“This gentle journey forged by friendship comforted corners of my being that I didn’t realise were hurting. All three soothed sections of my soul that yearned for softness.” Ally spitting straight bars out here
Quotes that I need to learn by heart : - " Favorite book isn't a book that's well written or a book that has a good plot or characters or themes or whatever. It is a book that hits you in a very specific place due to very specific circumstances that have unfolded in you very specific life. " - " Our taste is so strangely specific we're not going to pretend that any of these books are without false. That's the thing about a favorite book. The good is just that good that all the flaws seem to be galloping off into the sunset. Nowhere to be found. "
i've been here for a couple years now, and the fact that all of these i've either read or already have on my tbr is a testament to how thoroughly influenced i am by you!
Normalize enjoying children's books as adults. I'm still a fetus adult (22) but an adult nonetheless, and one of my top 10 favorite books was a book I read to my 6yo sister this summer. And what about it!
I've loved The Perks ever since my two best friends and I watched the movie when we were in our 2013-tumblr-soft-grunge-phase. It still reminds me of that time and how unapologetically ourselves we were, just that feeling of being a teenage girl. Judged and ridiculed for who we were but still somehow free and content.. A book that tug similarly on my heartstrings is The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, also about friendship and being different. I always recommend these two to anyone
Me too. That book was the first English literature I read as we, at secondary school, were free to pick whichever book for our English course. In primary school, I only read in Dutch, but Perks awakened this love for English literature in me. Haven't read Dutch literature since I was 18 and I'm 28 now😂
I started watching your videos a couple months ago and it has been so comforting while I face my clinical year of veterinary school. Thank you so much. My favorite books will always be the Percy Jackson series. I read them in middle school and they transported me to a different world. Whenever I feel down I can pick one of them up and I'm a little kid again. I still pick up his newest book every year to have a little of that nostalgia. For my recommendation, I recently read The Color Purple for a reading challenge and didn't realize how good it was! It tackles a lot of themes like slavery, sexual assault, queer identities, misogyny, and racism following the emancipation. It should definitely required reading for everyone. It's kinda technically a classic, but I promise it doesn't read like one. The book is written as a compilation of letters and there's lots of space on the pages so it's pretty quick to get through too.
It's been over two years?? Oh my goodness I remember when that came out. Thank you for being here for so long. This might be cheesy, but your definition of favourite (changes you, makes you feel understood, comforts you in areas that you didn't even realise needed comforting) you're definitely one of my favourite RUclipsrs/ people out there. Keep slaying✨
I love the happy sunshine and rainbow above your chair, too cute. I loved Tommorrow3 so much! Added Braiding Sweetgrass to my tbr. I loved the Monk & Robot duology too, it's amazing!
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is undeniably one of the best books I've ever read. I read it in July and haven't been the same ever since. It's so intricate and comforting and goddamn sad, yet so beautiful. That being said, my fave books of all time are: 1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi 2. Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb 3. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 4. A Broken People's Playlist by Chimeka Garricks
I *so* needed to see your lovely face and bask in the comfy vibes of your sweet, cozy corner of the internet. Thank you, thank you! Also ... it's wonderful to see you leaning into self-care by allowing yourself time between uploads. ❤
I bought (and loved) so many books because of you! I love your taste in books! If you ever feel like reading spooky short stories, I would love to see what you think of the "cold, thin air" books by C K Walker. She's has written for The haunting of hill house and The haunting of Bly Manor also. I'm rereading her books and especially volume 2 and 3 are just so good imo
My top two forever favorites are Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, and The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Two books that feel like coming home every time I read them.
You are a good example for all of us watching on what it means to TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND REST when we need it instead of pushing pushing till exhaustion! Thank you so very much! You’re the reason I MAKE time for myself now no matter how busy my week is. And it helps more than I ever imagined! I swear I get more accomplished now! 😆 ❤
very relatable for one stage of favorites to be all about trauma or tough topics and then a later stage of favorites to be more about the softer cozier healing part of the journey 💙 loved the last favorites video, and loved this one too!
I FULLY recommend the Moomin novels by Tove Janson. However, my absolute favorite of these books is the final one, and the outlier: Moomin Valley in November. It’s a cozy fall book that explores loneliness and belonging and it does not feel like the other novels at all. In fact, when Tove wrote it, her Swedish fans were shocked by how dark and deep the final book in the Moomin series was. But I love it for that. Another cozy book I love is Claudine At School by Collette. It’s a book about a teenage girl who is discovering herself and it has lots of her asking adults serious, philosophical questions about life and then running around in the woods. I love it, and I don’t see very many people talking about this book. Oh, also it’s queer as hell. The final book recommendation I have is Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link. It’s a collection of magical short stories that also feel very realistic and relevant in our world. Every story feels like a tiny treasure that you found when digging through a huge chest in your grandmother’s dusty attic.
i wanted to thank you so much for creating a comforting atmosphere, i've been binge watching your videos and i love how you celebrate small things and the representation of your chronic illness helped me feel okay about mine. i've also realised we have similar book taste which is wonderful. have a lovely week ahead xx
Yayyy sunday videooooo ❤A Little Life - the HP series - the Dune series - Wild by Cheryl Strayed - The Glass Castle - Three Weeks with my Brother - Untamed - 100 years of solitude - the House of the Spirits Trilogy by Isabel Allende - Paula Isabel Allende!
My list of top-tier favourites: Bug Boys, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, The Magic Fish, I'm Glad My Mom Died, The Charm Offensive, Daughters of the Deer, Snapdragon, Nevermoor, Heartstopper, Exciting Times, Know My Name, This is How You Lose the Time War, Coraline, Little Fires Everywhere, In the Dream House, Bunny, My Dark Vanessa, Beartown, The Tea Dragons Society, and Red, White and Royal Blue!
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang and The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey are in my summoning circle, I love the magical character studies in them both so much ❤
I love the music you always put in the background of your videos. ❤️ thanks for all the hard work you put in editing and finding audio and just being you!
I read Elena Knows this year and it has sky rocketed to the top of my favorites. Translated fiction by Claudio Piniero. Short but has layers upon layers. Elena lives in Argentina and embarks on a day long journey to find out what really happened to her daughter who was found dead in a church. This trip is even more complicated by Elena’s progressive Parkinson’s and the pills she needs to take to allow her body to physically move. It tackles so much more in so few pages and I highly highly recommend.
I really think you would love the girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making by Catherynne Valente. It's all the cozy vibes , friendships, wonderful characters and lovely illustrations you could ever want. I'm getting my own tattoo from one❤
ally i truly love and appreciate this channel so much!! this is sappy but really your videos never fail to make my day brighter, and i love how much our reading tastes align :) so glad to hear you’re taking breaks and caring for yourself 🩷🩷
I've really been getting into romance books in the past year or so, since I find it very comforting to know going into the book that there will be a happy ending. The ones that I've liked the most are the ones where the romance is almost secondary to the main focus of the book. Some of my faves have been "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" by Talia Hibbert which talks a lot about the main character dealing with chronic pain (Hibbert's whole Brown Sisters series is great), "Happy Place" by Emily Henry which is mostly about friendship and how friendships change in your 20s, and "The Christmas Wish" by Lindsey Kelk where I almost didn't even care about the romance since the whole point was the main character learning to understand herself and connect with her family and how everyone has their own lives and struggles going on. They all have their cheesy moments but they're all cozy while also having substance!
I might need to look into " The Christmas Wish" now... the other two I read and really like too. Lately I´ve been really hoping for a "romance" tip of book but it's about a friendship. Still with the same themes of meeting each other, being intrigued, getting closer emotionally but also physically (I think the first time we really hug or start to feel physically close and comfortable in relationships is important and special not just with romantic or sexual relationships...), having a problem fight to overcome and be open and honest about what you feel and want from the other person/ relationship etc. So if anyone has recommendations for me in this direction, I would really appreciate it :)
@@mariemuller8447 ooo that's a really interesting idea! Yeah I can't think of any books off the top of my head like that, but would also be interested in suggestions!
I've just recently read both Gingerbread and Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi and if you like weird books that will answer exactly none of your questions with magical realism that borders on surreal fairy tale vibes, I can't recommend those books enough. They were cozy and interesting and whimsical and I normally hate being left in the dark but these did it so well that I thoroughly enjoyed them both and felt satisfied when they were finished. Gingerbread is my favourite of the two! Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro made it's way into my absolute favourite books of all time this year. I got goosebumps finishing the read, it was just such an interesting look at humanity and what it means to be human in a simple but intriguing way. Oyasumi Punpun by Inio Asano is probably my favourite book/manga of all time. I read it when I was pretty young and in a really vulnerable state - the first couple of volumes nailing the feeling of going through childhood and preteen life in a broken home paired with the constant feeling of being "other" from your peers with how punpun and his family are visually represented (you could take it literally.... I chose not to) just really.. I don't know. It spoke to the sad, weird kid that I was. I have a hard time rereading it because it's just so f'ing sad, dark and occasionally extremely problematic in a way that sets off alarm bells in my head now.
Some of my more recent favourites are crooked plow by itamar vieira jr, elena knows by claudia pineiro, opposite of a person by lieke marsman and for dutch speaking readers I hiighly recommend half leven by aya sabi!
I know I commented a little while ago but I got to the Mary Oliver section and I couldn't agree more! I have the line "let the soft animal of your body love what it loves" tattooed on my body, and I also get excited when I see ducks. Oliver and her poems have such a special place in my heart
Close to my heart forever and ever are these 3 : Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Momo by Michael Ende and The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa.
I need you to know that I just (finally) read Lonely Castle in the Mirror because of your recommendation and it meant just as much to me. It’s such a special book!!! I read Convenience Store Woman because of you last year and it’s also a favorite now. So, basically I need to read all of your faves. Have you read the Wayward Children series? I really think you’d love it!
i really respect your reading taste. i’ve always enjoyed books that ‘devastated’ me, but lately i’ve been trying to figure out what it means that i seek spectacle in the pain of fiction… what am i inviting into my life?!? thank you for sharing your thoughts :)) so meditative and lovely
I’m a new subscriber and have been bingeing your videos for the last few months. I recently read A Psalm for the Wild Built on your recommendation and fell in love with it, and I just started both Braiding Sweetgrass and Lonely Castle in the Mirror. My all time favourite book is one I read for the first time at age 11 so I love that you have children’s books on this list (it’s called the phantom tollbooth by Norton Juster). Thanks for making such cozy and joyful videos :)
You should most definitely read the singing hills cycle by Nghi Vo it’s a cosy fantasy story telling novella series there are 4 of them out but I’m not sure as to how many there will be. I’m not sure if you’ve read these already but they seem to be your vibe. Also glad to see that you’re doing well and you’ve inspired me to take up learning German again
I don't know if you've read Snapdragon by Kat Leyh but it's one of my favorite graphic novels ever! So soft and warm while being slightly creepy and very queer. The Check, Please! graphic novel duology is also soooo good, very funny but also heartfelt and full of wonderful friendships. So glad to have a cozy Ally video this Sunday but also very glad you're taking more time for yourself!!
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith is my favorite book of all time. It's very sweet and charming with a slow paced plot. It is also set in the early to mid 20th century which is a plus for me. I can't actually remember too many specifics because it's been a few years since I read it but I'm confident it will still hold up when I reread it
Such a wonderful book! I've been searching for books in a similar vein for ages and the closest I have come is "Anne of Green Gables", have you found anything similar?
@@wandering0wonderland I've been trying to think of a recommendation ever since you commented but, like you, the closest thing I've found has been Anne of Green Gables. The only other book I can think of would be Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. It obviously is quite different, due to it being fantasy, but it does have some similar vibes. Fifteen by Beverly Cleary may also be a bit similar from what I've heard, but I've never read it myself. I'm now currently rereading I Capture the Castle, so I'm about to find out whether it really is as good as I remember it being
It's fun seeing books that I had read before finding your channel (a monster calls, tea dragon, monk and robot), as well as books that have made their way onto my tbr list (watch over me, I who have never known men) and some of the ones that have been sitting on my tbr for ages but are getting metaphorically pushed to the top from your videos (braiding sweetgrass and the anthropocene reviewed)
i'm so happy you're back and i hope you had a good rest and were able to recharge your spoons :) cannot wait for the video, i was looking forward to it all week ^^
the Monk and the Robot dualogy and The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating sit in my favorites bookshelf because of you💕 My top three of all time are 3. Love by Hanne Orstavik 2. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (i'm currently rereading and have the sequel waiting for me when i finish) 1. The Humans by Matt Haig
Have you read Anne of Green Gables? I picked it up for the first time recently, and it was super cozy and had beautiful descriptions of nature. I feel like you might enjoy it 💖
I’m new to your channel but I loved this video. I have been in a super cozy reading mood this year and some of my favorites are Silver in the Wood and Drowned Country, Garlic & the Vampire, the Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert, Mooncakes, Legends & Lattes and all of Tamora Pierce’s books. Thanks for this cozy video and lovely recommendations!
So MANY amazing books on this list! The Anthropocene Reviewed and the Sound of a Wild Snail Eating are my go-to ‘beg everyone I know to read them’ books. Lol I made a “summoning” video to read some of your favorites, if I had known circling up these 15 would do it, it would have saved some time for sure. I used a tofu press… 😂😂👍
So happy to see you again! Hope you are doing better and taking care of yourself. Question: have you read The Overstory by Richard Powers? I feel like you would really enjoy it, it's all about trees lol but it's beautiful! Though quick warning I did struggle with it at points but it always makes you want to come back to it because of how great the writing is
i think you could really enjoy john steinbeck's novellas! specifically cannery row, it's quite the just vibes and coziness in a small town and getting to know the people there and what they care about. i also recommend travels with charlie with is a fictionalized memior of him traveling with his dog around the us and talking to folks.
Out of all the booktubers I watch, I find myself relating to you the most. I find our tastes in books similar as well. And I love how diverse your interests in books are
I don't know how good your dutch is yet, but I started 'uit het leven van een hond' by Sander Kollaart yersterday and until now it's really great. I think you might like it.
well, time to expand my tbr (tho some of these books are already on there cuz i’ve been watching you for long enough ) 😹 i read the “monk & robot” duology this week and it was added to my all time favorites right away, so thankful to you for talking about these books and bringing my attention to them ❣️ your recs never fail me!
I recently read a Psalm for the Wild-Built on your rec and i didn't love it as much as you do but i am so glad to have picked it up ❤ thanks for being here, Alli!
Wow I knew I could trust your opinion the second you said Coraline, braiding sweetgrass, and the monk and the robot duology. I've been working on this list of yours for the past couple weeks, and I've truly been so impressed. Just found your account last month and I'm happy to be here! Thank you for all that you do!
I am so excited for this video! I wasn't around for the last one and I was wondering if you'd make an updated faves list 🥰 Also while I'm here - I'm so glad you are prioritising your health and reducing uploads, and I'd like to ask what everyone's favourite other cosy reading vlog type RUclipsrs are so I can fill the gap a little better?
I've read and loved most of what was on your favorite book list! I would add Legends and Lattes, Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and Before the Coffee Gets Cold (the whole series of books). Happy reading :)
The City of Dreaming Books! by Walter Moers. (Check out that American cover *chefs kiss*) Translated whimsical fantasy for kids of any age about a dinosaur who was given an unpublished manuscript, largely considered the best thing ever written, when his late uncle passes. Plot twist: the manuscript wasn't written by his uncle but by a struggling young author looking for advice on getting it published years ago. Now he is on a quest to the City of Dreaming Books to find the author of this incredible work or find out what befell him before the story could be released. It's an atmospheric book-lover, word-lover, feast for the soul with deeper themes of what it means to be an artist and to search for something else but find yourself... and it has pictures! We have such similar taste in books, I know it's a pretty good fit for what you look for. Love your videos
I love Walter Moers, too! The whole world of Zamonia is a wonderful romp. Have you read/did you like the other Zamonia books? Rumo was my favorite in high school 🩵
Glad you're back, hope you're doing well! I'm asking for a few of these for my bday, I'm definitely missing comforting reads on my tbr and i always need them towards the end of the year. For you, I'd recommend 'Reunion' by Fred Uhlman, it's sad but beautiful, pretty short and it's really stuck with me. Aside from that, 'If you look for me, i am not here' by Sarayu Srivatsa which is easily one of the most beautiful things i have EVER read - i recommend it all the time in the hopes of finding someone else to love it too!
Ally, I adored the monk and robot duology *so* much that I tattooed Mosscap on my body forever because they meant THAT much to me. Thanks for putting it on my radar 💖
Becky Chambers!!! Mary Oliver!! Braiding Sweetgrass!! So good and I love when other people appreciate these! Also I added so many of these to my TBR because of this video. I'd be curious if you'd like The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss. It's been a while since I read it, and maybe I like it so much partly because I had already read The Name of the Wind (and this novella focuses on one of the side characters), but I feel like it is a poetic celebration of mundanity and the no plot all vibes might jive with some of the other things you listed. :)
I know you have it on your TBR & I actually bought this book because of your beautiful covers video Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin was one of my FAVES from this year so far!!!!
I think you might enjoy A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings by Helen Jukes, it reminds me of The Sound of A Wild Snail Eating in some ways, and is just delightful (bonus points for the cover design being beautiful?). It's a memoir about growing older and struggling to find your place and purpose as you grow and change, and the value of learning to pay attention to the small things (i.e. deciding to spend a year as a beekeeper)
I just started watching you some weeks ago, and binged a lot of your videos and in just one week I feel so accompanied, and motivated. I appreciate you immensely and I'm glad you're back.
oooo I think my top 3 favourite books of all time have got to be, 3) A Bright Ray of Darkness - Ethan Hawke 2) The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson 1) Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson disgusted with myself that my top 3 are all men, even though I read way more female than male authors 😂
so many cool picks!!! a monster calls killed me. a psalm for the wild built ive seen everywhere. sci-fi steampunk fantasy giving me stardew valley vibes idk why!!!
Have you read Piranesi? Because it blew my tiny little mind and I feel like it's right up your alley!! So good to see you back! Hope you're doing well ❤
I totally agree, Anthropocene Reviewed did something to me. My favorite book of all time is The Starless Sea - stories and dreams for their own sake and without the burden of having to be reasonable or make sense to anyone.
We’re so happy to have you back, but even happier that you take breaks and take care of yourself. Your videos are always so comforting:))
“This gentle journey forged by friendship comforted corners of my being that I didn’t realise were hurting. All three soothed sections of my soul that yearned for softness.” Ally spitting straight bars out here
Quotes that I need to learn by heart :
- " Favorite book isn't a book that's well written or a book that has a good plot or characters or themes or whatever. It is a book that hits you in a very specific place due to very specific circumstances that have unfolded in you very specific life. "
- " Our taste is so strangely specific we're not going to pretend that any of these books are without false. That's the thing about a favorite book. The good is just that good that all the flaws seem to be galloping off into the sunset. Nowhere to be found. "
i've been here for a couple years now, and the fact that all of these i've either read or already have on my tbr is a testament to how thoroughly influenced i am by you!
Normalize enjoying children's books as adults. I'm still a fetus adult (22) but an adult nonetheless, and one of my top 10 favorite books was a book I read to my 6yo sister this summer. And what about it!
omg which book is that?
I’m 20 and I spend much time in the library in the kids section!!
@@allisonpaigesit's called Operation Sisterhood!!
God the Anthropocene Reviewed was so special to me too I love it forever!
My favorite book of all time will always be Perks of Being a Wallflower. Something about that book hits me everytime I think about it
I've loved The Perks ever since my two best friends and I watched the movie when we were in our 2013-tumblr-soft-grunge-phase. It still reminds me of that time and how unapologetically ourselves we were, just that feeling of being a teenage girl. Judged and ridiculed for who we were but still somehow free and content..
A book that tug similarly on my heartstrings is The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, also about friendship and being different. I always recommend these two to anyone
Me too. That book was the first English literature I read as we, at secondary school, were free to pick whichever book for our English course. In primary school, I only read in Dutch, but Perks awakened this love for English literature in me. Haven't read Dutch literature since I was 18 and I'm 28 now😂
I started watching your videos a couple months ago and it has been so comforting while I face my clinical year of veterinary school. Thank you so much. My favorite books will always be the Percy Jackson series. I read them in middle school and they transported me to a different world. Whenever I feel down I can pick one of them up and I'm a little kid again. I still pick up his newest book every year to have a little of that nostalgia. For my recommendation, I recently read The Color Purple for a reading challenge and didn't realize how good it was! It tackles a lot of themes like slavery, sexual assault, queer identities, misogyny, and racism following the emancipation. It should definitely required reading for everyone. It's kinda technically a classic, but I promise it doesn't read like one. The book is written as a compilation of letters and there's lots of space on the pages so it's pretty quick to get through too.
It's been over two years?? Oh my goodness I remember when that came out. Thank you for being here for so long. This might be cheesy, but your definition of favourite (changes you, makes you feel understood, comforts you in areas that you didn't even realise needed comforting) you're definitely one of my favourite RUclipsrs/ people out there. Keep slaying✨
I love the happy sunshine and rainbow above your chair, too cute. I loved Tommorrow3 so much! Added Braiding Sweetgrass to my tbr. I loved the Monk & Robot duology too, it's amazing!
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is undeniably one of the best books I've ever read. I read it in July and haven't been the same ever since. It's so intricate and comforting and goddamn sad, yet so beautiful. That being said, my fave books of all time are:
1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
2. Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb
3. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
4. A Broken People's Playlist by Chimeka Garricks
I *so* needed to see your lovely face and bask in the comfy vibes of your sweet, cozy corner of the internet.
Thank you, thank you!
Also ... it's wonderful to see you leaning into self-care by allowing yourself time between uploads. ❤
I’m almost finished with braiding sweetgrass and as a student working on an environmental science degree it’s easily going in my top 5 favorite books!
that "whut!! no it wasn't!!" was the cutest thing i've heard in a long while xD Also, those bangs and layers: chef's kiss 👌
the world is a lot brighter and comforting whenever you post a new video 😌🍵 loving the hairstyle!!!
We’re glad you rested, we’re glad you’re back, we’re just GLAD ❤
I bought (and loved) so many books because of you! I love your taste in books! If you ever feel like reading spooky short stories, I would love to see what you think of the "cold, thin air" books by C K Walker. She's has written for The haunting of hill house and The haunting of Bly Manor also. I'm rereading her books and especially volume 2 and 3 are just so good imo
My top two forever favorites are Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, and The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Two books that feel like coming home every time I read them.
The Scorpio Races!! I try and read it every November. It's absolutely one of my favourites too! Maggie Stiefvater is so talented
@@aanikar444 I try and reread it every November too!! I feel like it’s such an underrated book. It’s always nice to find someone else who loves it! 😊
You are a good example for all of us watching on what it means to TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND REST when we need it instead of pushing pushing till exhaustion! Thank you so very much! You’re the reason I MAKE time for myself now no matter how busy my week is. And it helps more than I ever imagined! I swear I get more accomplished now! 😆 ❤
rest is so productive!
Ok, I have bangs, layers, and I’m a librarian. Nailed it! 😂
very relatable for one stage of favorites to be all about trauma or tough topics and then a later stage of favorites to be more about the softer cozier healing part of the journey 💙 loved the last favorites video, and loved this one too!
I FULLY recommend the Moomin novels by Tove Janson. However, my absolute favorite of these books is the final one, and the outlier: Moomin Valley in November. It’s a cozy fall book that explores loneliness and belonging and it does not feel like the other novels at all. In fact, when Tove wrote it, her Swedish fans were shocked by how dark and deep the final book in the Moomin series was. But I love it for that.
Another cozy book I love is Claudine At School by Collette. It’s a book about a teenage girl who is discovering herself and it has lots of her asking adults serious, philosophical questions about life and then running around in the woods. I love it, and I don’t see very many people talking about this book. Oh, also it’s queer as hell.
The final book recommendation I have is Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link. It’s a collection of magical short stories that also feel very realistic and relevant in our world. Every story feels like a tiny treasure that you found when digging through a huge chest in your grandmother’s dusty attic.
i wanted to thank you so much for creating a comforting atmosphere, i've been binge watching your videos and i love how you celebrate small things and the representation of your chronic illness helped me feel okay about mine. i've also realised we have similar book taste which is wonderful. have a lovely week ahead xx
Kindred by Octavia Butler is an all-time favorite of mine. Love your videos!
Yayyy sunday videooooo ❤A Little Life - the HP series - the Dune series - Wild by Cheryl Strayed - The Glass Castle - Three Weeks with my Brother - Untamed - 100 years of solitude - the House of the Spirits Trilogy by Isabel Allende - Paula Isabel Allende!
Aw, I liked the floppy mic hat. It had character.
she was a lot of fun wasn't she - never forget
*immediately adds all the books to my tbr*
My list of top-tier favourites: Bug Boys, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, The Magic Fish, I'm Glad My Mom Died, The Charm Offensive, Daughters of the Deer, Snapdragon, Nevermoor, Heartstopper, Exciting Times, Know My Name, This is How You Lose the Time War, Coraline, Little Fires Everywhere, In the Dream House, Bunny, My Dark Vanessa, Beartown, The Tea Dragons Society, and Red, White and Royal Blue!
in the Dream house is soo good! I general carmen Maria machado has a really unique style, and it's just amazing.
A Psalm for the Wild Built is truly the best book I've ever read (from your recommendation :)) and I'm using it as inspo for my first tattoo
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang and The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey are in my summoning circle, I love the magical character studies in them both so much ❤
I love the music you always put in the background of your videos. ❤️ thanks for all the hard work you put in editing and finding audio and just being you!
I read Elena Knows this year and it has sky rocketed to the top of my favorites. Translated fiction by Claudio Piniero. Short but has layers upon layers. Elena lives in Argentina and embarks on a day long journey to find out what really happened to her daughter who was found dead in a church. This trip is even more complicated by Elena’s progressive Parkinson’s and the pills she needs to take to allow her body to physically move. It tackles so much more in so few pages and I highly highly recommend.
I really think you would love the girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making by Catherynne Valente. It's all the cozy vibes , friendships, wonderful characters and lovely illustrations you could ever want. I'm getting my own tattoo from one❤
ally i truly love and appreciate this channel so much!! this is sappy but really your videos never fail to make my day brighter, and i love how much our reading tastes align :) so glad to hear you’re taking breaks and caring for yourself 🩷🩷
I've really been getting into romance books in the past year or so, since I find it very comforting to know going into the book that there will be a happy ending. The ones that I've liked the most are the ones where the romance is almost secondary to the main focus of the book. Some of my faves have been "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" by Talia Hibbert which talks a lot about the main character dealing with chronic pain (Hibbert's whole Brown Sisters series is great), "Happy Place" by Emily Henry which is mostly about friendship and how friendships change in your 20s, and "The Christmas Wish" by Lindsey Kelk where I almost didn't even care about the romance since the whole point was the main character learning to understand herself and connect with her family and how everyone has their own lives and struggles going on. They all have their cheesy moments but they're all cozy while also having substance!
I might need to look into " The Christmas Wish" now... the other two I read and really like too. Lately I´ve been really hoping for a "romance" tip of book but it's about a friendship. Still with the same themes of meeting each other, being intrigued, getting closer emotionally but also physically (I think the first time we really hug or start to feel physically close and comfortable in relationships is important and special not just with romantic or sexual relationships...), having a problem fight to overcome and be open and honest about what you feel and want from the other person/ relationship etc.
So if anyone has recommendations for me in this direction, I would really appreciate it :)
I mean "romance" type of book 😅
@@mariemuller8447 ooo that's a really interesting idea! Yeah I can't think of any books off the top of my head like that, but would also be interested in suggestions!
I've just recently read both Gingerbread and Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi and if you like weird books that will answer exactly none of your questions with magical realism that borders on surreal fairy tale vibes, I can't recommend those books enough. They were cozy and interesting and whimsical and I normally hate being left in the dark but these did it so well that I thoroughly enjoyed them both and felt satisfied when they were finished. Gingerbread is my favourite of the two!
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro made it's way into my absolute favourite books of all time this year. I got goosebumps finishing the read, it was just such an interesting look at humanity and what it means to be human in a simple but intriguing way. Oyasumi Punpun by Inio Asano is probably my favourite book/manga of all time. I read it when I was pretty young and in a really vulnerable state - the first couple of volumes nailing the feeling of going through childhood and preteen life in a broken home paired with the constant feeling of being "other" from your peers with how punpun and his family are visually represented (you could take it literally.... I chose not to) just really.. I don't know. It spoke to the sad, weird kid that I was. I have a hard time rereading it because it's just so f'ing sad, dark and occasionally extremely problematic in a way that sets off alarm bells in my head now.
Some of my more recent favourites are crooked plow by itamar vieira jr, elena knows by claudia pineiro, opposite of a person by lieke marsman and for dutch speaking readers I hiighly recommend half leven by aya sabi!
Your videos bring me such joy. Your energy and vibe is wonderful! Thank you for all you do🤓
We're so happy to see you back and hopefully feeling better!! Your videos are always such a great comfort on Mondays
I know I commented a little while ago but I got to the Mary Oliver section and I couldn't agree more! I have the line "let the soft animal of your body love what it loves" tattooed on my body, and I also get excited when I see ducks. Oliver and her poems have such a special place in my heart
Close to my heart forever and ever are these 3 : Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Momo by Michael Ende and The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa.
I need you to know that I just (finally) read Lonely Castle in the Mirror because of your recommendation and it meant just as much to me. It’s such a special book!!! I read Convenience Store Woman because of you last year and it’s also a favorite now. So, basically I need to read all of your faves.
Have you read the Wayward Children series? I really think you’d love it!
i really respect your reading taste. i’ve always enjoyed books that ‘devastated’ me, but lately i’ve been trying to figure out what it means that i seek spectacle in the pain of fiction… what am i inviting into my life?!? thank you for sharing your thoughts :)) so meditative and lovely
I’m a new subscriber and have been bingeing your videos for the last few months. I recently read A Psalm for the Wild Built on your recommendation and fell in love with it, and I just started both Braiding Sweetgrass and Lonely Castle in the Mirror. My all time favourite book is one I read for the first time at age 11 so I love that you have children’s books on this list (it’s called the phantom tollbooth by Norton Juster). Thanks for making such cozy and joyful videos :)
so happy to have another video to watch BUT EVEN HAPPIER THAT YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF!!!! ❤❤❤❤
Welcome back you have brightened my evening take care and see you soon ❤
You’ve been missed for sure, so happy you’re back! Also your hair looks so nice!! 🪻🌻✨💜
This was much needed! I had a rough night and to wake up to a new video from you as a new viewer was so special and wonderful!
You should most definitely read the singing hills cycle by Nghi Vo it’s a cosy fantasy story telling novella series there are 4 of them out but I’m not sure as to how many there will be. I’m not sure if you’ve read these already but they seem to be your vibe. Also glad to see that you’re doing well and you’ve inspired me to take up learning German again
I don't know if you've read Snapdragon by Kat Leyh but it's one of my favorite graphic novels ever! So soft and warm while being slightly creepy and very queer. The Check, Please! graphic novel duology is also soooo good, very funny but also heartfelt and full of wonderful friendships.
So glad to have a cozy Ally video this Sunday but also very glad you're taking more time for yourself!!
i second check, please! truly so fun and sweet
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith is my favorite book of all time. It's very sweet and charming with a slow paced plot. It is also set in the early to mid 20th century which is a plus for me. I can't actually remember too many specifics because it's been a few years since I read it but I'm confident it will still hold up when I reread it
Such a wonderful book! I've been searching for books in a similar vein for ages and the closest I have come is "Anne of Green Gables", have you found anything similar?
@@wandering0wonderland I've been trying to think of a recommendation ever since you commented but, like you, the closest thing I've found has been Anne of Green Gables. The only other book I can think of would be Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. It obviously is quite different, due to it being fantasy, but it does have some similar vibes. Fifteen by Beverly Cleary may also be a bit similar from what I've heard, but I've never read it myself. I'm now currently rereading I Capture the Castle, so I'm about to find out whether it really is as good as I remember it being
@@hannahgriffith8530 aw thank you so much for the recommendations. I hope you have a lovely time re-reading it ✨
So exciting to see you back in my subscription box! I hope you're doing okay and your bangs look adorable!
It's fun seeing books that I had read before finding your channel (a monster calls, tea dragon, monk and robot), as well as books that have made their way onto my tbr list (watch over me, I who have never known men) and some of the ones that have been sitting on my tbr for ages but are getting metaphorically pushed to the top from your videos (braiding sweetgrass and the anthropocene reviewed)
I'm normally as silent watcher but...Ahhhhhh so glad you're back.❤❤❤ and so glad you're putting your health first. You deserve the best ally.
I’d recommend
- we all want impossible things
- Mala’s cat: a memoir of survival on world war 2
- a magic steeped in poison
i'm so happy you're back and i hope you had a good rest and were able to recharge your spoons :) cannot wait for the video, i was looking forward to it all week ^^
I'm so excited for this!!! also, what a talent, that haircut looks beautiful ❤
the Monk and the Robot dualogy and The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating sit in my favorites bookshelf because of you💕 My top three of all time are
3. Love by Hanne Orstavik
2. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (i'm currently rereading and have the sequel waiting for me when i finish)
1. The Humans by Matt Haig
my absolute favourite book is the Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I felt so seen by it!
I appreciate you, thank you for making content.
ahhh I love the hair!!
Have you read Anne of Green Gables? I picked it up for the first time recently, and it was super cozy and had beautiful descriptions of nature. I feel like you might enjoy it 💖
A totally different vibe, but I also really enjoyed Ripe. It reminded me a lot of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead.
Yay its good to see you Ally ❤ ps your videos are peak gezellig.
:,) what high praise!
I’m new to your channel but I loved this video. I have been in a super cozy reading mood this year and some of my favorites are Silver in the Wood and Drowned Country, Garlic & the Vampire, the Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert, Mooncakes, Legends & Lattes and all of Tamora Pierce’s books. Thanks for this cozy video and lovely recommendations!
So MANY amazing books on this list! The Anthropocene Reviewed and the Sound of a Wild Snail Eating are my go-to ‘beg everyone I know to read them’ books. Lol I made a “summoning” video to read some of your favorites, if I had known circling up these 15 would do it, it would have saved some time for sure. I used a tofu press… 😂😂👍
So glad you’re back!!! Hope you’re feeling better 💓🕺💃
Good to see you again! I love the new hair. Definitely giving the librarian vibes. I hope you are getting the answers and care that you need.
I’m going backpacking soon and out so many of these on my kindle for cozy nature reading!
I LOVED Lonely Castle in the Mirror ❤❤❤
So happy to see you again! Hope you are doing better and taking care of yourself.
Question: have you read The Overstory by Richard Powers? I feel like you would really enjoy it, it's all about trees lol but it's beautiful! Though quick warning I did struggle with it at points but it always makes you want to come back to it because of how great the writing is
i think you could really enjoy john steinbeck's novellas! specifically cannery row, it's quite the just vibes and coziness in a small town and getting to know the people there and what they care about. i also recommend travels with charlie with is a fictionalized memior of him traveling with his dog around the us and talking to folks.
Ahh! This video is just what I needed. You’ve helped me discover so many great reads!
Out of all the booktubers I watch, I find myself relating to you the most. I find our tastes in books similar as well. And I love how diverse your interests in books are
i will forever scream to the rooftops that the night circus from erin morgenstern needs to be added to the summoning circle
I don't know how good your dutch is yet, but I started 'uit het leven van een hond' by Sander Kollaart yersterday and until now it's really great. I think you might like it.
well, time to expand my tbr (tho some of these books are already on there cuz i’ve been watching you for long enough ) 😹 i read the “monk & robot” duology this week and it was added to my all time favorites right away, so thankful to you for talking about these books and bringing my attention to them ❣️ your recs never fail me!
I recently read a Psalm for the Wild-Built on your rec and i didn't love it as much as you do but i am so glad to have picked it up ❤ thanks for being here, Alli!
Wow I knew I could trust your opinion the second you said Coraline, braiding sweetgrass, and the monk and the robot duology. I've been working on this list of yours for the past couple weeks, and I've truly been so impressed. Just found your account last month and I'm happy to be here! Thank you for all that you do!
the Tea Dragon Society
I am so excited for this video! I wasn't around for the last one and I was wondering if you'd make an updated faves list 🥰
Also while I'm here - I'm so glad you are prioritising your health and reducing uploads, and I'd like to ask what everyone's favourite other cosy reading vlog type RUclipsrs are so I can fill the gap a little better?
I just finished Lonely Castle in The Mirror because of you and it was so good!! Thanks for all you do
yay! that makes me so happy! :')
I've read and loved most of what was on your favorite book list! I would add Legends and Lattes, Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and Before the Coffee Gets Cold (the whole series of books). Happy reading :)
lovely to see you back! I who have never known men, crying in h Mart and tomorrow x3 are all on my tbr!! x
The City of Dreaming Books! by Walter Moers. (Check out that American cover *chefs kiss*) Translated whimsical fantasy for kids of any age about a dinosaur who was given an unpublished manuscript, largely considered the best thing ever written, when his late uncle passes. Plot twist: the manuscript wasn't written by his uncle but by a struggling young author looking for advice on getting it published years ago. Now he is on a quest to the City of Dreaming Books to find the author of this incredible work or find out what befell him before the story could be released. It's an atmospheric book-lover, word-lover, feast for the soul with deeper themes of what it means to be an artist and to search for something else but find yourself... and it has pictures! We have such similar taste in books, I know it's a pretty good fit for what you look for. Love your videos
I love Walter Moers, too! The whole world of Zamonia is a wonderful romp. Have you read/did you like the other Zamonia books? Rumo was my favorite in high school 🩵
Ally we must have a mind meld! I literally also just gave myself bangs 😂. So glad you took some time to look after yourself and excited you’re back! ❤
Glad you're back, hope you're doing well! I'm asking for a few of these for my bday, I'm definitely missing comforting reads on my tbr and i always need them towards the end of the year. For you, I'd recommend 'Reunion' by Fred Uhlman, it's sad but beautiful, pretty short and it's really stuck with me. Aside from that, 'If you look for me, i am not here' by Sarayu Srivatsa which is easily one of the most beautiful things i have EVER read - i recommend it all the time in the hopes of finding someone else to love it too!
Ally, I adored the monk and robot duology *so* much that I tattooed Mosscap on my body forever because they meant THAT much to me. Thanks for putting it on my radar 💖
ALSO! If you haven’t read Detransition Baby, I would highly recommend it!
Becky Chambers!!! Mary Oliver!! Braiding Sweetgrass!! So good and I love when other people appreciate these!
Also I added so many of these to my TBR because of this video.
I'd be curious if you'd like The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss. It's been a while since I read it, and maybe I like it so much partly because I had already read The Name of the Wind (and this novella focuses on one of the side characters), but I feel like it is a poetic celebration of mundanity and the no plot all vibes might jive with some of the other things you listed. :)
I know you have it on your TBR & I actually bought this book because of your beautiful covers video
Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin was one of my FAVES from this year so far!!!!
omg thank you so much for telling me! i loooove getting hyped for books i already have - makes me ✨ prioritize. ✨
not sure if you know this, but lonely castle in the mirror is getting a movie! it comes out in september i believe!!
I think you might enjoy A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings by Helen Jukes, it reminds me of The Sound of A Wild Snail Eating in some ways, and is just delightful (bonus points for the cover design being beautiful?). It's a memoir about growing older and struggling to find your place and purpose as you grow and change, and the value of learning to pay attention to the small things (i.e. deciding to spend a year as a beekeeper)
Your hair looks fantastic! So happy to see a video from you and to know you are taking care of your health.
Not gonna lie I missed you SO MUCH 🥲🤍
I just started watching you some weeks ago, and binged a lot of your videos and in just one week I feel so accompanied, and motivated. I appreciate you immensely and I'm glad you're back.
Cant believe this is the first video I’m seeing of yours but now I am utterly obsessed and will be binging all of ur videos thank u very much
I would recommend The Travelling Cat Chronicles :) it's very sunny - feels liike a breath of summer
Also, a graphic novel recommendation that is perfect for you is Life of Melody. It’s so sweet and I feel like you would love it
So happy to see ur lovely face again! I hope ur recovery is going well and will improve more from here on!
oooo I think my top 3 favourite books of all time have got to be,
3) A Bright Ray of Darkness - Ethan Hawke
2) The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson
1) Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson
disgusted with myself that my top 3 are all men, even though I read way more female than male authors 😂
so many cool picks!!! a monster calls killed me. a psalm for the wild built ive seen everywhere. sci-fi steampunk fantasy giving me stardew valley vibes idk why!!!
Have you read Piranesi? Because it blew my tiny little mind and I feel like it's right up your alley!!
So good to see you back! Hope you're doing well ❤
I totally agree, Anthropocene Reviewed did something to me. My favorite book of all time is The Starless Sea - stories and dreams for their own sake and without the burden of having to be reasonable or make sense to anyone.