all the books i read and dnfed in february (26 books)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
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to gaze upon wicked gods
brutes
most ardently
library at mount char
the square of sevens
lore of the wilds
the english understand wool
there's no way i'd die first
ring shout
drive your plow over the bones of the dead
emily wilde's map of the otherlands
one of our kind
when among crows
infinity alchemist
vampires of el norte
defy the night
good morning midnight
the haunting of velkwood
the blueprint
bride
funny story
first lie wins
mother of strangers
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all the books i read and dnfed in february (26 books)
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captions are in the works, sorry this video is long so the CCs take a while haha love always!
Thanks sooo much, all your non-native English learning Englsh here saying a big thanksss
thank you for captioning your videos!!
Thank you for always putting captions!!! ❤
hey, cari, if you ever need help with those! I'd love to help (i do not have experience, just want to learn!!)
I wish you had a link to all your book ratings. we seem to like and dislike the same.
i read the title wrong and thought that you dnf’ed 26 books and i was SO concerned for you for about .53 seconds
omfg thankfully not hahhha
I thought the same ! So I was like , maybe we need a new strategy for picking books love 😆
I just imagined cari saying “no” 😐✋🏼📖 to a new book every day for a month 😂
I cant imagine you dnf-ing many books. You tend to give books the benefit of the doubt.
😂😂😂
There's something so satisfying about how you end each individual review with "And that is book title." Please don't stop. It's like you're putting the lid on it & it somehow satisfies my OCD.
Also makes it so easy to write down what book it is after hearing about it!
@@mcheesey123 - I also like that she leaves the title on the screen the whole time she talks about it.
Right??? I also wish she'd keep the book cover alongside the title as well
I like chronologically talking about your reads because I feel like the book you read before can influence your opinion on your current read (for me at least) so it’s good to get that context 🥰
Girlll. I wish I could read like you. BUT, yeah chronological is best imo. ❤
Emily Wilde has been such a hit for me. I gave the first one 4⭐️ and the second one 5⭐️ and I will be rereading them several times
Yesss such comfort reads!
because in a mythical world, aren't we all still thinking about the Roman Empire?
Seeing you DNF To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods makes me feel less conflicted with my own feelings towards the book. Got a proof back mid-2023, read a bit and haven't been able to pick it back up since. Safe to say, it's not for me even though I was really excited about it. Might be other people's thing though, I just had a few issues with it that didn't rub me the right way
so far i've seen people talking about how much they love the cover when the publisher sent out a ton of ARCs to booktokers (so, mentioning the book before they read it) and then radio silence since so i feel like our experience might be the majority :/
I also got to read the ARC and I was very disappointed at the story. I can say you do understand the 731 being mentioned in the introduction by the author (something similar goes on in the book) but my main ick is (spoilers ahead) that the main character was just so stupid, so easily manipulated, etc and in the end she kinda forgives all the torturing the Agustus dude is putting her own family and people through and she is basically in love with him, even tho he is an absolute piece of sh*t... :( turned me off so much
I read both of the Emily Wilde books in February and I've really been loving them but im so with you on the bizzare pacing. Amazing video ❤
Yeah the first book was an odd one hahha
That all action is right at the end, it feels rushed. But I also think because of the diary format it would make sense you wouldn't write as much. But yeah my only compaint of the series. Also it quits right after while i wanted a bit more there. Still I really really enjoyed the story ^^
I personally enjoy the chronological order of the wrap-ups 😊
LONG VIDEO!! this is so exciting🫶 always look forward to these kinda videos
thank you :'''''')
I dont know if you've read these, but The Natural History of Dragons is a top notch series that has a similar vibe to the Emily Wilde books! I've been surprised for years that I haven't heard much from reviewers on it; maybe I'm just out of the loop!
But it's about a woman in an alternate 1800s type era, where dragons are real but aren't the huge behemoths of our legends, or fantastical, they are just naturally evolved animals with a variety of species! The study of them has never been highly acclaimed, and more than that shes a woman in a time that mimics 1800s England, where women werent allowed to be scientists. The books are written as a series of memoirs, from an older her, about her life as an an explorer and scientist and how she got there. More than that, to me it was about a woman forging her own path in a world that didnt want her to shine, but she did it anyway! She's like Bones, a serious and intelligent woman who takes her work very seriously, but has moments of joy and wonder that any explorer would have!
I love this series, too!
@@Silverraine1woah, a spoiler warning would've been helpful. 😅
@@iCarouselConsider it more of a trigger warning, because yes. Had I been warned I wouldn't have begun reading it, due to miscarriage being a major trigger for me. I finished the book, expecting something else I guess and will not be finishing the series. So yes, other readers beware.
@@rightsarentpoliticali'm sorry that you had that experience! i just caution that trigger warnings should also be labelled, so that those who would find them helpful can read them, and those who feel comfortable without can avoid being spoiled on narrative events. ^^
Ok the Temperance Brennan to Emily Wilde comparison is SO spot on like they’re both the same vein of scary smart but socially unbothered and I love both of them dearly (I’m also on my 5th rewatch of bones LOL)
As an autistic who related so much to Bones before I knew I was autistic… Bones and Emily are def autists in my HC lol
it’s ✨autism✨🫶🏼
I read Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands recently and it was so good! I do agree the books have weird pacing sometimes but they're such a good time for me I don't really mind it lol
Bless!! My favourite time of the week! And perfect to listen to while I crochet haha
🥹🥹🥹
i do that too lol
I always crochet to cari as well!! ❤
sameeee
oh please read 'Bunny' ! I really want to hear your thoughts on it. Honestly it felt like getting slapped while you are in a spinning tea cup ride after eating 🍃gummies
an hour of cari being delightful, talking about books??? and captions??? love
If you ever need a little extra time to read a Libby rental you can put your device in airplane mode. It’ll keep the book on your device but it will still be returned for the next person waiting. Don’t re-connect your device until you’re finished or else it will disappear! Good for loading up books for travel and low power reading.
Doesnt work for me cause im constantly getting new books i want to add to my kindle and have to connect it to wifi for that
bless 🫶
I prefer the chronological format, but appreciate when you can include info that it IS an ARC and if you know release date.
I like you talking about the books in the order you read them because it takes us on a little journey of your month
cari ! have you considered reading the poppy wars ? it’s like the japanese war you were talking about fused with an avatar esque fantasy story. it is a bit heavy but i truly truly loved the series.
When Cari makes a long af video so it’s the perfect excuse to make a cup of tea and do some art while listening like it’s a podcast >>
🥹🥹🥹
I loved Most Ardently. I've had Vampires of El Norte on my shelf since its release but I feel like I need autumn to come back around to get into the spirit of reading it. Super excited for it. I have heard so many with a similar meh review for Lore of the Wilds.
This could not have come at a better time, thank you Queen, I really needed this ❤
❤❤❤
Just wanted to say that I bought your Cari necklace a couple years ago, and it is still to this day one of my favorite jewelry pieces. I always wear it on the dark moon side 💛
omg thank you :') that side is my favorite too!
where did you get it?
That first book sounds absolutely wild and I get the whiplash from the time period being entirely different than expected - I had that issue with Jade City when I was thinking 19th century Japan kind of setting, and suddenly there were cars and tvs and airplanes, but not phones! 😅 From what you said, gaze upon wicked gods sounds kinda like a mix of Iron Widow x An Ember in the Ashes 😅
Always so happy to hear you dnf'd a book that I skipped in my book box subscriptions, because I was unsure. And always love the 2-3 books I can add to my want to read because of you. Thanks Cari!
Love your monthly wrap-ups, you always inspire me to so many new reads 😇
I love when you wear your Ana Luisa necklace bc I still wear mine daily. I bring it on vacation and everything it’s my favorite piece of jewelry!
It's a good day when Cari posts :)
I followed you for korea content yeaaaaars ago and after not reading much in my university years after being a complete bookworm as a kid I'm back with my books and even though we only match about 60% in book taste I looooove those long reviews so much ❤ have gotten so many good recs as well!
These wrap up videos are so satisfying to me! I appreciate that you give trigger warnings for the books and your summaries are just really good. I'll definitely check out Most Ardently! It's always so cool to hear about books with a transmasc main character!!
Yes! The English Understand Wool was so odd and I loved it so much! I feel like it took a long time before I understood what was going on, but even that delay delighted me, lol.
Just read Lore of the Wilds last week also, and I feel exactly the same way. I did end up finishing it, but I had thought about putting it down a few times for all of the reasons you mentioned. I was so sad about it because I was looking forward to it so much!
This is exactly what I needed 💕 I love your videos so much!
I think kelp the order chronological, I like having a mix of all of the books together
Hi Cari, from the Caribbean 🇹🇹! Appreciate your work 🤍
thank you!!!
This just made my entire week
im so glad!!!
Oh deaaar, I also got an arc for To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods and was excited to read it this month, but your description doesn't sound like what I was expecting at all! And I think your original thoughts were very valid, because the author's note fully hones in on the Japanese in Manchuria as the main inspiration. So, it's odd I guess. I still plan to try it, but with what you mentioned at the back of my head and I'll cross my fingers.
Let me know what you think!!
The book’s also kinda odd bc the book has no focus on actual Manchurian shamanism?
@@caricanread Welp, I also had to dnf it. It kind of felt like you could just replace the word Roman with Japanese and nothing would change? It wasn't fleshed out enough and I hated the writing unfortunately -- it was too repetitive for me and went in too many circles. So sad, but I just couldn't keep reading.
Vampires of El Norte was a stellar read. I'd highly recommend. Néstor and Nena were so cute and I loved the writing!
omg so excited for a long length video ahh
ugh I am so relieved that you enjoyed Otherlands. I got a physical when it came out but I always get so nervous reading the sequel of a book I enjoyed... So I haven't actually opened it yet! Changing that once I get home today haha
I'm so excited for this!!
i loveeee a gooooodddd an hour of video!!!!! hahaha listening to this while working 💖💖🥰🥰😻😻
I was looking for a quick read and immediately after you mentioned “The English Understand Wool”, I went ahead and read it. It’s not the best thing ever but it was fun!!! I also think it would work soooo well for a fun movie!! Now I’ll watch the rest of the video 😅 Can’t wait to add more of these books to my veryy mood dependent tbr! 😂
I love your reviews so so much! ☺
I adored Library at Mount Char when I read it and I think the comparison to The Locked Tomb series is spot on. I feel like the "you won't know what's happening until it has happened so don't exhaust yourself early on" is a mindset I found necessary to really truly enjoy both Library at Mount Char and the Locked Tomb series.
I had to read Good Morning Midnight years ago for an exam and it became one of my favorite books ever
love love loooveee longer videos !!
I like chronological because you can explain if you chose the book for a reason: or the connections you made like the fair will make sense ❤
I love these long videos!
Cari, please, read the Divergent series and make a vlog about it!! I need your opinions on this! Hahah
I’m so excited to read Map of the Otherlands! Currently reading Chain Gang All Stars but I’m almost done and I plan to read it next. And also hoping to read Bride soon! Love your videos ❤️
Omg an amazing reading list!!
@@caricanread yeah I’m loving my TBR right now!! Also planning to read Six of Crows, Anne of Green Gables, Finding Me, Weyward, and House of Sky and Breath in March! There are others but we’ll see what I can get to 😆
Love your long videos ❤ and i would prefer the arcs to be a list for them selfs
Idk why but there’s something so funny to me about how the author of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods wrote this beautiful author’s note about her family suffering at the hands of Japanese occupation but then proceeds to write a colonizer romance between a white Roman and someone from a Chinese inspired fantasy world 😂. The difference is so jarring that it almost feels like the author’s note was meant for a different book.
Yeah its a streeeetch but in the book the colonizers are doing experiments on the magic (Chinese) people which is a nod to the Japanese and unit 731 but come on 🙃🙃🙃
I'm reading A Fate Inked in Blood right now from BOTM and loving it!
Yay! So excited to watch! 🩷
🩷🩷🩷
I just started a Bones rewatch the other week! May need to reread Emily Wilde again soon
Ohhh you always have some hidden gems I feel 😊😊 lovely video ❤
omg yay happy youre back!
thank you!!
I'm glad to hear your take on Lore of the Wilds because I'm feeling the same way about my current read (Voyage of the Damned) that somehow feels like a young YA in terms of the writing style but doesn't add up with characters who are almost all in their twenties? It's almost easier for me to visualize them as 12 year olds because of their voice lol
a new upload from cari >>
☺️☺️☺️
Have you ever read the books the show Bones is based off of?
Theres a particular wild funfact with them: theres another series set in the same universe and focuses on a niece of Temperance Brennan. Its an absolutely buckwild series
Love your videos and opinions!!!!!!!!! p.s you should do more video essays!
Thank you!!!
I completely agree with you about the Emily Wilde series. Also thought map of the other lands was better than the first!
So much better!!
Yes I definitely got Bones vibes from Emily Wilde!! I loved that about it 😍
As someone also from San Diego when you started talking about ranches I was like omg I KNOW Cari has been to the Leo Carrillo ranch as a kid 🤣🤣❤️
"The last samurai" by Helen DeWitt is a really interesting story, you might like it, it's a bit clunky at the beginning, but when you get used to the style it's really good!
Yaaay, I love that you read something polish! Olga Tokarczuk is amazing writer. I recommend also "Primeval and Other Times"❤
PLEASE read Blood Over Bright Haven! It’s incredible!!
i'll look it up :)
Veronica Roth also wrote "Poster Girl" and it was one of my favorite books last year, highly recommend!!
Currently reading Bride, can’t wait to read the haunting of Velkwood.
Totally agree on To Gaze Upon the Wicked Gods. The FMC's obsession with the MMC's green eyes, the fact that he never hides what he's doing and doesn't apologize for it, and she's still, oh yeah his green eyes, swoon. Not to mention it just wasn't very good even without the colonizer romance ick. I don't like romcoms so I had never read Ali, but I absolutely loved Bride, I am pretty obsessed with Misery and Lowe. Not enough vampires in Vampires of El Norte.
The cover of The English Understand Wool is by one of my FAVORITE artists. It's by Wayne Thiebaud. He was from NorCal and taught at a lot of unis and jr colleges around NorCal, I think my mom even took a class from him at Sacramento City jr college in the 60s. His stuff isnt exclusively "pop art", I'd say it's a bit more sophisticated than that especially with his color choices, and he did a lot of landscapes too. But I think in general his most well known pieces would be considered in the realm of "pop art". He has this one of an upside-down ice cream cone made into a clown, that I'm more than sure is inspired by Gunther's Ice Cream in Sacramento, lol (for those that don't know this reference, it's kinda highlighted in the movie Lady Bird)
I agree with everything you said regarding the Emily Wilde series. Just finished the second and despite a slow start for me, I found it more fun and entertaining than the first.
Is the 2nd book better? I am unfortunately with my opinion, as I gave the first Emily Wilde book 3 ⭐ I'm on the fence about book two. 🤞
I clicked on this so fast👀🙏 love a good wrap up 🤩🙏
thank you!!!!
Highly recommend Chosen ones by Veronica Roth - very well written and amazing riff on all that familiar superhero-saving-the-world plot
My debut novel is coming out April 4th. I'm an indie author so working on getting it out there! haha It's a fantasy romance and very adult, with some heavy themes in there and a good bit of spice! It's called Of Darkness and Ruination. If you have any interest at all in reading it, I would totally send you an ARC for it!
Highly recommend Where the Dark Stands Still. Definitely reminded me of Howls Moving Castle. Probably the first book I've really enjoyed this year
I love your wrap-ups! I need to get to Helen Dewitt. I know so many people who love her Last Samurai novel. The storybook editions of English Understand Wool and several other short lit books are really cute. Long live Olga Tokarczuk, she has a new translation out later this year.
Thx Cari ✌️
No but same on To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. I finished it, and I was genuinely so disappointed with it. Especially as someone who’s Korean and Chinese. The book was so weirdly paced, like they do a time skip in the middle that makes no sense, and the MLI is *incredibly* and aggressively racist. It’s also a bit weird because the ‘fantasyland name’ Pangu, is the name of a Southern Chinese god? But Manchuria’s right above Korea.
👀👀👀 very excited to watch this one!!!
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i feel like you would love "the house witch" it's a funny cozy-ish fantasy it's si heartwarming and it made me laugh out loud so much
The House Witch is at the top of my list of books to buy. I've heard only great things about the series. Thanks for adding to the positive reviews ✨ Lynn in Arizona
Are you & lexi in a secret book club together or are you just trying to hypnotize us? She read the library at Mt char in Feb too, and i just finished her video talking about it!!
omg i would love to be in a secret lexi book club hahahaha
omg i was immediately reminded of her too when that part rolled in lol i'm more convinced i need to read it 😂
@@jackie-fitz same!! It's going straight to the tbr!
Watching you talk about books is one of the best parts of my week🩷
18:26 i had the same problem with Cemetery Boys! sadly i dnfed it last month
I have beef with Jean Rhys for Wide Sargasso Sea. I didn't even realize she wrote other things but I'm not surprised on how you described Good Morning Midnight.
I got 40% into Lore of the Wilds and just haven't had any desire to pick it up again. It definitely feels young, and it comes off as too instalove-y for me. I do have To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods as an arc, so that's something to look forward to 🙃
I got to 55%, very disappointed 😔
thank you so much for this! I would love a video talking about any translated Japanese or Korean literature that you recommend. I've been really interested in reading more from other countries, but don't really know where to start. thanks again!
I have one on my main channel cari cakes 🤍
@@caricanread thank you so much!
I read Lore of the Wilds as an ARC back when The author was preparing to publish as an indie (before her trad deal). I really liked it and enjoyed the characters and story. I think it’s more of a new adult level book. And the ending is a shocker! I’m actually planning to read again after it releases to compare back to the indie ARC
In my review I felt like the writing dipped closer to middle grade at some points, definitely not new adult, so that makes me wonder if her editors messed up :/
Best memoir I have read in years is Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly. It is incredible. I especially recommend the audiobook.
Very important!! For magic library lovers: Have you ever read the Invisible Library series or the Eyre Affair?
I loved When Among Crows. Wild how much happens in such a short book?! But yes, I want more. (Also I live in Chicago, so fun for me.)
I’m sending you love and a great year❤❤❤
have you read isle of the gods by amie kaufman? i recently read it and LOVED it!!! and the second books comes out this summer (it’s a duology i think …)
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is Illumicrates April pick and i already had the ick after learning it was a colonizer/oppressed romance and your review was the final nail on the skip coffin for me. A majority of people seem to be not vibing with it. Great cover though!
the way my jaw literally dropped when you mentioned the romance in 'to gaze upon wicked gods'...
To be fair i think its meant to be like a Darkling situation where his evilness is more clear in the second books but shes marketing him as a morally grey hottie and just 😭😭😭
actually looking back, the author called it an "investor and investment relationship"
Thank you for posting. I need something to watch while I try to fix my pc 😭
oh noooo! hope its back up and running asap!
@@caricanreadlooks like this thing is making a trip back to best buy 🥲
But thanks for keeping me sane while I ran scans!
@@caricanread looks like it's going back to best buy 🙃
Thanks for keeping me sane while working on it!
Loads od books ahha, febryary was a slow month for me , I read 3 full books and finished one from the previous month aswell. March is slow too, but I'm having a good time :D
Did you read all of our demise? I know you read all of us villans and you mentioned wanted to read the second book but you never talked about it! I read and loved them based on your rec so I wanted ur opinion on the second book :)