jack being a fantasy writer when he was a kid and writing about demons and villains and superheroes is a little bit funny because it’s his least read genre 😂
Happy Hour - Marlowe Granados Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell I'm A Fan - Sheena Patel Our Wives Under The Sea - Julia Armfield Boulder - Eva Baltasar Sula - Toni Morrison Panenka - Ronan Hession Normal People - Sally Rooney Young Mungo - Douglas Stuart Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver
i’ve said it before, but “sula” fundamentally changed something in me. i think about “whatever’s burning in me is mine! // and i’ll split this town in two and everything in it before i’ll let you put it out!” several times a day. it hasn’t been long since i first read it, so i’m going to wait a bit before i give it a re-read, but it’s definitely a top 3 book for me. i have a tradition of re-reading “on earth we’re briefly gorgeous” at the start of every year; this time i’m annotating my copy and nearly every page is highlighted 😭😭
“It’s like reading sheet music” - Jack has obviously never sight read any sheet music 😂 But I agree, Caleb Azumah Nelson’s work is so beautiful - so lyrical and poetic.
i was in a quite severe reading slump and rereading my favorites helped me a lot. last year i reread all of jane austen's novels in english for the first time (english is not my first language so it was a JOURNEY), also at rhe beginning of the year i reread the goldfinch and it was another great experience of rediscovering this amazing text. i think rereading books helped me a lot with understanding how I changed as a person, how my reading taste changed and define my reading taste NOW and what i actually want to read in terms of themes and genres
my favourite book of all time is “veronika decides to die” i think i’ve read it multiple times and each time i’ve managed to find and think of something new and it’s just so nice i don’t even know somehow there’s comfort
That's what I was thinking. What if I re-read my fav book (alone with you in the ether) and I don't love it as much as I did when reading it for the first time. Because obviously the circumstances, feelings etc I had back then when I read the book aren't present anymore. Maybe it's better if I don't re-read it and keep the memories & feelings I have in the past. Because looking back and thinking about it gives me a feeling I don't want to lose when re-reading. Hope this makes sense! 🥺
I'm so glad you added this video, Jack. I used to avoid re-reading as my TBR list has always been so long. As I've got older though, I have returned to books and discovered a whole new experience - even those I originally hadn't enjoyed. I think the experience reflects the time in your life, personal events, your mood, and the writing that "speaks" to you at that time. It is well worth returning to a book!
I’m excited for this! Rereading is so hard for me because there are some that just hit the same like Frankenstein and others I reread and am just like…wow I liked this? Insane.
This is why I'm curious to reread "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" after a couple of years. I had never read anything like it when I picked it up and ended up giving it five stars, and now that I've discovered how much I dislike novels similar to/recommended for fans of it I'm wondering how I'm going to feel about it this time.
I'd always considered The Secret History, Kafka on the Shore, and The Magus by John Fowles to be three of my favorite books, and I was delighted to find that when I read them all for the second time, I enjoyed them even more. That told me I was absolutely right to rank them among my favorites. It's unfortunate when a book doesn't hold up, but sometimes you were on to something with that initial “wow” factor...
The secret history is also one of my favourite books, I just reread it and still love it. My favourite murakami is a wild sheep chase, was a little disturbed with Kafka on the shore.
Open Water is one of my favorite books of all time and I found out about it originally on your channel! I have also been thinking of rereading it since it is a short yet complex and beautiful story.
Yes for Open Water! Living in the US, maybe it’s more popular in the UK, but I literally never hear anyone talk about that book and it’s one of my favorites of all time.
as a theatre student who moved across the country because of if we were villains by m.l.rio, i'm currently reading and annoting that book for the 5th time and it's so fun reading my annotations from a few years ago :)
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the books after youve re-read them! I read Hamnet for the first time this year and it stuck with me more than anything else I've read so far this year The audio is super clear with your mic, but just letting you know the volume fluctuates a bit. Especially at the end it was suddenly quite loud. But otherwise, great video! Thank you as always!
I would love to see your analysis and annotations for every book you mentioned because it seems unfair to the other books to get a essay on normal people and not the rest, but I understand if the annotations spoil the book you are working on ❤ so just sending the message and good vibes ❤
this video just made me soso happy- seeing someone who loves books so much talking about books is always an amazing time. Jacks eyes really shined in this video and it showed how much you really love books.
Happy hrs audio is terrible though, I can’t listen to the narrator . Same with open water, but his narration is very boring! I need to read them rather.
Re-reading books we loved when we were younger and has nostalgia associated to isn't like watching things like macgyver now and be disapointed with? I don't know if I had the courage to read the most nostalgic ones...😅
Jack, please stop releasing such amazing recommendations! I spend more time curating my TBR list (which now resembles some sort of abstract novel in itself), than I do actually reading books! You are the only person I can watch recommending books. Keep doing what you're doing, I love it!
Hi Jack! If you enjoyed Eva Baltasar you would enjoy Irene Solar. She is from Catalonia, the same region as Eva. Irene is translated also in English, and I think you will enjoy how she speaks about folklore and nature. ❤
This is hands down my favorite video from you, Jack. Thank you so much for all the fabulous book recomomendations! Cannot wait to dive right into these books :) Have a great day!
Wilhelm Hauff's "The Cold Heart and Other Fairy-Tales" (1958 Latvian edition) has been one of my all time books since i was a child. It is in my parents' library and i sometimes pick it up and re-read even though i am an adult. To me, it is absolutely magical
Sorry but I did not enjoy Hamnet, maybe I missed something but I think the book should have been called Agnes or Anne as she was the main character throughout. There wasn’t really much focus on Hamnet. By not giving Shakespeare a name I felt it put more emphasis on it as he was the only one in the book without a name. However the imagery and the writing I would say was good throughout.
But his perspective was my favorite. I loved reading his bits because of how easily he'd get distracted. Usually I hate when authors stray off unnecessarily but Maggie wrote it so well?
About dialogue, Jamie Scott Bell has this book called The Art Of War For Writers. And he describes dialogue as compressed action. I found that super helpful. Also....isn't it demented how much we like to make readers cry?
I read Sula upon your glowing recommendation. My review? Eh. Demon Copperfield is wonderful. If you can listen to the audiobook, the reader is excellent.
I would be very interested to see how you re-read these books. How do you analyse the sentences with its metaphors and character building and descriptive parts. What goes through your head? What do you anotate. I would find it very interesting and entertaining.
Isn't reading amazing and such a shared yet personal experience. I also have my "to re-read" list and even though I spend a lot of time thinking about books I have a totally different experience compared to another reader, in this case - you. I haven't read most of the books you were talking about (except Toni Morrison and Demon Copperhead - both exceptional) and we have a totally different reading paths. yet I understand completely the way you feel about these books.
If you are a rereader you need to read Unfinished Business by Vivian Gornick. It's a memoir following her as she unpacks the books she read when she was young and what it means to reread and re-fall in love with books and return to the art that shaped us.
I read The Razors Edge in 2018 and I remember thinking that it was a Top 3 book, however I cannot recall the plot at all so I stopped saying it was one of my favorites haha The Picture of Dorian Gray was also one of my favorites but I havent reread it in 7 years or so. I also haven't reread Animal Farm (one I used to say that was my favorite book ever) in a long long time, so I feel like I need to reread these three and perhaps update my Top 3. I can say that Persuasion by Jane Austen is probably one of my favorite books ever as well as A Doll's House by Ibsen, Anne of Green Gables and a Christmas Carol. The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Song of Achilles are two of my contemporary favorites too. I think I'm not in my reread era yet just because I really want to tackle my TBR this year haha
I would love to see and hear and feel what Jack would have to say about Portuguese literature like Fernando Pessoa and Joana Bértholo or Lidia Jorge or Eça de Queirós .):)
I absolutely love this! I love the idea of allowing yourself to go back to your favourite book and read it again in order to rediscover it, find something new. I think now there’s this pressure to read EVERYTHING just to be in the conversation, like “YA is not my thing but I will read it anyway just because I want to know what everyone on tiktok is talking about”. There’s this horrible FOMO we are all experiencing which is taking the fun out of reading tbh. I think we should make rereading your favourite book until the spine breaks popular again ❤
I do find it really funny that as Jack lists his favorite parts of Sula (the human interaction, understanding, and recollection of character's pasts to make them who they are) are spot on for what makes it great, buutttt I think her book Beloved does all those parts too, just better and on a much higher level as a writer
I can’t wait to read your book if you’re able to incorporate all of those things that inspire you! I love lyrical and descriptive writing so much and it’s kind of hard to find. I also can’t wait to see your wrap up for these books
Wife under the sea is an actual gem. As someone fascinated by underwater exploration and the mysteries of the deep, "Wives Under the Sea" had me hooked from the very first page. The author's vivid descriptions and attention to detail really transported me to the depths of the ocean alongside the brave protagonists. Plus, the intertwining of historical events with a touch of romance added an extra layer of intrigue.
Hi Jack! I am a new fan of your channel, and I'm going down a tunnel dive of your content. I was hoping you could add subtitles to your videos. That would really help non-native English speakers understand you better!
jack being a fantasy writer when he was a kid and writing about demons and villains and superheroes is a little bit funny because it’s his least read genre 😂
Knows what he likes lol
@hay_bail1 he himself once said that he hates the the fantasy book's world building and all
@@Arashi_Man yah ik
Happy Hour - Marlowe Granados
Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson
Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell
I'm A Fan - Sheena Patel
Our Wives Under The Sea - Julia Armfield
Boulder - Eva Baltasar
Sula - Toni Morrison
Panenka - Ronan Hession
Normal People - Sally Rooney
Young Mungo - Douglas Stuart
Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver
i’ve said it before, but “sula” fundamentally changed something in me. i think about “whatever’s burning in me is mine! // and i’ll split this town in two and everything in it before i’ll let you put it out!” several times a day. it hasn’t been long since i first read it, so i’m going to wait a bit before i give it a re-read, but it’s definitely a top 3 book for me.
i have a tradition of re-reading “on earth we’re briefly gorgeous” at the start of every year; this time i’m annotating my copy and nearly every page is highlighted 😭😭
Every time I sit down to write, I read one page of ocean vuong before i start. Manifesting, in a way
I read sula because it's referenced in oewbg!!
Can't wait to read it!!
Sula is the best book I’ve ever read!!
“It’s like reading sheet music” - Jack has obviously never sight read any sheet music 😂
But I agree, Caleb Azumah Nelson’s work is so beautiful - so lyrical and poetic.
was literally gonna make the same comment 😭 the sentiment is great but the analogy is not what it seems
Bad diaspora poem randomly popping up was such a mood
i was in a quite severe reading slump and rereading my favorites helped me a lot. last year i reread all of jane austen's novels in english for the first time (english is not my first language so it was a JOURNEY), also at rhe beginning of the year i reread the goldfinch and it was another great experience of rediscovering this amazing text.
i think rereading books helped me a lot with understanding how I changed as a person, how my reading taste changed and define my reading taste NOW and what i actually want to read in terms of themes and genres
oh my gosh my first language is english and i struggle so much with jane austen (still love her sm though) you are a soldier!
@@hotgurl46863 thank you 😄 it did feel like getting an express english degree or smth 😅
its a good day when jack posts
agreed
its kinda crazy how no one talks about borlest and ebook called - The Hidden Truths Of Wealth
yeah bro, that ebook changed my life.
my favourite book of all time is “veronika decides to die” i think
i’ve read it multiple times and each time i’ve managed to find and think of something new and it’s just so nice i don’t even know
somehow there’s comfort
Ahhhhhh I love that book as well
That book was good
I agree!
That's what I was thinking. What if I re-read my fav book (alone with you in the ether) and I don't love it as much as I did when reading it for the first time. Because obviously the circumstances, feelings etc I had back then when I read the book aren't present anymore. Maybe it's better if I don't re-read it and keep the memories & feelings I have in the past. Because looking back and thinking about it gives me a feeling I don't want to lose when re-reading. Hope this makes sense! 🥺
I'm so glad you added this video, Jack. I used to avoid re-reading as my TBR list has always been so long. As I've got older though, I have returned to books and discovered a whole new experience - even those I originally hadn't enjoyed. I think the experience reflects the time in your life, personal events, your mood, and the writing that "speaks" to you at that time. It is well worth returning to a book!
I’m excited for this! Rereading is so hard for me because there are some that just hit the same like Frankenstein and others I reread and am just like…wow I liked this? Insane.
This! And then there are so many other books I want to read...
This is why I'm curious to reread "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" after a couple of years. I had never read anything like it when I picked it up and ended up giving it five stars, and now that I've discovered how much I dislike novels similar to/recommended for fans of it I'm wondering how I'm going to feel about it this time.
I love re-reading books! I usually do that every 3 to 5 years depending on the books 😊
I'd always considered The Secret History, Kafka on the Shore, and The Magus by John Fowles to be three of my favorite books, and I was delighted to find that when I read them all for the second time, I enjoyed them even more. That told me I was absolutely right to rank them among my favorites. It's unfortunate when a book doesn't hold up, but sometimes you were on to something with that initial “wow” factor...
The secret history is also one of my favourite books, I just reread it and still love it. My favourite murakami is a wild sheep chase, was a little disturbed with Kafka on the shore.
I was also a bit disturbed by Kafka… I did enjoy reading it but the disturbing element seemed completely unnecessary!
Open Water is one of my favorite books of all time and I found out about it originally on your channel! I have also been thinking of rereading it since it is a short yet complex and beautiful story.
Yes for Open Water! Living in the US, maybe it’s more popular in the UK, but I literally never hear anyone talk about that book and it’s one of my favorites of all time.
i would looove to hear your thoughts after your rereads, compared to how you felt about them the first time!
as a theatre student who moved across the country because of if we were villains by m.l.rio, i'm currently reading and annoting that book for the 5th time and it's so fun reading my annotations from a few years ago :)
omg i love that book sm, love that it had such a big impact on you!
Authors have such cool names ; my name could never fit😭
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the books after youve re-read them!
I read Hamnet for the first time this year and it stuck with me more than anything else I've read so far this year
The audio is super clear with your mic, but just letting you know the volume fluctuates a bit. Especially at the end it was suddenly quite loud.
But otherwise, great video! Thank you as always!
Shoutout to the random pic of bad diaspora poems
God I had a shit day and this feels like a hug. Also the Normal People cover reminds me of Amul chocolate and now I need chocolate
AMUL CHOCOLATE OP
sorry to hear you had such a bad day, sending virtual hugs 🤍
Exactly amul chocolate😂😂
Things will turn around x
I would love to see your analysis and annotations for every book you mentioned because it seems unfair to the other books to get a essay on normal people and not the rest, but I understand if the annotations spoil the book you are working on ❤ so just sending the message and good vibes ❤
my favorite book is a little life and i've been wanting to re-read it for a while but i'm not sure if i'm reading for the emotional damage lol
I love these videos and hearing about people’s life-changing books because everyone’s are so unique!
this video just made me soso happy- seeing someone who loves books so much talking about books is always an amazing time. Jacks eyes really shined in this video and it showed how much you really love books.
I read "I who have never known men".Changed my life,left me staring at a wall.Highly reccommend
So, these are the books he’s going to Re-Read tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow?
Happy hrs audio is terrible though, I can’t listen to the narrator . Same with open water, but his narration is very boring! I need to read them rather.
Re-reading books we loved when we were younger and has nostalgia associated to isn't like watching things like macgyver now and be disapointed with? I don't know if I had the courage to read the most nostalgic ones...😅
Jack, please stop releasing such amazing recommendations! I spend more time curating my TBR list (which now resembles some sort of abstract novel in itself), than I do actually reading books! You are the only person I can watch recommending books. Keep doing what you're doing, I love it!
CRANES MENTIONED RAHHHHH 🦅🦅🦅
But yes, glad to find a fellow bookworm that is for some reason obsessed with cranes 😭😭
🏗️ 🏗️🏗️
12:16 What was that? OK, James-
So happy to see Boulder here, a book originally written in my mother tongue, a minorized language ❤️
Hi Jack! If you enjoyed Eva Baltasar you would enjoy Irene Solar. She is from Catalonia, the same region as Eva. Irene is translated also in English, and I think you will enjoy how she speaks about folklore and nature. ❤
Yes! Agree!! I think you should give it a go!
You are so thoughtful about what you do - I love following your journey!
This is hands down my favorite video from you, Jack. Thank you so much for all the fabulous book recomomendations! Cannot wait to dive right into these books :) Have a great day!
Jack I need to study don't do this to me😅
the outros make my day 10x better
❤
im reading open water now :)
Wilhelm Hauff's "The Cold Heart and Other Fairy-Tales" (1958 Latvian edition) has been one of my all time books since i was a child. It is in my parents' library and i sometimes pick it up and re-read even though i am an adult. To me, it is absolutely magical
Mmmm yeah now I feel like re-reading The picture of Dorian Grey and The Tea girl of hummingbird lane.
I’m also going to reread the picture of Dorian gray.
Honestly if your book was ever anything close to Hamnet I would DEVOUR it. Can’t wait to see what you come out with!!
Where is Elena knows?
It was a permanent thing Jack
Always a good idea to re read your favorite books again 👏🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻😊😊
Did you get around to reading 'Julia' yet? Really eager to learn what you think, as you said it is you're most antcipated read for this year. 🙃
I also am in my 'big re-read'. I have been rereading my books since 2020. I found some old favourites again
Sorry but I did not enjoy Hamnet, maybe I missed something but I think the book should have been called Agnes or Anne as she was the main character throughout. There wasn’t really much focus on Hamnet. By not giving Shakespeare a name I felt it put more emphasis on it as he was the only one in the book without a name. However the imagery and the writing I would say was good throughout.
I think it was called Hamnet because tho we don't get his perspective a lot, he did change so much for the family after his death.
But his perspective was my favorite. I loved reading his bits because of how easily he'd get distracted. Usually I hate when authors stray off unnecessarily but Maggie wrote it so well?
Books I want to read over and over again are:
Carrie
Misery
Christine
Rage
And others.
jack posting is a great day
My crushhhhh😍😍😍😍
I don't know how this would happen, but I need to see Brittany broski and jack on a podcast together
About dialogue, Jamie Scott Bell has this book called The Art Of War For Writers. And he describes dialogue as compressed action. I found that super helpful. Also....isn't it demented how much we like to make readers cry?
I read Sula upon your glowing recommendation. My review? Eh.
Demon Copperfield is wonderful. If you can listen to the audiobook, the reader is excellent.
I would be very interested to see how you re-read these books. How do you analyse the sentences with its metaphors and character building and descriptive parts. What goes through your head? What do you anotate. I would find it very interesting and entertaining.
Isn't reading amazing and such a shared yet personal experience. I also have my "to re-read" list and even though I spend a lot of time thinking about books I have a totally different experience compared to another reader, in this case - you. I haven't read most of the books you were talking about (except Toni Morrison and Demon Copperhead - both exceptional) and we have a totally different reading paths. yet I understand completely the way you feel about these books.
omg the audio is so much better
If you are a rereader you need to read Unfinished Business by Vivian Gornick. It's a memoir following her as she unpacks the books she read when she was young and what it means to reread and re-fall in love with books and return to the art that shaped us.
I read The Razors Edge in 2018 and I remember thinking that it was a Top 3 book, however I cannot recall the plot at all so I stopped saying it was one of my favorites haha The Picture of Dorian Gray was also one of my favorites but I havent reread it in 7 years or so. I also haven't reread Animal Farm (one I used to say that was my favorite book ever) in a long long time, so I feel like I need to reread these three and perhaps update my Top 3. I can say that Persuasion by Jane Austen is probably one of my favorite books ever as well as A Doll's House by Ibsen, Anne of Green Gables and a Christmas Carol. The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Song of Achilles are two of my contemporary favorites too. I think I'm not in my reread era yet just because I really want to tackle my TBR this year haha
I would love to see and hear and feel what Jack would have to say about Portuguese literature like Fernando Pessoa and Joana Bértholo or Lidia Jorge or Eça de Queirós .):)
I feel like Rereading Normal people because of this video
SAME!
14:10 I love that cover
hey jack have you read american psycho?
I would love to know more about your writing! (coming from someone who also writes)
I absolutely love this! I love the idea of allowing yourself to go back to your favourite book and read it again in order to rediscover it, find something new. I think now there’s this pressure to read EVERYTHING just to be in the conversation, like “YA is not my thing but I will read it anyway just because I want to know what everyone on tiktok is talking about”. There’s this horrible FOMO we are all experiencing which is taking the fun out of reading tbh. I think we should make rereading your favourite book until the spine breaks popular again ❤
yes yes yes Jack I encourage u to read more of Eva Baltasar and to get into catalan literature!!! so good!!!
I am surprised 1984 is not in the list 😮
Hamnet is probably my best book of all time. I’m seeing it pop up on more YT videos lately, with new readers.
I love your reading vlogs, it would be a joy to follow you revisiting your old favorites!! ❤
You recommend books that are not even available in my country!😭😭 Jack send me some books!
Jack: praises a book
Me: write that down! write that down! ✍️✍️✍️
We're getting fed these days ❤😂
I do find it really funny that as Jack lists his favorite parts of Sula (the human interaction, understanding, and recollection of character's pasts to make them who they are) are spot on for what makes it great, buutttt I think her book Beloved does all those parts too, just better and on a much higher level as a writer
I can’t wait to read your book if you’re able to incorporate all of those things that inspire you! I love lyrical and descriptive writing so much and it’s kind of hard to find. I also can’t wait to see your wrap up for these books
Shut up and read us the notebook stories. Or better publish them.
Day 437 of trying to get Jack to read Lonesome Dove
I love your videos so much!!! You are the best. Now i want to read all those books 😅
What your new mic called?
The random cameo from bad diaspora poems???😂
I truly love your videos (:
Loved this and love you my wonderful friend ❤️
Can anyone who has read demon copperhead let me know if you should read David copperfield first?
No need but I did find it helpful to read a summary online.
@@gkge thank you so much!
Jack I need to know what that Mic is!!!
all the positive energy of the world to you :)
as soon as jack's book is out that will be in my hands immediately
will we be able to read your essay about normal people?
Jack and his silly little mic in his silly little library
Which mic are you using?
early
Eva Baltasar just released a new book called "Ocàs i Fascinació" that is getting great reviews. You should read it when it gets translated to english!
Wife under the sea is an actual gem. As someone fascinated by underwater exploration and the mysteries of the deep, "Wives Under the Sea" had me hooked from the very first page. The author's vivid descriptions and attention to detail really transported me to the depths of the ocean alongside the brave protagonists. Plus, the intertwining of historical events with a touch of romance added an extra layer of intrigue.
🙋♀️ Hi Jack. RUclips algorithm just recommended a new booktuber you may want to check out. LIT VIBES WITH FIVE
I reread some of my books every year.
do a video about nostalgia 🥲
I love this. Excited to follow along on this re reading series ❤
Hi Jack! I am a new fan of your channel, and I'm going down a tunnel dive of your content. I was hoping you could add subtitles to your videos. That would really help non-native English speakers understand you better!
book analyissss would be cool!!
I reread parts of Demon Copperhead 3 times back to back. The writing is something else. Once again my bank account is going to cry bcoz of Jack 😂
I'm so excited for this re-reading era
Ok i am so happy to see you've got a mic!!!!! Cus ngl it was getting a bit hard to watch ur videos with the echo 😅