Hope you like this video, everyone. Please do excuse me calling 'Ray' 'Roy' in The Exhibitionist section. Clearly I have Succession on the brain, ha! Would love to know which books you've read/are interested in, let me know in a comment. xx
Honestly, I love your videos long or short. They always brighten my day. I want to try Salt Lick and Elena Knows for sure. My TBR is way too long to read all of them.
I think you’re the only person that I enjoy watching baking. Maybe you can even start a new series, Baking of This Week. But I doubt it can be better than reading vlog lol.
Really lovely to follow your reading progress and how much you’re enjoying This One Sky Day so far. I totally agree and loved the explosive imagination of this novel. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
I just finished Build Your House Around My Body and I felt very similarly. I absolutely loved it but did feel there were one too many threads. I also found myself re-reading sections to make sure I really grasped what was happening. I think she's a phenomenal writer and am excited to see what she does next!
Yay for this! I’m working my way through the long list at the moment. Have recently read: The paper palace (loved), the Ruth Ozeki (liked parts of it), Opal and Nev (recommend listening to this via audiobook), Sorrow and Bliss and Care Less. I’m reading the Island of Missing Trees and it’s my favourite so far.
Guuurrllll you are insane!!! In an amazing way! I’ve only seen the long list unboxed and the blurbs read by different people. But you reading so many books and uploading at the same time as all the other videos about the long list is amazing!!!
Loved all your thoughts, loved all the magnolia and loved being transported back to my early days of watching booktube when I was hearing you and Mercedes speak about 'Tale for the Time Being' before we had even met! xxx
I totally felt the same way about This One Sky Day. I loved it so much it just touched me at my core. While it covers some really dark topics, I just felt such pure joy while I was reading it that it made me feel warm and fuzzy. It is definitely my winner.
Your videos bring me such joy. I loved hearing your opinions on the list. This year is the first time i’m aiming to read the entire longlist. I’ve nearly finished The Bread the Devil Kneed which I’ve enjoyed. Next up is Careless! Can’t wait to get to Build Your House Around My Body, Great Circle and The Paper Palace.
Loved hearing your thoughts 😊 So far I have read the paper palace (5*) - absolutely loved it and appreciated the extra things that you spotted that I didn't. Maybe as an author you spot things that I don't (or it's just me!) as the bread the devil knead was also a 5* for me and I didn't feel the coincidences (apart from what happened to Leo maybe). I'm very nearly finished remote sympathy and I love this one too, very moving. I dnf'd flamingo today, not for me. I'm debating between sorrow & bliss, and opal & nev next on audible. I have careless and great circle out from the library next, and I bough elif shafak and build your house around my body xx
The Sentence was our book clubs first selection. We are in the twin cities so some felt it was too soon. I really liked it though The author owns the actual bookstore here in the twin cities as well.
I loved Build Your House Around my Body….although I do agree that it was a little hard to follow at times! So beautifully written though and I loved the folklore elements.
Always a great sign when you're able to drink not one, but two whole buckets of tea while watching a vlog haha, loved it! I was a bit anxious for what you'd think of This One Sky Day, since it is the one I am most excited about reading and which I have already bought. I am now even more excited for it! Hopefully it will give me similar tingly feelings haha. I was not planning on reading Built your House around my Body, but your review has intrigued me, so I might pick it up after all. I've read Elif Shafak's book, but it wasn't for me. I thought it started out quite strong, but it lost me about halfway through. Curious to see what you think of it if you do pick it up. I know Simon absolutely adored it, haha. Thank you for the great vlog, hope you've had a lovely day :)
Hi Jen! Your videos and your books are my great distractions from cruel reality as my native country is at war, it has been a month and it's still hard to believe. Thank you for keeping me sane 💙💛 I'm re-reading your "The beginning of the world in the middle of the night". Just finished both " Weird things..." LOVE LOVE
Great vlog! I can't decide which of this longlist to pick up next so it's super helpful to hear others talk about the books. I absolutely loved One Sky Day, Sorrow and Bliss and The Island of Missing Trees.
I loved watching you work your way through the list and hearing your thoughts right after. You've compelled me to give a lot of these a try. I would highly recommend Sorrow and Bliss. I didn't think I would enjoy it based on the premise, but it was such a moving novel. It is character driven, incredibly well observed and witty despite tackling quite a bleak topic. And the writing style is gorgeous. I'm currently reading The Sentence which had a bit of a rocky start for me but I'm really liking at the moment. Looking forward to your month end wrap up!
I did listen to a sample of Sorrow and Bliss on audio and the narration was fantastic, so I may well pick it up that way :) Let me know if The Sentence gets better for you. x
I have read 6 and am currently reading The Sentence. In order of favourites The Paper Palace and The Great Circle equal 5 stars. Then Careless, Flamingo, Sorrow and Bliss and The Bread The Devil Know. The last being quite disappointing. Unfortunately I have to wait a few months for Creatures of Passages here in Australia. You have made me excited for Build Your House and One Sky Day which I will read next. Apart from the one book I am really enjoying everything I am reading so I think its a great varied list. Thks for your thoughts. xx
I definitely fell off in the midst of Build Your House Around My Body. I am almost done now and I hope I enjoy the reveals but I wanted to hear your thoughts first. loved all your thoughts throughout
Ooh nice video! Creatures of Passage and The Sentence were the only two books on the long list that I thought I was personally interested in, but your mini discussion of This One Sky Day makes that sound far more interesting to me than I originally thought!
Not gonna lie when you said you're loving This One Sky Day I was like YES! - because I was sure you would love that book, something about it seemed just very Jen to me.
Sorrow and Bliss was my favorite book last year. It made me laugh and cry, made my heart swell with love at times. I felt emotionally connected to it. I'm going to get The Exhibitionist and Creatures of Passage on Audible, they sound interesting. I was intrigued by Build Your House Around My Body at first because I was born in Vietnam, but I think I have other books I want to read more. Looking forward to hear your final thoughts on This One Sky Day!
@@jenvcampbell Yes, I love the writing style. It's humorous and at the same time makes me feel all the other feels. The book is not without flaws, but I hope you still find it enjoyable. x
Always always in awe of all the things you cook and how varied you eat. Those donuts whould not have lasted 5 minutes in our house!! I'm most interested in This One Sky Day, Creature of Passage and Salt Lick. Although less so on the last one after watching this vlog. Just picked up the Sentence today!!
Just finished The Paper Palace, The Island of Missing Trees and The Great Circle. Loved all three. I can’t get my head around This One Sky Day. Wish Still Life was on the list. 😊
i also do the same with wordle! have to do it asap otherwise i'll forget 😹 i love your vlogs, im not really a vlog fan in general but yours are just so comforting and lovely, so thankyou 💕 always excited for prize long/shortlists, and honestly this is the first prize i've been interested in the majority of the books, it's only the ww2 book i don't want to pick up (probably an aversion because of the amount ww2 was on the curriculum at school, every year for almost a decade 😭) sorrow and bliss is my prediction to be my personal favourite out of them all! hoping to really love creatures of passage, this one sky day, the sentence, careless and build your house around my body as well ^-^ intrigued by the comparisons between mrs death misses death and creatures of passage - i got mrs death out from the library and i like writing quotes down in a journal, but there were so many i had to return the book and buy it, haven't picked it back up yet though (i tend to put off books i know i'll adore, it's a problem 😅) hope you're having a wonderful day! xx
I have just finished CareLess and it's more powerful than you think...I was drawn into this book and can't stop thinking about it and will definitely read it a second time. It would be a great shame if it doesn't make the shortlist.
One sky day is the only one on my physical TBR (has been for months- I even reborrowed it from the library - other keep popping up in front of it). I'm now intrigued by The Sentence, Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejidé and Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith. I've already read Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead and, my favourite, The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. I'd recommend all three I've read. I also really want to read The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, it was on my physical TBR, I think I still have it reserved at the library, but I had to give it back unread (it was due and so many other people on the reserve list behind me)..... so many books... so little time.....Happy Reading.
Thanks for a great and long video. I love the long ones and love watching you prepare your recipes! Congratulations on your move - I hope everything goes smoothly with your plan and also hope you have lots of help to settle in. Moving is such a lot of work! x
I really loved Ruth Ozeki's book, but I'm so grateful for your perspective. Upon reflection, I agree that part of the narrative isn't that helpful so thank you for bringing that insight. Its wonderful to get a broader perspective. Thank you!
Love the video and yes, stayed for the whole of it. Enjoyed it very much and now I want to read some of the books from the long list as well. Thank you Jen. Brilliant as always.
Wow Jen, great vlog! I could listen to you all day. Creatures of Passage interests me. Goodluck with the move, book judging, the writing, hospital stuff, etc. ❤
I just love your videos! You speak so thoughtfully about what you are reading, I love the scenery you include (It’s so relaxing to watch, and as someone in Canada, where my back yard is still covered with snow, it’s so nice to see flowers blooming and anything green), and I love the bits of cooking you include (can I come over??), everything looks so delish!! Just came to say that I’m a new subscriber and how much I love your channel, thank you for making such wonderful content☺️
Reading Popisho and loving the food descriptions and the reflections on love and community. The character of Romanza I find intriguing. Also interested in The Sentence and The Exhibitionist. Loved this vlog.
I'm a huge Louise Erdrich fan and I haven't read The Sentence yet but I recommend you try Future Home of the Living God. It's dystopian and thrilling, but her writing is always poetic at its core. I found myself both totally engrossed in the action and completely blown away by the style.
I've read four so far, my favourite being The Book of Form & Emptiness. Build Your House Around My Body also very good. I read Flamingo in 2 days and it's great for fans of Joanna Cannon and Rachel Joyce. I'm currently listening to Creatures of Passage on audio and I'm loving it and if you buy books on Kindle, The Bread The Devil Knead is on there for a good price, I'm halfway and again loving it. It's a real good selection of books this year. My least favourite so far is The Revival of Opal & Nev, didn't work for me.
Creatures of Passage was one of my favourites of last year (i loved it even more than Mrs Death misses Death, which it reminded me of as well). There are so many more great books on this list. Can’t wait to get to the ones I haven’t read yet!
What a great video - thank you! I've read Great Circle and just adored it - one of my favorite books of last year. In terms of the books I haven't read yet, looking forward to This One Sky Day, The Island of Missing Trees (I adored Ten Minutes 38 seconds in this strange world) and because I'm from NZ where Catherine Chidgey is from, I'm going to prioritize Remote Sympathies. But hopefully, I get to read most of them (that's my plan anyway!).
Enjoyed hearing your thoughts on all of these, Jen. I've read Flamingo. Absolutely loved it. And I'm currently reading The Island of Missing Trees. I'm really excited by the longlist this year. So many I want to read ☺
Loved listening to your thoughts on these longlisted books! I'm reading Shafak's book right now, and I've got The Sentence and Build Your House Around My Body on my TBR; after listening to your video, I'm adding Creatures of Passage on it. Really recommend The Great Circle - you'll find that the current timeline is nowhere near as fleshed out as the historical timeline, so not much about the film-making world to get through :) Ps. That slice of lemon meringue pie looked delicious.
So glad you did this vlog!! Loved it. I have The Paper Palace and The Sentence already so will read those two. I really can't wait to read Creatures of Passage--it sounds brilliant!
I loved hearing your thoughts on these Jen 😊 I'm not a massive prize reader but I've got One Sky Day and the Island of Missing Trees in my tbr and I'm looking forward to them both.
I loved this video - the first of yours I've watched, but I'll be back! Such insightful comments and I thought the comparison with Succession was brilliant! I've read seven of the books on the longlist so far, but we haven't overlapped with many. My favourite so far is The Island of Missing Trees, then probably Sorrow and Bliss, Care Less and Opal & Nev (not necessarily in that order). I was a bit underwhelmed by both The Paper Palace and The Exhibitionist, but hearing your thoughts about them has helped me to appreciate them both more. Started The Sentence, but the body moving shenanigans put me off and I had to put it down for a bit... I might try Build Your House Around My Body or This One Sky Day next! Look forward to seeing what you think of some of the others when you get to them.
Was so excited to see this notification!!Also reading through the long list right now- started strong with Build Your House, which I absolutely loved, and am almost done with Creatures of Passage. Which I’m also enjoying, but not as much as I thought I would. Having a baby in June, and my personal goal is to finish the long list by then… there are so many other more practical to-dos by then… but this is the one that feels the most important 😂
I loved this vlog! I am so glad you enjoyed (the start of) This One Sky Day- I read it last week and couldn't wait for your review - I think it is my favourite book this year. It is just so imaginative and enthralling I was completely swept away and moved by all the characters and liquid writing style. I can't wait for your full review!
Such fun! Loved Opal and Nev (yes yes yes to the audiobook), I'm currently listening to The Sentence. I'll definitely be reading Great Circle (loved Maggie Shipstead's other 2 books), The Book of Form and Emptiness, and The Paper Palace (I originally heard about this one from Mercedes!) Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the others!
Love your vid Jen. I've bought all of the long listed books and waiting for them to arrive in the post. I have already read Ruth Ozeki's book, The Paper Palace, and Elif Shafak's book. Currently reading Great Circle. Elif's is my favourite so far.
Sadly This one sky day was a dnf for me. Initially I was enjoying it, but the further I got into it I just struggled to connect. Managed to page 200 :( hope you continue to love it
I loved Creatures of Passage, This One Sky Day, Great Circle, Island of Missing Trees. I enjoyed Build Your House […], but didn’t love it. I dnf-ed The Sentence (found the writing style too clunky). Currently reading The Book of Form […], about half way through and it’s not quite what I thought it would be; I’m enjoying it, but I don’t love it. I also want to read The Paper Palace (I avoided it thinking it was a summer/beach read type of book, which I never read), The Exhibitionist, Remote Sympathy and maybe The Revival of […]. No interest in the rest. It’s so sad, out of the ones I hadn’t already read last year, Salt Lick was the only one that got my attention and I was so disappointed it was sold out everywhere. I guess I didn’t miss much after all :). Loved the video! I could listen to you discussing books forever.
I love hearing your thoughts. I enjoyed The Sentence but didn't connect as deeply as I had hoped either (though I purchased several of the books mentioned). I LOVED One Sky Day - the beautiful absurdist magic charmed me thoroughly. So far my favorite has been The Island of Missing Trees, though. Next up is Great Circle for me, and then Build Your House.
Hi, Jen! Sending lots of love from Brazil. I enjoyed this video immensely. Thank you for sharing your reading experience (and lovely snippets of your life!) with us. I was eager to read The Book of Form and Emptiness because I am a Ruth Ozeki fan as well and I was intrigued by your review. Cannot wait to read and see what will be my impressions of the book. Now I am also curious about This One Day and Creatures of Passage.
I've read Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (read and enjoyed it last year The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak (In my top ten last year, maybe even the top read from last year) Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (I read it in January after taking a while to get to it after it being on the booker list) On my TBR is The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki* (I read "All Over Creation" in January) This One Sky Day by Leone Ross* On my radar The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller The Sentence by Louise Erdrich (I read "The Nightwatchman" last year) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton And from your video I'll keep my eye out for Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson Great Vlog!
I'm about half way through Remote Sympathy and I'm surprised how much I am enjoying it! So far, whilst it is a WW2 novel, it is far more interested in the characters and families. It is long, but hard to put down. Hoping it continues as such 🙂
I love Louise Erdrich's work but The Sentence is absolutely one of her weaker books so I feel really mixed about it getting prize attention! I hope you try her again in the future -- my favorite book by her is The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse which is about the fluidity between genders and religions and it's wonderful :- )
I got about 40 pages into The Sentence and put it down. Not DNF. I will go back to it. It was just very joke-y, felt like a bit of a parody and I didn’t know what to do with that. I will be reading Creatures of Passage first. It’s the one that made me pause the announcement video and go off to order the book. It grabbed me right away. It’s a shame about Salt Lick and The Bread The Devil Knead. Those were the next two that really called to me from the list. I will try Build Your House and Popisho and definitely want to read Opal & Nev and Elif Shafak’s book. The rest are either TDL (too damn long) or just don’t interest me. I’m currently reading Elena Knows. After that, I’m going to read a few more International Booker books before going back to the Women’s Prize books. Great video! That focaccia! 😋❤️
New subscriber and I am so pleased to have found you! I am so intrigued to know what you thought of This One Sky Day after finishing it! Will there be another vlog involving it? Be well!
Thanks Jen, I bought Build Your House Around my Body recently was going to start reading it today although I saw a review and said it was complicated so have put it off for now but it really intrigues me. Creatures of Passage looks good to may have to invest in that at some point.
To speak on “Paper Palace”, I’ve read and loved it. In fact, it was my favorite book of last year. However, I agree with you that the sexual assault content was quite sudden. Reese Witherspoon never mentioned it in her marketing of the book with her book club and I was surprised that it wasn’t brought up as a trigger warning. It’s a book that is so delicious that I have overlooked the predicament of that subject. But I’m in agreement with your views on it.
I only have Shafak’s book, listening to your description I’m curious about Salt Lick . None of the others call my name but I haven’t finished the video yet.
I loved Build your House Around my Body, but do agree that it did tail off a bit at points. I really liked the ending and I think I'm in the minority on that one.
I liked the reveal at the end, just not the pacing. However, I'm so excited by her as a writer; if this is her debut I'm so keen to see what she does next! x
❤️👍 Love your reading vlogs! I think I'll request these from the library: Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejide Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Cooper Smith The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson (maybe the audiobook, since you liked the reader)
I'm so bummed you didn't enjoy Salt Lick, that one is the one that intrigues me the most I think. I am also really interested in The Island of Missing Trees and the Book of Form and Emptiness.
I felt so very similarly about Build your house around my body. It got a bit too chaotic and messy towards the second half. The character of Binh was interesting and annoying at the same time. Sometimes I could see her anger towards the world and then at other times she gave off very I'm-not-like-other-girls kinda vibe. We also mostly see her through the lens of the men in her life who worship her and also want to possess her. I'm dying to read Creatures of Passage now!!
Do you still have your tortoise? I’m thinking of getting one 🐢 I’ve done loads of research but I’m curious to see what non tortoise people think of them as pets
She’s Mr M’s family pet; she lives with his mother. They got her when it was much more common to do so (Penny-Slow is my age). I wouldn’t necessarily recommend getting one these days, but it depends on your environment.
What I took from Ozeki's book was so very different to Jen, which is very interesting. I'm a fan of that book and have recommended it to others. I like how it shows the miscommunication between the psychiatrist and Benny and the experience of someone with so much noise in their head, but who also experiences the connectedness of things in such a visceral way. There's a lot to unpick. However, I also picked up on stereotypical tropes (Japanese = deep and spiritual, Chinese = 💰💰💰) in the same way that Jen noticed a disfigurement trope, though. That was disappointing considering her ethnicity.
I think it’s interesting not liking to read about musicians. I have the same thing about movies or TV shows in books. I also avoid books about actors or fictional celebrities in general. But I’m okay with reading about theater and really enjoy books about art or art teachers. Do you dislike musicians in books because you’re not interested in music and think there’s bound to be a lot of details about making music or is it just an issue of two mediums which shouldn’t mix?
I think I just go to books and music separately for different things. It’s not that I wouldn’t understand things about music in written form (especially classical; I did up to grade eight piano). There’s just something about the description of music in novels (if it’s a main theme rather than one particular scene) that vexes me for some reason. 😅
![Chino Pacas - Modo Capone (with Drake & Fuerza Regida) [Video Oficial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zjv8TQ0gBkg/mqdefault.jpg)
Hope you like this video, everyone. Please do excuse me calling 'Ray' 'Roy' in The Exhibitionist section. Clearly I have Succession on the brain, ha! Would love to know which books you've read/are interested in, let me know in a comment. xx
Honestly, I love your videos long or short. They always brighten my day. I want to try Salt Lick and Elena Knows for sure. My TBR is way too long to read all of them.
Oh and Creatures of Passage.
Thanks for uploading and was thrilled when I saw the time length. Although I would watch any length. I would watch any video. You often make my day!
That’s very kind x
I think you’re the only person that I enjoy watching baking. Maybe you can even start a new series, Baking of This Week. But I doubt it can be better than reading vlog lol.
Really lovely to follow your reading progress and how much you’re enjoying This One Sky Day so far. I totally agree and loved the explosive imagination of this novel. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
I just finished Build Your House Around My Body and I felt very similarly. I absolutely loved it but did feel there were one too many threads. I also found myself re-reading sections to make sure I really grasped what was happening. I think she's a phenomenal writer and am excited to see what she does next!
Oh, absolutely, with this as her debut I can't wait to see what she writes next. x
Yay for this! I’m working my way through the long list at the moment. Have recently read: The paper palace (loved), the Ruth Ozeki (liked parts of it), Opal and Nev (recommend listening to this via audiobook), Sorrow and Bliss and Care Less. I’m reading the Island of Missing Trees and it’s my favourite so far.
Thanks for sharing :) x
The Island of Missing Trees is my favourite of the ones I've read too.
Guuurrllll you are insane!!! In an amazing way! I’ve only seen the long list unboxed and the blurbs read by different people. But you reading so many books and uploading at the same time as all the other videos about the long list is amazing!!!
Loved all your thoughts, loved all the magnolia and loved being transported back to my early days of watching booktube when I was hearing you and Mercedes speak about 'Tale for the Time Being' before we had even met! xxx
I totally felt the same way about This One Sky Day. I loved it so much it just touched me at my core. While it covers some really dark topics, I just felt such pure joy while I was reading it that it made me feel warm and fuzzy. It is definitely my winner.
Your videos bring me such joy. I loved hearing your opinions on the list. This year is the first time i’m aiming to read the entire longlist. I’ve nearly finished The Bread the Devil Kneed which I’ve enjoyed. Next up is Careless! Can’t wait to get to Build Your House Around My Body, Great Circle and The Paper Palace.
I really like your blue nail polish! Such a fun colour!
Loved hearing your thoughts 😊
So far I have read the paper palace (5*) - absolutely loved it and appreciated the extra things that you spotted that I didn't.
Maybe as an author you spot things that I don't (or it's just me!) as the bread the devil knead was also a 5* for me and I didn't feel the coincidences (apart from what happened to Leo maybe).
I'm very nearly finished remote sympathy and I love this one too, very moving.
I dnf'd flamingo today, not for me.
I'm debating between sorrow & bliss, and opal & nev next on audible. I have careless and great circle out from the library next, and I bough elif shafak and build your house around my body xx
The Sentence was our book clubs first selection. We are in the twin cities so some felt it was too soon. I really liked it though
The author owns the actual bookstore here in the twin cities as well.
I loved Build Your House Around my Body….although I do agree that it was a little hard to follow at times! So beautifully written though and I loved the folklore elements.
I know this is late but i think creatures of passage gas intrigued me most so i am looking forward to reading it, thankyou Jen!!
Always a great sign when you're able to drink not one, but two whole buckets of tea while watching a vlog haha, loved it! I was a bit anxious for what you'd think of This One Sky Day, since it is the one I am most excited about reading and which I have already bought. I am now even more excited for it! Hopefully it will give me similar tingly feelings haha. I was not planning on reading Built your House around my Body, but your review has intrigued me, so I might pick it up after all.
I've read Elif Shafak's book, but it wasn't for me. I thought it started out quite strong, but it lost me about halfway through. Curious to see what you think of it if you do pick it up. I know Simon absolutely adored it, haha.
Thank you for the great vlog, hope you've had a lovely day :)
I also hope you have similar feelings!
Hi Jen! Your videos and your books are my great distractions from cruel reality as my native country is at war, it has been a month and it's still hard to believe. Thank you for keeping me sane 💙💛
I'm re-reading your "The beginning of the world in the middle of the night". Just finished both " Weird things..." LOVE LOVE
Great vlog! I can't decide which of this longlist to pick up next so it's super helpful to hear others talk about the books. I absolutely loved One Sky Day, Sorrow and Bliss and The Island of Missing Trees.
I’ve just started reading the list would like to read them all xx
Happy reading! x
I loved watching you work your way through the list and hearing your thoughts right after. You've compelled me to give a lot of these a try. I would highly recommend Sorrow and Bliss. I didn't think I would enjoy it based on the premise, but it was such a moving novel. It is character driven, incredibly well observed and witty despite tackling quite a bleak topic. And the writing style is gorgeous. I'm currently reading The Sentence which had a bit of a rocky start for me but I'm really liking at the moment. Looking forward to your month end wrap up!
I did listen to a sample of Sorrow and Bliss on audio and the narration was fantastic, so I may well pick it up that way :) Let me know if The Sentence gets better for you. x
This One Sky Day sounded amazing - the passages were beautifully written.
I don’t care how long your videos are as I love watching. Especially the walks in Hampstead Heath 🍀👋☘️🥰😍
When I heard Creatures of Passage described by someone I thought, now there’s a Jen book!
Ha! And you were right x
I have read 6 and am currently reading The Sentence. In order of favourites The Paper Palace and The Great Circle equal 5 stars. Then Careless, Flamingo, Sorrow and Bliss and The Bread The Devil Know. The last being quite disappointing. Unfortunately I have to wait a few months for Creatures of Passages here in Australia. You have made me excited for Build Your House and One Sky Day which I will read next. Apart from the one book I am really enjoying everything I am reading so I think its a great varied list. Thks for your thoughts. xx
So interesting to hear your rankings! I hope Creatures of Passage reaches Australia soon. x
YAAAAAAAAAYYYYY AN HOUR VLOG!!
Haha, hope you like it x
just pausing less than half way through the book to say your food looks SO GOOD.
I definitely fell off in the midst of Build Your House Around My Body. I am almost done now and I hope I enjoy the reveals but I wanted to hear your thoughts first.
loved all your thoughts throughout
Ooh nice video! Creatures of Passage and The Sentence were the only two books on the long list that I thought I was personally interested in, but your mini discussion of This One Sky Day makes that sound far more interesting to me than I originally thought!
Not gonna lie when you said you're loving This One Sky Day I was like YES! - because I was sure you would love that book, something about it seemed just very Jen to me.
☺️
Sorrow and Bliss was my favorite book last year. It made me laugh and cry, made my heart swell with love at times. I felt emotionally connected to it.
I'm going to get The Exhibitionist and Creatures of Passage on Audible, they sound interesting. I was intrigued by Build Your House Around My Body at first because I was born in Vietnam, but I think I have other books I want to read more.
Looking forward to hear your final thoughts on This One Sky Day!
I did listen to a sample of the audiobook of Meg Mason's book and really liked the narration, so perhaps will pick it up that way. x
@@jenvcampbell Yes, I love the writing style. It's humorous and at the same time makes me feel all the other feels. The book is not without flaws, but I hope you still find it enjoyable. x
Wow that was a lot of reading!!
I think I’d like to read Creatures of Passage the most!
I’m reading a couple from the long list. Great Circle is my favourite so far
☺️
Always always in awe of all the things you cook and how varied you eat. Those donuts whould not have lasted 5 minutes in our house!!
I'm most interested in This One Sky Day, Creature of Passage and Salt Lick. Although less so on the last one after watching this vlog. Just picked up the Sentence today!!
Just finished The Paper Palace, The Island of Missing Trees and The Great Circle. Loved all three. I can’t get my head around This One Sky Day. Wish Still Life was on the list. 😊
i also do the same with wordle! have to do it asap otherwise i'll forget 😹 i love your vlogs, im not really a vlog fan in general but yours are just so comforting and lovely, so thankyou 💕
always excited for prize long/shortlists, and honestly this is the first prize i've been interested in the majority of the books, it's only the ww2 book i don't want to pick up (probably an aversion because of the amount ww2 was on the curriculum at school, every year for almost a decade 😭)
sorrow and bliss is my prediction to be my personal favourite out of them all! hoping to really love creatures of passage, this one sky day, the sentence, careless and build your house around my body as well ^-^ intrigued by the comparisons between mrs death misses death and creatures of passage - i got mrs death out from the library and i like writing quotes down in a journal, but there were so many i had to return the book and buy it, haven't picked it back up yet though (i tend to put off books i know i'll adore, it's a problem 😅)
hope you're having a wonderful day! xx
I have just finished CareLess and it's more powerful than you think...I was drawn into this book and can't stop thinking about it and will definitely read it a second time. It would be a great shame if it doesn't make the shortlist.
I am currently reading/listening to the Book of Form and Emptiness. Your review of Build Your House Around My Body makes me want to read it next.
How fantastic! I just started reading great circle and I have 2 more on the shelf!
Wow, this was such an informative video and really helped me choose which others I would like to pick up! :)
One sky day is the only one on my physical TBR (has been for months- I even reborrowed it from the library - other keep popping up in front of it). I'm now intrigued by The Sentence, Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejidé and Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith. I've already read Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead and, my favourite, The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. I'd recommend all three I've read. I also really want to read The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, it was on my physical TBR, I think I still have it reserved at the library, but I had to give it back unread (it was due and so many other people on the reserve list behind me)..... so many books... so little time.....Happy Reading.
What a great vlog! I'm more than happy to watch an hour-long video of you reading books and making delicious-looking things. This was so enjoyable! :)
Thanks for a great and long video. I love the long ones and love watching you prepare your recipes! Congratulations on your move - I hope everything goes smoothly with your plan and also hope you have lots of help to settle in. Moving is such a lot of work! x
I really loved Ruth Ozeki's book, but I'm so grateful for your perspective. Upon reflection, I agree that part of the narrative isn't that helpful so thank you for bringing that insight. Its wonderful to get a broader perspective. Thank you!
Love the video and yes, stayed for the whole of it. Enjoyed it very much and now I want to read some of the books from the long list as well. Thank you Jen. Brilliant as always.
Thanks for watching ☺️ x
Wow Jen, great vlog! I could listen to you all day. Creatures of Passage interests me. Goodluck with the move, book judging, the writing, hospital stuff, etc. ❤
I just love your videos! You speak so thoughtfully about what you are reading, I love the scenery you include (It’s so relaxing to watch, and as someone in Canada, where my back yard is still covered with snow, it’s so nice to see flowers blooming and anything green), and I love the bits of cooking you include (can I come over??), everything looks so delish!! Just came to say that I’m a new subscriber and how much I love your channel, thank you for making such wonderful content☺️
Thank you, Raya! x
Reading Popisho and loving the food descriptions and the reflections on love and community. The character of Romanza I find intriguing. Also interested in The Sentence and The Exhibitionist. Loved this vlog.
Creatures of Passage sounds amazing, I'm putting that one on my TBR
I hope you love it, too. x
I'm a huge Louise Erdrich fan and I haven't read The Sentence yet but I recommend you try Future Home of the Living God. It's dystopian and thrilling, but her writing is always poetic at its core. I found myself both totally engrossed in the action and completely blown away by the style.
I've read four so far, my favourite being The Book of Form & Emptiness. Build Your House Around My Body also very good. I read Flamingo in 2 days and it's great for fans of Joanna Cannon and Rachel Joyce. I'm currently listening to Creatures of Passage on audio and I'm loving it and if you buy books on Kindle, The Bread The Devil Knead is on there for a good price, I'm halfway and again loving it. It's a real good selection of books this year. My least favourite so far is The Revival of Opal & Nev, didn't work for me.
Thanks for sharing :) x
Creatures of Passage was one of my favourites of last year (i loved it even more than Mrs Death misses Death, which it reminded me of as well).
There are so many more great books on this list. Can’t wait to get to the ones I haven’t read yet!
What a great video - thank you! I've read Great Circle and just adored it - one of my favorite books of last year. In terms of the books I haven't read yet, looking forward to This One Sky Day, The Island of Missing Trees (I adored Ten Minutes 38 seconds in this strange world) and because I'm from NZ where Catherine Chidgey is from, I'm going to prioritize Remote Sympathies. But hopefully, I get to read most of them (that's my plan anyway!).
Enjoyed hearing your thoughts on all of these, Jen. I've read Flamingo. Absolutely loved it. And I'm currently reading The Island of Missing Trees. I'm really excited by the longlist this year. So many I want to read ☺
Loved listening to your thoughts on these longlisted books! I'm reading Shafak's book right now, and I've got The Sentence and Build Your House Around My Body on my TBR; after listening to your video, I'm adding Creatures of Passage on it. Really recommend The Great Circle - you'll find that the current timeline is nowhere near as fleshed out as the historical timeline, so not much about the film-making world to get through :)
Ps. That slice of lemon meringue pie looked delicious.
So glad you did this vlog!! Loved it. I have The Paper Palace and The Sentence already so will read those two. I really can't wait to read Creatures of Passage--it sounds brilliant!
Thanks, Laura. I hope you enjoy those books, too. x
I loved hearing your thoughts on these Jen 😊 I'm not a massive prize reader but I've got One Sky Day and the Island of Missing Trees in my tbr and I'm looking forward to them both.
I hope you enjoy them ☺️ x
Loved this video. I was most intrigued by The Paper Palace, but I’m thinking maybe I’ll pick up This One Sky Day first 🤔
I loved this video - the first of yours I've watched, but I'll be back! Such insightful comments and I thought the comparison with Succession was brilliant! I've read seven of the books on the longlist so far, but we haven't overlapped with many. My favourite so far is The Island of Missing Trees, then probably Sorrow and Bliss, Care Less and Opal & Nev (not necessarily in that order). I was a bit underwhelmed by both The Paper Palace and The Exhibitionist, but hearing your thoughts about them has helped me to appreciate them both more. Started The Sentence, but the body moving shenanigans put me off and I had to put it down for a bit... I might try Build Your House Around My Body or This One Sky Day next! Look forward to seeing what you think of some of the others when you get to them.
Was so excited to see this notification!!Also reading through the long list right now- started strong with Build Your House, which I absolutely loved, and am almost done with Creatures of Passage. Which I’m also enjoying, but not as much as I thought I would. Having a baby in June, and my personal goal is to finish the long list by then… there are so many other more practical to-dos by then… but this is the one that feels the most important 😂
Haha, got to love that priority list! Wishing you all the very best. xx
That was a most satisfying blog thank you.
So far I loved The Island of missing trees. You have made me want to read creatures of passage now.
I hope you love it, too. x
I thought One Sky One Day sounded interesting from the blurb and your comments now make me sure I want to read it!
I loved this vlog! I am so glad you enjoyed (the start of) This One Sky Day- I read it last week and couldn't wait for your review - I think it is my favourite book this year. It is just so imaginative and enthralling I was completely swept away and moved by all the characters and liquid writing style. I can't wait for your full review!
Such fun! Loved Opal and Nev (yes yes yes to the audiobook), I'm currently listening to The Sentence. I'll definitely be reading Great Circle (loved Maggie Shipstead's other 2 books), The Book of Form and Emptiness, and The Paper Palace (I originally heard about this one from Mercedes!) Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the others!
Love your vid Jen. I've bought all of the long listed books and waiting for them to arrive in the post. I have already read Ruth Ozeki's book, The Paper Palace, and Elif Shafak's book. Currently reading Great Circle. Elif's is my favourite so far.
I picked up Leone Ross’ book from the library and was about to take it back as the return date was nearly due but I guess I’ll be renewing that now 😏
I have read several books off the long list and so far, Popisho is my clear favorite. I finished it last week and already would like to reread it!
Such a beautiful book! x
Sadly This one sky day was a dnf for me. Initially I was enjoying it, but the further I got into it I just struggled to connect. Managed to page 200 :( hope you continue to love it
YAY! I have been waiting for you to upload this all damn day and I'm so excited to watch it
☺️♥️
I loved Creatures of Passage, This One Sky Day, Great Circle, Island of Missing Trees. I enjoyed Build Your House […], but didn’t love it. I dnf-ed The Sentence (found the writing style too clunky). Currently reading The Book of Form […], about half way through and it’s not quite what I thought it would be; I’m enjoying it, but I don’t love it. I also want to read The Paper Palace (I avoided it thinking it was a summer/beach read type of book, which I never read), The Exhibitionist, Remote Sympathy and maybe The Revival of […]. No interest in the rest. It’s so sad, out of the ones I hadn’t already read last year, Salt Lick was the only one that got my attention and I was so disappointed it was sold out everywhere. I guess I didn’t miss much after all :). Loved the video! I could listen to you discussing books forever.
I love hearing your thoughts. I enjoyed The Sentence but didn't connect as deeply as I had hoped either (though I purchased several of the books mentioned). I LOVED One Sky Day - the beautiful absurdist magic charmed me thoroughly. So far my favorite has been The Island of Missing Trees, though. Next up is Great Circle for me, and then Build Your House.
Sounds like you're having a great run of books :D x
Hi, Jen! Sending lots of love from Brazil. I enjoyed this video immensely. Thank you for sharing your reading experience (and lovely snippets of your life!) with us. I was eager to read The Book of Form and Emptiness because I am a Ruth Ozeki fan as well and I was intrigued by your review. Cannot wait to read and see what will be my impressions of the book. Now I am also curious about This One Day and Creatures of Passage.
Please do let me know what you think of the Ozeki book when you get to it :) x
Omg that pie!!!!!
🍋 x
I have only read "build your house around my body" which I liked very much. I am really excited to get to "one sky day"! 👍
Let me know what you think when you get to it. x
Great Circle does have dual time line but the main story is the female pilot. I’d recommend audio. It was my favourite book of 2021.
Thanks, Jacqueline :) x
I've read
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (read and enjoyed it last year
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak (In my top ten last year, maybe even the top read from last year)
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (I read it in January after taking a while to get to it after it being on the booker list)
On my TBR is
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki* (I read "All Over Creation" in January)
This One Sky Day by Leone Ross*
On my radar
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich (I read "The Nightwatchman" last year)
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
And from your video I'll keep my eye out for
Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
Great Vlog!
Build your house around my body is the one that I am the most excited about but after your reviews, definetely also This one sky day
I'm about half way through Remote Sympathy and I'm surprised how much I am enjoying it! So far, whilst it is a WW2 novel, it is far more interested in the characters and families. It is long, but hard to put down. Hoping it continues as such 🙂
Glad you hear you're loving it :) x
I love Louise Erdrich's work but The Sentence is absolutely one of her weaker books so I feel really mixed about it getting prize attention! I hope you try her again in the future -- my favorite book by her is The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse which is about the fluidity between genders and religions and it's wonderful :- )
Thanks for the recommendation! x
I got about 40 pages into The Sentence and put it down. Not DNF. I will go back to it. It was just very joke-y, felt like a bit of a parody and I didn’t know what to do with that. I will be reading Creatures of Passage first. It’s the one that made me pause the announcement video and go off to order the book. It grabbed me right away. It’s a shame about Salt Lick and The Bread The Devil Knead. Those were the next two that really called to me from the list. I will try Build Your House and Popisho and definitely want to read Opal & Nev and Elif Shafak’s book. The rest are either TDL (too damn long) or just don’t interest me. I’m currently reading Elena Knows. After that, I’m going to read a few more International Booker books before going back to the Women’s Prize books. Great video! That focaccia! 😋❤️
"TDL (too damn long)" this made me cackle, ha! x
New subscriber and I am so pleased to have found you! I am so intrigued to know what you thought of This One Sky Day after finishing it! Will there be another vlog involving it? Be well!
Not a weekly vlog but I will talk about it in an end of month wrap up when I’ve finished it ☺️ x
Thanks Jen, I bought Build Your House Around my Body recently was going to start reading it today although I saw a review and said it was complicated so have put it off for now but it really intrigues me. Creatures of Passage looks good to may have to invest in that at some point.
Definitely a book you need to be very alert for, but worth the attention, it's a fantastic book. x
To speak on “Paper Palace”, I’ve read and loved it. In fact, it was my favorite book of last year. However, I agree with you that the sexual assault content was quite sudden. Reese Witherspoon never mentioned it in her marketing of the book with her book club and I was surprised that it wasn’t brought up as a trigger warning. It’s a book that is so delicious that I have overlooked the predicament of that subject. But I’m in agreement with your views on it.
I only have Shafak’s book, listening to your description I’m curious about Salt Lick . None of the others call my name but I haven’t finished the video yet.
You had me at 'compared to Toni Morrison'! 😍
The cover of creatures of passage put me off it for some reason but it does sound really good so mustn't judge as they say!
The cover definitely could be better!
Loved this video x
Just a fabulous video!
Thank you, Melanie. x
I loved Build your House Around my Body, but do agree that it did tail off a bit at points. I really liked the ending and I think I'm in the minority on that one.
I liked the reveal at the end, just not the pacing. However, I'm so excited by her as a writer; if this is her debut I'm so keen to see what she does next! x
I'm with Jen on that, I was thinking 'where's the reveal? It's taking too long!' Then it really started to pick up. Great ending though.
❤️👍
Love your reading vlogs! I think I'll request these from the library:
Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejide
Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Cooper Smith
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson (maybe the audiobook, since you liked the reader)
I'm so bummed you didn't enjoy Salt Lick, that one is the one that intrigues me the most I think. I am also really interested in The Island of Missing Trees and the Book of Form and Emptiness.
If you’re intrigued by it, give it a go; you may well enjoy it ☺️ we all like different things x
I felt so very similarly about Build your house around my body. It got a bit too chaotic and messy towards the second half. The character of Binh was interesting and annoying at the same time. Sometimes I could see her anger towards the world and then at other times she gave off very I'm-not-like-other-girls kinda vibe. We also mostly see her through the lens of the men in her life who worship her and also want to possess her.
I'm dying to read Creatures of Passage now!!
I have like this video at about 90 seconds 🧡👌🏼🧡
Careless was harrowing but thought-provoking on our care system
Glad to hear you enjoyed it. x
I thought you said Salt Lick was cow-sourced and now I have to read it.
😅
Do you still have your tortoise? I’m thinking of getting one 🐢 I’ve done loads of research but I’m curious to see what non tortoise people think of them as pets
She’s Mr M’s family pet; she lives with his mother. They got her when it was much more common to do so (Penny-Slow is my age). I wouldn’t necessarily recommend getting one these days, but it depends on your environment.
Hi, can you please share the donuts recipe? Looked soooo good
letthebakingbegin.com/doughnuts/ x
What I took from Ozeki's book was so very different to Jen, which is very interesting. I'm a fan of that book and have recommended it to others. I like how it shows the miscommunication between the psychiatrist and Benny and the experience of someone with so much noise in their head, but who also experiences the connectedness of things in such a visceral way. There's a lot to unpick. However, I also picked up on stereotypical tropes (Japanese = deep and spiritual, Chinese = 💰💰💰) in the same way that Jen noticed a disfigurement trope, though. That was disappointing considering her ethnicity.
I think it’s interesting not liking to read about musicians. I have the same thing about movies or TV shows in books. I also avoid books about actors or fictional celebrities in general. But I’m okay with reading about theater and really enjoy books about art or art teachers. Do you dislike musicians in books because you’re not interested in music and think there’s bound to be a lot of details about making music or is it just an issue of two mediums which shouldn’t mix?
I think I just go to books and music separately for different things. It’s not that I wouldn’t understand things about music in written form (especially classical; I did up to grade eight piano). There’s just something about the description of music in novels (if it’s a main theme rather than one particular scene) that vexes me for some reason. 😅