I have so many books I want to read too but I’m trying to be present with reading one book at a time. Cherishing it. Soaking it in. Not worrying about my TBR. I would never want to rush through a book just to get to the next. Love your videos!
thanks for the shoutout bb!!! love the booktube community, and you've shed some light on creators that i'll get to now! see, this is why i love your videos. there's this infinite curiosity and desire to become something beyond the self in the way you love to learn. such challenging reads, and i hope they pave paths to new ways in seeing and thinking! can't wait to hear your thoughts on them in the near future!
Thank you, Valentina! I'm unexpectedly flattered! It's funny you shout me out, because I watch your videos and end up thinking, This is what my channel would be if it were cool. 😎 Most of the other BookTubers you mention are new to me, which is fantastic! I feel like you've just introduced me to a whole new wing of BookTube. Thank you for that. And I literally, literally just recorded a video similar to this subject-Books that Excite Me to Read!-and it also includes 2666 (though most of the other books you mention are totally new to me, which is awesome), so, yeah, you are the cool version of my channel, and I'm just riding along trying to keep up. 🕶
How wonderful! I’m so happy I brought some new channels to your attention. Haha we flatter each other it seems! You’re my eloquent and articulate counterpart, and definitely still cool 😎 excited to hear about the books you’re excited to read too
Thank you so much for the shout out Valentina. I didn't even know about The Untranslated share of my Sorokin video. Thank you for bringing that to my attention as well, its quite an honor. Michael Kohlhaas is on my list of books to read as well. I've been working through the vast catalog of German Literature of the 20th Century and it's quite a long list. Hope you've been able to find some Northwestern University Press European Classics before leaving for Amsterdam.
a HUGE honor! I'm so excited for you. I'd love hear your opinion on the best of 20th century german lit too haha. Although I haven't purchased any I've had a good time finding NWUP books in bookstores in Chicago this summer and skimming through them!
@@bookpogo I've got a few ideas for videos and that is definitely one of them that I'm working on, just been busy as of late. Thank you again for taking an interest and feeling the desire to share.
my gosh oomfie shouted me out! yes haha I'm a huge Bolano guy so I love the enthusiasm for 2666! I've also recommended The Savage Detectives which is maybe a better starting point, but at the same time 2666 is such a great read and despite its length absolutely flies by. You'd definitely like it, it's such a beautiful work. also for Oates I'd highly recommend Black Water by her!
Spinoza’s Ethics is a hard book and is written in the form of a geometrical demonstration, so if you can, read before the Ethics the “Treatise on the improvement of understanding” which is a great introduction to Spinoza’s writings although it is unfinished and is only about 50 pages long. Spinoza is amazing and very rewarding, you will love it
I read Therese Raquin as a teenager, inspired by a documentary about Vincent Van Gogh, in which Zola is said to be his favourite author. "Read Zola; It's good for the soul." ~ Vincent Van Gogh The book was brilliant and dark and tragic, and the events of it are still clear in my mind right now, close to ten years later.
2666: it's a tome, but I never found it tedious. The mysteries keep you going and the prose style is easygoing. I read that it was actually a handful of novels that Bolano was working on, and his family/estate lumped them into a single volume which became 2666. Re: Mark Fisher: the title alone makes my brain hurt. Not come across that book but I've read Captialist Realism and The Weird and the Eerie (which I loved). David Graeber is good for that sort of stuff, too.
Great books! I've been meaning to get to Bolano, but I always found 2666 intimidating. I've always admired your list of eclectic books and I love that you are not afraid to challenge yourself or go head-on on subjects that interest you.
seeing the shoutout of small creators and realizing there is a community for smalls makes me wanna shut up, quit being a baby and just try uploading 1 gotdamn video 😂
Do it! The only way to start is to start. Plus it's great fun to make videos and have a capsule of your thoughts and interests regardless of viewership!
Cool list! I just finished Zola’s Germinal, which blew me away. So i ordered Thérèse Raquin. Can’t wait to read it. Michael Kohlhaas is an awesome book as well. The Charpentier is new to me, I’ll check that out.
Kleist fanboy here - so glad to see him on someone's tbr, i never see him on booktube. if you like Michael Kohlhaas (best horse story ever and i saw recently a new edition by Vintage came out not too long ago) hope you try some of his other fiction! ~
Idk if there's any translation to english but: Fouche, retrato de un hombre político, Acantilado Editorial (check it out, is ab French rev). In South American literature i recommend u Pedro Páramo, by Rulfo
I’m about to start reading The Automatic Fetish! A text that helped in my understanding of Marx is GS Jone’s introduction (170 pages long!) to the Communist Manifesto published by Penguin - it gets in depth into the background of Marx/communism. Good luck reading more Marx
Valentina!!!! You made my day! 🥹Thank you for the shoutout, I appreciate you sm! 💗 Happy to see your channel and tik tok continue to grow! Also your list is sooo intriguing!! I added Michael Kohlhaas to my tbr, anything related in any way to Kafka I will read! Also The Rise of Life on Earth sounds right up my alley, plus I grew up across from Detroit and have spent so much of my life in that city. I definitely need to read more books that take place in it!
loved this video!! i’m part of your membership, but i’ve been missing your public videos as well :) i’ve been DYING to read Zola and I appreciate being able to learn abt so many more interesting books from you. I also wanted to know if you’ve seen Flo Milli’s tiny desk? It’s soooooo good
loved the video! i always get new books and recomendations from your videos! i’m from colombia and hear you speak and trying to read books in spanish it’s always a pleasure. from donoso i read "el lugar sin limites" and loved it!! is a short read but so complex and has undertones. and from bolaños i read "nocturno de chile" and even me that i speak spanish had a difficult time trying to know the words that he uses hahahaha
Wait, are you the person that was in my live stream from Bucaramanga?? If not, it's still great to have a fellow Colombian watching my videos. El Lugar Sin Limites sounds so great I'll def check it out. Bolaños in Spanish feels intimidating but like it'll be a good exercise even if many words go over my head...we shall see
I also want to read Michael Kohlhaas, I've heard such great things. There's actually a brand new translation of Obscene Bird of the Night that just came out by Megan McDowell, who I know best from her translations of Mariana Enriquez. 2666 was amazing. In contention for one of the best books of the new millennium. I've started Zola's Rougons Macquart series of novels, and really enjoyed the first one. Isaac Babel is great.
Excellent list you have. I’ve been so curious about 2666 since my uncle recently recommended it to me. Also, I will add, while Dickens’ works are masterpieces, even though I have not read Little Dorrit yet- Bleak House is my favorite book in the English language. Truly truly amazing. My words cannot do justice how exceptional that novel is. It is worth your time, every page! Maybe add it on. You rock.
That's so cool! Kafka also inspired me to read Michael Kolhaas too. Also, if you haven't read it yet, Albert Camus's The Rebel has a lot of really good insights into the mentalities surrounding the Jacobins in the French Revolution. Also, 26666 what is really far reaching in its scope and themes but I found a tad too depressing when get dwelt in all those murders
i issued discomfort of evening from the library like last year and never read it but listening to that description again sounds like i missed out, also i gotta get my hands on 2666 i need it to change my life bad
I read Explosion in a Cathedral a few months ago. Had no idea about the imminent new translation :o. It's really good although the title of the english translation pains me. The literal translation of the spanish title would be "The Age of Enlightenment" which is so much cooler.
Good call on Zola (btw, it was made clear to me once that his name is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable, so it would be "zo-LAH," but whatever. I still say "ZO-lah.") You might also check out his Rougon-Macquart series which includes "Germinal" and "Nana." If you like those, consider Balzac and his "Human Comedy" series, specifically the novels "Pere Goriot," "Lost Illusions," and "Cousin Bette."
2666 would and should be a different novel had Bolano lived. I finished it out of spite, not because I liked it. There are stretches of genius interspersed with stretches of unrlenting tedium. It should have been multiple books, well edited, as Bolano intended.
Funny you mention loving 18th Century Literature, interesting taste. Literary critics in the 19th Century felt that the quality of prose declined from the 18th century to the 19th century. I think 18th century literature is adventurous and poetic. Some think Gustave Flaubert killed the movel with Madame Bovary because suddenly literature became an arms race to see who could write the prettiest sentence. I go through the exact same thing of reading the books my favourite authors read.
Okay here’s the thing… I MISSPOKE!!! I meant I love the 1800s… I do like the 18th century but honestly I haven’t read as much from that era as I have from the 19th-21st centuries so I can’t with good conscious say I love it that much… that could very well change once I read more hahaha. Like I haven’t even read Flaubert!
@@bookpogo Oh, okay lol. I like Flaubert and a lot of 19th century stuff too, but critics seem to think that was the beginning of a decline. I think you will like Flaubert. Still, read some 18th century stuff; Laurence Sterne, Jonathan Swift etc it's definitely very different from the fiction that came after.
Hi Valentina, I discovered your channel via Ruben. (He’s awesome.) I enjoy your videos, with extra props for artful deployment of the f-bomb. That’s how I talk too, and YT can seem so antiseptic. But I digress. Regarding your interest in understanding Marx, the book you picked is pretty dense and academic, and not necessarily the best intro (though it’s a fine book). Alternatively, I thought I’d recommend David Harvey’s book Marx, Capital, and the Madness of Economic Reason. Still academic, but accessible too, and really sharp. If you are rapaciously curious about the lineage and afterlife of those ideas, I can’t speak highly enough of Leszek Kołakowski’s Main Currents of Marxism (the French Revolution certainly has something significant to do with it). I’m not a Marxist, I should mention, but I am certainly opposed to the way capitalism is practiced in the US, and I’m a lit prof. Whether this is a good or bad thing I leave to you to decide! Lastly, Donoso’s novel was reissued in 2024 in a complete Wnglish translation and is fucked up in the best way. Your whole list is great. I still haven’t read Zola or Babel’s Red Cavalry, and I’m 50. Shame on me.
Before you read someone's expounding on Kapital, I'd suggest just slogging through it -- which pretty much requires not doing much except reading and re-reading passages for a longer than comfortable time even for a hardcore reader. Nonetheless it's worth doing. Secondly, given what you said about how you feel about Capitalism, which is understandable, you need to read The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn -- in my opinion it's by far the strongest steel man against (at least pure) communism, and will make it easier to judge both sides more rationally.
Oh I will definitely be reading Kapital! As well as the Gulag Archipelago. Been dying to read that. We’ll see when life/ used bookstores bring these books into my hands
Donoso is very weird. He's not hard to read prose wise, but I didn't understand anything. You need to get into Stephen Kotkin if you like Soviet history. He's THE GUY for that. And of Bolaño I've read Los Detectives Salvajes and hated it. But some of his short stories are okay. And Estrella Distante was okay aswell, but weightless. Maybe 2666 is where it's at. There's a short strange book by a forgotten argentinian writer called Marcelo Fox. The book is "Invitación a la Masacre." Check it out.
I’m a native Spanish speaker but feel my vocab dwindling as I’m no longer studying Spanish🙂↔️ so thanks for the mention of the Donoso book, adding to my tbr! A fun concept to make a video around, now I’m thinking what books I wanna read (badly) right now! Hope ur doing alright, happy summer🌤️
i love Mark Fisher's works, and i think Flatline Constructs is his most compelling. he's one of a selective few Marxist writers that i find can maintain a consistent momentum in their storytelling without diverging into tangents that do little for anyone but the indulge the author's satisfaction. Gothic materialism is the idea that Gothic lit often used objects to convey an idea, like the dead guy in Tell-Tale Heart is the object which personifies regret. Cybernetic Theory-fiction is the idea that our reality is influenced by cyberpunk fiction because cyberpunk is less constrained with regards to plausibility. also def recommend Spinoza. i tend to really agree with his monist view
fantastic. I'm so glad I included Flatline Constructs because of all the positive comments I've received about it, I definitely hope to read it soon. Spinoza's monist view is what drew me to him for sure, I can't wait to read :)
@@bookpogo it def helped me and my mental issues a lot! it actually really elucidated 'theory of mind' for me too. although now i do find talking to certain dualistic ppl who argue in bad faith extremely insufferable. it's for the best though as they tend to be pretty ruthless folk. hope your able to get through and enjoy all the books!
Did you know that Marks hated Slavic people? Soviets are very silent about this. Think that Spinoza is an important thinker, Kierkegard also. Do recommend Carpentier. That book is fantastic.
Dostoyevsky thought Zola was an unbearable dullard, it remains to be seen what you will think. I thought Zola was "okay," not exactly high praise but he was not terrible. Of course some claim that middling praise is itself a condemnation! 😆😸
hey, video idea/question for you! you mentioned in a video that you read a few books at the same time so i am curious how you approach that and if you have a system for it. i tend to only read one book at a time and want to start reading various books at the same time. i would love to hear your thoughts on this topic :)
Came here via algorithms expecting to be soothed, taken on a gentle literary journey in the world of books I've conquered in my me time; instead, a barrage of F-bombs detonate my ears. Kinda funny really Hope you are doing well Valentina! First time here
@@Tupacshakur30 since hamlet and Macbeth were assigned it felt like a chore to read both… but I loved everything we covered in discussions so i definitely hope to read more Shakespeare soon
@@bookpogo true, Speare is part of our curriculum, fortunately or unfortunately that wasn't my experience since i didn't graduate i only heard of him years after school on my own curiousity, Macbeth and Hamlet the supernatural elements is what got me.. im thinking of starting my own channel. Do you speak with notes in your videos or do you freestyle ?
I mainly underline! Attempting to link the video where I address annotating my books I hope it works lol th-cam.com/users/shorts_5dI_lePiV8?si=xK3QH_xhuwY2CiBO
Hey! My name is Salustiano Berrios. I'll be brief. I wrote a novel called Growing Children. A sci-fi thriller about a father struggling to come to terms with his autistic son--and the lengths he goes to "rectify" the situation. It's a book with something to say, and I'm proud to say that it's in Barnes & Nobles. My other books are on Amazon. My book was just featured on YT channel To Readers It May Concern. I would love it if you and I could have an extended chat on your YT channel. Not even about my book, but just to chat about books in general. I imagine a lively conversation can be had! If anything, perhaps you'd be interested in checking the book out. Thank you! Cheers, my friend! I look forward to hearing back from you!
small feedback: if you end your sentences with a neutral tone instead of a question mark, your statements are perceived to carry more weight and confidence. Keep it up!
I respect your critique of capitalism, but I can't help but notice a bit of hypocrisy in your stance. You benefit from the very system you criticize, living in the U.S. and running a TH-cam channel, which relies on advertising revenue and sponsorships that are products of capitalism. How do you justify critiquing a system that provides you with significant privileges and opportunities?
I don’t feel a need to justify my critiques. I can’t help where I was born and what my life has turned out to be (I’m happy and privileged, I cannot complain). However that has nothing to do with my ability and desire to look outside of the bubble that is my life and recognize the damage and change that has been done to the world through economic systems I do not control. Would it be better to turn a blind eye and revel in my privilege without caring about the suffering and oppression that has allowed my country to function how it does? It’s like asking me not to give a fuck, and I can’t do that. I have made $25 from ads on TH-cam, total, which is money I’m thankful for because I too live in the capitalistic system…
@@bookpogo Thank you for responding. I guess my point is that it seems like many young people living in Western capitalist societies turn to Marx for hope and a vision of the future. It almost seems like a stereotype now because it happens so often. I understand why this happens, as Marx advocates for a fairer society for all. However, I would like to point out that Marxism has historically often led to economic inefficiency, political repression, and significant human suffering. Russia, China, Cuba, and North Korea have not been exemplary models when it comes to upholding humanitarian principles and creating fair societies. Of course, you should read Marx's work and explore his ideas. However, I would advise against making broad generalizations such as "all capitalism is evil" or advocating for actions like "revolting like the French and storming the Bastille." While I know you didn't say these things explicitly, that was my interpretation of your sentiments. Why would you want to revolt anyway? I would think Biden is as left as the US will ever go, hehe. I'm sure you'll add many more zeroes to that $25 in the future! 👍
@@seolong3326 and thank you for this response. I see how you interpreted what I said, but the thing is I'm not "turning to Marx," or to any other ideology, person, or economic structure. I simply want to hear more points of view. I know a lot of people who suffered, or whose families suffered through attempts at collectivization in the soviet union, and i have never thought communism to be the answer. Which is why I even have an interest in Marxist-Leninist ideals. Even a kingpin like Pablo Escobar who held these M-L beliefs ended up hurting 50,000 people, believing he was making sacrifices for the common man. I have no answer, and have not seen (so far) anyone with the right answer. Revolts and the unification of the public is of interest to me, but I am making zero calls to action. I'm just fascinated by such a strong and functional effort at revolt because I can't picture that happening, at least not in the same way, anytime soon. i don't think I made any generalizations, and I can't help what people interpret.
@@seolong3326I know this is of course not directed towards me but I think a lot of criticism of Marxism/socialism is kind of misguided, yes many people died in famine in china during maos period but life expectancy almost doubled and there was never another famine when they were frequent before mao. With regards to soviet union in 1953 soviet union had better living standards, life expectancy, infant mortality than the french, British, Belgian and Portuguese empires. Also Cubas problems don't relate to socialism but the embargo, if Cuba still had the embargo but was capitalist it would be just as bad if not worse off. We also need to remember that South Sudan is as capitalist as the USA, same for Nigeria, and Bangladesh. If we compare Cuba to the vast majority of capitalist countries in the developing world Cuba is better. Cuba is still better than America in per capita doctor's and life expectancy. This is not to say its perfect it's not at all. And this isn't me trying to come at you I'm just trying to discuss some aspects you may not have known about again no shade.
Of course it is lol. Any introduction to economics class teaches you about externalities and how self-interested rational agents, which the market economy is supposed to be composed of, don't factor in costs to third parties, in our case it's the environment.
@TheSpiritOfTheTimes Communism is not the answer. If there was world communism, we are not going to de- industrialize. Going back to pre-modern society will result in the deaths of hundreds of millions or billions of people. You just critique capitalism with your smartphone, internet, and comfortable life. You don't have any solution or answer.
Yay my first comment section discourse 😛😛 idk if this comment is for me but I don’t this communism is the answer. Believe me, I’ve read quite a bit and am aware of the famines and struggles of attempts at fully implementing communism. The critique of capitalism in our neoliberal age is more than anything a recognition of the damage to the environment that is inevitable with deregulation of the biggest corporations on the planet that exist for profit before anything else. Additionally there’s plenty of room for criticism at least in the us when you take a look at the shrinking middle class, tons of food destroyed on a daily basis because no sale = no profit, etc. I have no answers nor do I pretend to, but I’m also not blissfully ignorant enough to turn a blind eye to the very real consequences of our economic structure. It would be a sad world if we only shared our perspectives and opinions when we had the solutions or correct points of view… which is impossible anyways. Just my opinion though
I would argue that you are *partially* correct. Capitalism is not the problem, and Communism is nothing more than a subgenera of Capitalism. Humans, with mad disreguard for any thought of concequences, are, which is not an issue that any attempt (however flawed - I do think a Communist society could work, as could a Capitalist, but once again the issue is shortsighted humans) at Communism has so far avoided, reference the rabid destruction of forests and species and pretty much every natural thing in Maoist China and the USSR, (not to mention culture and humanity) on at least the same scale as what we are witnessing in the Capitalist world. I think science should continue forward, albeit with much greater consideration for ethics and results, but civilian life should not include any technology more complex than that which a skilled craftsperson can construct on their own from raw recources. And before you make quality of life objections, please do look into the quality of life over gross domestic happiness over gross domestic product relational curves, as devoloping from preindustrilization to now. We only loose connection with reality, and with the right hemisphere of our brains, in the accellerated and unnatural existance we have impetuously thrown ourselves into. Another thing which might perhaps assist in the ameleration of the problems humanity has so far faced (though, doubtless, it would sow a whole new crop of problems, reguardless of which I think it would still be worth trying,) is worrying less about controlling citizens and more about maintaining clarity and honesty in leadership. I propose this method: No one can run for leadership. Candidacy is selected by means of a selection system which would be carefully charted throughout a child's entire education. Only if traits such as honesty, empathy, self effacement, generosity, lack of desire for power or control, clarity of rational thought, willingness to adjust beliefs and mental processes if new and reliable information superannuates previous iterations, and so forth, would be required in far higher than average degrees, and negative traits in much concentration or strength at all would disqualify. Once the very most suited were selected, each year upon finishing education, they would be contacted and given the opportunity to continue on to an instutition for the higher education of future leaders, and would be allowed to say no, and also strongly encouraged to perform their civic duty. Those who finally are selected as leadership would have one final chance to refuse, then would have to swear and consent to a number of things, namely: 1: Eternal transparency, i.e. abdication of all rights to privacy. Every word and action would be recorded and free of access to the general public. 2: Eternal poverty, i.e. no right to property of any sort. They would, of course, be provided for permenantly. 3: Every year, there would be a general democratic vote on whether they should continue to hold office for another year, until term limit is reached. It would be a major public event, in which every citizen would be presented with strictly documented information on each person. 4: The leadership should be maintained, in perpetuity, at a quality of life equivalent to that of the lowest stable and contributing social class, and manual labour should occupy a portion of their daily life, intelectual labour and meditation another portion. 5: All frivolities, amusments, entertainments, games, and the like would not be permitted until such time as office is abdicated. That is the basic premise of the system in am working on devoloping, and I am aware that it certainly contains major flaws. Please do present me with any you see. For now, I will continue to cultivate my understanding, and to devolop this theory.
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The lost deleted Valentina videos are like the could-have-been-lost manuscripts Kafka insisted be burned upon his death😂
I PROMISE those videos truly suck hahaha
It’s great to come here and hear of books no one else has mentioned
Thank you so much 😊🙈
its like 1 am & stumbling upon this channel is like a midnight surprise. lovely stuff
🤗
so glad youre back
Likewise, I genuinely couldn’t believe June passed and I hadn’t uploaded shit 😭 granted I’ve been reading two fatties but still
I have so many books I want to read too but I’m trying to be present with reading one book at a time. Cherishing it. Soaking it in. Not worrying about my TBR. I would never want to rush through a book just to get to the next.
Love your videos!
Love your glasses !! Love this mix of titles too..... especially Zola ! Really cool that you want to read some of the books in the original language !
thank you so much!!!
I really love your perspective of the world, you inspire me to dive into philosophical literature 🥰
Thank you so much… and go for it!!🙈
I love finding new channels like yours, but I have so many books to read and you're introducing to more 🙉
thanks for the shoutout bb!!! love the booktube community, and you've shed some light on creators that i'll get to now!
see, this is why i love your videos. there's this infinite curiosity and desire to become something beyond the self in the way you love to learn. such challenging reads, and i hope they pave paths to new ways in seeing and thinking! can't wait to hear your thoughts on them in the near future!
🥹🫶🫶🫶🫶🥹
Thank you, Valentina! I'm unexpectedly flattered! It's funny you shout me out, because I watch your videos and end up thinking, This is what my channel would be if it were cool. 😎
Most of the other BookTubers you mention are new to me, which is fantastic! I feel like you've just introduced me to a whole new wing of BookTube. Thank you for that.
And I literally, literally just recorded a video similar to this subject-Books that Excite Me to Read!-and it also includes 2666 (though most of the other books you mention are totally new to me, which is awesome), so, yeah, you are the cool version of my channel, and I'm just riding along trying to keep up. 🕶
How wonderful! I’m so happy I brought some new channels to your attention. Haha we flatter each other it seems! You’re my eloquent and articulate counterpart, and definitely still cool 😎 excited to hear about the books you’re excited to read too
Thank you so much for the shout out Valentina. I didn't even know about The Untranslated share of my Sorokin video. Thank you for bringing that to my attention as well, its quite an honor.
Michael Kohlhaas is on my list of books to read as well. I've been working through the vast catalog of German Literature of the 20th Century and it's quite a long list. Hope you've been able to find some Northwestern University Press European Classics before leaving for Amsterdam.
a HUGE honor! I'm so excited for you. I'd love hear your opinion on the best of 20th century german lit too haha. Although I haven't purchased any I've had a good time finding NWUP books in bookstores in Chicago this summer and skimming through them!
@@bookpogo I've got a few ideas for videos and that is definitely one of them that I'm working on, just been busy as of late. Thank you again for taking an interest and feeling the desire to share.
my gosh oomfie shouted me out! yes haha I'm a huge Bolano guy so I love the enthusiasm for 2666! I've also recommended The Savage Detectives which is maybe a better starting point, but at the same time 2666 is such a great read and despite its length absolutely flies by. You'd definitely like it, it's such a beautiful work.
also for Oates I'd highly recommend Black Water by her!
Incredible, thank you! and i love the profile pic hahaha
Spinoza’s Ethics is a hard book and is written in the form of a geometrical demonstration, so if you can, read before the Ethics the “Treatise on the improvement of understanding” which is a great introduction to Spinoza’s writings although it is unfinished and is only about 50 pages long. Spinoza is amazing and very rewarding, you will love it
wonderful, thanks!!
I read Therese Raquin as a teenager, inspired by a documentary about Vincent Van Gogh, in which Zola is said to be his favourite author. "Read Zola; It's good for the soul." ~ Vincent Van Gogh The book was brilliant and dark and tragic, and the events of it are still clear in my mind right now, close to ten years later.
Amazing!
2666: it's a tome, but I never found it tedious. The mysteries keep you going and the prose style is easygoing. I read that it was actually a handful of novels that Bolano was working on, and his family/estate lumped them into a single volume which became 2666.
Re: Mark Fisher: the title alone makes my brain hurt. Not come across that book but I've read Captialist Realism and The Weird and the Eerie (which I loved). David Graeber is good for that sort of stuff, too.
Thank u for the great 2666 insight. Any word on how I’m meant to say it out loud? And thank u for the other rec!!
@@bookpogo I pronounce it like a year, so twenty-six, sixty-six. So far nobody's corrected me, so until then...
explosion in a cathedral is going straight on my tbr!! i also really want to read therese raquin 😌 i love a murderess woman
Just found your channel and I love your reading taste. So many interesting sounding books that I’ve never heard of.
Thank you so much! Just checked out your channel and I love it, you read a great variety of books as well !
Great books! I've been meaning to get to Bolano, but I always found 2666 intimidating. I've always admired your list of eclectic books and I love that you are not afraid to challenge yourself or go head-on on subjects that interest you.
I appreciate you so very much :)
seeing the shoutout of small creators and realizing there is a community for smalls makes me wanna shut up, quit being a baby and just try uploading 1 gotdamn video 😂
Do it! The only way to start is to start. Plus it's great fun to make videos and have a capsule of your thoughts and interests regardless of viewership!
It’s so worth it! Don’t think about it too much just start and then polish your content as you go! ❤️ Everyone is super supportive and kind on here!
Cool list! I just finished Zola’s Germinal, which blew me away. So i ordered Thérèse Raquin. Can’t wait to read it. Michael Kohlhaas is an awesome book as well. The Charpentier is new to me, I’ll check that out.
YASSS was so interested in your favorite youtubers 💓
Kleist fanboy here - so glad to see him on someone's tbr, i never see him on booktube. if you like Michael Kohlhaas (best horse story ever and i saw recently a new edition by Vintage came out not too long ago) hope you try some of his other fiction! ~
“Best horse story ever” sounds very promising !!
@@bookpogo it's a real journey 🐴
Idk if there's any translation to english but: Fouche, retrato de un hombre político, Acantilado Editorial (check it out, is ab French rev). In South American literature i recommend u Pedro Páramo, by Rulfo
I’m about to start reading The Automatic Fetish! A text that helped in my understanding of Marx is GS Jone’s introduction (170 pages long!) to the Communist Manifesto published by Penguin - it gets in depth into the background of Marx/communism. Good luck reading more Marx
Valentina!!!! You made my day! 🥹Thank you for the shoutout, I appreciate you sm! 💗 Happy to see your channel and tik tok continue to grow!
Also your list is sooo intriguing!! I added Michael Kohlhaas to my tbr, anything related in any way to Kafka I will read! Also The Rise of Life on Earth sounds right up my alley, plus I grew up across from Detroit and have spent so much of my life in that city. I definitely need to read more books that take place in it!
Of course!! I feel the same way about you. And I’m glad these books piqued your interest 🫶
I've read Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher and really liked it. Most of these books I have not heard of! Cheers!
I didn't expect so many people to have read the Fisher book! I'm feeling so encouraged to find it and read it soon
loved this video!! i’m part of your membership, but i’ve been missing your public videos as well :) i’ve been DYING to read Zola and I appreciate being able to learn abt so many more interesting books from you. I also wanted to know if you’ve seen Flo Milli’s tiny desk? It’s soooooo good
1) thank you I really I appreciate that 🥹 2) YES!!! She did wtf she had to DOOOO I absolutely loved it
loved the video! i always get new books and recomendations from your videos! i’m from colombia and hear you speak and trying to read books in spanish it’s always a pleasure. from donoso i read "el lugar sin limites" and loved it!! is a short read but so complex and has undertones. and from bolaños i read "nocturno de chile" and even me that i speak spanish had a difficult time trying to know the words that he uses hahahaha
Wait, are you the person that was in my live stream from Bucaramanga?? If not, it's still great to have a fellow Colombian watching my videos. El Lugar Sin Limites sounds so great I'll def check it out. Bolaños in Spanish feels intimidating but like it'll be a good exercise even if many words go over my head...we shall see
@@bookpogo nooo, sadly i’m not but yeah, it’s always great 🥰
@@paginasdeandres Claro! Y me alegra que hayas dejado un comentario porque descubri tu canal, me encanta!
@@bookpogo omg gracias! 😭 que amable eres ❤️
ur my favorite booktuber fr thanks for recs 🫶🏻
crying, tysm :)))
I also want to read Michael Kohlhaas, I've heard such great things.
There's actually a brand new translation of Obscene Bird of the Night that just came out by Megan McDowell, who I know best from her translations of Mariana Enriquez.
2666 was amazing. In contention for one of the best books of the new millennium.
I've started Zola's Rougons Macquart series of novels, and really enjoyed the first one.
Isaac Babel is great.
Amazing insight, thank you!
Excellent list you have. I’ve been so curious about 2666 since my uncle recently recommended it to me. Also, I will add, while Dickens’ works are masterpieces, even though I have not read Little Dorrit yet- Bleak House is my favorite book in the English language. Truly truly amazing. My words cannot do justice how exceptional that novel is. It is worth your time, every page! Maybe add it on. You rock.
Bleak house didn’t make the video but it has been on my list!
That's so cool! Kafka also inspired me to read Michael Kolhaas too. Also, if you haven't read it yet, Albert Camus's The Rebel has a lot of really good insights into the mentalities surrounding the Jacobins in the French Revolution. Also, 26666 what is really far reaching in its scope and themes but I found a tad too depressing when get dwelt in all those murders
i issued discomfort of evening from the library like last year and never read it but listening to that description again sounds like i missed out, also i gotta get my hands on 2666 i need it to change my life bad
Also had to subscribe to all of course
🫶🫶🥹
thought mein kampf was an odd choice but good list otherwise
Should actually be a mandatory read. Reading to how Hitler was a total idiot rambling about stupid dreams would probably cure some neonazis out there.
I read Explosion in a Cathedral a few months ago. Had no idea about the imminent new translation :o. It's really good although the title of the english translation pains me. The literal translation of the spanish title would be "The Age of Enlightenment" which is so much cooler.
honestly might just read it in Spanish...the difference in title would be bugging me too haha.
@@bookpogo that would be ideal... I wish I knew spanish. I think that would be my wish if I ever encountered a genie
Good call on Zola (btw, it was made clear to me once that his name is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable, so it would be "zo-LAH," but whatever. I still say "ZO-lah.") You might also check out his Rougon-Macquart series which includes "Germinal" and "Nana." If you like those, consider Balzac and his "Human Comedy" series, specifically the novels "Pere Goriot," "Lost Illusions," and "Cousin Bette."
Balzac did not make this video but is certainly on my list!! and thank you for the recommendations :)
Why read books when you can just buy them and look at their pretty covers on a shelf
2666 and Flatline Constructs are both brilliant :) Everything !!! by Mark Fisher is worth checking out.
I feel like the odds of someone watching this video having read Flatlines are so slim 😭 this is great
2666 would and should be a different novel had Bolano lived. I finished it out of spite, not because I liked it. There are stretches of genius interspersed with stretches of unrlenting tedium. It should have been multiple books, well edited, as Bolano intended.
Funny you mention loving 18th Century Literature, interesting taste. Literary critics in the 19th Century felt that the quality of prose declined from the 18th century to the 19th century. I think 18th century literature is adventurous and poetic. Some think Gustave Flaubert killed the movel with Madame Bovary because suddenly literature became an arms race to see who could write the prettiest sentence.
I go through the exact same thing of reading the books my favourite authors read.
Okay here’s the thing… I MISSPOKE!!! I meant I love the 1800s… I do like the 18th century but honestly I haven’t read as much from that era as I have from the 19th-21st centuries so I can’t with good conscious say I love it that much… that could very well change once I read more hahaha. Like I haven’t even read Flaubert!
@@bookpogo Oh, okay lol. I like Flaubert and a lot of 19th century stuff too, but critics seem to think that was the beginning of a decline. I think you will like Flaubert.
Still, read some 18th century stuff; Laurence Sterne, Jonathan Swift etc it's definitely very different from the fiction that came after.
Hi Valentina, I discovered your channel via Ruben. (He’s awesome.) I enjoy your videos, with extra props for artful deployment of the f-bomb. That’s how I talk too, and YT can seem so antiseptic.
But I digress. Regarding your interest in understanding Marx, the book you picked is pretty dense and academic, and not necessarily the best intro (though it’s a fine book). Alternatively, I thought I’d recommend David Harvey’s book Marx, Capital, and the Madness of Economic Reason. Still academic, but accessible too, and really sharp. If you are rapaciously curious about the lineage and afterlife of those ideas, I can’t speak highly enough of Leszek Kołakowski’s Main Currents of Marxism (the French Revolution certainly has something significant to do with it). I’m not a Marxist, I should mention, but I am certainly opposed to the way capitalism is practiced in the US, and I’m a lit prof. Whether this is a good or bad thing I leave to you to decide!
Lastly, Donoso’s novel was reissued in 2024 in a complete Wnglish translation and is fucked up in the best way.
Your whole list is great. I still haven’t read Zola or Babel’s Red Cavalry, and I’m 50. Shame on me.
Thank you so much for the great info and recs 🙌🙌
Before you read someone's expounding on Kapital, I'd suggest just slogging through it -- which pretty much requires not doing much except reading and re-reading passages for a longer than comfortable time even for a hardcore reader. Nonetheless it's worth doing. Secondly, given what you said about how you feel about Capitalism, which is understandable, you need to read The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn -- in my opinion it's by far the strongest steel man against (at least pure) communism, and will make it easier to judge both sides more rationally.
Oh I will definitely be reading Kapital! As well as the Gulag Archipelago. Been dying to read that. We’ll see when life/ used bookstores bring these books into my hands
Thank you for the rec. My library has Gulag Archipelago. Sounds like an intense but necessary read
Donoso is very weird. He's not hard to read prose wise, but I didn't understand anything.
You need to get into Stephen Kotkin if you like Soviet history. He's THE GUY for that.
And of Bolaño I've read Los Detectives Salvajes and hated it. But some of his short stories are okay. And Estrella Distante was okay aswell, but weightless. Maybe 2666 is where it's at.
There's a short strange book by a forgotten argentinian writer called Marcelo Fox. The book is "Invitación a la Masacre." Check it out.
This was a great video to make because of a comment like this. Thank you!
you're going to love 2666!
9:42 cutest thing hahahha
I’m a native Spanish speaker but feel my vocab dwindling as I’m no longer studying Spanish🙂↔️ so thanks for the mention of the Donoso book, adding to my tbr!
A fun concept to make a video around, now I’m thinking what books I wanna read (badly) right now! Hope ur doing alright, happy summer🌤️
Likewise! Thank you and happy reading ☺️☺️
you pretty!
Gay
i love Mark Fisher's works, and i think Flatline Constructs is his most compelling. he's one of a selective few Marxist writers that i find can maintain a consistent momentum in their storytelling without diverging into tangents that do little for anyone but the indulge the author's satisfaction.
Gothic materialism is the idea that Gothic lit often used objects to convey an idea, like the dead guy in Tell-Tale Heart is the object which personifies regret. Cybernetic Theory-fiction is the idea that our reality is influenced by cyberpunk fiction because cyberpunk is less constrained with regards to plausibility.
also def recommend Spinoza. i tend to really agree with his monist view
fantastic. I'm so glad I included Flatline Constructs because of all the positive comments I've received about it, I definitely hope to read it soon. Spinoza's monist view is what drew me to him for sure, I can't wait to read :)
@@bookpogo it def helped me and my mental issues a lot! it actually really elucidated 'theory of mind' for me too.
although now i do find talking to certain dualistic ppl who argue in bad faith extremely insufferable. it's for the best though as they tend to be pretty ruthless folk.
hope your able to get through and enjoy all the books!
You should read Story of the Eye
you always have great non-fiction recs! will be reading the automatic fetish!
13:40 The 19th Century is your beloved 1800s
Yes I’m a tweaker lmao
You should read Free to Choose by Milton Friedman.
👏🖤
where are your glasses from? they are so pretty!
Thank you! My bf got them made in Korea so I’m not sure exactly
What’s your favorite Lana del Ray song? 😃
Cruel world
Your videos are so cool. By the way are you on any social media ?
thank you! i only have a private twitter that i'm trying not to use...no instagram either
Did you know that Marks hated Slavic people? Soviets are very silent about this. Think that Spinoza is an important thinker, Kierkegard also. Do recommend Carpentier. That book is fantastic.
Dostoyevsky thought Zola was an unbearable dullard, it remains to be seen what you will think. I thought Zola was "okay," not exactly high praise but he was not terrible. Of course some claim that middling praise is itself a condemnation! 😆😸
Love it
Great
hey, video idea/question for you! you mentioned in a video that you read a few books at the same time so i am curious how you approach that and if you have a system for it. i tend to only read one book at a time and want to start reading various books at the same time. i would love to hear your thoughts on this topic :)
Answered in my last yt short !!
I need to know where your glasses are from and if they are perscription. Handover the information!
My bf got the frames in Korea so I’m not exactly sure…and yes they are prescription!
In Romanian "gecolu" means gecko.
Ba nu?? 😭
Came here via algorithms expecting to be soothed, taken on a gentle literary journey in the world of books I've conquered in my me time; instead, a barrage of F-bombs detonate my ears. Kinda funny really Hope you are doing well Valentina! First time here
Welcome! This is so funny because I don't even realize how much I'm swearing until I edit hahaha
@@bookpogo I'm glad I dropped by. Entertaining 🤭
Have you ever gotten into any Shakespeare 🥶
Only for school haha
@@bookpogo that's what's up ☺️ do you dig him ? Like em ? I'm into Hamlet right now 😂
@@bookpogo Macbeth is a masterpiece 💯
@@Tupacshakur30 since hamlet and Macbeth were assigned it felt like a chore to read both… but I loved everything we covered in discussions so i definitely hope to read more Shakespeare soon
@@bookpogo true, Speare is part of our curriculum, fortunately or unfortunately that wasn't my experience since i didn't graduate i only heard of him years after school on my own curiousity, Macbeth and Hamlet the supernatural elements is what got me.. im thinking of starting my own channel. Do you speak with notes in your videos or do you freestyle ?
oo forgot to ask earlier on but - Do you annotate your books ?
I mainly underline! Attempting to link the video where I address annotating my books I hope it works lol th-cam.com/users/shorts_5dI_lePiV8?si=xK3QH_xhuwY2CiBO
hey so um are you still going to Universiteit van Amsterdam?
Yes!
Hello, who is this in my YT feed...
Hey! My name is Salustiano Berrios. I'll be brief. I wrote a novel called Growing Children. A sci-fi thriller about a father struggling to come to terms with his autistic son--and the lengths he goes to "rectify" the situation. It's a book with something to say, and I'm proud to say that it's in Barnes & Nobles. My other books are on Amazon.
My book was just featured on YT channel To Readers It May Concern.
I would love it if you and I could have an extended chat on your YT channel. Not even about my book, but just to chat about books in general. I imagine a lively conversation can be had! If anything, perhaps you'd be interested in checking the book out.
Thank you! Cheers, my friend! I look forward to hearing back from you!
Please email me! My email is in my channel description :)
small feedback: if you end your sentences with a neutral tone instead of a question mark, your statements are perceived to carry more weight and confidence. Keep it up!
trust me this is all I think about when I edit haha. im working on it, and thanks
Hoola guapa, puede los libros hacer un mundo mejor?
Claro que si!
@@bookpogo Guapa, ves que va a mejor, o peor?
I respect your critique of capitalism, but I can't help but notice a bit of hypocrisy in your stance. You benefit from the very system you criticize, living in the U.S. and running a TH-cam channel, which relies on advertising revenue and sponsorships that are products of capitalism.
How do you justify critiquing a system that provides you with significant privileges and opportunities?
I don’t feel a need to justify my critiques. I can’t help where I was born and what my life has turned out to be (I’m happy and privileged, I cannot complain). However that has nothing to do with my ability and desire to look outside of the bubble that is my life and recognize the damage and change that has been done to the world through economic systems I do not control. Would it be better to turn a blind eye and revel in my privilege without caring about the suffering and oppression that has allowed my country to function how it does? It’s like asking me not to give a fuck, and I can’t do that. I have made $25 from ads on TH-cam, total, which is money I’m thankful for because I too live in the capitalistic system…
@@bookpogo Thank you for responding.
I guess my point is that it seems like many young people living in Western capitalist societies turn to Marx for hope and a vision of the future. It almost seems like a stereotype now because it happens so often. I understand why this happens, as Marx advocates for a fairer society for all. However, I would like to point out that Marxism has historically often led to economic inefficiency, political repression, and significant human suffering.
Russia, China, Cuba, and North Korea have not been exemplary models when it comes to upholding humanitarian principles and creating fair societies.
Of course, you should read Marx's work and explore his ideas. However, I would advise against making broad generalizations such as "all capitalism is evil" or advocating for actions like "revolting like the French and storming the Bastille." While I know you didn't say these things explicitly, that was my interpretation of your sentiments.
Why would you want to revolt anyway? I would think Biden is as left as the US will ever go, hehe.
I'm sure you'll add many more zeroes to that $25 in the future! 👍
@@seolong3326 and thank you for this response. I see how you interpreted what I said, but the thing is I'm not "turning to Marx," or to any other ideology, person, or economic structure. I simply want to hear more points of view. I know a lot of people who suffered, or whose families suffered through attempts at collectivization in the soviet union, and i have never thought communism to be the answer. Which is why I even have an interest in Marxist-Leninist ideals. Even a kingpin like Pablo Escobar who held these M-L beliefs ended up hurting 50,000 people, believing he was making sacrifices for the common man. I have no answer, and have not seen (so far) anyone with the right answer. Revolts and the unification of the public is of interest to me, but I am making zero calls to action. I'm just fascinated by such a strong and functional effort at revolt because I can't picture that happening, at least not in the same way, anytime soon. i don't think I made any generalizations, and I can't help what people interpret.
@@seolong3326I know this is of course not directed towards me but I think a lot of criticism of Marxism/socialism is kind of misguided, yes many people died in famine in china during maos period but life expectancy almost doubled and there was never another famine when they were frequent before mao. With regards to soviet union in 1953 soviet union had better living standards, life expectancy, infant mortality than the french, British, Belgian and Portuguese empires. Also Cubas problems don't relate to socialism but the embargo, if Cuba still had the embargo but was capitalist it would be just as bad if not worse off. We also need to remember that South Sudan is as capitalist as the USA, same for Nigeria, and Bangladesh. If we compare Cuba to the vast majority of capitalist countries in the developing world Cuba is better. Cuba is still better than America in per capita doctor's and life expectancy. This is not to say its perfect it's not at all. And this isn't me trying to come at you I'm just trying to discuss some aspects you may not have known about again no shade.
@@cyborgcrusher6796 I appreciate your input 👍
So read them
And will
Capitalism is not destroying the world.
Of course it is lol. Any introduction to economics class teaches you about externalities and how self-interested rational agents, which the market economy is supposed to be composed of, don't factor in costs to third parties, in our case it's the environment.
@TheSpiritOfTheTimes Communism is not the answer. If there was world communism, we are not going to de- industrialize. Going back to pre-modern society will result in the deaths of hundreds of millions or billions of people. You just critique capitalism with your smartphone, internet, and comfortable life. You don't have any solution or answer.
Yay my first comment section discourse 😛😛 idk if this comment is for me but I don’t this communism is the answer. Believe me, I’ve read quite a bit and am aware of the famines and struggles of attempts at fully implementing communism. The critique of capitalism in our neoliberal age is more than anything a recognition of the damage to the environment that is inevitable with deregulation of the biggest corporations on the planet that exist for profit before anything else. Additionally there’s plenty of room for criticism at least in the us when you take a look at the shrinking middle class, tons of food destroyed on a daily basis because no sale = no profit, etc. I have no answers nor do I pretend to, but I’m also not blissfully ignorant enough to turn a blind eye to the very real consequences of our economic structure. It would be a sad world if we only shared our perspectives and opinions when we had the solutions or correct points of view… which is impossible anyways. Just my opinion though
I would argue that you are *partially* correct. Capitalism is not the problem, and Communism is nothing more than a subgenera of Capitalism. Humans, with mad disreguard for any thought of concequences, are, which is not an issue that any attempt (however flawed - I do think a Communist society could work, as could a Capitalist, but once again the issue is shortsighted humans) at Communism has so far avoided, reference the rabid destruction of forests and species and pretty much every natural thing in Maoist China and the USSR, (not to mention culture and humanity) on at least the same scale as what we are witnessing in the Capitalist world. I think science should continue forward, albeit with much greater consideration for ethics and results, but civilian life should not include any technology more complex than that which a skilled craftsperson can construct on their own from raw recources. And before you make quality of life objections, please do look into the quality of life over gross domestic happiness over gross domestic product relational curves, as devoloping from preindustrilization to now. We only loose connection with reality, and with the right hemisphere of our brains, in the accellerated and unnatural existance we have impetuously thrown ourselves into. Another thing which might perhaps assist in the ameleration of the problems humanity has so far faced (though, doubtless, it would sow a whole new crop of problems, reguardless of which I think it would still be worth trying,) is worrying less about controlling citizens and more about maintaining clarity and honesty in leadership. I propose this method: No one can run for leadership. Candidacy is selected by means of a selection system which would be carefully charted throughout a child's entire education. Only if traits such as honesty, empathy, self effacement, generosity, lack of desire for power or control, clarity of rational thought, willingness to adjust beliefs and mental processes if new and reliable information superannuates previous iterations, and so forth, would be required in far higher than average degrees, and negative traits in much concentration or strength at all would disqualify. Once the very most suited were selected, each year upon finishing education, they would be contacted and given the opportunity to continue on to an instutition for the higher education of future leaders, and would be allowed to say no, and also strongly encouraged to perform their civic duty. Those who finally are selected as leadership would have one final chance to refuse, then would have to swear and consent to a number of things, namely: 1: Eternal transparency, i.e. abdication of all rights to privacy. Every word and action would be recorded and free of access to the general public. 2: Eternal poverty, i.e. no right to property of any sort. They would, of course, be provided for permenantly. 3: Every year, there would be a general democratic vote on whether they should continue to hold office for another year, until term limit is reached. It would be a major public event, in which every citizen would be presented with strictly documented information on each person. 4: The leadership should be maintained, in perpetuity, at a quality of life equivalent to that of the lowest stable and contributing social class, and manual labour should occupy a portion of their daily life, intelectual labour and meditation another portion. 5: All frivolities, amusments, entertainments, games, and the like would not be permitted until such time as office is abdicated. That is the basic premise of the system in am working on devoloping, and I am aware that it certainly contains major flaws. Please do present me with any you see. For now, I will continue to cultivate my understanding, and to devolop this theory.
@bookpogo Move to North Korea. Get off TH-cam! Capitalism is banned there. It is in the constitution. Go live your dream.