Hahaha. I shall explain myself Mercedes (especially as I agree about books of the year before the 31st of December if least) as I lit up my favourite non fiction books of the year yesterday as I didn’t think I would fit anymore non fiction in. Ha, I have too many fiction books to finish. Ooh though that said, one of those favourite non fictions, which I only just read, I only read because of you! Thank you for the recommendations all year. I like the fact you’ve goals but they seem relaxed. I definitely want to get through more of my TBR... room. Hahaha.
Oh fun video! So I have a hard time with shopping my shelves and reading my unread books... I’m currently at over 400 unread books on my shelves. So something I’ve done past couple of months is chosen really random prompts for myself. So I’ll say “alright, you have to read a book with silver on the cover this month” and I shop my shelves that way. And I don’t know why, but that extra little random challenge makes it fun for me to reach for my shelves again. I’ve read this month at least five books in my shelves that I had been letting languish way too long (like throwing a deck chair off the Titanic I know, but it’s a start). I’m looking forward to seeing what memoirs you pick up in 2020 and which ones made it to your faves list this year. Happy reading 😊😊
I do post my best books before the end of the year, but I get it close to the end of the year so I won't read a BUNCH before the end of the year. Usually what I do is then 1) re-read books because I'll never include re-reads in my favorites 2) read really long books that I know will take me like a week or more and therefore take me into the new year and/or 3) read books that I want to read but I am 99% sure I won't include in my favorites i.e. really plot driven/fun/fluffy stuff because while I enjoy reading them they usually don't include them as a favorite because they don't make a lasting impact Also! To go along with the reducing your TBR goal - one thing I try to do is like an every other thing. So I'll try to read one book I physically own and then one book I don't (so like from the library or an audiobook). And then go back and forth between the two areas so that way I can keep up with my new goals or new interests or whatever but also not ignore my physical TBR. As far as the overbuying thing goes - besides getting most of my new-to-me books from the library and therefore putting them in that previous process - I also keep a list of books on my phone that I want to buy and then limit the amount that I pick up based on how my reading has been going lately. If I've read/cleared out a ton of my physical books, I'll let myself get a few from the shop. Also I keep a running list of books I've read from the library and want to own and then buy a bunch of those at once, it scratches a similar itch.
So many things in this video - it me. The end of the year "best of" video anxiety. The making plans and fun videos and then not following through. My unread books on my shelves are like, little time capsules. Because I stopped buying most books, so everything is from back when I was buying absolutely everything. So it reflects like, a 4 year period that ended around...2017? It's super weird. Lovely video!
Reducing unread books frees up space for books you feel more like investing time in now. I've been paying attention to this in recent years and notice I really need to read books faster after buying them, because I lose interest and like them less after the excitement was gone. I think you have a good plan. And this way you can slowly change the unread books you have around to chose from. Good luck.
I filmed my best books of the year on the 30th I think, as I knew I wasn't going to finish any of the books I was reading by the next day. I agree that otherwise it could mean missing a great book out! Loved hearing your statistics. I still haven't been into the American section in Norwich (I live here too) but this has reminded me I need to - I was so glad you explained what it was in a previous video!! Great goals - I absolutely want to reduce my tbr this year and buy way less, I get exactly the same with books the longer I've had them.
I plan on allowing myself to only buy one book for every four books I read in 2020, that way I'm always going down by three, you could do that too or something in the same vein :) I'm still allowing myself to listen to one out of two audiobooks of books I don't own though and I've been using my library more so it's been really nice so far!
Don't know if you've read it yet but In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado is one of my favourite books of the year and it's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! And I think you'd really enjoy it. Looking forward to your favourites of 2019 video ❤
I love Scribd too! It's the most affordable way for me to access a diverse range of audiobooks. I have found my reading this year to be similar to you this year in the fact that most of my favourites are non-fiction, the majority of my 5 star books are non-fiction, and the audiobooks I gravitate towards on Scribd are non-fiction. In terms of reducing your unread books, I would say to only use your library and Scribd for the more diverse voices that you love, and maybe for the majority of the owned reading, read the books that come in/are purchased and your fiction. If you're reading leans even more non-fiction heavy in 2020 you don't want to leave those stories for another year.
Love Scribd - I did email them the other day to say please have more UK books! I love reading books from US but I’m trying to balance them with U.K./rest of the world otherwise I’m only reading US publications. Looking forward to your best of 2019 - I love memoirs too so am hoping there’s some crossover!
Your plan to get through a lot of your unread books sounds great. I definitely want/need to do something similar in 2020. Good luck with your reading goals and wishing you a happy reading year in 2020!
I have the exact same issue with unread books & dwindling interest the longer they sit on my shelf. I think I'll copy your idea of aiming to read 5 from my shelves each month.... and try not to over buy (definitely an issue for me as well). Thank you for sharing your goals. Happy New Year
Oh my, second time I am commenting in two days as I love how honest you are. I get so much out of your buzz type fiction books (I discovered VG Lee because of you) and I still connect with them as a Muslim British women. We connect on so many levels with topics eg I grew up on the Suffolk/Essex border so the regional stuff you post always works for me! And whilst some books may be white working class centred, a good slow character study novel is always a joy. But always good to read diversely. I have the opposite problem - I read WAY too much from around the world - I have 15 unread books and know that South Asia is always reflected at about 40% MINIMUM in everything I read (recent buys include "Good Talk" by Mira Jacob, The Afghan coming of age novel "99 Nights in Logar" by Jamil Jan Kochai, he wonderful Iranian American coming of age YA novel Darius the Great is not Okay and "A People's History of Heaven" by Mathangi Subramanian revolving around women in an Indian slum - I got the latter off a Rincey Reads reccy! I know I love great English female writers like Penelope Fitzgerald and Penelope Lively so I try to alternate my reading and stem my spending if one thing is over represented. And as someone who lives in Gloucestershire now, I love spending time with older retired neighbours who will take their very British collections out from their shelves and share them with me. So many themes are universal eg your Suffolk themes I come here for:) And for me books are such a joy, I like to read widely so I connect more widely. Thank you again for all you share - I could never do what you do!
I also enjoy those types of memoirs. If you haven't already I highly recommend checking out Assata Shakur's autobiography, Kiese Laymon's Heavy, The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates, No Ashes in the Fire by Darnell L Moore, I'm telling the Truth But I'm Lying by Bassey Ikpi and What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker by Damon Young. I'll also recommend Go Ahead in the Rain, which bills itself as a 'love letter to A Tribe Called Quest' but is stunningly honest and personal. And I Will Never See the World Again by Turkish journalist Ahmet Altan which I just read and was extraordinary.
Thanks so much for such an excellent list of recommendations! I just read Heavy and its one of the best books I've ever read so I think we have similar taste in memoirs. I had the Bassey Ipki and the Damon Young on my list to pick up but hadn't heard of the others so now adding them to the list 🤓
Hi Mercedes. New subscriber here and although it's unusual for me to comment, I think you might like "She Came to Slay" by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. I just finished watching Merphy Napier talk about it and how much she loved it and given what you just said about enjoying non-Fiction memoirs about Americans, this could be an option for you. It's about Harriet Tubman and although I'm not usually a non-fiction reader, I'm going to add this to my TBR.
oh i hope you manage to reduce your tbr! i find that i have the same problem with losing interest in books i’ve owned for years and years, and that’s rather sad because i used to be so hyped about them. so good luck! i hope you manage. i, too, want to focus on the books i own and reduce my buying in 2020. the best books i read in 2019 were beartown by fredrik backman and nevermoor by jessica townsend. quite different in both genre and target audience, but i loved both of them so much. i hope 2020 finds you well!
All the best with your reading plans for 2020! The best memoir I read in 2019 was The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig. It doesn’t really fit the description you give in your video, but I think everyone should read it 😉
Memoirs that I really loved where Becoming by Michelle Obama, Born a crime by Trevor Noah, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette WInterson and my favorite is An Interrupted Life by Etty Hillesum. Happy reading!
So I uploaded my favs the 23 & 24. I did in fact have another 5 star read but it'll be in honorable mentions. I needed another video for vlogmas and I knew I wouldn't read more than five books in the next week or so. If I had in fact found another fav. I would have just done a full review of it alone as an add on. Luckily that didn't happen. However my last 5 star read of the year you would love! The rabbit queen! so good!
Although I did wait with my fav books of the year post till the 30th this year, it is Very rare for me to read anything after around the 19th of December. I work in the food and beverage department of a zoo which has special evening events over the christmas period. This means that I’ll be working 7 days a week (including Christmas), 14+ hours a day. Add to this another 2 hours cycling to get to and from work. I just have no energy left for reading. Or writing my fav posts, so thats usually done quite a few days before the end of the year.
Love these types of videos too! I don’t put my top books of the year videos out until January for all the reasons you list. Case in point, I just finished Good Talk by Mira Jacob this morning and it is a a top book for me no question! I believe it was your recommendation that pushed me to ask for it for Christmas. It was fabulous!
I'm in a similar situation where I have goals for the new year that conflict, wanting to read more of my books and also wanting to read more translated fiction which is what I own less of. But I'm also planning to aim for a balance, using the library but also trying to change the books I buy into ones that actually go along my goals for the books I don't already own. Good luck with your 2020 reading!
I know you mentioned you're trying to get away from your "core" books (bread & butter), BUT, I'm in the middle of "History of the Rain" and I think you'd love it. Set in a rural Irish town, the narrator is a young white girl who loves to read and whose father was a poet (albeit an unsuccessful one).
I had the same realization about my NF/F reading last year. All of my favorites are always non-fiction, but for some reason I keep reaching for mostly fiction!
This is a bit off topic but a while back you showed off American Prison by Shane Bauer that you picked up at the library. After watching your video I went and found it at my library and it was a 5 Star read for me. Perhaps I’ve missed you review but I think you’d love it and would love to hear your thoughts on it :) thanks so much for sharing it, it blew away
I just found you a couple of days ago! my favorite non fiction for 2019: Say Nothing; a true story of murder and memory in nothern Ireland. I never thought I'd enjoy political writing. But it's so good. For fiction my favorite find this year is Olga Tokarczuk. I read two : Flights and Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead.
I'm the same with dates - sometimes I finish my favourite book of the year or watch my favourite film of the year on the 31st of December. So I don't understand the favourites lists coming out at the beginning of December either 😕
Seems like we have quite similar observations about 2019 as a reading year and consequently have the same goals for next year. I also want to read more non fiction next year, because it seems like I have a better succesrate. Especially after nonfiction november I have just become super excited about reading more nonfiction and learning all the things. and I want to reduce my tbr aswell for the same reasons, it just saddens me to see those books that I have owned a long time and think: oh yeah I was really excited about this book 2 years ago, but now I can't remember why... Not sure how to go about it yet, I think i'm gonna just be more mindfull about buying books.
Yeah, unless they've changed it fir new users? I have my UK address and it didn't cause an issue. Every now and again I can see a book I'd like to listen to and it will say 'this isn't available in your country' but its not that common.
Hahaha. I shall explain myself Mercedes (especially as I agree about books of the year before the 31st of December if least) as I lit up my favourite non fiction books of the year yesterday as I didn’t think I would fit anymore non fiction in. Ha, I have too many fiction books to finish. Ooh though that said, one of those favourite non fictions, which I only just read, I only read because of you! Thank you for the recommendations all year. I like the fact you’ve goals but they seem relaxed. I definitely want to get through more of my TBR... room. Hahaha.
Oh fun video! So I have a hard time with shopping my shelves and reading my unread books... I’m currently at over 400 unread books on my shelves. So something I’ve done past couple of months is chosen really random prompts for myself. So I’ll say “alright, you have to read a book with silver on the cover this month” and I shop my shelves that way. And I don’t know why, but that extra little random challenge makes it fun for me to reach for my shelves again. I’ve read this month at least five books in my shelves that I had been letting languish way too long (like throwing a deck chair off the Titanic I know, but it’s a start).
I’m looking forward to seeing what memoirs you pick up in 2020 and which ones made it to your faves list this year. Happy reading 😊😊
Nice. Nonfiction HISTORY books are the best for me.
I do post my best books before the end of the year, but I get it close to the end of the year so I won't read a BUNCH before the end of the year. Usually what I do is then 1) re-read books because I'll never include re-reads in my favorites 2) read really long books that I know will take me like a week or more and therefore take me into the new year and/or 3) read books that I want to read but I am 99% sure I won't include in my favorites i.e. really plot driven/fun/fluffy stuff because while I enjoy reading them they usually don't include them as a favorite because they don't make a lasting impact
Also! To go along with the reducing your TBR goal - one thing I try to do is like an every other thing. So I'll try to read one book I physically own and then one book I don't (so like from the library or an audiobook). And then go back and forth between the two areas so that way I can keep up with my new goals or new interests or whatever but also not ignore my physical TBR.
As far as the overbuying thing goes - besides getting most of my new-to-me books from the library and therefore putting them in that previous process - I also keep a list of books on my phone that I want to buy and then limit the amount that I pick up based on how my reading has been going lately. If I've read/cleared out a ton of my physical books, I'll let myself get a few from the shop. Also I keep a running list of books I've read from the library and want to own and then buy a bunch of those at once, it scratches a similar itch.
So many things in this video - it me. The end of the year "best of" video anxiety. The making plans and fun videos and then not following through. My unread books on my shelves are like, little time capsules. Because I stopped buying most books, so everything is from back when I was buying absolutely everything. So it reflects like, a 4 year period that ended around...2017? It's super weird. Lovely video!
Reducing unread books frees up space for books you feel more like investing time in now. I've been paying attention to this in recent years and notice I really need to read books faster after buying them, because I lose interest and like them less after the excitement was gone. I think you have a good plan. And this way you can slowly change the unread books you have around to chose from. Good luck.
I filmed my best books of the year on the 30th I think, as I knew I wasn't going to finish any of the books I was reading by the next day. I agree that otherwise it could mean missing a great book out!
Loved hearing your statistics. I still haven't been into the American section in Norwich (I live here too) but this has reminded me I need to - I was so glad you explained what it was in a previous video!!
Great goals - I absolutely want to reduce my tbr this year and buy way less, I get exactly the same with books the longer I've had them.
I plan on allowing myself to only buy one book for every four books I read in 2020, that way I'm always going down by three, you could do that too or something in the same vein :) I'm still allowing myself to listen to one out of two audiobooks of books I don't own though and I've been using my library more so it's been really nice so far!
Don't know if you've read it yet but In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado is one of my favourite books of the year and it's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! And I think you'd really enjoy it. Looking forward to your favourites of 2019 video ❤
I love Scribd too! It's the most affordable way for me to access a diverse range of audiobooks. I have found my reading this year to be similar to you this year in the fact that most of my favourites are non-fiction, the majority of my 5 star books are non-fiction, and the audiobooks I gravitate towards on Scribd are non-fiction.
In terms of reducing your unread books, I would say to only use your library and Scribd for the more diverse voices that you love, and maybe for the majority of the owned reading, read the books that come in/are purchased and your fiction. If you're reading leans even more non-fiction heavy in 2020 you don't want to leave those stories for another year.
Love Scribd - I did email them the other day to say please have more UK books! I love reading books from US but I’m trying to balance them with U.K./rest of the world otherwise I’m only reading US publications. Looking forward to your best of 2019 - I love memoirs too so am hoping there’s some crossover!
Your plan to get through a lot of your unread books sounds great. I definitely want/need to do something similar in 2020. Good luck with your reading goals and wishing you a happy reading year in 2020!
I have the exact same issue with unread books & dwindling interest the longer they sit on my shelf. I think I'll copy your idea of aiming to read 5 from my shelves each month.... and try not to over buy (definitely an issue for me as well). Thank you for sharing your goals. Happy New Year
Oh my, second time I am commenting in two days as I love how honest you are.
I get so much out of your buzz type fiction books (I discovered VG Lee because of you) and I still connect with them as a Muslim British women. We connect on so many levels with topics eg I grew up on the Suffolk/Essex border so the regional stuff you post always works for me! And whilst some books may be white working class centred, a good slow character study novel is always a joy.
But always good to read diversely.
I have the opposite problem - I read WAY too much from around the world - I have 15 unread books and know that South Asia is always reflected at about 40% MINIMUM in everything I read (recent buys include "Good Talk" by Mira Jacob, The Afghan coming of age novel "99 Nights in Logar" by Jamil Jan Kochai, he wonderful Iranian American coming of age YA novel Darius the Great is not Okay and "A People's History of Heaven" by Mathangi Subramanian revolving around women in an Indian slum - I got the latter off a Rincey Reads reccy!
I know I love great English female writers like Penelope Fitzgerald and Penelope Lively so I try to alternate my reading and stem my spending if one thing is over represented. And as someone who lives in Gloucestershire now, I love spending time with older retired neighbours who will take their very British collections out from their shelves and share them with me.
So many themes are universal eg your Suffolk themes I come here for:) And for me books are such a joy, I like to read widely so I connect more widely.
Thank you again for all you share - I could never do what you do!
I love how thoughtful and reflective this was! Looking forward to your favorite books of 2019 video :)
I also enjoy those types of memoirs. If you haven't already I highly recommend checking out Assata Shakur's autobiography, Kiese Laymon's Heavy, The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates, No Ashes in the Fire by Darnell L Moore, I'm telling the Truth But I'm Lying by Bassey Ikpi and What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker by Damon Young.
I'll also recommend Go Ahead in the Rain, which bills itself as a 'love letter to A Tribe Called Quest' but is stunningly honest and personal. And I Will Never See the World Again by Turkish journalist Ahmet Altan which I just read and was extraordinary.
Thanks so much for such an excellent list of recommendations! I just read Heavy and its one of the best books I've ever read so I think we have similar taste in memoirs. I had the Bassey Ipki and the Damon Young on my list to pick up but hadn't heard of the others so now adding them to the list 🤓
Hi Mercedes. New subscriber here and although it's unusual for me to comment, I think you might like "She Came to Slay" by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. I just finished watching Merphy Napier talk about it and how much she loved it and given what you just said about enjoying non-Fiction memoirs about Americans, this could be an option for you. It's about Harriet Tubman and although I'm not usually a non-fiction reader, I'm going to add this to my TBR.
Girl, I'm loving your bookshelves! Thanks for filming this too, I really enjoy watching your videos!
oh i hope you manage to reduce your tbr! i find that i have the same problem with losing interest in books i’ve owned for years and years, and that’s rather sad because i used to be so hyped about them. so good luck! i hope you manage. i, too, want to focus on the books i own and reduce my buying in 2020.
the best books i read in 2019 were beartown by fredrik backman and nevermoor by jessica townsend. quite different in both genre and target audience, but i loved both of them so much. i hope 2020 finds you well!
All the best with your reading plans for 2020! The best memoir I read in 2019 was The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig. It doesn’t really fit the description you give in your video, but I think everyone should read it 😉
Memoirs that I really loved where Becoming by Michelle Obama, Born a crime by Trevor Noah, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette WInterson and my favorite is An Interrupted Life by Etty Hillesum. Happy reading!
So I uploaded my favs the 23 & 24. I did in fact have another 5 star read but it'll be in honorable mentions. I needed another video for vlogmas and I knew I wouldn't read more than five books in the next week or so. If I had in fact found another fav. I would have just done a full review of it alone as an add on. Luckily that didn't happen. However my last 5 star read of the year you would love! The rabbit queen! so good!
Although I did wait with my fav books of the year post till the 30th this year, it is Very rare for me to read anything after around the 19th of December. I work in the food and beverage department of a zoo which has special evening events over the christmas period. This means that I’ll be working 7 days a week (including Christmas), 14+ hours a day. Add to this another 2 hours cycling to get to and from work. I just have no energy left for reading. Or writing my fav posts, so thats usually done quite a few days before the end of the year.
Love these types of videos too! I don’t put my top books of the year videos out until January for all the reasons you list. Case in point, I just finished Good Talk by Mira Jacob this morning and it is a a top book for me no question! I believe it was your recommendation that pushed me to ask for it for Christmas. It was fabulous!
I'm in a similar situation where I have goals for the new year that conflict, wanting to read more of my books and also wanting to read more translated fiction which is what I own less of. But I'm also planning to aim for a balance, using the library but also trying to change the books I buy into ones that actually go along my goals for the books I don't already own. Good luck with your 2020 reading!
I know you mentioned you're trying to get away from your "core" books (bread & butter), BUT, I'm in the middle of "History of the Rain" and I think you'd love it. Set in a rural Irish town, the narrator is a young white girl who loves to read and whose father was a poet (albeit an unsuccessful one).
I’ve loved Scribd too as I can access a lot of Aussie ebook and audiobooks in the US
I love Scribd!!
I hope you have a lovely 2020, reading year and in general. :) I really wanna bring my TBR down as well, I've done a good job so far this year.
No I have to wait until the very end of the year make favorites videos because I'm afraid I'll find a favorite the very last day of the year lol
Haha, glad I'm not the only one! I'm looking forward to seeing what makes it to your best books of the year list!
I had the same realization about my NF/F reading last year. All of my favorites are always non-fiction, but for some reason I keep reaching for mostly fiction!
This is a bit off topic but a while back you showed off American Prison by Shane Bauer that you picked up at the library. After watching your video I went and found it at my library and it was a 5 Star read for me. Perhaps I’ve missed you review but I think you’d love it and would love to hear your thoughts on it :) thanks so much for sharing it, it blew away
I just found you a couple of days ago! my favorite non fiction for 2019: Say Nothing; a true story of murder and memory in nothern Ireland. I never thought I'd enjoy political writing. But it's so good. For fiction my favorite find this year is Olga Tokarczuk. I read two : Flights and Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead.
I'm the same with dates - sometimes I finish my favourite book of the year or watch my favourite film of the year on the 31st of December. So I don't understand the favourites lists coming out at the beginning of December either 😕
Seems like we have quite similar observations about 2019 as a reading year and consequently have the same goals for next year. I also want to read more non fiction next year, because it seems like I have a better succesrate. Especially after nonfiction november I have just become super excited about reading more nonfiction and learning all the things.
and I want to reduce my tbr aswell for the same reasons, it just saddens me to see those books that I have owned a long time and think: oh yeah I was really excited about this book 2 years ago, but now I can't remember why... Not sure how to go about it yet, I think i'm gonna just be more mindfull about buying books.
I read on a forum recently that people in the UK can't access Scribd. I guess that's wrong?
Yeah, unless they've changed it fir new users? I have my UK address and it didn't cause an issue. Every now and again I can see a book I'd like to listen to and it will say 'this isn't available in your country' but its not that common.