Glad you enjoyed the selection! I’m trying to wean myself off of getting too overexcited about new releases, and slipping more backlist stuff into my reading.
ty for the kind words ben!! 💖💖 there really is something overwhelming about a wrap up vid! i've never seen that cover of there, there before!! so good! 🙈
Great video. Lots of books I've not heard of. Kick the Latch sounds like an interesting read. I too have never read Giovanni's Room so I think it is time. Just finished Intermezzo by Rooney (of course) in audio and loved it in that form. Might have been a little slow in print--don't know--as the audio came in from my library before the print was available in 5 months so I grabbed on. A little departure from the usual Rooney and I thought it was her best--so far
I didn’t find that too bad as the sections were basically chapters without the numbers! But yeah I always like to finish at the end of a chapter or it’s too disorienting when I come back to the book 😅
Goodlord sounds like one I'd like. I'll beware of pastries if I get it. At some point I should reread Giovanni's Room. Oh yay! I thought Stories From the Tenants Downstairs was really strong and I've heard very few people talk about it. Your favorite stories were the same as mine. I've also read and enjoyed There There. Great wrap up!
The campaign for thicker croissant bags begins now!!! Glad to hear those stories from the Fofana resonated with you too. They're the two that will stick with me, I think!
I am currently chomping through There There, I am very grateful for the list of characters at the beginning! 😅 Also I feel you on stopping reading when you finish a chapter, I am kinda ugh when a book has super long chapters or no chapters at all. Best wishes
Yeah that character list is very necessary! I almost listened to the audio but I think I would have gotten so lost 😅 100% there is a perfect chapter length - 10-12 pages for me is great!
Hi Ben, The only book in this video I've read is There There (library book club a while ago), which I liked well enough, but wasn't as hyped about it as people seem to be these days. Haven't read that Emezi book, but I just hard dnf'd another one, Little Rot, after really not liking a past library book club pick You Made a Fool of Me With Your Beauty (foolish me, not realizing they were from the same author). So I won't be picking up another any time soon. As for the white book cover with the croissant stain, how about making a dust jacket for it? There are RUclips tutorials on everything from paper bag text book covers to professional-looking paper art + plastic lined hardbacks. You might have fun customizing the cover 😃
I do think Emezi basically writes a completely different genre and style with every book, so there may be one that gets you eventually 😅 A custom dustjacket would be fun, but I don't think my creative powers stretch that far (and to be honest I do love the design of Goodlord as it is, even with my croissant-inflicted stain). I often watch with awe and jealousy when people rebind their own books as clothbound ones though. So cool!
@@benreadsgood If you ever get a nice big piece of white wrapping paper or even a lovely big shopping bag to cut up, it might be worth trying your hand at the simplest textbook wrap just so the stain doesn't bug you 🐒 Are there Trader Joe's in England? Every holiday season they have a special pannetone from Italy wrapped in the most gorgeous paper and a big ribbon. You never know when you'll be drawn to a great patterned paper and feel like embellishing a book!
For many of us GIovanni's Room was a gateway to books that mirrored our lives (if only tangentially); the landscape was a desert in those days. It's so gratifying that his reputation and influence have not faded, but have grown and flourished. Thanks for another cogent and persuasive posting. PS. Did you review Glorious Exploits?
Definitely seen a big surge in Baldwin appreciation lately. Lots of events about his legacy and things like that, which is great. Good spot on Glorious Exploits - I haven’t reviewed it yet but held it back as I’m considering doing a standalone review for it!
Love a wrap up. Thanks for going ahead even with the rusty feeling 😜 Didn’t seem that way at all btw! So good to finally get to those books you’ve just been eyeing (or the other way around) for ages… Glad you’ve enjoyed them all - to various degrees but still! 🐵
Great wrap-up and so glad you feel unburdened. The Death of Vivek Oji is far and away my favorite Emezi book. I think it’s very powerfully and evocatively written. I do like mysteries and had not heard of I Died at Fallow Hall so will definitely need to look for that one. Thanks Ben!
It is a relief to clear the review backlog (although I didn't mention but I have kept one book back because I am considering a standalone review for it). Thanks for watching!
Great video! Glad to finally hear your thoughts on Vivek Oji. I think I know the relationship you're talking about . . . it does seem like it could have been somebody (anybody) else.
Yeah it just didn't feel like it needed to be that relationship. I wondered if it was something to do with creating a space where they were trusted together and never suspected, but still... friends would have been fine 😅
Always keep my Goodreads and library e-book database loaded in other tabs when listening to your reviews, because there's always at least one book I want to read. Looking forward to reading Wandering Stars. I loved There There, but I'm having to wait for my name to reach the top of the wait list at the library for Wandering Stars. Oh, wow, I don't like to put a book down in the middle of a chapter too! (just heard you say that)
So impressed it took you as long as it did to change position. As soon as I saw you my back was hurting in sympathy. Ah, youth! The only book I have read is The death of Vivek Oji which I was somewhat disappointed in. I think it was a case of unmet very high expectations based on loads of hype. Just grabbed a copy of I Died at Fallow Hall on Kindle. 🙊
I really need to get back into yoga 🧘 Yeah Vivek Oji does have a lot of love, doesn't it. I really enjoyed it though, and I am excited to read Freshwater at some point soon. I've had that one on my shelf for even longer!
Great reviews, excellently said as your discussions always seem to be - a couple of these are definitely going to be going on my tbr list now too so thank you :) 🐒
I actually only recently picked it up as I found a copy in my local remainder bookshop, so it was a bargain! Somehow I have managed to acquire all of Tiffany McDaniels’ books but haven’t gotten to them yet 😅
Although it’s not like to be a favourite of the year, I did really enjoy it and am glad to have read it. Glad you loved it! All the Kiwi fiction I’ve read this year has actually been pretty great: Pet, Greta & Valdin, and now Amma! I have Auē and Birnham Wood both in my sights at some point too 😅
@@benreadsgood Yikes ! The only other one of those I've read is Auē (which is also a good read + there's a sequel Kataraina which has just been released) 😊
I enjoyed Vivek Oji. I come from a large Italian family and three of my mother’s uncles were married to first cousins. THREE! And they were all born and raised in the US (the Bronx) to parents originally from Sicily. This was 1920s/1930s. So I don’t find those types of relationships particularly shocking or whatever.
That's so interesting! I think my problem wasn't so much that the relationship was shocking, but that it didn't really add anything meaningful. If it had an important role in the thesis of the book, I'd be all for it, shocking or not. Still very much enjoyed it though!
I read There, There recently and had a similar experience with it. I wish there had been fewer characters and I also wish he had taken a lot more time with the powwow section. It’s a shame that a writer who can devastate with a sentence early on finishes with an ending that was less impactful than it should have been. But I still would wholeheartedly recommend it and, for a first novel, it is spectacular.
Saying someone's name when you're talking to them is so rare in real life and so common in poorly written tv! Unfortunate that it's now seeping into books as well. 🙉
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Love love love to see books you are not omnipresent on every account across platforms. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the selection! I’m trying to wean myself off of getting too overexcited about new releases, and slipping more backlist stuff into my reading.
'whatever it is people do in their gardens, digging of some kind' 😆
I am very much not in possession of green thumbs 😅
ty for the kind words ben!! 💖💖 there really is something overwhelming about a wrap up vid! i've never seen that cover of there, there before!! so good! 🙈
You're so welcome! Your channel is so great.
And it's good to warm people up to the upcoming cameo 👀
I always appreciate your insights on the books you’ve read. So many here that I haven’t heard of. Goodlord is going right onto my wish list 🐒
Thanks very much for watching! Goodlord is a lot of fun so I hope you enjoy it 😊
Great video. Lots of books I've not heard of. Kick the Latch sounds like an interesting read. I too have never read Giovanni's Room so I think it is time. Just finished Intermezzo by Rooney (of course) in audio and loved it in that form. Might have been a little slow in print--don't know--as the audio came in from my library before the print was available in 5 months so I grabbed on. A little departure from the usual Rooney and I thought it was her best--so far
Thanks for watching! I have Intermezzo lined up (in print) and hoping to get to it by the end of the year 🙏
I’m with you on stopping at chapter breaks. I’m reading Playground now and the lack of chapters is annoying. I’ll get over it.
I didn’t find that too bad as the sections were basically chapters without the numbers! But yeah I always like to finish at the end of a chapter or it’s too disorienting when I come back to the book 😅
Goodlord sounds like one I'd like. I'll beware of pastries if I get it. At some point I should reread Giovanni's Room. Oh yay! I thought Stories From the Tenants Downstairs was really strong and I've heard very few people talk about it. Your favorite stories were the same as mine. I've also read and enjoyed There There. Great wrap up!
The campaign for thicker croissant bags begins now!!!
Glad to hear those stories from the Fofana resonated with you too. They're the two that will stick with me, I think!
I am currently chomping through There There, I am very grateful for the list of characters at the beginning! 😅 Also I feel you on stopping reading when you finish a chapter, I am kinda ugh when a book has super long chapters or no chapters at all. Best wishes
Yeah that character list is very necessary! I almost listened to the audio but I think I would have gotten so lost 😅 100% there is a perfect chapter length - 10-12 pages for me is great!
Hi Ben, The only book in this video I've read is There There (library book club a while ago), which I liked well enough, but wasn't as hyped about it as people seem to be these days. Haven't read that Emezi book, but I just hard dnf'd another one, Little Rot, after really not liking a past library book club pick You Made a Fool of Me With Your Beauty (foolish me, not realizing they were from the same author). So I won't be picking up another any time soon.
As for the white book cover with the croissant stain, how about making a dust jacket for it? There are RUclips tutorials on everything from paper bag text book covers to professional-looking paper art + plastic lined hardbacks. You might have fun customizing the cover 😃
I do think Emezi basically writes a completely different genre and style with every book, so there may be one that gets you eventually 😅
A custom dustjacket would be fun, but I don't think my creative powers stretch that far (and to be honest I do love the design of Goodlord as it is, even with my croissant-inflicted stain). I often watch with awe and jealousy when people rebind their own books as clothbound ones though. So cool!
@@benreadsgood If you ever get a nice big piece of white wrapping paper or even a lovely big shopping bag to cut up, it might be worth trying your hand at the simplest textbook wrap just so the stain doesn't bug you 🐒
Are there Trader Joe's in England? Every holiday season they have a special pannetone from Italy wrapped in the most gorgeous paper and a big ribbon. You never know when you'll be drawn to a great patterned paper and feel like embellishing a book!
For many of us GIovanni's Room was a gateway to books that mirrored our lives (if only tangentially); the landscape was a desert in those days. It's so gratifying that his reputation and influence have not faded, but have grown and flourished. Thanks for another cogent and persuasive posting. PS. Did you review Glorious Exploits?
Definitely seen a big surge in Baldwin appreciation lately. Lots of events about his legacy and things like that, which is great.
Good spot on Glorious Exploits - I haven’t reviewed it yet but held it back as I’m considering doing a standalone review for it!
Love a wrap up. Thanks for going ahead even with the rusty feeling 😜 Didn’t seem that way at all btw! So good to finally get to those books you’ve just been eyeing (or the other way around) for ages… Glad you’ve enjoyed them all - to various degrees but still!
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It was a pile I needed to do reviews for that was getting unmanageably large. My real TBR is ‘to be reviewed’ 😂
Great wrap-up and so glad you feel unburdened. The Death of Vivek Oji is far and away my favorite Emezi book. I think it’s very powerfully and evocatively written. I do like mysteries and had not heard of I Died at Fallow Hall so will definitely need to look for that one. Thanks Ben!
It is a relief to clear the review backlog (although I didn't mention but I have kept one book back because I am considering a standalone review for it). Thanks for watching!
@@benreadsgood A stand-alone review must mean that it was a very impactful read!
Great video! Glad to finally hear your thoughts on Vivek Oji. I think I know the relationship you're talking about . . . it does seem like it could have been somebody (anybody) else.
Yeah it just didn't feel like it needed to be that relationship. I wondered if it was something to do with creating a space where they were trusted together and never suspected, but still... friends would have been fine 😅
Great wrap up, have added Placeholders to my list😊
It's such a great read! Super impressive debut.
Some very interesting books there. I’ve added Anna and Placeholders to my wish list 📚
Thanks for watching - hope you enjoy those ones!
Always keep my Goodreads and library e-book database loaded in other tabs when listening to your reviews, because there's always at least one book I want to read.
Looking forward to reading Wandering Stars. I loved There There, but I'm having to wait for my name to reach the top of the wait list at the library for Wandering Stars.
Oh, wow, I don't like to put a book down in the middle of a chapter too! (just heard you say that)
Wandering Stars is great! Hope you enjoy it when you reach the front of the queue.
Thank you for this concise wrap-up, I put 3 of the books on my TBR, really informative!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Hope you enjoy the ones you've noted down 😊
I have I Died At Fallow Hall but haven’t started it yet. Your review definitely made me want to read it very soon! 🙊
Oh fun! You'll have to see if you can guess the unguessable ending 😅
I Died At Fallow Hall sounds like my kind of thing!
I did think of you and Charlie while reading it, for some reason! 😅
Great reviews, I enjoy your insights and take on each book you review. ☺️
Thank you for watching! 🙏
Good Lord by Ella Frears sounds interesting and I forgot about PlaceHolders on my TBR. Great reviews!
Goodlord is great fun - really enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
So impressed it took you as long as it did to change position. As soon as I saw you my back was hurting in sympathy. Ah, youth! The only book I have read is The death of Vivek Oji which I was somewhat disappointed in. I think it was a case of unmet very high expectations based on loads of hype. Just grabbed a copy of I Died at Fallow Hall on Kindle. 🙊
I really need to get back into yoga 🧘
Yeah Vivek Oji does have a lot of love, doesn't it. I really enjoyed it though, and I am excited to read Freshwater at some point soon. I've had that one on my shelf for even longer!
Great reviews, excellently said as your discussions always seem to be - a couple of these are definitely going to be going on my tbr list now too so thank you :) 🐒
Thank you so much for watching - glad you found a few that have piqued your interest!
Great range of books Ben, thank you for facing it and giving your time to it 🦍 🙉🙈🙊 🦍📚
Thank you for watching! ♥️
I see a copy of Betty in the stack behind you. Curious about your thoughts. If you've done a review, I missed it. 🙈
I actually only recently picked it up as I found a copy in my local remainder bookshop, so it was a bargain! Somehow I have managed to acquire all of Tiffany McDaniels’ books but haven’t gotten to them yet 😅
Oh Ben! Biased Kiwi here...I have to say Amma is my best read of the year ❤ it.
But pleased you reviewed it though
Although it’s not like to be a favourite of the year, I did really enjoy it and am glad to have read it. Glad you loved it!
All the Kiwi fiction I’ve read this year has actually been pretty great: Pet, Greta & Valdin, and now Amma! I have Auē and Birnham Wood both in my sights at some point too 😅
@@benreadsgood Yikes ! The only other one of those I've read is Auē (which is also a good read + there's a sequel Kataraina which has just been released) 😊
I enjoyed Vivek Oji. I come from a large Italian family and three of my mother’s uncles were married to first cousins. THREE! And they were all born and raised in the US (the Bronx) to parents originally from Sicily. This was 1920s/1930s. So I don’t find those types of relationships particularly shocking or whatever.
That's so interesting! I think my problem wasn't so much that the relationship was shocking, but that it didn't really add anything meaningful. If it had an important role in the thesis of the book, I'd be all for it, shocking or not.
Still very much enjoyed it though!
Great wrap up!! Glad you now feel unburdened 😂 🐒
A weight off my shoulders!!!
I read There, There recently and had a similar experience with it. I wish there had been fewer characters and I also wish he had taken a lot more time with the powwow section. It’s a shame that a writer who can devastate with a sentence early on finishes with an ending that was less impactful than it should have been. But I still would wholeheartedly recommend it and, for a first novel, it is spectacular.
Agreed, such an impressive debut! I think I could have done with a map for the last bit 😅
@@benreadsgood That would have been useful.
Interested to hear your take on Giovanni’s Room. I personally did not like it that much. 😬
I can see why it might be a bit much for some people, but I was very much in awe at the quality of the writing!
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Saying someone's name when you're talking to them is so rare in real life and so common in poorly written tv! Unfortunate that it's now seeping into books as well. 🙉
It's funny how unusual it is, isn't it! It's not too bad in this book, it was just a bit more often than usual and it stood out to me.
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Snap!
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Love to see your shout out to @kiranreader she's great!
A living legend!
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How did I not know before now that there was an orangutan emoji?!
@@benreadsgood Takes all kinds of us monkeys to make the monkey world 😂
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That one is a real cutie.
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Somehow this is reminding me of the infinite monkeys with infinite typewriters thing 😂
@@benreadsgood Woohoo! I got my emojis right(ish)! If I had a monkey, I'd want it typing Shakespeare.
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