Spring is so miserable for me. I do live in a hot climate so it's already 84°f at the end of February/beginning of March. Plus my osteoarthritis somehow hurts more in the spring and I end up completely exhausted. That's before the tree I'm allergic to(our state tree, which is everywhere) starts blooming. Once that happens I'm even more miserable. I like the wildflowers we get though. 😂 Autumn is the best.
@@catsandbats77 i felt this lol. live in the south so its 70+f already, im allergic to everything that blooms (not an exaggeration), humidity makes it feel 10 degrees hotter, i have seasonal depression for summer (thats a real thing)... its just so bad for me here lol
Leo, i know a lot of people already complimented you on your new haircut, but i just can't keep it inside of me any longer. It suits you so well! You look so fresh and gentle and... spring! You look like a humanization of spring itself!
I feel like in the case of interpretating a novel it's not for example the thickness of paint but the stirring of our imagination that creates the sensory experience and sometimes trying to put everything into perspective ruins that. Also, I believe that's what makes reading poetry so difficult because it's always up for interpretation but can also be simply an experience. The point you made about who enjoyed the starless sea the most fits perfectly!
I was thinking the same thing. Experience the highs and lows and edge of your seat moments as they come from the images, sounds, and descriptions the words create in your mind ❤😊
I think in literature it would translate to appreciating the writing, the dialogue, the ambience, the vibes in general, instead of just the plot, a book is so much more than what is saying its also in how it is being said.... it's interesting cause "no plot just vibes" is such a trend right now, with cosy mystery, cosy fantasy and others, where its much more about descriptions than an impactful deep thinking story, and that's impactful on its own
I still think it's also about the plot, but just focussing on that and not trying to see methophors amd deeper meanings in everything. I feel like it's an easy translation to books? Cause I kind of already read like that😹 not think too much into things, just enjoy the story for what it is
As far as your thoughts about how we can experience literature through sensory, I think your earlier appraisal of The Starless Sea can be an example. You said that the author's books are pretty much just vibes, and the people who just let the story happen without trying to find all of the hidden meanings and overanalyzing generally had better opinions of the book. I think that since they were experiencing the book rather than trying to find hidden meanings, it was a better experience for them. Also, I am studying anthropology. My main love is Linguistic anthropology, so I'm 100% reading Wordslut.
It’s interesting because The Starless Sea is so divisive! I personally LOVED IT. But a lot of people feel like there’s nothing going on or it’s confusing. I agree with what you said about letting it happen vs looking for meaning
loved this video (and the shepherd king duology)! I've read a bit of Sontag but not the essay you mentioned. In terms of interpreting books in a more sensory way, what came to mind for me is when people say they gave a book five stars for vibes rather than it being a "serious piece of literature." kind of the idea that we can enjoy books just for what they make us feel rather than feeling like we need to justify a book being good because it's of high literary value or offers some sort of deeper meaning. we can like a book just because it was fun and we found ourselves immersed - and maybe immersion is the book equivalent of the sensory!
I'd argue the five stars are justified, because to make the reader feel something is in itself an art. it takes skill, even if you can rarely make everyone feel the same thing with the same intensity (that is just the matter of finding a specific audience). i actually never give out a five star unless the book has made me feel deeply, and part of that is def the vibes
But when we feel a book is bad, and it becomes too much to handwave for the sake of the vibes, we're forcibly kicked out of the narrative and the vibes no longer matter. Just their memory, maybe.
Not the bee appearing after you talking about The Starless Sea🤭 It was a first read for me last year and I LOVED IT. It was after reading Babel so after being so depressed I got to read this fun magical book that had a happy ending! Maybe I should re read it... I need sth good rn
"Monster living inside of her, that is slowly taking over, but she can also tap into its power..." (2:04) The first thing that came to my mind was NARUTO!!!
I have been following you since 2016/17, before your hiatus. Your videos evolved from funny rants to insightful essays/vlogs. The improvement is astounding.
I’ve never felt like reading non fiction but I love it when you bring up these little quotes and interesting topics I’ll be thinking about those for a while
I read “the fine print” and actually quite enjoyed it as a “requires-zero-brain-cells” book, but when you explained the plot back to me😂😂😂 I couldn’t anymore, what did I read😂
I am so happy you posted a new video today, right when I needed something to brighten my day. The dress is gorgeous, and with the greenish background you look like a super cool forest fairy. 💛
I read "The Starless Sea" and, while I appreciate what it was trying to do, I really didn't love it for the same reasons you said. It was so confusing that it made me mad, and I didn't care about any of the characters. I read it with a book club, and literally half of the club couldn't finish it because they were so confused they rage quit. I felt a little crazy because every other BookTuber I watch swears up and down that this book is incredible. I feel so validated that you agree with my issues with it.
I found the same, it feels like one of those books that's better as a reread, like once you understand the story you can better appreciate the world and the characters and the writing
I absolutely loved it but it's just a matter of taste. For me, it's not really about the characters at all haha just about the overall idea of myth and story, etc. But I can totally understand people not liking it. Despite loving it, I hesitate to recommend it since it's not very linear or clear cut.
Oh my god your hair looks so good and shiny with the new cut! Loved the dress and springy vibes as well. Just put One dark crown on my tbr, looking forward to read on a cold windy day.
I'm sorry you had mixed feelings regarding The Starless Sea! The Night Circus and The Starless Sea are my favourite books ever and so, after hearing you loved The Night Circus, I also thought you'd love The Starless Sea haha! Definitely interesting hearing why you didn't. For me personally, I didn't have the same issues. I felt immediately invested in the characters and I also found it to be a page turner -- I wonder what the differences are in our preferences that gave us different experiences on reading this one! I always find it fascinating how one book can cause so many different reading experiences! As a side note, I love how you always word things so eloquently. You're always very good at balancing positive and negative and analysing everything but also somehow keeping it short and to the point! It very much helps me decide whether I would read something or not, so thank you!
I totally understand Leonni's feelings cause they're exactly how I feel, too. The Night Circus is my favorite book of all time, but it took me too long to get through The Starless Sea. I had high hopes and loved the little tales in the book, but I also couldn't care less about Zachary, Dorian, or any of the other characters by the end. At least in The Night Circus, there was reason for why the circus exists and how Celia and Marco are bound to it, but The Starless Sea felt like just random stuff thrown together with no plot and a character somehow connected to the library but with little reason as to why or how.
@@braveheartalice I think it's the way the story is approached. In the Starless Sea, it's not really character driven, it's more about how all humans kind of connect through stories but yeah the characters are one note for a reason. But it's just one of those polarizing books I think. I love it but don't often recommend it for this reason.
LEO you should read The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater if you like princely charming boy falls in love with a grumpy woman-trope. based on your feelings about those Fox Hole Court books(?) i think you would like this series
okay but the sad prince falling in love with a grumpy woman is literally dorian and manon aka the only thing I genuinely loved about tog... so I think you just made me realize that I really love that archetype too
I live for new Leonie videos. I am also reading the Shepherd King duology (thanks to you) and LOVING it. I'm obsessed. I bought a little raven necklace because of this story. Thanks for another great video!
Thanks for the non-fiction deep dive. Regarding the interpretation of books, it is about appreciating the feelings a book evokes instead of dissecting its structure, writing style, coherence, character descriptions, and everything else for what we praise BookTube nowadays :)
I read the shepherd king duology because of you and THANK YOU!! I am obsessed and can't stop thinking about it 😂.. despite all the "flaws" its one of my new favourite fantasy series now❤
I saw her mention this in her video when she was testing reading on an ereader. Bought it and plan to start the series this weekend! Had to skip first few minutes of this video because I want to go into it as blind as possible lol
I guess you could think of what the book makes you feel? Instead of feeling in a sensory way? The feeling of what the descriptions make you feel like, how you feel about the charakters? Love that you are getting back into moore nonfiction ❤
I completely agree with everything you said about The Prisoner’s Throne. I did enjoy it but it felt very different to The Stolen Heir and I did miss the adventure/quest vibes
Loved this video!! Re: Susan Sontag, I haven’t read this essay but I understand the sensory experience of reading to be how you feel when you read the book, maybe the warmth you feel when you’re reading romance, the tension when reading thriller, etc. instead of trying to interpret the book? For example, a classic that has had many meaningful interpretations might still be boring to you and doesn’t provoke a sensory experience. Just babbling but those lines got me thinking lol. Happy spring 🌸🌼🍃
Being in New Zealand this year but still following norther hemisphere booktubers is so weird, I love the spring content even if it doesn’t match with Autumn here 😂
personally I LOVED how different stolen heir was. I think it really showed how strong of a writer holly black is and how amazing she is at story telling. it would have been such an easy cop out for her to make the stolen heir another cruel prince, so I was really sad when I saw how many people disliked it because of that :( im slightly disappointed that the sequel seems to reflect that, but I will read anything she puts out tbh
To the 28:50 question: I found this amazing adventure book for teens when I was like 13 and it had like 5 Items brought with the book (a map, a letter, a napkin …) to explore the vibe of the plot happening rn in the story. (I know these extras per book can be costly in production etc. but it would make some books also more appealing for adhd folks - to stay focused XD)
I started reading One Dark Window recently and the mood of it really reminds me of The Bear and the Nightingale. Which I loved, so it's all good. Glad to hear you liked both books, I'm excited to finish them now :)
Great collection of books Leonie, especially: The prisoner’s throne - Holly black Against interpretation - susan sontag Eigen welzijn eerst - roxane van iperen Also that facial reaction at 15:42 😂
I think in the case of books, it can also be about the sensory experiences that are triggered in your mind and body, even without direct stimuli. When you read, you can feel warmth, cold, a sense of openness, a sense of uneasiness, tingling on your skin, etc. Thanks for the recommendation! 😊
I loved Wordslut! Just heading your description without having read the essay about interpreting art, I would say the "feel" of literature is more about how it makes you feel when you read it rather than the feel of the pages. Although if you want to split hairs I guess you could also interpret the cover design.
I think in Literatur it is about the feelings the words give you and the picture it paints in your head. Often with expressionistic methods. So the thickness of paints is: words (sometimes all connected through one emotion or visual), comparisons, unusual sentence structure. Think of poetry and how you don't have to analyse every poem, but instead experience it. That experience you have is as valid as some Interpretation
my nonfiction audiobook recs for you are caitlin doughty's books! she narrates them herself and they are AMAZING. i think everyone should give them a try, as long as they can handle the subject matter ofc. also, inkheart (all of cornelia funke's fantasy books, actually) is sooo so good
I think that to interprate a book it would be less about the phisical pages it would be about the descriptions the ones that describe smell, taste, sight, touch and hearing and overall how a book make you feel instead of trying to figure out its deeper meaning. My conclusion we should enjoy classics instead of analysing them in school. This has literally made my day, i'm so lucky to have found a book youtuber who completely matchs my taste :)
When you were describing how you loved the character type of a charming charismatic prince with a secretly sad backstory, i thought of the anime Skip and Loafer and I think you’d really enjoy it! It’s a slice of life high school romance and the male lead is a super sweet golden retriever boy but he’s also dealing with depression and childhood trauma behind the scenes that no one really notices except for the female lead. It’s so so cute!!! Highly recommend!
In reference to the part when you talk about how we nowadays say "no means no", in Spain we have a new law regarding this which is called the, and I'm translating literally, "only yes means yes", which covers all the situations you're talking about, like saying no politely without actually saying the word "no". Just wanted to share :)
trigger warning for light SA: When i was in high school i was SA'd and because i didnt specifically say the word "no" the cops refused to do anything or charge the assaulter with anything... no means no, but rejection also means no. i dont want to, please dont, please stop, are all forms of no without saying "no" that are not treated in the same way
the fine print sounds sooooo bad, thank you for saving us from reading it. We can get so many grumpy-sunshine stories that are better. Also, new in the channel and looooving it, thanks for your videos ^^
14:30 “The Starless Sea” was my first 5 star book of the year! (And only so far). I listened to the theatrical version so there was a different voice actor for each section of the book that kind of went along with the other sections. (Idk if that makes sense) Because of this, I feel like I was better able to piece together which sections of the stories went together more. I also felt like I was missing a lot in the beginning and wasn’t hooked until maybe the 6th or 7th chapter? I did immediately like the vibes though! And by the time I reached a little before the middle and then found out who the pirate and the girl were in the first chapter I was so excited! I found myself, throughout reading it, remembering all of Zachary’s parts because it actually had a continuous plot. (The other stories kind of do too, but definitely are disconjointed). Because the other little stories were connected, but kind of hard to remember in the long term, I found myself having to repeatedly go through the little stories I had just read over in my brain even while I wasn’t reading it. I would sometimes just stop what I was doing and try to remember everything. This actually really helped! I think I made connections quicker than I would have otherwise, or maybe wouldn’t have even made. Each story in this book made a connection. Even the one with the Stag was brought back, though I would say it was the least explored maybe? I may be forgetting another one also that wasn’t as explored. Maybe the one person with all the keys in their house and garden that disappeared? I don’t remember what happened to that person? And that was like really towards the beginning! Anyways, I just really loved this book! The ending I wish was a little less “vibey.” But I do think with other parts we do get a more conclusive ending with foreshadow, we just don’t “offically” see it in the “end.”
If you like language and linguistics, I’d really recommend checking out John Koenig‘s Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. It’s not about language, it’s literally a dictionary, but I find it incredibly impactful in not feeling alone with your emotions. It‘s just words for feelings we don’t yet have words for. I’ve cried while reading it way more than I’d like to admit.
About the interpretation of books my first thought was Stephanie Gabrers books. Even tho those are words on the page, still it gives a sensory experience by describing lights and sounds and colours and mixing those sensory elements. Interpreting a book only by sensory ways would be literally to just read it for the vibes 💫 Also the book cover usualy foreshadows the vibes of the book and looking at the art on the cover colud be a visual sensory experience, or touching the cover if t has texture life foiling or embossments.
I have to say, I have only gotten back into reading big in the last year or so, and I mainly read non-fiction/biopic stuff (huge history nerd) but I am definitely here for all the fiction book reviews and gossip. And I'm definitely going to have to check out Wordslut.
Hello! Just want to make a cultural point here about linguistics you mentioned in wordslut because it is important to consider high/low communication context level and language itself before making broad statements about the relationship between gender roles and language. Books like wordslut are great jumping off points but it is important to be careful not to isolate language from other key cultural factors because it can oversimplify and perpetuate some harmful ideas. This is especially important when considering race/ethnicity and privilege. Love you and your videos! ❤
Thank you! It's very inspiring to hear you talk about Fantasy books. I miss the feeling of getting lost in a book. I haven't had it in a while. Often, I choose too difficult books to read which take me a lot of time. A non-fiction book I really enjoyed was "Breath" by James Nestor. It's about the advantages of nose-breathing and the evolutionary development of breathing. I will definitely check out the Linguism book you recommended, as I am also very interested in language, speech and singing. Have a nice day or night:)
I recently read The Stolen Heir and loved it! And I'm a little hurt you didn't like The Starless Sea, but I agree with what you said about it making you overthink it so much 😂 that's what I enjoyed most about it, but I also let myself enjoy the experience, so yeah.
No book ever made me so angry like The Fine Print did! 🤣 And I don't feel that Rowan changed--I feel like he got upset Zara told him no (after he manipulated her half the story), so he gave the employees the bare minimum to get her back. But not because he changed, just because he can't take a no. I hated this book so much 😂 Jeff Bezos/ Amazon employee fanfiction is the best description ever 😂😂
Momenteel ben ik de nieuwe Rutger Bregman aan het lezen, "Morele ambitie". Ik denk dat het ook een non-fictie is die jij leuk kan vinden, hij staat ook op Storytel! :)
My first Fantasy I’ve ever read was Fourth Wing…then my second was the Caraval Series…the my next one was THE SHEPARD’S KING series and they were my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!!! It was such great writing to me but it was so different in style and plot that I’ve read! It was creepy, eerie, fast paced, and the romance was so good but it didn’t take over the story!!! Ahhhh I love this series soooo much! I went to get books from the back log of the author and this was her debut!!! If I’m wrong, please tell me bc I would love to read more of her books!
when you were describing prince like charming prince and grumpy women i immediately thought of zoyalai from king of scars!! you should read, i’m sooo sure you would like it
As I started reading ebooks, I noticed that print books do differentiate themselves with paper thickness&texture, font style&size, page size&spacing. That's I think why mass market paperbacks are cheaper than the uniquely published version. Some books I have specifically bought in ebook because the style didn't agree with me.
I've recently read Uprooted because of you, and it's so good, I loved it very much The magic is so beautifuly written, I love the characters too (Sarkan was my favorite)
Leonie、please please check out For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten. It´s slowburn, intersting tree magic, spooky forest. It´s def a vibey book, but it´s not perfect. I just think it suits some of your preferences. It´s the first book in a duology.
I just read Cultish last month and I'm super interested in reading Wordslut, although I might give it some time because I feel like they will have some similar ideas and I want to let them sit properly. I find it really interesting how the phrasing of something like "no means no" can have such implications on how we perceive consent. I recently read "Tomorrow Sex Will be Good Again" by Katherine Angel and she talks about we are moving from the "no means no" to the "yes means yes" exactly because the first one could be interpreted as the lack of rejection meaning consent and the second one makes the second one much more active. She also explores a bit why the "yes means yes" also has its own flaws and this is actually a point of division for some feminists (or self-proclaimed ones). I didn't absolutely love the book, but I did learn a lot from it.
These books revived me so much!! I listened to it on audible while I was doing some art works. Well I got sucked into the story so completely that I ended up creating a work of art specifically for this story. ❤
To the point about how to „sense“ a book: I think you can feel and experience a book (without interpreting it) by feeling the rhythm of the sentences and the beauty of the words. That is obviously not possible with every book since some focus on the plot, but if you read a book that (at least partially) focuses on the writing style, like e.g., books by Jane Austen or Oscar Wild, you can sense it
I've recently and frequently been hearing the phrase "no is a full sentence." I'm from the midwest and here we say "yeah, no" for no and "yeah, no yeah" for yes which further complicates using "no" as a full sentence. Basically trying to unlearn apologizing in every sentence and being ok with the silence that comes after a one word answer. 😅
When you mentioned the charming-sunny-but-having-a-dark-side character I immediately thought of Nikolai Lantsov 😇
and when she immediately followed that with "falls in love with a hateful woman" i was like !!zoya!!
lol who
Spring, the anti-autumn. Spring, the season of darkness and despair! 🌱 🐝
Nooo autumn is so happy! Winter is more dark lol
@@silverplim Haha yes, I love autumn! My original wording was a bit confusing, I meant spring as the season of gloom. The Book Leo's kryptonite 🐛
When I struggle with spring not being autumn, I watch/listen to the Rite of Spring ballet. It brings the intense witchy pagan vibes to spring 😂
Spring is so miserable for me. I do live in a hot climate so it's already 84°f at the end of February/beginning of March. Plus my osteoarthritis somehow hurts more in the spring and I end up completely exhausted. That's before the tree I'm allergic to(our state tree, which is everywhere) starts blooming. Once that happens I'm even more miserable. I like the wildflowers we get though. 😂 Autumn is the best.
@@catsandbats77 i felt this lol. live in the south so its 70+f already, im allergic to everything that blooms (not an exaggeration), humidity makes it feel 10 degrees hotter, i have seasonal depression for summer (thats a real thing)... its just so bad for me here lol
The huge bee outside your window was trying to change your opinion of The Starless Sea...😁
Leo, i know a lot of people already complimented you on your new haircut, but i just can't keep it inside of me any longer. It suits you so well! You look so fresh and gentle and... spring! You look like a humanization of spring itself!
Literally what I was thinking!! I swear she’s so gorgeous!!
I feel like in the case of interpretating a novel it's not for example the thickness of paint but the stirring of our imagination that creates the sensory experience and sometimes trying to put everything into perspective ruins that. Also, I believe that's what makes reading poetry so difficult because it's always up for interpretation but can also be simply an experience. The point you made about who enjoyed the starless sea the most fits perfectly!
I was thinking the same thing. Experience the highs and lows and edge of your seat moments as they come from the images, sounds, and descriptions the words create in your mind ❤😊
Yesss that's exactly what came to my mind ^^ I though of poetry specifically !!!
Spring is forevermore and timeless. I have been in a cottagecore aesthetic since the beginning of this month so yes, it is Spring.
I think in literature it would translate to appreciating the writing, the dialogue, the ambience, the vibes in general, instead of just the plot, a book is so much more than what is saying its also in how it is being said.... it's interesting cause "no plot just vibes" is such a trend right now, with cosy mystery, cosy fantasy and others, where its much more about descriptions than an impactful deep thinking story, and that's impactful on its own
I still think it's also about the plot, but just focussing on that and not trying to see methophors amd deeper meanings in everything. I feel like it's an easy translation to books? Cause I kind of already read like that😹 not think too much into things, just enjoy the story for what it is
As far as your thoughts about how we can experience literature through sensory, I think your earlier appraisal of The Starless Sea can be an example. You said that the author's books are pretty much just vibes, and the people who just let the story happen without trying to find all of the hidden meanings and overanalyzing generally had better opinions of the book. I think that since they were experiencing the book rather than trying to find hidden meanings, it was a better experience for them.
Also, I am studying anthropology. My main love is Linguistic anthropology, so I'm 100% reading Wordslut.
I love the point you're making! I completely agree 😊
It’s interesting because The Starless Sea is so divisive! I personally LOVED IT. But a lot of people feel like there’s nothing going on or it’s confusing. I agree with what you said about letting it happen vs looking for meaning
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the Shepard King duology! Be wary, be clever, be good❤
Omg, I’m so glad you mentioned “one dark window”, it got me out of my reading slump too! Ever since, I’ve been recommending it to whoever will listen
Ohmygod yes! One dark window was my first 5 star read this year. So glad that Leonie recommend it
loved this video (and the shepherd king duology)! I've read a bit of Sontag but not the essay you mentioned. In terms of interpreting books in a more sensory way, what came to mind for me is when people say they gave a book five stars for vibes rather than it being a "serious piece of literature." kind of the idea that we can enjoy books just for what they make us feel rather than feeling like we need to justify a book being good because it's of high literary value or offers some sort of deeper meaning. we can like a book just because it was fun and we found ourselves immersed - and maybe immersion is the book equivalent of the sensory!
I'd argue the five stars are justified, because to make the reader feel something is in itself an art. it takes skill, even if you can rarely make everyone feel the same thing with the same intensity (that is just the matter of finding a specific audience). i actually never give out a five star unless the book has made me feel deeply, and part of that is def the vibes
But when we feel a book is bad, and it becomes too much to handwave for the sake of the vibes, we're forcibly kicked out of the narrative and the vibes no longer matter. Just their memory, maybe.
Not the bee appearing after you talking about The Starless Sea🤭
It was a first read for me last year and I LOVED IT. It was after reading Babel so after being so depressed I got to read this fun magical book that had a happy ending! Maybe I should re read it... I need sth good rn
out of topic: you look so pretty, omg! your hair is gorgeous and I love that shirt ❤
The starless sea is absolutely my favorite book, I've read it dozens of times, it's so interesting to hear you struggle with it 😂😂
I loved it so very much.
Omg same
"Monster living inside of her, that is slowly taking over, but she can also tap into its power..." (2:04)
The first thing that came to my mind was NARUTO!!!
I have been following you since 2016/17, before your hiatus. Your videos evolved from funny rants to insightful essays/vlogs. The improvement is astounding.
I’ve never felt like reading non fiction but I love it when you bring up these little quotes and interesting topics I’ll be thinking about those for a while
I read “the fine print” and actually quite enjoyed it as a “requires-zero-brain-cells” book, but when you explained the plot back to me😂😂😂 I couldn’t anymore, what did I read😂
How was the love interest literally just hot Jeff Bezos lmaoo
I am so happy you posted a new video today, right when I needed something to brighten my day. The dress is gorgeous, and with the greenish background you look like a super cool forest fairy. 💛
i adored the shepherd king duology!!!
I read "The Starless Sea" and, while I appreciate what it was trying to do, I really didn't love it for the same reasons you said. It was so confusing that it made me mad, and I didn't care about any of the characters. I read it with a book club, and literally half of the club couldn't finish it because they were so confused they rage quit. I felt a little crazy because every other BookTuber I watch swears up and down that this book is incredible. I feel so validated that you agree with my issues with it.
I found the same, it feels like one of those books that's better as a reread, like once you understand the story you can better appreciate the world and the characters and the writing
That's exactly what I felt the first time I was like huh okay
But when I read it the second time and gave it time I really fell in love @@bellec8790
I absolutely loved it but it's just a matter of taste. For me, it's not really about the characters at all haha just about the overall idea of myth and story, etc. But I can totally understand people not liking it. Despite loving it, I hesitate to recommend it since it's not very linear or clear cut.
I've been in a terrible reading slump and need these recommendations asap :D
GIRL YOU SAVING ME JUST IN TIMEEEE
Oh my god your hair looks so good and shiny with the new cut! Loved the dress and springy vibes as well.
Just put One dark crown on my tbr, looking forward to read on a cold windy day.
I'm sorry you had mixed feelings regarding The Starless Sea! The Night Circus and The Starless Sea are my favourite books ever and so, after hearing you loved The Night Circus, I also thought you'd love The Starless Sea haha! Definitely interesting hearing why you didn't. For me personally, I didn't have the same issues. I felt immediately invested in the characters and I also found it to be a page turner -- I wonder what the differences are in our preferences that gave us different experiences on reading this one! I always find it fascinating how one book can cause so many different reading experiences! As a side note, I love how you always word things so eloquently. You're always very good at balancing positive and negative and analysing everything but also somehow keeping it short and to the point! It very much helps me decide whether I would read something or not, so thank you!
i struggled with those two books as well (boomer here)
I totally understand Leonni's feelings cause they're exactly how I feel, too. The Night Circus is my favorite book of all time, but it took me too long to get through The Starless Sea. I had high hopes and loved the little tales in the book, but I also couldn't care less about Zachary, Dorian, or any of the other characters by the end. At least in The Night Circus, there was reason for why the circus exists and how Celia and Marco are bound to it, but The Starless Sea felt like just random stuff thrown together with no plot and a character somehow connected to the library but with little reason as to why or how.
@@braveheartalice I think it's the way the story is approached. In the Starless Sea, it's not really character driven, it's more about how all humans kind of connect through stories but yeah the characters are one note for a reason. But it's just one of those polarizing books I think. I love it but don't often recommend it for this reason.
LEO you should read The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater if you like princely charming boy falls in love with a grumpy woman-trope. based on your feelings about those Fox Hole Court books(?) i think you would like this series
I totally agree @TheBookLeo you would love the vibes
Yesss petition for leonie to read TRC
Yes it's got witchcraft, unique magic system, academia, mystical woods, folklore, a pet raven, a ghost and RONAN so she should love it ❤
I think she tried to read it a few years ago, but I'm not sure
About the essay: Novels don't have a sensory experience but there is an imaginative experience. It is similar to the flow state.
Love the dress!! Also your review of The Fine Print was very helpful, thank you 🤣
Not the point of the video but you look so pretty here!! The haircut, the top, the lighting, the EARRINGS🤌 it all suits you so well 🥹
okay but the sad prince falling in love with a grumpy woman is literally dorian and manon aka the only thing I genuinely loved about tog... so I think you just made me realize that I really love that archetype too
one dark window is perfection !!!
I live for new Leonie videos. I am also reading the Shepherd King duology (thanks to you) and LOVING it. I'm obsessed. I bought a little raven necklace because of this story. Thanks for another great video!
Thanks for the non-fiction deep dive. Regarding the interpretation of books, it is about appreciating the feelings a book evokes instead of dissecting its structure, writing style, coherence, character descriptions, and everything else for what we praise BookTube nowadays :)
I read the shepherd king duology because of you and THANK YOU!! I am obsessed and can't stop thinking about it 😂.. despite all the "flaws" its one of my new favourite fantasy series now❤
I saw her mention this in her video when she was testing reading on an ereader. Bought it and plan to start the series this weekend!
Had to skip first few minutes of this video because I want to go into it as blind as possible lol
@@rfitzpatrick723 I hope you enjoy it! ^^ I've read both books on my ereader as well and ended up buying physical copies anyways lmao
i LOVED One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns soooo much💜💜💜
I guess you could think of what the book makes you feel? Instead of feeling in a sensory way? The feeling of what the descriptions make you feel like, how you feel about the charakters?
Love that you are getting back into moore nonfiction ❤
I completely agree with everything you said about The Prisoner’s Throne. I did enjoy it but it felt very different to The Stolen Heir and I did miss the adventure/quest vibes
Loved this video!! Re: Susan Sontag, I haven’t read this essay but I understand the sensory experience of reading to be how you feel when you read the book, maybe the warmth you feel when you’re reading romance, the tension when reading thriller, etc. instead of trying to interpret the book? For example, a classic that has had many meaningful interpretations might still be boring to you and doesn’t provoke a sensory experience. Just babbling but those lines got me thinking lol. Happy spring 🌸🌼🍃
I finished two twisted crowns yesterday!!!
I'm so happy you enjoyed it too
Nothing is lovelier in this modern world than a beautiful intelligent woman who reads. Fantastic. 👏
ive been slowly struggling my way through Dune, a book thats been on my shelf for years. finally made my way to the last section!!!
I love 'The Starless Sea', absolutely love it.
its kinda crazy how no one talks about borlest and ebook called the hidden truths of wealth
for real, that book changed my life; so underrated
the what lol
Am I having a stroke? What is this sentence saying?
Being in New Zealand this year but still following norther hemisphere booktubers is so weird, I love the spring content even if it doesn’t match with Autumn here 😂
Omg same, I'm in Australia and it's colder here as they enter in spring!
Spherical planets with a slant in their axis are a curse to live on.
I can't explain how much I love this kind of videos 😍
I love your plaid white dress. You look gorgeous. Your video essays are always fun to watch and so informative.
personally I LOVED how different stolen heir was. I think it really showed how strong of a writer holly black is and how amazing she is at story telling. it would have been such an easy cop out for her to make the stolen heir another cruel prince, so I was really sad when I saw how many people disliked it because of that :( im slightly disappointed that the sequel seems to reflect that, but I will read anything she puts out tbh
Been having a terrible day, this made it a lot better. Thanks Leonie
To the 28:50 question: I found this amazing adventure book for teens when I was like 13 and it had like 5 Items brought with the book (a map, a letter, a napkin …) to explore the vibe of the plot happening rn in the story. (I know these extras per book can be costly in production etc. but it would make some books also more appealing for adhd folks - to stay focused XD)
please post more often, i literally missed you xD
the shepherd king series also pulled me out of a recent reading slump too!
I started reading One Dark Window recently and the mood of it really reminds me of The Bear and the Nightingale. Which I loved, so it's all good. Glad to hear you liked both books, I'm excited to finish them now :)
just got home from waterstones, bought Wicked King and saw you posted 2 MINUTES ago! today is a good day hahahaha
Great collection of books Leonie, especially:
The prisoner’s throne - Holly black
Against interpretation - susan sontag
Eigen welzijn eerst - roxane van iperen
Also that facial reaction at 15:42 😂
The thumbnail : “WTF” decorated with cute little stars 😂😂😂
I’m planning on picking up One Dark Window this weekend, it sounds really good! 💚
ODW and TTC were my best reads of 2023. 🥰
I think in the case of books, it can also be about the sensory experiences that are triggered in your mind and body, even without direct stimuli. When you read, you can feel warmth, cold, a sense of openness, a sense of uneasiness, tingling on your skin, etc. Thanks for the recommendation! 😊
I loved Wordslut!
Just heading your description without having read the essay about interpreting art, I would say the "feel" of literature is more about how it makes you feel when you read it rather than the feel of the pages. Although if you want to split hairs I guess you could also interpret the cover design.
The bee on your window right after you talked about the starless sea 😮
Added one dark window in my tbr after your vlog! Gonna read it soon!😊
I think in Literatur it is about the feelings the words give you and the picture it paints in your head. Often with expressionistic methods. So the thickness of paints is: words (sometimes all connected through one emotion or visual), comparisons, unusual sentence structure. Think of poetry and how you don't have to analyse every poem, but instead experience it. That experience you have is as valid as some Interpretation
I just read Weyward by Emilia Hart. I really liked it. That and The Winners by Fredrik Backman are my faves for this month of March
The bee was there for the Starless Sea discussion.
my nonfiction audiobook recs for you are caitlin doughty's books! she narrates them herself and they are AMAZING. i think everyone should give them a try, as long as they can handle the subject matter ofc. also, inkheart (all of cornelia funke's fantasy books, actually) is sooo so good
Haha the big bee was coming for you after you didn't love Starless Sea 😂😂😂
I think that to interprate a book it would be less about the phisical pages it would be about the descriptions the ones that describe smell, taste, sight, touch and hearing and overall how a book make you feel instead of trying to figure out its deeper meaning. My conclusion we should enjoy classics instead of analysing them in school.
This has literally made my day, i'm so lucky to have found a book youtuber who completely matchs my taste :)
When you were describing how you loved the character type of a charming charismatic prince with a secretly sad backstory, i thought of the anime Skip and Loafer and I think you’d really enjoy it! It’s a slice of life high school romance and the male lead is a super sweet golden retriever boy but he’s also dealing with depression and childhood trauma behind the scenes that no one really notices except for the female lead. It’s so so cute!!! Highly recommend!
In reference to the part when you talk about how we nowadays say "no means no",
in Spain we have a new law regarding this which is called the, and I'm translating literally, "only yes means yes", which covers all the situations you're talking about, like saying no politely without actually saying the word "no". Just wanted to share :)
trigger warning for light SA:
When i was in high school i was SA'd and because i didnt specifically say the word "no" the cops refused to do anything or charge the assaulter with anything... no means no, but rejection also means no. i dont want to, please dont, please stop, are all forms of no without saying "no" that are not treated in the same way
the fine print sounds sooooo bad, thank you for saving us from reading it. We can get so many grumpy-sunshine stories that are better. Also, new in the channel and looooving it, thanks for your videos ^^
14:30 “The Starless Sea” was my first 5 star book of the year! (And only so far). I listened to the theatrical version so there was a different voice actor for each section of the book that kind of went along with the other sections. (Idk if that makes sense) Because of this, I feel like I was better able to piece together which sections of the stories went together more. I also felt like I was missing a lot in the beginning and wasn’t hooked until maybe the 6th or 7th chapter? I did immediately like the vibes though! And by the time I reached a little before the middle and then found out who the pirate and the girl were in the first chapter I was so excited! I found myself, throughout reading it, remembering all of Zachary’s parts because it actually had a continuous plot. (The other stories kind of do too, but definitely are disconjointed). Because the other little stories were connected, but kind of hard to remember in the long term, I found myself having to repeatedly go through the little stories I had just read over in my brain even while I wasn’t reading it. I would sometimes just stop what I was doing and try to remember everything. This actually really helped! I think I made connections quicker than I would have otherwise, or maybe wouldn’t have even made. Each story in this book made a connection. Even the one with the Stag was brought back, though I would say it was the least explored maybe? I may be forgetting another one also that wasn’t as explored. Maybe the one person with all the keys in their house and garden that disappeared? I don’t remember what happened to that person? And that was like really towards the beginning! Anyways, I just really loved this book! The ending I wish was a little less “vibey.” But I do think with other parts we do get a more conclusive ending with foreshadow, we just don’t “offically” see it in the “end.”
If you like language and linguistics, I’d really recommend checking out John Koenig‘s Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. It’s not about language, it’s literally a dictionary, but I find it incredibly impactful in not feeling alone with your emotions. It‘s just words for feelings we don’t yet have words for. I’ve cried while reading it way more than I’d like to admit.
About the interpretation of books my first thought was Stephanie Gabrers books. Even tho those are words on the page, still it gives a sensory experience by describing lights and sounds and colours and mixing those sensory elements. Interpreting a book only by sensory ways would be literally to just read it for the vibes 💫 Also the book cover usualy foreshadows the vibes of the book and looking at the art on the cover colud be a visual sensory experience, or touching the cover if t has texture life foiling or embossments.
0:33 Oooooooh the roses from the Kindle video 😍
we need podcast recommendations!!!!!!!
I have to say, I have only gotten back into reading big in the last year or so, and I mainly read non-fiction/biopic stuff (huge history nerd) but I am definitely here for all the fiction book reviews and gossip. And I'm definitely going to have to check out Wordslut.
You made me soo happy with this video🥳 love youuu
Hello! Just want to make a cultural point here about linguistics you mentioned in wordslut because it is important to consider high/low communication context level and language itself before making broad statements about the relationship between gender roles and language. Books like wordslut are great jumping off points but it is important to be careful not to isolate language from other key cultural factors because it can oversimplify and perpetuate some harmful ideas. This is especially important when considering race/ethnicity and privilege. Love you and your videos! ❤
Your Videos bring me so much joy. I like the way you're talking about these books, you made me smile a lot.
Thank you! It's very inspiring to hear you talk about Fantasy books. I miss the feeling of getting lost in a book. I haven't had it in a while. Often, I choose too difficult books to read which take me a lot of time. A non-fiction book I really enjoyed was "Breath" by James Nestor. It's about the advantages of nose-breathing and the evolutionary development of breathing. I will definitely check out the Linguism book you recommended, as I am also very interested in language, speech and singing. Have a nice day or night:)
I recently read The Stolen Heir and loved it! And I'm a little hurt you didn't like The Starless Sea, but I agree with what you said about it making you overthink it so much 😂 that's what I enjoyed most about it, but I also let myself enjoy the experience, so yeah.
I'm so happy 😭💓 finally a leoni videoo
Wooo! Let's enjoy nice weather in pretty dresses and pretend it's spring already!
No book ever made me so angry like The Fine Print did! 🤣 And I don't feel that Rowan changed--I feel like he got upset Zara told him no (after he manipulated her half the story), so he gave the employees the bare minimum to get her back. But not because he changed, just because he can't take a no.
I hated this book so much 😂 Jeff Bezos/ Amazon employee fanfiction is the best description ever 😂😂
Momenteel ben ik de nieuwe Rutger Bregman aan het lezen, "Morele ambitie". Ik denk dat het ook een non-fictie is die jij leuk kan vinden, hij staat ook op Storytel! :)
My first Fantasy I’ve ever read was Fourth Wing…then my second was the Caraval Series…the my next one was THE SHEPARD’S KING series and they were my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!!! It was such great writing to me but it was so different in style and plot that I’ve read! It was creepy, eerie, fast paced, and the romance was so good but it didn’t take over the story!!! Ahhhh I love this series soooo much! I went to get books from the back log of the author and this was her debut!!! If I’m wrong, please tell me bc I would love to read more of her books!
when you were describing prince like charming prince and grumpy women i immediately thought of zoyalai from king of scars!! you should read, i’m sooo sure you would like it
As I started reading ebooks, I noticed that print books do differentiate themselves with paper thickness&texture, font style&size, page size&spacing. That's I think why mass market paperbacks are cheaper than the uniquely published version. Some books I have specifically bought in ebook because the style didn't agree with me.
girl, you look so so good with this hair! It's like +30 to charisma
Your hair looks so pretty!! And I love that dress on you girl!
I've recently read Uprooted because of you, and it's so good, I loved it very much
The magic is so beautifuly written, I love the characters too (Sarkan was my favorite)
I love your thumbnails 😂❤
I devoured „The Prisoners Throne“ and just couldn’t wait to hear your opinion. 😅
Leonie、please please check out For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten. It´s slowburn, intersting tree magic, spooky forest. It´s def a vibey book, but it´s not perfect. I just think it suits some of your preferences. It´s the first book in a duology.
I just read Cultish last month and I'm super interested in reading Wordslut, although I might give it some time because I feel like they will have some similar ideas and I want to let them sit properly. I find it really interesting how the phrasing of something like "no means no" can have such implications on how we perceive consent. I recently read "Tomorrow Sex Will be Good Again" by Katherine Angel and she talks about we are moving from the "no means no" to the "yes means yes" exactly because the first one could be interpreted as the lack of rejection meaning consent and the second one makes the second one much more active. She also explores a bit why the "yes means yes" also has its own flaws and this is actually a point of division for some feminists (or self-proclaimed ones). I didn't absolutely love the book, but I did learn a lot from it.
These books revived me so much!! I listened to it on audible while I was doing some art works. Well I got sucked into the story so completely that I ended up creating a work of art specifically for this story. ❤
To the point about how to „sense“ a book:
I think you can feel and experience a book (without interpreting it) by feeling the rhythm of the sentences and the beauty of the words. That is obviously not possible with every book since some focus on the plot, but if you read a book that (at least partially) focuses on the writing style, like e.g., books by Jane Austen or Oscar Wild, you can sense it
i just finished normal people by sally rooney today and it was so good! its such a simple story but it blew my mind!! i definitely recommend it
I've recently and frequently been hearing the phrase "no is a full sentence." I'm from the midwest and here we say "yeah, no" for no and "yeah, no yeah" for yes which further complicates using "no" as a full sentence. Basically trying to unlearn apologizing in every sentence and being ok with the silence that comes after a one word answer. 😅