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Okay you have sold me on this book. This is next on my TBR. I need a fun Victorian novel. I discovered George Gissing in Victober. The Nether World was bleak and stifling. Also read the Odd Women. I had heard this described as a proto feminist novel. In the end found this to be equally depressing.

Took two journeys to Bethel Woods. First to see Ringo Starr and second to see Bob Dylan. Catskills are beautiful. What I remember most vividly was a bear crossing the road in front of me and scaring the daylights out of me.

The next time you are in the Boston area you should consider a literary pilgrimage to Concord.

Why bother getting angry and upset about it? Thomas Mann is just talking about himself. When he wrote it he was a 53 years old man married with six children. He went to Venice in real life and became obsessed with a 10 years old boy who was chubby. He made him 13 years old for the sake of the book and then became 15 for the film and I saw a production of this with an 18+ years old Tadzio. Why bother thinking or feeling anything? He did not harm the boy. He did not harm anyone. He did not speak to the boy. If he wanted to speak with the boy he could have done. He could have spoken to him through the mother. He chose not to because he did not like himself. There are two movies. I have seen both of them. There was Luchino one from 1971 and then the Benjamin Brittan opera (1975). Luchino wanted to find the most beautiful boy in the world and he was gay. Brittan was in a relationship with Peter Pears and yes, he had lots of young male friends. When the 1971 film was made the real life Tadzio then in his sixties announced himself and that he was not traumatised. Thomas Mann wrote other books of which the theme was all about how the artist is misunderstood by society. He is criticising the materialism of Germany at the time. I understand your dilemna. You fear that your tutors may damn you if you empathise with a paedophile and that they may damn if you fail to empathise with the main character of the book. I would write an essay showing your deep understanding of the text but without expressing any emotions or personal views on it. Good luck!

I agree with you that it makes no sense to talk about a perfect novel, anymore than it does to talk about a perfect poutine, a perfect wedgie, or a perfect phone call. Even if one were to consider the possibility of a perfect novel, "Stoner" wouldn't be it. The setting of the story is confined to a particular time and place in American history, and the characters' temperaments are peculiar to that same time and place in their reticence, reserve, and quiet dignity. It's unmistakably an American story. If I did have to select a perfect novel, it would probably be "Pride and Prejudice". The story of the troubled path to true love in Regency England has a wide appeal across various cultures, which I think accounts for the novel's continued popularity. The best description for "Stoner" is that it is a satisfying novel. Chapter One begins with what amounts to an obituary notice of the main character, William Stoner, and the rest of the novel consists of a step-by-step elaboration of the points made in the opening paragraph, up to the moment of Stoner's death. There are no surprises and no plot twists; in Bill Stoner's life, what you see is what you get.

Trash that gd book u can’t afford to be more stressed out right now⚛❤

Your almost done Alyssa. Finish it. But I never bothered to start it so what to I know. I have been reading Trotsky's 'History of the Russian Revolution' since May. And I still have four chapters and some appendices to go. 200-ish pages. But I'm going to finish it by Jove.

Great, challenging writing isn’t for everyone..

Oh, I slogged hundreds of pages into that book, just DESPERATE for a character to like.

This is starting to creep me out! Week after week of the book that won't allow itself to be finished, a book that ensnares its reader in a mind-numbing cul-de-sac of spiritual despair and existential angst. If this were a Stephen King short story--and maybe it is!--I wouldn't read another word of that cursed volume. I'd throw it in the trash before it sucks the life right out of you. No good can come of reading this book to the end! Some hellish, eldritch Doom from the Stygian darkness of the Lair of the Old Ones awaits for you on the final page! DON'T READ IT! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T READ THAT BOOK!!!! Aieeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! But seriously, I wouldn't worry about not finishing the book. You can always pick it up and read it anytime, or never. It's not as if all copies of the book will disappear if you don't finish that particular copy. Perhaps it's a case of the author not doing her job. I claim to have read "War and Peace" twice over the years, but I always skim the last 35 pages or so because it's just Tolstoy philosophizing about history, and that section probably even bored his readers when the book was first published. It's a snowy day, so I may get the urge to watch "Where Eagles Dare". But if, after an hour or so, I recall that I've got some laundry to do, then it's off with the DVD and hit the suds. I can watch the movie anytime. The same for "Lies and Sorcery".

Of the books I expect to be carrying forward into 2025, a fair number have to do with Virginia Woolf. First, there is Hermione Lee’s biography, in which I’ve reached the point where Virginia is in her early 20s, and she and her sister Vanessa have just moved to 46 Gordon Square in Bloomsbury. You can see their home on Google Streetview, just as you can see their previous family home address at 22 Hyde Park Gate. I expect to be getting a copy of “To the Lighthouse” soon in preparation for the Virginia Woolf Discussion Group over on Substack in February. I also have an annotated edition of “Orlando”, which I’m looking forward to reading, as well as a book I picked up at a local thrift store some months ago titled, “Virginia Woolf: The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Her Life and Work” by Louise DeSalvo, published in 1989. With regard to looking at Edith Wharton in the coming year, I’ve got a copy of Hermione Lee’s biography of Wharton and will wait to see what eventuates in the way of a reading list. Thanks to a recommendation from you, I already have “The House of Mirth” under my belt. I’m about halfway through the first volume of Anthony Powell’s four-count ‘em, four!-volume “Dancing with the Stars Through the River of Thyme” saga, which I expect to finish this coming year, if the postal strike ever ends so I can order the other three volumes. I also want to read a book I picked up at the Kingston Writers’ Fest back in September. It’s called “We Were the Bullfighters” by Marianne K. Miller, and is a novel about Ernest Hemingway’s early years as a reporter for the Toronto Daily Star. I was able to speak with Ms. Miller after her talk, and she told me that Hemingway stayed here in Kingston for a few days in September 1923 reporting on a prison break from the notorious Kingston Penitentiary. I was thrilled to learn that the 23-year-old Hemingway spent some time poking around in the bush and walking along farmers’ lanes, trying to track down the bad guys, only a couple miles from my home. There’s also a book I want to read by the Irish writer, Fintan O’Toole, titled, “White Savage: William Johnson and the Invention of America”. The Irish-born Johnson played a prominent role in 18th century colonial America, particularly with regard to diplomatic relations with the First Nations peoples of New York and westwards. I’ve read one other biography of Johnson, and I’ll be interested to see how O’Toole views his Irish background as influencing his conduct of his public and personal affairs. Also, Johnson’s Mohawk wife, Molly Brant, is buried on the grounds of St. Paul’s Anglican Church downtown.

lollll the albatross that is lies and sorcery -- i am so not tempted to read this big boy

I also did not enjoy this book. Very anticlimactic, boring, and really hard to get into. Some parts were very poetic and meditative, and i did enjoy the critiques about capitalism and self destruction.

If you haven’t already experienced Michael McDowell’s southern gothic horrors like the Elementals, Cold Moon over Babylon or the Black Water trilogy they are chef’s kiss. If you have never read any other Dewitt French Exit is a good place to start. He tends to write exaggerated satirical characters with humorous dialogue who find themselves in ridiculous circumstances usually due to their own bad decisions.

Would you believe there is such a genre as Southern Ontario Gothic? One of the first novels to be given that label was "Last of the Crazy People" by Timothy Findley, published in 1967. I read it decades ago and recall enjoying the setting of a strange family and their stranger mother living in a rambling old house out in the boonies. You can check Wikipedia for more information. Some of Alice Munro's short stories fit the Southern Ontario Gothic genre, and it's too bad she didn't give more thought to her posthumous reputation while she was still alive and able to do something about it.

Yes it’s a little cold down here too but in the Empire State naturally it has to be much worse. I can understand people who still have half their life ahead of them can be in the doldrums after what happened not long ago but considering the age of our next prez where there’s death there’s hope as I like to say haha. Feel free to ignore that last one but I’m going to check out the books u mentioned . I know DeWitt wrote a book called the Sisters Brothers which people who reviewed it kept saying “I WANTED to like this book but-“ . Anyway you’ve probably heard of Flannery O’Connor even if u haven’t read her but she isn’t Southern Gothic Horror but Southern Gothic Grotesque. Her story A Good Man is Hard to Find is on my top ten list of short stories and the ending is still pretty shocking reading after all these years. Be well.⚛❤

I want a Backlist Bitch hat. Lots of reading plans for 2025. Woo-hoo.

I just ignored that one in my video. Because that's not how I pick books.

Not sure, I think that depends on where the reader is with their respective reading goals.

I know it’s kind of a basic answer but _Catcher in the Rye_ always gets me in the depressing-lonely-beautiful mood of winter.

I'm not exactly sure what you're looking for, but if you want a book that will evoke the cold and dark of winter, I would recommend "Blood on Snow" by the Norwegian crime writer, Jo Nesbo. Best of all, see if your library has the audiobook version read by Patti Smith, for which she won a Grammy. That way you can take in the book the same way I did years ago, driving to and from work during the cold and dark of winter. There's a brief sample of Smith's audiobook version on TH-cam.

Love these comments!! Just finished this book and wow what a. Masterpiece. I’m struggling with the ending too….i mean hellooooo what the hell happened with Augustina and Mike??? I would have felt better if at least 2 of the characters in the woods ran into each other. Lots to think about!!!! Has the author ever clarified?

I love your enthusiasm for this book. Awesome.

most people who have read it loves it as much as u do so maybe I ought to read it too⚛️❤️

playing booktube catchup! but glad to hear your pick-up of The Little Friend worked for you the second time around. need to pick up There Are Rivers in the Sky! haven't heard of it until now! thank you!

sooo jealous of your editions of the Virginia Woolf diaries and even more jealous that you got to meet our favorite booktuber ever Kiran!!! <333 and girl you got books in your hands that's immediate sexiness!!!

Stop encouraging me to buy books.

Picking up a copy today!

Yay for all your new book babies!!

I picked up Cobalt Red based on this. Reading it in small chunks due to the intense subject matter, but I’m glad I bought it.

i second the recommendation of strangers to ourselves. have you read leonora carrington's down below? otherwise, although i'm stretching the assignment: to the river by olivia laing, dead weight by emmeline clein, the cancer journals by audre lorde, any person is the only self by elisa gabbert, dependency by tove ditlevsen i'll keep an eye out for vol. 4 of the woolf journals!

first few seconds of the video giving big night cryptid surprised in daylight energy

Next time you are in Boston The Brookline Booksmith at Coolidge corner is my FAVORITE happy place and had a pretty full used book seller. And that area is just fun to eat/explore and shop in general.

at first I thought you were taking something much stronger than coffee but now think you were just very excited to be in Boston and to have all those books. You seem very happy. The last few weeks haven’t been as bad as I thought they would be and hope that was true for you too. Be well.⚛❤

Excellent find on those Woolf diaries! The Brattle is a true gem.

When you started scratching your head at about the 10:38 mark, I was reminded of the fact that sitting on hotel room floors can be hazardous from the point of view of picking up scabies, head lice, or other house guests. You just don't know who's been in the room before you or what they might have done there. But I'm glad to see your back problems seem to have been alleviated, judging from your apparent freedom of movement. I can vouch for Count Philippe-Paul de Segur's book on Napoleon's Russian campaign, which I read and enjoyed some years ago. Also excellent as eyewitness accounts are the books by the French General Armand de Caulaincourt, and the Prussian General Carl von Clausewitz. From Clausewitz we learn the importance of checking the latrine pits of an army we are pursuing, in order to assess how well the enemy is eating and if they've been afflicted with diarrhea. Another interesting memoir from the Napoleonic period is "The Cavalry Maiden: Journals of a Female Russian Officer in the Napoleonic Wars". It's the story of Nadezhda Durova, who disguised herself as a man and served nearly ten years in the Russian light cavalry. I agree that it's nice to get the bookstore staff's personal seal of approval when you buy a book, or when they say, "But I just put that book out on the shelf ten minutes ago!", thus implying that you've shown remarkably good judgement in snapping up that particular volume.

The great lolly willows buddy read is going to be EPIC

Yeah, love the Barbara Pym. Whoop the Virginia Woolf diaries. Let's do both a Barbara Pym and a Virginia Woolf read in 2025. I've read three Pyms so far. Ooh the Napoleon in Russia book is also right up my street. Yeah Lolly Willowes too. Love that book. Love John Singer Sargent.

best weekend ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wanted James to win but glad it won NBA⚛️❤️

The Day Death Stopped sounds so fun!! Added to the TBR

I felt the same. 😢

I guess i already expected the pedophilia thing. If i jadnt known beforehand, i probably would have been disgusted. But i guess i had heard so much about it beforehand that while reading i was already expecting it so i was able to focus on other aspects of the novel.

yes! I completely agree! I was a space camp kid, and I am a physicist now, and it was still boring. some sentences were beautiful, but it is trying so hard to make every sentence profound, and I'm sorry, that is not how story telling works.

2.7 stars out of 1.4k reviewers. The 1 star reviews match, if not exceed, the total amount of 4 and 5 stars COMBINED. Yes, it is a defective model. Many who don't have the yellow band are either lucky, or have eyes that are genuinely toasted to the point of missing a haze of PISS.

Hi Alyssa, A very nice video I enjoyed it . I have many e reader's 👍 Take care

I have a Colorsoft. It has a very, very faint yellow line which I don't notice unless I look for it. I believe some people may have a darker yellow line, so maybe they aren't all the same? I was very aware of what the quality of the color would be. The point of the Kindle was to imitate a book. Unless a book contains glossy pages, the color is not going to be that vibrant. I have no issues with mine and love it.

I love these videos so much. I’ve literally been up since 9 P.M. watching these and it’s currently 6 A.M. (I haven’t got an ounce of sleep and I’m still not tired)