Love the throwback series, though I'm mostly impressed you can remember so much about the books you read years ago lol. Out of the ones I have read I pretty much agree with you on all of them, though I personally love literally fiction :) I've had all of those Leigh Bardugo books on my shelf for years and still haven't gotten around to them because of all of the mixed reviews, same with A Little Life. I guess I'll have to decide for myself...
Not a Little Life 😂 although I remember how much you liked it at the time so I think the choice makes sense in the context of that series! I have a complete different experience with that book, I felt like the author was actively trying to make it sad and shocking to the point that I just didn't care about any of the characters and was just thinking "so what's next now? Ahhh yes, of course more trauma, let's act surprised" 😅
2019 is that last year I have clear memories of. Everything since just bleeds together... so for me, it feels like you're just talking about last year. I remember being amazed at how much you could read in a month and then I realized just how many were audiobooks and that if I listened to audiobooks while I did other things, I could do two things at once. Except now I want to have physical copies of the audiobooks I listen to... like trophies.
I love this series. I’m hoping we’ll get a best book of all time showdown between the best book of each year since you started RUclips. Also, I kinda wanna know what book would win the worst book you read each year.
I really liked The Passage, and decided I wouldn’t continue the series as I thought it was a stand alone when I first read it, and actually liked the ending - it felt like, yeah you created this thing that you couldn’t control and now the world is being punished, the end! It felt far more real to me.
Book of the Month Club sent me The Silent Patient back when it first came out, and I was sooo confused when I was reading it because I never choose thrillers. I made it about halfway through, then checked my account to try and figure out what past me was thinking. It turned out that I had ordered a completely different book, and they ended up sending me whichever book I had really ordered that month 😂
I gotta disagree about Record of a Spaceborn Few. It was one of the best books of that loosely connected series in my opinion. I generally like stories with multiple POVs that connect together in subtle ways, so it was exactly the kind of book I enjoy the most. Plus, I liked every POV character that we followed. Becky Chambers is such a good writer. And take my phrasing of "disagree" with humor. We're all allowed to have different opinions. At least we all agree that Becky Chambers is great! :)
I finally read murderbot for the first time and I agree with you. I loved the character but didn't care at all about the story or action so I'm not gonna continue the series.. it's a bit sad considering everyone says it's the most funny and best thing ever 😂 my expectations were also very high because of everyone's love of this series
I'm gonna share a controversial take in response to the controversial pick: I think we're way too complacent regarding male characters experiencing graphic traumatic events in books. Many people, Emily included, are very critical of gratuitous violence against women in books. But somehow, we care less when the same thing happens to men. Specific examples: A little life and Young mungo.
If you have not read "The Darkness Outside Us" by Eliot Schrefer, it has a trope you like! Can't say what trope, spoilers, but I'm about 15 min from the end. I think it's really good!
I had such a weird experience with the Broken Earth trilogy, I loooved book 1, then really didn’t care for where the story went after that. I am pretty sure I quit either late on book 2 or early on book 3. Same with the Skyward series
Some of the criticism around A Little Life is about the amount of suffering the characters went through, but maybe you need to dive into the criticism a little more. Most of it is about how little care the author actually had for her characters and the subject matter itself, she did no research into sa trauma, into homelessness, what it is to be a gay man, etc. etc. as well as her statements about mental health and how she doesn’t believe in therapy. She essentially wrote a book to push her idea that some people she just be 💀
Oh man I still think about A Little Life. One of my all time favorite books. Yes it’s torture pxrn, and yes I cried my eyes out during a 9 hour flight. It’s the only book I love but also don’t recommend my friends read 😂
I wonder if you actually did (or plan to do) any updated video about authors you don’t support anymore? I know i watched one from you (right after i finish this i’ll go find it hehe), but already in your “2018 favourites” i was surprised about you not supporting mark lawrence anymore for example and i dont think he was mentioned in that older video..? I like your opinions on problematic themes and authors. 🙈
You can try "Cage of souls" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's a scifi standalone and kind of reminded me annihilation in a good way. It's set in dying world where only one city remains.
SPOILERS The way Matthias (?) is killed last minute almost as an afterthought was so annoying. I’m scared she’ll bring him back if a third book happens 😂💀
@@BookswithEmilyFoxi was so angry when that happened.. also I hate when authors dont seem to be able to be done with theirs stories? That duology wah finished.. thats so annoying
Uh okay! I was right and I loved it 😂 also, she will not bring him back, I'm pretty sure due to stuff that has happened in King of Scars duology. And I find it has very much an open ending as there's all the slave stuff with Inej to explore, and considering where the world Is going, I think it could be important to discuss in a YA fantasy. That said, I'll stick with the Grisha, I tried her other works and they weren't my cup of tea 😅
Haven't finished the video yet but I'm 100% here for The Silent Patient slander - I hated that book so much 😂 I always feel crazy because it seems like everyone loved it and thought it was so twisty and amazing but I couldn't stand it, thought it was obvious and also reeked of "men writing women".
I read all four books of the Raven Boys series, and honestly the ending was really underwhelming. So now I joke that "It isn't about the journey, but the friends we made along the way."
LOL she is beloved so I understand! Idk if audiobook format was my mistake and why they didn’t stand out that much but I did like listening to the accent so idk
You didn’t like the Silent Patient? Man, the twist is so good. I missed all the hype but I can see why it had it. I think listening to the audio makes it better. My mom didn’t like it as much reading it physically. She less morally grey than me too and thought that lady should have gone to jail. I liked the ending the way it is.
Oh not a little life cmon... I almost throw my phone thru the window lol I'm still salty because back in the day I read it because of you and I felt I wasted my time.
The Shape of Water was a terrible book, I've read almost all of Del Toro's work and that is by far the worst. A better version is "Mrs. Calaban" by Rachel Ingalls, and that came out in 1983.
*spoilers for A little life* I hated Willem. Hear me out: i don‘t think Jude was gay. I think he was too sexually traumatized to built up a healthy relationship with sex. He was sexually abused solely by men and never really had a Connection to women (grew up in a church with only boy etc.) I thin Willem was a symbol for Everything his teacher who abductrd him was. Willem is extremely charismatic, interested in him although Jude feels inferior to him. Willem forces him to have sex even when it‘s clear that Jude is probably asexual. Jude needed therapy and I hated how Willem was so selfish to not put him to the institution because he was afraid Jude would never forgive him. I also assume that he was afraid Jude would realize how manipulative Willem is. I only liked JB. The other ones were poorly executed
![Coheed and Cambria - Searching for Tomorrow [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hDsYGLbmadg/mqdefault.jpg)
2019 was quite the year for me… major surgery, moving but mostly, that Goodreads challenge 😅 do you remember these books?
I remember 2019 Emily. And this reminded me that I want to read The Sparrow.
I think this is the year I found your channel :)
@@19ninetythree same!!
I like how you went back in time and did this . This is the first time I’ve seen a video like this so definitely unique and cool.
People shouldn't apologize for not liking or liking a book. Reading is personal.
I work from home and it’s gloomy sometimes, your crazy amount of video has been a blessing!
Love the throwback series, though I'm mostly impressed you can remember so much about the books you read years ago lol.
Out of the ones I have read I pretty much agree with you on all of them, though I personally love literally fiction :)
I've had all of those Leigh Bardugo books on my shelf for years and still haven't gotten around to them because of all of the mixed reviews, same with A Little Life. I guess I'll have to decide for myself...
Not a Little Life 😂 although I remember how much you liked it at the time so I think the choice makes sense in the context of that series! I have a complete different experience with that book, I felt like the author was actively trying to make it sad and shocking to the point that I just didn't care about any of the characters and was just thinking "so what's next now? Ahhh yes, of course more trauma, let's act surprised" 😅
2019 is that last year I have clear memories of. Everything since just bleeds together... so for me, it feels like you're just talking about last year. I remember being amazed at how much you could read in a month and then I realized just how many were audiobooks and that if I listened to audiobooks while I did other things, I could do two things at once. Except now I want to have physical copies of the audiobooks I listen to... like trophies.
I think because of you I really a whole lot that year and before and after that year, struggle to read. Thank you for my favorites!
A word is missing in ur comment
I love this series. I’m hoping we’ll get a best book of all time showdown between the best book of each year since you started RUclips. Also, I kinda wanna know what book would win the worst book you read each year.
I really liked The Passage, and decided I wouldn’t continue the series as I thought it was a stand alone when I first read it, and actually liked the ending - it felt like, yeah you created this thing that you couldn’t control and now the world is being punished, the end! It felt far more real to me.
Because of you and a couple of other youtubers my tbr is a notebook. Blasted enablers. Grrrrr!😂
Yay for Life after life winning the month! Shes my favourite author and I was so happy when you picked this up!
Love this series Emily!!! You’re the best 🫶😊
Great list. Has your perspective on any of these books changed due to events of 2020?
Book of the Month Club sent me The Silent Patient back when it first came out, and I was sooo confused when I was reading it because I never choose thrillers. I made it about halfway through, then checked my account to try and figure out what past me was thinking. It turned out that I had ordered a completely different book, and they ended up sending me whichever book I had really ordered that month 😂
I gotta disagree about Record of a Spaceborn Few. It was one of the best books of that loosely connected series in my opinion. I generally like stories with multiple POVs that connect together in subtle ways, so it was exactly the kind of book I enjoy the most. Plus, I liked every POV character that we followed. Becky Chambers is such a good writer.
And take my phrasing of "disagree" with humor. We're all allowed to have different opinions. At least we all agree that Becky Chambers is great! :)
All the Light We Cannot See would be my pick. And that's okay too LOL.
Love the long videos! I’m dying to read Priory of the Orange Tree but it terrifies me because it’s such a massive book.
Can I ask why you don’t read more of jay/mark? :)
As a fan of The Secret History, it's all about the characters imo.
I finally read murderbot for the first time and I agree with you. I loved the character but didn't care at all about the story or action so I'm not gonna continue the series.. it's a bit sad considering everyone says it's the most funny and best thing ever 😂 my expectations were also very high because of everyone's love of this series
I liked Vengeful the best too so you’re not alone!
I'm gonna share a controversial take in response to the controversial pick: I think we're way too complacent regarding male characters experiencing graphic traumatic events in books.
Many people, Emily included, are very critical of gratuitous violence against women in books. But somehow, we care less when the same thing happens to men.
Specific examples: A little life and Young mungo.
I am also reading a short story written by a British author. The humor goes over my head
If you have not read "The Darkness Outside Us" by Eliot Schrefer, it has a trope you like! Can't say what trope, spoilers, but I'm about 15 min from the end. I think it's really good!
I had such a weird experience with the Broken Earth trilogy, I loooved book 1, then really didn’t care for where the story went after that. I am pretty sure I quit either late on book 2 or early on book 3. Same with the Skyward series
Some of the criticism around A Little Life is about the amount of suffering the characters went through, but maybe you need to dive into the criticism a little more. Most of it is about how little care the author actually had for her characters and the subject matter itself, she did no research into sa trauma, into homelessness, what it is to be a gay man, etc. etc. as well as her statements about mental health and how she doesn’t believe in therapy. She essentially wrote a book to push her idea that some people she just be 💀
That, and all of her books apparently having suffering gay men.
Oh man I still think about A Little Life. One of my all time favorite books. Yes it’s torture pxrn, and yes I cried my eyes out during a 9 hour flight. It’s the only book I love but also don’t recommend my friends read 😂
I wonder if you actually did (or plan to do) any updated video about authors you don’t support anymore? I know i watched one from you (right after i finish this i’ll go find it hehe), but already in your “2018 favourites” i was surprised about you not supporting mark lawrence anymore for example and i dont think he was mentioned in that older video..? I like your opinions on problematic themes and authors. 🙈
You can try "Cage of souls" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's a scifi standalone and kind of reminded me annihilation in a good way. It's set in dying world where only one city remains.
Love this series of yours so much ❤❤❤❤
Your books from 2019 look wonderful.
Love this series! 📚📚📚
I have the Passage book in my shelves since 2018 and I don´t know why I haven´t read it yet...but now I'm hesitating if I should DNF it x_x
Have you ever read The Timeless Fate Series? It's officially my favorite series I have ever read❤
What is up with Jay Kristoff? Have to ask because I love Empire of the Vampire
I’m curious as well.
What's the deal breaker in Crooked Kingdom? I'm sooo curious to know if you refer to the thing I'm thinking 😂
SPOILERS
The way Matthias (?) is killed last minute almost as an afterthought was so annoying. I’m scared she’ll bring him back if a third book happens 😂💀
@@BookswithEmilyFoxi was so angry when that happened..
also I hate when authors dont seem to be able to be done with theirs stories? That duology wah finished.. thats so annoying
Uh okay! I was right and I loved it 😂 also, she will not bring him back, I'm pretty sure due to stuff that has happened in King of Scars duology.
And I find it has very much an open ending as there's all the slave stuff with Inej to explore, and considering where the world Is going, I think it could be important to discuss in a YA fantasy.
That said, I'll stick with the Grisha, I tried her other works and they weren't my cup of tea 😅
Haven't finished the video yet but I'm 100% here for The Silent Patient slander - I hated that book so much 😂 I always feel crazy because it seems like everyone loved it and thought it was so twisty and amazing but I couldn't stand it, thought it was obvious and also reeked of "men writing women".
What was that thing at the end of crooked kingdom? I read it but i dont remember 😂
SPOILERS
It felt like a last minute decision to kill Matthias. I was worried that if a third book happened she’d bring him back lol
Love this series so much 🎁🎁🎄🎄🎁🎁❤️❤️💚💚❤️❤️❤️💚❤️💚💚🎁🎄🎄🎄📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📖📙📙📖📖📖📖📖
"I had no expectations but it still surprised me in a really bad way" me when men
I loved the audiobook of Sadie 🥹
I read all four books of the Raven Boys series, and honestly the ending was really underwhelming. So now I joke that "It isn't about the journey, but the friends we made along the way."
Pls spoil crooked kingdom. Love to hear your thoughts on it.
SPOILERS
It felt like a last minute decision to kill Matthias. I was worried that if a third book happened she’d bring him back 😂
@BookswithEmilyFox not a spoiler: king of scars continues the story of Nina and Matthias is dead in those books too.
I miss the things you "fix" with your accent, I still say thrope and tumnail in my head when i read the words "trope" and "thumbnail"
Triller was my fave 🤗
I say thief as tiff in my head now
I work with French Canadians. Their accent has little zingers you don’t expect.
Love your Videos :)
Have a good day and cuddle the cats for me ^^
I am one that loved a little life.
Lol. I’ll stop recommending Jane Harper to you now (I love The Dry and it’s sequels).
LOL she is beloved so I understand! Idk if audiobook format was my mistake and why they didn’t stand out that much but I did like listening to the accent so idk
@BookswithEmilyFox I haven't tried the audiobooks yet. But mysteries are my favourite genre.
You didn’t like the Silent Patient? Man, the twist is so good. I missed all the hype but I can see why it had it. I think listening to the audio makes it better. My mom didn’t like it as much reading it physically. She less morally grey than me too and thought that lady should have gone to jail. I liked the ending the way it is.
Oh not a little life cmon... I almost throw my phone thru the window lol I'm still salty because back in the day I read it because of you and I felt I wasted my time.
I'm not saying privileged is always a bad thing , I just wish I had time to read as many books 😂
❤📚📚❤️
-----> Spoil Crooked Kingdom here pls?? 💕‼️
SPOILERS
It felt like a last minute decision to kill Matthias. I was worried that if a third book happened she’d bring him back 😂
The Shape of Water was a terrible book, I've read almost all of Del Toro's work and that is by far the worst.
A better version is "Mrs. Calaban" by Rachel Ingalls, and that came out in 1983.
*spoilers for A little life*
I hated Willem.
Hear me out: i don‘t think Jude was gay. I think he was too sexually traumatized to built up a healthy relationship with sex. He was sexually abused solely by men and never really had a Connection to women (grew up in a church with only boy etc.)
I thin Willem was a symbol for Everything his teacher who abductrd him was. Willem is extremely charismatic, interested in him although Jude feels inferior to him. Willem forces him to have sex even when it‘s clear that Jude is probably asexual.
Jude needed therapy and I hated how Willem was so selfish to not put him to the institution because he was afraid Jude would never forgive him. I also assume that he was afraid Jude would realize how manipulative Willem is.
I only liked JB. The other ones were poorly executed