Could you possibly do a “dear authors: dialogue”? I don’t know if it’s my autism or my social awkwardness but I’m struggling with dialogue. I’d love the community’s opinion on good and bad dialogue!
Dialogue can be difficult especially if you don't process it the same way as NTs do. My only suggestion is that you don't go to far away from awkwardness because it comes across as fake when everyone always has the perfect line just at the perfect time. Its ok if your character is caught off guard and stammers or or says something they realize is "cringy" but can't take it back.
Honestly, I'd look for a couple of things when writing my dialogue. 1. Take into account the setting they inhabit. This can also fall into the type of people they interact with. 2. Their personality should shine when they speak and interact with others. Which leads into character voice (which is actually something I'm still working on). So yeah, summed up: Setting, who they get their influences from when they speak and interact with others, and making sure that you've put enough personality and presence in the character so that when they speak, the reader will know who's speaking, even when there are no names mentioned by the narrator.
God, I’m so jealous. Sadly something like this will most likely never happen to me, because I live in a country where English isn’t the native language so I don’t think Sanderson will ever come in a bookshop and sign books
Honestly, I would love that video jejeje or...tips to improve the experience, like when she says that we should try to read Rebecca as a Domestic Thriller; that really helped me to love it jajaja 😅
I'm curious if the people who didn't like it actually finished it. Because it is definitely slow developing, but the endings are just amazing. You get huge payoffs from all that slow development. I'm super glad merphey recommended it, since it's one I probably wouldn't have found otherwise.
Merphy recommending Best Served Cold before the first law trilogy *sits back and watches the first law fans screech in horror* They're going to demand your boots because they are offend
I am almost done with my first read through off Lies of Locke Lamora and I’m absolutely loving it. It did take me a little effort to push past the beginning, but not as long as some other books I’ve read. The flashbacks however, I don’t mind at all. I can see how some people might not like them because they tend to occur during the parts of the present that really start to suck you into the story, but that doesnt feel too much different than when a book switches pov’s at a very annoying time so I can deal with it.
For anyone interested in The Only Good Indians definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings in Goodreads especially if you’re sensitive to animal/pet-related horror. It’s pivotal to the story and not something you can skim so it can be good to know what you’re going into!
I LOVE that you read books with darker themes. It’s actually the main reason you’re my favorite Booktuber to watch! I’ll read anything if someone suggests me a book, but if I’m picking on my own, I lean hard toward horror. It’s difficult to find really watchable Booktubers that like darker books (or at least, I haven’t come across a bunch), so I appreciate it!
The idea for this video is great.. it should be a constant for every year, just like the favorites videos, and I can even see them getting a lot better when people learn to give more information on their reasons.
This is odd to me. Speaking as a mom, books are super easy to buy, wrap, and stick under the tree. Why be mad? What are these moms hoping you'll ask for??? I don't get it.
@@kathleenbrashier2579 Probably just because they want them to have a little fun or whatever. I'm sure these moms don't really mind but just kinda wish they would be more 'childish'. They just don't understand this is their version of *fun*
that ad 😆 great video idea! I remember DNFing Lies of Locke Lamora when I was a baby fantasy reader because the writing style was too overhelming. But then I gave it another shot and couldn't believe I had DNFed it and I just fell in love with the whole series and I can't wait for the 4th book!!
Priory is a really good rec for a classic fantasy with women in it (or just a fantasy in general). I personsally loved it so much, mainly because of the way myths, religon, and history were intertwined and remembered differently by different cultures. I thought it was so fascinating! Plus the main romance is one of my favourits
You touched on an important topic of reading books about nuanced characters. I have noticed that there is a disdain towards books where the characters are not "unproblematic" in every way. While I understand the desire to promote positive role models, it is not the reason why so many of us choose to read books. Give me all of the morally gray characters and unhappy endings! For me, it is a way to cope with reality and understand the complexity of human themes.
My heart literally jumped when you said "Theft of Swords"!! Just remember the story gets more in depth and entangled as you go through the series, and has amazing characters and growth!
@@tejasdeepsingh456 it's from the first avengers. Captain America says he understands a reference Iron Man made because he usually doesn't, seeing as he was frozen for eighty years lol
@OnThisSideoftheSky yo I DIED laughing at that lol like they was in mid conversation about something else and Pattern was like "Ooohh I understand now." NOOO MATING. Little 🐔 block lol. THAT and when Syl gets jealous at other spren for coming anywhere near Cal lol
@@tejasdeepsingh456 If you were talking about "I am offend" part, it's from a scene of the second book of the Stormlight Archive were Shallan is faking being an offended foreigner and end up saying "I am offend ! apology with boots."
“...I mean he’s layered. There’s layers to him.” 😂 Yes, this video helped! I appreciate that you decided to tackle some perspectives that are not your own and even some that you don’t agree with. That makes for a more well rounded reader, writer, and booktuber. And yes, as always, this was enjoyable. I pulled up my GoodReads while your video was playing and added some more books to my TBR and “My Merph List” haha That commercial was probably one of the best ones you’ve done! Cory behind the fan 😂 #CottonCandyClouds Loved this video! Keep ‘em comin’!
For the wuthering heights recommendation “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover deals with the cycle abuse but definitely has discussion within the book and outside the book! 10/10 recommend if you like hard hitting adult contemporary and romance
Yours & Daniel Greene's tastes resonate with me so much. Which is why I've been looking forward to your thoughts on 2 of my favorite fantasy series for so long: 'His Dark Materials' & the 'Bartimaeus' sequence (especially the proper trilogy). Hope you see this Ma'am!
On the top of LOVING a book you recommended: just finished Skyward (absolutely FLEW through it) and I loved every second of it and already got the sequel 😍 thanks so much for bringing Spensa (and M-Bot) into my life 👏🏻
I dnf lies of locke about 5 years ago - listening to you and Daniels reviews love for this book makes me want to give it another try. I think I will try audible this time.
Hi Merphy. I love your channel. Thanks to you I found Bachman, Scott Lynch and Daphne Du Maurier. So far I have loved every single recommendation of yours that I have picked up. Loved the yellow wallpaper. I am so glad you read A deal of a lifetime. It is one of my favourite Bachman stories. I would love to hear what you thought about it. If you can maybe do an in-depth review I would love it! Thanks for everything. You are amazing. Keep doing what you are doing!
Your presence on camera, especially in these last videos, is so engaging! I watched the whole ad at the end and was smiling the whole way through. :D You have such a contagious passion for books, and I've been reading much more this year than any year before because of you! I've read Rebecca in October and loved it so much! I actually felt a lot of compassion for the main character (but yeah, she's insane xD). The dynamic between her and her husband was very interesting - and sickening - to analyze. The depth of Du Maurier's characters blew my mind and they made the whole plot fall perfectly into place. We don't always have the same tastes (or I should say point of view), obviously (for example, Wuthering Heights clumsily explored abuse in my opinion - for knowing first hand what true abuse and trauma look like, the way Heathcliff was written didn't feel real or credible to me :/ Emile Zola, a famous French writer I love, managed it way better) but most books you recommend work very well for me. :) So I will closely follow that amazing list. I've only read (and loved) three of these: The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Alice in Wonderland. I've heard about Carmilla and I'm very intrigued. Have an amazing week-end and thank you for your videos, they are always delightful to watch! ❤️
I hope you'll like The Magicians. I don't normally do hate-read, but that book was impossible for me as I don't dnf books. Anyway, the video was so full of positivity considering the subject.
The magicians if one of the few books I’ve ever DNF.. The chapter on them flying as ducks ( was it geese ?) had my scratching my head and ready to quit but the fox sex and the house orgies were a Nope for me.. nope nope nope
I just finished this book, and I have to say that I enjoyed the show more. The pacing is really strange in the book. Ultimately, I think it's less about magic and more about growing up and depression.
If you ever decide to do this video again I think doing it where we have more room to explain what we liked and didn’t like would be great! Love the video and it’s such a great concept!
I didn’t enjoy Lies of Locke Lamora much, but the parts I did enjoy were all the interludes. I just finished Red Seas Under Red Skies though, and I enjoyed the whole thing. Looking forward to continuing the series.
Merphy I like dark theme stories also. I like them because they have realism ( even thought they are fictional stories). To me dark themed stories have a lot more freedom to explore human emotions and ask the reader some hard questions,it puts us readers in or make us choose some hard choices they ask the questions what would you do if you were in the character shoes in the stories that your reading. Besides in a well written dark themed books, the protagonist I remember them the most and they left an impact on me the most. Anime like Grave of the fireflies, A Silent Voice, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas etc. Puts me into such wirldwind of emotions and I love them.
Merphy, you should totally read Crazy Rich Asians!!! It’s similar to Jane Austen books in the sense that it’s a romance that has a lot of commentary on wealthy Asian (rather than English) society. It’s contemporary, which might work for people who don’t like Jane Austen and are looking for a modern story with contemporary prose.
I love your sweater! Reminds me of the purple and white edition Lies of Locke Lamora. This is a really good video too, my taste is pretty much the same as yours anyways, but I hope this will help people!
Hey Merph, I have the same preference over books facilitating, rather than making you read social commentary. I don't think books do well when they overtly criticize something that's obviously bad, I feel hit over the head and it makes me think the author expects me to be a complete idiot who cannot draw her own conclusions! I really loved for e.g. "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro, but that book never sits you down to explain what it's about. Still, it was very satisfying to figure the metaphors out (especially since they weren't overtly hidden). Also, out of the modern writers, Rebecca Makkai also does a good job clarifying at the end what the book was about without actually telling you what you should think (all her characters are flawed, ergo human)
Please more diverse books from people of color in your recommendations. I really like your channel and the way you talk about books.I would love more discussions about them and learning your favorite ones too.
Loved the video Merphy! You added too many books to my tbr 😂 Also I'm watching Avatar the last airbender season 3 and it's amazing and I can't wait to finish it and watch all your videos related to it 😂♥
For Epic Fantasy with an expansive world and a lot of female characters, I'd recommend the Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliot. I've only read the first two books, but man this is becoming a new favorite for me; so good!
Back in March I picked up The Goldfinch (I like reading books with movies that i want to see) and it was honestly great. I’ve been searching and waiting for my favorite booktubers to read and review it I’d love to hear your thoughts
The Eli Monpress series was/is grossly mis-marketed with their initial book covers and it's a tragedy. It's a fantastic series about a magical thief and a great recommendation for fans of those tropes.
The Magicians is so polarizing and it’s easy to see why even though I love the books. The first book is just maybe the worst possible entry into a series that I can think of, there’s a lot to hate. BUT if you can find enough that you like about it to keep going, the second book was *chefs kiss* for me.
If you like the Yellow Wallpaper mainly because of the feminist lens... I recommend Herland. It's a really fascinating exploration of what could (not really but theoretically) happen in a land where men were... unnecessary. It's not creepy or dark, but it's still really compelling as you learn more about this strange land.
Hi Merphy! I am not a writer, but I really enjoyed watching your last Dear Authors video on emotions. I felt that you accurately captured how I feel sometimes. was thinking last night that you should do a Dear Authors...Deaths, because you can do them right or wrong. I personally have strong feelings about how deaths are to be done.
@@elizabethbuerke7854 I loved Peter and the starcatchers because of that very reason, and no one knew of its existence when I was reading it so thank you for confirming it was not a fever dream of mine
While _Carmilla_ (1872) is one of the vampire classics, I believe the first vampire novel was, at least in English, John Polidori's _The Vampyre_ (1819). He and Mary Shelley wrote their books while having a vacation in Lord Byron's cottage. That is one of my favourite moments in history.
I just picked up Peter Pan off of your recommendation and I’m really enjoying it! So far out of all the classic children’s fantasy I have read, Neverland is my favorite world. Although Oz and Wonderland are close seconds
The first western Vampire Short story/pulp/Novella was actually Lord Byron’s The Vampyre (1819). Then came Varney the Vampire (1847). THEN came Carmilla (1872). She’s the first female and lesbian Vampire as recorded in modern fiction, I believe.
Actually Lord Byron didn't write it. Look up John Polidori. He was Byron's personal physician. He actually ended up taking his own life after years of trying to get credit for his own story. 😞
In Ove, Backman tends to use two words where another writer might search for and find the one right word. It works for him, I think, and maybe his other stories are different. Thx Merph, enjoyed.
I loved the Lies of Locke Lamora but it totally made me think of a grown up version of the Thief Lord. So it could be a different option, though it is worth remembering it's a kids book.
Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, while good, is a slower paced book. I'd suggest starting with his novel An Artist of the Floating World first to get an idea of his writing style. It has a similar story line (a man coming to terms with where his life and choices have led him) but there is a bit more going so it's a bit better if you found Austen too slow. His novel Never Let Me Go is also amazing but very different from Austen.
I think The Vampyre by Polidori is the first Vampire story. It came out of the same weekend telling ghost stories at the Villa Diodati that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein did. At least in English. Thanks for the recommendations again though. Dangerous for the wallet though. Also, have you read any Georgette Heyer? She was a popular English writer - perhaps still is - who wrote lots of Regency based romance. I read 'Venetia' on the recommendation of a friend and found it - with one early problematic scene aside - a fantastically enjoyable read and Venetia herself is a fantastic character.
Indeed, Vampyr, by Polidori is the earliest vampire novel, and Varney the Vampire, by Thomas Peckett Prest also predates le Fanu's Carmilla. Your comment deserves more upvotes.
For the person who disliked Jane Austen, try The Semi-Attached Couple by Emily Eden. She was a fan of Austen, so she discusses similar themes. It's been a while since I read it, but from what I remember, the book has a digestible writing style.
I'm interested what you'll think of The Magicians, I had to read it for a class recently and I have... Thoughts about it that I won't speak about until you've read it.
I heard the Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu is a really good. I haven't read it myself yet but I'm planning on really soon. I believe it's about Mozart's sister.
I'm not entirely sure where the line between magical realism and urban fantasy is, but some of my faves in that area are: Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P. Jones (absurdist horror, that's also a philosophical/theological discussion) Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak. and Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz (incredibly dark and disturbing, I encourage you to look up content warnings).
Loved it ❤️❤️ I guess the reason why people said Cursed child or ACOTAR could be because you also said to mention the book you hate. I'm sure they didn't want to offend you 🤣🤣
I kinda wanna point that person that said Peter Pan is an evil brat towards Lost Boy by Christina Henry which is about when Captain Hook was a lost boy and how he grew to hate Peter Pan. And I really like this retelling partly because he is portrayed as an evil brat. And it is fantastic.
Definitely read a picture of dorian gray! Oscar Wilde is amazing and he was a wonderful gay man who was persecuted for his eccentricities. With that extra insight I'm sure you can get a lot more out of his stories
I have been wanting to read the Wayward Children books... I also picked up the Lunar Chronicles and A Curse So Dark and Lonely a while back to try but just haven't gotten to them yet
Also wondering if we could get a video discussing your favorite short stories &/or short story collections? I'm not sure if you've done one in the past, but I'd love to know you're thoughts
Carmilla isn't the first novel, but a lot of the subsequent vampire lore borrows from it and Dracula. Check out Maven of the Eventide youtube channel if you're into vampire stuff! She has even a series of videos in which she reads Carmilla out loud.
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I went from hating books to buying 10 books on Amazon in 4 days because of merphy and daniel greene
We are in the exact same situation. I'm not even exaggerating. I bought 6 books in one day because of Merphy and Daniel 😂
@@Eyyytv It's crazy, isn't it?
Rest of booktube : like everything we like.
Merphy and Daniel: Well yes but no...
Same! (More Merph than Daniel for me though haha) I went from reading 0 books to about 6 books a month! 📚❤️👍🏼
@@daniel_arevalo_6490 I'm reading theft of swords because of Daniel.
"Do you think I like books like these? A Court of Thorns and Roses? I'm offended. I'm insulted".
I've never loved you more. 😂😂
That is honestly one of the trashiest book ever. ( my opinion)
@@shreyam9958 and her other book (which is ever trashier) just won goodreads choice award. Go figure.
Could you possibly do a “dear authors: dialogue”? I don’t know if it’s my autism or my social awkwardness but I’m struggling with dialogue. I’d love the community’s opinion on good and bad dialogue!
As someone who wants to write dialogue centered books, I second this!
Agreed - I find dialogue to be the most intimidating thing to write. Merphy gives such great advice in those “Dear authors...” videos ♥️
Dialogue can be difficult especially if you don't process it the same way as NTs do. My only suggestion is that you don't go to far away from awkwardness because it comes across as fake when everyone always has the perfect line just at the perfect time. Its ok if your character is caught off guard and stammers or or says something they realize is "cringy" but can't take it back.
Honestly, I'd look for a couple of things when writing my dialogue. 1. Take into account the setting they inhabit. This can also fall into the type of people they interact with. 2. Their personality should shine when they speak and interact with others. Which leads into character voice (which is actually something I'm still working on). So yeah, summed up: Setting, who they get their influences from when they speak and interact with others, and making sure that you've put enough personality and presence in the character so that when they speak, the reader will know who's speaking, even when there are no names mentioned by the narrator.
@@thebraydenchannel78 no I understand character voice. That’s not what I struggle with. I struggle with being relatable to allistics
"Sir! Do you think I like this book!?!?!"
Haha I'm dead
The Lord of the Rings may not have many female characters, but they are all amazing, smart, strong, kick-ass types. I love them.
I know that’s what I was thinking. Especially for the time it came out. Also, Eowyn kills the Witch King. How bad ass is that!?
@@Superchild88 Exactly!
I love that the most offending message to you was not one not liking a book you liked but rather one that assumes you like the cursed child :D
I got lucky and looked at Skyward at my local book store and found out Sanderson had stopped by and signed a few copies.
God, I’m so jealous. Sadly something like this will most likely never happen to me, because I live in a country where English isn’t the native language so I don’t think Sanderson will ever come in a bookshop and sign books
@@booklover462 Sanderson done this in Czech republic, when he was on set of WOT. So there is still hope 🖤
"Explain to you why your wrong" lol 😆😆
"you are"
Honestly, I would love that video jejeje or...tips to improve the experience, like when she says that we should try to read Rebecca as a Domestic Thriller; that really helped me to love it jajaja 😅
I was so ready for I though I was like “oh so you lied to us! I LIKE THIS TOO!”
Now I'm even more interested in reading Gentlemen Bastards.
its so good :D
I'm curious if the people who didn't like it actually finished it. Because it is definitely slow developing, but the endings are just amazing. You get huge payoffs from all that slow development. I'm super glad merphey recommended it, since it's one I probably wouldn't have found otherwise.
This really is quite hilarious with you trying not to argue why your fave are not what your subscribers are saying :)
Merphy recommending Best Served Cold before the first law trilogy
*sits back and watches the first law fans screech in horror*
They're going to demand your boots because they are offend
“HEY , SAY YOUR LINES” 😂😂😂 ... I was in a bad mood, and this cheered me up.
True go into Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde blind if possible when I read it last year I kept wishing I had not been spoiled by cultural osmosis.
I am almost done with my first read through off Lies of Locke Lamora and I’m absolutely loving it. It did take me a little effort to push past the beginning, but not as long as some other books I’ve read. The flashbacks however, I don’t mind at all. I can see how some people might not like them because they tend to occur during the parts of the present that really start to suck you into the story, but that doesnt feel too much different than when a book switches pov’s at a very annoying time so I can deal with it.
For anyone interested in The Only Good Indians definitely recommend checking out the trigger warnings in Goodreads especially if you’re sensitive to animal/pet-related horror. It’s pivotal to the story and not something you can skim so it can be good to know what you’re going into!
Yeah that's why I don't think it's appropriate to recommend books a person hasn't read
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is awesome! I just recently read it.
I LOVE that you read books with darker themes. It’s actually the main reason you’re my favorite Booktuber to watch! I’ll read anything if someone suggests me a book, but if I’m picking on my own, I lean hard toward horror. It’s difficult to find really watchable Booktubers that like darker books (or at least, I haven’t come across a bunch), so I appreciate it!
Also, you love and hate the same tropes as me haha
Surprised you didn't plug Mistborn as a fantasy heist novel alternative to LoLL.
oh wow. What was I thinking?
@@merphynapier42 Somewhat related, I think you'll love Sullivan's Riyria Chronicles when you get around to them.
Hi! I'm Brazilian and I love your videos! Thanks for CC, they help me so much with English.
The idea for this video is great.. it should be a constant for every year, just like the favorites videos, and I can even see them getting a lot better when people learn to give more information on their reasons.
My mom is mad that i only want books and tbr cart for Christmas
So is mine. Except she's angry that I only want books for my birthday
same tho
@@merphynapier42 💀💀
This is odd to me. Speaking as a mom, books are super easy to buy, wrap, and stick under the tree. Why be mad? What are these moms hoping you'll ask for??? I don't get it.
@@kathleenbrashier2579 Probably just because they want them to have a little fun or whatever. I'm sure these moms don't really mind but just kinda wish they would be more 'childish'. They just don't understand this is their version of *fun*
that ad 😆
great video idea! I remember DNFing Lies of Locke Lamora when I was a baby fantasy reader because the writing style was too overhelming. But then I gave it another shot and couldn't believe I had DNFed it and I just fell in love with the whole series and I can't wait for the 4th book!!
Priory is a really good rec for a classic fantasy with women in it (or just a fantasy in general). I personsally loved it so much, mainly because of the way myths, religon, and history were intertwined and remembered differently by different cultures. I thought it was so fascinating! Plus the main romance is one of my favourits
You touched on an important topic of reading books about nuanced characters. I have noticed that there is a disdain towards books where the characters are not "unproblematic" in every way. While I understand the desire to promote positive role models, it is not the reason why so many of us choose to read books. Give me all of the morally gray characters and unhappy endings! For me, it is a way to cope with reality and understand the complexity of human themes.
My heart literally jumped when you said "Theft of Swords"!! Just remember the story gets more in depth and entangled as you go through the series, and has amazing characters and growth!
Merphy: "I am offend"
Me (a new reader): I understood that reference!
(Sad part is that she probably won't understand mines lol)
Captain America has some pretty nice boots.
I don't
@@tejasdeepsingh456 it's from the first avengers. Captain America says he understands a reference Iron Man made because he usually doesn't, seeing as he was frozen for eighty years lol
@OnThisSideoftheSky yo I DIED laughing at that lol like they was in mid conversation about something else and Pattern was like "Ooohh I understand now." NOOO MATING. Little 🐔 block lol. THAT and when Syl gets jealous at other spren for coming anywhere near Cal lol
@@tejasdeepsingh456 If you were talking about "I am offend" part, it's from a scene of the second book of the Stormlight Archive were Shallan is faking being an offended foreigner and end up saying "I am offend ! apology with boots."
“...I mean he’s layered. There’s layers to him.” 😂 Yes, this video helped! I appreciate that you decided to tackle some perspectives that are not your own and even some that you don’t agree with. That makes for a more well rounded reader, writer, and booktuber. And yes, as always, this was enjoyable. I pulled up my GoodReads while your video was playing and added some more books to my TBR and “My Merph List” haha
That commercial was probably one of the best ones you’ve done! Cory behind the fan 😂 #CottonCandyClouds
Loved this video! Keep ‘em comin’!
For the wuthering heights recommendation “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover deals with the cycle abuse but definitely has discussion within the book and outside the book! 10/10 recommend if you like hard hitting adult contemporary and romance
I was gonna recommend this too! Such a good book to talk about that kind of abuse. It has the author's explanation at the end too.
I tend to like all of your favorites, so thank you for all your recs. 💖
Totally agree about Anxious People. I’m quite similar to you but I did really enjoy how Backman involved the reader.
Yours & Daniel Greene's tastes resonate with me so much. Which is why I've been looking forward to your thoughts on 2 of my favorite fantasy series for so long: 'His Dark Materials' & the 'Bartimaeus' sequence (especially the proper trilogy). Hope you see this Ma'am!
5:40 got me laughing hard; spicy Merphy is always great.
LOL. That ending meme was perfect. I love when you use those at the end of your videos. They're always so cute! :)
On the top of LOVING a book you recommended: just finished Skyward (absolutely FLEW through it) and I loved every second of it and already got the sequel 😍 thanks so much for bringing Spensa (and M-Bot) into my life 👏🏻
I wanted to read Bachman. Because you’re so in love. But I don’t like to leave fantasy anymore when I read.
Try reading The Way Home gets Longer and Longer by Backman.
It feels very fantasy since most of it was held in an old man's mind.
I dnf lies of locke about 5 years ago - listening to you and Daniels reviews love for this book makes me want to give it another try. I think I will try audible this time.
The characters of Wayward children made fun of Narnia and I gotta say it hurt my heart. So...now I'm revisiting Narnia and I am so happy to be there
Hi Merphy. I love your channel. Thanks to you I found Bachman, Scott Lynch and Daphne Du Maurier. So far I have loved every single recommendation of yours that I have picked up. Loved the yellow wallpaper. I am so glad you read A deal of a lifetime. It is one of my favourite Bachman stories. I would love to hear what you thought about it. If you can maybe do an in-depth review I would love it! Thanks for everything. You are amazing. Keep doing what you are doing!
I have a review for it going up next week!
@@merphynapier42 Cant wait!
Your presence on camera, especially in these last videos, is so engaging! I watched the whole ad at the end and was smiling the whole way through. :D
You have such a contagious passion for books, and I've been reading much more this year than any year before because of you! I've read Rebecca in October and loved it so much! I actually felt a lot of compassion for the main character (but yeah, she's insane xD). The dynamic between her and her husband was very interesting - and sickening - to analyze. The depth of Du Maurier's characters blew my mind and they made the whole plot fall perfectly into place.
We don't always have the same tastes (or I should say point of view), obviously (for example, Wuthering Heights clumsily explored abuse in my opinion - for knowing first hand what true abuse and trauma look like, the way Heathcliff was written didn't feel real or credible to me :/ Emile Zola, a famous French writer I love, managed it way better) but most books you recommend work very well for me. :) So I will closely follow that amazing list. I've only read (and loved) three of these: The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Alice in Wonderland. I've heard about Carmilla and I'm very intrigued.
Have an amazing week-end and thank you for your videos, they are always delightful to watch! ❤️
Priory of the Orange Tree is one of my new favorite books after reading it this year! What a great book!
Part of me likes to think the Cursed Child comment was made by someone who just wanted to see Merphy rant about it again :-P
I hope you'll like The Magicians. I don't normally do hate-read, but that book was impossible for me as I don't dnf books. Anyway, the video was so full of positivity considering the subject.
The magicians if one of the few books I’ve ever DNF.. The chapter on them flying as ducks ( was it geese ?) had my scratching my head and ready to quit but the fox sex and the house orgies were a Nope for me.. nope nope nope
I just finished this book, and I have to say that I enjoyed the show more. The pacing is really strange in the book. Ultimately, I think it's less about magic and more about growing up and depression.
If you ever decide to do this video again I think doing it where we have more room to explain what we liked and didn’t like would be great! Love the video and it’s such a great concept!
Does anyone else want to know where Merphy's shirt is from? Just me? 😅
Same! It's gorgeous.
If I had to guess, it's from tentree. They sell very similar sweaters.
I tried to love lies of locke lamora but it just wasn't for me. I wanted to love it because you love it so much Merph but I couldn't 😂😂
I didn’t enjoy Lies of Locke Lamora much, but the parts I did enjoy were all the interludes. I just finished Red Seas Under Red Skies though, and I enjoyed the whole thing. Looking forward to continuing the series.
Remains of the Day is incredible! Looking forward to your thoughts on it one you read it.
Merphy I like dark theme stories also. I like them because they have realism ( even thought they are fictional stories). To me dark themed stories have a lot more freedom to explore human emotions and ask the reader some hard questions,it puts us readers in or make us choose some hard choices they ask the questions what would you do if you were in the character shoes in the stories that your reading. Besides in a well written dark themed books, the protagonist I remember them the most and they left an impact on me the most.
Anime like Grave of the fireflies, A Silent Voice, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas etc. Puts me into such wirldwind of emotions and I love them.
Another great school setting is A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, it’s phenomenal.
Merphy, you should totally read Crazy Rich Asians!!! It’s similar to Jane Austen books in the sense that it’s a romance that has a lot of commentary on wealthy Asian (rather than English) society. It’s contemporary, which might work for people who don’t like Jane Austen and are looking for a modern story with contemporary prose.
I love your sweater! Reminds me of the purple and white edition Lies of Locke Lamora. This is a really good video too, my taste is pretty much the same as yours anyways, but I hope this will help people!
Lol. That ad!! I added a few new books to my tbr. Woot!
Hey Merph, I have the same preference over books facilitating, rather than making you read social commentary. I don't think books do well when they overtly criticize something that's obviously bad, I feel hit over the head and it makes me think the author expects me to be a complete idiot who cannot draw her own conclusions! I really loved for e.g. "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro, but that book never sits you down to explain what it's about. Still, it was very satisfying to figure the metaphors out (especially since they weren't overtly hidden). Also, out of the modern writers, Rebecca Makkai also does a good job clarifying at the end what the book was about without actually telling you what you should think (all her characters are flawed, ergo human)
Please more diverse books from people of color in your recommendations. I really like your channel and the way you talk about books.I would love more discussions about them and learning your favorite ones too.
Loved the video Merphy! You added too many books to my tbr 😂 Also I'm watching Avatar the last airbender season 3 and it's amazing and I can't wait to finish it and watch all your videos related to it 😂♥
The Eli Monpress books are fantastic; you won't be disappointed
The cover of foundryside is so cool!!! And it sounds good too!
For Epic Fantasy with an expansive world and a lot of female characters, I'd recommend the Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliot. I've only read the first two books, but man this is becoming a new favorite for me; so good!
Back in March I picked up The Goldfinch (I like reading books with movies that i want to see) and it was honestly great. I’ve been searching and waiting for my favorite booktubers to read and review it I’d love to hear your thoughts
The Eli Monpress series was/is grossly mis-marketed with their initial book covers and it's a tragedy. It's a fantastic series about a magical thief and a great recommendation for fans of those tropes.
The Magicians is so polarizing and it’s easy to see why even though I love the books. The first book is just maybe the worst possible entry into a series that I can think of, there’s a lot to hate. BUT if you can find enough that you like about it to keep going, the second book was *chefs kiss* for me.
If you like the Yellow Wallpaper mainly because of the feminist lens... I recommend Herland. It's a really fascinating exploration of what could (not really but theoretically) happen in a land where men were... unnecessary. It's not creepy or dark, but it's still really compelling as you learn more about this strange land.
how did she not recommend six of crows its so good and also a hiest
Hi Merphy! I am not a writer, but I really enjoyed watching your last Dear Authors video on emotions. I felt that you accurately captured how I feel sometimes. was thinking last night that you should do a Dear Authors...Deaths, because you can do them right or wrong. I personally have strong feelings about how deaths are to be done.
Amazing as always! Can you make a part two? I have one: Peter Pan but Peter wasn't dark ENOUGH
I like dark characters haha :D can anyone recommend me a book (no fantasy) that has very dark characters?
@@annukkamakelainen1158 read books by Stephen King.
If you want to read a darker version of Peter Pan, read the Peter and the Starcatchers series. It is great and makes Peter Pan a bit scarier.
@@elizabethbuerke7854 I loved Peter and the starcatchers because of that very reason, and no one knew of its existence when I was reading it so thank you for confirming it was not a fever dream of mine
The "I am insulted I am offend" was a lol. Great video 😊
While _Carmilla_ (1872) is one of the vampire classics, I believe the first vampire novel was, at least in English, John Polidori's _The Vampyre_ (1819). He and Mary Shelley wrote their books while having a vacation in Lord Byron's cottage. That is one of my favourite moments in history.
Oooh, this should be fun as we have such different tastes in books! 😁
every video Merphy has the best style. im so jelly of her tops you can call me a freakin trifle
lol I always love your ad part of your videos. You and Cory (hope I spelled that right) are so fun to see on screen even if it's just for a second. :)
I just picked up Peter Pan off of your recommendation and I’m really enjoying it! So far out of all the classic children’s fantasy I have read, Neverland is my favorite world. Although Oz and Wonderland are close seconds
Great selection, Merphy!
I love this video and how much work you put into it!
The first western Vampire Short story/pulp/Novella was actually Lord Byron’s The Vampyre (1819). Then came Varney the Vampire (1847).
THEN came Carmilla (1872). She’s the first female and lesbian Vampire as recorded in modern fiction, I believe.
Actually Lord Byron didn't write it. Look up John Polidori. He was Byron's personal physician. He actually ended up taking his own life after years of trying to get credit for his own story. 😞
@@aliciasorenson3807 That's very interesting. I'll look into it.
This is an awesome concept. Good work
For Wuthering Heights, Anne of Green Gables makes the characters change their minds about using adoption for labour.
In Ove, Backman tends to use two words where another writer might search for and find the one right word. It works for him, I think, and maybe his other stories are different. Thx Merph, enjoyed.
I loved the Lies of Locke Lamora but it totally made me think of a grown up version of the Thief Lord. So it could be a different option, though it is worth remembering it's a kids book.
I literally started the Gentleman Bastard series and I love the writing a lot already.
Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, while good, is a slower paced book. I'd suggest starting with his novel An Artist of the Floating World first to get an idea of his writing style. It has a similar story line (a man coming to terms with where his life and choices have led him) but there is a bit more going so it's a bit better if you found Austen too slow. His novel Never Let Me Go is also amazing but very different from Austen.
I can't wait to start Lies of Locke Lamora during Christmas break. I love flashback scenes so I am excited to see what happens there!
The Yellow Wallpaper is short because it is a short story. It just happened to be bound separately.
I think The Vampyre by Polidori is the first Vampire story. It came out of the same weekend telling ghost stories at the Villa Diodati that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein did. At least in English. Thanks for the recommendations again though. Dangerous for the wallet though. Also, have you read any Georgette Heyer? She was a popular English writer - perhaps still is - who wrote lots of Regency based romance. I read 'Venetia' on the recommendation of a friend and found it - with one early problematic scene aside - a fantastically enjoyable read and Venetia herself is a fantastic character.
Indeed, Vampyr, by Polidori is the earliest vampire novel, and Varney the Vampire, by Thomas Peckett Prest also predates le Fanu's Carmilla.
Your comment deserves more upvotes.
@@markhoulsby359 Thanks Mark. I've got a bit of a fascination with that Villa Diodati Scooby Gang.
For the person who disliked Jane Austen, try The Semi-Attached Couple by Emily Eden. She was a fan of Austen, so she discusses similar themes. It's been a while since I read it, but from what I remember, the book has a digestible writing style.
I'm interested what you'll think of The Magicians, I had to read it for a class recently and I have... Thoughts about it that I won't speak about until you've read it.
When Merphy said she plans on reading Riyria soon...
I was more ecstatic than I would like to admit.
This was really interesting to watch and gave me a chance to extend my TBR. Hey ,can you recommend some books dealing with magic-realism?
I heard the Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu is a really good. I haven't read it myself yet but I'm planning on really soon. I believe it's about Mozart's sister.
I'm not entirely sure where the line between magical realism and urban fantasy is, but some of my faves in that area are:
Death or Ice Cream? by Gareth P. Jones (absurdist horror, that's also a philosophical/theological discussion)
Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak.
and Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz (incredibly dark and disturbing, I encourage you to look up content warnings).
@@bookswithike3256 thank you, I'll surely check out those.... Was looking books from this genre lately , but people tend to speak about it so less!
The Remains of the Day is one of the five best books I have read in 2020. I am looking forward to reading more of his books.
Loved it ❤️❤️
I guess the reason why people said Cursed child or ACOTAR could be because you also said to mention the book you hate. I'm sure they didn't want to offend you 🤣🤣
Merphy changing lifes...
That's op wholesome
I kinda wanna point that person that said Peter Pan is an evil brat towards Lost Boy by Christina Henry which is about when Captain Hook was a lost boy and how he grew to hate Peter Pan. And I really like this retelling partly because he is portrayed as an evil brat. And it is fantastic.
Age of Myth is a great series too. Prequel series to theft of swords
Omg 😮 I have really enjoyed this video please stay safe love from Australia
Definitely read a picture of dorian gray! Oscar Wilde is amazing and he was a wonderful gay man who was persecuted for his eccentricities. With that extra insight I'm sure you can get a lot more out of his stories
I actually just finished listening to Foundryside yesterday, guess this is a sign that i'm starting the Lies of Locke Lamora next!
Loved the "I am offend" reference XD
I have been wanting to read the Wayward Children books... I also picked up the Lunar Chronicles and A Curse So Dark and Lonely a while back to try but just haven't gotten to them yet
Also wondering if we could get a video discussing your favorite short stories &/or short story collections? I'm not sure if you've done one in the past, but I'd love to know you're thoughts
Sufficiently Advanced Magic is incredibly under rated.
Carmilla isn't the first novel, but a lot of the subsequent vampire lore borrows from it and Dracula. Check out Maven of the Eventide youtube channel if you're into vampire stuff! She has even a series of videos in which she reads Carmilla out loud.