the “only cerebral academic reads matter” to “love stories can also be beautiful and important” pipeline is truly the most freeing thing i have experienced in my past year of getting back into reading, especially as someone who used to read almost exclusively YA romance/fanfiction in middle and high school. and even though during times like these it can feel frivolous and silly to seek solace in light entertainment, i always find that it reminds me to be grateful for the privilege i have to find comfort and community in books, no matter how thought-provoking or serious the subject matter is.
I think a balanced approach is best to truly enjoy reading. Read some challenging fiction to tickle your brain and read some light fiction to relax and entertain yourself. Both is important and you can learn from both.
@@TheOriginalDogLPdefinitely agree i was an english major in college and every book i read for school fundamentally changed me as a person and my view of the world, but often they dealt with subject matter that would be difficult for a lot of people to read every day. letting myself breathe in between gut wrenching (but necessary and still amazing) reads has allowed me to expand my horizons and honestly just be a more enthusiastic reader in general. :)
I had to make a list for myself HAHA FLUFF 17:01 - Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert 20:36 - Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood 22:00 - Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater 24:02 - Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston TURMOIL 26:10 - Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan 28:20 - Seven Days in June by Tia Williams 30:42 - The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang A GOOD MIX 34:19 - Book Lovers by Emily Henry 37:25 - Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez NOT A ROMANCE BUT... 39:12 - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 40:39 - This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone 42:34 - The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 44:41 - Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howard
that pyramid tells me that you and i have a similar struggle with romance books: i love men who are pathetic and going through mental turmoil and maybe a bit miserable, but i also need him to actually be a good guy that treats his love interest right, even if he slips up sometimes. as a fanfic reader, i was never here for snape, edward cullen, or sasuke. finding a romance book that succeeds at both is actually pretty hard, but it always hits SO good when it does. eager to see what you recommend....
personally i think it IS illegal to have different taste than comrade nova but in her infinite wisdom she grants mercy and that’s how you identify a true leader !
Every time I think to myself “it’s been about a month, I wonder when the next Lexi upload is gonna be.” You invariably upload 24-48 hours later. It’s good to see you in my notifications again! You’re actually one of the big reasons that I finally have the romance genre a try because of how much you talked about Emily Henry, and I’ve said it before on your videos but I’ll say it again: her books became an obsession and now I really enjoy reading romance.
Feeling so called out about the need for yearning, I think the tension is so so necessary for enjoyment, I'll definitely be picking some of these up for winter break :)
Your videos are such comfort watches for me. The charts you make, the way you speak, how thoughtfully you present information, the way you rock every so slightly back and forth when you talk... like everything about your videos feels like a warm cup of tea.
I came into this as a reader looking for a nice time, but your intro section of "what makes a good romance" is actually something I am thoroughly enjoying as a writer. Thanks for the insight!
Thank you for your honesty about your November and how it affected you: I relate heavily , and totally understand and was also happy to see you uploading again!
15:16 “A Reason For It All” sounds like my version of wanting substance in a romance novel. There’s so many cut and paste contrived plots that feel like a re-rinse of every small town romance or Hallmark-esque movie. Give me something unique in the story beyond what I’m expecting. Give me characters with surprising flaws. Give me side characters I’m weirdly invested in. Give me original and funny and cute banter. Give me trope switching, the turning of a trope, or no trope. Give me realistic situations that challenge the characters. Make these characters feel like living breathing people, because I want PEOPLE to fall in love. Not caricatures. Don’t give me a book marketed as romance that’s honestly just deserving of the AO3 tag “plot? We don’t know her”. I don’t want a backdrop and half thought out unoriginal plot just for the characters to have a reason to have sex. Give me a plot and a backdrop that makes me cry when they are intimate because it makes me believe that love *exists* Sorry, really passionate about this lol.
@@rovilanI'm not the original commenter but I love giving out unsolicited non romance book recs lol. Notes on an execution by danya kufafka is an amazing book I read recently, hope you love it too!
@@browniemouse2488 lol love that I don't mind getting rec from anyone tbh I love how people have different opinions on art , I think of books as an art 🫶🏻
@@rovilan I'm currently re-reading WILD SWANS by Jung Chang, which is the best non-fiction book I've ever read. It's a family autobiography; the author is a historian who specializes in 20th Century China, and she does a fantastic job of detailing "here's what was going on in China at the time, why it was happening, and how it did or did not affect me and my family." It's nuts. Her grandma was a warlord's concubine, her mom smuggled detonators into a city for Communists while her dad was a guerrilla fighter, and she herself was a Red Guard as a teenager. You can go in knowing absolutely NOTHING about modern Chinese history and finish the book with a much more comprehensive understanding of what went down in one of the most insane time periods of that nation.
so happy that you're back!! but also so happy that you took time for yourself!! you could take a 5 year break and i'd still be rewatching your videos with a smile, waiting for the next one :)
I love your pyramid take! I think for me I think of that top one more as a “why should I give a f***”. If you’re a really empathetic person emotions can be exhausting and the real world can burn through a lot of that emotional bandwidth. If I’m going to really open my heart up to the emotional turmoil of fictional characters there has to be something that makes the roller coaster worth investing in. A lot of time with romance it can just be that when I read “the end” I feel a little better about the human condition or general warm, fuzzy, borderline parasocial “I’m just so happy for you two crazy kids!” energy.
I remember Song of Achilles being _intensely_ popular when I first joined Tumblr back in 2012/2013. Seeing it being called "tiktok viral" just feels like return to form for it.
Thank you for including Sunburn at the end because that’s exactly the kind of book I’m looking for rn. Sapphic with religious trauma who likes indie alternative music is me to a T. And I am craving a sapphic yearning book.
I very much enjoy the way you talk about books in general, but especially ones that you enjoyed - your thoughts and opinions are so well articulated, engaging, and convincing. I've read nearly all the books you recommended in this video and I agree that they are some of the best of the most popular titles going around these days. I've been reading romance for over 25 years so I've been through a lot of the good/bad/ugly about the genre, and I will forever appreciate creators like you who don't dismiss it wholesale and preach the value of love stories to the world at large 💖 Thanks for all that you do, Lexi! Happy holidays!
"I will not be brainwashed by a pretty brown-haired girl with glasses into liking Ali Hazelwood"- my girlfriend, who is definitely a closeted Ali Hazelwood enjoyer.
The way I have a favorite from each category ✨ now I have to add the rest to my tbr. I thought I wasn’t a romance girlie but, thankfully, some of these books opened my eyes
Red, White, and Royal Blue is FOR SURE laced with something because it is sooooooooooo good!! I reread it the week of the election in an attempt to protect my sanity
I know you had a specific reason to do this kind of video for romance novels, but I'd love to hear your recommendations of other genres, too! :D Always great to hear people go on about things they clearly love so much!
I love your personality. Even when we have a different opinion on a book I’m still fully entertained and I really appreciate that. Also your earrings are cute.
regarding the top of the pyramid: i think of these things as justification and unity of elements. each narrative choice feels justified and unified with every other choice. the thematic content of the book has unity with the stylistic choices of the author.
Every time you update my day gets a little better. nearly every time your reccommend a book I absolutely adore it. you are the reason i started reaching out and experimenting with new genres and found some of my favourite books
just fell to the floor when you recommended sunburn (one of my favs of the year) also such great recs in general!! you really made me want to read seven days in june
Hello! I found your channel earlier this year and it has instantly become one of my favorite youtube channels by far! I used to really love reading all my life and I still do love reading, but for the past year and a bit I've been in a reading slump and haven't really touched a book other than manga for a while. But watching your videos every month inspired me to put aside time for reading again and it's been so fun! I had forgotten how much I enjoy sitting down and cracking open a giant book, so thank you for getting me back into reading again! And thank you for creating videos, they are such a treat to watch and can serve as a great distraction :) (and as always I loved this video too!!)
Lexi, I have read so many of your book recommendations this year as part of my goal to read more books, and you truly never miss! Act your age, Eve Brown and Seven Days and June were both STRONG 5 stars for me, and I loved your description of the pyramid which perfectly encapsulates everything right with those books, though for very different reasons. I could not empathize more as someone who also developed her taste in romance by rabidly reading fanfiction and compulsively filtering AO3 for slow burns, LOL. So... you know I just added half these books to my library holds list!
LEXI! You’re back with another BANGER!! Needed to let you know that your rec of shark heart was one of my all time favorites of this past year & I always love hearing your thoughts & seeing what books I can add to my TBR. Hope you’re doing well, this was such a treat!!
for the last two days I have been frantically looking for your romantic book recommendations across all platforms, so this feels so magical and special!!! yours are the only recommendations that I will ever take seriously
I don't want to put a ton of pressure on you, but truly, your videos have been the only thing to get me through the last two weeks of holiday peak season for my workplace. Thank you for posting and being such a wonderful person to listen to
So glad you are back Lexi! Encouraging literacy, critical thinking and compassion is a meaningful and useful mission to which to dedicate your energy - so we rally xx
this is the video that finally gave me the push to start reading act your age eve brown and i have to say the way i am giggling and kicking my feet at every single page has never been matched by any other reading material. god bless.
Love that Half A Soul and The Heart Principle showed up on this list! Those are 2 favorites of mine as well. Half A Soul carries the Regency romance genre imo and it's got magic, so I love it all the more. The Heart Principle really hit home. I love that whole series for it's autism representation, but that one specifically for its look into caregivers. I read it when I was considering quitting being a teacher and I connected it to that experience in a really deep way. For any lovers of the fluff portion of this list who have read them all already, I'd recommend With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson! I really connected to the FMC, and there's a great cast of side characters who are a great example of a queer friend group.
Pausing at a 20:44 to say a resounding THANK YOU for the Check and Mate supremacy!! Ali put SOMETHING in that book because why have I thought about it ever since I finished it?? I have experienced nothing quite like the absolute mess of kicking feet and giggling since I read it and it makes me so sad
You got me to read an Emily Henry book this time last year and it basically changed my life and I devoured her entire catalog so thank you, I absolutely trust your romance recs lmao.
no bc when i say that your videos are fundamental to how i cope with my flare-ups i'm being so serious. like i've had a few pretty bad burnout/depression/other chronic illness flareups that left me kind of incapable of doing anything over the course of the last three or so months and your videos have been so so helpful and such a bright spot for me when i'm in the trenches. genuinely thank you for existing xoxo
i haven’t read much lately, but hearing these recs is getting me pumped to read something ooey gooey to fight back the current darkness of our life and times 💖
lexi ur back!!!!! loveddd the video --- i've read (and enjoyed) 7 of the books you talked abt here so i'm excited to try out the rest ☺ my personal rec for u is cat sebastian's you should be so lucky which is a historical (like 1960s not like victorian or regency) romance featuring a flopping baseball player and a news reporter and it has Basically Everything in ur pyramid, trust
This was one of my fave books of the year! Cat Sebastian has been delivering excellent romances for like a decade, but something about You Should Be So Lucky just hit hard and hit great.
![NISAMANEE - TADA (ท้าดา) [ OFFICIAL MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hcQHEPMmJpU/mqdefault.jpg)
just when i was thinking "i wonder when lexi will upload again. i miss her"
Literally same dude
Yeah. Didn’t wanna ask/ put pressure on creators but was thinking the same thing
Same😭
Saaame haha
Same😂😂
EVERYBODY SHUT UP.
mother has arrived.
🤫🤫🤫
On a more personal note with Lexi asking how are you doing I am officially 125 day clean and feeling so happy that we got a new Newlynova video
Congratulations!!🎉
happy for you!
You go, Veronica! Amazing person! ❤
Congrats!🎉❤
Sending tight hugs! Congratss ❤
the “only cerebral academic reads matter” to “love stories can also be beautiful and important” pipeline is truly the most freeing thing i have experienced in my past year of getting back into reading, especially as someone who used to read almost exclusively YA romance/fanfiction in middle and high school. and even though during times like these it can feel frivolous and silly to seek solace in light entertainment, i always find that it reminds me to be grateful for the privilege i have to find comfort and community in books, no matter how thought-provoking or serious the subject matter is.
as a uni student with chronic anxiety i could not relate more 😭🩷
I think a balanced approach is best to truly enjoy reading. Read some challenging fiction to tickle your brain and read some light fiction to relax and entertain yourself. Both is important and you can learn from both.
@@TheOriginalDogLPdefinitely agree i was an english major in college and every book i read for school fundamentally changed me as a person and my view of the world, but often they dealt with subject matter that would be difficult for a lot of people to read every day. letting myself breathe in between gut wrenching (but necessary and still amazing) reads has allowed me to expand my horizons and honestly just be a more enthusiastic reader in general. :)
“I let myself feel my feelings, which is horrifying” is such a big mood
“Not-great November” you understand your audience’s demographic so well 💐
I had to make a list for myself HAHA
FLUFF
17:01 - Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
20:36 - Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
22:00 - Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater
24:02 - Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston
TURMOIL
26:10 - Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
28:20 - Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
30:42 - The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
A GOOD MIX
34:19 - Book Lovers by Emily Henry
37:25 - Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
NOT A ROMANCE BUT...
39:12 - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
40:39 - This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone
42:34 - The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
44:41 - Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howard
Thank you!!!
You're an angel!
a) thank you!!
b) imo it's important to note that Time War was co-written by Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar
@@enpeyarblank oh thank you! That's on me, I didn't see the other name 😅
that pyramid tells me that you and i have a similar struggle with romance books: i love men who are pathetic and going through mental turmoil and maybe a bit miserable, but i also need him to actually be a good guy that treats his love interest right, even if he slips up sometimes. as a fanfic reader, i was never here for snape, edward cullen, or sasuke. finding a romance book that succeeds at both is actually pretty hard, but it always hits SO good when it does. eager to see what you recommend....
There’s a reason claiming Team Jacob is a serious matter
personally i think it IS illegal to have different taste than comrade nova but in her infinite wisdom she grants mercy and that’s how you identify a true leader !
Every time I think to myself “it’s been about a month, I wonder when the next Lexi upload is gonna be.” You invariably upload 24-48 hours later. It’s good to see you in my notifications again!
You’re actually one of the big reasons that I finally have the romance genre a try because of how much you talked about Emily Henry, and I’ve said it before on your videos but I’ll say it again: her books became an obsession and now I really enjoy reading romance.
♥️♥️ an honor and a privilege sincerely
@ thank you for broadening my horizons! According to my stats it’s somewhere around 40 romance novels alone.
Feeling so called out about the need for yearning, I think the tension is so so necessary for enjoyment, I'll definitely be picking some of these up for winter break :)
The need for yearning is seared into my brain ever since I first saw Roy x Riza (Fullmetal Alchemist).
The way I RAN to the comments!! You’re back!! We all missed you🫶🏻
Your videos are such comfort watches for me. The charts you make, the way you speak, how thoughtfully you present information, the way you rock every so slightly back and forth when you talk... like everything about your videos feels like a warm cup of tea.
fav youtuber fav book genre?? a succulent forty minute video for me on this festive evening??
I came into this as a reader looking for a nice time, but your intro section of "what makes a good romance" is actually something I am thoroughly enjoying as a writer. Thanks for the insight!
when Lexi posts my heart stops and I foam at the mouth and claw at the screen
I am currently rattling the bars of my enclosure
In the DEPTHS of finals, seeing no joy in this dark, cruel world when Lexi uploads and my day, NAY! Week, is saved
Thank you for your honesty about your November and how it affected you: I relate heavily , and totally understand and was also happy to see you uploading again!
15:16 “A Reason For It All” sounds like my version of wanting substance in a romance novel.
There’s so many cut and paste contrived plots that feel like a re-rinse of every small town romance or Hallmark-esque movie. Give me something unique in the story beyond what I’m expecting. Give me characters with surprising flaws. Give me side characters I’m weirdly invested in. Give me original and funny and cute banter. Give me trope switching, the turning of a trope, or no trope. Give me realistic situations that challenge the characters. Make these characters feel like living breathing people, because I want PEOPLE to fall in love. Not caricatures.
Don’t give me a book marketed as romance that’s honestly just deserving of the AO3 tag “plot? We don’t know her”. I don’t want a backdrop and half thought out unoriginal plot just for the characters to have a reason to have sex. Give me a plot and a backdrop that makes me cry when they are intimate because it makes me believe that love *exists*
Sorry, really passionate about this lol.
And do you have recommendations? 😊
yes yees yessss
Do I read romance? No.
Do I still watch this whole video beginning to end while I knit? Absolutely.
Can you give me a rec of whatever you read? ❤
@@rovilanI'm not the original commenter but I love giving out unsolicited non romance book recs lol. Notes on an execution by danya kufafka is an amazing book I read recently, hope you love it too!
@@browniemouse2488 lol love that I don't mind getting rec from anyone tbh I love how people have different opinions on art , I think of books as an art 🫶🏻
@@rovilan I'm currently re-reading WILD SWANS by Jung Chang, which is the best non-fiction book I've ever read. It's a family autobiography; the author is a historian who specializes in 20th Century China, and she does a fantastic job of detailing "here's what was going on in China at the time, why it was happening, and how it did or did not affect me and my family."
It's nuts. Her grandma was a warlord's concubine, her mom smuggled detonators into a city for Communists while her dad was a guerrilla fighter, and she herself was a Red Guard as a teenager. You can go in knowing absolutely NOTHING about modern Chinese history and finish the book with a much more comprehensive understanding of what went down in one of the most insane time periods of that nation.
@@CMAlongi thanks 👍🏻
so happy that you're back!! but also so happy that you took time for yourself!! you could take a 5 year break and i'd still be rewatching your videos with a smile, waiting for the next one :)
I love your pyramid take! I think for me I think of that top one more as a “why should I give a f***”. If you’re a really empathetic person emotions can be exhausting and the real world can burn through a lot of that emotional bandwidth. If I’m going to really open my heart up to the emotional turmoil of fictional characters there has to be something that makes the roller coaster worth investing in.
A lot of time with romance it can just be that when I read “the end” I feel a little better about the human condition or general warm, fuzzy, borderline parasocial “I’m just so happy for you two crazy kids!” energy.
She knew we needed a video to get us through finals!!!! Thanks Lexi
I can’t tell you how much I’ve needed some Lexi humor. Nothing cheers me up like a matcha and seeing you pull out a white board 😅
When Lexi brings out the white board, I know it’ll be a good video
you’re only on “solid writing” in the pyramid and i’m already agreeing with my entire heart
Than you so much for the authenticity at the end. I’m right there with you and I really appreciate you giving us a fun goofy time despite it all! ❤
I remember Song of Achilles being _intensely_ popular when I first joined Tumblr back in 2012/2013. Seeing it being called "tiktok viral" just feels like return to form for it.
19:27 TLH will always be my favorite Ali Hazelwood, but I do think Check & Mate is her best written book. I LOVED it so much
the way the universe knew i needed this video as my cure for my sickness 🙂↕️ so glad to have you back!
Thank you for including Sunburn at the end because that’s exactly the kind of book I’m looking for rn. Sapphic with religious trauma who likes indie alternative music is me to a T. And I am craving a sapphic yearning book.
She came back for the girlies when we needed her most.
U ALWAYS ARE A SHINING LIGHT DURING FINALS WEEK. I’m so glad to see this
I very much enjoy the way you talk about books in general, but especially ones that you enjoyed - your thoughts and opinions are so well articulated, engaging, and convincing. I've read nearly all the books you recommended in this video and I agree that they are some of the best of the most popular titles going around these days.
I've been reading romance for over 25 years so I've been through a lot of the good/bad/ugly about the genre, and I will forever appreciate creators like you who don't dismiss it wholesale and preach the value of love stories to the world at large 💖
Thanks for all that you do, Lexi! Happy holidays!
"I will not be brainwashed by a pretty brown-haired girl with glasses into liking Ali Hazelwood"- my girlfriend, who is definitely a closeted Ali Hazelwood enjoyer.
She’s alive! I’ve been missing her videos!
The way I have a favorite from each category ✨ now I have to add the rest to my tbr. I thought I wasn’t a romance girlie but, thankfully, some of these books opened my eyes
Sunburn is criminally underrated and I'm glad you're giving it the recognition it deserves
Red, White, and Royal Blue is FOR SURE laced with something because it is sooooooooooo good!! I reread it the week of the election in an attempt to protect my sanity
I know you had a specific reason to do this kind of video for romance novels, but I'd love to hear your recommendations of other genres, too! :D Always great to hear people go on about things they clearly love so much!
i’ve been checking my youtube like a crazy person for the last few weeks hoping for a new video! glad you’re back :)
I love your personality. Even when we have a different opinion on a book I’m still fully entertained and I really appreciate that. Also your earrings are cute.
regarding the top of the pyramid: i think of these things as justification and unity of elements. each narrative choice feels justified and unified with every other choice. the thematic content of the book has unity with the stylistic choices of the author.
Your videos absolutely make a difference even if they feel silly. They're such a bright spot in many people's lives. ❤
i just finished my last final and i desperately needed this. thank u for existing
Every time you update my day gets a little better. nearly every time your reccommend a book I absolutely adore it. you are the reason i started reaching out and experimenting with new genres and found some of my favourite books
The QUALITY of ur videos ✨✨ 💯🥹🩷
also I love your longer videos, do not worry about making a video too long... I will watch the whole thing
the serotonin boost I get when I see a new video of yours
Finally a video for me to watch over and over again!!
WELCOME BACK LEXI!!!! thank you for posting after such a horrible last month. you somehow always know the perfect time to post
this needs to be a series. i need fantasy, thriller and romantasy with pie charts/pyramids!! loved this
just fell to the floor when you recommended sunburn (one of my favs of the year)
also such great recs in general!! you really made me want to read seven days in june
My monthly serotonin has been delivered, thank you!
Hello! I found your channel earlier this year and it has instantly become one of my favorite youtube channels by far! I used to really love reading all my life and I still do love reading, but for the past year and a bit I've been in a reading slump and haven't really touched a book other than manga for a while. But watching your videos every month inspired me to put aside time for reading again and it's been so fun! I had forgotten how much I enjoy sitting down and cracking open a giant book, so thank you for getting me back into reading again! And thank you for creating videos, they are such a treat to watch and can serve as a great distraction :)
(and as always I loved this video too!!)
Lexi, I have read so many of your book recommendations this year as part of my goal to read more books, and you truly never miss! Act your age, Eve Brown and Seven Days and June were both STRONG 5 stars for me, and I loved your description of the pyramid which perfectly encapsulates everything right with those books, though for very different reasons. I could not empathize more as someone who also developed her taste in romance by rabidly reading fanfiction and compulsively filtering AO3 for slow burns, LOL. So... you know I just added half these books to my library holds list!
I find lexi's voice so satisfying I never skip the sponsorships
I’ve been watching your videos all morning, so I’m really happy you’re back! I hope YOU are taking care of yourself, Lexi!
LEXI! You’re back with another BANGER!! Needed to let you know that your rec of shark heart was one of my all time favorites of this past year & I always love hearing your thoughts & seeing what books I can add to my TBR. Hope you’re doing well, this was such a treat!!
SO glad you loved that book, it is so special
Sunburn is one of my favourite books from this year, so it's great to hear you talk about it. It deserves so much more hype!!
I just loved how clear you are on what you want from your characters. That is so helpful. Thanks.
for the last two days I have been frantically looking for your romantic book recommendations across all platforms, so this feels so magical and special!!! yours are the only recommendations that I will ever take seriously
I don't want to put a ton of pressure on you, but truly, your videos have been the only thing to get me through the last two weeks of holiday peak season for my workplace. Thank you for posting and being such a wonderful person to listen to
So glad you are back Lexi! Encouraging literacy, critical thinking and compassion is a meaningful and useful mission to which to dedicate your energy - so we rally xx
this is the video that finally gave me the push to start reading act your age eve brown and i have to say the way i am giggling and kicking my feet at every single page has never been matched by any other reading material. god bless.
Love that Half A Soul and The Heart Principle showed up on this list! Those are 2 favorites of mine as well. Half A Soul carries the Regency romance genre imo and it's got magic, so I love it all the more. The Heart Principle really hit home. I love that whole series for it's autism representation, but that one specifically for its look into caregivers. I read it when I was considering quitting being a teacher and I connected it to that experience in a really deep way.
For any lovers of the fluff portion of this list who have read them all already, I'd recommend With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson! I really connected to the FMC, and there's a great cast of side characters who are a great example of a queer friend group.
I NEEDED THIS SINCE MY UNI IS GOING ON BREAK AND I WILL HAVE FINALLY TIME TO READ!!!
Lexi tbh I am going through a terrible time in my life and your videos are really giving me a sliver of happiness in my day. Thanks babes
I recently got into audiobooks because of you and just started book lovers. 3 chapters in and it already has me kicking my feet.
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE
I NEEDED THIS!!! I have had so many health problems and life issues... Im so glad my fav youtuber posted. I live for this!
this is my first time watching your videos and i automatically trust u with book recs
Sunburn sounds so up my alley! I can’t read romance, but love literary books with romance like Song of Achilles and How to Lose the Time War
Red, white & royal blue actually just arrived at my library, and I'm so happy you like it because we have quite similar taste
Pausing at a 20:44 to say a resounding THANK YOU for the Check and Mate supremacy!! Ali put SOMETHING in that book because why have I thought about it ever since I finished it?? I have experienced nothing quite like the absolute mess of kicking feet and giggling since I read it and it makes me so sad
i literally just finished binging a bunch of ur videos bc i missed ur uploads 😭 it’s truly a rough time rn but i’m glad you’re here
She’s back and finals are almost done you bet I’ll be reading these ahhh
the way you described sunburn was PERFECT
It’s always a good day when Lexi posts!
The best part of my month is when a video appears on this channel. thank you for helping me write a paper today.
IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, I had watched all your videos by approximately 3 weeks ago and have been starved of books for a month this is perfect 😭
You got me to read an Emily Henry book this time last year and it basically changed my life and I devoured her entire catalog so thank you, I absolutely trust your romance recs lmao.
videos from you genuinely make me so so so happy
no bc when i say that your videos are fundamental to how i cope with my flare-ups i'm being so serious. like i've had a few pretty bad burnout/depression/other chronic illness flareups that left me kind of incapable of doing anything over the course of the last three or so months and your videos have been so so helpful and such a bright spot for me when i'm in the trenches. genuinely thank you for existing xoxo
You have taken all the feelings I have about my pickiness towards romance novels and put it into a beautiful pyramid; I feel so seen 🤣
I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE HAPPY TO SEE SOMEONE HAS UPLOADED
just found you a couple days ago and have watched so many videos of yours already (your taste is immaculate) - I'm so glad that we're so back!!!
I genuinely recommend most talia hibbert books, even a lot of the novellas because the banter is so good
Moving into a new home this weekend and my office/library is 100% going to be inspired by this room
i just got home from picking my friend up from the hospital and saw that you posted and it genuinely made my day thank you queen
shocked at no mention of the “Emily Wilde’s” series (I’m so happy to see you posting!!!!)
lexi once again saving me when i needed her most (finals week)
i feel so neglected since yt didn’t tell you that you uploaded. but i’m happy to see a vid from you!
i haven’t read much lately, but hearing these recs is getting me pumped to read something ooey gooey to fight back the current darkness of our life and times 💖
This is the EXACT video I've been looking for!! As soon as you recommended Talia Hibbert after that pyramid I knew I could trust these recommendations
lexi ur back!!!!! loveddd the video --- i've read (and enjoyed) 7 of the books you talked abt here so i'm excited to try out the rest ☺ my personal rec for u is cat sebastian's you should be so lucky which is a historical (like 1960s not like victorian or regency) romance featuring a flopping baseball player and a news reporter and it has Basically Everything in ur pyramid, trust
This was one of my fave books of the year! Cat Sebastian has been delivering excellent romances for like a decade, but something about You Should Be So Lucky just hit hard and hit great.
thanks for the reminder that i love Eve Brown❤️ it’s been a while since I’ve read it, time to reread it again
I’m fully convinced you’re the funniest person alive.
I was just needing a fun romance to follow my read of babel so thank u lexi
SUNBURN!!! i just finished it and i loved it so much, so glad to see it here!