You are in for an absolute treat with Strange the Dreamer. The writing is gorgeous, and the characters are so memorable. I will be shocked if you don’t love it.
The starless sea is one of my favorite books, it got me into reading again 4 years ago. I reread it last christmas and loved it even more. Its so magical and poetic and is a love letter to books and stories 💖 I appreciate your videos so much and watch them from France to relax every sundays!
You've got some fun reading ahead of you. Chai Time... is really deceptive in it's cosy feel, one of the reasons why it won the 2023 Miles Franklin Award. I wasn't surprised when it won after reading much of the longlist. I'm keen to read her previous novel now. I just want to recommend so much diverse Contemporary Auslit to you after your strong statement, lol. I have such a strong thing about Contemporary Auslit, love it. There is so much diversity in Auslit. Some of it can be pretty gritty and edgy though, but there's a lot of magical realism too. Our indigenous authors are just outstanding and other authors from many diverse cultural backgrounds. I think you have some amazing Auslit discoveries in your future... and then after that I'll be recommending fabulous Aus contemporary poets 🙂
Ah, yes--I don't disagree that there's a lot diversity within the Australian literary genre, itself. My problem is that there's almost no support OUTSIDE the literary. And I especially mean this for speculative and genre writers in Australia (beyond perhaps Australian gothic or the kind of gentle magical realism that tends to get published). There are literally no agents that take on true speculative writers. Only one significant lit mag accepting submissions for SFF. Very few comps, awards, fellowships, grants, etc. for genre writers. The award winners of speculative comps are always literary in a very AusLit kinda way. And writers festivals almost entirely exclude speculative and genre writers. Shelley Parker-Chan, year after year, is invited to OzAsia but not Adelaide Writers week. WHY? They're a massive best seller and an incredibly talented writer?? When you're a genre writer, it gets really frustrating really quickly 😭 It's fine if the AusLit ~style~ is what you like, but I wish it was a bit less insular. And I wish I didn't have to entirely query US/UK agents because of it 😭😭😭 (clearly I could vent about this for a long time hahaha) That being said, I would love your recs of Australian magical realism and First Nations fiction if you'd like to share them 💛💛💛
I absolutely loved The Starless Sea. Although, I think that the cover synopsis is quite misleading. There are pirates in the book…but it’s not really about pirates. The entire plot is very metaphorical which I enjoyed a lot. Overall a very unique world, clever story telling mechanism, and solid writing style. Happy reading to you!
I can almost guarantee that you will love Strange the dreamer, it’s such a magical story, stunning prose and storytelling from Laini! One of my absolute favorites
Remains of the Day is a great book as well as a great film with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Saw it again last week as part of the British Film Festival.
Brilliant actors! BO-ring movie! I only remembered my old man cracking up at the scene where the butler comes in to announce dinner or something and just walks out while the lady falls into tears. 😆 Never Let Me Go, though. Whoa!
I adore The Starless Sea. The imagery never fails to capture me. It's tangled, somehow both fluid and extremely textured. And I eagerly look forward to your review of 1Q84. Oh! And I also went to the college which owns Emily Dickinson's house. Her poetry always brings me home.
Curious what you'll think of A Study in Drowning. Felt to me like a book that could potentially be adored by other writers. The authors love for and understanding of literature was absolutely suffused in the book. It started slow enough i started to wonder if my cover art based purchase had been a mistake, but in the end i adored it.
I loved cinnamon gardens! I was the same as you, picked it up because it looks cute and cozy and was surprised but how layered the characters and themes were.
Can't wait to hear about these! Btw, for Remarkably Bright Creatures, Puget is pronounced PEW-jit. Just thought you might want to know :) Also, if you're near the Pacific Northwest when you're here in the US, you should visit Puget Sound. Beautiful, beautiful area!
You and I have a lot of similar tastes when it comes to reading. A lot of your favorites are my favorites. You are going to love A Study in Drowning! I fell in love with that book!
Nice picks! Top ten I’m currently reading 1.a dragon’s promise by Elizabeth sequel to six crimson canes. 2.fellowship of the ring by J.r.r Tolkien 3.IT by Stephen king, also fairy tale. 4.goodnight mister Tom by Michelle magorian 5.daughter of the pirate king by tricia levenseller. 6.Babel by R.F Kuang 7.Reacher by Lee Child
I'm reading A Study in Drowning right now and I absolutely love it! It has such unique world-building, lovely prose, and a plot that's very reminiscent of a winding classic! Defintely some darker themes, though. I really hope you enjoy it, too!
You will love the “remarkably bright creatures” ! I fell in love with octopus ever since ❤❤❤ Also enjoy your trip in the US, can’t wait for the next video 😍😍
Chai time is just so beautifully written. You’re right, it is not a cosy novel at all, it is quite hard hitting and thought provoking. I learnt a lot about Sri Lankan history from it too. Some of the characters are a bit under-developed, but other than that it’s a really good read.
Oooh you have so many good books in front of you! Im positive you will enjoy The Starless sea more then The Night Circus, they are very different. Also if you like A River Enchanted you must read the second book A Fire Endless. They are both soo good! ❤❤😍😍 if you still have a cough I highly recommend an easy homeremedy that worked wonders for me, one onion and a tablespoon of honey. Just chop the onion in pieces, mix the honey with the onion in a bowl and let it stay outside the fridge for a couple of hours. A liquid will form and you drink that as medicine. Great for cough and tastes ok. You can keep in the fridge for like 2 days. Good luck ❤❤❤
When I try to think about all the books I want to read before the end of the year, my brain just shuts off, lol. But I've got a stack that I'm trying to prioritize, and that includes: Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare, Starling House by Alix. E Harrow, Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills, and then I've got the last couple Secret Projects by Brandon Sanderson. And Strange the Dreamer is actually on my list of books to reread next year!
If you want character and plot you are probably not going to find it in the starless sea. It is very vibes heavy. Maybe even more so than the night circus. I personally loved it. It's not for me all of the time. But I love an atmospheric focused read every once in a while. I read the strange the dreamer duology at the beginning of the year and I was so in love with the writing. It was a very emotional journey reading those books! Highly recommend. A study in drowning was also very Very good. Highly atmospheric but also had a good plot and good characters.
I highly, highly recommend “Flyaway”, by Kathleen Jennings! Contemporary Australian Gothic interwoven with folklore and fear, absolutely delicious novella from start to finish. I think you’d love it, or I’d be curious to hear your thoughts in a video if it didn’t gel with you.
Okay so first of all I'm mainly a library reader and seeing a vlog with several books I've actually read is a first! And I'm so unreasonably happy about it! I loved Remarkably Bright Creatures. It's a rather light/easy read. I loved the characters, the writing style, the progression of the story, and the way everything just felt so finished and woven together by the time it was finished. I love magical realism and somehow this was right in the sweet spot for me. I've read 1Q84 twice. I like the story, it is definitely interesting, but Murakami's way of writing female characters in general and Aomame specifically is just so... cringe? I still like the story but this was the thing that really stopped it from being great for me. But I like how Murakami can write something that is both eventful/full of twists and yet feels very quiet and introspective. I started reading The Starless Sea a year ago but I just couldn't get through it. I have to admit that I generally don't like stories about stories, but I couldn't relate to the characters at all, the worldbuilding was okay but not especially captivating, and the plot was rather thin. I can definitely see why so many people love it, but it was definitely not my cup of tea.
I would highly recommend both A River Enchanted and Divine Rivals equally!! I am a big Rebecca Ross fangirl now, lol. I hope you enjoy them too😊 The Book that Wouldn't Burn is also a new favorite of mine this year! The plot twist totally got me Omg...Strange the Dreamer and the Starless Sea are my top two books of all time. This list is my taste, lol
I devoured A Study in Drowning over the last few days. It made it straight onto my favourites shelf. Stunning book. Would recommend. Also Strange the Dreamer is lovely! EDIT: I hit send too early. The Starless Sea is one of my all time favourites. It speaks to my heart. I really hope you enjoy it.
Every time you mentioned that you’re fond of the ocean, I automatically thought of the latest novella I’ve loved-The Deep by Rivers Solomon. 💙 The topic’s kind of heavy but the writing is lyrical. And the depiction of the ocean as a mother and whales as tender creatures moved me. I’m excited to hear your thoughts if you ever pick it up! ☺️ Premise: pregnant slaves were thrown overboard from a ship during a transatlantic journey. The mothers didn’t survive but their babies were birthed in the ocean, giving rise to a group of mermaid-like creatures called the wajinru (chorus of the deep).
Just finished The Book That Wouldn't Burn and absolutely loved it! Such a beautifully written story. My only qualm is waiting until April for the second book haha
Poetry is great. I hope you find lots of poets you will enjoy. Dickinson is a great one. I also personally really like Elizabeth Barrett Browning's as well. I have read A Study in Drowning and I quite liked it but I personally preferred the author's Juniper and Thorn. I think the writing is so much nicer and overall it is a better book. But A Study in Drowning is still good.
Divine Rivals is delightful! Automatically added its sequel to my Christmas gift idea list. If you are getting into Romantasy I recommend Deborah Harkness's All Souls trilogy. The Night Circus is one of my favorites. I have heard that Erin Morgenstern is generally an atmosphere author, not a plot driven author and that is continued with Starless Sea (from what I hear). I enjoy that style, but understand it isn't for everyone.
I love Emily Dickinson. I have another poetry recommendation for you: Barbara Howes. She's from the same area as Emily Dickinson, and lived 1914-1996. I discovered her when I treated myself to a first edition of my favourite book of all time, The Waves by Virginia Woolf, something I had wanted for over 20 years. When I was searching online through the available copies, the one I ended up purchasing had belonged to the poet Barbara Howes, and she had written her name on the inside front end papers. I looked her up and immediately fell in love with her poetry, and ended up ordering all volumes of her work and reading them all. She quickly became one of my favourite poets. So it's special that I have her own personal copy of The Waves, and I have to wonder if it was her favourite book too?
I here you about book covers in Australia. We get ripped off all ways see the nice ones for UK or the USA which you can never get in Australia :( Yōko Tawada sounds interesting ill add her to my to read list
It took me soooo long to get through The Remains of the Day. I didn't know if it was my headspace at the time or the translation I read or the book was just slow in general. I was so ready to be done with it while I was reading it, but after I was done, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Everything started hitting me and I ended up appreciating the entire journey and loving the book. So, I am really curious what you'll think of it.
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a great book to read if you're feeling sick. It's a 7 year old's comprehension level, which is great if you have brain fog. And it really reminded me of Finding Dory the movie :)
Since you mentioned liking the ocean I would highly recommend ’In Ascension’ by Martin Macinnes! It’s a beautiful sci-if story that follows a female marine biologist who studies ancient organisms and makes a discovery that may contain clues about the beginnings of life on Earth ✨
Christy, I would looove to see suggestions of Christmassy books and things to do from someone who also experiences the season in boiling hot summer! Brazilian here! 🙋🏻♀️🇧🇷
I might need to just try and read Laini Taylor again, because I tried Daughter of Smoke and Bone and really didn't like it, and The Book that Wouldn't Burn looks really good and even sounds perfect for me
Hi! I don't know if you've read it already, but I'm reading Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (she's Australian).. So far the book is very good, and it's set in a possible close future where a lot of spieces have disappeared, it's mainly set in a fishing boat and the main character is a woman👌👌
A recommendation for speculative fiction in translation: The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, edited by Yu Chen and Regina Kanyu Wang. It's "a collection of Chinese Science Fiction and Fantasy in translation from a visionary team of female and nonbinary creators." It was a very cool and unique collection!
I have the same edition of 1Q84! It’s a wonderful book (as far as I can remember) but a word of warming that as I was reading that edition pages just started falling out of the binding :/ Not sure if it was just my copy but thought I’d mention it just in case :)
I would highly recommend Beautiful Star by Yukio Mishima which is about a family in Japan who realise they are all aliens sent to earth to stop war amongst humans. I’ve not finished it yet, but the prose is gorgeous and very speculative.
I am currently reading Remains of the Day, since ist was a christmaspresent and I worry that if I dont finish it soon, my partner stops gifting me beautiful clothbound editions 😅
As someone who is also very picky about my book covers, how do you find other country's book covers without paying an arm and a leg? Thanks! Loved this video. Feel better. :)
I used to use Book Depository to get the British covers, but now that option is gone ☹️ There's no way to get US covers here, so I guess I'm now stuck with Australian covers unless i actually travel overseas and buy books there. Thank you so much 😊 Take care 💛
hello Christy!! so, i really love your videos, you have now become my favorite booktober ❤❤❤ so, i wanted to know if you have already read The Last Smile in Sunder City, by Luke Arnold (Australian author!!) thank you for your content again. you are soo inspiring
Good luck with your reading wishing you all the best of luck and success with your reading and I agree with you on Aussie covers prayers and blessings for you and your boyfriend and your families love your Geelong family friend John ❤❤❤also please enjoy America as I will never get there due to my health issues ❤❤❤
Some other cover versions that deserve jail time: - A certain hunger (the pineapple one) - Our wives under the sea (just because it pales in comparison to the UK version) - A tale for the time being (another Ruth Ozeki. There is a version where the title is LiTeRaLlY dOnE lIkE tHiS)
@@christy-anne-jones 😣 i really like that song. I wanted to listen the full version of it. I have made a playlist of all the songs you use in your videos. I listen to this playlist when I feel down. Your choice of songs is uplifting!
Be warned- LA and New York are super populated and thus they have ROUGH homeless problems and cleanliness problems, and they're expensive, and cities have people with shorter tempers because it can be draining to live with all the constant chaos. LA and NY are probably the very worst cities when it comes to these issues... Homeless or solicitors WILL talk to you or even be rude to you, just be distantly polite and do NOT try to carry a conversation, as rude as that sounds it's necessary because things can go south fast trust me. I mean trust your gut because not everyone is out to get you, but stranger danger is real and no matter how you act they still may get mad at you for no reason. I love America, it's a big place, but cities are so rough sometimes so I worry for visitors coming for the first time..
You are in for an absolute treat with Strange the Dreamer. The writing is gorgeous, and the characters are so memorable. I will be shocked if you don’t love it.
Being from the PNW in Wa State Id like to help with the pronunciation of Puget Sound. It’s like Pew-Jet. ♥️ Love your videos.
I was looking for this comment! Fellow Washingtonian and I knew exactly what she was trying to pronounce 😂
The starless sea is one of my favorite books, it got me into reading again 4 years ago. I reread it last christmas and loved it even more. Its so magical and poetic and is a love letter to books and stories 💖
I appreciate your videos so much and watch them from France to relax every sundays!
I loved the night circus, but the starless sea absolutely blew it out of the water. One of my favorites of all time.
You've got some fun reading ahead of you. Chai Time... is really deceptive in it's cosy feel, one of the reasons why it won the 2023 Miles Franklin Award. I wasn't surprised when it won after reading much of the longlist. I'm keen to read her previous novel now.
I just want to recommend so much diverse Contemporary Auslit to you after your strong statement, lol. I have such a strong thing about Contemporary Auslit, love it. There is so much diversity in Auslit. Some of it can be pretty gritty and edgy though, but there's a lot of magical realism too. Our indigenous authors are just outstanding and other authors from many diverse cultural backgrounds.
I think you have some amazing Auslit discoveries in your future... and then after that I'll be recommending fabulous Aus contemporary poets 🙂
Ah, yes--I don't disagree that there's a lot diversity within the Australian literary genre, itself. My problem is that there's almost no support OUTSIDE the literary. And I especially mean this for speculative and genre writers in Australia (beyond perhaps Australian gothic or the kind of gentle magical realism that tends to get published). There are literally no agents that take on true speculative writers. Only one significant lit mag accepting submissions for SFF. Very few comps, awards, fellowships, grants, etc. for genre writers. The award winners of speculative comps are always literary in a very AusLit kinda way. And writers festivals almost entirely exclude speculative and genre writers. Shelley Parker-Chan, year after year, is invited to OzAsia but not Adelaide Writers week. WHY? They're a massive best seller and an incredibly talented writer?? When you're a genre writer, it gets really frustrating really quickly 😭
It's fine if the AusLit ~style~ is what you like, but I wish it was a bit less insular. And I wish I didn't have to entirely query US/UK agents because of it 😭😭😭 (clearly I could vent about this for a long time hahaha)
That being said, I would love your recs of Australian magical realism and First Nations fiction if you'd like to share them 💛💛💛
I absolutely loved The Starless Sea. Although, I think that the cover synopsis is quite misleading. There are pirates in the book…but it’s not really about pirates. The entire plot is very metaphorical which I enjoyed a lot. Overall a very unique world, clever story telling mechanism, and solid writing style. Happy reading to you!
I can almost guarantee that you will love Strange the dreamer, it’s such a magical story, stunning prose and storytelling from Laini! One of my absolute favorites
Remains of the Day is a great book as well as a great film with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Saw it again last week as part of the British Film Festival.
Brilliant actors! BO-ring movie! I only remembered my old man cracking up at the scene where the butler comes in to announce dinner or something and just walks out while the lady falls into tears. 😆 Never Let Me Go, though. Whoa!
Love it when your video shows up in my feed
I absolutely loved remarkably bright creatures. It’s such a heart-wrenchingly sweet story
A River Enchanted is my best book of the this year!
OMG Strange the Dreamer is so beautiful! You're going to love it!
I adore The Starless Sea. The imagery never fails to capture me. It's tangled, somehow both fluid and extremely textured. And I eagerly look forward to your review of 1Q84.
Oh! And I also went to the college which owns Emily Dickinson's house. Her poetry always brings me home.
Curious what you'll think of A Study in Drowning. Felt to me like a book that could potentially be adored by other writers. The authors love for and understanding of literature was absolutely suffused in the book.
It started slow enough i started to wonder if my cover art based purchase had been a mistake, but in the end i adored it.
For Strange the Dreamer, I highly recommend the audiobook! Hope you love it! ❤
I loved cinnamon gardens! I was the same as you, picked it up because it looks cute and cozy and was surprised but how layered the characters and themes were.
Can't wait to hear about these! Btw, for Remarkably Bright Creatures, Puget is pronounced PEW-jit. Just thought you might want to know :) Also, if you're near the Pacific Northwest when you're here in the US, you should visit Puget Sound. Beautiful, beautiful area!
You and I have a lot of similar tastes when it comes to reading. A lot of your favorites are my favorites. You are going to love A Study in Drowning! I fell in love with that book!
Nice picks!
Top ten I’m currently reading
1.a dragon’s promise by Elizabeth sequel to six crimson canes.
2.fellowship of the ring by J.r.r Tolkien
3.IT by Stephen king, also fairy tale.
4.goodnight mister Tom by Michelle magorian
5.daughter of the pirate king by tricia levenseller.
6.Babel by R.F Kuang
7.Reacher by Lee Child
I dont know how many times I've read Goodnight Mr Tom 🥰🥰😭😭❤️❤️
I'm reading A Study in Drowning right now and I absolutely love it! It has such unique world-building, lovely prose, and a plot that's very reminiscent of a winding classic! Defintely some darker themes, though. I really hope you enjoy it, too!
You will love the “remarkably bright creatures” ! I fell in love with octopus ever since ❤❤❤
Also enjoy your trip in the US, can’t wait for the next video 😍😍
I just finished The Book That Wouldn’t Burn. It was so good. I loved how it kept drawing me in. ♥️ ⭐️
What a great list of books I've not heard of. Many are going to be on my TBR.
Chai time is just so beautifully written. You’re right, it is not a cosy novel at all, it is quite hard hitting and thought provoking. I learnt a lot about Sri Lankan history from it too. Some of the characters are a bit under-developed, but other than that it’s a really good read.
Oooh you have so many good books in front of you! Im positive you will enjoy The Starless sea more then The Night Circus, they are very different. Also if you like A River Enchanted you must read the second book A Fire Endless. They are both soo good! ❤❤😍😍 if you still have a cough I highly recommend an easy homeremedy that worked wonders for me, one onion and a tablespoon of honey. Just chop the onion in pieces, mix the honey with the onion in a bowl and let it stay outside the fridge for a couple of hours. A liquid will form and you drink that as medicine. Great for cough and tastes ok. You can keep in the fridge for like 2 days. Good luck ❤❤❤
When I try to think about all the books I want to read before the end of the year, my brain just shuts off, lol. But I've got a stack that I'm trying to prioritize, and that includes: Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare, Starling House by Alix. E Harrow, Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills, and then I've got the last couple Secret Projects by Brandon Sanderson.
And Strange the Dreamer is actually on my list of books to reread next year!
If you want character and plot you are probably not going to find it in the starless sea. It is very vibes heavy. Maybe even more so than the night circus. I personally loved it. It's not for me all of the time. But I love an atmospheric focused read every once in a while.
I read the strange the dreamer duology at the beginning of the year and I was so in love with the writing. It was a very emotional journey reading those books! Highly recommend.
A study in drowning was also very Very good. Highly atmospheric but also had a good plot and good characters.
The Remains of the day is a beautiful book as well as the movie! I studied this book when I was in university a long time ago now... Enjoy!
1Q84 is so incredibly good! Cried a lot (over one character's fate) and the ending is perfect. One of Murakami's bests!
One of my most despised books😬
I highly, highly recommend “Flyaway”, by Kathleen Jennings! Contemporary Australian Gothic interwoven with folklore and fear, absolutely delicious novella from start to finish. I think you’d love it, or I’d be curious to hear your thoughts in a video if it didn’t gel with you.
Okay so first of all I'm mainly a library reader and seeing a vlog with several books I've actually read is a first! And I'm so unreasonably happy about it!
I loved Remarkably Bright Creatures. It's a rather light/easy read. I loved the characters, the writing style, the progression of the story, and the way everything just felt so finished and woven together by the time it was finished. I love magical realism and somehow this was right in the sweet spot for me.
I've read 1Q84 twice. I like the story, it is definitely interesting, but Murakami's way of writing female characters in general and Aomame specifically is just so... cringe? I still like the story but this was the thing that really stopped it from being great for me. But I like how Murakami can write something that is both eventful/full of twists and yet feels very quiet and introspective.
I started reading The Starless Sea a year ago but I just couldn't get through it. I have to admit that I generally don't like stories about stories, but I couldn't relate to the characters at all, the worldbuilding was okay but not especially captivating, and the plot was rather thin. I can definitely see why so many people love it, but it was definitely not my cup of tea.
You should try „The Soul of an Octopus“ by Sy Montgomery..I didn‘t enjoy the style that much, but it was really interesting anyway!
They Call Her Sofia by Doris Ladino is a great one!
I would highly recommend both A River Enchanted and Divine Rivals equally!! I am a big Rebecca Ross fangirl now, lol. I hope you enjoy them too😊
The Book that Wouldn't Burn is also a new favorite of mine this year! The plot twist totally got me
Omg...Strange the Dreamer and the Starless Sea are my top two books of all time. This list is my taste, lol
I loved The Book that Wouldn't Burn! I read it when it came out, and it's still in my top three books I've read this year.
I devoured A Study in Drowning over the last few days. It made it straight onto my favourites shelf. Stunning book. Would recommend.
Also Strange the Dreamer is lovely!
EDIT: I hit send too early. The Starless Sea is one of my all time favourites. It speaks to my heart. I really hope you enjoy it.
The Will of The Many is one I also want to get too
I hope you feel better soon!
Really loved Divine Rivals and I look forward to your review!
Every time you mentioned that you’re fond of the ocean, I automatically thought of the latest novella I’ve loved-The Deep by Rivers Solomon. 💙
The topic’s kind of heavy but the writing is lyrical. And the depiction of the ocean as a mother and whales as tender creatures moved me. I’m excited to hear your thoughts if you ever pick it up! ☺️
Premise: pregnant slaves were thrown overboard from a ship during a transatlantic journey. The mothers didn’t survive but their babies were birthed in the ocean, giving rise to a group of mermaid-like creatures called the wajinru (chorus of the deep).
Just finished The Book That Wouldn't Burn and absolutely loved it! Such a beautifully written story. My only qualm is waiting until April for the second book haha
Absolutely LOVED “Remarkably Bright Creatures” Truly one of my all time favorites! ❤ 🐙
Also really enjoyed “The Starless Sea”
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn does have excellent writing! I’m so glad it’s on your end of year list, it was 5⭐️ for me.
I think the ocean themes in the Starless Sea won't be what you expect, but I think you'll still enjoy it ^^
I think we have a very very similar taste so my TBR has very much grown because of this video
Poetry is great. I hope you find lots of poets you will enjoy. Dickinson is a great one. I also personally really like Elizabeth Barrett Browning's as well. I have read A Study in Drowning and I quite liked it but I personally preferred the author's Juniper and Thorn. I think the writing is so much nicer and overall it is a better book. But A Study in Drowning is still good.
Divine Rivals is delightful! Automatically added its sequel to my Christmas gift idea list. If you are getting into Romantasy I recommend Deborah Harkness's All Souls trilogy. The Night Circus is one of my favorites. I have heard that Erin Morgenstern is generally an atmosphere author, not a plot driven author and that is continued with Starless Sea (from what I hear). I enjoy that style, but understand it isn't for everyone.
I love Emily Dickinson. I have another poetry recommendation for you: Barbara Howes. She's from the same area as Emily Dickinson, and lived 1914-1996. I discovered her when I treated myself to a first edition of my favourite book of all time, The Waves by Virginia Woolf, something I had wanted for over 20 years. When I was searching online through the available copies, the one I ended up purchasing had belonged to the poet Barbara Howes, and she had written her name on the inside front end papers. I looked her up and immediately fell in love with her poetry, and ended up ordering all volumes of her work and reading them all. She quickly became one of my favourite poets. So it's special that I have her own personal copy of The Waves, and I have to wonder if it was her favourite book too?
Love this story!
@@mcr4986 Thanks! So do I! :)
Great list! I can totally imagine you loving Strange the Dreamer. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
❤📚📚❤️ Strange the Dreamer is one of my top rated books this year. I loved it!
Just discovered your channel, and I'm putting Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens on my TBR!
I here you about book covers in Australia. We get ripped off all ways see the nice ones for UK or the USA which you can never get in Australia :(
Yōko Tawada sounds interesting ill add her to my to read list
It took me soooo long to get through The Remains of the Day. I didn't know if it was my headspace at the time or the translation I read or the book was just slow in general. I was so ready to be done with it while I was reading it, but after I was done, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Everything started hitting me and I ended up appreciating the entire journey and loving the book. So, I am really curious what you'll think of it.
a study in drowning is also n my tbr!
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a great book to read if you're feeling sick. It's a 7 year old's comprehension level, which is great if you have brain fog. And it really reminded me of Finding Dory the movie :)
Since you mentioned liking the ocean I would highly recommend ’In Ascension’ by Martin Macinnes! It’s a beautiful sci-if story that follows a female marine biologist who studies ancient organisms and makes a discovery that may contain clues about the beginnings of life on Earth ✨
Christy, I would looove to see suggestions of Christmassy books and things to do from someone who also experiences the season in boiling hot summer! Brazilian here! 🙋🏻♀️🇧🇷
The Will of the Many is one of the best epic fantasy books that I have read. Highly recommend!
also yeah you're gonna love strange the dreamer, have fun!
If you love Pirates I highly recommend Nightweaver by RM Gray!
Never let me go, one of my favourites as well 😂 amazing book!
I might need to just try and read Laini Taylor again, because I tried Daughter of Smoke and Bone and really didn't like it, and The Book that Wouldn't Burn looks really good and even sounds perfect for me
Hi! I don't know if you've read it already, but I'm reading Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (she's Australian).. So far the book is very good, and it's set in a possible close future where a lot of spieces have disappeared, it's mainly set in a fishing boat and the main character is a woman👌👌
These were great books! Thank you for sharing! ❤
Can we all agree Sunday has become the best day (Monday or Saturday depending on where you are) because of Christy???
If you didn't like Klara and the Sun as much as his other stuff, then I need to read more! I loved Klara and the Sun so much.
A recommendation for speculative fiction in translation: The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, edited by Yu Chen and Regina Kanyu Wang. It's "a collection of Chinese Science Fiction and Fantasy in translation from a visionary team of female and nonbinary creators." It was a very cool and unique collection!
I have the same edition of 1Q84! It’s a wonderful book (as far as I can remember) but a word of warming that as I was reading that edition pages just started falling out of the binding :/ Not sure if it was just my copy but thought I’d mention it just in case :)
I would highly recommend Beautiful Star by Yukio Mishima which is about a family in Japan who realise they are all aliens sent to earth to stop war amongst humans. I’ve not finished it yet, but the prose is gorgeous and very speculative.
I got recently more into Japanese literature, so I will definitely pick up the emissary this week
I feel you about the Aussie book covers 😭😭 why do we suffer so much !?
I am currently reading Remains of the Day, since ist was a christmaspresent and I worry that if I dont finish it soon, my partner stops gifting me beautiful clothbound editions 😅
My own list just got a bit longer after watching his video!! If you don't mind me asking, what will you be getting up to in LA?
As someone who is also very picky about my book covers, how do you find other country's book covers without paying an arm and a leg? Thanks! Loved this video. Feel better. :)
I used to use Book Depository to get the British covers, but now that option is gone ☹️ There's no way to get US covers here, so I guess I'm now stuck with Australian covers unless i actually travel overseas and buy books there.
Thank you so much 😊 Take care 💛
hello Christy!! so, i really love your videos, you have now become my favorite booktober ❤❤❤ so, i wanted to know if you have already read The Last Smile in Sunder City, by Luke Arnold (Australian author!!) thank you for your content again. you are soo inspiring
You added more books to my TBR list!
Good luck with your reading wishing you all the best of luck and success with your reading and I agree with you on Aussie covers prayers and blessings for you and your boyfriend and your families love your Geelong family friend John ❤❤❤also please enjoy America as I will never get there due to my health issues ❤❤❤
Some other cover versions that deserve jail time:
- A certain hunger (the pineapple one)
- Our wives under the sea (just because it pales in comparison to the UK version)
- A tale for the time being (another Ruth Ozeki. There is a version where the title is LiTeRaLlY dOnE lIkE tHiS)
fellow aussie, i feel your pain on the bad covers front
Welcome to LA! You sound awesome 😉
Just started 1Q84!
South Africa also gets so questionable covers compared to some other countries 😅
Bookworm 😊
The Remnants of the Day is a great book
Good morning
From Washington, USA: Puget Sound sounds like Pew, like Pepe La Pew. Pew Jet Sound= Puget Sound :)
What is the name of the song used in your outro.
I don't actually know :( it's from epidemic sound and I edited it a few years ago, so the file I use doesn't have the original name!
@@christy-anne-jones 😣 i really like that song. I wanted to listen the full version of it. I have made a playlist of all the songs you use in your videos. I listen to this playlist when I feel down. Your choice of songs is uplifting!
@ajk8653 that's so nice 😭😭😭 I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful 💛
@@christy-anne-jones no problem🤗
keep creating uplifting content
Enjoy the US! We pronounce “Puget Sound” as “Pewjit Sound”.
love from malaysia ❤
If you need any more motivation to read The Starless Sea all I will say it feels like a love letter to literature and books
Be warned- LA and New York are super populated and thus they have ROUGH homeless problems and cleanliness problems, and they're expensive, and cities have people with shorter tempers because it can be draining to live with all the constant chaos. LA and NY are probably the very worst cities when it comes to these issues... Homeless or solicitors WILL talk to you or even be rude to you, just be distantly polite and do NOT try to carry a conversation, as rude as that sounds it's necessary because things can go south fast trust me. I mean trust your gut because not everyone is out to get you, but stranger danger is real and no matter how you act they still may get mad at you for no reason. I love America, it's a big place, but cities are so rough sometimes so I worry for visitors coming for the first time..
nice video
Hello there hey
Cool ❤