Enjoyed hearing about your adventures in romance, though I have precisely zero interest in such an adventure myself. ❤🤣 I can appreciate romance elements -- This Is How You Lose the Time War comes to mind -- but it's not my jam overall.
Big effort to commit to a romance week of reading! I’m like you - it’s not my bag. I tried an Emily Henry the other day and just couldn’t do it after only 5 pages 😬 But you have given me inspiration to step outside of my comfort zone - thank you
I was at the library yesterday for Library Lovers Day and took my partner, we did some blackout poetry and went to a talk about romance novels. I'm pretty sure I've read a tiny bit of Mooncakes and did enjoy it, definitely up my alley and clearly not yours! Vampires of El Norte sounds really interesting, I can't find a copy of it here though, that's a bit frustrating. Where did you get it?
I had to order Vampires of El Norte from an overseas distributor through work and I could only get hardcover. Not sure if/when it’s getting an Australian distribution! I have seen it pop up on eBay though!
I was going to suggest the Brown Sisters books if you hadn't mentioned them, because I LOVE those books. I didn't used to think I was into romance at all, especially as a queer person on the asexual spectrum, but I've found myself really loving the way I can escape into the genre as needed. And I discovered sapphic romance, which helped. :) I just read all of Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series, and loved A Princess in Theory and the novellas in the series the most. I'm excited to read Vampires of El Norte and The Seven Year Slip, which I have on my Kindle.
Love the insight on Vampires of El Norte. It was one of my favorites last year. I also really enjoyed The Seven Year Slip. Since you also enjoyed it, I’d recommend her previous book The Dead Romantics. It also has a speculative element to it, but it also deals with some heavier topics (the main character’s father passes away at the beginning of the book) in a way that really helped me as I lost a close friend literally the same day that I read this book. Even though it sounds dark, it manages to explore these themes with a lighter tone. Have you tried any of Emily Henry’s books? Some people don’t love that her romances have more going on in them than just the main relationship, but if you like that you may enjoy her books 😁
I have to admit to feeling a bit romance-d out after this video 😅 But I will keep those recommendations in mind for the next time I’m in the mood to try one! I’ve never read any Emily Henry - is there a particular book of hers you’d recommend I start with?
@@KateyOneMoreTime I totally get feeling like you need to switch it up. Also, sorry in advance for the length of this next bit. I wanted to talk a little about the books without just breaking it down to the tropes being used. I enjoy all her books, so it’s really hard to pick. I think Beach Read and Book Lovers are my favorites. In Beach Read they go on all these fun dates as ‘research’ for her next romcom (they’re both authors) and write each other little notes from their respective cabins. Book Lovers has sort of a metafiction thing going on where it feels occasionally like our protagonist is aware she’s in a story, which I tend to enjoy when done well but I know bothers some people. If I recall I think she’s in the publishing industry (it’s been awhile since I read it so some of the details are fuzzy) and she meets this man who is running a bookstore while she and her sister are visiting this little town. I liked this one because where a lot of romance books sort of romanticize the small quirky town, both of our leads just want to get back to the city where they feel more themselves. Happy People is fun because while there is a romance sort of driving our main couple through the book, it’s really about this group of friends coming to terms with the way their collective friendship is evolving as they get older. Again, the romance is the main focus as that is the character POV we get, but as opposed to many adult romances where the side characters are made of cardboard and a cheap glue stick, these side characters all feel developed. You get to know about them and they are important to the story. People We Meet on Vacation is the one that is the murkiest in my mind. I think for a lot of people they consider this their least favorite, and I suppose if I had to rank them I would agree, but not because I didn’t like it. My favorite thing about this book is that the characters love to travel and so we get a lot of moments of them through the years on these different vacations. I love to travel and the way EH wrote about it had me itching to plan another trip (my poor husband 😂) All that to say, I think I’d start with Beach Read, but that might be because that’s the one I read first. Sorry if all that was totally unhelpful. 😅
Your videos are always a breath of fresh air! Also your review makes me want to read Vampires of El Norte even more! Also I felt the same way about Mooncakes. I loved the representation, but everything outside of that wasn't for me.
Enjoyed hearing about your adventures in romance, though I have precisely zero interest in such an adventure myself. ❤🤣 I can appreciate romance elements -- This Is How You Lose the Time War comes to mind -- but it's not my jam overall.
Big effort to commit to a romance week of reading! I’m like you - it’s not my bag. I tried an Emily Henry the other day and just couldn’t do it after only 5 pages 😬
But you have given me inspiration to step outside of my comfort zone - thank you
Happy Valentine's Day to you & your hubby!! Thank you! 😊❤
Thank you! Same to you! 💕
I was at the library yesterday for Library Lovers Day and took my partner, we did some blackout poetry and went to a talk about romance novels. I'm pretty sure I've read a tiny bit of Mooncakes and did enjoy it, definitely up my alley and clearly not yours! Vampires of El Norte sounds really interesting, I can't find a copy of it here though, that's a bit frustrating. Where did you get it?
I had to order Vampires of El Norte from an overseas distributor through work and I could only get hardcover. Not sure if/when it’s getting an Australian distribution! I have seen it pop up on eBay though!
I loved Love in the Big City, but I think that's because I listened to it as an audiobook. I really appreciated your thoughts on it :)
There is certainly a lot to like about Love in the Big City!
I was going to suggest the Brown Sisters books if you hadn't mentioned them, because I LOVE those books. I didn't used to think I was into romance at all, especially as a queer person on the asexual spectrum, but I've found myself really loving the way I can escape into the genre as needed. And I discovered sapphic romance, which helped. :) I just read all of Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series, and loved A Princess in Theory and the novellas in the series the most. I'm excited to read Vampires of El Norte and The Seven Year Slip, which I have on my Kindle.
Maybe I just need to read more from Talia Hibbert! Hope you enjoy Vampires and Seven Year Slip!
Love the insight on Vampires of El Norte. It was one of my favorites last year. I also really enjoyed The Seven Year Slip. Since you also enjoyed it, I’d recommend her previous book The Dead Romantics. It also has a speculative element to it, but it also deals with some heavier topics (the main character’s father passes away at the beginning of the book) in a way that really helped me as I lost a close friend literally the same day that I read this book. Even though it sounds dark, it manages to explore these themes with a lighter tone.
Have you tried any of Emily Henry’s books? Some people don’t love that her romances have more going on in them than just the main relationship, but if you like that you may enjoy her books 😁
I have to admit to feeling a bit romance-d out after this video 😅 But I will keep those recommendations in mind for the next time I’m in the mood to try one! I’ve never read any Emily Henry - is there a particular book of hers you’d recommend I start with?
@@KateyOneMoreTime I totally get feeling like you need to switch it up.
Also, sorry in advance for the length of this next bit. I wanted to talk a little about the books without just breaking it down to the tropes being used.
I enjoy all her books, so it’s really hard to pick. I think Beach Read and Book Lovers are my favorites. In Beach Read they go on all these fun dates as ‘research’ for her next romcom (they’re both authors) and write each other little notes from their respective cabins.
Book Lovers has sort of a metafiction thing going on where it feels occasionally like our protagonist is aware she’s in a story, which I tend to enjoy when done well but I know bothers some people. If I recall I think she’s in the publishing industry (it’s been awhile since I read it so some of the details are fuzzy) and she meets this man who is running a bookstore while she and her sister are visiting this little town. I liked this one because where a lot of romance books sort of romanticize the small quirky town, both of our leads just want to get back to the city where they feel more themselves.
Happy People is fun because while there is a romance sort of driving our main couple through the book, it’s really about this group of friends coming to terms with the way their collective friendship is evolving as they get older. Again, the romance is the main focus as that is the character POV we get, but as opposed to many adult romances where the side characters are made of cardboard and a cheap glue stick, these side characters all feel developed. You get to know about them and they are important to the story.
People We Meet on Vacation is the one that is the murkiest in my mind. I think for a lot of people they consider this their least favorite, and I suppose if I had to rank them I would agree, but not because I didn’t like it. My favorite thing about this book is that the characters love to travel and so we get a lot of moments of them through the years on these different vacations. I love to travel and the way EH wrote about it had me itching to plan another trip (my poor husband 😂)
All that to say, I think I’d start with Beach Read, but that might be because that’s the one I read first.
Sorry if all that was totally unhelpful. 😅
Your videos are always a breath of fresh air! Also your review makes me want to read Vampires of El Norte even more! Also I felt the same way about Mooncakes. I loved the representation, but everything outside of that wasn't for me.
Ahh I'm glad I'm not the only one that felt that way about Mooncakes. I'm sure it's perfect for the right reader, that's just not us apparently! :D
Have you read Nicholas Sparks?
Could you put a visual up when it's spoiler time, so it's easier to skip and come back at the right time?
Thanks for the suggestion - I will try to include in future!