Hannah, wtf, I burst into tears at the same time as you and I'm not even a mum. I think it says so much about how we go through life having stuff thrown at us all the time and having to juggle everything that whenever some comes along and shows kindness just because, with no obligation or expectation, it makes us realise how much we value it, need it, crave it, and how detached from it we are in our daily lives
I am a mum of a toddler and a baby and been in that exact scenario and someone said exactly the same.... sadly didn't tie my shoelaces and did walk away and left me.... to hear that play out the way I wished it would have was such a bizarre feeling, happy and sad I suppose. And yes I did cry when hannah said it 😅
Around a year ago I was reading Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow whilst doing a module in game design on my MA, and then I hid sticky notes in the book that said "Would you like to go on a date?" "Yes" / "No" (I was copying a multi-linear narrative exercise we'd done in class) and then I practically threw that book at a classmate I had a big crush on as a "book recommendation" and ran onto my train home. Anyway, he loved it and now he's my boyfriend so it's very fun for me to see your reactions from reading it 🥰
I absolutely do not want to take away from the shoelaces anecdote being so specifically relevant to parenting/motherhood. But man. I'm not a parent and it got me, not just in empathy of parents but also applying it to where I'm at myself atm as someone who works in community (I'm a community development officer) and is also currently dedicating quite a lot of time to volunteering and generally reflecting to how best to navigate the capitalist world we live in and how to have a meaningful life....I just. We all sometimes need someone to help us in such a simple way, and we all need to be keeping our eyes out for other people and being there to offer that simple, practical help to those around us. It means so much. When you don't know how to contribute, how to 'solve the world's ills', just think of little kindnesses you have the capacity to give, and the ways you can live your life in a way that helps others. Thanks for showing your audience such a raw and vulnerable cathartic response to something hitting you right where you are at ❤
Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series is amazing. I think they are really able to encapsulate big character arcs similar to Phillip Pullman. I am also excited for the final book in the book of dust trilogy!
Oh god that shoelaces thing got me HARD. That is so bloody wonderful but also SAD that truly all we need as parents is a little compassion and help, and how the world generally leaves us without that!
I have a great sci-fi recommendation! The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells, the first book is called All Systems Red. There's a ton of books in the series but most of them are novellas, so you can go through them very quickly. Also, the audiobooks narrated by Kevin R. Free are amazing, so beautifully read and a mix of sadness and hope and friendship ❤ Also, I just wanted to hug you when you got emotional!! So some virtual hugs from The Netherlands
I totally get what you mean about Fitz in the Farseer trilogy. That boy does not see the bigger picture, but i love him to death 😂 if you want to give robin hobb and the world a 2nd try, i think you would like the liveship trader series a lot more. There are multiple povs, local and international politics and a central magic (the liveships) that is explained by the end of the series! 🎉 Glad you had such a great birthday week+month :)
Definitely! Robin Hobb's world is one of my favourite ever fantasy worlds and series of books, but it's definitely as a whole, rather than something you see in book 1. It's when you're with Fitz as an old man in book 15 and you know everything he has been through that has made him the way he is, and seeing politics you have experienced in the liveship traders have an impact on Fitz's world. It absolutely has that payoff, but you have to work for it
In terms of fantasy worldbuilding, I recommend The Priory of the Orange Tree! Idk if you've read that one yet, but it is so worth it. Political intrigues, a cool magic system, a female-first world (not sure how to phrase it, but for instance there's a Queendom rather than a Kingdom ya know?), lots of POVs which are all intriguing... I'm reading the prequel now (A Day of Fallen Night) and it's also really good!!
Stick with Robin Hobb. All those trilogies are linked. I read book 9 by mistake first but I've since read the whole 12 book main series twice all the way through. It's so good.
Personally I love Cassandra Clare's world building! Her earlier books have quite a few tropes, but her characters become more diverse and the world politics becomes more complex as the series' go on! I grew so invested in the character's individual/ overall storylines, and some of her series dips into historical fiction/ fantasy! Highly recommend any of Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter Cronicles.
only 5 minutes in and adoring this so much already, hannah 💗 as a fellow human who adores reading but never seems to have time for it, thank you for sharing a much more relatable version of 'books i'm reading.'
Please, give Eragon a try! I love His Dark Materials. But don't like a slow burn or excessive world building. The Eragon series was the first time I fell in love with a fantasy series, so I would recommend to give it a go. Try the first 100 pages and see what you think.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is one of my all time favourite books. I am so glad you got to experience it. To me it just feels like a celebration of how complicated people & relationships are, and yet there is love. I cried so many times reading it haha
The Realm of the Elderlings is my absolute favorite fantasy series. The world comes together so beautifully and its magic is all connected. It will blow your mind when you realize the reality behind what the characters thought was the truth.
I find it so funny how we both love fantasy but have widely opposing tastes in it. I rarely really get into the whole high fantasy, political drama stuff but give me a fun urban fantasy or a fairly tale re-imagening with an adventurous vibe and a funny POV character and I am all in. It really shows that fantasy is such a wide genre and can mean so many things. 😊
I love Stardust (the movie)! The book is wonderful, though I believe Neil Gaiman has said the movie improves upon the book. Maybe a rare occurrence of the movie being better. I’d be interested in your thoughts!
I love both! I think they tell the same story in a different way, which is rare these days. Some things are better in books (like inner monologue), some things are better in movies (like Landscapes or I don't know, Pirates on a Zeppelin!). Anyway, I love both, and Henry Cavill always jumpscares me a little bit :D
The movie is my favourite movie of all time but I also love the book. Just completely different vibes! The book is like reading a beautiful modern fantasy take on a classic fairy tale (and I super recommend the fully illustrated version) while the film is more Princess Bride-y with a lot more comedy and fun to it.
The only thing I know about Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is that Hank Green mentioned liking it in fall of 2022, and I got it for my 30 yr old gamer brother for Christmas that year, and he liked it.
Ok Hannah, die hard Robin Hobb fan here, every single thing you have said you aren't liking improves in future books. The thing with the realm of the elderlings series is how the different characters from different trilogies link together, so its really a series that improves with time. The second trilogy, the liveship traders, definitely has a lot of the more fantastical elements you're looking for ( sea serpents, dragons, and ships made of magic wood that come to life!) Obviously now Fitz is older you'll get more of the politics and stuff now as well. I get that those books are CHUNKY and there are so many other books in the world, but if even a small part of you is interested in finding out what happened next, pleeeeease keep going!
I've never read Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb but I did just finish Ship of Magic by her and I absolutely loved it. It's set in the same fantasy world and unlike how you described Assassin's Apprentice, there is actual magic through the live ships and also lots of political intrigue and world building. If you decide to give Robin Hobb another go I'd recommend maybe trying Ship of Magic instead!
I'm not at all into fantasy but I LOVED The Broken Earth trilogy if you haven't read it yet! The worldbuilding is SO GOOD and usually i have problems getting into it, I don't like the fantasy politics either but this one was done so so well and had all the elements you seek in the fantasy. Really recommend!
You are the only youtuber that I've watched so far, I would take book recommendations from. I love listening to people talk about books, but with you I feel like it's me talking about a book. We have a very similar taste in fiction so with each book I am so eager to know what you think! And I listen to Audiobooks constantly, so that makes your recommendations even more valuable. I have read all of the fiction books you read in this video though... So maybe its time for me to dabble in the non-fiction now.
Love these reading vlogs!! And love the storygraph stats too, yesterday I had a little bookish reunion with some friends and I was showing my stats from last year and this one, and how I have waaaay too many books started, so my goal is to finish some of them.
Like many others, I highly recommend the Murderbot Diaries, especially as audiobooks! There are few books for which I feel as strongly as for this series. The main character is everything, and the audiobook narration is incredible.
Oh dear 🙈 I already cried to this bit reading the book but cried again watching your video! ❤️ this is such a good illustration of what is wrong with society. And how easy it would be to make some things better 🙏🏻
Tip if you liked Matrescence, you would probably also love Rachel Reed’s book, reclaiming childbirth as a rite of passage. I know it sounds a bit hocus-pocus but it is not it is in the line of Matrescence but focussed on the way we see birth and history and everything it is WONDERFUL and very feminist ❤️
Your reflections on Tomorrow x3 remind me of when I read that book last year - I had no real feeling for what the story was about or where it was going all the way through, but I loved reading it! How you describe The Assassin's Apprentice reminds me a bit of Wheel of Time, which I read the first book of recently. There's so much potential for the larger level of intrigue like what we get in the Stormlight Archive, but it just never appears, which is really frustrating.
Hold on yo the Wheel of Time, it will get better after book 3 or 4, I had a hard time getting into it, but then the universe grows and expands, and they are such good books !
Rivers of London ( audio book specifically) is SO SO GOOD. Would highly recommend for a fantasy/ very well researched sci fi ish book. Also unsure if you have read or been recommended - fourth wing and iron flame by Rebecca Yarros?? I found the writing to be average, but the world the author builds is something else and it’s so addictive!
can't wait to get started on the audiobook of "come together"! also your reading vlogs/videos always remind me I should update my story graph but I never dooo
Sci-fi book recs! The Teixcalaan duology by Arkady Martine; the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells; Winter's Orbit duology by Everina Maxwell (more sci-fi romance); Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (sci-fantasy)
I wasn’t a massive fan of Assassins Apprentice either but as I went along her books I got much more into it and it definitely builds. My favourite trilogy of hers is the Liveship traders but the assassin story does improve as it goes along
Sci-fi book recommendation! It's a series of mostly novellas called the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. One of my absolute favourites, such good world building and found family vibes like Becky Chambers.
Love this! One thing you've missed - korke and Judith were business minded and created a brand to sell. This is something Dominican bachata never had (until very recently) as it was a street dance.
Huge Brandon Sanderson fan here, coming in with a couple of recommendations: Jade City by Fonda Lee (and that whole trilogy), is full of political intrigue and the magic system is sooooo good. It's an urban high fantasy, so set in another world but in a city with modern technology, following two rival gangs on an island that's very influenced by different Asian cultures. And then the world and politics really opens up from book two. Then another personal fave is Joe Abercrombie. If you love the politics and grim dark element of GoT, then I think you'll love his books. I'd recommend starting with The Blade Itself. The characters are super dry and witty, and the books are very full of British humour, in a dark and twisted way. If you love gritty and real characters you want to root for, as well as lots of politics and backstabbing, then you'll love it. I will say the magic system in this isn't as hard as Sanderson's or Lee's but still such a great series!
I am SO JEALOUS that you got to go to the Fantasy exhibition at the British Library!! I just could not find the time to make it there before it ended, but looked fantastic :) Edited to add: just got to the end and can see Convenience Store Woman on your To-Read Pile! That book is fantastic (and I think the character is very autistic-coded which obviously appealed to me too). Big recommend, even if it's not sci fi!
I really loved the trilogy Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. It’s a fantasy world and if you enjoy those, the series connected is Crooked Kingdom but I haven’t read those yet.
I love Kim Harrison’s “The Hollows” fantasy series! It’s a 13+ book world with complex characters, political stakes, and continuous mystery! Definitely recommend
The Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire is a portal fantasy series with a magic-ish boarding school. It has so many different worlds and creatures that I think you'll love. All the books are novellas and they all have audiobooks
I recommend the The Murderbot Diaries series, its a sci-fi novella series and the audio books are great! Another great novella series, fantasy this time, is the Wayward Children Series.
Have you heard of the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir? It’s incredible writing, the world building is subtle but very present. The characters are wonderful. They are written to be read multiple times as all the little details that hint at bigger plot points can be easily missed the first time through and then on the reread you go “oh shirt this is referring to this other thing”. I’d say first read through is like first 80% of the book is being mildly confused but enjoying the storytelling and then the final 20% all the threads start coming together and the final like 2% is just like screaming as everything snaps into place with a bit of cliffhanger to set up the next book. I am obsessed with them.
Amazing book list Hannah wish you best of luck with ur readings 🌹🌈🩷🩷🩵🌹🩵🌈💚💚💜🌼🌷🌷🫶🏻🪻❤️❤️💛🌺🌺📖📖📚📚💙📙✨🪻🫶🏻🫶🏻🪻🌼🌼🌈🩷🩷🩷🩵🌹🦋🌹🌈🩷💚💚🌷🌷❤️❤️🌷🌷🌼🌼💕🦋🦋🌹🌹🌸🫶🏻🫶🏻❤️❤️❤️✨🦋🦋🌹🩵🌈🌸🌼🌸🫶🏻🪻❤❤❤❤
Just finished watching the tv show "Lessons in chemistry" based on the book. HIGHLY recommend. I usually always have critiques of tv shows but this was a god-tier level watch for me. Cannot recommend it enough. It's beautiful
so with the exception of the last book, i LOVE the acotar series (they’re not the best books in the world, but they gave me that warm fuzzy heart connection that i get with some series) and spotify has fully dramatized versions of the audiobooks with different voice actors, music, sound effects, etc that i’ve been listening to on my long drives to & from work, and i’m really enjoying them despite being an audiobook hater 😂
Some sci-fi recs: The Murderbot series by Martha Wells are particularly great on audiobook, excellent sci-fi world building, funny, poignant, and constantly surprise me with how much a non-human construct POV character has to say about personhood. The Lady Astronaut Novels by Mary Robinette Kowal are right there with Becky Chambers' and Andy Weir's books for me -- they're alternate history sci-fi set in the early 1950s but the space program has to be massively accelerated to get humans off the planet. So good! And if you haven't read Becky Chambers' Monk and Robot novellas, they are excellent "solar punk" / "cozy sci-fi" and I love them just as much, though differently, than her Wayfarer series.
New mom here, not a lot of time to read but I manage to get quite a bit of reading done by using my phone for Kindle app or Libby app. My goal is to eventually get to at least 100 books a year but it will take time. It took me 8 weeks to finish book four of ACOTAR. 😂
One of my favourite fantasy book trilogies is the Inkheart trilogy, written by cornelia funke. It was originally written in German but has been translated and released in English. (I can't read German😅) sadly isn't on audible but reccomend as a physical books to read.
I haven't read much other sci-fi or fantasy, I'm mostly a contemporary romance reader haha, so I can't give great comparisons to other authors. But I'm here again to recommend The Locked Tomb series by Tasmyn Muir! The first one is Gideon the Ninth, and it's definitely not a slog or slow burn. The audiobook narrator is Moira Quirk and she's wonderful, and these are the books that got me back into reading as an adult. We're still waiting for #4, but I highly recommend!
I loved this video! Was great to hear your thoughts on Matrescence as I haven't seen anyone else on booktube talk about it, I thought it was filles was a lot of interesting stuff but I was hoping it would talk more about becoming a mother from like an identity perspective? I want to recommend you read The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas. It's like an alternative present where time travel was invented in the 50s by a group of women. It's got the quirky vibe with great female characters like with Lessons in Chemistry, and has big world building around how time travel is now used and how the world has changed like you said you like in fantasy, plus also there's a dead body and a mystery like who killed them?? It's honestly amazing and I think you'd love it. Sorry for the essay!
I cannot recommend The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss enough. I don't know if you've read them already, but they are amazing. And hopefully the last book is gonna be released in the near future!
Cradle by Will Wight I would highly recommend for a good ‘proper’ fantasy but not too deep. For deep and political I’d recommend Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law series ☺️
Neil Gaiman is one of my fav authors ever. His fantasy is so dark and thoughtful. I really recommend The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Cannot wait to hear your thoughts on his writing when you get around to it
HANNAH HANNAH OH MY GOSH if you want sci-fi/ fantasy I have SUCH A GOOD RECOMENDATION!! This YA book called Overemotional by David Fenne released last year and I just listened to the audio book and it's REALLY FUN! I love all the moving pieces, it's an urban fantasy book set in the UK (I don't think it's classified as a sci-fi but personally I think there are sci-fi elements!) and it's the first in a trilogy, and the second book is coming out this march!!!!
Hearing your thoughts on Assassin's Apprentice was quite fun. That's all valid. I've read through that whole series (over a 5 year period, I should mention), and the book that fit most of your complaints is the 2nd, Royal Assassin (the King is weakening, Prince Regal is taking over, Fitz has a new witted companion). After that one, I had to continue on with Fitz's journey through the end, but I will say Assassin's Quest is 500 pages too long (you might do okay with the audiobook) and I didn't care for the last series in this world (The Fitz and the Fool). Otherwise, you can just pick up the Liveship Traders (ships that talk!) or the Rainwild Chronicles ("disabled" dragons!), they can stand on their own perfectly.
I can't remember if you've mentioned reading the Murderbot series by Martha Wells, but if you haven't, you should definitely give it a go! The first few stories are novellas, so they go by quickly. The main character is delightfully sarcastic - I think you'll quite like them.
Highly recommend A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. Absolutely amazing romantasy series! She's currently working on a new book in that series and if you like her style of writing, I also recommend reading Throne of Glass and Crescent City (in that order!). Absolutely changed my life! I haven't been able to stop thinking or talking about it since reading the books a year ago! LOL
Really recommend Katherine May’s books, as they all centre around identity and how to engage with yourself and the world, through the lens of disability, health, motherhood and being self employed. Feels like she wrote these for you!
I run a book Instagram page, and I have found that there is so much emphasise on how many books you read in a year. In recent years, I've decided to concentrate on reading for the joy of reading and not to reach a book 'goal'. Admittedly, so far this year I've read nine books, but that's because I've been trying to go on my phone/social media less haha :)
I think the book goal thing can be fun, but the idea of posting them is what makes it less fun to me. Makes you “accountable” to others besides me. I set book goals but it is only for myself as an encouragement to remember to read (which I LOVE to do but depression gets in the way). But since it is only for myself, I’m not upset if I don’t meet the goal. It’s just a little fun thing to compete with myself from last year and I have found that I read a lot more now and enjoy it!
If you want some Sci fi recommendations, I would suggest Wild Seed by Octavia E Butler - its the first chronologically in her Patternist series and my favourite one, the main characters are immortal with powers and they travel from Africa to the US. My other recommendation is for Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch series (Ancillary Justice / Sword / Mercy), the main character is an AI of a spaceship in a body, and there are so many cool different races and cultures
Not sure if you’ve heard of it or maybe already read it, but I very much enjoyed the Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk! Based on what you said you liked or didn’t like about the books you explored in this and other videos, this might scratch the fantasy itch! As far as I know it’s a one-off rather than part of a series, but it has a rich magical system that impacts sex, race, and class as designed in the book’s universe; while also being equally about romance, friendship, and parenthood. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Moira Quirk and her characterizations were really fun! Definitely recommend! One more is the Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas. Not fantasy, but sci-fi, largely taking place between recent history to somewhat-present. Definitely lots of world building; also nice to see sci-fi where all the main characters are women, and very different women at that.
I recommend The Priory of the Orange tree for fantasy, it's excellent! Power political intrigue, sisterhood, prophecies, queendom, and did I mention dragons?! As for Sci-fi, I would recommend the series from Sanderson that starts with Skyward!
I really like Ann Leckie for sci-fi! I've recently read a few of her books and they're really cool and queer. She's another writer thats really good at including diversity in a way that just feels like humanness and not tick box checking. I'd also recommend The Fifth Season for fantasy! It has really good world building and fantastic characters. Some of the POV is a bit weird though, its in second person. I loved it but I'm not sure how it would adapt to audiobooks.
You would *love* Legendborn! I don't usually love contemporary fantasy but this has such interesting themes about race, blackness and slavery, secret societies, cute romances, characters you just love. As someone who did a history degree I find the way history influences the magic system in this book fascinating... I just think it's the perfect read for you!
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (two books in the series are out now) has such good stakes, world building, new creatures, magic, and social commentary. Highly recommend!
I can recommend "The priory of the orange tree" as a great fantasy novel, it's got different povs, high stakes and a lot of powerful female protagonists
Robin Hobb is the slowest of slow burns. All the books build on one and other and build and build on a single story and in the end of it there is so much complicated politics. Not many magic creatures though... It took about 4 or 5 books before I was really invested in Fitz.
Have you read Fifth season? Could be up your alley. And I always reccomend the Witcher, even tough it is very different 😅 I myself am scared of Robin Hobb, I've heard that the ships trilogy is more entertaining from the get go, but from what I hear it can still be to slow for me.
Hannah, wtf, I burst into tears at the same time as you and I'm not even a mum. I think it says so much about how we go through life having stuff thrown at us all the time and having to juggle everything that whenever some comes along and shows kindness just because, with no obligation or expectation, it makes us realise how much we value it, need it, crave it, and how detached from it we are in our daily lives
I am a mum of a toddler and a baby and been in that exact scenario and someone said exactly the same.... sadly didn't tie my shoelaces and did walk away and left me.... to hear that play out the way I wished it would have was such a bizarre feeling, happy and sad I suppose. And yes I did cry when hannah said it 😅
Around a year ago I was reading Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow whilst doing a module in game design on my MA, and then I hid sticky notes in the book that said "Would you like to go on a date?" "Yes" / "No" (I was copying a multi-linear narrative exercise we'd done in class) and then I practically threw that book at a classmate I had a big crush on as a "book recommendation" and ran onto my train home. Anyway, he loved it and now he's my boyfriend so it's very fun for me to see your reactions from reading it 🥰
What a cute story!! 💕
Regarding the shoelace tying/crying. Just goes to show how the smallest act of kindness can make an impact. ❤️
YES! ❤️
I absolutely do not want to take away from the shoelaces anecdote being so specifically relevant to parenting/motherhood. But man. I'm not a parent and it got me, not just in empathy of parents but also applying it to where I'm at myself atm as someone who works in community (I'm a community development officer) and is also currently dedicating quite a lot of time to volunteering and generally reflecting to how best to navigate the capitalist world we live in and how to have a meaningful life....I just. We all sometimes need someone to help us in such a simple way, and we all need to be keeping our eyes out for other people and being there to offer that simple, practical help to those around us.
It means so much. When you don't know how to contribute, how to 'solve the world's ills', just think of little kindnesses you have the capacity to give, and the ways you can live your life in a way that helps others.
Thanks for showing your audience such a raw and vulnerable cathartic response to something hitting you right where you are at ❤
Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series is amazing. I think they are really able to encapsulate big character arcs similar to Phillip Pullman. I am also excited for the final book in the book of dust trilogy!
Oh god that shoelaces thing got me HARD. That is so bloody wonderful but also SAD that truly all we need as parents is a little compassion and help, and how the world generally leaves us without that!
I have a great sci-fi recommendation! The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells, the first book is called All Systems Red. There's a ton of books in the series but most of them are novellas, so you can go through them very quickly. Also, the audiobooks narrated by Kevin R. Free are amazing, so beautifully read and a mix of sadness and hope and friendship ❤
Also, I just wanted to hug you when you got emotional!! So some virtual hugs from The Netherlands
I was also going to recommend this series!!
It's been a few shitty days of feeling like an absolute failure as a mom so when I tell you that the anecdote got me... Thanks for sharing.
I totally get what you mean about Fitz in the Farseer trilogy. That boy does not see the bigger picture, but i love him to death 😂 if you want to give robin hobb and the world a 2nd try, i think you would like the liveship trader series a lot more. There are multiple povs, local and international politics and a central magic (the liveships) that is explained by the end of the series! 🎉 Glad you had such a great birthday week+month :)
Definitely! Robin Hobb's world is one of my favourite ever fantasy worlds and series of books, but it's definitely as a whole, rather than something you see in book 1. It's when you're with Fitz as an old man in book 15 and you know everything he has been through that has made him the way he is, and seeing politics you have experienced in the liveship traders have an impact on Fitz's world. It absolutely has that payoff, but you have to work for it
The unfiltered human response to the garden centre story actually stopped me in my tracks. Thank you for sharing it ❤
Lessons in Chemistry is totally worth it! 5 episodes in and I adore secondary characters and Six Thirty.
In terms of fantasy worldbuilding, I recommend The Priory of the Orange Tree! Idk if you've read that one yet, but it is so worth it. Political intrigues, a cool magic system, a female-first world (not sure how to phrase it, but for instance there's a Queendom rather than a Kingdom ya know?), lots of POVs which are all intriguing... I'm reading the prequel now (A Day of Fallen Night) and it's also really good!!
Stick with Robin Hobb. All those trilogies are linked. I read book 9 by mistake first but I've since read the whole 12 book main series twice all the way through. It's so good.
I just finished The Fifth Season by N K Jemisin and loveeed it. I don't read fantasy much at all and loved it
Personally I love Cassandra Clare's world building! Her earlier books have quite a few tropes, but her characters become more diverse and the world politics becomes more complex as the series' go on! I grew so invested in the character's individual/ overall storylines, and some of her series dips into historical fiction/ fantasy! Highly recommend any of Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter Cronicles.
only 5 minutes in and adoring this so much already, hannah 💗 as a fellow human who adores reading but never seems to have time for it, thank you for sharing a much more relatable version of 'books i'm reading.'
I recommend The Bone Season/The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon for the fantasy itch!
Please, give Eragon a try! I love His Dark Materials. But don't like a slow burn or excessive world building. The Eragon series was the first time I fell in love with a fantasy series, so I would recommend to give it a go. Try the first 100 pages and see what you think.
definitely recommend the priory of the orange tree for that fantasy itch :)
Anything by Kristin Cashore is usually a good fantasy time! Fire is my personal favorite; the physical copy even has a map!
Graceling holds up on reread and I really enjoyed Seasparrow last year!
Fire is my fave too!
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is one of my all time favourite books. I am so glad you got to experience it. To me it just feels like a celebration of how complicated people & relationships are, and yet there is love. I cried so many times reading it haha
The Realm of the Elderlings is my absolute favorite fantasy series. The world comes together so beautifully and its magic is all connected. It will blow your mind when you realize the reality behind what the characters thought was the truth.
I find it so funny how we both love fantasy but have widely opposing tastes in it. I rarely really get into the whole high fantasy, political drama stuff but give me a fun urban fantasy or a fairly tale re-imagening with an adventurous vibe and a funny POV character and I am all in. It really shows that fantasy is such a wide genre and can mean so many things. 😊
I love Stardust (the movie)! The book is wonderful, though I believe Neil Gaiman has said the movie improves upon the book. Maybe a rare occurrence of the movie being better. I’d be interested in your thoughts!
oooh interesting! because the movie is EXCELLENT
I love both! I think they tell the same story in a different way, which is rare these days. Some things are better in books (like inner monologue), some things are better in movies (like Landscapes or I don't know, Pirates on a Zeppelin!). Anyway, I love both, and Henry Cavill always jumpscares me a little bit :D
I also love both!
The movie is my favourite movie of all time but I also love the book. Just completely different vibes! The book is like reading a beautiful modern fantasy take on a classic fairy tale (and I super recommend the fully illustrated version) while the film is more Princess Bride-y with a lot more comedy and fun to it.
felt so similar about tmrw x3, it truly takes you on an unpredictable journey and the grudges held were maddening and yet i still loved it
The only thing I know about Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is that Hank Green mentioned liking it in fall of 2022, and I got it for my 30 yr old gamer brother for Christmas that year, and he liked it.
Ok Hannah, die hard Robin Hobb fan here, every single thing you have said you aren't liking improves in future books. The thing with the realm of the elderlings series is how the different characters from different trilogies link together, so its really a series that improves with time. The second trilogy, the liveship traders, definitely has a lot of the more fantastical elements you're looking for ( sea serpents, dragons, and ships made of magic wood that come to life!) Obviously now Fitz is older you'll get more of the politics and stuff now as well. I get that those books are CHUNKY and there are so many other books in the world, but if even a small part of you is interested in finding out what happened next, pleeeeease keep going!
I've never read Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb but I did just finish Ship of Magic by her and I absolutely loved it. It's set in the same fantasy world and unlike how you described Assassin's Apprentice, there is actual magic through the live ships and also lots of political intrigue and world building. If you decide to give Robin Hobb another go I'd recommend maybe trying Ship of Magic instead!
I'm not at all into fantasy but I LOVED The Broken Earth trilogy if you haven't read it yet! The worldbuilding is SO GOOD and usually i have problems getting into it, I don't like the fantasy politics either but this one was done so so well and had all the elements you seek in the fantasy. Really recommend!
Really loved the Lessons in Chemistry tv show, so did my family. It was just a very good watch 😊
You are the only youtuber that I've watched so far, I would take book recommendations from. I love listening to people talk about books, but with you I feel like it's me talking about a book. We have a very similar taste in fiction so with each book I am so eager to know what you think!
And I listen to Audiobooks constantly, so that makes your recommendations even more valuable.
I have read all of the fiction books you read in this video though... So maybe its time for me to dabble in the non-fiction now.
More videos about reading / books please 😃 i don't mind if you don't read much lately. Do a tag! Do favs books of all time. Or fav authors
Love these reading vlogs!! And love the storygraph stats too, yesterday I had a little bookish reunion with some friends and I was showing my stats from last year and this one, and how I have waaaay too many books started, so my goal is to finish some of them.
Like many others, I highly recommend the Murderbot Diaries, especially as audiobooks!
There are few books for which I feel as strongly as for this series. The main character is everything, and the audiobook narration is incredible.
Project Hail Mary is a fantastic Scifi i recomend! Beyond what I could have imagined, definitely worth the read ❤❤
Just got this and excited to read it! I've heard such good things and I loved the martian years ago :)
@@lumenmist enjoy 🥰
Happy happy happy
Oh dear 🙈 I already cried to this bit reading the book but cried again watching your video! ❤️ this is such a good illustration of what is wrong with society. And how easy it would be to make some things better 🙏🏻
Tip if you liked Matrescence, you would probably also love Rachel Reed’s book, reclaiming childbirth as a rite of passage. I know it sounds a bit hocus-pocus but it is not it is in the line of Matrescence but focussed on the way we see birth and history and everything it is WONDERFUL and very feminist ❤️
Your reflections on Tomorrow x3 remind me of when I read that book last year - I had no real feeling for what the story was about or where it was going all the way through, but I loved reading it!
How you describe The Assassin's Apprentice reminds me a bit of Wheel of Time, which I read the first book of recently. There's so much potential for the larger level of intrigue like what we get in the Stormlight Archive, but it just never appears, which is really frustrating.
Hold on yo the Wheel of Time, it will get better after book 3 or 4, I had a hard time getting into it, but then the universe grows and expands, and they are such good books !
Oh it was so comforting to see hannah's vulnerable moments of emotion definitely made the video better 😁
Rivers of London ( audio book specifically) is SO SO GOOD. Would highly recommend for a fantasy/ very well researched sci fi ish book. Also unsure if you have read or been recommended - fourth wing and iron flame by Rebecca Yarros?? I found the writing to be average, but the world the author builds is something else and it’s so addictive!
can't wait to get started on the audiobook of "come together"! also your reading vlogs/videos always remind me I should update my story graph but I never dooo
Sci-fi book recs! The Teixcalaan duology by Arkady Martine; the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells; Winter's Orbit duology by Everina Maxwell (more sci-fi romance); Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (sci-fantasy)
I've read everything except Gideon the Ninth, but I've read everything else and highly recommend them as well!!
I wasn’t a massive fan of Assassins Apprentice either but as I went along her books I got much more into it and it definitely builds. My favourite trilogy of hers is the Liveship traders but the assassin story does improve as it goes along
Sci-fi book recommendation! It's a series of mostly novellas called the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. One of my absolute favourites, such good world building and found family vibes like Becky Chambers.
Love love love this content from you! ❤
all i could think of when you were describing what you want in your fantasy was the eragon series, they were all of those things to me
Love this! One thing you've missed - korke and Judith were business minded and created a brand to sell. This is something Dominican bachata never had (until very recently) as it was a street dance.
Huge Brandon Sanderson fan here, coming in with a couple of recommendations: Jade City by Fonda Lee (and that whole trilogy), is full of political intrigue and the magic system is sooooo good. It's an urban high fantasy, so set in another world but in a city with modern technology, following two rival gangs on an island that's very influenced by different Asian cultures. And then the world and politics really opens up from book two. Then another personal fave is Joe Abercrombie. If you love the politics and grim dark element of GoT, then I think you'll love his books. I'd recommend starting with The Blade Itself. The characters are super dry and witty, and the books are very full of British humour, in a dark and twisted way. If you love gritty and real characters you want to root for, as well as lots of politics and backstabbing, then you'll love it. I will say the magic system in this isn't as hard as Sanderson's or Lee's but still such a great series!
My favourite fantasy is the starless sea, and swordcatcher. I read both of them through audiobooks from my local library
I loved the Starless Sea and also read it as an audiobook from my library!
I am SO JEALOUS that you got to go to the Fantasy exhibition at the British Library!! I just could not find the time to make it there before it ended, but looked fantastic :)
Edited to add: just got to the end and can see Convenience Store Woman on your To-Read Pile! That book is fantastic (and I think the character is very autistic-coded which obviously appealed to me too). Big recommend, even if it's not sci fi!
I love your reading vlogs. I would watch every single one. I hope you do more!!
I really loved the trilogy Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. It’s a fantasy world and if you enjoy those, the series connected is Crooked Kingdom but I haven’t read those yet.
I love Kim Harrison’s “The Hollows” fantasy series! It’s a 13+ book world with complex characters, political stakes, and continuous mystery! Definitely recommend
The Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire is a portal fantasy series with a magic-ish boarding school. It has so many different worlds and creatures that I think you'll love. All the books are novellas and they all have audiobooks
I recommend the The Murderbot Diaries series, its a sci-fi novella series and the audio books are great! Another great novella series, fantasy this time, is the Wayward Children Series.
Come together is on my TBR and can’t wait to read it 🌸🦋💜💜🌸🌹🌹🩵🩵💚💚💚🌈🌈🩷💕💛🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🪻🪻🪻❤️✨🌼📙🌷🌷🌷🌷💕💕🌸🌹🌹🌹🦋🦋🦋🌸🌹💚🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🌈🌈🩷🩷🩷🩷🌼🌼💕🌸🌹🦋🦋💜💜🦋🌹🌹🌹💚🩵🩵🌈🌈🩷🩷
I absolutely LOVED the TV show of Lessons in Chemistry! I haven't read the book though so I can't compare
Have you heard of the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir?
It’s incredible writing, the world building is subtle but very present. The characters are wonderful. They are written to be read multiple times as all the little details that hint at bigger plot points can be easily missed the first time through and then on the reread you go “oh shirt this is referring to this other thing”.
I’d say first read through is like first 80% of the book is being mildly confused but enjoying the storytelling and then the final 20% all the threads start coming together and the final like 2% is just like screaming as everything snaps into place with a bit of cliffhanger to set up the next book.
I am obsessed with them.
Amazing book list Hannah wish you best of luck with ur readings 🌹🌈🩷🩷🩵🌹🩵🌈💚💚💜🌼🌷🌷🫶🏻🪻❤️❤️💛🌺🌺📖📖📚📚💙📙✨🪻🫶🏻🫶🏻🪻🌼🌼🌈🩷🩷🩷🩵🌹🦋🌹🌈🩷💚💚🌷🌷❤️❤️🌷🌷🌼🌼💕🦋🦋🌹🌹🌸🫶🏻🫶🏻❤️❤️❤️✨🦋🦋🌹🩵🌈🌸🌼🌸🫶🏻🪻❤❤❤❤
i feel like tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow is about all of those things you listed!
Just finished watching the tv show "Lessons in chemistry" based on the book. HIGHLY recommend. I usually always have critiques of tv shows but this was a god-tier level watch for me. Cannot recommend it enough. It's beautiful
I didn't understand a word you said but cried with you in the Matrescence bit (toddler mom here as well).
so with the exception of the last book, i LOVE the acotar series (they’re not the best books in the world, but they gave me that warm fuzzy heart connection that i get with some series) and spotify has fully dramatized versions of the audiobooks with different voice actors, music, sound effects, etc that i’ve been listening to on my long drives to & from work, and i’m really enjoying them despite being an audiobook hater 😂
Some sci-fi recs: The Murderbot series by Martha Wells are particularly great on audiobook, excellent sci-fi world building, funny, poignant, and constantly surprise me with how much a non-human construct POV character has to say about personhood. The Lady Astronaut Novels by Mary Robinette Kowal are right there with Becky Chambers' and Andy Weir's books for me -- they're alternate history sci-fi set in the early 1950s but the space program has to be massively accelerated to get humans off the planet. So good! And if you haven't read Becky Chambers' Monk and Robot novellas, they are excellent "solar punk" / "cozy sci-fi" and I love them just as much, though differently, than her Wayfarer series.
New mom here, not a lot of time to read but I manage to get quite a bit of reading done by using my phone for Kindle app or Libby app. My goal is to eventually get to at least 100 books a year but it will take time. It took me 8 weeks to finish book four of ACOTAR. 😂
12:30 Hannah’s review of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
One of my favourite fantasy book trilogies is the Inkheart trilogy, written by cornelia funke. It was originally written in German but has been translated and released in English. (I can't read German😅) sadly isn't on audible but reccomend as a physical books to read.
I haven't read much other sci-fi or fantasy, I'm mostly a contemporary romance reader haha, so I can't give great comparisons to other authors. But I'm here again to recommend The Locked Tomb series by Tasmyn Muir! The first one is Gideon the Ninth, and it's definitely not a slog or slow burn. The audiobook narrator is Moira Quirk and she's wonderful, and these are the books that got me back into reading as an adult. We're still waiting for #4, but I highly recommend!
I loved this video! Was great to hear your thoughts on Matrescence as I haven't seen anyone else on booktube talk about it, I thought it was filles was a lot of interesting stuff but I was hoping it would talk more about becoming a mother from like an identity perspective?
I want to recommend you read The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas. It's like an alternative present where time travel was invented in the 50s by a group of women. It's got the quirky vibe with great female characters like with Lessons in Chemistry, and has big world building around how time travel is now used and how the world has changed like you said you like in fantasy, plus also there's a dead body and a mystery like who killed them?? It's honestly amazing and I think you'd love it. Sorry for the essay!
Lessons in Chemistry is SO GOOOD!!!!
For high fantasy reads, I really recommend The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (Brandon Sanderson co-authored a few of the last ones too)
I cannot recommend The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss enough. I don't know if you've read them already, but they are amazing. And hopefully the last book is gonna be released in the near future!
Cradle by Will Wight I would highly recommend for a good ‘proper’ fantasy but not too deep. For deep and political I’d recommend Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law series ☺️
Neil Gaiman is one of my fav authors ever. His fantasy is so dark and thoughtful. I really recommend The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Cannot wait to hear your thoughts on his writing when you get around to it
HANNAH HANNAH OH MY GOSH if you want sci-fi/ fantasy I have SUCH A GOOD RECOMENDATION!! This YA book called Overemotional by David Fenne released last year and I just listened to the audio book and it's REALLY FUN! I love all the moving pieces, it's an urban fantasy book set in the UK (I don't think it's classified as a sci-fi but personally I think there are sci-fi elements!) and it's the first in a trilogy, and the second book is coming out this march!!!!
Hearing your thoughts on Assassin's Apprentice was quite fun. That's all valid. I've read through that whole series (over a 5 year period, I should mention), and the book that fit most of your complaints is the 2nd, Royal Assassin (the King is weakening, Prince Regal is taking over, Fitz has a new witted companion). After that one, I had to continue on with Fitz's journey through the end, but I will say Assassin's Quest is 500 pages too long (you might do okay with the audiobook) and I didn't care for the last series in this world (The Fitz and the Fool). Otherwise, you can just pick up the Liveship Traders (ships that talk!) or the Rainwild Chronicles ("disabled" dragons!), they can stand on their own perfectly.
I can't remember if you've mentioned reading the Murderbot series by Martha Wells, but if you haven't, you should definitely give it a go! The first few stories are novellas, so they go by quickly. The main character is delightfully sarcastic - I think you'll quite like them.
Highly recommend A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. Absolutely amazing romantasy series! She's currently working on a new book in that series and if you like her style of writing, I also recommend reading Throne of Glass and Crescent City (in that order!). Absolutely changed my life! I haven't been able to stop thinking or talking about it since reading the books a year ago! LOL
Ok, after listening to what you like in fantasy I’d suggest you check out the city of stairs. For sci fi I really enjoyed the measure.
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells is a great Sci-fi series. The audiobooks are really good too
Really recommend Katherine May’s books, as they all centre around identity and how to engage with yourself and the world, through the lens of disability, health, motherhood and being self employed. Feels like she wrote these for you!
I run a book Instagram page, and I have found that there is so much emphasise on how many books you read in a year. In recent years, I've decided to concentrate on reading for the joy of reading and not to reach a book 'goal'. Admittedly, so far this year I've read nine books, but that's because I've been trying to go on my phone/social media less haha :)
I think the book goal thing can be fun, but the idea of posting them is what makes it less fun to me. Makes you “accountable” to others besides me. I set book goals but it is only for myself as an encouragement to remember to read (which I LOVE to do but depression gets in the way). But since it is only for myself, I’m not upset if I don’t meet the goal. It’s just a little fun thing to compete with myself from last year and I have found that I read a lot more now and enjoy it!
Glad its not just me waiting for next Philip Pullman book !
If you want some Sci fi recommendations, I would suggest Wild Seed by Octavia E Butler - its the first chronologically in her Patternist series and my favourite one, the main characters are immortal with powers and they travel from Africa to the US. My other recommendation is for Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch series (Ancillary Justice / Sword / Mercy), the main character is an AI of a spaceship in a body, and there are so many cool different races and cultures
Really enjoyed this video and your reflections on the books! On a side note, your hair is looking fab! Would love to know what you’re using on it
I do love your reading vlogs 🤍
Not sure if you’ve heard of it or maybe already read it, but I very much enjoyed the Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk! Based on what you said you liked or didn’t like about the books you explored in this and other videos, this might scratch the fantasy itch! As far as I know it’s a one-off rather than part of a series, but it has a rich magical system that impacts sex, race, and class as designed in the book’s universe; while also being equally about romance, friendship, and parenthood. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Moira Quirk and her characterizations were really fun! Definitely recommend!
One more is the Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas. Not fantasy, but sci-fi, largely taking place between recent history to somewhat-present. Definitely lots of world building; also nice to see sci-fi where all the main characters are women, and very different women at that.
I love this content! I would love to see it quarterly or monthly.
As a scifi rec, maybe check out the murderbot series. Its short novellas, funny but also emotional and pretty quick paced! :)
I recommend The Priory of the Orange tree for fantasy, it's excellent! Power political intrigue, sisterhood, prophecies, queendom, and did I mention dragons?!
As for Sci-fi, I would recommend the series from Sanderson that starts with Skyward!
Still gonna recommend Sabriel, and then all the rest of the Abhorsen books if you enjoy it.
some more fantasy/sci-fi book recs for when you need one:
- six of crows (duology)
- foundryside (series)
Assassins Apprentice is free with an Audible subsciption, fyi. So I guess I'll try it out.
Try Ursula Le Guin for sci-fi!!! The Dispossessed or The Left Hand of Darkness if you want something small, Earthsea if you want a series.
I really like Ann Leckie for sci-fi! I've recently read a few of her books and they're really cool and queer. She's another writer thats really good at including diversity in a way that just feels like humanness and not tick box checking. I'd also recommend The Fifth Season for fantasy! It has really good world building and fantastic characters. Some of the POV is a bit weird though, its in second person. I loved it but I'm not sure how it would adapt to audiobooks.
You would *love* Legendborn! I don't usually love contemporary fantasy but this has such interesting themes about race, blackness and slavery, secret societies, cute romances, characters you just love. As someone who did a history degree I find the way history influences the magic system in this book fascinating... I just think it's the perfect read for you!
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (two books in the series are out now) has such good stakes, world building, new creatures, magic, and social commentary. Highly recommend!
I can recommend "The priory of the orange tree" as a great fantasy novel, it's got different povs, high stakes and a lot of powerful female protagonists
Robin Hobb is the slowest of slow burns. All the books build on one and other and build and build on a single story and in the end of it there is so much complicated politics. Not many magic creatures though... It took about 4 or 5 books before I was really invested in Fitz.
Have you read Fifth season? Could be up your alley. And I always reccomend the Witcher, even tough it is very different 😅
I myself am scared of Robin Hobb, I've heard that the ships trilogy is more entertaining from the get go, but from what I hear it can still be to slow for me.
This book is a mixture of Sci-Fi and Fantasy but it is A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, it is the first book of trilogy.