So glad you're enjoying Warm Hands of Ghosts so far! I loved all the things you mentioned about the reality of war it portrayed while also not being a traumatizing read. And so cool that you're getting built-in bookshelves!! That will be so cool.
Okay but seeing you get so excited over those special editions was exactly the dopamine boost I didn't know I needed today hahah. SO happy for you!! And love to hear that Warm Hands of Ghosts is working so well, I was also pleasantly surprised by it, and the spooky speculative elements had me completely entranced 🤩
I'm definitely not a romance reader at all, so my suggestion can absolutely be taken with grains of salt, but one of the few series I've read and really enjoyed is Ashley Herring Blake's Bright Falls series. And she has a new Christmas romance out, if you're specifically looking for a seasonal choice.b Otherwise, I've heard a lot of positive things about Talia Hibbert's books, but I don't know what you have and haven't read in that genre, because I'm mainly watching for SFF stuff 😂
Let me know which WWI books you've read so I can potentially recommend more 👀 Ironically I haven't read Katherine Arden's other books so I went into Warm Hands of Ghosts just excited for the WWI of it all and I was so pleased. You're totally right in saying that it captures the horrors of war so well and Freddie's POV!! I didn't know we'd be getting it and when the audiobook narrator switched (and to one of the narrators I really enjoy on top of that) I was so pleased. I'll have to watch more to see your finished thoughts but I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it this far and it got you thinking about everything around WWI because truly. It's so interesting. Also interested to hear your thoughts on Gladiator 2 tbh! I thought it was visually great but the plot was a bit messy lol.
I tried to read Lovelight Farms, recommended by Bookish Bethany. I DNFed it maybe a quarter of the way in; the author has done something strange with the tenses, over-using the present tense, which I found quite uncomfortable. I don't have any romance books to suggest at the moment, but you could just go with Bujold's KOMARR; Miles meets his lady. Happy reading, Kay
For seasonal contemporary romance I absolutely loved Make you mine this Christmas by Lizzie Huxley-Jones, it’s sapphic, she’s fake dating the guy for the holidays but then falls for his sister. Autism rep, disability rep, fat rep. I’d say more lighthearted than an Abby Jimenez but you might still enjoy it?
👻I already wanted to read The Warm Hands of Ghosts, but the way you were talking about it in the video made me even more interested! I appreciate stories that explore what war is actually like, especially in ones that actually happened. I also love Steris as a character; I'm autistic, so getting to read a fantasy series with an autistic woman in it was pretty cool! I also love those special editions and I'm glad the Broken Earth trilogy finally got some. Hope you have a good Thanksgiving break!
A couple seasonal contemporary romance recommendations for you: Amor Actually is a romance anthology where every short story/novella is interconnected and plays off the tropes in Love Actually - so good! I also loved It’s A Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer last year, which is a sapphic modern retelling of It’s A Wonderful Life. Glad to hear you are appreciating The Warm Hands of Ghosts. You summarized my exact feelings very well!
I have read Amor Actually! I liked it but I do think it showed me that I might be a harder sell on short story/novellas for romance. I will check the other one out though
Hehe, yay for a fellow December baby 😁 I don't have a contemporary romance to suggest, since I have not been having much luck with romance (contemporary or otherwise) for the last few years 🥲(with the exception of Funny Story, which I really loved), but I hope you find a good one and continue enjoying your reading next week! 😊 Wait no, I just remembered, I read Ruined by Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Winifred Searle and Niki Smith twice this year and loved it. It's a lovely Regency romance (so, not contemporary, but Regency romance feels like a winter read to me) comic with the trope of arranged marriage where the FMC has "lost her virtue" before marriage with some random guy so now she has to marry MMC, who wants her money, to "preserve her honor". The diversity, especially of different body shapes, in it is chef's kiss ✨
🤶 🎄🎅Maybe try Catherine Walsh „Holiday Romance“ and „Snowed in“. I enjoyed them last year and might reread this year. just some fun and doesn’t blindside you with dark themes but is still not complete fluff. And it’s vastly underhyped imho especially since the writing quality is so much better than some of the hyped seasonal romances.
For contemporary romance, I just read The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston and omg it was amazing. Right up there with just for the summer for me this year. Little bit of a magical realism time travel element but seriously so good
Ugh, you're making me want to pick up Warm Hands of Ghosts and give it another try! Ugh, those editions of the Broken Earth trilogy are amazing! Ugh, 👻!
👻👻👻I haven't read anything by Katherine Arden, but I''m curious to check out her adult works. That special edition of The Broken Earth trilogy looks amazing!
👻 I picked up the “Terra Ignota” quadrilogy via Matt on Books on BookTube originally, but you have certainly kept waving the baton that’s nudging me to read it! Really chomping to try it for myself… just a few prior commitments running ahead of things, however 🫣
So glad you're enjoying Warm Hands of Ghosts so far! I loved all the things you mentioned about the reality of war it portrayed while also not being a traumatizing read. And so cool that you're getting built-in bookshelves!! That will be so cool.
👻 Warm hands of ghosts sounds good, might try to track it down at the library. And those special editions are beautiful 🤩
How exciting about your library! I know it will be amazing once it’s finished.
Okay but seeing you get so excited over those special editions was exactly the dopamine boost I didn't know I needed today hahah. SO happy for you!! And love to hear that Warm Hands of Ghosts is working so well, I was also pleasantly surprised by it, and the spooky speculative elements had me completely entranced 🤩
I'm definitely not a romance reader at all, so my suggestion can absolutely be taken with grains of salt, but one of the few series I've read and really enjoyed is Ashley Herring Blake's Bright Falls series. And she has a new Christmas romance out, if you're specifically looking for a seasonal choice.b Otherwise, I've heard a lot of positive things about Talia Hibbert's books, but I don't know what you have and haven't read in that genre, because I'm mainly watching for SFF stuff 😂
I enjoyed Warm Hands of👻s - looking forward to hearing your final thoughts about it!
Yay for you finishing all the series!! And oooh all the pretty book babies!!
Let me know which WWI books you've read so I can potentially recommend more 👀
Ironically I haven't read Katherine Arden's other books so I went into Warm Hands of Ghosts just excited for the WWI of it all and I was so pleased. You're totally right in saying that it captures the horrors of war so well and Freddie's POV!! I didn't know we'd be getting it and when the audiobook narrator switched (and to one of the narrators I really enjoy on top of that) I was so pleased. I'll have to watch more to see your finished thoughts but I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it this far and it got you thinking about everything around WWI because truly. It's so interesting.
Also interested to hear your thoughts on Gladiator 2 tbh! I thought it was visually great but the plot was a bit messy lol.
I was looking forward to hearing your thoughts of Warm Hands of Ghosts. I'll be watching out for the review! 👻
I tried to read Lovelight Farms, recommended by Bookish Bethany. I DNFed it maybe a quarter of the way in; the author has done something strange with the tenses, over-using the present tense, which I found quite uncomfortable. I don't have any romance books to suggest at the moment, but you could just go with Bujold's KOMARR; Miles meets his lady.
Happy reading,
Kay
For seasonal contemporary romance I absolutely loved Make you mine this Christmas by Lizzie Huxley-Jones, it’s sapphic, she’s fake dating the guy for the holidays but then falls for his sister. Autism rep, disability rep, fat rep. I’d say more lighthearted than an Abby Jimenez but you might still enjoy it?
Thank you for sharing some great and inspiring books 📚
the broken earth trilogy special editions are so gorgeous!! 😍👻
Beautiful Broken Earth set! Happy for you ❣️
And New Library on the horizon!! 🎉🎉
Thanks 💜
I'm reading Warm Hand of Ghosts now and loving it. 👻
👻I already wanted to read The Warm Hands of Ghosts, but the way you were talking about it in the video made me even more interested! I appreciate stories that explore what war is actually like, especially in ones that actually happened. I also love Steris as a character; I'm autistic, so getting to read a fantasy series with an autistic woman in it was pretty cool! I also love those special editions and I'm glad the Broken Earth trilogy finally got some. Hope you have a good Thanksgiving break!
A couple seasonal contemporary romance recommendations for you: Amor Actually is a romance anthology where every short story/novella is interconnected and plays off the tropes in Love Actually - so good! I also loved It’s A Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer last year, which is a sapphic modern retelling of It’s A Wonderful Life. Glad to hear you are appreciating The Warm Hands of Ghosts. You summarized my exact feelings very well!
I have read Amor Actually! I liked it but I do think it showed me that I might be a harder sell on short story/novellas for romance. I will check the other one out though
That makes sense! I think sometimes romance novellas can feel very rushed. Hope you enjoy whatever you end up picking up 😊
Hehe, yay for a fellow December baby 😁 I don't have a contemporary romance to suggest, since I have not been having much luck with romance (contemporary or otherwise) for the last few years 🥲(with the exception of Funny Story, which I really loved), but I hope you find a good one and continue enjoying your reading next week! 😊
Wait no, I just remembered, I read Ruined by Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Winifred Searle and Niki Smith twice this year and loved it. It's a lovely Regency romance (so, not contemporary, but Regency romance feels like a winter read to me) comic with the trope of arranged marriage where the FMC has "lost her virtue" before marriage with some random guy so now she has to marry MMC, who wants her money, to "preserve her honor". The diversity, especially of different body shapes, in it is chef's kiss ✨
Maple bookshelves 😍🤤
🤶 🎄🎅Maybe try Catherine Walsh „Holiday Romance“ and „Snowed in“. I enjoyed them last year and might reread this year. just some fun and doesn’t blindside you with dark themes but is still not complete fluff. And it’s vastly underhyped imho especially since the writing quality is so much better than some of the hyped seasonal romances.
For contemporary romance, I just read The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston and omg it was amazing. Right up there with just for the summer for me this year. Little bit of a magical realism time travel element but seriously so good
Good to know!! Will look and see its availability now
Ugh, you're making me want to pick up Warm Hands of Ghosts and give it another try! Ugh, those editions of the Broken Earth trilogy are amazing! Ugh, 👻!
I cannot tell if this video has been good or bad for you 🤣😅
@ Why not both?!
@ 😂😂
👻👻👻I haven't read anything by Katherine Arden, but I''m curious to check out her adult works. That special edition of The Broken Earth trilogy looks amazing!
👻. Congrats on your special edition-especially the Broken Earth trilogy-beautiful set.(which Conpany?)
It was actually the main publisher Hatchet/Orbit and it was only $50 per book, which for special editions feels like a steal
I'm reading Lotus Empire right now and I am feeling some slight disappointment coming on... !
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👻 I picked up the “Terra Ignota” quadrilogy via Matt on Books on BookTube originally, but you have certainly kept waving the baton that’s nudging me to read it! Really chomping to try it for myself… just a few prior commitments running ahead of things, however 🫣
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