it, knowing that, hopefully i’ll appreciate it more.
happy reading!
I warned you about winter's heart. That was the one that beat me in my original read. I did the first six books in like six weeks. Seven and eight took like two more months. Winter's Heart... 3 years
No!!! I just got Elantris to try out Brandon Sanderson. Now I'll go into the book knowing that some people hate it. It's okay though, I love your channel!
or... you read it, and love it. then realize; sanderson gets way more polished as an author after Elantris. and you have a ton of books to look forward to reading now.
happy reading!
Good thing I read Elantris before any of the others. Did like it a lot though!
I know this video is old but Amazonia, the Yagga Tree was one of the coolest concepts I'd seen in a while but my god the tropes were like an avalanche of sludge and the characters were as lively as cardboard.
Winter's Heart was my least favorite WOT book, too.
Irrespective of which year it is, the last two dark towers books should be put on all these lists for good measure
I loved the last two Dark Tower books. They worked for me. The first one, not so much.
The bigger point being that it is totally okay to share your own personal reactions, positive or negative, to books, and it's totally okay for other people's reactions to differ.
I am curious which authors are doing these kind of claims. I’m a university prof. When someone gives me a bad review yeah it sucks…but I don’t send those who DO like my teaching to gun for them.
Great video, Mike. *Tell ‘em!* 👏🏼