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Part of me wants to read The Time Machine... and part of me does not 🤣

Love the importance of being earnest 😊 I've got this tender land on my kindle, so glad you liked it a lot. I have two TJ Klune books on my shelves but haven't read any of them 😬

I also read The Time Machine last month. I listened to it on audio, which was probably a mistake. I was really very bored. As an early sci-fi, I can see how innovative it was and I thought some points he made about humankind and gender were interesting, but I didn't care for the world he built or the guys adventures there. I found the "present day" parts with the narrator/dinner party more readable than the time travel. You've unlocked a memory - I read Ramayana (or some sort of kids' adaptation) as a child and completely forgot its existence until you just mentioned it right now! P.S. Kebabs have pretty good nutritional value!

Andy weir and sarah andersen is such a bizarre combo to me?? I do want to read the time machine because I have liked all the other short scifi novels I have read by hg wells so far. But yes, definitely on the short side. I loved the oscar wilde I read this year (picture of dorian gray) and I do need to start with the importance of being earnest!! I need a funny play in my life and I do have it on my shelves as well. I really enjoyed horrorstor as well! I agree it has low nutritional value but it is one that is a lot of horror fuelled and book format fun. I liked a study in scarlet and I find it to be one of the arthur conan doyles I like more. I struggle with quite a lot of his with believability and sometimes racism too... I LOVED a house in the cerulean sea and I need to read my copy of somewhere beyond the sea soon!! I am very excited to do so :)

I'm so glad Earnest made you smile. I read Kaikeyi for a previous year of the BookTube Prize and enjoyed it although not bowled over by it. I picked up House in the Cerulean Sea on your recommendation and might make it a lighthearted December read, maybe with Tilly.

I am so excited to get to Somewhere Beyond the Sea! I am on hold for it right now. I'm glad you liked Kaikeyi. I think the reason I didn't always love the foreshadowing in the book was just because I didn't already have a background in the story. I didn't know where it was supposed to end up so the flashes forward were more confusing than teasing what was going to happen. But I still loved the book!

Mission for 2025 is to read some TJ Klune!! Love Charlie appearances in the background (little ledge) ❤

I liked This Tender Land. Do you plan to pick up more of his books? Ooh, excited to try Kaikeyi.

I also loved Somewhere Beyond the Sea!

“Gave absolutely zero sh7ts about “ 😂😂😂

I have Kalkeyl on my shelves. I think I might have to give it ago soon.

I sooo can’t wait for somewhere beyond the sea to come into paperback so I can get it 🎉🎉🎉💕

Well done to you for your great reading 📖 month of October five 5️⃣ stars 🌟 to you prayers and blessings to you and your family love 🥰 your Aussie family friend John xxx

I dnfed Horrorstör at 10%, after the fifth s**tty comment about someones appearance. I was mostly mad at "how to sell a haunted house" which was for Emily Fox's book club, and I made it 26% in to that before rage quitting. (Hendrix is a never again author for me) My best was The Bird King by G Willow Wilson, which was a good historical fantasy! Providence Girls by Morgan Dante was a horror romance similar to Our Wives Under the Sea, but I liked Providence Girls significantly more.

So many good books! Glad you enjoyed Krueger. I enjoyed Ordinary Grace even more than Tender Land. I want to read a few of your top books - Horrorstor and Kaikeyi on the TBR. 😊💙

I read "A Study In Scarlet" in 2023. Great book and I'm looking forward to reading the 2nd book in the series. Do you know the title of that one? I read some victorian poetry in October this year, "A Shropshire Lad" by A E Housman. It was fine, but hard to tell in places where one poem ended and the next began.

Oooh, a visit from Gem!! You have the very best assistant!! You had a pretty good month! The Cork O'Connor series by Krueger are my favorites from him - mysteries, of course 🙂. Glad some 5*s will be showing up in November for you. I enjoyed Cerulean Sea, so I need to get this Klune! My best fantasy reads in October are both books that I think you'd enjoy - Red Sister by Lawrence and The Will Of The Many by Islington. I'm now reading The Way of Shadows by Weeks. To me, it's YA type writing, but it's filled with extreme violence with lots of child abuse, so I hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Take care! ❤

whenever I hear a Hardy plot, I imagine the faces of his mates who are sat in the pub with him as he explains what his latest novel is about 😂 bloody hell Tom

The Burial Plot cover IS lovely! Shame about the book itself. Love how Hardy kicks off a book with some wife and child selling - that is very Thomas Hardy!😂 Kaikeyi - have to read it. Have the beautiful hardback you bought me still so this is one I’m prioritising for my Read What You Own challenge.

I am so disappointed. A favorite author, a new to me format (graphic novel), and a great plot. Sadly I checked Goodreads to see if the reviewers agreed with you. They did. Bollocks! (I’m using that British word correctly right?). Cheshire Crossing will not be mine unless I find it for $.50 at a used book store.

💯 What an amazing idea! I turn 44 on Nov 28th and think I need to come up with a list of 50 books of my own. I love that a list like this doesn’t come with a ton of pressure because we have a decent amount of time to do it. Also, you are in for a real treat with a lot of the books on your list. Can’t wait to watch your progress!

Cute dog

I agree with you that the characters are flat. But it's not the biggest problem here. Orbital is an open propaganda. I mean, it compares Sergei Krikalev (russian politician and a huge supporter of putin) to God. WTF??? And all the cultural appropriation is simply disgusting. The candy mentioned there ("Korovka") is not russian at all. It was created by the Polish guy who was inspired by the recipe from Zhytomyr (Ukraine). The book is full of this staff

I finally made it to this video! Thank you for such kind words and I'm so excited to hear what you think of these books as you go through them--you have some excellent recommendations! 💯💯

Geez,I guess I need to make a list of 80 before 80!

I’ve read quite a few on the fiction list, I really enjoyed Sandwich. I didn’t know you didn’t like Elizabeth Strout’s books, I’m just reading her latest one but don’t feel it’s one of her best.

Great list! So many added to my tbr!

Anyone's Ghost is currently my top favorite book of the year. I think you'll love it! Light from uncommon stars is a bit bonkers. Devil, violins, aliens, donuts.

I finished Somewhere Beyond the Sea just this morning and personally...I think the book is FIRE!

💯 I’m 37 in January and absolutely reject the idea that it’s late 30s! 😂 You’ve inspired me to come up with my own 40 before 40 now. 😊

What a brilliant list of books. I love that Scott makes you laugh more than any other booktuber but has picked a book that will make you cry.

This is such a fab idea and I'm so glad it all worked, as it was brilliant to watch!! I've read some of these and own quite a few of them, so will be good to hear what you think. Maybe make a playlist for all the 40 videos 😊 I love that Alice has a choice in there, and I remember how much she loved Dear Reader. Xx

Yay! What a fantastic list! I might have to borrow this idea in some capacity as I’m just a couple of years from 40 as well. 😅 I’ve read and enjoyed The Four Winds. It’s pretty bleak, but I thought it was decent. Babel is my favorite dark academia. I love how it subverts a lot of typical dark academia tropes. I love A Gentleman in Moscow. After you read that one, I have a Recipe & Review video that was inspired by that book. I teach how to cook one of the dishes mentioned in the book. :) I just picked up Eve if you feel like buddy reading it. 😅 So excited that you’re happy with my pick! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :) Parable of the Sower is a good pick! I’m not big on classics, but that one is quite interesting. Ahh Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow.. I actually didn’t care for it. I found it quite dull. The Island of Sea Women is so good! It’s also brutal, definitely good for misery may. Really anything by Lisa See is worth a read. Kindred is excellent! You should check out the review of it by Kindles & Kicks. He really articulated why it’s so good so well. Excellent video. Looking forward to hearing what you think of all of them. Also, please rank them. 😅 I’m not competitive at all.

I finished The Bell Jar yesterday! It was Emily Fox's book club book. I enjoyed it but its 50/50 on whether she'll rip it to shreads lol. I can vouch for both Butlers! My most hated book of all-time is on the list! Can't wait to see what you think! (I'll tell which one if you want) 💯

What a fantastic list! There are so many I've read and loved, and so many I want to read.

Wanted to hear your thoughts for sure on this book. I've read two previous Hannah books --the Nightingale and the Great Alone (which I admit I skimmed from 3/4). After that I stayed away but The Women does interest me due to the subject matter and the fact that I was in nursing school during this time and living with a man who was just back from the Vietnam war. He and I and several of my girlfriends use to entertain soldiers on furlough or end of tour returning to the U.S. and many became activists against the war. Lots of them had drug and alcohol problems which in those days was the self-treatment for PTSD. I think was scares me away from this book is a superficial treatment of this time. Would love to hear if you think I would get something out of this read. I won't hold you to it but the fact that you were not 100% a fan draws me in. (Sorry for the long comment)

Thanks for your thoughts. I too was underwhelmed. List seems very U.S. centric to me and I live in U.S. I am interested in more of the non-fiction and memoirs than this choice of fiction. I listen to many audio books but few on their list. Wish there was a category of re-released classic or translated or something more literary included as that too would peak my interest. Have not read The Women as I gave up on Hannah so I may try it on audio to see. Love your videos.

I suspect the book that has the most ratings will win every category, although that in itself is interesting. I've read nothing but I like the sound of Nuclear War.

Bizarre that they put Orbital in science fiction 😂

I think you’ll really enjoy God of the Woods - it wasn’t remarkable in terms of the plot but I thought the storytelling was really impressive. I want to read everything shortlisted for the History and Biography category, shock! the Debut Novel category is seriously lacking though

I don’t think I’ve read hardly any of them 😂😂 Not impressed

I’m underwhelmed too 😐

What a fantastic list of books! I just turned 60 yesterday 😱 so I guess I need to start compiling my 70 before 70! Your list is a great place to start. 📚💯

Honestly I just use the choice awards as a tbr list because I've never read any of them 🤣

I want to know what your NetGalley request was?!! 😂 Yeah bit of a meh set of lists but thank you for showing me so I don’t have to look ❤

I think i am most intetested in... the fate of the smurf 🐶😆 YA Contempoary was most exciting for me - I really want to read "Most ardently" a trans retelling of Pride and and Pejudice. Very much a case of authors i want to read from rather than books themselves. Dead Cat Tail Assassins, Warm Hands of Ghosts, Wisteria and Ruthless Vows I own and have read 0 😂💜📚

I actually read a few of the books listed. I think you’d love Catherine Newman’s books. Sandwich, the book listed on Goodreads, is a quick heartfelt read from the point of view of a mother who is part of the “sandwich generation”. There is a lot of discussion about changes in life at this age- menopause, young adult children leaving the nest, aging parents and the concerns that come with that. Her other book, We All Want Impossible Things is not on this list, but is another quick read that I found absolutely heartbreaking. Both books are on Everand 🙂 The Lion Women of Tehran and Frozen River are both great historical reads with strong female characters as well! Lion Women is on Everand, I don’t think Frozen River is though.

I looked through the list and didn’t recognise the majority of the books 😳I have balanced out your salty Orbital thoughts with all my love for Orbital 💜

I want to try more T Kingfisher next year. I loved Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, which is a children's book. Nothing else on any list reached out for me.

I have looked through the choices, I've only read The Teacher by Freida McFadden, which was in the Thriller category (not your usual jam) but it isn't one of her best. I have finished Weyward in the last week, which was the winner for Historical Fiction last year and was really good about three natural witches, one in 1619, one in ww2 and one in the present and could well be the best book I have read this year. The choice awards might be a popularity contest but some of the past winners have been really good.