I Can whole-heartedly agree Terry's very British Jaundissed take on Life & Humanity in a fanticy world that is parody of us British Warts & All Hillerious with an underlying look at the human race how to spend a happy number of days
George E wouldn’t that then be the written word? The concept in itself shows how humanity has progressed in both evolution and thought process infinitely further over all the other animal species on Earth.
You might like some of the China Mieville books. The City and the City had its tv adaptation recently though it was a shadow of the book. Also Iain M Banks for his sci fi. Julian Mays many coloured land series. You know Gaiman already but lots of his stuff is good, Stardust is an easier one to read. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is funny in a similar way to hhg2tg
You might like Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake, and Anthony Burgess who was very adventurous in his writing. Check out JG Ballard. For comedy, read Tom Sharpe. My favourite novel by a Canadian writer is "Cabbagetown" by Hugh Garner. Very interesting as always; what novels do Canadian students have to read at high school?
Also by Irvin Welsh is a great book called the acid house, which is short stories but in one story he actually manages to put an acid trip into words and it is so clever. The font changes as do the size and colour of the letters. Great book. Please keep on keeping on, love your work
‘Apatches by Lorenzo Carcaterra’ is still my favourite book I’ve ever read. Lorenzo just has such a vivid way of writing New York is visualised in your head like you yourself have already lived there a few years. Then add on the fresh take on Law & Order (cops forced to retire through injury disability caused through on the job events) coming together reluctantly, yet driven to take down a drug lord they couldn’t touch as regular law enforcement. Plus it’s like a full days read if you’re going through books like you shown.
Name of the Wind is a favourite of mine too! I brought it with from the States to England so I can always reread it. I stumbled upon it in a family owned bookstore back in NYC. They had a table of surprise books all wrapped up and each book had written on the wrapping paper the genre and "if you like" with a list of 3 books that were similar. This one had Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and something else I can't remember so I went with it. When I got home I unwrapped it and easily read it within 4 days its sooooo good! One of my fav surprises :)
I get what you're saying about the "written accent" thing. When I started reading The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, I didn't have a clue what the characters were saying but after a few chapters you get totally tuned in to it.
I decided that if ever a book that I have read and enjoyed ever comes out as a film - don't watch the film - it is 99% of the time a big disappointment. Fine to do it the other way around as the book is always better than the film, so it stands to reason that if you like the film you will love the book. Books I love - Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett, anything by Terry Prattchet , Time traveller's wife (can't remember the author) , The Saving Graces (can't remember the author) , My sister's keeper (do NOT watch the film - it is utter poo) . The Magician series by Raymond E Feist is brill for your fantasy fix.
You may already have heard of it but The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher is an excellent series of books set in a mixture of modern times, fantasy, and mystery/crime. The main character is a wizard in Chicago who advertises himself as a private investigator of the supernatural. Right now there are 15 books in the series so it can look a bit intimidating at first, but each book is pretty much its own story with a broader story developing with the main characters as time goes. The author is working on book 16 right now. The Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher is absolutely fantastic as well. It's a 6-book series.
I think most of the Canadian books brought over could be also be purchased in UK. I rarely read books, I listen to them because I can then "read" walking to work, and travelling.
Just spent an afternoon watching your video's, and am knackered now baking in this room, yea, summers finally arrived, and no air con lol. Really enjoyed the video's I've seen so far, but to hot now to watch anymore, anyway, plus 1 subscriber. tata for now.
You've probably read it bc it is a big best seller but I'd recommend 'Wild Swans'. It's a biography but written as a story about the lives of 3 generations of a chinese family and their trials (mostly) and tribulations. It is somehow both very upsetting yet incredibly moving & inspirational. I suppose if it was just very upsetting it wouldn't do so well! Keep up the good work!
The 'vernacular' style of Trainspotting adds to what is a great read. Mark Twain could capture voices like that, as with the runaway slave Jim in Huck Finn.
Eight million years long is still not long enough to listen to you! You're a very deep, attractive, humorous and intriguing lady and love every video you have made and hope that you stay in the uk for many years to come as us Brits love listening to you
When you were building up to announce 'The Name of the Wind' I was whispering under my breath, she's going to say Patrick Rothfuss...she's going to say Patrick Rothfuss...And you did! The closest author I've found to Patrick Rothfuss is Robin Hobb. She's also a fantastic writer. She has a knack for making even the most trivial of scenes (such as a character buying something from a marketplace) exciting to read. She also makes use of some very cool and intriguing magic systems. The Farseer Trilogy is a great place to start :)
Made a list of some of these I need to check out! My personal favourite has to be The Martian by Andy Weir, one of those rare ones too where the movie actually does the book justice as well!
The Secret History, by Donna Tartt (one of the 90's literary brat pack). Her subsequent work suffered from the 'difficult second album' problem. Secret History is quite (OK, very) dark, touching on some taboo topics, though while not explicity referenced, the implication of what the small group is doing is clearly implied. Genre is difficult to pin down, but I'd say classically based intense psycho-drama, set on an elite New England university campus. Lost count of the number of copies I bought for friends over the years.
I love all the genre books you mentioned, fantasy, crime, horror sci-fi. If you want a fast paced action crime thriller writer I highly recommend Simon Kernick as an author, particularly "Severed" and "Relentless" they are non stop and not too long either, I also read those in just a couple of days. I will definitely check out Patrick Rothfuss and let you know what I think. Great video as always :)
I really liked your description of the use of language in Trainspotting. I would give you a much better grade for it than you gave yourself. (I would also recommend Acid House, also by the same author, same Scottish dialect.) I also want to recommend The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth which has similar unique use of language, this time it is an artificial language meant to approximate the Anglo-Saxon from the period following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is not a real language, but one invented by linguists that you have to press through until it grows on you. You gradually learn to recognize stuff after seeing it in context, an individual is telling his experiences trying to get along in a world ripped apart by war and struggle.
I've never heard of The Demonlogist before. That looks like an awesome book and I'll take a look around for it once this whole social distancing quarantine thing is all over. I bought All The Light We Cannot See when it was released, but I haven't read it yet.
I did not know fight club was a book. Where have I been lol. If you like books that make you think I’d recommend Thinking Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Psychology-Non fiction wise check out "the tyranny of choice" by Renata Salecl. She clearly describes how the socio-economic situation right now affects our experience and how to deal with it. Its quite short too, and not overly academic. If you enjoyed the phonetics of Trainspotting, I'd recommend "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess. It is quite short but deeply engrossing, I think because of the slang you begin to understand whilst reading. And one I'd recommend as a really nice short story that left me feeling glad I'd read it is "Goodbye Tsugumi" by Banana Yoshimoto.
You've mentioned the heat in a few videos, may I suggest that it's the humidity rather than the heat specifically. A hot day after a thunderstorm (which reduces the humidity in the atmosphere) is much more bearable to me than one where the humidity is higher. As far as books go, maybe look up Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell and the rest of it's series if you haven't already.
If you like Sci Fi I woulld highly highly recommend The Expanse series, it's by far and away the best space opera I have ever read, actually one of my favourite book series'. And the TV show for it is pretty incredible too.
I remember you saying you liked "Lord of the Rings"...... another fantasy trilogy I 1st read ages ago is called " the Riftwar Saga" with the 1st in the trilogy called "Magician" by a guy called Raymond E Feist......its a fantastic book that can be read on its own and has lots of original ideas but still is fantasy based, which I also love...oh BTW if you like "funny but clever writing" get any of Terry Pratchett's Diskworld novels.......anyhoo.....tc.
And if you like "funny but what-the-hell-did-I-just-read tier weird writing" try Robert Rankin. IIRC the first of his books I read was Armageddon: The Musical, featuring Elvis Presley and Barry the Time Sprout.
hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy is a must, any book that has a character that travels the universe insulting people in alphabetical order has to be read. Very British, very funny, very short and only 5 books in the trilogy!
Someone else who commented, mentioned Iain M Banks, but looking at the books you've enjoyed here I would actually suggest Iain Banks - they are the same author, but to differentiate the subject matter he used to add "M" for his sci-fi books. The rest of his books are mostly psychological thrilllers (-ish, if you had to give it to a genre) - some can be pretty tough, he got popular around the same time as Irvine Welsh did, maybe a little earlier and they have both shared the phonetic writing style at times. "The Wasp Factory" was his first and is a classic, though possibly might put you off somewhat - which would be a horrible way to get to know him - but something like "The Crow Road" might be a better introduction, it is his broadest from memory.
The Irish writer, Roddy Doyle, also uses a lot of phonetic spelling for speech in his books...fascinating for a non-Irish reader like myself.....as a side note I also really liked the Trainspotting book by irvine Welsh
OK, now given your list above, you have to read Jack Vance's Dying Earth books. Its a series of 4 short books: - The Dying Earth - The Eyes of the Overworld - Cugel's Saga - Rhialto the Marvellous You can find them as a collected edition.
May I recommend Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island and The Road to Little Dribbling which is an anglophile American's view on the British Isles. The books are his travels around the UK but take place 20 years apart. They are light hearted and at times burst out loud funny! They may mean more to a Brit s it is a reflection on British life, but as a relative newcomer you may be able to make some close comparisons. Always enjoy your vlogs.
Adventures and Naps There is "the willows and beyond" where the author kills off all the animals. He does, however, do it in such a sweet way you'd hate it lol
I noticed books in Canada and the USA are so much more expensive than the UK. The Amazon Kindle makes reading so much cheaper, but you do lose out on the joy of an actual physical book.
As someone who has been told its all in my head for years before a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and having to deal with people and doctors who still don't beleive it that book is abhorrent to me. No one can see a headache but beleive people when they say they have one. Who are they to say anything is in someone's head when they are not that person.
Try "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa" by Eugene Sledge. It is about his account of his service in the First Marine Division in the Pacific theater of World War II. His book was part of the basis for the HBO series " The Pacific" Oh and if it;s too hot where you live, go get yourself a window unit air conditioner.
I like your presence and you do a great job at explaining what makes these books interesting and good. I’ve read “Invisible Monsters” a few years ago, and I found it crazy! I like how you are including the psychology books too, I’m big into positive reinforcement and motivation so maybe I’ll check some out 😊 great job! “Brain on Fire” looks interesting!
If you are interested in Fantasy & Crime then I would imagine you have already tried the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, but you may have missed the Alex Verus novels by Benedict Jacka & Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch which are both set in modern day London. If you read ebooks, (my advice is to get a decent size screen ie 10" tablet, so much more enjoyable to read on,) then you may want to try bookbub, which is a website that emails you a daily list of reduced price or free ebooks. In terms of ebooks I would recommend Jonathan Moeller's Cloak Games series, Ghost series & Frostborn Series, (and sequels,) he tends to do omnibus editions collecting 3 books and often a short story together, a good way to get into the series. I would also recommend Michael Anderle's Kurtherian Universe, but be warned, its a huge series of (shortish) books, about 20 just in the initial series alone, lots of spin off series, covering werewolves, vampires, aliens, sci-fi, post apocalypse, fantasy. They publish at least a couple of new books most weeks and they are 99p for the first 24 hours. If you are still suffering with the heat then I would suggest buying yourself a Rosewood Chillax cool pad, maybe about £10 or so depending on availability, different sizes available, no need to freeze or fill with water, lie against it and it will cool you down for a while, put it to one side while its temperature drops and then you can use it again. Works best when the air temperature is maybe 26c or less. Aimed at pets but works well for humans too.
If you prefer the longer read then Robert Jordans Wheel Of Time is worth a look. A series Ive followed for a long time is P.C.Hodgells Chronicles of the Kencyrath, shes been so unlucky with publishers its a relief to see her finally get more books out. If you prefer older sci-fi then I stil think John Varley and his Gaia trilogy (Titan, Wizard & Demon) are well worth a read. Janny Wurts Cycle of Fire is well worth a look as is her Wars of Light and Shadow, another lengthy series. Katherine Kerr's Deverry series weaves a very good story out of multiple lives and reincarnations of the same group of people. Someone else suggested David Gemmels Legend, which is a good book, but I must admit to preferring the Waylander books and of course the John Shannow series, CJ Cherryh is a master of severalk genre's though I tend to read her fantasy stuff, ie the Morgaine Cycle, (4 books), The Paladin is also a good read, as is the Fortress In The Eye Of Time if you like a slower, less obvious read. Julian Mays Saga Of The Exiles for a good fantasy/sci-fi crossover. Stephan Donaldson and Mordants Need (2 book series) although many may prefer his Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, but I always disliked the hero. More recently I was quite taken by Glenn Hall's The Fall, only the one book out at the moment, but its the first book in a long time that reminded me of Alan Garners Weirdstone Of Brisingamen, an old classic.
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. On my 2nd read through, really interesting. My favourite books are my original copies of Lord of the Rings. The smell of old paper and leather bookmarks will never be replaced by technology.
If nonfiction + music + mental illness sounds like something that would be up your alley, I'll suggest Kristin Hersh's _Rat Girl_ (US title, UK: _Paradoxical Undressing_)... 300-odd pages. Honestly I prefer her as a writer these days... but she's also touring the UK right now, and I mean this and next week.
1.) If you like books on health related topics, check out Atul Gawande. He's a surgeon who's trying to change the way the field of medicine approaches things. 2.) The Martian for Sci-fi. The movie is ok but the book is way better. It's more about problem solving than anything else. 3.) I like your channel.
I love books, but not the space they take up - I'm almost all e-books now. However much I load on my Kindle or tablet, it's still exactly the same size and weight! I do miss the nice cover art though, and the ability to show them to friends or in videos like this...
Try Neil Gaimans "Neverwhere", now available in an illustrated version as well as original version. American Gods was very difficult to keep track of but still a great read 😊. The sweaty look has been very much in fashion over the last few summers here in UK. Not sure its better or worse than the soaked to the skin and frozen stiff look though 🤔. Say after me Pal An Yuk 👍. Sorted 😁.
I thought the illustration on Invisible Monsters looked like a frog. I love this video. You really are 3 dimensional. There are tons of channels in this genre and most are trash
James Herbert, Stephen King, and Clive Barker for Horror - Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist for Fantasy - Hugh Cook for Funny Fantasy/Horror - Terry Pratchett for Funny. Stephen Donaldson for a unique category where a man with leprosy is transported to another land from America - a land which may or may not be real, but he is a hero and has magic by virtue of his white gold wedding ring. It is a series of big novels, and the premise sounds terrible, the scope and vision is astounding, it also deals with (Of amputated fingers and divorce among other things) but also how people sacrifice themselves for the greater good, and how a hero can do evil, be forgiven, and find himself again, quite brilliant - as good as Lord of the Rings imo.
I used to love the Stephen Kings like 'Christine', 'Firestarter', 'Salem's Lot' and 'It' but as they were pretty big I'd break them up by reading a shorter Graham Masterton in between like 'The Devils of D-Day', 'The Manitou' and (one of my faves) 'The Pariah'. Muriel Gray did a couple of good books in 'Furnace' and 'The Trickster'. I don't know if you've read any Terry Pratchett but I loved his stuff too. If you're a bit daunted by learning about his 'world' and all its denizens then try 'Good Omens' which was him and Neil Gaiman, set on Earth and basically a re-telling of 'The Omen'. 'Deathwalker' by Patrick Whalen was pretty good and there's a writer called George C Chesboro who wrote books about a dwarf detective called Robert Fredericksen that people called Mongo from his circus days. 'The Beasts of Valhalla' was the first of these I read but it's not the first of the books. When I was a kid I read the original Bond novels. They may not be your thing but 'The Spy Who Loved Me' was well done, told from the woman's point of view. Presently I'm on 'Raising Steam', another Terry Pratchett about the invention of the Railways on his 'Discworld'. There was a sci-fi or fantasy called 'Wool' that was supposed to be very good but I can't remember the author. Did you see 'Trainspotting 2'?
I love that there's just a book sitting on the floor in the background that you didn't even mention What about non-fiction books? I love them! I just started watching The Big Short on Netflix and didn't realise it was by Michael Lewis who wrote Moneyball. I know nothing about baseball but I love it when someone goes against the prevailing wisdom which is what his books are really about. He also wrote The Blind Side, the film about Sandra Bullock adopting a kid and turning him into an American Football player but the book was about how the game evolved in response to a change in strategy.
I've just started reading Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, I'm enjoying it so far! I actually bought it a couple of years ago, but my 'To Read' pile is just too big... For fantasy, I really recommend the Empire Trilogy by Raymond E Feist and Janny Wurts, or for sci-fi the Death's Head trilogy by David Gunn :)
I had no idea what sort of books you were going to talk about, but certainly didn't expect to see Slaughter house 5! Great book, too long since I last read it (or saw the film for that matter). I can't remember who said it about this book but I always remember the quote that to understand the film you need to read the book and if you've read the book, you will hate the film! Must go find a copy of both. Thanks for reminding me about it.
If you're after more suggestions, then I'd recommend the Jack Reacher books. You don't really need to read them in any particular order, as they're pretty much self-contained. They're not to long either.
As a native of Canuckistan - Surprised there's no Douglas Coupland in your list! I'm from UK but love his books - especially Microserfs. Great to hear your recs!
Do you know that " John dies in the end " is a movie too. I've read the book and the movie is a pretty good adaption. Also , if you like psychological books you should check out " The man who mistook his wife for a hat."
Hi, Just realised the film I mentioned has got nothing to do with any of the books you recommend. I happened to be looking through the TV listings just after watching your video and mistakenly associated a film listed with one of your recommended books with wind in the title. Silly me - I really should have checked first!! 😟 Always enjoy your videos, and look forward to what you have to say on Tuesday afternoons.
Hi Alanna, Trainspottin' kin be a wee bit oor the tap, bit ye widnae want tae miss oot bey no reedin it. Feersum Endjinn by Iain M Banks is a bit of sci fi and is written phonetically and I thought was really good. Eight Million Ways To Die by Lawrence Block is one of my favourites from one of my favourite writers. And I'll just assume you have read all of the discworld books by Terry Pratchett. I can't recommend The Stainless Steel Rat series as they probably aren't very good but I love them. And I did write this as I was listening to your reviews so the "Eight million" thing is just weird.
I loved the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins....watched the films first....a few others I love....Papillon, Midnight Express,Roots, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fatherland and anything by Michael Crichton.....
I could suggest plenty of books, as I read literally about 100 per year... but I will suggest a few that were suggested to me, which I might not have tried otherwise... 1) The Time-Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger - made into a film since, but the book is better 2) The Woman In The Fifth, Douglas Kennedy 3) The Potato Factory, Bryce Courtenay - Great as a solo book, but has two sequels 4) The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett - also has two sequels, but a fascinating book in and of itself.
More like a rave than a rant! But thank you for letting us know what kind of books you like. Now I'm on the lookout for anything by David Wong! To add to my library... PS My favourite book is a science fiction novel: Quest for the Future by A.E. Van Vogt. Please read it!
'Slaughterhouse Five'. Great choice. I recommend 'American Pastoral' and 'The Human Stain' by the late, great Philip Roth. Psychology-wise I recommend 'The Compassionate Mind', by Paul Gilbert, which has greatly influenced my work as a psychotherapist.
Having said that I like Patrick Rothfuss as well and agree with the people below saying Terry Pratchett, though I would start at Mort and if you fancy some Space Opera try Iain M Banks's Culture novels, starting with Consider Phelbas, which is not easy to start off but worth staying with
I’ve loved this video and wish it lasted longer. I’ve started reading Ready Player One and can’t stop reading it. Thank you very much for the suggestion 😊 I’ll definitely read more books recommended by you 📚😍
Just seen your video and I'd say try Shaun Messick's Worlds Without End trilogy - it's Sci-Fi but with a religious theme. The author is a Mormon and that shows in his writing but it's still a great sci-fi story with space ships, wormholes, and battles. I've still got to read part 3 yet but I'm buying that next month
Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
hilarious!
I bought the first 4 of those for my girlfriend once.
She didn't like it.
We broke up.
Phew!, sounds like you had a lucky escape!
"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't." My most favourite line ever.
I ask you... "brain the size of a planet" ....and here I am watching You-Tube videos.... :-)
"So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish." 🤣
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is worth looking at.
I Can whole-heartedly agree Terry's very British Jaundissed take on Life & Humanity in a fanticy world that is parody of us British Warts & All Hillerious with an underlying look at the human race how to spend a happy number of days
Books are the best thing ever created by man. Good video.
George E wouldn’t that then be the written word? The concept in itself shows how humanity has progressed in both evolution and thought process infinitely further over all the other animal species on Earth.
The Master and Margarita such a good read. Its an oldie but a goodie. Classic.
Kate Davies yaaaasss!! I’ve only just seen this video and came to the comments to recommend this one. My fave book by far 🐈
Bram Stokers "Dracula" and Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" are timeless classics.
Phillip Pulman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy is a wonderful story.
You might like some of the China Mieville books. The City and the City had its tv adaptation recently though it was a shadow of the book. Also Iain M Banks for his sci fi. Julian Mays many coloured land series. You know Gaiman already but lots of his stuff is good, Stardust is an easier one to read. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is funny in a similar way to hhg2tg
You might like Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake, and Anthony Burgess who was very adventurous in his writing. Check out JG Ballard. For comedy, read Tom Sharpe. My favourite novel by a Canadian writer is "Cabbagetown" by Hugh Garner. Very interesting as always; what novels do Canadian students have to read at high school?
Also by Irvin Welsh is a great book called the acid house, which is short stories but in one story he actually manages to put an acid trip into words and it is so clever. The font changes as do the size and colour of the letters. Great book. Please keep on keeping on, love your work
‘Apatches by Lorenzo Carcaterra’ is still my favourite book I’ve ever read. Lorenzo just has such a vivid way of writing New York is visualised in your head like you yourself have already lived there a few years. Then add on the fresh take on Law & Order (cops forced to retire through injury disability caused through on the job events) coming together reluctantly, yet driven to take down a drug lord they couldn’t touch as regular law enforcement. Plus it’s like a full days read if you’re going through books like you shown.
Name of the Wind is a favourite of mine too! I brought it with from the States to England so I can always reread it. I stumbled upon it in a family owned bookstore back in NYC. They had a table of surprise books all wrapped up and each book had written on the wrapping paper the genre and "if you like" with a list of 3 books that were similar. This one had Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and something else I can't remember so I went with it. When I got home I unwrapped it and easily read it within 4 days its sooooo good! One of my fav surprises :)
I get what you're saying about the "written accent" thing. When I started reading The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, I didn't have a clue what the characters were saying but after a few chapters you get totally tuned in to it.
I decided that if ever a book that I have read and enjoyed ever comes out as a film - don't watch the film - it is 99% of the time a big disappointment. Fine to do it the other way around as the book is always better than the film, so it stands to reason that if you like the film you will love the book. Books I love - Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett, anything by Terry Prattchet , Time traveller's wife (can't remember the author) , The Saving Graces (can't remember the author) , My sister's keeper (do NOT watch the film - it is utter poo) . The Magician series by Raymond E Feist is brill for your fantasy fix.
Just came across this old vid. Would love to see an updated version!
You may already have heard of it but The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher is an excellent series of books set in a mixture of modern times, fantasy, and mystery/crime. The main character is a wizard in Chicago who advertises himself as a private investigator of the supernatural. Right now there are 15 books in the series so it can look a bit intimidating at first, but each book is pretty much its own story with a broader story developing with the main characters as time goes. The author is working on book 16 right now. The Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher is absolutely fantastic as well. It's a 6-book series.
I think most of the Canadian books brought over could be also be purchased in UK. I rarely read books, I listen to them because I can then "read" walking to work, and travelling.
Just spent an afternoon watching your video's, and am knackered now baking in this room, yea, summers finally arrived, and no air con lol.
Really enjoyed the video's I've seen so far, but to hot now to watch anymore, anyway, plus 1 subscriber.
tata for now.
Love the way you say horror _....hoarrrrrrrrr_ - it's like a growl. :D
Love hearing about people's favourite books. Lots to to dig into. Thanks
You've probably read it bc it is a big best seller but I'd recommend 'Wild Swans'. It's a biography but written as a story about the lives of 3 generations of a chinese family and their trials (mostly) and tribulations. It is somehow both very upsetting yet incredibly moving & inspirational. I suppose if it was just very upsetting it wouldn't do so well! Keep up the good work!
I would recommend you try some, Terry Pratchett, Robert Rankin and Tom Holt :)
Love your enthusiasm for literature,love your videos too.
I read Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy and like you said after an hour I had a Scottish accent in my head and could recognise the slang and colloquailisms.
The 'vernacular' style of Trainspotting adds to what is a great read. Mark Twain could capture voices like that, as with the runaway slave Jim in Huck Finn.
If your in kent, take a day trip to Rochester. Loads of second hand book stores as well as biggest 2nd hand book store in England. Also great history.
Eight million years long is still not long enough to listen to you! You're a very deep, attractive, humorous and intriguing lady and love every video you have made and hope that you stay in the uk for many years to come as us Brits love listening to you
When you were building up to announce 'The Name of the Wind' I was whispering under my breath, she's going to say Patrick Rothfuss...she's going to say Patrick Rothfuss...And you did!
The closest author I've found to Patrick Rothfuss is Robin Hobb. She's also a fantastic writer. She has a knack for making even the most trivial of scenes (such as a character buying something from a marketplace) exciting to read. She also makes use of some very cool and intriguing magic systems.
The Farseer Trilogy is a great place to start :)
Made a list of some of these I need to check out! My personal favourite has to be The Martian by Andy Weir, one of those rare ones too where the movie actually does the book justice as well!
The Secret History, by Donna Tartt (one of the 90's literary brat pack). Her subsequent work suffered from the 'difficult second album' problem. Secret History is quite (OK, very) dark, touching on some taboo topics, though while not explicity referenced, the implication of what the small group is doing is clearly implied. Genre is difficult to pin down, but I'd say classically based intense psycho-drama, set on an elite New England university campus. Lost count of the number of copies I bought for friends over the years.
I love all the genre books you mentioned, fantasy, crime, horror sci-fi. If you want a fast paced action crime thriller writer I highly recommend Simon Kernick as an author, particularly "Severed" and "Relentless" they are non stop and not too long either, I also read those in just a couple of days. I will definitely check out Patrick Rothfuss and let you know what I think. Great video as always :)
I really liked your description of the use of language in Trainspotting. I would give you a much better grade for it than you gave yourself. (I would also recommend Acid House, also by the same author, same Scottish dialect.) I also want to recommend The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth which has similar unique use of language, this time it is an artificial language meant to approximate the Anglo-Saxon from the period following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is not a real language, but one invented by linguists that you have to press through until it grows on you. You gradually learn to recognize stuff after seeing it in context, an individual is telling his experiences trying to get along in a world ripped apart by war and struggle.
Geez, i'm so surprised that i have read pretty much all these books and agree with all you are saying! :D
I've never heard of The Demonlogist before. That looks like an awesome book and I'll take a look around for it once this whole social distancing quarantine thing is all over. I bought All The Light We Cannot See when it was released, but I haven't read it yet.
I have been hooked on the Clive Cussler novels, I recommend those to you. Great reads. Love your videos too.
"All my books are in Cana-der", lol :)
I did not know fight club was a book. Where have I been lol. If you like books that make you think I’d recommend Thinking Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Deano 84 your forgetting the 1st rule .
Psychology-Non fiction wise check out "the tyranny of choice" by Renata Salecl. She clearly describes how the socio-economic situation right now affects our experience and how to deal with it. Its quite short too, and not overly academic. If you enjoyed the phonetics of Trainspotting, I'd recommend "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess. It is quite short but deeply engrossing, I think because of the slang you begin to understand whilst reading. And one I'd recommend as a really nice short story that left me feeling glad I'd read it is "Goodbye Tsugumi" by Banana Yoshimoto.
David Peace: The Red Riding Quartet: 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983.
The darkest vision of Britain I think I have ever read.
You've mentioned the heat in a few videos, may I suggest that it's the humidity rather than the heat specifically. A hot day after a thunderstorm (which reduces the humidity in the atmosphere) is much more bearable to me than one where the humidity is higher.
As far as books go, maybe look up Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell and the rest of it's series if you haven't already.
If you like Sci Fi I woulld highly highly recommend The Expanse series, it's by far and away the best space opera I have ever read, actually one of my favourite book series'. And the TV show for it is pretty incredible too.
All houses should be so full of books that to turn a page is to knock the clock off the wall because they're timeless.
I remember you saying you liked "Lord of the Rings"...... another fantasy trilogy I 1st read ages ago is called " the Riftwar Saga" with the 1st in the trilogy called "Magician" by a guy called Raymond E Feist......its a fantastic book that can be read on its own and has lots of original ideas but still is fantasy based, which I also love...oh BTW if you like "funny but clever writing" get any of Terry Pratchett's Diskworld novels.......anyhoo.....tc.
And if you like "funny but what-the-hell-did-I-just-read tier weird writing" try Robert Rankin. IIRC the first of his books I read was Armageddon: The Musical, featuring Elvis Presley and Barry the Time Sprout.
Glenn i second Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, shame he died he had so much more to give.
Pick up a copy of Guards Guards and you'll be hooked.
A darkness at sephanon which I think is the third in that series is one of the best fantasy books I've ever read
hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy is a must, any book that has a character that travels the universe insulting people in alphabetical order has to be read. Very British, very funny, very short and only 5 books in the trilogy!
Impressive! Alanna, I have lots of respect for people who read.
Legend - David Gemmell. Adiamante - L.E. Modesitt Jr. My favs!
Genuinely thought that I was the only one who thought that about the ready player one movie - everyone seems to adore it
Goodreads is good if you want to keep track of what you've been reading, and get recommendations based on that
Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay, but I recommend starting with The Summer Tree, book one of The Fionavar Tapestry
Someone else who commented, mentioned Iain M Banks, but looking at the books you've enjoyed here I would actually suggest Iain Banks - they are the same author, but to differentiate the subject matter he used to add "M" for his sci-fi books. The rest of his books are mostly psychological thrilllers (-ish, if you had to give it to a genre) - some can be pretty tough, he got popular around the same time as Irvine Welsh did, maybe a little earlier and they have both shared the phonetic writing style at times.
"The Wasp Factory" was his first and is a classic, though possibly might put you off somewhat - which would be a horrible way to get to know him - but something like "The Crow Road" might be a better introduction, it is his broadest from memory.
The Irish writer, Roddy Doyle, also uses a lot of phonetic spelling for speech in his books...fascinating for a non-Irish reader like myself.....as a side note I also really liked the Trainspotting book by irvine Welsh
OK, now given your list above, you have to read Jack Vance's Dying Earth books.
Its a series of 4 short books:
- The Dying Earth
- The Eyes of the Overworld
- Cugel's Saga
- Rhialto the Marvellous
You can find them as a collected edition.
May I recommend Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island and The Road to Little Dribbling which is an anglophile American's view on the British Isles. The books are his travels around the UK but take place 20 years apart. They are light hearted and at times burst out loud funny! They may mean more to a Brit s it is a reflection on British life, but as a relative newcomer you may be able to make some close comparisons. Always enjoy your vlogs.
So nice to hear someone talking about books! I have put Patrick Rothfuss and David Wong on my to read list.
I love your videos they are always really interesting and fun keep up the good work love you
I don't know why, but I always imagined Alanna reading Wind in the Willows. She's so sweet it just seemed to fit.
I tried to! But it was sooo boring.. maybe if it had a bit of a murder mystery in it??
Adventures and Naps There is "the willows and beyond" where the author kills off all the animals. He does, however, do it in such a sweet way you'd hate it lol
I noticed books in Canada and the USA are so much more expensive than the UK. The Amazon Kindle makes reading so much cheaper, but you do lose out on the joy of an actual physical book.
As someone who has been told its all in my head for years before a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and having to deal with people and doctors who still don't beleive it that book is abhorrent to me. No one can see a headache but beleive people when they say they have one. Who are they to say anything is in someone's head when they are not that person.
44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith.Absolutely hysterically funny.The Crow Road by Ian Banks.A murder mystery.
Try "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa" by Eugene Sledge. It is about his account of his service in the First Marine Division in the Pacific theater of World War II.
His book was part of the basis for the HBO series " The Pacific"
Oh and if it;s too hot where you live, go get yourself a window unit air conditioner.
This is giving me some great suggestions! I'll be adding them to me Goodreads shelves :)
i read a book a week on average , so thanks for the recommendations, like you if into a story can get through a book in hours
I like your presence and you do a great job at explaining what makes these books interesting and good. I’ve read “Invisible Monsters” a few years ago, and I found it crazy! I like how you are including the psychology books too, I’m big into positive reinforcement and motivation so maybe I’ll check some out 😊 great job! “Brain on Fire” looks interesting!
If you are interested in Fantasy & Crime then I would imagine you have already tried the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, but you may have missed the Alex Verus novels by Benedict Jacka & Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch which are both set in modern day London. If you read ebooks, (my advice is to get a decent size screen ie 10" tablet, so much more enjoyable to read on,) then you may want to try bookbub, which is a website that emails you a daily list of reduced price or free ebooks. In terms of ebooks I would recommend Jonathan Moeller's Cloak Games series, Ghost series & Frostborn Series, (and sequels,) he tends to do omnibus editions collecting 3 books and often a short story together, a good way to get into the series. I would also recommend Michael Anderle's Kurtherian Universe, but be warned, its a huge series of (shortish) books, about 20 just in the initial series alone, lots of spin off series, covering werewolves, vampires, aliens, sci-fi, post apocalypse, fantasy. They publish at least a couple of new books most weeks and they are 99p for the first 24 hours.
If you are still suffering with the heat then I would suggest buying yourself a Rosewood Chillax cool pad, maybe about £10 or so depending on availability, different sizes available, no need to freeze or fill with water, lie against it and it will cool you down for a while, put it to one side while its temperature drops and then you can use it again. Works best when the air temperature is maybe 26c or less. Aimed at pets but works well for humans too.
If you prefer the longer read then Robert Jordans Wheel Of Time is worth a look. A series Ive followed for a long time is P.C.Hodgells Chronicles of the Kencyrath, shes been so unlucky with publishers its a relief to see her finally get more books out. If you prefer older sci-fi then I stil think John Varley and his Gaia trilogy (Titan, Wizard & Demon) are well worth a read. Janny Wurts Cycle of Fire is well worth a look as is her Wars of Light and Shadow, another lengthy series. Katherine Kerr's Deverry series weaves a very good story out of multiple lives and reincarnations of the same group of people. Someone else suggested David Gemmels Legend, which is a good book, but I must admit to preferring the Waylander books and of course the John Shannow series, CJ Cherryh is a master of severalk genre's though I tend to read her fantasy stuff, ie the Morgaine Cycle, (4 books), The Paladin is also a good read, as is the Fortress In The Eye Of Time if you like a slower, less obvious read. Julian Mays Saga Of The Exiles for a good fantasy/sci-fi crossover. Stephan Donaldson and Mordants Need (2 book series) although many may prefer his Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, but I always disliked the hero. More recently I was quite taken by Glenn Hall's The Fall, only the one book out at the moment, but its the first book in a long time that reminded me of Alan Garners Weirdstone Of Brisingamen, an old classic.
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. On my 2nd read through, really interesting.
My favourite books are my original copies of Lord of the Rings. The smell of old paper and leather bookmarks will never be replaced by technology.
If nonfiction + music + mental illness sounds like something that would be up your alley, I'll suggest Kristin Hersh's _Rat Girl_ (US title, UK: _Paradoxical Undressing_)... 300-odd pages. Honestly I prefer her as a writer these days... but she's also touring the UK right now, and I mean this and next week.
Smoke gets in your eyes & From here to eternity by Caitlin Doughty, both amazing reads!
1.) If you like books on health related topics, check out Atul Gawande. He's a surgeon who's trying to change the way the field of medicine approaches things.
2.) The Martian for Sci-fi. The movie is ok but the book is way better. It's more about problem solving than anything else.
3.) I like your channel.
My favorite book is Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It takes place in Scotland Is a fantasy, history, love story. So so good!
If you like super obscure then "Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart is a delight and who's ever heard of "Out of the silence" by Erle Cox?
I recommend the Broken Empire which is a trilogy. Finished it at the beginning of this year, and it is amazing! Dark fantasy/sci-fi with humour :)
I love books, but not the space they take up - I'm almost all e-books now. However much I load on my Kindle or tablet, it's still exactly the same size and weight! I do miss the nice cover art though, and the ability to show them to friends or in videos like this...
I'd recommend the Wheel of Time series (Robert Jordan) or the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb.
Try Neil Gaimans "Neverwhere", now available in an illustrated version as well as original version. American Gods was very difficult to keep track of but still a great read 😊.
The sweaty look has been very much in fashion over the last few summers here in UK. Not sure its better or worse than the soaked to the skin and frozen stiff look though 🤔.
Say after me Pal An Yuk 👍. Sorted 😁.
NAME OF THE WIND! Girl after my own heart!!
Have you seen the UK covers? They’re beautiful IMO.
I haven't but will need to check it out now!
Bugger! I love books and watching this vlog has just broken my Amazon allowance for this month. You have excellent taste in books.
I thought the illustration on Invisible Monsters looked like a frog. I love this video. You really are 3 dimensional. There are tons of channels in this genre and most are trash
James Herbert, Stephen King, and Clive Barker for Horror - Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist for Fantasy - Hugh Cook for Funny Fantasy/Horror - Terry Pratchett for Funny.
Stephen Donaldson for a unique category where a man with leprosy is transported to another land from America - a land which may or may not be real, but he is a hero and has magic by virtue of his white gold wedding ring. It is a series of big novels, and the premise sounds terrible, the scope and vision is astounding, it also deals with (Of amputated fingers and divorce among other things) but also how people sacrifice themselves for the greater good, and how a hero can do evil, be forgiven, and find himself again, quite brilliant - as good as Lord of the Rings imo.
I used to love the Stephen Kings like 'Christine', 'Firestarter', 'Salem's Lot' and 'It' but as they were pretty big I'd break them up by reading a shorter Graham Masterton in between like 'The Devils of D-Day', 'The Manitou' and (one of my faves) 'The Pariah'. Muriel Gray did a couple of good books in 'Furnace' and 'The Trickster'. I don't know if you've read any Terry Pratchett but I loved his stuff too. If you're a bit daunted by learning about his 'world' and all its denizens then try 'Good Omens' which was him and Neil Gaiman, set on Earth and basically a re-telling of 'The Omen'. 'Deathwalker' by Patrick Whalen was pretty good and there's a writer called George C Chesboro who wrote books about a dwarf detective called Robert Fredericksen that people called Mongo from his circus days. 'The Beasts of Valhalla' was the first of these I read but it's not the first of the books. When I was a kid I read the original Bond novels. They may not be your thing but 'The Spy Who Loved Me' was well done, told from the woman's point of view. Presently I'm on 'Raising Steam', another Terry Pratchett about the invention of the Railways on his 'Discworld'. There was a sci-fi or fantasy called 'Wool' that was supposed to be very good but I can't remember the author. Did you see 'Trainspotting 2'?
'IT' is Fantastic. SO much better than the movie or the mini-series!
I love that there's just a book sitting on the floor in the background that you didn't even mention
What about non-fiction books? I love them! I just started watching The Big Short on Netflix and didn't realise it was by Michael Lewis who wrote Moneyball. I know nothing about baseball but I love it when someone goes against the prevailing wisdom which is what his books are really about. He also wrote The Blind Side, the film about Sandra Bullock adopting a kid and turning him into an American Football player but the book was about how the game evolved in response to a change in strategy.
I've just started reading Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, I'm enjoying it so far! I actually bought it a couple of years ago, but my 'To Read' pile is just too big...
For fantasy, I really recommend the Empire Trilogy by Raymond E Feist and Janny Wurts, or for sci-fi the Death's Head trilogy by David Gunn :)
I had no idea what sort of books you were going to talk about, but certainly didn't expect to see Slaughter house 5! Great book, too long since I last read it (or saw the film for that matter). I can't remember who said it about this book but I always remember the quote that to understand the film you need to read the book and if you've read the book, you will hate the film! Must go find a copy of both. Thanks for reminding me about it.
I don't read books because i find the process to be incredibly tedious. So i listen to them. I listen to someone read them for me, like a child.
If you're after more suggestions, then I'd recommend the Jack Reacher books. You don't really need to read them in any particular order, as they're pretty much self-contained. They're not to long either.
Hi Alanna, may I suggest Wuthering Heights? Not an easy read by any means but a great book.
As a native of Canuckistan - Surprised there's no Douglas Coupland in your list! I'm from UK but love his books - especially Microserfs. Great to hear your recs!
Do you know that " John dies in the end " is a movie too. I've read the book and the movie is a pretty good adaption. Also , if you like psychological books you should check out " The man who mistook his wife for a hat."
Hi, Just realised the film I mentioned has got nothing to do with any of the books you recommend. I happened to be looking through the TV listings just after watching your video and mistakenly associated a film listed with one of your recommended books with wind in the title.
Silly me - I really should have checked first!! 😟 Always enjoy your videos, and look forward to what you have to say on Tuesday afternoons.
Hi Alanna,
Trainspottin' kin be a wee bit oor the tap, bit ye widnae want tae miss oot bey no reedin it.
Feersum Endjinn by Iain M Banks is a bit of sci fi and is written phonetically and I thought was really good. Eight Million Ways To Die by Lawrence Block is one of my favourites from one of my favourite writers. And I'll just assume you have read all of the discworld books by Terry Pratchett. I can't recommend The Stainless Steel Rat series as they probably aren't very good but I love them.
And I did write this as I was listening to your reviews so the "Eight million" thing is just weird.
I loved the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins....watched the films first....a few others I love....Papillon, Midnight Express,Roots, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fatherland and anything by Michael Crichton.....
I could suggest plenty of books, as I read literally about 100 per year... but I will suggest a few that were suggested to me, which I might not have tried otherwise...
1) The Time-Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger - made into a film since, but the book is better
2) The Woman In The Fifth, Douglas Kennedy
3) The Potato Factory, Bryce Courtenay - Great as a solo book, but has two sequels
4) The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett - also has two sequels, but a fascinating book in and of itself.
More like a rave than a rant! But thank you for letting us know what kind of books you like. Now I'm on the lookout for anything by David Wong! To add to my library...
PS My favourite book is a science fiction novel: Quest for the Future by A.E. Van Vogt. Please read it!
'Slaughterhouse Five'. Great choice. I recommend 'American Pastoral' and 'The Human Stain' by the late, great Philip Roth. Psychology-wise I recommend 'The Compassionate Mind', by Paul Gilbert, which has greatly influenced my work as a psychotherapist.
Just discovered that 'Brain on Fire' was made into a movie in 2016 it's on netflix in the UK
Just watched the movie, it was really well made,
holy crap, what a thing this young woman went through!!
Having said that I like Patrick Rothfuss as well and agree with the people below saying Terry Pratchett, though I would start at Mort and if you fancy some Space Opera try Iain M Banks's Culture novels, starting with Consider Phelbas, which is not easy to start off but worth staying with
I’ve loved this video and wish it lasted longer. I’ve started reading Ready Player One and can’t stop reading it. Thank you very much for the suggestion 😊 I’ll definitely read more books recommended by you 📚😍
I love books. Thankfully I have a job where I read a lot!
Just seen your video and I'd say try Shaun Messick's Worlds Without End trilogy - it's Sci-Fi but with a religious theme. The author is a Mormon and that shows in his writing but it's still a great sci-fi story with space ships, wormholes, and battles. I've still got to read part 3 yet but I'm buying that next month
Did you read The Silmarilion... now that's a difficult book to read! Good vid!
Ermagherd, absolutely loved this! I watch a lot of booktube, so you are an absolute leg end.
I just bought two books!! Ooh video game reviews! 😀