The squirrel!!! I laughed out LOUD when you said “ok that’s enough squirrel content for one video” the way you said it. 😂 I had a couple of these on my TBR and I removed them. Im really trying to narrow down my TBR and I fully trust your opinion!
HAHAHA I love feeding the squirrels and birds!!! The blue jays will even come and get the peanuts - I swear I have become such a bird lady LOL! AWW thank you Janel!!! I'm really trying to pare down my TBR too!!! Yeah I really don't feel like any of the books I mentioned in this video are worth your time honestly!
Great video!! Can’t wait to hear your best books for the august wrap up. I know I will be adding more to my tbr. I also want to read the new Alice feeney book that your co hosting. 😊
AW thank you so much for your comment, you really made me feel so happy and motivated to film the "best of" video!!!! Also thank you for being excited with me about the Co-hosting opportunity! I am truly so thankful to Elizabeth for asking me and I cannot wait to discuss the book!!! I am about a third of the way in and I am LOVING it so far!
Thank you BOTH so much for leaving these comments and providing your support!!!!! I am so excited to be co-hosting with Elizabeth and Hailey! Its like a Booktube DREAM honestly!!!!
You are so cozy in this video and I love the look ❤❤ 03:23 I agree it's a stunning cover! The summary sounds super interesting of the book. I HATE books that just stop omg. I will never read this book for this reason so thank you! 09:55 anytime I go to take notes on characters I decide against it lol I am NOT about to take notes on a book I should be enjoying! A witchy Agatha Christie sounds awesome but what a disappointment 😢 10:34 imagine being like this with every audiobook 😂 that is me! Something is wrong with me anymore I literally can't follow hardly anything I hear! Omg the synopsis for She Started It sounds so good! I'm not gonna give it a try lol bc I trust you but it's annoying that it sounds good!
AW thank you so much, it is really starting to feel like fall in the air here and I am starting to live in sweaters and hoodies again haha!!! YESSS that cover of The Centre is gorgeous and totally gave me high expectations!! Yes oh gosh thats a great point, I feel like you shouldnt have to make a character map or take notes to be able to follow a book easily (ESPECIALLY a book that isnt super high fantasy!!!!! like for that it would make more sense even). Ohhh yes see I definitely have to check myself when I am listening to audiobooks and if my mind is drifting and I know I am missing things then I have to pause, rewind,or stop the book for a bit! My attention span has really gotten so bad I swear! YESSSS ugh I had high hopes for She Started It but there is a really heavy bullying aspect to it that was really difficult to read in such constant detail! I liked the ending of the book a lot but I just didn't enjoy it overall sadly ughh!!
@@mikalareads omg I am LIVING for this cooler weather and am the same! I JUST ordered a new sweatshirt from Aerie?( it's such a random place for Halloween stuff but this is genuinely so cute and I can't wait to get it) I literally want to run in a field and laugh when I walk outside each day it's 70 degrees I should say that I am taking a chance and listening to another Middlegrade spooky book and am following along super easy so I may have hopes. I should just get in my head that all I have to do is rewind if i miss something or pause! I'd read so many more books if I could do audio! And YES SAME about taking notes. You're right about high fantasy. You kind of have to keep those names/places straight with those but with those you know what you're getting in to!
i love the display of all your ERAS TOUR wardrobe. Girl go make us jealous😂 Every time you do a video like this i'm forever afraid that you will talk about a book I loved😂😂😂(thank god this time all my faves are safe) AND all my TBR books are safe because none of these ones were in my TBR!! 1:41 hahahahah she just met the deadline, tbh we all do this at work 8:05 this makes so much sense i can totally get it. I hate when authors don't realise the interesting parts of their books are not the TOXIC stuff but the INTERESTING, OCCULT STUF LOL THE SQUIRRELS
HAHAH I love all my Taylor Merch!!! hahaha I am glad none of these were your faves or on your tbr either!!!!! TRUE with the work deadline HAHA!!! RIGHT LIKE give me MORE of the supernatural stuff and less of the relationship stuff please! I have become such a squirrel/bird lady I swear LOL!
That’s such a shame about the centre! I’ve been noticing a trend lately with really beautiful covers that evoke horror but the books are actually more literary fiction than anything else. I agree with you that it feels like false advertising. I get all jazzed up for a spookle and then it’s just blah blah life stuff. Feels like you’re getting messed around! Your squirrel cam was so cute! I can’t entice the squirrels into my garden, no matter how many wildlife areas I create. I’m stuck with pigeons and a blackbird that likes to scream outside my window at 5am. I am right there with you on the Agatha Christie thing. I have only read one of her books, but I kept getting so confused trying to keep track of everyone as the cast was so large. It put me off trying more of them. That so gutting about Strange Sally Diamond. It’s such a sad experience when you fall in love with the start of a book and then it just unravels in the end. Excited to see the top books you had last month.
OKAY THIS: "a trend lately with really beautiful covers that evoke horror but the books are actually more literary fiction than anything else" YESSSS!!! I notice the same thing and its pretty frustrating! Especially if it gets people to actually shell out their money for it, it's like click bait lol! AWWW I love blackbirds but I know it can be so annoying when they are so loud like that! We get quite a few birds who come too and I love watching them! I was just trying to catch on camera the other day a blue jay who was coming down to grab peanuts but he was too quick haha! OMGGGGGGG OKAY THANK YOU!!!! You literally made me feel so much validation over my review of AC books. Like Ive been getting some people hardcore defending her and its like she is not a perfect author people! At least for me she isnt. And Ive been continuing to read her books because ive been gravitating towards mystery more and its filling that niche for me but yeah it really is hard to keep track a lot of the times for me! Strange Sally Diamond has to be one of my most disappointing reads this year and I was so sad about it! UGH!
3:02 thank you for saying that. I have been debating on if I should read it or not 🙏 The cover of The Centre is so interesting. OMG THAT SQUIRELL IS HUGE! Love the squirrel content 👏🐿 9:57 omg that is so true. She Started It sounds like it could have been so good. I miiight still read it 😂 20:17 Oh nooo that's so disappointing 😭
Yessss I do not feel like that one us worth your time truly! Also I love the cover of the centre too!!! I would also love to hear what you think of she started it if you do get to it!!! ❤️❤️❤️
The Cover of The Centre is gorgeous!!! Lol! "That's enough squirrel content for one video" 🤣 I love an unreliable narrator if it is done well. Not sure Never Saw Me Coming will be for me.
OMGG I agree that cover is really gorgeous!!! HAHAA!, I LOVE the squirrels and the birds!! Yesterday I had like 5 blue jays and a squirrel coming in to collect all the peanuts haha! YESSss I really wouldnt strongly recommend Never Saw Me Coming, It wasnt terrible but I dont think the twists were very good and the ending just really felt off-putting to me!
I am am SO happy that this motivated you and I truly would love to see what books you would choose to remove from your tbr!!! I am exactly the same way with my goodreads TBR! I am constantly going through cleansing it!
I hated Halloween Party by Agatha Christie and I haven't picked up another one 😂 I still need to read We Have Always lived in the castle! I loved the movie! Great wrap-up!
OHHH I just started Halloween Party by Agatha Christie last night but immediately fell asleep LOL! I am hoping it gets better!!! OMG the We Have Always lived in the castle movie is AMAZING!!!!! I think you would really enjoy the book as well!!
YESSS I do not blame you on bit haha! I really think it you are not in the mood for a literary novel than its a good call to pass on The Centre! It just was not what I was expecting at all despite that gorgeous cover!
Ooh, I like you splitting up the disappointing and great books of the month 🤗 Even though you didn’t say to take it off the TBR list I am doing just that with Never Saw Me Coming. An uninspired 3 star rating for a thriller is just the worst!
I am so glad you like how I split up the disappointing/favorite books because it really is also SO much easier for me to film/edit the monthly wrap ups this way too!!! Yeahhhh I cant blame you for taking Never Saw Me Coming off your tbr!!! Even though I didn't hate it I also just don't think it will stick with me at all and it just didnt impress in any way!
I DNFed Never Saw Me Coming and HATED She Started It! I had an ARC of it, and was so mad when it was picked as book of the month because I’m petty haha. Love your sweatshirt 😂😂 can’t wait to see what your favorites were!
You really did not miss out on much by DNF'ing Never Saw Me Coming!, like it was okay but just not anything too memorable!! UGH also I totally get the hate for She Started it....like it could have been so much better but I just felt like so much of it was pointless ugh! Also thank you so so much!!!! I can't wait to share the books I actually WOULD recommend haha!!!
The sweatshirt 😍 The cover of The Centre is so beautiful. Shame about the content 🥲 I loved the squirrel content 🥰 I really want to read more Agatha Christie but it sounds like I'll need to overlook a lot if I want to enjoy them 🫠 Such a shame about Strange Sally Diamond. There's such hype for it and I really love seeing neurodivergent representation in books. Loved this video, as ever, Mikala 🖤
I have been living in this sweatshirt I swear haha! Yesss I agree, the cover of The Centre is gorgeous but was really not what I had expected! I would LOVE to get your thoughts on AC when you do get to read more of her works! I feel like there are some great ones and some duds as well! YESSSS ugh I think Strange Sally Diamond has to be one of my most disappointing reads this year truly! I thought it was going to be a new fave and it just instantly tanked in a matter of pages ugh! Thank you so much for watching Aisling!!
Nooo! Not the first book being by Samantha Downing! I wouldn't be surprised about the deadline, but every author has their flop, I think. It's fine. Right? It's fine. Is it fine? It's fine. 6:52 - If I see the word "spellbinding" in a synopsis anymore, I am immediately removing the book from my TBR, and I'm not even joking. It went from being something that drew me in to being a red flag. ❤🐿🐿🐿❤ I think I have She Started It on my TBR, mostly because of the cover. I might still read it?
Yessss I definitely think this was her flop!!!! It totally lost me! HAAAAA RIGHT okay I am with you on "spellbinding" being a red flag! Its such false advertising at this point! I would love to hear your thoughts on "She started it"! It wasn't terrible at all! Just not a standout either for me!
Oh noooo I had been wanting to read The Centre! It has been talked about as maybe being dark academia so it’s a bummer that the actual academic language part isn’t done well! And yes, I will buy a book with a skull on it but then I need it to be about skull things! People are soooo protective of anything “dark academia” and you’re the only one giving an honest critique! I don’t get any spark from Agatha Christie. Her mystery explanations always get way too into the weeds and nitpicky, like there’s no way you could ever figure out all those fussy random details on your own. And the racism is beyond what you expect from the time. I get that she’s influential but I’m just not interested. And I have questionssssss about booktubers who read Christie unabashedly (ETA: as in, when they’re open about not caring, or aren’t willing to be critical when it’s warranted. I realized that my migraine-brain was making me harsher than I intended!) Is there a classic mystery or thriller writer you think fills that gap better? Such a bummer about Strange Sally Diamond! It’s so heartbreaking as a reader when something starts out like a potential new favorite and then takes a big swerve. I looked up spoilers and…lately I’m of the opinion that certain ideas do not deserve to have a platform as entertainment and I don’t think that’s censorship. Anyway, great reviews! I’m looking forward to seeing what books you enjoyed! Lately I’m DNFing all books I don’t immediately like and this video is a sign that these authors need to get it together lol. The booktok/booktube boom is equalizing and readers are becoming more discerning. And now…off to take The Centre off my TBR! 💜💜👻👻🌺💀💀💀💀🎃🎃🌺🌺
Ughhh I had the same excitement to read The Centre too, I am sad I didn't enjoy it more! I really want to find a dark academia book that works for me because everyone has been at most a three star or less! And I totally agree like if you are gonna pitch me a book with carnivorous plants and skulls on the cover then give me some content that evokes that! Like I GET essentially where it ties in but I don't think the authors intent was to write a mystery/thriller/horror because there is little to no tension / stakes built in and so it totally falls flat of expectations. OKAY THANK YOU for sharing your thought on AC because I've had a few people come at me and try to literally justify her racism/sexism as "she is from another time"....like OBVIOUSLY. That doesn't make it okay??? And its negligent to not acknowledge that. If I were to rave review books with that content and someone with triggers around racism/sexism went into her books and were hurt by the content then I would feel responsible. I hate how people fight to justify this kind of stuff. And it also makes me feel like I have to say in every video "yes I realize she is from another time period however this content was not okay and I am calling it out"...just so I dont get a hate comment from someone, UGH! ---Ohhh so for someone who fills the gap better I want to recommend Shirley Jackson haha because I love her work and don't think she holds the same views AC did....it is just so clear in the writing and themes. And her prose is much better too! RIGHT I agree with Strange Sally Diamond! - like that plot twist was so off the wall compared to the GR synopsis, I would have never guessed or thought it was gonna go where it did. I really should have Dnf'd it and I don't know why I didn't - it wasn't worth finishing at all!!! I hope you are having a great reading month so far and reading amazing books!!!!
I love how you split your wrap up into the best and worst books you've read in the month. I was entertained enough by She Started It, but I thought the characters were immature and I didn't like anyone in there, haha. I wouldn't compare this to Lord of the Flies like they market it as 🤣
I am SO glad you like how I split them up because truly it is so much easier for me to film my wrap ups tHIS WAY! It was so daunting to try to film/edit them before! I totally agree with what you said about She Started It...NONE of the characters were likeable honestly! I have not read Lord of the Flies but I NEED to!!!
I haven’t read any of these so I don’t have an opinion on them buttttttttt I did want to tell you that I did DNF Halloween Party by Agatha Christie after the first chapter. It was just really boring to me 😂 To be fair, I’m probably not a mystery gal! And I notice that you have a lot of thrillers on here. Do you find yourself disliking that genre more than you’re loving it each month?
I just started Halloween Party but I am too soon to say an opinion yet! However I have found some of AC books I've read so far to be pretty boring so I totally understand the dnf and do not blame you one bit!!! Also with thrillers it is hard because they are SO hit or miss!!!! There's some I absolutely love and some I just despise! I'm always pulled in by the premise of them and only a few actually live up to my expectations 🙃 I do feel like I'm definitely trying to be more selective of the ones I give my time to because it's definitely becoming more clear to me that a lot of thrillers just do not work for me!!! 😔
I read A Twisted Love Story for Gabbyreads bookclub & also gave it 2 stars😬. The Centre looks & sounds so good but I'm going to refrain from buying it since the reviews on Goodreads aren't the best😮💨
OMG okay I am glad it wasnt just me that felt that way about A Twisted Love Story!!!!! Like I have LOVED the other Samantha Downing books Ive read but this one just wasnt up to parr to me with the other books she's written!Yesss I really would pass on The Centre honestly! Like same here that cover really pulled me in but the book itself didnt live up to it! 😭
The are certainly hit or miss! I have a few to share in my "best of" wrap up video as well from Agatha Christie so I am finding her work to be a mixed bag! 😕
Honestly that makes me so happy you gave it a 5 star because I LOVE Samantha Downing and I want her books to get positive reviews! It pained me that I didnt like A twisted love story more ugh!!!!!
The squirrel!!! I laughed out LOUD when you said “ok that’s enough squirrel content for one video” the way you said it. 😂 I had a couple of these on my TBR and I removed them. Im really trying to narrow down my TBR and I fully trust your opinion!
HAHAHA I love feeding the squirrels and birds!!! The blue jays will even come and get the peanuts - I swear I have become such a bird lady LOL!
AWW thank you Janel!!! I'm really trying to pare down my TBR too!!! Yeah I really don't feel like any of the books I mentioned in this video are worth your time honestly!
Great video!! Can’t wait to hear your best books for the august wrap up. I know I will be adding more to my tbr.
I also want to read the new Alice feeney book that your co hosting. 😊
AW thank you so much for your comment, you really made me feel so happy and motivated to film the "best of" video!!!! Also thank you for being excited with me about the Co-hosting opportunity! I am truly so thankful to Elizabeth for asking me and I cannot wait to discuss the book!!! I am about a third of the way in and I am LOVING it so far!
So cool you'll be co-hosting with Elizabeth! 😊
I thought that was so cool to see too!!! Yayyy!!
Thank you BOTH so much for leaving these comments and providing your support!!!!! I am so excited to be co-hosting with Elizabeth and Hailey! Its like a Booktube DREAM honestly!!!!
@@mikalareads welcome! yes love both their channels too 😊
You are so cozy in this video and I love the look ❤❤
03:23 I agree it's a stunning cover! The summary sounds super interesting of the book. I HATE books that just stop omg. I will never read this book for this reason so thank you!
09:55 anytime I go to take notes on characters I decide against it lol I am NOT about to take notes on a book I should be enjoying! A witchy Agatha Christie sounds awesome but what a disappointment 😢
10:34 imagine being like this with every audiobook 😂 that is me! Something is wrong with me anymore I literally can't follow hardly anything I hear!
Omg the synopsis for She Started It sounds so good! I'm not gonna give it a try lol bc I trust you but it's annoying that it sounds good!
AW thank you so much, it is really starting to feel like fall in the air here and I am starting to live in sweaters and hoodies again haha!!!
YESSS that cover of The Centre is gorgeous and totally gave me high expectations!!
Yes oh gosh thats a great point, I feel like you shouldnt have to make a character map or take notes to be able to follow a book easily (ESPECIALLY a book that isnt super high fantasy!!!!! like for that it would make more sense even).
Ohhh yes see I definitely have to check myself when I am listening to audiobooks and if my mind is drifting and I know I am missing things then I have to pause, rewind,or stop the book for a bit! My attention span has really gotten so bad I swear!
YESSSS ugh I had high hopes for She Started It but there is a really heavy bullying aspect to it that was really difficult to read in such constant detail! I liked the ending of the book a lot but I just didn't enjoy it overall sadly ughh!!
@@mikalareads omg I am LIVING for this cooler weather and am the same! I JUST ordered a new sweatshirt from Aerie?( it's such a random place for Halloween stuff but this is genuinely so cute and I can't wait to get it) I literally want to run in a field and laugh when I walk outside each day it's 70 degrees
I should say that I am taking a chance and listening to another Middlegrade spooky book and am following along super easy so I may have hopes. I should just get in my head that all I have to do is rewind if i miss something or pause! I'd read so many more books if I could do audio!
And YES SAME about taking notes. You're right about high fantasy. You kind of have to keep those names/places straight with those but with those you know what you're getting in to!
i love the display of all your ERAS TOUR wardrobe. Girl go make us jealous😂
Every time you do a video like this i'm forever afraid that you will talk about a book I loved😂😂😂(thank god this time all my faves are safe) AND all my TBR books are safe because none of these ones were in my TBR!!
1:41 hahahahah she just met the deadline, tbh we all do this at work
8:05 this makes so much sense i can totally get it. I hate when authors don't realise the interesting parts of their books are not the TOXIC stuff but the INTERESTING, OCCULT STUF
LOL THE SQUIRRELS
HAHAH I love all my Taylor Merch!!!
hahaha I am glad none of these were your faves or on your tbr either!!!!! TRUE with the work deadline HAHA!!! RIGHT LIKE give me MORE of the supernatural stuff and less of the relationship stuff please!
I have become such a squirrel/bird lady I swear LOL!
That’s such a shame about the centre! I’ve been noticing a trend lately with really beautiful covers that evoke horror but the books are actually more literary fiction than anything else. I agree with you that it feels like false advertising. I get all jazzed up for a spookle and then it’s just blah blah life stuff. Feels like you’re getting messed around!
Your squirrel cam was so cute! I can’t entice the squirrels into my garden, no matter how many wildlife areas I create. I’m stuck with pigeons and a blackbird that likes to scream outside my window at 5am.
I am right there with you on the Agatha Christie thing. I have only read one of her books, but I kept getting so confused trying to keep track of everyone as the cast was so large. It put me off trying more of them.
That so gutting about Strange Sally Diamond. It’s such a sad experience when you fall in love with the start of a book and then it just unravels in the end. Excited to see the top books you had last month.
OKAY THIS: "a trend lately with really beautiful covers that evoke horror but the books are actually more literary fiction than anything else" YESSSS!!! I notice the same thing and its pretty frustrating! Especially if it gets people to actually shell out their money for it, it's like click bait lol!
AWWW I love blackbirds but I know it can be so annoying when they are so loud like that! We get quite a few birds who come too and I love watching them! I was just trying to catch on camera the other day a blue jay who was coming down to grab peanuts but he was too quick haha!
OMGGGGGGG OKAY THANK YOU!!!! You literally made me feel so much validation over my review of AC books. Like Ive been getting some people hardcore defending her and its like she is not a perfect author people! At least for me she isnt. And Ive been continuing to read her books because ive been gravitating towards mystery more and its filling that niche for me but yeah it really is hard to keep track a lot of the times for me!
Strange Sally Diamond has to be one of my most disappointing reads this year and I was so sad about it! UGH!
3:02 thank you for saying that. I have been debating on if I should read it or not 🙏
The cover of The Centre is so interesting.
OMG THAT SQUIRELL IS HUGE! Love the squirrel content 👏🐿
9:57 omg that is so true.
She Started It sounds like it could have been so good. I miiight still read it 😂
20:17 Oh nooo that's so disappointing 😭
Yessss I do not feel like that one us worth your time truly! Also I love the cover of the centre too!!! I would also love to hear what you think of she started it if you do get to it!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Just started the vid but your syngonuim is stunning btw!!
AWWW thank you!!! I got her when she was in a 3inch pot from Walmart like 3 years ago and she is my pride and joy!
The squirrel! ❤️📖💙
HAHAHHA I love feeding the squirrels!!!! And the birds too!!!
The Cover of The Centre is gorgeous!!!
Lol! "That's enough squirrel content for one video" 🤣
I love an unreliable narrator if it is done well. Not sure Never Saw Me Coming will be for me.
OMGG I agree that cover is really gorgeous!!! HAHAA!, I LOVE the squirrels and the birds!! Yesterday I had like 5 blue jays and a squirrel coming in to collect all the peanuts haha!
YESSss I really wouldnt strongly recommend Never Saw Me Coming, It wasnt terrible but I dont think the twists were very good and the ending just really felt off-putting to me!
This has seriously motivated me to also do this with my tbr! I have so many ‘want to read’ books on Goodreads which I know I’m never going to read 😅❤️
I am am SO happy that this motivated you and I truly would love to see what books you would choose to remove from your tbr!!! I am exactly the same way with my goodreads TBR! I am constantly going through cleansing it!
I hated Halloween Party by Agatha Christie and I haven't picked up another one 😂 I still need to read We Have Always lived in the castle! I loved the movie! Great wrap-up!
OHHH I just started Halloween Party by Agatha Christie last night but immediately fell asleep LOL! I am hoping it gets better!!!
OMG the We Have Always lived in the castle movie is AMAZING!!!!! I think you would really enjoy the book as well!!
hearing your review for the centre was a relief as i’ve just removed it from my tbr because the synopsis sounded too “literary” 😂
YESSS I do not blame you on bit haha! I really think it you are not in the mood for a literary novel than its a good call to pass on The Centre! It just was not what I was expecting at all despite that gorgeous cover!
Ooh, I like you splitting up the disappointing and great books of the month 🤗 Even though you didn’t say to take it off the TBR list I am doing just that with Never Saw Me Coming. An uninspired 3 star rating for a thriller is just the worst!
I am so glad you like how I split up the disappointing/favorite books because it really is also SO much easier for me to film/edit the monthly wrap ups this way too!!! Yeahhhh I cant blame you for taking Never Saw Me Coming off your tbr!!! Even though I didn't hate it I also just don't think it will stick with me at all and it just didnt impress in any way!
I DNFed Never Saw Me Coming and HATED She Started It! I had an ARC of it, and was so mad when it was picked as book of the month because I’m petty haha. Love your sweatshirt 😂😂 can’t wait to see what your favorites were!
You really did not miss out on much by DNF'ing Never Saw Me Coming!, like it was okay but just not anything too memorable!! UGH also I totally get the hate for She Started it....like it could have been so much better but I just felt like so much of it was pointless ugh!
Also thank you so so much!!!! I can't wait to share the books I actually WOULD recommend haha!!!
The sweatshirt 😍
The cover of The Centre is so beautiful. Shame about the content 🥲
I loved the squirrel content 🥰
I really want to read more Agatha Christie but it sounds like I'll need to overlook a lot if I want to enjoy them 🫠
Such a shame about Strange Sally Diamond. There's such hype for it and I really love seeing neurodivergent representation in books.
Loved this video, as ever, Mikala 🖤
I have been living in this sweatshirt I swear haha! Yesss I agree, the cover of The Centre is gorgeous but was really not what I had expected!
I would LOVE to get your thoughts on AC when you do get to read more of her works! I feel like there are some great ones and some duds as well!
YESSSS ugh I think Strange Sally Diamond has to be one of my most disappointing reads this year truly! I thought it was going to be a new fave and it just instantly tanked in a matter of pages ugh!
Thank you so much for watching Aisling!!
Nooo! Not the first book being by Samantha Downing! I wouldn't be surprised about the deadline, but every author has their flop, I think. It's fine. Right? It's fine. Is it fine? It's fine.
6:52 - If I see the word "spellbinding" in a synopsis anymore, I am immediately removing the book from my TBR, and I'm not even joking. It went from being something that drew me in to being a red flag.
❤🐿🐿🐿❤
I think I have She Started It on my TBR, mostly because of the cover. I might still read it?
Yessss I definitely think this was her flop!!!! It totally lost me!
HAAAAA RIGHT okay I am with you on "spellbinding" being a red flag! Its such false advertising at this point!
I would love to hear your thoughts on "She started it"! It wasn't terrible at all! Just not a standout either for me!
Oh noooo I had been wanting to read The Centre! It has been talked about as maybe being dark academia so it’s a bummer that the actual academic language part isn’t done well! And yes, I will buy a book with a skull on it but then I need it to be about skull things! People are soooo protective of anything “dark academia” and you’re the only one giving an honest critique!
I don’t get any spark from Agatha Christie. Her mystery explanations always get way too into the weeds and nitpicky, like there’s no way you could ever figure out all those fussy random details on your own. And the racism is beyond what you expect from the time. I get that she’s influential but I’m just not interested. And I have questionssssss about booktubers who read Christie unabashedly (ETA: as in, when they’re open about not caring, or aren’t willing to be critical when it’s warranted. I realized that my migraine-brain was making me harsher than I intended!) Is there a classic mystery or thriller writer you think fills that gap better?
Such a bummer about Strange Sally Diamond! It’s so heartbreaking as a reader when something starts out like a potential new favorite and then takes a big swerve. I looked up spoilers and…lately I’m of the opinion that certain ideas do not deserve to have a platform as entertainment and I don’t think that’s censorship.
Anyway, great reviews! I’m looking forward to seeing what books you enjoyed! Lately I’m DNFing all books I don’t immediately like and this video is a sign that these authors need to get it together lol. The booktok/booktube boom is equalizing and readers are becoming more discerning. And now…off to take The Centre off my TBR! 💜💜👻👻🌺💀💀💀💀🎃🎃🌺🌺
Ughhh I had the same excitement to read The Centre too, I am sad I didn't enjoy it more! I really want to find a dark academia book that works for me because everyone has been at most a three star or less! And I totally agree like if you are gonna pitch me a book with carnivorous plants and skulls on the cover then give me some content that evokes that! Like I GET essentially where it ties in but I don't think the authors intent was to write a mystery/thriller/horror because there is little to no tension / stakes built in and so it totally falls flat of expectations.
OKAY THANK YOU for sharing your thought on AC because I've had a few people come at me and try to literally justify her racism/sexism as "she is from another time"....like OBVIOUSLY. That doesn't make it okay??? And its negligent to not acknowledge that. If I were to rave review books with that content and someone with triggers around racism/sexism went into her books and were hurt by the content then I would feel responsible. I hate how people fight to justify this kind of stuff. And it also makes me feel like I have to say in every video "yes I realize she is from another time period however this content was not okay and I am calling it out"...just so I dont get a hate comment from someone, UGH!
---Ohhh so for someone who fills the gap better I want to recommend Shirley Jackson haha because I love her work and don't think she holds the same views AC did....it is just so clear in the writing and themes. And her prose is much better too!
RIGHT I agree with Strange Sally Diamond! - like that plot twist was so off the wall compared to the GR synopsis, I would have never guessed or thought it was gonna go where it did. I really should have Dnf'd it and I don't know why I didn't - it wasn't worth finishing at all!!!
I hope you are having a great reading month so far and reading amazing books!!!!
I love how you split your wrap up into the best and worst books you've read in the month. I was entertained enough by She Started It, but I thought the characters were immature and I didn't like anyone in there, haha. I wouldn't compare this to Lord of the Flies like they market it as 🤣
I am SO glad you like how I split them up because truly it is so much easier for me to film my wrap ups tHIS WAY! It was so daunting to try to film/edit them before! I totally agree with what you said about She Started It...NONE of the characters were likeable honestly! I have not read Lord of the Flies but I NEED to!!!
I haven’t read any of these so I don’t have an opinion on them buttttttttt I did want to tell you that I did DNF Halloween Party by Agatha Christie after the first chapter. It was just really boring to me 😂 To be fair, I’m probably not a mystery gal! And I notice that you have a lot of thrillers on here. Do you find yourself disliking that genre more than you’re loving it each month?
I just started Halloween Party but I am too soon to say an opinion yet! However I have found some of AC books I've read so far to be pretty boring so I totally understand the dnf and do not blame you one bit!!!
Also with thrillers it is hard because they are SO hit or miss!!!! There's some I absolutely love and some I just despise! I'm always pulled in by the premise of them and only a few actually live up to my expectations 🙃 I do feel like I'm definitely trying to be more selective of the ones I give my time to because it's definitely becoming more clear to me that a lot of thrillers just do not work for me!!! 😔
Your content is amazing. A few days ago I told you some things about your channel, do you understand them? It was about channel optimization.
AW thank you so much!!
I read A Twisted Love Story for Gabbyreads bookclub & also gave it 2 stars😬. The Centre looks & sounds so good but I'm going to refrain from buying it since the reviews on Goodreads aren't the best😮💨
OMG okay I am glad it wasnt just me that felt that way about A Twisted Love Story!!!!! Like I have LOVED the other Samantha Downing books Ive read but this one just wasnt up to parr to me with the other books she's written!Yesss I really would pass on The Centre honestly! Like same here that cover really pulled me in but the book itself didnt live up to it! 😭
More squirrel content! 🐿️
YESSSS!!!! 🐿❤️🙌💯🫶
Agatha Christie doesn't seem to be working out for you. Are you going to continue reading her work?
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The are certainly hit or miss! I have a few to share in my "best of" wrap up video as well from Agatha Christie so I am finding her work to be a mixed bag! 😕
@@mikalareads good to hear that you are enjoying some of them. I will look forward to your next update to find out which ones
I gave A Twisted Love Story 5 Stars 🫣 😂
Honestly that makes me so happy you gave it a 5 star because I LOVE Samantha Downing and I want her books to get positive reviews! It pained me that I didnt like A twisted love story more ugh!!!!!