for fiction, it’s almost NEVER a polyamorous arrangement in the end. It always a love triangle with the overly dramatic decisions of who the protagonist ends up with and which character will end up heartbroken, maybe revengeful.
@@TheWitchOfWonderlust poly stories are just so much more fun! I know you aren’t really into fiction but if you know one from the top of your head please let me know! XD
I would definitely recommend Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao . It has a really good polyamory sub-plot. The author did a really good version on the “Love triangle“ trope. Where the love interests are actually a “triangle” (A❤B, A❤C, C❤B) rather than the typical love triangle (A❤B, A❤C) trope. Plus, we love a FL who is out for blood 💅
Poly fantasy that is making the rounds: Evocation by S.T. Gibson Also A Dowry of Blood written by them was AMAZING (a dracula brides story so it’s poly)
Hi Olivia, I'm not sure what are the chances of you finding this comment, but I'll write it anyway. I just wanted to thank you for the incredible quality and genuinity of every single one of your videos, you're my absolute favourite RUclipsr and I've been following your channel for 4 years. It has always brightened my days and nights. I'm living alone for the first time now, and I always relate when you speak of your love of solitude. However, some days are harder than others, and I've noticed that your videos and your voice are always the ones who help me the most when doing the dishes feel like too much and I can't bring myself to finish simple tasks. I'm halfway through this video and I've already cleaned my entire kitchen after a rough weekend that involved not caring about the dishes at all. I can't thank you enough. You mentioned that the comments section hasn't always been the kindest so I thought I'd put this here to fight back a little. 💜💜
Margo!! This comment has just went up to one of the top nicest comments I’ve ever read. Thank you so much for this, it means the absolute world to me. To be your favorite RUclipsr is a HUGE honor. I hope to continue making content you enjoy and that you can look forward to on those days that are a little less than kind. Thank you.
"I felt stupid after I read this book..." made me snort coffee! Loved this review. I literally get mad after reading a sucky book cause my time is valuable! Great job!
Heartbroken you didn’t have a better experience with your fiction exploration! Circe by Madeline Miller has some of the best writing I’ve ever encountered. It’s about a famous witch from Greek mythology (I’m not normally even into Greek myths) and the way she describes the energies of the plants and the actual craft of witchcraft really inspired my own practice. I finished it in a day! Happy Spooky Season 🎃 🦇 🧙♀️
I haven't watched your videos in a while, but hearing you speak about your issues with Haunting Adaline reminded me of why I love your videos so much. Calm, informative, non-bs opinions.
Oh my gosh! Finally someone that isn't obsessed with Haunting Adeline! I haven't tried reading it but with how popular it is I have almost been tricked into it. I feel like you and I have a lot in common, so I am gonna trust you on this one for sure!
Look I’m all about letting people like what they like and usually I can justify people enjoying something I personally don’t - but this one gave me a challenge 😅
Some spooky witchy books you might like: The witching hour by Anne Rice (haunted, house, generation of witches, spirit in love with one of the witches--subtle dark eroticism) Let the right one in: by John Lindqvist (child vampire in Sweden befriends boy) House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (3 sisters with strange abilities, a man with a bull's head and the liminal world) The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein (subtle and dark, written like a diary) Mexican Gothic by Silvia Garcia (gothic, eerie house, body horror and more) Affinity by Sarah Waters (Gothic, ghost story, mystery, set in 1870 London, LGBTQ) 🥰
The witching hour is my all time favorite book. I love the world that Anne Rice created and how it's so easy to visualize their world because of how she writes. ❤
The synchronicity of this video & sponsor to current projects I'm working on can't be mere coincidence, it's a message. Thank you! BTW, your hair & makeup look amazing today - absolutely gorgeous.
Winter read I think you would love!! Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - dark fairy tale vibes - irreverent interesting main character who isn’t a wet dish rag.
Hey Olivia! I just wanted to tell you how comforting I find your videos!! I have followed along with your videos since the beginning, and I feel so connected to you. You feel like an old friend or a sister and teacher. I wish you the best!❤
Definitely read T. Kingfisher at some point! What Moves the Dead is short and absolutely amazing and a good indication if you'll like her style. She does metaphysical horror all the way to traditional fantasy and a lot of intersection, and her wit is unmatched. I'm telling everyone about T. Kingfisher :D but I think you'd really like something of hers.
Ahhh, you were my intro to witchy creators, so as someone who’s been apart of booktube for like 10 years it’s super cool to see you getting back into fiction. If you love an atmospheric read I highly suggest Erin morgenstern and Alix e. Harrow! The night circus is all historical fantasy circus vibes & minimum plot. It gets mis-marketed as a romance but it’s really about the circus. BUT the starless sea is perfection!! Truly a book that makes me so sad that you can read a book for the first time only once. Also it’s perfect for winter cause it’s in snowy Vermont and nyc!! Another recommendation I think you’d love in Silver in the Wood. A queer fae novella that plays off the green man lore and takes place during autumn. I’ve had the historian on my shelf for years and your review definitely put it higher up on my future reads list lol
I'll give a few recs I think are a fun time in the poly-fantasy niche (there's a LOT of those haha): ✨Call of the Ride by C.Rochelle: a retelling of Baba Yaga's tales (Slavic mythology). In this Baba Yaga turns out to be a spiritual title/role of which our main character it's successor. She will have to go on a quest to save the magical forest and shapeshifters from an upcoming danger. ✨Broken Bonds by J. Bree: Our main character has a death super power and a lot of secrets to uncover about it. She lives in a world where relationships and families are built around more than two people, and she is hiding from her people, her bond group, and from people who want to use her powers. Cause apparently she is the only one who has powers that come with the voice of an ancient entity who wants something... I loved the mythology the author created around those characters and entities! *without fantasy that I think are worth mentioning* ✨Madame by Sara Cate: Madame is a dominatrix in a BDSM club and a big deal in the scene. She is focused on raising her son and never again going through the difficult situations she's dealt with in the past. So... she doesn't do relationships. Until she has to deal with a messy couple. ✨Bad Alpha by Kathryn Moon: This falls into the omegaverse category which is more of an alternative world thing. Our main character it's a hitwoman who has been assigned to kill a man that pissed off some bad big people. She ends up getting bonded to him and has to decide If she is going to help him run from and dismantle this organization that is trying to kill them both now. 🫰
Please, please, please, give Sir Terry Pratchett's books a shot! I'm sure you'd love his Discworld books, probably starting with the Witches series, or with Tiffany Aching, or with the Death cycle! Also, the spectacular trilogy by Katherine Arden is really good for the winter months. The books are called "The Bear and the Nightingale", "The Girl in the Tower" and "The Winter of the Witch". They are dark, they are spooky (in a soft way), they are set in a medieval Russian fantasy setting, and they are just brilliant! Happy reading ❤
I totally second the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Its like detective noir, but the detective is a wizard. so many well researched mythological characters and the world builds with each book. The are a good size, not too big but there are a bunch. A great recommendation that I haven't yet seen is A Secret History of Witches. It follows 5 generations of women/witches. Kind of feels historical and real. Really enjoyed it.
For two audio books both are read by Barbara Rosenblatt: The Unexpected Mrs Polifax. (Cosey book) Crocodile on the Sandbank. (Mystery with supernatural elements) Barbara Rosenblatt also reads the Bones book Mystery series the Tv show is based on these. Also Johnathan Kellerman's Alexander Delaware mystery, read by John Rubinstein. They are Sherlock Holmes meets Los Angeles Noir.
Sounds like the best thing to come out of HA is an informative discussion of the quink! I hope young and possibly vulnerable people get that message. 🖤 Personally, I really enjoyed the Agent Pendergast series by Lincoln and Child, about murder cases that seem weird, gruesome and/or supernatural. It has very little spice but has it's very well written. The good/bad news is that if you like it they're up to book 20-sthg! Relic is first. 😊
I see lots of really good book recommendations already, but there are a couple of others you might like: The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw is about an ex-mermaid and a plague doctor wandering the apocalypse until they come across a village in the woods where children make a game of killing each other over and over because they know the “saints” who watch over the village will always raise them from the dead. It’s a gorgeous creepy dark fairy tale. And also Orfeia by Joanne Harris, in which a mother journeys through Faerie so she can ask the Halloween King to give her back her daughter’s soul. Lastly, Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey is kink done a little more mindfully. It’s set in a world where sex work is seen as holy, and the difference between consent and non-consent is always pretty explicit. The main character is a courtesan who has a unique talent for kink, and is sent by her patron to spy on all the juicy courtly intrigue. There are so many more, but this is already the world’s longest comment. Thanks so much for this lovely channel, it’s always a good day when you post a video 😊 Edit: I almost forgot to mention Neil Gaiman’s Graveyard Book. It’s about a boy who’s raised in a graveyard by the ghosts who inhabit it. A good Halloween read 😀
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina, and Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow are some other books I would recommend. Def look at trigger warnings (esp for ninth house), but they've been a few of my recent favorite reads.
A stand-alone book that talks about death that I loved was Under the Wisperung Door by T. J. Klune. It is not like super dark but goes into mental health things but is overall very uplifting and very sweet. (You'll hate the protagonist at first but it gets better) I'm no expert when it comes to world and character building so I don't know how "good" it actually is but I loved it
I loooooved this video. I loved, that you are honest about things you liked AND disliked. The ranting part was hilarious, I laughed so hard. Thanks for your videos 🫶
As an avid fiction reader, I hate bad writing/ world building. Thanks for great reviews and trashing things that deserve to be trashed. Your drunk friends reading was gold. I am very curious what you would think of Spinning Silver. Not Smut, but as I've been reading Marshall's book and knowing you read all his stories, I've been very curious your reaction to it. The author has darker books, but since you said you were reading with the season, Spinning Silver is very winter
Hi, Olivia! I was watching this video and was having a big relatable moment. I also struggle to follow the current book tendencies a lot of the times, and see myself in your place more times than I'd like. Because of this, I wanted to give you a recomendation. This is one of my favorite books of the year, I was really positively surprised when I read it cause it is simply amazing. The pacing is the only flaw I really see to it, but the deepness of the characters, the complexity of the world, the BEYOND amazing plot and inclusivity of the book truly make up for it. It's called Legendborn, by Tracy Deon, and it is the first book of a trilogy. It's fantasy with undertones of romance and it is YA fantasy, but I think you'll have a good time with it. I do have to warn you, it takes a bit for the world to be correctly explained and for you to tag along, but once you do, you won't regret it. Hope this comment finds you well and I wish you the best reads for this season!
Hey Olivia, thank you for the video! As a Polish person, I'd like to add just a tiny correction to what you've said about "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead" - it takes place in Poland rather than in Scandinavia. The author of the book is Polish as well and she received a Nobel prize in literature in 2018. Love your videos and I'm so happy you're getting into fiction again ❤
Finding good fiction (and by good I mean that suits your taste) is a challenge indeed, but once you do oh boy - it is such a treat! And just you wait until you start to discover writers that you fall in love with and they keep putting out something new, so you have this little dopamine tingle down the spine when you see the new release, because you just know it's going to be good. I also use Goodreads to track my progress and to check out reviews, and I noticed that most books that are higher than 3.9 rated by a decent amount of people is usually well written at least. My personal recommendations for the spooky/earie/witchy/magical vibe are: Diane Setterfield "Once upon a river" and "Thirteenth tale", Shirley Jackson "We have always lived in the castle", Alix E Harrow " Once and future witches" and her recent release "Starling house", Anita Frank "The lost ones", A.J. West "The spirit engineer".
Her Soul to Take & the whole Souls Trilogy by Harley Laroux is infinitely better writing for kink! I haven't even read Haunting Adeline but I could tell by all the insane hype & reviews that I wasn't going to like it at all lol. I actually found out about Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux from a bad review of Haunting Adeline lol the reviewer said that Harley is one of the best writers in this dark paranormal romance genre and she wasn't lying!! The Souls Trilogy takes place in the PNW (spooky gloomy dark forest vibes) and there's lots of witchy occult themes too so I think you'd enjoy it! If you do, make another book review because I'd be curious what you think Olivia :)
I read House of Salt and Sorrows and Roots and Ruin last month and loved them both as well! I'd recommend The Bear and the Nightingale for winter season! It's the first in an adult fantasy series set in Russia. The Inheritance of Orqídea Divina by Zoraida Cordova is also a good read for October/November, with magical realism and a dual timeline. It follows a family matriarch with a mysterious past, who requests the whole family return home for her funeral and to collect their inheritance.
so many books i didn't know! thanks for sharing, it was a lovely video, perfect for spooky season ♡ if you'd like one more recommendation, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a must. It's well-written, spooky, keeps you guessing at all turns, and has the right amount of Big Gothic Derelict Mansion but in a more modern setting. There are also some really interesting witchcraft elements to it. I love it a lot!
Hey!!! You are my foundation into Witchcraft, the Occult, and just the Esoteric space in general and I just wanna say Thank You. Your page changed my life and one of it's many focuses and I will always be grateful for your constant inspiration... the way you're growing as a creative and editor... Wowsers .... I'm on the verge of my content creation and you are the paradigm I strive towards.✨🤘🏾.... Btw... On the fiction side... if you haven't already... give House Of Leaves a try!!!!✌🏾
What a nice calm video I always love how honest you are with your reviews. I can't help but notice, you are a whole different person now so your intuition is much more powerful now. The one book YOU chose, you loved! It's cool to get reccomendations but hey it's a new chapter of your life with a whole new mind I say got with you intuition and I'd like to see what fiction books you recommend ! 😊🔮🧡🌹🕸🎀
The Myrtlewood series! It’s like Charmed and Gilmore Girls mixed together! The author is a witch, so the details are on point 👌 They’re the first fantasy books I’ve read in years and am LOVING them!
Books are fun. Hope you have good luck with your future book finds. I think a lot about your videos sometimes. This one made me think of a lot of books I read in the past kind of whimsically. I like books that pull me in and set my soul on fire. I’m a writer and you got to read all kinds. If you don’t open the cover you’ll never get to the good parts.
Seriously, I love this video, haha. I'm not even reading any fiction books right now. I have audible, so I listen to a lot of my books now; however, after watching this video, I'd like to find nice witchy book for the winter to read. I also LOVE your decor.
Love you're reading and reviewing Fiction books. I loved the Historian. One of my favorite books is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, a spellbound witch, a centuries old vampire, a bewitched alchemical manuscript that brings them together. This is the first book in the Trilogy, perfect for spooky season, highly recommend. Love this series Olivia and hope you continue to do more. ✨💫
I'm so glad you enjoyed this video! I'll definitely look into doing more of these. The Discovery of Witches is on my wishlist, so I hope to get to it soon! If not this year, I'll save it for the spooky season next year.
One of the reasons I love the Gothic Horror genre is for the atmosphere. The sense of dread, that something's just not right. It's gotten harder to come across new books in the genre that feel new and novel, or maybe I'm just becoming increasingly picky as well. 😅 A book that does world building so well is Piers Anthony's on a Pale Horse. It's the first book in the series Incarnations of Immortality. I can't speak for the rest of the series because i haven't read it yet, but I plan to continue. Good luck on your reading journey!
It's funny that a couple of my non-booktube channels are venturing into books recently. I recommend The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden about a witchy girl in a small medieval Russian town which incorporates Russian folklore and is great for winter vibes (TW religious trauma)
Yay!! I’ve got a book on my shelf for October called “The Girl with all of the Gifts,” I can’t remember the author at the moment, but it’s a bright yellow cover lol. It’s a zombie book that speaks on what it means to be human, I’ve heard really good things about it and I’m looking forward to it - I’ve never read a zombie book before!! lol
when I saw that people were recommending Haunting Adeline to you, I couldn't believe they would do you that dirty. hearing you tear into it made me laugh. if you're still looking for recommendations and you like fantasy, I recommend Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett. it has a unique and complex magic system, compelling characters, and its a little on the grittier side. its one of my favorite fantasy series by far. good luck on your fiction-reading journey!
The Historian was my favorite book in my teenage years. I don't remember feeling like it was a slow burn (though it is just a super long book); however, I did read another book by the same author, The Swan Thieves, and found it UNBEARABLY slow. I can't believe I finished it. It took me literal years. I do have Elizabeth Kostova's third book, The Shadow Land, on my bookshelf to read though because I do like the uniqueness of her stories.
If you can't find the receipt for the Weyward Book you could always glue it together and cut a hole in it and use it as a false/decorative book. I recommend anything by Neil Giaman. He is a great world builder and there's not many smut scenes in his books.
I have to HIGHLY recommend The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is a detective working out of Chicago.. he's also a Wizard. Witches and wizards and monsters. Four different types of vampire. Three different types of werewolves. The Fae. It's really great. There are 17 books in the series, quite a few short stories, and about 10 books left to go plus an apocalyptic trilogy.
To read, I would recommend The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. It is steampunk, but lighter on tropes (not *no* tropes, just less tropes.I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say more than that. But if you see it, give it serious consideration.
Was just at Powell's! Got mix of non and fiction and loved this video! Will check out some of these. The best spooky book IMO is "House of Leaves" recommend.
If in mood for spooky but great atmosphere Would also 100000% recommend the RUclipsr Kane pixels: Backrooms found footage one Information video Backrooms found footage two Pitfalls There's a ton of lore in other videos but the level of skill and that he made these under 18 years old is amazing. Oldest view series is fantastic too
I'm definitely late to this (by six months) BUT if you still want some book recs, I personally love Cicadas Sing Of Summer Graves by Quinn Conner, It is more of a summer book than fall or winter one. It's a queer written/oriented book that is a Southern gothic about a town that was flooded over during the yellow fever outbreak and rebuilt years later but one of the MC's is haunted by a ghost who lives in the lake. There's no smut, but mentions sex and the three main characters are women. It is the first novel by the authors so it's not the absolute best, it does really show that it was a beginning work, essentially, and that the authors are learning how to basically harmonize their writing voices out together so did take (at least me) a bit of a slow start but it gets quickly paced towards the end, and pretty good even though it felt lacking in some places(i wish the cicadas were emphasized).
loved your reviews! just wanted to say yes, you're right: Fourth Wing is the author's first fantasy book, she usually writes romances as far as I am aware. I'm really glad you liked FW! also, I noticed in one of the beginning shots that you have a copy of A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout. just in case you weren't aware, that is technically book 5 of a series, the first book is From Blood and Ash. A Soul of Ash and Blood is part retelling of the first book from a different character's POV, and part continuation from the story as it leaves off after The War of Two Queens. I love the Blood and Ash books but I kind of disliked Soul of Ash and Blood because of how repetitive it was and it only just barely continues from where War of Two Queens ended. if you decide to read this series definitely start with From Blood and Ash!
If you want a good book that's not smut, read Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin. It's one of my favorite Southern Death books, it is a little boring at parts but it's such a realistic depiction of how life throws curveballs and how the people/spirits that help the most are the more unexpected.
Ah I’ve been reading Drive Your Plow right now! I also really am enjoying the atmosphere. I’ve been having a weird experience with the character as well but I think I like her. Like you said, definitely comes across how the author wants her to come across. I’m still in the first half, so let’s see how it goes. Was nice to hear you talk about it! ☺️
If you're looking for an atmospheric cold winter read I recommend The girl and the stars by mark Lawrence. It's a touch of sci-fi and fantasy set one a world slowly closing over with ice because the sun is dying. (The Red sister series is on the same planet and was written first but TGATS is chronologically first.)
I recommend The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. It's one of my absolute favorite books, but most people have never heard of it. It has a fairy tale feel, but closer to the original fairy tales. Also, your description of Weyward made me think of The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow, except this one is actually good.
I really think you would love Robin Hobb's books if you want to dive into a large world with well-developed characters and an interesting magic system (I always am most intrigued by the way fantasy authors build magic into their worlds). She builds out a world with multiple continents across multiple trilogies and each trilogy could stand alone I guess but they also all interact to tell a story across basically an entire lifetime and you get different local lore snippets that kind of interconnect into bigger world lore and ah she's so good and now she's basically retired and living out her introverted grandma life with her chickens and I think the world would be better if more people read all her books about Fitz and the Fool.
I recomend Our wives under the sea (is cosmic horror) and Her body and other partys (short story colection, really good about the horrors of femeninity)
Hey Olivia, I'm not sure if you're interested in Manga (Japanese graphic novels). If you are or would like to try and get into it I highly recommend anything by Junji Ito. He is a horror writer. He tackles everything from cosmic to body to paranormal horror. Most of his stories are anthologies but if you're looking for stories featuring the same characters, Tomie, Uzumaki, and Gyo are great starting points.
I love the game "word I don't know or just made up?" Haha. I feel like a lot of the big hits lately have not really done it for me. Looking forward to following your book IG!
Really enjoyed this video! perfect for a cozy morning And thank you for elaborating on kink & consent! oh god the dramatic readings made me spray my coffee though 😅
Also, I don't know how else to describe buy I feel like fiction is going though another VC Andrews-style at the moment? i was definitely too young to read Flowers In The Attic when i did, a weird sort of 'thriller but make it romantic' but with a whole bunch of concerning romanticised abuse
Hi! I really hope you read this, 😄 If you are still in the mood to read recommendations, I highly recommend Slewfoot by Brom. It is set during historical times and yet has that timeless vibe. The characters are complex and distinct. Would love to know what you think about it should you read it. Ooo, I also highly recommend Winterset Hollow by Johnathan Edward Durham. It is quite unique, intense, fable like, and brilliantly poetic in more ways than one.
If you like darker/gothic stories, vampires, and uhhh "romance", "A Dowry of Blood" is a novella with a queer take on the tale of Dracula. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and it's told in an epistolary (diary/letter) style. It's one of my favorite books I've read in the last couple of years and I actually want to read it again tbh I also recently read The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams. Not a spooky read, but it's so strangely cozy? At least, it was to me. Every time I try to describe it, I feel like I'm not doing it well. I don't know if it'd be a good winter read, persay, but good if you're looking to get into fantasy. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novak is loosely based on Rumplestiltskin but is largely independent and would make a fantastic wintery read.
THANK YOU for the honest reviews. And I had a similar experience with Haunting Adeline. I kinda went into it thinking it was gonna be a romance with a ghost or something. NOPE! lol I actually listened to the audiobook version of it and that was a ride! I was cackling throughout the book because of how absurd it was. Anyway, for spooky season, I highly recommend Interview with the Vampire and for a gothic winter romance: Wintersong a novel And yeah, it was not
If you are diving into fiction on audible, I highly (highly highly) recommend Seasons of Mists. It is a multicast production of Neil Gaiman's first series of Sandman. I was highly skeptical of it, but gave it a listen anyway. It is truly fantastic and exclusive to Audible.
Haunting Adeline sounds like Fifty Shades for CNC. As someone who works at Barnes and Nobles, most of those aren’t categorized as fiction, most of them are romance, so the smut books make sense. A lot of romance from what I’ve seen is just smut, no plot. All my book recommendations for holidays are kids picture books. 😂
thank you for tearing "Haunting of Adeline" for ALL the right reasons! Thank you for pointing that out! TW's should really become standard with books.. I sure have gotten suuper triggered by unexpected and unannounced f*cked upp abuse and assault- that now I can't unread no matter how much eye bleach I've watched since 🥲The kink and queer community salutes you, Olivia❤🔥you're awsome x w love from sweden
Hey Olivia! Not sure if you'll see this, truly hoping you do... I have a recommendation for you that based of the last book of this review from how it sounds I think you'll really like! Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern! It's absolutely beautiful, enchanting, gothic romance that leaves you with questions (in a beautiful way) and it just a really beautiful book I really think you'd enjoy! It's not suuuuper long but it's decent but it's one of those don't want to put it down type of books! And, if you like it, she's got another called Starless Sea, that, being a book lover I really think you'd appreciate ;) it's also very beautiful and a beautiful ode to story telling 💜📚
I’m currently reading Vampjres of El Norte by Isabel Cañas. I’m loving it so far! Definitely check it out. You should also look into the author Grady Hendrix. He writes horror but they all have a funny take. Absolutely love his work.
I don’t know if you’re still taking fiction recommendations, but I would like to put you on to Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid. It’s beautifully grotesque, and reminds me of dark and tragic Slavic fairytales. I didn’t realize how much I missed reading until I read this book.
I got the book protection and reversal Magick I really love the book I read tought a lot and seen a cool reversal spell on pg152 I know you talk about the book in other videos
I am here for the fantastically honest reviews. I was thinking about buying Weyward, glad I won't waste my money. For anyone looking for urban fantasy with smut highly recommend author KF Breene. She has several different series ranging from pretty tame (magical midlife magic) to very explicit (ruin of roses).
I'm currently reading Haunting Adeline and I will say, the dialogue is cringe and unrealistic. It's more cringey because of the words 'baby' and 'little mouse'. It's so hilarious. Zade is just too perfect of a character and I hate that he knows it. Like, dude, your only weakness is Adeline? Don't you have at least some sort of imperfection??? This book is a perfect example of how to not write a character. So far, I'm on page 400 and I've yet to feel any connection with the characters. Before I read the book, I look up the author and I was like, "yikes." Not to judge or anything, but in all honesty, I can only hear the author narrating the book instead of the characters. Zade and Adeline sounds like the same person. 😬✋
Oh! I am currently perusing a Japanese book store and suddenly thought of you. Have you tried getting horror or general folklore from around the world and read those for the season?
Olivia roasting “Haunting Adeline” to death speaks to my soul and gives me life 🤌🏽😂
for real, same 🥀🔥✨
for fiction, it’s almost NEVER a polyamorous arrangement in the end. It always a love triangle with the overly dramatic decisions of who the protagonist ends up with and which character will end up heartbroken, maybe revengeful.
It SUCKS. Just let everyone love each other🥲
@@TheWitchOfWonderlust poly stories are just so much more fun! I know you aren’t really into fiction but if you know one from the top of your head please let me know! XD
I would definitely recommend Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao . It has a really good polyamory sub-plot. The author did a really good version on the “Love triangle“ trope. Where the love interests are actually a “triangle” (A❤B, A❤C, C❤B) rather than the typical love triangle (A❤B, A❤C) trope. Plus, we love a FL who is out for blood 💅
Poly fantasy that is making the rounds: Evocation by S.T. Gibson
Also A Dowry of Blood written by them was AMAZING (a dracula brides story so it’s poly)
I also wanted to comment that one, so I absolutely second that recommendation! It is amazing amazing amazing!
Hi Olivia, I'm not sure what are the chances of you finding this comment, but I'll write it anyway. I just wanted to thank you for the incredible quality and genuinity of every single one of your videos, you're my absolute favourite RUclipsr and I've been following your channel for 4 years. It has always brightened my days and nights. I'm living alone for the first time now, and I always relate when you speak of your love of solitude. However, some days are harder than others, and I've noticed that your videos and your voice are always the ones who help me the most when doing the dishes feel like too much and I can't bring myself to finish simple tasks. I'm halfway through this video and I've already cleaned my entire kitchen after a rough weekend that involved not caring about the dishes at all. I can't thank you enough. You mentioned that the comments section hasn't always been the kindest so I thought I'd put this here to fight back a little. 💜💜
Margo!!
This comment has just went up to one of the top nicest comments I’ve ever read. Thank you so much for this, it means the absolute world to me. To be your favorite RUclipsr is a HUGE honor. I hope to continue making content you enjoy and that you can look forward to on those days that are a little less than kind. Thank you.
"I felt stupid after I read this book..." made me snort coffee! Loved this review. I literally get mad after reading a sucky book cause my time is valuable! Great job!
Heartbroken you didn’t have a better experience with your fiction exploration! Circe by Madeline Miller has some of the best writing I’ve ever encountered. It’s about a famous witch from Greek mythology (I’m not normally even into Greek myths) and the way she describes the energies of the plants and the actual craft of witchcraft really inspired my own practice. I finished it in a day! Happy Spooky Season 🎃 🦇 🧙♀️
I really loved that book. I also flew through it in a day and im a busy mom 😂 was so sleepderived the next day
Personally I don't mind, I'm having fun reading things I never otherwise would have picked up!
I haven't watched your videos in a while, but hearing you speak about your issues with Haunting Adaline reminded me of why I love your videos so much. Calm, informative, non-bs opinions.
Oh my gosh! Finally someone that isn't obsessed with Haunting Adeline! I haven't tried reading it but with how popular it is I have almost been tricked into it. I feel like you and I have a lot in common, so I am gonna trust you on this one for sure!
Look I’m all about letting people like what they like and usually I can justify people enjoying something I personally don’t - but this one gave me a challenge 😅
Some spooky witchy books you might like:
The witching hour by Anne Rice (haunted, house, generation of witches, spirit in love with one of the witches--subtle dark eroticism)
Let the right one in: by John Lindqvist (child vampire in Sweden befriends boy)
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (3 sisters with strange abilities, a man with a bull's head and the liminal world)
The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein (subtle and dark, written like a diary)
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Garcia (gothic, eerie house, body horror and more)
Affinity by Sarah Waters (Gothic, ghost story, mystery, set in 1870 London, LGBTQ)
🥰
The witching hour is my all time favorite book. I love the world that Anne Rice created and how it's so easy to visualize their world because of how she writes. ❤
Has anyone read slewfoot by brom it’s amazing 🦌🌲🧟♀️🧙♀️
Love affinity
The synchronicity of this video & sponsor to current projects I'm working on can't be mere coincidence, it's a message. Thank you!
BTW, your hair & makeup look amazing today - absolutely gorgeous.
Winter read I think you would love!! Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - dark fairy tale vibes - irreverent interesting main character who isn’t a wet dish rag.
Hey Olivia! I just wanted to tell you how comforting I find your videos!! I have followed along with your videos since the beginning, and I feel so connected to you. You feel like an old friend or a sister and teacher. I wish you the best!❤
Definitely read T. Kingfisher at some point! What Moves the Dead is short and absolutely amazing and a good indication if you'll like her style. She does metaphysical horror all the way to traditional fantasy and a lot of intersection, and her wit is unmatched. I'm telling everyone about T. Kingfisher :D but I think you'd really like something of hers.
Loved these honest opition about books which are usually publicly praised but leave me questioning my sanity:)
Ahhh, you were my intro to witchy creators, so as someone who’s been apart of booktube for like 10 years it’s super cool to see you getting back into fiction.
If you love an atmospheric read I highly suggest Erin morgenstern and Alix e. Harrow! The night circus is all historical fantasy circus vibes & minimum plot. It gets mis-marketed as a romance but it’s really about the circus. BUT the starless sea is perfection!! Truly a book that makes me so sad that you can read a book for the first time only once. Also it’s perfect for winter cause it’s in snowy Vermont and nyc!!
Another recommendation I think you’d love in Silver in the Wood. A queer fae novella that plays off the green man lore and takes place during autumn.
I’ve had the historian on my shelf for years and your review definitely put it higher up on my future reads list lol
I'll give a few recs I think are a fun time in the poly-fantasy niche (there's a LOT of those haha):
✨Call of the Ride by C.Rochelle: a retelling of Baba Yaga's tales (Slavic mythology). In this Baba Yaga turns out to be a spiritual title/role of which our main character it's successor. She will have to go on a quest to save the magical forest and shapeshifters from an upcoming danger.
✨Broken Bonds by J. Bree: Our main character has a death super power and a lot of secrets to uncover about it. She lives in a world where relationships and families are built around more than two people, and she is hiding from her people, her bond group, and from people who want to use her powers. Cause apparently she is the only one who has powers that come with the voice of an ancient entity who wants something... I loved the mythology the author created around those characters and entities!
*without fantasy that I think are worth mentioning*
✨Madame by Sara Cate: Madame is a dominatrix in a BDSM club and a big deal in the scene. She is focused on raising her son and never again going through the difficult situations she's dealt with in the past. So... she doesn't do relationships. Until she has to deal with a messy couple.
✨Bad Alpha by Kathryn Moon: This falls into the omegaverse category which is more of an alternative world thing. Our main character it's a hitwoman who has been assigned to kill a man that pissed off some bad big people. She ends up getting bonded to him and has to decide If she is going to help him run from and dismantle this organization that is trying to kill them both now.
🫰
Please, please, please, give Sir Terry Pratchett's books a shot! I'm sure you'd love his Discworld books, probably starting with the Witches series, or with Tiffany Aching, or with the Death cycle!
Also, the spectacular trilogy by Katherine Arden is really good for the winter months. The books are called "The Bear and the Nightingale", "The Girl in the Tower" and "The Winter of the Witch". They are dark, they are spooky (in a soft way), they are set in a medieval Russian fantasy setting, and they are just brilliant!
Happy reading ❤
And Niel Giamon too
@@satori2890 well, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett were close friends 😁 another great book is Good Omens, written by both
@@annalisalundberg4561 yeah they wrote Good Omens
YES Terry Pratchett ❤ I love his commentary on life and death and being a decent human.
@@emilymathews5617 he was truly a decent human. An angry One, but really decent.
I totally second the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Its like detective noir, but the detective is a wizard. so many well researched mythological characters and the world builds with each book. The are a good size, not too big but there are a bunch. A great recommendation that I haven't yet seen is A Secret History of Witches. It follows 5 generations of women/witches. Kind of feels historical and real. Really enjoyed it.
For two audio books both are read by Barbara Rosenblatt: The Unexpected Mrs Polifax. (Cosey book) Crocodile on the Sandbank. (Mystery with supernatural elements)
Barbara Rosenblatt also reads the Bones book Mystery series the Tv show is based on these.
Also Johnathan Kellerman's Alexander Delaware mystery, read by John Rubinstein. They are Sherlock Holmes meets Los Angeles Noir.
Sounds like the best thing to come out of HA is an informative discussion of the quink! I hope young and possibly vulnerable people get that message. 🖤
Personally, I really enjoyed the Agent Pendergast series by Lincoln and Child, about murder cases that seem weird, gruesome and/or supernatural. It has very little spice but has it's very well written. The good/bad news is that if you like it they're up to book 20-sthg! Relic is first. 😊
As a Death Worker as well I would suggest Garth Nix "Old Kingdom. Cycle'
Yes, this! Sabriel has been one of my favorites for a very long time now 😀😀👍
I see lots of really good book recommendations already, but there are a couple of others you might like:
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw is about an ex-mermaid and a plague doctor wandering the apocalypse until they come across a village in the woods where children make a game of killing each other over and over because they know the “saints” who watch over the village will always raise them from the dead. It’s a gorgeous creepy dark fairy tale.
And also Orfeia by Joanne Harris, in which a mother journeys through Faerie so she can ask the Halloween King to give her back her daughter’s soul.
Lastly, Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey is kink done a little more mindfully. It’s set in a world where sex work is seen as holy, and the difference between consent and non-consent is always pretty explicit. The main character is a courtesan who has a unique talent for kink, and is sent by her patron to spy on all the juicy courtly intrigue.
There are so many more, but this is already the world’s longest comment. Thanks so much for this lovely channel, it’s always a good day when you post a video 😊
Edit: I almost forgot to mention Neil Gaiman’s Graveyard Book. It’s about a boy who’s raised in a graveyard by the ghosts who inhabit it. A good Halloween read 😀
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina, and Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow are some other books I would recommend. Def look at trigger warnings (esp for ninth house), but they've been a few of my recent favorite reads.
A stand-alone book that talks about death that I loved was Under the Wisperung Door by T. J. Klune. It is not like super dark but goes into mental health things but is overall very uplifting and very sweet. (You'll hate the protagonist at first but it gets better)
I'm no expert when it comes to world and character building so I don't know how "good" it actually is but I loved it
I loooooved this video. I loved, that you are honest about things you liked AND disliked. The ranting part was hilarious, I laughed so hard. Thanks for your videos 🫶
As an avid fiction reader, I hate bad writing/ world building. Thanks for great reviews and trashing things that deserve to be trashed. Your drunk friends reading was gold. I am very curious what you would think of Spinning Silver. Not Smut, but as I've been reading Marshall's book and knowing you read all his stories, I've been very curious your reaction to it. The author has darker books, but since you said you were reading with the season, Spinning Silver is very winter
Hi, Olivia! I was watching this video and was having a big relatable moment. I also struggle to follow the current book tendencies a lot of the times, and see myself in your place more times than I'd like. Because of this, I wanted to give you a recomendation. This is one of my favorite books of the year, I was really positively surprised when I read it cause it is simply amazing. The pacing is the only flaw I really see to it, but the deepness of the characters, the complexity of the world, the BEYOND amazing plot and inclusivity of the book truly make up for it. It's called Legendborn, by Tracy Deon, and it is the first book of a trilogy. It's fantasy with undertones of romance and it is YA fantasy, but I think you'll have a good time with it. I do have to warn you, it takes a bit for the world to be correctly explained and for you to tag along, but once you do, you won't regret it. Hope this comment finds you well and I wish you the best reads for this season!
I so agree with you on Fourth Wing!
Hey Olivia, thank you for the video!
As a Polish person, I'd like to add just a tiny correction to what you've said about "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead" - it takes place in Poland rather than in Scandinavia. The author of the book is Polish as well and she received a Nobel prize in literature in 2018.
Love your videos and I'm so happy you're getting into fiction again ❤
Oh! Forgive me I finished it way back in December and misremembered.
Finding good fiction (and by good I mean that suits your taste) is a challenge indeed, but once you do oh boy - it is such a treat! And just you wait until you start to discover writers that you fall in love with and they keep putting out something new, so you have this little dopamine tingle down the spine when you see the new release, because you just know it's going to be good. I also use Goodreads to track my progress and to check out reviews, and I noticed that most books that are higher than 3.9 rated by a decent amount of people is usually well written at least. My personal recommendations for the spooky/earie/witchy/magical vibe are: Diane Setterfield "Once upon a river" and "Thirteenth tale", Shirley Jackson "We have always lived in the castle", Alix E Harrow " Once and future witches" and her recent release "Starling house", Anita Frank "The lost ones", A.J. West "The spirit engineer".
Her Soul to Take & the whole Souls Trilogy by Harley Laroux is infinitely better writing for kink! I haven't even read Haunting Adeline but I could tell by all the insane hype & reviews that I wasn't going to like it at all lol. I actually found out about Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux from a bad review of Haunting Adeline lol the reviewer said that Harley is one of the best writers in this dark paranormal romance genre and she wasn't lying!! The Souls Trilogy takes place in the PNW (spooky gloomy dark forest vibes) and there's lots of witchy occult themes too so I think you'd enjoy it! If you do, make another book review because I'd be curious what you think Olivia :)
I read House of Salt and Sorrows and Roots and Ruin last month and loved them both as well! I'd recommend The Bear and the Nightingale for winter season! It's the first in an adult fantasy series set in Russia. The Inheritance of Orqídea Divina by Zoraida Cordova is also a good read for October/November, with magical realism and a dual timeline. It follows a family matriarch with a mysterious past, who requests the whole family return home for her funeral and to collect their inheritance.
so many books i didn't know! thanks for sharing, it was a lovely video, perfect for spooky season ♡
if you'd like one more recommendation, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a must. It's well-written, spooky, keeps you guessing at all turns, and has the right amount of Big Gothic Derelict Mansion but in a more modern setting. There are also some really interesting witchcraft elements to it. I love it a lot!
Hey!!! You are my foundation into Witchcraft, the Occult, and just the Esoteric space in general and I just wanna say Thank You. Your page changed my life and one of it's many focuses and I will always be grateful for your constant inspiration... the way you're growing as a creative and editor... Wowsers .... I'm on the verge of my content creation and you are the paradigm I strive towards.✨🤘🏾.... Btw... On the fiction side... if you haven't already... give House Of Leaves a try!!!!✌🏾
What a nice calm video I always love how honest you are with your reviews. I can't help but notice, you are a whole different person now so your intuition is much more powerful now. The one book YOU chose, you loved! It's cool to get reccomendations but hey it's a new chapter of your life with a whole new mind I say got with you intuition and I'd like to see what fiction books you recommend ! 😊🔮🧡🌹🕸🎀
Oh I feel you, I haven't read fiction in years... it's great to see new vids from you!
The Myrtlewood series! It’s like Charmed and Gilmore Girls mixed together! The author is a witch, so the details are on point 👌 They’re the first fantasy books I’ve read in years and am LOVING them!
Books are fun. Hope you have good luck with your future book finds. I think a lot about your videos sometimes. This one made me think of a lot of books I read in the past kind of whimsically. I like books that pull me in and set my soul on fire. I’m a writer and you got to read all kinds. If you don’t open the cover you’ll never get to the good parts.
Seriously, I love this video, haha. I'm not even reading any fiction books right now. I have audible, so I listen to a lot of my books now; however, after watching this video, I'd like to find nice witchy book for the winter to read. I also LOVE your decor.
Love you're reading and reviewing Fiction books. I loved the Historian. One of my favorite books is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, a spellbound witch, a centuries old vampire, a bewitched alchemical manuscript that brings them together. This is the first book in the Trilogy, perfect for spooky season, highly recommend. Love this series Olivia and hope you continue to do more. ✨💫
I'm so glad you enjoyed this video! I'll definitely look into doing more of these. The Discovery of Witches is on my wishlist, so I hope to get to it soon! If not this year, I'll save it for the spooky season next year.
If you can't find the book to return it (weyward) you could make it into a scrap journal that way you get to keep the pretty book for your shelf 🤷
Very true! Great suggestion!
One of the reasons I love the Gothic Horror genre is for the atmosphere. The sense of dread, that something's just not right. It's gotten harder to come across new books in the genre that feel new and novel, or maybe I'm just becoming increasingly picky as well. 😅
A book that does world building so well is Piers Anthony's on a Pale Horse. It's the first book in the series Incarnations of Immortality. I can't speak for the rest of the series because i haven't read it yet, but I plan to continue.
Good luck on your reading journey!
If you haven’t, you’d probably like House of Leaves. I just finished it and had a lot of fun with it.
@@TheWitchOfWonderlust I'll check it out!
It's funny that a couple of my non-booktube channels are venturing into books recently. I recommend The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden about a witchy girl in a small medieval Russian town which incorporates Russian folklore and is great for winter vibes (TW religious trauma)
Thank you for your recommendation! I really like this new theme! ❤
Yay!! I’ve got a book on my shelf for October called “The Girl with all of the Gifts,” I can’t remember the author at the moment, but it’s a bright yellow cover lol. It’s a zombie book that speaks on what it means to be human, I’ve heard really good things about it and I’m looking forward to it - I’ve never read a zombie book before!! lol
This was such a good book. I read it in 2017, and still think about it often.
Yes!!
when I saw that people were recommending Haunting Adeline to you, I couldn't believe they would do you that dirty. hearing you tear into it made me laugh. if you're still looking for recommendations and you like fantasy, I recommend Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett. it has a unique and complex magic system, compelling characters, and its a little on the grittier side. its one of my favorite fantasy series by far. good luck on your fiction-reading journey!
The Historian was my favorite book in my teenage years. I don't remember feeling like it was a slow burn (though it is just a super long book); however, I did read another book by the same author, The Swan Thieves, and found it UNBEARABLY slow. I can't believe I finished it. It took me literal years.
I do have Elizabeth Kostova's third book, The Shadow Land, on my bookshelf to read though because I do like the uniqueness of her stories.
14:14 I _think_ that this world needs more drunk friends reenacting litterature.
I love your honesty!! For a winter read, I recommend: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. 🙂
If you can't find the receipt for the Weyward Book you could always glue it together and cut a hole in it and use it as a false/decorative book.
I recommend anything by Neil Giaman. He is a great world builder and there's not many smut scenes in his books.
I always read a little at the bookstore before I get it and really take my time in a little corner with a stack as big as my body.
I have to HIGHLY recommend The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is a detective working out of Chicago.. he's also a Wizard. Witches and wizards and monsters. Four different types of vampire. Three different types of werewolves. The Fae. It's really great. There are 17 books in the series, quite a few short stories, and about 10 books left to go plus an apocalyptic trilogy.
To read, I would recommend The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. It is steampunk, but lighter on tropes (not *no* tropes, just less tropes.I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say more than that. But if you see it, give it serious consideration.
Was just at Powell's! Got mix of non and fiction and loved this video! Will check out some of these. The best spooky book IMO is "House of Leaves" recommend.
I LOVE that place. I recently finished House of Leaves, and I really loved the format and uniqueness of it. So unsettling!
Yes.. another portlander ! Love powells!
If in mood for spooky but great atmosphere Would also 100000% recommend the RUclipsr Kane pixels:
Backrooms found footage one
Information video
Backrooms found footage two
Pitfalls
There's a ton of lore in other videos but the level of skill and that he made these under 18 years old is amazing.
Oldest view series is fantastic too
I'm definitely late to this (by six months) BUT if you still want some book recs, I personally love Cicadas Sing Of Summer Graves by Quinn Conner, It is more of a summer book than fall or winter one. It's a queer written/oriented book that is a Southern gothic about a town that was flooded over during the yellow fever outbreak and rebuilt years later but one of the MC's is haunted by a ghost who lives in the lake. There's no smut, but mentions sex and the three main characters are women. It is the first novel by the authors so it's not the absolute best, it does really show that it was a beginning work, essentially, and that the authors are learning how to basically harmonize their writing voices out together so did take (at least me) a bit of a slow start but it gets quickly paced towards the end, and pretty good even though it felt lacking in some places(i wish the cicadas were emphasized).
Spooky / Dark Academia recommendation: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
That ones on my stack near my bed! I'm very much looking forward to it!
For spooky season: Dracula, Frankenstein, Buncula, Carmilla,
Books and Bao often do witchy/spooky book recommendations (on RUclips but perhaps also insta)
loved your reviews! just wanted to say yes, you're right: Fourth Wing is the author's first fantasy book, she usually writes romances as far as I am aware. I'm really glad you liked FW! also, I noticed in one of the beginning shots that you have a copy of A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout. just in case you weren't aware, that is technically book 5 of a series, the first book is From Blood and Ash. A Soul of Ash and Blood is part retelling of the first book from a different character's POV, and part continuation from the story as it leaves off after The War of Two Queens. I love the Blood and Ash books but I kind of disliked Soul of Ash and Blood because of how repetitive it was and it only just barely continues from where War of Two Queens ended. if you decide to read this series definitely start with From Blood and Ash!
Living for this content 😂
I read some fun fiction for Halloween " cackle" and "the lost apothecary ". Fiction is a fun switch from all the witchy studying .
If you want a good book that's not smut, read Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin. It's one of my favorite Southern Death books, it is a little boring at parts but it's such a realistic depiction of how life throws curveballs and how the people/spirits that help the most are the more unexpected.
Ah I’ve been reading Drive Your Plow right now! I also really am enjoying the atmosphere. I’ve been having a weird experience with the character as well but I think I like her. Like you said, definitely comes across how the author wants her to come across. I’m still in the first half, so let’s see how it goes. Was nice to hear you talk about it! ☺️
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! I loved the ominous and always-night feeling.
I recommend children of blood and bone and the ninth house. Both involve magic in pretty different ways.
WOW be honest really love the reviews. I have autoble can't spell today darn it, love it alot. Thanks for sharing.
My recs would be Outlander and Splintered if you like YA that’s really good.
From Blood and Ash. I became a witch after reading most of them, and know I noticed that there's a lot of witchy stuff in the book.
If you're looking for an atmospheric cold winter read I recommend The girl and the stars by mark Lawrence. It's a touch of sci-fi and fantasy set one a world slowly closing over with ice because the sun is dying. (The Red sister series is on the same planet and was written first but TGATS is chronologically first.)
Omg this sounds amazing. Thanks for the rec!
I recommend The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. It's one of my absolute favorite books, but most people have never heard of it. It has a fairy tale feel, but closer to the original fairy tales.
Also, your description of Weyward made me think of The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow, except this one is actually good.
I really think you would love Robin Hobb's books if you want to dive into a large world with well-developed characters and an interesting magic system (I always am most intrigued by the way fantasy authors build magic into their worlds). She builds out a world with multiple continents across multiple trilogies and each trilogy could stand alone I guess but they also all interact to tell a story across basically an entire lifetime and you get different local lore snippets that kind of interconnect into bigger world lore and ah she's so good and now she's basically retired and living out her introverted grandma life with her chickens and I think the world would be better if more people read all her books about Fitz and the Fool.
I recomend Our wives under the sea (is cosmic horror) and Her body and other partys (short story colection, really good about the horrors of femeninity)
Hey Olivia, I'm not sure if you're interested in Manga (Japanese graphic novels). If you are or would like to try and get into it I highly recommend anything by Junji Ito. He is a horror writer. He tackles everything from cosmic to body to paranormal horror. Most of his stories are anthologies but if you're looking for stories featuring the same characters, Tomie, Uzumaki, and Gyo are great starting points.
I love the game "word I don't know or just made up?" Haha. I feel like a lot of the big hits lately have not really done it for me. Looking forward to following your book IG!
Really enjoyed this video! perfect for a cozy morning
And thank you for elaborating on kink & consent! oh god the dramatic readings made me spray my coffee though 😅
Also, I don't know how else to describe buy I feel like fiction is going though another VC Andrews-style at the moment? i was definitely too young to read Flowers In The Attic when i did, a weird sort of 'thriller but make it romantic' but with a whole bunch of concerning romanticised abuse
Book recommendation: the secret history by Donna Tartt . Dark academia/ winter read. I love her writing style
That one’s the one I’m starting today!
@@TheWitchOfWonderlust this is the book i hated every single characters and somehow, this is why i loved it, have fun!
Hi! I really hope you read this, 😄 If you are still in the mood to read recommendations, I highly recommend Slewfoot by Brom. It is set during historical times and yet has that timeless vibe. The characters are complex and distinct. Would love to know what you think about it should you read it.
Ooo, I also highly recommend Winterset Hollow by Johnathan Edward Durham. It is quite unique, intense, fable like, and brilliantly poetic in more ways than one.
If you like darker/gothic stories, vampires, and uhhh "romance", "A Dowry of Blood" is a novella with a queer take on the tale of Dracula. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and it's told in an epistolary (diary/letter) style. It's one of my favorite books I've read in the last couple of years and I actually want to read it again tbh
I also recently read The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams. Not a spooky read, but it's so strangely cozy? At least, it was to me. Every time I try to describe it, I feel like I'm not doing it well. I don't know if it'd be a good winter read, persay, but good if you're looking to get into fantasy.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novak is loosely based on Rumplestiltskin but is largely independent and would make a fantastic wintery read.
I second a dowry of blood!! Incredible writing and one of the best opening few chapters in a book I’ve read in a while
THANK YOU for the honest reviews. And I had a similar experience with Haunting Adeline. I kinda went into it thinking it was gonna be a romance with a ghost or something. NOPE! lol I actually listened to the audiobook version of it and that was a ride! I was cackling throughout the book because of how absurd it was.
Anyway, for spooky season, I highly recommend Interview with the Vampire and for a gothic winter romance: Wintersong a novel And yeah, it was not
If you are diving into fiction on audible, I highly (highly highly) recommend Seasons of Mists. It is a multicast production of Neil Gaiman's first series of Sandman.
I was highly skeptical of it, but gave it a listen anyway. It is truly fantastic and exclusive to Audible.
Added to the wishlist!!
Haunting Adeline sounds like Fifty Shades for CNC.
As someone who works at Barnes and Nobles, most of those aren’t categorized as fiction, most of them are romance, so the smut books make sense. A lot of romance from what I’ve seen is just smut, no plot.
All my book recommendations for holidays are kids picture books. 😂
Blessed be brothers and sisters fill the universe with your love, glory, and magic
Olivia, If you 'd like to read high fantasy: my suggestion is the Death Gate cycle series. ...( Margaret Weiss & Terry Chapman)
I would recommend Slewfoot by BROM. I think is a good fiction book for witches just because of the themes in it
The discovery of witches series I enjoyed and recommend. Also acotar series ❤
I'm just here to watch Olivia rip Haunting Adeline to shreds 🍿
You should try "The Thirteenth Tale" is you haven't already. Great book!
thank you for tearing "Haunting of Adeline" for ALL the right reasons! Thank you for pointing that out! TW's should really become standard with books.. I sure have gotten suuper triggered by unexpected and unannounced f*cked upp abuse and assault- that now I can't unread no matter how much eye bleach I've watched since 🥲The kink and queer community salutes you, Olivia❤🔥you're awsome x w love from sweden
Hey Olivia! Not sure if you'll see this, truly hoping you do... I have a recommendation for you that based of the last book of this review from how it sounds I think you'll really like! Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern! It's absolutely beautiful, enchanting, gothic romance that leaves you with questions (in a beautiful way) and it just a really beautiful book I really think you'd enjoy! It's not suuuuper long but it's decent but it's one of those don't want to put it down type of books! And, if you like it, she's got another called Starless Sea, that, being a book lover I really think you'd appreciate ;) it's also very beautiful and a beautiful ode to story telling 💜📚
Thank you!!
I’m currently reading Vampjres of El Norte by Isabel Cañas. I’m loving it so far! Definitely check it out.
You should also look into the author Grady Hendrix. He writes horror but they all have a funny take. Absolutely love his work.
That one is on my wishlist! Thanks for the author suggestion, I'll check him out!
you should try Madeline Miller's "Circe". its SO GOOD. and it's about witches. :D
The Broken Earth series is excellent!
I don’t know if you’re still taking fiction recommendations, but I would like to put you on to Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid. It’s beautifully grotesque, and reminds me of dark and tragic Slavic fairytales. I didn’t realize how much I missed reading until I read this book.
Thank you for the kink community PSA. Well done.
I got the book protection and reversal Magick I really love the book I read tought a lot and seen a cool reversal spell on pg152 I know you talk about the book in other videos
I am here for the fantastically honest reviews. I was thinking about buying Weyward, glad I won't waste my money.
For anyone looking for urban fantasy with smut highly recommend author KF Breene. She has several different series ranging from pretty tame (magical midlife magic) to very explicit (ruin of roses).
I'm currently reading Haunting Adeline and I will say, the dialogue is cringe and unrealistic. It's more cringey because of the words 'baby' and 'little mouse'. It's so hilarious. Zade is just too perfect of a character and I hate that he knows it. Like, dude, your only weakness is Adeline? Don't you have at least some sort of imperfection??? This book is a perfect example of how to not write a character. So far, I'm on page 400 and I've yet to feel any connection with the characters. Before I read the book, I look up the author and I was like, "yikes." Not to judge or anything, but in all honesty, I can only hear the author narrating the book instead of the characters. Zade and Adeline sounds like the same person. 😬✋
If you’ve never read it, I’d highly recommend A Secret History of Witches !
Thanks for sharing
Spooky recommendation: LAMIA
Oh! I am currently perusing a Japanese book store and suddenly thought of you. Have you tried getting horror or general folklore from around the world and read those for the season?
basically olivia roasting books😂😂😂