I read 14 books this year already, compared to the 13 books i read last year. Booktube has just awoken my love for reading again and I'm so grateful to people who love books
You can do it too! Start a youtube channel about books, a booktube if you will. Start it today, along your day job, and I promise in a couple of years, if you are consistent with it, you will “read for a living” too !! 🤍
Characters are misogynistic, i personally think it is intentional. He isn't serving us with perfect characters who are politically correct in every aspects, he doesn't have to. As a woman it is irritating to read those characters but they are real. He has written some unconventional, unforgettable female characters too. Its just his crazy world with a bunch of imperfect crazy human beings. Love reading them though😂 (Eng isn't my first language sry for mistakes)
@@layanayusaf4685 Your English was very good, don't worry! I totally see your point but I don't agree. His female characters don't feel real to me at all, they feel like plot devices for the male characters. It's fine, they're his books and he does what he wants, but in the ones I read I found the women felt very 2 dimensional. Mieko Kawakami, a Japanese feminist author, had an interview with him about his female characters and their roles in his novels. It's interesting but the questions asked and his answers left me completely unsatisfied and even more convinced that he doesn't care to give any thoughts about how he portrays women in his novels. Parts of it is available in English online if anyone is interested to read it!
Jack: "Murakami is... not the best at representing women. He pretty much represent women from..." Me: "Their boobs." Jack: "A male perspective." Me: "That works too, I guess." Uncarley said something like "I love Murakami and I will read his grocery list, but I will give my soul for him to stop writing women" and I felt that 😂
Oh my, finally someone who understands me! I have read three of his books, and I'm scared to pick up another one, knowing that female character(s) will be awfully written..
@@ingrida46 Exactly! I much rather have zero female characters, than whatever the heck he is giving us. I always need to immediately read a good book written by a woman after finishing a Murakami, just to remind myself that I worth more than my (beautiful and perfectly shaped) boobies! On that note, I would recommend Uncarley youtube channel! It is (for now) a small-ish channel. Not only she is a #GirlBoss, but her taste is immaculate and she is hilarious. Her reviews of Harry Styles' book recommendations is VERY different from Jack's but just as valid! I feel like these two channels complement each other quite nicely. But she was very vocal and shares our views on Murakami's women!
When I read the song of Achilles, all I can say is felt get every inch of patrocluses feelings as if I was in his body. I genius in writing. What an amazing author Miller is.
Right? I haven't read it yet but I did read Circe a while back (my book club is making its way through both) and it was a lot, but in an overall really good way.
I listened to the audiobook and let's just say I spent the last two hours crying and I rarely get emotional when reading. It's a beautifully written book and I can't recommend it enough
@@ayisha782 Recommended by my bookworm cousin. I don’t like reading contemporary novels (Bc my literature classes revolve mainly around ancient books 🙄) but this was.....MASTERPIECE. It was so beautifully written, though I will say the ending was a BIT rushed. Other than that, a very intriguing plot. Also I know you didn’t ask but I like to tell so 😭...
of the ones he recommended since I watched this video for the first time, I've read three (Sing of, Evelyn Hugo, Kim Jiyoung), bought four (all those above and Vanishing) and now have only Kafka to read left.
As a bisexual, the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo hit me so hard. It was incredibly powerful and meaningful to me and made me break down sobbing in front of my family. The Song of Achilles is one of my two all time favourite books ever. Achilles and Patroclus have become such comforts characters to me and I have so much love for the writing of this book. It broke my heart into pieces in the most beautiful way possible and reignited my love for reading.
@@sruthis9595 my other one is Red, White and Royal Blue! it’s definitely more of a YA book and not as poetic as the other two but i love it so much. i’m more of a character person than a plot person, and Alex and Henry have my whole heart. all i want in life is to have a love like theirs!
i'm honestly so proud of myself. i've been an avid reader for a decade on and off; last year i couldn't even get myself to read 10 books and this year i've already read 44 and i found so many new authors, genres and topics to read about. living in bookparadise this year haha 💚
I have been having a bad year in terms of reading. I do enjoy reading but I stop a lot in between. I have way too many books on my TBR and I have already shortened my reading goal of 45 books to about 35 because I couldn’t keep up with my goal. Any tips?
i know this channel is absolutely made for me bc when you said “these books are absolute bangers” I had to smile bc I actually have a goodreads shelf that is literally called “absolute bangers” (and the song of Achilles has a place of honor on it)
Kim Jiyoung Born 1982 is such an important book. It was important to not only hear about the things women go through, but also from a non-white perspective, and in particular an Asian perspective. It paints a different, but very real picture that I can relate to and don't hear enough about.
petition for "I work in the publishing industry" to be the new "I'm and English Literature student" please and thank you 🙌🏻🙌🏻 sir you're my inspiration
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is such a good book! I loved it so much, it throw me into a one year long reading slump because there were hardly any books in my opinion at the time I read it that could compare to it.
I read 21 books this year compared to like 3 last year and thats partly because of you Jack! Booktube really showed how interesting books can get, something our school education system couldn't. It's a shame many people around my age don't read books because they weren't even able to discover the right ones for them :(
The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo... like just wow. It really just changed my life. Almost convinced me I wanted to be a writer. People be out here really talented!
A Poetry recommendation video from you would be fantastic. I read a lot (fiction and non-fiction) but poetry always seems so intimidating I have no idea where to start!
I feel like no one talks about how Murakami' writing can be misogynist, I truly don't get how he can be that overrated by everyone on social media... happy to hear you say that !
People just enjoy his writing style and the prose. In addition, Murakami's books centre around surrealism and magical realism and he does a great job creating a surreal experience for the reader. That's why he's a great writer. However, his writing of characters, particularly females is quite substandard but doesn't affect my overall readability of his novels.
@@manwithnoname8229 Yes I agree, he is a great writer and the worlds he creates are a very good way to escape reality, but, and I say this without anger or hate, I think that as a women I can’t help but noticing how bad are his female characters, it’s ok, it’s just not for me I guess.
@@virginia537 yeah, no problem at all. I feel like Murakami is that type of an author who's either a hit or a miss with the general audience. Some people really love his works, others just completely hate it. But all have a common criticism which is writing of female characters.
hi jack!! i wanted to inform you about a book called "almond" by won-pyung sohn :) in 2020, it was seen being read by both namjoon and yoongi from BTS, and i thought that the synopsis might intrigue you. in short it's about a boy with alexithymia who lives through a traumatic experience and soon experiences bullying. the first two lines of the synopsis is "This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me." goodreads will probably give a better synopsis than me though, lol. i just wanted to put it in your radar :)
I left reading 3 years ago because I was going through a major hard change in my life, I was not able to read books and I kinda stopped. You and uncarly revived my love for reading! You both have a way of putting things together, your passion and love for reading pulled me out of the state I was in. I bought 3 books last year and didn't even get to them, I picked up "girl on the train" 4 days ago and I'm halfway through now. Reading again changed my life drastically!!! I love it.
Thanks to lockdown and being unemployed I've already read more books in 4 months than I normally do in a year. Can honestly say books have saved my sanity this year 🥺
The Vanishing Half is also one of my favorite books from this year; such a good read! I’ve added a couple of these to my list and I’m looking forward to them.
I wrote an essay for my MA comparing Song of Achilles and a Thousand Ships and the way both writers use and adapt myth/history for modern audiences. It was the most fun I've ever had researching and writing an essay. Both are fantastic books - Song of Achilles is 👌
What did you think of a Thousand Ships? I’ve heard some polarizing opinions on it; TSOA is one of my fav books of all time, so how would you say they compare??
@@celine22712 For the most part I really enjoyed it though some perspectices weren't as enjoyable as others. Penelope's sections were a little dull, she came off very whiney, and there were a lot of chapters from her perspective. 😅 I loved all the stuff with the women of Troy and Penthesilia. I think Song is much stronger as a narrative and very readable. Ships goes deeper and wider into the epic cycle - using stories from the lost poems which was really cool imo.
@@hcstubbs3290 I know this comment was from ages ago but I find it really interesting how different people connected with different characters, I actually quite enjoyed Penelope's sections while I do agree there were a lot of them in comparison to others but her sections really made me feel for her and her situation and it is a story that I feel was particularly neglected in the story of Odysseus
@@chloeliddell8601 fair play, and yeah, it's so interesting how different people connect differently. And I agree, Penelope's story definitely was neglected in the Odyssey. I'm glad you enjoyed the book too! 😊
just want to say I've never been a big reader (my entire life) until COVID and I basically ran out of interesting Netflix shows to watch and I was forced to read. You talk so empassionately about books (I started with your *celebrity book lists* and just kept watching) that I created a goodreads account and just keep adding and adding to the want to read list. I LOVE that you have physical copies of all of these books!
This summer I’m going to be reading every book Jess reads in Gilmore Girls (except Moby Dick because who has the time of patience?) and I thought of you. You’re welcome for the idea, I’ll be doing Rory when my wallet recovers
So far I've read 13 books this year, compared to the two I read last year I think I'm doing great! I started a bookclub with my friends and it's really got me out of my reading slump!
Thank you Jack for making me read The song of Achilles. As a person who grew up in Greece , I was very familiar with the story , knew blindly the ending before I had even begun reading. However, this book broke me, so well-written it was impossible to hold my tears... I love ,too, how accessible it was, it reminded me of all those Iliad lessons I had struggled to understand and now I feel like I finally have grasped the story! Highly recommend!
The Song of Achilles is so great! Two things that I think would be really interesting are: 1: Doing a deep-dive into LGBT+ literature. 2. Exploring some Brazilian literature. Abraços!
I would love to explore Brazilian literature. My ethnicity is Brazilian but I was brought up in the UK and feel a genuine disconnect from Brazil and my grandparents and parents culture to what I was raised in. Do you have any recommendations of Brazilian must reads? Preferably in Portuguese because I want to improve in that area as well.
@@biancanavey438 I don't pretend to be an expert because I was born and raised in the United States and only recently relocated to Brazil with my partner who is Brazilian. However, there are three books that I think are great that would be a good place to start: 1. Quarto de Despejo - Carolina Maria de Jesus 2. Macunaíma - Mário de Andrade 3. O Alquimista - Paulo Coelho Espero que você goste
@@biancanavey438 I'm certainly not an expert on Brazilian literature either, but as a child of a dutch father and indonesian/thai mother, living in the Netherlands, I've been reading a lot of books on racial identity. Stubborn Archivist by Yara Rodrigues Fowler is written by a british/brazilian author, and the disconnect from her mothers Brazilian culture plays a central role in her book. I absolutely loved the book, and would recommend it to anyone that struggles with their racial identity. The writing style takes some getting used to (some pages are a bit abstract and 'poetry like', but also plenty of 'normal' chapters) but I personally really liked that style.
@@biancanavey438 I’m brazilian and I can tell: both hard autors but really good ones are Clarice Lispector and Machado de Assis. I would recommend A hora da estrela by Clarice and Memórias póstumas de Brás cubas by Machado. Enjoy!
Kim Jiyoung was one of my favorites last year! I read it right after reading Murata's 'Convenience Store Woman', which I would recommend if anyone is up for reading more Asian feminist literature! I felt as if they coupled really well with each other. Jack, your taste in books is, once again, immaculate. Thanks for uploading!!
pleasee do a video where you discuss Kafka on the shore/other murakami works.I love his writing but they are confusing af and i would love to know what others take away from his writing p.s:I already read all but 2 books from this recommendation.Thanks to you and this paneroma for getting me into reading again.
For some reason in May this year my interest in reading came back and hit me like a truck cuz I've already read 11 novels in the space of 1 month and since I hv nothing to do for the holidays, it looks like I'm gonna be reading a hella lot more
"The Song of Achilles" made me squirm with excitement, blush furiously and then it stomped on my heart continuously untill there was nothing left. I love you, but hate you at the same time for luring me into reading it because I witnessed the most beautiful love story, but now I can't function:) so that's that. And btw I know you technically warned us but I really wasn't expecting it to be like THAT. Anyway, sorry I just need to let it out 😖
for once I didn't give up! I read everyday from january 1st until today, so here's my top 5 so far : 1. Torka aldrig tårar utan handskar / Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves by Jonas Gardell 2. Changer l'eau des fleurs / Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin 3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer et Annie Barrows 4. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 5. Les oubliés du dimanche by Valérie Perrin (idk if it has been translated in english)
I love these new quicker paced videos on this channel, i feel like you can do more “day in the life” style content more too or “what i read in a day” type of things too would be fun
the song of achilles and the seven husbands of evelyn hugo are one of my favorites books of all time I´m so glad you enjoyed them too !!! if you liked them you should really read the invisible life of addie la rue, it gives the same vibes as the other two, like tragedy and masterpiece
i actually made the resolution to read more this year after watching your video about all the books youve read in 2020. and guess what! im still on it! so far im at 17/50 books i want to read and im so glad to have picked up reading again, its the best part of my day :)
I finally read the Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo and I can already see myself reading every single book Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote P.s Thank you for the amazing recommendation!
I think for Murakami it depends on the book and the intention behind the character when it comes to women but ALSO I feel like if you read books he writes from womens perspective it’s sooooo well written, After Dark, his short stories, and 1Q84 are all phenomenal! lmao 😩
I came here to say this. I think that the way Murakami writes women is intentional, because a lot of the times he is writing from a straight male perspective and (I'm told) that that's how they're seen by them. I'm a man, but 1Q84 doesn't seem to have that "male gaze" thing
I have been going through a reading block for the last 5 years. I don’t know what happened to me but I just couldn’t concentrate on any books. This year my goal was to break that habit and start reading again. So far I have read 26 books and I am so proud. I want to scream how happy i am but people generally don’t take it well when you talk about how much you’ve read. It’s not a show-off. I am just super excited and I want to share it... If anyone who is stuck in a non-reading zone, trust me you can get over it. What really helped me was uninstalling all the social media apps and only using the phone to read or make important calls/texts. I think phone addiction is why we are such bad readers nowadays. Also our short attention span. I couldn’t believe how much time I had once I stopped using my phone for distraction. Also written words are sooo pretty ohmygod?! How come I forgot this feeling? I feel so happy! I hope anyone who is going through a reading slump gets over it very soon. You can do it xx
could you possibly do a rec video on authors similar to virginia woolf? her work is so,, unique in the way that it explores human experience and it's like the closest thing I have to therapy
Following up from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - I highly recommend Daisy Jones and the Six, the way I inhaled that book in less than a week. I’m still processing it
I JUST WANT TO SAY: thank you, Jack!! I've found multiple of my favourite books through your channel and on top of that, you're such a funny and intelligent person, which makes the videos so fun and relaxing to watch.
I like how you discussed The Song of Achilles because I thought it would be inaccessible and it sounds quite the opposite :) I also heard of The Seven Husbands but you made it sound goooood!
I’m adding all of these books to my reading list, thanks for sharing! 💫 Keep rising to be who you want to be! 💫 #keeprising #risingtobe #aswerise #riser
My bestie and I both saw the twist coming in Evelyn Hugo and I feel like we're the only people in the world who did. Everyone else seemed totally shocked but it seemed so predictable to me. I still loved the book though, I love everything from TJR. My favourites this year have been Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (never thought I could love a novel in verse) and The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
The thing is that even when I don't read anything for a while, I still have about 20 unread books sitting in various places of my room just waiting for me to open them 😂
I wish I could read Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo again for the first time, I hadn’t read in such a long time since college made me lose my love for reading but this was the book that got me hooked again , so good and so sad
I remember listening to the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo in the car sitting between two people I didn’t know and trying SO HARD. Not to cry. Let’s just say there was a lot of discrete “eye scratching” during that car ride.
I love trying to explain a Murakami book. It's like, "Well it's about an old man who can talk to cats and cause it to rain fish ... yeah, no, it's ... no just go with it, he can talk to cats, it's fine ..." It's just impossible to impart his deep beauty adequately enough, without sounding a little bit silly. Honestly, one of my favourite books of all time! And Song of Achilles is being delivered tomorrow, so I'm psyched. It had better be good Jack Edwards, I ordered it because of you!
my favourite book is the uni-verse by jack edwards
Jack Edwards? Never heard of him 😏
Nice
I wouldn't imagine such a thing 😂
You need to listen to the song 'achilles come down'
Have you read Till We Have Faces by C.S Lewis? If not, you should definitely read it! It’s a really beautiful story!!!
I read 14 books this year already, compared to the 13 books i read last year. Booktube has just awoken my love for reading again and I'm so grateful to people who love books
This comment is LITERALLY me! Glad I'm not the only one whose life and reading habits have changed so positively thanks to booktube.
That's amazing!!
Same if I didn't watch these videos I probably wouldn't have continued reading this year
YES it's has been the same for me!
I read 83 books since December 30
I have not read since 2005
Thanks, YT 🐨
"I literally read for a living." Thanks for making me cry with jealousy
You can do it too! Start a youtube channel about books, a booktube if you will. Start it today, along your day job, and I promise in a couple of years, if you are consistent with it, you will “read for a living” too !! 🤍
You should read vishen lakhiani's code of the extraordinary mind
U'll get the answer to everything and itll make u feel liberated and happy
@@revearmybink1633 NOPE! Vishen lakhiani is a fraud! Don't trust him at all.
Me too
Murakami wakes up in the morning and decides to reinvent misogyny 😭
true but his books r so addicting smh 😔🤚🏼
@@marambensalem it's sadder that he can write fine literature but can't write women
@@marambensalem for real i roll my eyes every page but i can't stop reading T.T
Characters are misogynistic, i personally think it is intentional. He isn't serving us with perfect characters who are politically correct in every aspects, he doesn't have to. As a woman it is irritating to read those characters but they are real. He has written some unconventional, unforgettable female characters too. Its just his crazy world with a bunch of imperfect crazy human beings. Love reading them though😂 (Eng isn't my first language sry for mistakes)
@@layanayusaf4685 Your English was very good, don't worry! I totally see your point but I don't agree. His female characters don't feel real to me at all, they feel like plot devices for the male characters. It's fine, they're his books and he does what he wants, but in the ones I read I found the women felt very 2 dimensional.
Mieko Kawakami, a Japanese feminist author, had an interview with him about his female characters and their roles in his novels. It's interesting but the questions asked and his answers left me completely unsatisfied and even more convinced that he doesn't care to give any thoughts about how he portrays women in his novels. Parts of it is available in English online if anyone is interested to read it!
Jack: "Murakami is... not the best at representing women. He pretty much represent women from..."
Me: "Their boobs."
Jack: "A male perspective."
Me: "That works too, I guess."
Uncarley said something like "I love Murakami and I will read his grocery list, but I will give my soul for him to stop writing women" and I felt that 😂
I think I heard that last line on uncarley's channel😂
Oh my, finally someone who understands me! I have read three of his books, and I'm scared to pick up another one, knowing that female character(s) will be awfully written..
@@vaibhavi.singh. Oh jeez you are right! Proof I can't have any original thoughts! I have edited it to credit her. Thank you ❤️
@@ingrida46 Exactly! I much rather have zero female characters, than whatever the heck he is giving us. I always need to immediately read a good book written by a woman after finishing a Murakami, just to remind myself that I worth more than my (beautiful and perfectly shaped) boobies!
On that note, I would recommend Uncarley youtube channel! It is (for now) a small-ish channel. Not only she is a #GirlBoss, but her taste is immaculate and she is hilarious. Her reviews of Harry Styles' book recommendations is VERY different from Jack's but just as valid! I feel like these two channels complement each other quite nicely. But she was very vocal and shares our views on Murakami's women!
Omg YES. It sticks bc I love his writing, it’s unparalleled, but the way he writes women honestly kills it for me. I’ve decided to stop reading him 😞
When I read the song of Achilles, all I can say is felt get every inch of patrocluses feelings as if I was in his body. I genius in writing. What an amazing author Miller is.
Consider reading circe by her too!! Loved it sm.
Right? I haven't read it yet but I did read Circe a while back (my book club is making its way through both) and it was a lot, but in an overall really good way.
I listened to the audiobook and let's just say I spent the last two hours crying and I rarely get emotional when reading. It's a beautifully written book and I can't recommend it enough
how did yall discover the song of Achilles ? I’ve seen a lot of people talking about it lately
@@ayisha782 Recommended by my bookworm cousin. I don’t like reading contemporary novels (Bc my literature classes revolve mainly around ancient books 🙄) but this was.....MASTERPIECE. It was so beautifully written, though I will say the ending was a BIT rushed. Other than that, a very intriguing plot. Also I know you didn’t ask but I like to tell so 😭...
'The Song of Achilles' fans need to unite and have a rant fest together please 🥺😭❤ (one of my favs)
lets start it in the comments -
the ending literally ripped my heart out i ugly cried
i couldnt sleep as i couldnt stop crying after finishing it at 2am ;)
I absolutely love this book. It is truly a masterpiece
I literally finished it yesterday and it hit me today morning like a ton of fucking bricks so yes
Please someone make it happen! Imagine my anguish over not having any readers as friends so i can talk books😭😭
✨Timestamps✨
1:24 Song Of Achilles
2:32 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
3:45 Kafka on the Shore
4:53 The Vanishing Half
6:02 Kim Jyoung Born 1982
THANK YOU 😊 boo 😩🙏🏼
thank you!!! he should fix your comment.
of the ones he recommended since I watched this video for the first time, I've read three (Sing of, Evelyn Hugo, Kim Jiyoung), bought four (all those above and Vanishing) and now have only Kafka to read left.
Uhh, thank you so much !!
is song of achilles fruity? 👀
“I read for a living”
THAT IS THE DREAM
I know right :(
For me too
As a bisexual, the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo hit me so hard. It was incredibly powerful and meaningful to me and made me break down sobbing in front of my family.
The Song of Achilles is one of my two all time favourite books ever. Achilles and Patroclus have become such comforts characters to me and I have so much love for the writing of this book. It broke my heart into pieces in the most beautiful way possible and reignited my love for reading.
@@sruthis9595 my other one is Red, White and Royal Blue! it’s definitely more of a YA book and not as poetic as the other two but i love it so much. i’m more of a character person than a plot person, and Alex and Henry have my whole heart. all i want in life is to have a love like theirs!
@@sruthis9595 i have heard nothing but good things about that book! think it’s gonna be on my next book order
i'm honestly so proud of myself. i've been an avid reader for a decade on and off; last year i couldn't even get myself to read 10 books and this year i've already read 44 and i found so many new authors, genres and topics to read about. living in bookparadise this year haha 💚
i'm proud of you too! hopefully i can get out of my reading slump hahah :')
I have been having a bad year in terms of reading. I do enjoy reading but I stop a lot in between. I have way too many books on my TBR and I have already shortened my reading goal of 45 books to about 35 because I couldn’t keep up with my goal. Any tips?
My goal in life is to say "I read for a living" out loud and to have that be my reality.
I have faith that hard work pays off 👏🏼
This is so sweet, I believe in you !
Yeah imagen being payed to read, what a dream right!?
@@ellen6312 My whole life’s dream even now 😄✨
@@summersunshine2215 Thank you! I believe in your dreams too. ☺️
i know this channel is absolutely made for me bc when you said “these books are absolute bangers” I had to smile bc I actually have a goodreads shelf that is literally called “absolute bangers” (and the song of Achilles has a place of honor on it)
Haha that's pretty cool. What's your goodreads username?
@@snigdhasanganeria7670 like she said pls drop your Goodreads username, I wonder what these absolute bangers are
@@snigdhasanganeria7670 @celinea227
I saw Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and all I have to say is that that books broke me. I was literally crying on the floor at 3am over it 😂
i'm starting it today!! so excited :)
Honestly same lmao
JUST FINISHED ABD OH MY GOD HOW DO I COPE
Me too, I still feel empty lol
Ok I was gonna start that book today and now I am so excited ! 😂
i loved how Madeline Miller and Taylor Jenkins Reid worked on the plot so well😭 These are the books i’d definitely re-read it anytime
Kim Jiyoung Born 1982 is such an important book. It was important to not only hear about the things women go through, but also from a non-white perspective, and in particular an Asian perspective. It paints a different, but very real picture that I can relate to and don't hear enough about.
petition for "I work in the publishing industry" to be the new "I'm and English Literature student" please and thank you 🙌🏻🙌🏻 sir you're my inspiration
can you do classic recommendations by countries like russian classics, english classics ...
Yes, would love this
+1
That'd be great!
Yes!!! That would be amazing
Please!!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is such a good book! I loved it so much, it throw me into a one year long reading slump because there were hardly any books in my opinion at the time I read it that could compare to it.
OMG ME TOO
I read 21 books this year compared to like 3 last year and thats partly because of you Jack! Booktube really showed how interesting books can get, something our school education system couldn't. It's a shame many people around my age don't read books because they weren't even able to discover the right ones for them :(
wow, you're awesome! Continue to grow and inspire!!!
The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo... like just wow. It really just changed my life. Almost convinced me I wanted to be a writer. People be out here really talented!
A Poetry recommendation video from you would be fantastic. I read a lot (fiction and non-fiction) but poetry always seems so intimidating I have no idea where to start!
0:30 when you came to relax from your parents nagging you ;but even jack is calling you out 😐 (panic mode activated)
I’m dying 🤣
I feel like no one talks about how Murakami' writing can be misogynist, I truly don't get how he can be that overrated by everyone on social media... happy to hear you say that !
People just enjoy his writing style and the prose. In addition, Murakami's books centre around surrealism and magical realism and he does a great job creating a surreal experience for the reader. That's why he's a great writer. However, his writing of characters, particularly females is quite substandard but doesn't affect my overall readability of his novels.
@@manwithnoname8229 Yes I agree, he is a great writer and the worlds he creates are a very good way to escape reality, but, and I say this without anger or hate, I think that as a women I can’t help but noticing how bad are his female characters, it’s ok, it’s just not for me I guess.
@@virginia537 yeah, no problem at all. I feel like Murakami is that type of an author who's either a hit or a miss with the general audience. Some people really love his works, others just completely hate it. But all have a common criticism which is writing of female characters.
hi jack!! i wanted to inform you about a book called "almond" by won-pyung sohn :) in 2020, it was seen being read by both namjoon and yoongi from BTS, and i thought that the synopsis might intrigue you. in short it's about a boy with alexithymia who lives through a traumatic experience and soon experiences bullying. the first two lines of the synopsis is "This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me."
goodreads will probably give a better synopsis than me though, lol. i just wanted to put it in your radar :)
i read this in january, it was really good!
Wow sounds good!
I read it last night because of this comment. It was a good world to enter to. Absolutely love the MC and my word, the writing. Very effective.
I read this back in February and it was so good! What a page-turner. The prose is amazing!
Exams are over soon so it’s time to readdddd 🥳
Jack trying to call you out but you actually have read more this year 😏
0:28 Jack stop calling us out we're doing our best here 😂 reading slumps suck so much though
They really do suck
I recently made a list of the books I've read this year, and let's just say it was more than slightly discouraging.
I left reading 3 years ago because I was going through a major hard change in my life, I was not able to read books and I kinda stopped. You and uncarly revived my love for reading! You both have a way of putting things together, your passion and love for reading pulled me out of the state I was in.
I bought 3 books last year and didn't even get to them, I picked up "girl on the train" 4 days ago and I'm halfway through now. Reading again changed my life drastically!!! I love it.
I feel so validated when people recommend books that I love. “Song of Achilles” is a favorite
Thanks to lockdown and being unemployed I've already read more books in 4 months than I normally do in a year. Can honestly say books have saved my sanity this year 🥺
The Vanishing Half is also one of my favorite books from this year; such a good read! I’ve added a couple of these to my list and I’m looking forward to them.
I wrote an essay for my MA comparing Song of Achilles and a Thousand Ships and the way both writers use and adapt myth/history for modern audiences. It was the most fun I've ever had researching and writing an essay. Both are fantastic books - Song of Achilles is 👌
What did you think of a Thousand Ships? I’ve heard some polarizing opinions on it; TSOA is one of my fav books of all time, so how would you say they compare??
@@celine22712 For the most part I really enjoyed it though some perspectices weren't as enjoyable as others. Penelope's sections were a little dull, she came off very whiney, and there were a lot of chapters from her perspective. 😅 I loved all the stuff with the women of Troy and Penthesilia.
I think Song is much stronger as a narrative and very readable. Ships goes deeper and wider into the epic cycle - using stories from the lost poems which was really cool imo.
@@hcstubbs3290 I know this comment was from ages ago but I find it really interesting how different people connected with different characters, I actually quite enjoyed Penelope's sections while I do agree there were a lot of them in comparison to others but her sections really made me feel for her and her situation and it is a story that I feel was particularly neglected in the story of Odysseus
@@chloeliddell8601 fair play, and yeah, it's so interesting how different people connect differently. And I agree, Penelope's story definitely was neglected in the Odyssey. I'm glad you enjoyed the book too! 😊
just want to say I've never been a big reader (my entire life) until COVID and I basically ran out of interesting Netflix shows to watch and I was forced to read. You talk so empassionately about books (I started with your *celebrity book lists* and just kept watching) that I created a goodreads account and just keep adding and adding to the want to read list. I LOVE that you have physical copies of all of these books!
hearing jack say 'sublime' made my day and i cannot explain why
You have no idea how excited I got when I saw Kafka on the shore🥺😩😭🌻🌻
One of my favourites.
Mine as well. One of the few contemporary books I REALLY enjoy
This summer I’m going to be reading every book Jess reads in Gilmore Girls (except Moby Dick because who has the time of patience?) and I thought of you. You’re welcome for the idea, I’ll be doing Rory when my wallet recovers
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo hurt my heart
"More plugs than a bath shop". First time I've heard that. Barked a laugh and scared the cat.
I’d love to see a video with African books
Featuring authors other than Chimamanda Adichie 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾
@@dayoolorunnisola162 i love her and i’ve been wanting to get into some more literature from african authors, anything you all would recommend?
@@dayshawna Things Fall Apart by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe is a modern classic
@@dayshawna Purple Hibiscus is a good one by her... If you prefer something longer ,you can check out Half of a yellow sun(don't watch the movie).
@@dayshawna the famished road - Ben Okri
So far I've read 13 books this year, compared to the two I read last year I think I'm doing great! I started a bookclub with my friends and it's really got me out of my reading slump!
I read Kim Jiyoung and it really left me with a lot of feelings as a woman myself. I highly recommend the book as well. It was eye opening for me.
the song of achilles 💔 spain without the s 💔💔 (seven husbands is so gooood omg the taste 😙👌🏻)
champagne without the cham
@@mekhm6075 yup 💔😪
liam payne without the liam 😭
Thank you Jack for making me read The song of Achilles.
As a person who grew up in Greece , I was very familiar with the story , knew blindly the ending before I had even begun reading. However, this book broke me, so well-written it was impossible to hold my tears... I love ,too, how accessible it was, it reminded me of all those Iliad lessons I had struggled to understand and now I feel like I finally have grasped the story! Highly recommend!
The Song of Achilles is so great!
Two things that I think would be really interesting are:
1: Doing a deep-dive into LGBT+ literature.
2. Exploring some Brazilian literature.
Abraços!
I would love to explore Brazilian literature. My ethnicity is Brazilian but I was brought up in the UK and feel a genuine disconnect from Brazil and my grandparents and parents culture to what I was raised in. Do you have any recommendations of Brazilian must reads? Preferably in Portuguese because I want to improve in that area as well.
@@biancanavey438 I don't pretend to be an expert because I was born and raised in the United States and only recently relocated to Brazil with my partner who is Brazilian. However, there are three books that I think are great that would be a good place to start:
1. Quarto de Despejo - Carolina Maria de Jesus
2. Macunaíma - Mário de Andrade
3. O Alquimista - Paulo Coelho
Espero que você goste
@@biancanavey438 I'm certainly not an expert on Brazilian literature either, but as a child of a dutch father and indonesian/thai mother, living in the Netherlands, I've been reading a lot of books on racial identity. Stubborn Archivist by Yara Rodrigues Fowler is written by a british/brazilian author, and the disconnect from her mothers Brazilian culture plays a central role in her book. I absolutely loved the book, and would recommend it to anyone that struggles with their racial identity.
The writing style takes some getting used to (some pages are a bit abstract and 'poetry like', but also plenty of 'normal' chapters) but I personally really liked that style.
@@biancanavey438 I’m brazilian and I can tell: both hard autors but really good ones are Clarice Lispector and Machado de Assis. I would recommend A hora da estrela by Clarice and Memórias póstumas de Brás cubas by Machado. Enjoy!
The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo is incredible, I recommend to all my friends and they loved it
I've never cried so much after reading a book as I did after reading Song of Achilles and yet I don't regret it.
Kim Jiyoung was one of my favorites last year! I read it right after reading Murata's 'Convenience Store Woman', which I would recommend if anyone is up for reading more Asian feminist literature! I felt as if they coupled really well with each other. Jack, your taste in books is, once again, immaculate. Thanks for uploading!!
pleasee do a video where you discuss Kafka on the shore/other murakami works.I love his writing but they are confusing af and i would love to know what others take away from his writing
p.s:I already read all but 2 books from this recommendation.Thanks to you and this paneroma for getting me into reading again.
the vanishing half has been my favourite book this year by FAR it’s so good
For some reason in May this year my interest in reading came back and hit me like a truck cuz I've already read 11 novels in the space of 1 month and since I hv nothing to do for the holidays, it looks like I'm gonna be reading a hella lot more
"The Song of Achilles" made me squirm with excitement, blush furiously and then it stomped on my heart continuously untill there was nothing left. I love you, but hate you at the same time for luring me into reading it because I witnessed the most beautiful love story, but now I can't function:) so that's that. And btw I know you technically warned us but I really wasn't expecting it to be like THAT. Anyway, sorry I just need to let it out 😖
for once I didn't give up! I read everyday from january 1st until today, so here's my top 5 so far :
1. Torka aldrig tårar utan handskar / Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves by Jonas Gardell
2. Changer l'eau des fleurs / Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer et Annie Barrows
4. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
5. Les oubliés du dimanche by Valérie Perrin (idk if it has been translated in english)
I love these new quicker paced videos on this channel,
i feel like you can do more “day in the life” style content more too or “what i read in a day” type of things too would be fun
the song of achilles and the seven husbands of evelyn hugo are one of my favorites books of all time I´m so glad you enjoyed them too !!! if you liked them you should really read the invisible life of addie la rue, it gives the same vibes as the other two, like tragedy and masterpiece
i actually made the resolution to read more this year after watching your video about all the books youve read in 2020. and guess what! im still on it! so far im at 17/50 books i want to read and im so glad to have picked up reading again, its the best part of my day :)
I finally read the Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo and I can already see myself reading every single book Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote
P.s Thank you for the amazing recommendation!
I've actually already read more books than i did in total last year😳
I think for Murakami it depends on the book and the intention behind the character when it comes to women but ALSO I feel like if you read books he writes from womens perspective it’s sooooo well written, After Dark, his short stories, and 1Q84 are all phenomenal! lmao 😩
After Dark is gorgeous!
I came here to say this. I think that the way Murakami writes women is intentional, because a lot of the times he is writing from a straight male perspective and (I'm told) that that's how they're seen by them.
I'm a man, but 1Q84 doesn't seem to have that "male gaze" thing
I'm so glad you liked Kafka on the Shore! It's my absolute favorite book and Murakami is my favorite author so this made me happy haha
Adding more books to my huge list of books I want to buy/read.
I have been going through a reading block for the last 5 years. I don’t know what happened to me but I just couldn’t concentrate on any books. This year my goal was to break that habit and start reading again.
So far I have read 26 books and I am so proud. I want to scream how happy i am but people generally don’t take it well when you talk about how much you’ve read. It’s not a show-off. I am just super excited and I want to share it...
If anyone who is stuck in a non-reading zone, trust me you can get over it. What really helped me was uninstalling all the social media apps and only using the phone to read or make important calls/texts. I think phone addiction is why we are such bad readers nowadays. Also our short attention span. I couldn’t believe how much time I had once I stopped using my phone for distraction. Also written words are sooo pretty ohmygod?! How come I forgot this feeling? I feel so happy! I hope anyone who is going through a reading slump gets over it very soon. You can do it xx
could you possibly do a rec video on authors similar to virginia woolf? her work is so,, unique in the way that it explores human experience and it's like the closest thing I have to therapy
Check out Clarice Lispector, I think she has a similar writing style
THE TWIST IN THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO WAS LIKE ?????? IT WAS SO GOOD I HAD TO PUT IT DOWN FOR A MIN BC I WAS SHOOK
PLEASE do a week reading tiktok recommend books🙏🙏
the vanishing half has been sitting on my wishlist, i'm so buying it soon
I have my final exam in less than 10 hours and I should just read satyanarayan for it. But here I am watching this
oh god which Satyanarayana book bc ALL OF THEM GIVE ME NIGHTMARES
@@mekhm6075 tbh I didn't even try to read the whole thing. Just the part my topper friend highlighted is enough for me😅
@@mekhm6075 biochemistry by satyanarayan.
@@Foodfry122 ...another biochemistry student? I welcome you to suffer w me :)
OMG! Kafka on the Shore and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo are my fav books of all time. 💖
Following up from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - I highly recommend Daisy Jones and the Six, the way I inhaled that book in less than a week. I’m still processing it
I JUST WANT TO SAY: thank you, Jack!! I've found multiple of my favourite books through your channel and on top of that, you're such a funny and intelligent person, which makes the videos so fun and relaxing to watch.
“The first book that I want to tell you about….” *proceeds to take the 2nd book in the pile*
One of the only booktubers I trust with recommendations 😭
The song of Achilles really broke me. I cried 20min straight after reading that
samee :((
I like how you discussed The Song of Achilles because I thought it would be inaccessible and it sounds quite the opposite :) I also heard of The Seven Husbands but you made it sound goooood!
I've read The Song of Achilles years ago and I'm still not over this, and this, and this. TT^TT
Omg the song of achilles had me SOBBING MY HEART OUT
I’m adding all of these books to my reading list, thanks for sharing! 💫 Keep rising to be who you want to be! 💫 #keeprising #risingtobe #aswerise #riser
I just finished the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo and absolutely loved it! The writing style is so lovely and I loved the story!
"sigh" *Adds to already overflowing tbr list*😪
My bestie and I both saw the twist coming in Evelyn Hugo and I feel like we're the only people in the world who did. Everyone else seemed totally shocked but it seemed so predictable to me. I still loved the book though, I love everything from TJR. My favourites this year have been Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (never thought I could love a novel in verse) and The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
The thing is that even when I don't read anything for a while, I still have about 20 unread books sitting in various places of my room just waiting for me to open them 😂
I got so happy when I saw The Seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo Bc even tho I don’t read much I did read that one last year and loved it!!!
I wish I could read Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo again for the first time, I hadn’t read in such a long time since college made me lose my love for reading but this was the book that got me hooked again , so good and so sad
I suffer from reading blocks quite often these days . Your videos always help me in getting my reading back on track😄.
I’d love that you do a review of the Song of Achilles because, frankly, I didn’t understand what all the hype is about.
Started reading kafka on the shore just wanna say even starting of the book is soo good and makes u read more
How did it go, did you enjoy the rest of it? 😌
Jack. I was about to sleep 🙄
*I guess I have to watch this all now* 😩
@@aulbayne hellooo Albaneeee 😋good luck with eng lit!
I found your RUclips channel a few days ago and you’re officially my favorite booktuber.
Would you consider doing a video for Asian Heritage Month highlighting Asian and Asian diasporic writing?
omg i just love seeing mukarami in your channel, it makes me go aaaaaaaa, YES!
I noticed that most of western books released in softcover. When most of books in post USSR get hardcovers. I curious about difference in industries.
The fact that 2 two of these books(I guess) were suggested by RM, is making me so happy right now 😃
Well, I guess my TBR just got bigger by 5 books 😅
Came across this and your main channel today and have done nothing but watch your videos all day! Really got me through my hangover :)
I remember listening to the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo in the car sitting between two people I didn’t know and trying SO HARD. Not to cry. Let’s just say there was a lot of discrete “eye scratching” during that car ride.
your voice and videos bring immediate comfort
Please can you do a video on an author e.g. Sally Rooney or John Green. I would love to hear your analysis of them
I still need to read some Murakami!! I’m also really interested in the Vanishing Half, the cover is stunning!! Loved this video as always!! 💕💕
hey besties
I love trying to explain a Murakami book. It's like, "Well it's about an old man who can talk to cats and cause it to rain fish ... yeah, no, it's ... no just go with it, he can talk to cats, it's fine ..."
It's just impossible to impart his deep beauty adequately enough, without sounding a little bit silly. Honestly, one of my favourite books of all time!
And Song of Achilles is being delivered tomorrow, so I'm psyched. It had better be good Jack Edwards, I ordered it because of you!