Troy, I certainly hear and appreciate your ambivalence. I know that you are one of my “always watch” booktubers, so I can tell you that I will watch whatever videos you produce, whenever you post them. I share all of your concerns about the future. You certainly are not alone. Still, I’m wishing you all that is good in 2025.
Thanks, Pat. You are obviously one of the BookTubers I watch (and comment on) on a regular basis. I wish you all that is good in 2025 as well. I like that phrase. :-)
@@troytradup I also share your concerns about the amazon universe. I think I have been less successful at extricating myself, but it is something I am very conscious of as well. I admire your efforts in that regard.
Thanks for what you have shared thus far on BookTube. I like your plan of doing a video when you feel like it as opposed to adhering to a strict schedule. I find yours to be a sane, thoughtful and authentic voice. I am glad you are here. Best to you in the coming year. Stay happy 🙂
Thanks so much. I try to be authentic even if that sometimes makes me sound like a bit of loon sometimes. Thanks for the nice thoughts -- best to you in the coming year as well!
Thanks for two years of great entertaining videos, buddy! No matter how often (or not) you jump on to share your thoughts on what you've been reading, or to show us yet another fancypants edition you've added to your collection, I'll always be watching 😊 Writing for yourself - I'm absolutely behind you with that! You know I love the work you've already put out into the world, and if your bibliography of published works is complete then I've got plenty to go back to and enjoy on a second read (and third, and fourth...and so on 😉). I can definitely understand your reasoning behind shuttering Tough Times, especially with regard to extricating yourself from the amazon ecosystem. I would find that extremely difficult to do completely, though I'm trying to find alternatives wherever I can. Anyway, will look forward to whatever you've got for us in 2025 - I know I get to chat to you regularly away from BT, but it's always lovely to hear your voice, see your face, and appreciate your choices in flannel. I'm coming up on two years myself (later in Jan), and meeting you has been, without a doubt, one of the best things about starting my channel. 😀
I received a lovely old paperback copy of Lord of the Flies this holiday season. Congratulations on two years, Troy. My year anniversary on booktube is in January, but I'm not going to do anything special for it. Keep up the great work, and happy reading.
Seems like a lot of content creators who try to adhere to a set schedule eventually get burned out and the quality of content goes down. The videos you make feel fresh and genuine which is why I love watching them. I hope you have a great new year and hope your 2025 beats expectations 😅
Hi Troy! I think your You Tube plans make sense. Even though I enjoy your video content I can appreciate you not wanting to post something when you are not sure what you want to share. I just picked up a copy of The Forsaken Boy and I’m looking forward to reading it. I have also picked up some books that have meant something to you, which I’m hoping to get to soon. As for reading goals I don’t set an amount per year. Sometimes life is busy or I’m reading a long book and I don’t get many books read; other times I’m reading shorter books or have more time and I get through many more. It all depends. It’s all about reading what you are interested in and enjoy. Thank you for what you bring to You Tube.
Thanks for those very nice sentiments, Kent! And be sure to let me know what you think of The Forsaken Boy. It's not for everyone, but hopefully you will find something in it. Cheers!
This was quite the rollercoaster ride of a video, my friend. I'm sorry to hear of the closing of Tough Times Publishing, but I very much understand your reasoning. Amazon has become the new Walmart. Back in the 90's and 2000's all I remember hearing over and over again is how Walmart is a monopoly and we're forced to rely on them. Swap the name and we're in the same situation. I wish there was a way to break the cycle, but I feel as though I'll be an old, old man before anything like that happens.
I think the way to break the cycle is to just break the cycle. Of course, we need a billion other people around the globe to do the same so, yeah, quite the challenge. Hope 2025 treats you well, Joshua!
Sorry you're feeling a little ambivalent about the state of BookTube, publishing & writing. Hope you stay strong & creative in whatever ventures engage you, & I look forward to following whatever bookish adventures you continue to share on BookTube. Yes, poetry's a tough gig...
I've tried to shut down the (public) writing and publishing for a while now but just when I think I'm out, something pulls me back in. I've never quite found the right groove for myself in BookTube but I think making it more casual will definitely help. We shall see! :-)
Sounds like a plan. 2025 is going to be... a year, so pre-planning self-care feels kind of necessary. I think your bookshelf essentials, and your uncommon horror books, and those other kind of ambitious series you have started, those might be fun to continue at whatever pace feels good. That content is evergreen, so those are playlists that you can just add to whenever the mood strikes. Regardless, whatever content you decide to make or not, as long as you're making it because it is enjoyable for you to do so, that's all that matters, and your friends will just come along for whatever journey you want to take. (Also, I watch all of my RUclips videos at 2x speed, and it is still impossible to keep up with many of the Booktuber channels I subscribe to... I agree, I don't know how folks do it...)
@troytradup I always listen with headphones, and am just used to that speed now. (I actually listen to podcasts even faster, because podcasters speak... so... slowly...) Whenever I watch any videos at normal speed it sound like you're suffering from brain damage...
@@troytradup The real irony is that _literally_ (in the literal meaning of that word, not figurative) as I was typing that reply I was on a bus (still am, actually) traveling on an overnight bus ride with a hefty percentage of my monastery (I think we have 20 buses? Maybe more, I lost count) to go visit another monastery for a month... we hit a speed bump at full speed, and I was thrown from my seat in the last row, smashed my head into the luggage rack, and discovered my face to be suddenly covered in blood... my neighbor shouted for the bus to stop and my friends hustled me off the bus to hastily staunch the bleeding from what they tell me is a 3 inch long (but apparently not deep?) gash, wrap my head with gauze, and clean my Carrie-at-the-prom face with bottled water... so I _really_ should not be talking about others' brain damage 😂 (To finish the story... seeing as how it was 8pm on a Sunday night in the middle of nowhere rural India it was decided that diverting a full bus load of monks to go to a hospital still 10 hours from our destination wasn't a worthwhile idea, so I downed some ibuprofen and hoped for the best, and will have to sort something out when we get there...)
“One of the best three”. So King wrote two that are better? Channel plans sound good. I remember one year you said, I’m going to do a series of videos about the fifty best, or whatever it was, and then stopped. There’s no need to be overly ambitious. Actually that could be a life principle (for me) too. I appreciate your presence here.
And I yours, although I feel I may have to do a Huck Finn defense video in 2025! Knowing how often and effusively King blurbs, he probably said that fourteen different novels the very same day. :-)
Troy, everyone I know is having a rough time right now, me included. No one is looking forward to the incoming president or the hardships that the average person will be experiencing in 2025 under this inadequate and ignorant man. I enjoy your videos and love your writing. I read The Forsaken Boy again last week while recovering from my 3rd bout of covid. Such a good story, so well told. I hope you find a way to continue on Booktube, but I guess I understand why you might be discouraged. Michael has his moments of doubt too. Best wishes to you and yours. Happy New Year...
Wow, glad Brandon could help you through a bout of illness -- hope you're feeling better! All the best to you in 2025, Janice, whatever weirdness the world might throw at us!
Troy comes on here looking better than i ever do in my videos and apologizes for being disheveled. Man. And how can you have too many books when you dont even have a single triplestacked shelf of mass markets tetering behind you?
Troy, I certainly hear and appreciate your ambivalence. I know that you are one of my “always watch” booktubers, so I can tell you that I will watch whatever videos you produce, whenever you post them. I share all of your concerns about the future. You certainly are not alone. Still, I’m wishing you all that is good in 2025.
Thanks, Pat. You are obviously one of the BookTubers I watch (and comment on) on a regular basis. I wish you all that is good in 2025 as well. I like that phrase. :-)
@@troytradup I also share your concerns about the amazon universe. I think I have been less successful at extricating myself, but it is something I am very conscious of as well. I admire your efforts in that regard.
Thanks for what you have shared thus far on BookTube. I like your plan of doing a video when you feel like it as opposed to adhering to a strict schedule. I find yours to be a sane, thoughtful and authentic voice. I am glad you are here. Best to you in the coming year. Stay happy 🙂
Thanks so much. I try to be authentic even if that sometimes makes me sound like a bit of loon sometimes. Thanks for the nice thoughts -- best to you in the coming year as well!
Thanks for two years of great entertaining videos, buddy! No matter how often (or not) you jump on to share your thoughts on what you've been reading, or to show us yet another fancypants edition you've added to your collection, I'll always be watching 😊
Writing for yourself - I'm absolutely behind you with that! You know I love the work you've already put out into the world, and if your bibliography of published works is complete then I've got plenty to go back to and enjoy on a second read (and third, and fourth...and so on 😉). I can definitely understand your reasoning behind shuttering Tough Times, especially with regard to extricating yourself from the amazon ecosystem. I would find that extremely difficult to do completely, though I'm trying to find alternatives wherever I can.
Anyway, will look forward to whatever you've got for us in 2025 - I know I get to chat to you regularly away from BT, but it's always lovely to hear your voice, see your face, and appreciate your choices in flannel. I'm coming up on two years myself (later in Jan), and meeting you has been, without a doubt, one of the best things about starting my channel. 😀
Right back at you, my friend! Thanks for all the lovely comments, including this one, and your wholehearted embrace of my flannel. :-)
Even as a Brit, I feel your pain. I look forward to watching your videos whenever and whatever you have to say. Happy New Year Troy 😊
Well, the year certainly started off about as expected. Hope 2025 treats you well!
I received a lovely old paperback copy of Lord of the Flies this holiday season. Congratulations on two years, Troy. My year anniversary on booktube is in January, but I'm not going to do anything special for it. Keep up the great work, and happy reading.
Thanks, Tim. Happy anniversary and enjoy (or re-enjoy) Lord of the Flies!
Seems like a lot of content creators who try to adhere to a set schedule eventually get burned out and the quality of content goes down. The videos you make feel fresh and genuine which is why I love watching them.
I hope you have a great new year and hope your 2025 beats expectations 😅
Fingers crossed on the new year. Thanks for all your support, Jaimee!
Hi Troy! I think your You Tube plans make sense. Even though I enjoy your video content I can appreciate you not wanting to post something when you are not sure what you want to share. I just picked up a copy of The Forsaken Boy and I’m looking forward to reading it. I have also picked up some books that have meant something to you, which I’m hoping to get to soon. As for reading goals I don’t set an amount per year. Sometimes life is busy or I’m reading a long book and I don’t get many books read; other times I’m reading shorter books or have more time and I get through many more. It all depends. It’s all about reading what you are interested in and enjoy. Thank you for what you bring to You Tube.
Thanks for those very nice sentiments, Kent! And be sure to let me know what you think of The Forsaken Boy. It's not for everyone, but hopefully you will find something in it. Cheers!
This was quite the rollercoaster ride of a video, my friend. I'm sorry to hear of the closing of Tough Times Publishing, but I very much understand your reasoning. Amazon has become the new Walmart. Back in the 90's and 2000's all I remember hearing over and over again is how Walmart is a monopoly and we're forced to rely on them. Swap the name and we're in the same situation. I wish there was a way to break the cycle, but I feel as though I'll be an old, old man before anything like that happens.
I think the way to break the cycle is to just break the cycle. Of course, we need a billion other people around the globe to do the same so, yeah, quite the challenge. Hope 2025 treats you well, Joshua!
Sorry you're feeling a little ambivalent about the state of BookTube, publishing & writing. Hope you stay strong & creative in whatever ventures engage you, & I look forward to following whatever bookish adventures you continue to share on BookTube. Yes, poetry's a tough gig...
I've tried to shut down the (public) writing and publishing for a while now but just when I think I'm out, something pulls me back in. I've never quite found the right groove for myself in BookTube but I think making it more casual will definitely help. We shall see! :-)
Sounds like a plan. 2025 is going to be... a year, so pre-planning self-care feels kind of necessary.
I think your bookshelf essentials, and your uncommon horror books, and those other kind of ambitious series you have started, those might be fun to continue at whatever pace feels good. That content is evergreen, so those are playlists that you can just add to whenever the mood strikes. Regardless, whatever content you decide to make or not, as long as you're making it because it is enjoyable for you to do so, that's all that matters, and your friends will just come along for whatever journey you want to take.
(Also, I watch all of my RUclips videos at 2x speed, and it is still impossible to keep up with many of the Booktuber channels I subscribe to... I agree, I don't know how folks do it...)
That's hysterical. I will have to try myself at 2x and see if that makes my blather any more coherent! :-)
@troytradup I always listen with headphones, and am just used to that speed now. (I actually listen to podcasts even faster, because podcasters speak... so... slowly...) Whenever I watch any videos at normal speed it sound like you're suffering from brain damage...
LOL. Well ...
@@troytradup The real irony is that _literally_ (in the literal meaning of that word, not figurative) as I was typing that reply I was on a bus (still am, actually) traveling on an overnight bus ride with a hefty percentage of my monastery (I think we have 20 buses? Maybe more, I lost count) to go visit another monastery for a month... we hit a speed bump at full speed, and I was thrown from my seat in the last row, smashed my head into the luggage rack, and discovered my face to be suddenly covered in blood... my neighbor shouted for the bus to stop and my friends hustled me off the bus to hastily staunch the bleeding from what they tell me is a 3 inch long (but apparently not deep?) gash, wrap my head with gauze, and clean my Carrie-at-the-prom face with bottled water... so I _really_ should not be talking about others' brain damage 😂
(To finish the story... seeing as how it was 8pm on a Sunday night in the middle of nowhere rural India it was decided that diverting a full bus load of monks to go to a hospital still 10 hours from our destination wasn't a worthwhile idea, so I downed some ibuprofen and hoped for the best, and will have to sort something out when we get there...)
“One of the best three”. So King wrote two that are better?
Channel plans sound good. I remember one year you said, I’m going to do a series of videos about the fifty best, or whatever it was, and then stopped. There’s no need to be overly ambitious. Actually that could be a life principle (for me) too. I appreciate your presence here.
And I yours, although I feel I may have to do a Huck Finn defense video in 2025! Knowing how often and effusively King blurbs, he probably said that fourteen different novels the very same day. :-)
Troy, everyone I know is having a rough time right now, me included. No one is looking forward to the incoming president or the hardships that the average person will be experiencing in 2025 under this inadequate and ignorant man. I enjoy your videos and love your writing. I read The Forsaken Boy again last week while recovering from my 3rd bout of covid. Such a good story, so well told. I hope you find a way to continue on Booktube, but I guess I understand why you might be discouraged. Michael has his moments of doubt too. Best wishes to you and yours. Happy New Year...
Wow, glad Brandon could help you through a bout of illness -- hope you're feeling better! All the best to you in 2025, Janice, whatever weirdness the world might throw at us!
Troy comes on here looking better than i ever do in my videos and apologizes for being disheveled. Man. And how can you have too many books when you dont even have a single triplestacked shelf of mass markets tetering behind you?
LOL, you don't see the whole Homer & Langley setup just off to my right and left! Cheers!