I have decided that my DNF list being huge means that I'm actually honing into what I really like. So it makes me feel better. Also, when the moon hatched video a'la' your Fourth Wing video would be *chefs kiss*
In my experience, genre fatigue is real. I got fantasied out for a bit and switched to serial thriller books (Reacher, Jack Ryan etc) to refresh my palette. Haha! Now I'm back and fully engaged in fantasy again. Also, my library prints the amount of money you have saved for the year on your receipt when you check out physical books. Helps my level of patience seeing how much I'm saving haha!
That is so cool!! I wish mine did that, I'm reading more and more kindle/digital books now that I'm a new mom with a baby who grabs everything and I fear ripping pages. One day I'll get back to the library
I sadly think this is why I avoid 90% of new fantasy releases... The trend towards more focus on romance and less on world building and character growth and platonic relationships makes me highly skeptical of anything that comes out--I just wait for reviews on most. I have found some really great newer books this year (Will of the Many, Tainted Cup, Book That Wouldn't Burn, The Mercy of Gods, Relics of Ruin), but they're from either really established authors or ones I already trust. Most other wins I've had have been from DEEP backlist. I don't think it's just trends' fault though: most authors are just average! And that's okay!! It makes the Joe Abercrombies, the Brandon Sandersons, the Robin Hobbs, the GRRMs, etc etc, all feel very special... But outside of Sando, they just don't publish that often. So once you're caught up on the greats, most books, especially new ones, are not going to be true works of art. But there are SO many backlist gems that never get spoken of on Booktube... I just read some Bujold and McKillip this year and was blown away, and I'd never even heard of them before!! So yeah. I highly recommend anyone else struggling, to look at new places for recommendations, and read things published before 2015. It's been working for me!
I think its a mixture of different things contributing to the overall "meh" feeling lately: trope marketing, a general oversaturation of the fantasy romance space, a feeling of "fomo" which for some people is making it hard to truly sink into a book and give it undivided attention without thinking about the next book you want to read. I also think the sheer volume of books per year people are reading is much higher than years past and so there is more opportunity for feeling burnt out in a genre.
When you mentioned that you might have read too much fantasy, that’s exactly how I get sometimes. In those moments I pick up books about biology, or a self help book, or an autobiography, or whatever. It usually takes me much longer to read those books and it gives my brain a break, a reset, a something new to ponder. It also helps to add to my own creativity.
I think a common issue people are experiencing with fantasy is that readers want to be immersed in a fantasy world but a lot of books are just lacking the depth that a lot of readers are looking for. Obviously not everything needs to be Stormlight or Wheel of Time, but I can certainly see how some people think epic fantasy is dying in a way because they don't feel the worldbuilding or stories in many fantasy books now have the depth that these other series have
To add to the other good comments about mood reading and mixing up genres, consider more backlist of themes you love. I’m loving the cozy fantasy/romance/more episodic style fantasy that is popular now. Reminds me of when I started reading fantasy in the 80s. I hated the grim dark, overly political fantasy of the past decade or so. So I don’t think fantasy is in a bad place, but what is currently being published just might not be your preference and that is fine. It will change! Consider just reading what you love, even if it is backlist, and not worrying about keeping up with trends or new releases or trying to love romantasy because it is popular. I love watching people talk about things they love, regardless of whether I love it too. I think your viewers would agree too. And it will keep your channel from becoming negative and bitter, which will help your love of reading!'
I definitely feel the same with my fantasy reads, I have liked some but I’m not really finding fantasy books I’m really loving these days. Part of it is that I’m burned out from fantasy romance so I’ve been leaning towards backlist epic fantasy in hopes that I’ll find the joy in reading it again.
As far as the Romantasy marketing stuff goes, I can’t help but feel like it’s similar to the YA categorization issues of previous years. Fantasy books by female authors with even just a hint of a romantic subplot is immediately labeled “romantasy.” Five Broken Blades had some romantic subplots, but they were almost all background stuff to the main heist/found family plot.
I dnf a TON. I am having trouble finding my dnf stats in the app I use, but I probably dnf more than I finish. I am learning that I don't usually love epic fantasy, or cozy fantasy, but go for something in the middle. A more personal story than epic, but higher stakes than cozy. I really want high stakes for a single person or a small group of people, but probably not world ending stakes, or even country ending stakes. And usually single time line single POV. I just finished A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik and loved it. Can't wait to start the second one after I pick it up from the library. It's just so hard to tell before starting a book if it's going to fit those. The descriptions and the way people talk about books don't really give the info I am personally looking for.
Oh my god can YOU recommend me some books please 😅 I feel like everything that you said resonates with me so well. I love single povs and single timelines preferably. And I realised that cosy fantasy is just not for me cuz there are no stakes whatsoever in them And I don't even want to talk about the amount of books I dnf all the time 😂. I also have deadly education on my tbr so everything that you said just bumped that higher on my priority list.
@@jaishpreet0206 Sure! Here are some that have worked for me recently. A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan (5 book series, a few of them were not as good, but still worth the read for me.) Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher (This one does jump around in time a bit.) Starling House by Alix E Harrow (Some flashbacks) Minor Mage by T Kingfisher Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Fractured Fables series by Alix E Harrow If you're also into sci-fi, here are some of those. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer (I couldn't get into the second one, but you can totally stop after the first one.) Service Model by Adrian Chaikovsky How to Mars by David Ebenbach Monk and Robot series by Becky Chambers Mickey Seven by Edward Ashton (Did not enjoy the second one, more world stakes in that one.) Finna by Nino Cipri
@@Melanie-jy2nw I dnfed Uprooted when I tried it several years ago. I don't remember exactly why, but it made me hesitant to try A Deadly Education, but I'm glad I gave it a shot.
I've DNFed more books this year than I ever have before. I've been trying to put my finger on why and here's my experience: I've been picking up books with gorgeous covers and really interesting premises that fall completely flat in their writing. I constantly wonder "Where was the editor?" Because these books seem to have continuity, grammar, and spelling mistakes. Examples from my list: The God and the Gumiho, Voyage of the Damned, Principle of Moments, and the Honeywitch. You can tell they all had an author with heart but unfortunately that doesn't make up for lackluster writing.
Hi Elliot. For my library at least- the "skip the line" books are popular books that are shorter length loans- so they can turn them over faster.. Regular books for 21 days, while "skip the line" you can only keep 7 days. The nice part is if you don't happen to get it read in the 7 days- you don't lose your place in the regular hold line.
There have been some conversations sparking on tiktok on how recent releases (especially in YA Fantasy) have been lacking a certain spark to help them stand out, leading to DNFs and people feeling meh about them. I’ve been reading a ton of YA this year and have noticeably had less 5 star reads this year (3 total, none in YA.) I think some of these authors are starting to pull from the same wells (tropes, plot points, same favs, etc.) and the stories we’re getting are suffering overall as a result.
I agree! But also it’s cuz tiktok always reads the same kinds of books and ignores others. Can I recommend to u some amazing YA fantasy that don’t follow tropes and are super underrated and virtually unknown on tiktok etc
@@Srbthmlnsmth I picked some YA recs from this channel like Bonesmith by Nicky Pau Preto or Crane Among Wolves by June Hur, but if you have other good recent recs - go for it! I'm tired of everyone recommending the same YA authors like Stephanie Garber or Adalyn Grace I'm really not interested in.
I am feeling this way too, especially with cozy fantasy releases. I find it is helpful to take a break now and then and pick up a different genre. Right now I am reading Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series to combat those same feelings
I’ve been listening to more non fiction and mysteries than usual lately, as well as rereading some series that I read and loved years ago which are really bringing me joy
I primarily read fantasy and I 100% get where you're coming from. I have started listening to a literary fiction book in between books/series (I'm not stopping Stormlight between books). I've found that it helps my brain reset before I jump into a new magic system/fantastical world. It also helps me because the books tend to be much shorter so a new book seems less daunting. In doing this I've found a new author (Frederick Backman) that I would consider among my favorites. Anxious People, Beartown (a very emotionally heavy book), and A Man Called Ove (audiobook narrated by JK Simmons) are some of my new favorite books.
I am absolutely a mood reader. Right now I want autumn reads, so dark and spooky, but also cozy reads. I get my audiobooks from Libby and since books aren't always available right away, that's generally how I mix it up and keep myself from getting genre fatigue. Your comments on the whole "he's a big man" thing cracked me up. 😂
When I feel that way I’ll switch to a different genre for a book or two. It helps. Recommendation: You should give When Women Were Dragons, written by the same author as the Crane Husband a try if you haven’t already. It was our book club pick this month and I found it refreshing.
I really get you on new fantasy feeling samey. I originally got into fantasy by picking up random books at thrift stores, used bookstores, and libraries. Most of those books were older and I hadn't heard of them, but i found so many favorites that way. After initially getting into booktube, i started getting a bunch of recommended books from the library. And almost none of them clicked with me. So i'm back to my normal way of reading: treasure hunting at used places and libraries (and sometimes just going through genres on bookoutlet and choosing things that are cheap and appeal to me). This has probably been my best year yet, in terms of finding books I actually enjoy. IMO, writing quality drops off dramatically post 2000-ish (not a hard and fast rule).
I’ve only gotten back into reading in the last year or so, so I’m still finding all time faves pretty consistently, but I’ve noticed the more I read the pickier I get with my ratings. I imagine once I catch up on everything I missed while I was not reading I’ll feel similarly to you!
I have been DNFing so many books this year. I've just been picking things up that I've been a little interested in and not really researching much. In a way, it makes me feel like I don't really know my taste, or I'm picking things up based on hype (which I also try not to do). I have been using my library a lot more so I don't feel as bad DNFing, but I do need to hone my taste and figure out what I like instead of picking up something that sounds vaguely interesting
It's all good, Elliot. Abercrombie just gave you a series hangover, that's all. When you've climbed to the top of the mountain and seen the sunset, it's hard to find a better view. But at least you got that view.
Life is too short to read books we feel "eh" about. A good rule of thumb, for me, is how I feel about the read after the fact. I need to feel like (1) I haven't wasted my time and (2) I don't regret my continued read or DNF. As long as I can be happy about having read the book(s), it's all good. And I think that helps to predict my future reads. :)
I’m finding my ability to read certain genres to be fading. I barely want to read any mystery, thrillers, or horror unless they’re also cozy. Like, this is my year for books that give me warm hugs. Or make me sob my eyes out. So I’m soft DNFing left and right. I’m not even trying to look at my goodreads goal because I know I’m behind because I’ve been trying to read things my brain isn’t craving. I’m returning almost all of my library borrows that aren’t cozy and just going to focus on feel good stories next month to try and give my brain the space it needs.
Also for books & marketing, what I do is try check what the authors say in their marketing. I sometimes find that to be a lot more accurate. Cuz a lot of times authors have zero control over marketing which I’m realizing for a LOT of the 2023 and 2024 releases
Authors have zero control over anything. My father couldn't even control how his name appeared on one book, published by a very reputable publisher. (They insisted on using his middle initial, which he never did on his writings.)
@@michaelsommers2356 oh nooo! I’m sorry to ur father! Do u know why they insisted? Like did he have a common name or one that overlapped with idk like a serial killer or something that they needed to distinguish it? Yeah recently I’ve seen authors say they don’t agree with comp titles (or even book titles) and these are all big trad pub stories.. but never did I see anything about name! I’m so sorry! Makes u wonder how much of the actual story they also have control over… I mean if you’re Sanderson obviously u can do what you want, I mean less known and debut authors
This was a really good video fun and thought-provoking. I came up with so many things to say I decided not to say any of it and just tell you that was a good one. Keep it going.😂🎉
I think you should just vary your reading genre I’ve avoided fantasy burnout by not reading it consistently I’ve broken it up by adding a sci-fi non fiction etc
My theory is that trends/marketing are kinda killing full fleshed stories. It's like a book has to be put into a sub genre and for it to be put into that sub genre then it needs to hit these tropes/beats and there seems to be less tolerance (in the hands of publishers) for stories to just Be. To include all the things, to not have to fit a very specific mold. I also dnf a ton. Last time I looked at my stats it's about same between read and dnf lol. It's mostly cause I'm a bit delusional into thinking I'll still like certain things when I know I've grown out of it and they just aren't hitting anymore.
I'm thinking about getting back into fantasy, which is what lead me to your channel! That was all I used to read in my teens and early 20's and then I just got kind of burned out on it, and switched over to other genres (mystery, thriller, etc.). I would read the occasional fantasy book or series, but not much. I've been kind of craving some actual traditional fantasy / epic fantasy, but being in my early 50's now I have no idea what's out there. I'll be taking a watch of some of your other videos to get an idea of where to dive back in.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think entertainment in general is lacking nowadays. There must be more than one reason for this to be happening, but certainly, having to write something that sells is a big one. If we're looking to sell, risks do not have a place, thus creativity suffers. I also think it might be deeper than that but it might be hard to explain in a comment. Maybe it's related to media literacy and critical thinking? Somehow I think we might only be in demand of very specific types of stories as well, so I think it goes both ways. Authors need to sell and we are craving something hyperspecific, resulting in a formula for each book? But it could be more than that though, would love to see more discussion on this :)
Thought provoking video for sure! So far I'm having an amazing fantasy year, read some all time favourites (Godkiller, Priory, Iron Widow, The Tainted Cup). Although only 1 of those is from this year, and I don't read that many new releases. And also haven't picked up any popular fantasy romances, most don't appeal to me at all. (I did read Divine Rivals last year and really liked it). Thankfully none of the newly released fantasy books I read from this year were misses for me (An Education in Malice, the 2 Sworn Soldier books, The Familiar & Tainted Cup). It’s a small sample though and most of them by authors I know I like. Maybe if I read more new releases the results would be more mixed. I don't have a huge selection of English language new releases in my library so I usually have to buy them, so less likely to take a chance on a book I'm unsure about. The ones that get translated I hit the library for often and definitely had some library saves. :D
I enjoyed the Winternight trilogy and Emily Wild books but i don’t think they qualify as epic.. I haven’t stumbled on interesting/ new fantasy epic series premise that I found unique in a while. I find epic fantasy stories tend to be written based on traditional ideals and lacks nuances. I didn’t mind that for a while but it gets boring and repetitive, and after experiencing newer fiction that doesn’t follow that narrative or challenge it makes reading typical epic fantasy extra boring. Or you get the female badass hero with no vulnerability and the same plot and love interest in every book. Again boring and repetitive. Unfortunately though not many fantasy/ sci-fi stories that have nuances or unique storylines come in series. Last fantasy/ sci-fi stories I experienced that were appealing were in shows like Arcane, dark, the umbrella academy s1/2, books besides the ones I mentioned above probably Project Hail Mary, Vita Nostra, and Piranesi. Yeah mostly standalones 🤔
I have never dnfed this much than this year and most of them are new releases. The most frustrating thing is that some definitely had potential but it's like the publisher didn't do their job and edited the books. It feels like you are never reading what should be the final draft. I have decided to give a chance to some less popular backlist books. I have just tried one like this (Son of Avonar by Carol Berg) and my first reaction was : " wow, finally a well written book". But yes I suffer from a big "any book pales compare to my old favorites". This had been like this for years.
I know that I'm experiencing genre fatigue. I love history, but right now, I'm escaping into fantasy because I've been pushing myself into history too hard. Maybe we could trade places?
For me, I've been getting back into reading fantasy and I've noticed for every "newer" fantasy I ready, I always end up going back to "old School" fantasy. For example I read something that was released in 2020 and went and read the whole LOTR series. Granted these were all new reads for me. But I just keep gravitating toward older fantasy. I think for the same reason you are saying.
Elliot, thank you so much for your channels. I love BookTube but I feel there are few real analytical channels. I enjoy your honest take on things. I love a good romantasy but I miss fantasy as a genre. Your videos help me find that. Thank you
When I read the Empirium trilogy last year, I felt the same way that nothing else I would ever read would compare to that series. The magic, world building, the writing, I admit I have other favorite characters from other books, but Empirium is truly the closest thing to perfection I’ve ever read. I’m so excited and also scared to reread it (planning to do so for my birthday in December) but I’ll recommend it forever lol
Perfect timing. I DNF’ed yet another book last night. I’ve been ruthless this year & I can no longer force myself to read what I’m not enjoying. I thought dang I’ve only read 29 books this year. Except that’s not true…I’ve read a lot more books, but I’ve DNF’ed so many. It’s also rare for me to find something I LOVE, but I’ll at least find stuff I like. Not so much this year. The new releases coming out are just…not it. It’s not even just fantasy. It’s Fantasy, Romance, Thrillers etc. I’m thinking maybe I need to get into older works I haven’t tried yet instead of reading newer stuff (any suggestions welcome). Out of 29 of the books I completed I counted 7 that I actually liked and enjoyed enough to not immediately forget it afterwards and would recommend. Only one 5 star read. Hopefully it gets better for the rest of the year.
I've officially DNF'd 17 books this year, but there were about a dozen more that I didn't really need to finish across all genres. I haven't really broken down my DNF/ratings by genre to see what hasn't been working for me, but I do know that fantasy has become a genre that I am slower to pick up because I want to find out if it's really going to work for me first. I also like tracking some of my library stats, and inclusive of all formats and completion status, I've saved $735 this year. No need to discuss how that compares to what I've spent, though 😅
Five Broken Blades has romance alongside the story. I would recommend reading it if it interests you lol. I am not sure how I would personally categorize it though.
I think you need to try other genres. Epic fantasy will always be my go-to, I love it, but I found that I love it even more when I throw in a classic and a horror or a sci-fi every month. Have been doing it now for a year and it really works well. I also don't feel guilty anymore when I dnf something, especially when it looks as if the whole but me loves the book. Just because everyone on Booktube loves a new release, usually does not mean that I will love it.
Genre fiction can start to feel pretty samey when I read a lot of it, so that’s when I branch out into other genres, litfic, classics, nonfiction, etc. Currently I’m reading ‘Orbital’, nominated for the LeGuin Award. Neither character nor plot driven, it’s more a meditation on connection with self, other, and the Earth. Best read slowly. Also reading a memoir by Amos Oz.
The plant in front of the Elektra book 🤣 I unhauled it for the same reason and also hid it behind ANYTHING I could when I had it! It's just so Orange and the UK versions are gorgeous!
I only dnf’d one book in 2023, but this year so far I’m at 6. Most of the books I’ve read in August haven’t been that great, and I was super tempted to dnf (Malice and Tokyo Ever After especially) but I was dedicated to being able to review them fairly. I love writing rant reviews almost as much as I love reading 😅 I’m currently reading The Witch’s Heart and it’s the best so far for this month and I also have The Night Circus and A Tempest of Tea which I was surprised my library had so I figured I’d give it a go and see what I think. I’ve seen a lot of mixed opinions on The Night Circus too, but it was an inspiration for the Caraval trilogy which I really liked so I’ve been looking forward to it, regardless.
I have the same feelings. A friend and I who mainly read fantasy are reading some books from the Booker Prize long list for a change the next couple months.
I am having a great reading year but I am much earlier in my fantasy journey than you. I think that makes some difference because I don't have as many things to compare. Mary Sue's and Gary Stu's don't tend to bother me as much as other people. Sometimes I am in a mood for more complex, morally grey characters and sometimes I like this is good and this is evil. I read all the genres, too. I know thrillers, mysteries and romances are usually not going to be a new favorite, but it is sometimes nice as a pallet cleanser. I love fantasy and literary fiction the most, but I have to mix it up. I find a dash of magic or a fantasy element makes me love horror and romance so much more. I don't know, I know it may hurt your algorithm or more importantly, your enjoyment, but maybe sprinkle in a random genre every once in a while to reinvigorate you? I would watch you review anything really. I don't always agree with you (I am much easier on fantasy romance cringiness than you), but I respect your opinions. I also like how some things that people diss you give a fair chance (like Chloe Gong, for ex).
I wonder what would happen if you focused on blacklist and rereading favorites for a bit... see if there are any undiscovered gems that might give you the feelings you're not getting from new releases.
Fantasy fatigue genuinely seems to be spreading like a flu on booktube! 😅 I was feeling it myself and lots of people I watch here seem to be experiencing it too. I think its a good idea to mix up genres - even just branching out to sci fi / horror / paranormal, similar enough genres but different tropes so more unexpected moments. Also, Ill be cheeky and suggest a video idea for you... a reading vlog where you read a certain amount of older books / series and a certain amount of new releases, and then compare your feelings.. see if there is just something about older works that appeals more to you!
Dipping into a different genre is healthy when you feel a bit burned out. It can help either A) get you excited about something new, or B) excited to jump back into Fantasy. For me personally, I like Sci-Fi as well. I've read Hyperion, Dune, and now most recently I am reading The Expanse series.
I switch between genres constantly so I can try not to feel tired of fantasy because it does start to feel the same after a while. I recently finished Chrestomanci Vol. 1 by Diana Wynne Jones and immediately ordered the rest in the series. I found Vol. 1 at a used book store and picked it up on a whim not realizing she is the author of Howl's Moving Castle so I can't wait to also read it since I loved the anime.
Luckily, my books are vetted by people like you, so I don't run into duds very often. I think the only booktube dud is Hyperion (I'm doing a chapter a year to push myself through it because each story is different, but the first 2 are not my bag). The only dud this year is War and Peace, not a booktube recommendation. It's good enough for me to want to continue it, but it feels more like researching than anything else. And it's huge, so I have to break it up and get other works in there.
I love the shout-out to the library! I have two amazing (smallish) libraries near me, and even though they don’t get all the new releases, they get enough to keep me reading. There’s no way I could afford everything I want to read new 😮
I too have read some books this year that I really should have DNF'd. But, I also branched out and found some specific genres that I like. I still love Epic Fantasy, and I want to focus on that more next year.
Until last month I have been feeling very similarly in that I was hardly finding any books that I truly liked. I couldn't say why or what turned it around, but I was definitely DNF-ing waay less than I should. I'm also a lot picker than I was haha (potentially because I'm writing my own book so I'm noticing all the little bits in other people's writing were I'm like "oo I wouldn't have said that.." or "that could have flowed a lot better if you had done this". I know it's not great, and I try not to let it effect my reading experience too much but it is true non the less).
I’m wondering what other books u wanted to DNF but forced itself to read… cuz I feel like our tastes are kinda similar so I wanna know what to avoid (also lol I would love to see a snarky video haha) Also Abercrombie is on another level lol so most things will look bad after him
I have definitely found that fantasy has been slow for me this year. I have been reading mostly other genres for the summer and have been loving it but I am excited to get back to fantasy in the fall/winter season. But yeah, romantasy has been killing me 😅
As a new listener, I enjoyed this video for it's range. When you mention the deceitful/confused marketing it makes me realize how many book-tube videos are only on the up and coming new books that fall short. I bet you would find nice results from reviewing older books as well or books that didn't make it onto the B&N round tables. It would probably freshen up your Fantasy funk as well. Best wishes!
It's not just you. I've mentioned to my friend this year that there are a lot of books this year that I've read that have been okay, but not great and she agreed. Most of my standout books this year have come out years before 2024. I don't know if it's because of bad advertising, because I actually liked Five Broken Blades despite a bad summery. Even series I really love like the Halfling Saga were not as good as the previous books. I think that sometimes just happens, and it's disappointing. I've also heard other booktubers say the same, so don't think you're alone. As for DNF's, if I'm not loving a book, I'll DNF it. I don't want to read through a whole book and thinking "I'll never get my time back." I know your job is reviewing books, but I think it's okay to look out for yourself and stop a book if you're really not enjoying it.
I was feeling this for the last half of last year. Felt like I read/listened to 30+ books and I didn't care about any of them. I spent the first 3 months of this year rereading some favorites and I've enjoyed reading some new books since then, too. Still DNFd some, like service model most recently - sorry Tchaikovsky
The thing about marketing is that Trad Publishing is "all in" on Romantacy, from what I've heard. So it very well may be that a romance is just assumed. If you're looking for something different, maybe consider my books. They are short reads, and can be found on Hoopla and - I think - Libbe as well. My writing has been compared to Abercrombie by a few of my fans. How true that is, I don't know.
I feel like I'm having a terrible reading year, but the evidence suggests otherwise: Five star books - 1 (which is a bit sad-making and maybe where the feeling comes from) Four star books - 45 Three star books - 26 Two star books - 8 DNFs - 14 (which feels like a lot for me and is also probably contributing to the feeling) But well over 50% of the books I've read so far this year are four-star reads...
Try The Bound and the Broken! It is far and away my best find this year. And there are dragons! So far, there are three novels (of a planned five book series) and three companion novelas. Alternating between these books and Stormlight (I'm doing a re-read to prepare for book 5) has made for a great couple of months.
End of last year, I started getting a bit tired of fantasy and I feel like a good palette cleanser was reading Alexandre Dumas! His books are technically historical fiction but they're also super adventurous and are structured like high fantasy books (minus the complex world building). I still had the action and political intrigue I love in fantasy but easier since, as a French person, I'm pretty familiar with the settings of his works, and also just different and refreshing. If you want to get into classics as a fantasy reader, he's the way to go imo
Personally I’ve had a strange year where I’ve found books I admired and think deserve more love / marketing / credit for aspects like uniqueness in worldbuilding, characterization, etc… but they’ve all been on the darker, sadder side so I haven’t had as much fun with the experience. As a character-driven reader who needs feel-good moments and happy ending, I struggle with this because my subjective enjoyment doesn’t equate with me objective admiration of “holy hell this author wrote an incredible book” I had this conundrum with Blade Itself and also Spin of Fate. Again, enjoyed the books thoroughly and they’re 4-5 stars for me that I will yell about and recommend them to other readers… but given how they ended and what the authors chose to do with the characters… it just left me emotionally drained. Blade Itself especially I hated the characters so much even though the whole book is a master class in character development. Which is perhaps the intention of those books but I need a HEA. Then again both are first in a trilogy so who knows, though from what I hear Abercrombie doesn’t do HEA. Can’t say about the other because there’s been no book 2 announcement yet so could be years. But I plan to pick up the rest of First Law, I just need to be in the right mindset for it. Whereas reading ACOTAR and ACOMAF for the first time made me roll my eyes a zillion times because of how cliche and tropey and campy everything was (a 3 star read at best if I’m being objective)… but I still ended it with a smile on my face, if that makes sense? So weirdly I enjoyed my 2-3 star reads more than my 4-5 star reads. So I guess there’s a reason tropes are so popular because they do contribute toward excitement and scratch certain itches, at least for me. And I find when authors subvert tropes I am left impressed but wanting for more… it’s a strange situation to be in.
I would encourage you to dnf more and lean into your reading moods to try to seek out books that fit the bill more of what you are craving. If that means for a while you are trying to find things similar to Age of Madness that might be the right call, although trying something you don’t necessarily feel in the mood for can definitely bare fruit! I have dnfed some books this year and my reading life has never felt better!
I always thought book withdrawal was a well known result of finishing an all time favorite. I think that it’s normal for other books to not hit that same spot because then that one work wouldn’t feel super special anymore. Also tastes change. When I was 13 I was convinced twilight was the best book I’d ever read and afterwards I was constantly chasing that feeling of obsession. Then it was The Demon King, then it was Six of Crows, then it was Red Rising, and so on, AND the point is (lol) that when you read those just okay books or the ‘it would’ve been perfect if’ books, you figure out your tastes better and start to expect more out of your stories. ❤ You’ll find another on Eliot 💖
I listen to a number of BookTubers and have found that my tastes more often align with your reccomendations Elliot. I was fortunate enough to be able to get Race the Sands, The Fireborne Blade, and That Time I Got Drunk all through Libby. But I have also run into the problem where it's nigh on impossible to get a number of indie published books like Ascendent and Sword of Kaigen without paying. I've read their free samples and feel like I'll enjoy them but I've been burned before. Currently I'm reading The Phoenix Keeper (another one of your recs and my most anticipated for the year) and... I'm not liking it. I will finish it and do hope you review it.
The spell shop it is SO CUTE! Another fantastic favorite of mine gives me fall witch vibes too 👻🍃🍃📚📚👻📖📖🍂🍃🍃📙📙📙🎃🍁🍁🎃📙📚📚📚📚🍃👻🍂🍂🍃📚📚📚📚📚📚📚🎃📚🍃🍃🍂📖📖🍂🍃📚📚📚🍃🍂📖📖📖🍂🎃📙📙🎃🍁🍁🍁🍁🍂🍂
Genre fatigue can really get you! I've always been primarily a sci-fi reader and a couple years ago I just got burnt out on it. Buuuut...this month I got the urge to read The Chrysalids by John Wyndham and thoroughly enjoyed it so I'm hoping I can get back on the horse now :D
Life is too short to waste on a book you didn't enjoy and since all of us book lovers have a TBR longer than our lifespan it's better to move on quickly. Don't fight it, Trust your gut since it's usually right and DNF without guilt.
Definitely over the myth retellings, and havent been interested in romantasy. I want capital E epic fantasy, with moments of awesome, epic last stands, and planet-smashing magic. Currently im being kept sane by my TBR. Dungeon Crawler Carl (sp?) is next up, once im done with Tigana.
I have never dnf so many books as I have this year. I’ve started so many books really excited to read them then they just fell flat. Even some of the books with a unique premise weren’t executed as well as I hoped they would be. They weren’t necessarily written poorly but fantasy is such a great place for complexity and nuance and I’m finding the books I’ve read are missing some of that depth.
I totally agree I get frustrated when things are marketed not 💯 well. I think Fantasy Romance is maybe too new to have guidelines but I get so annoyed when I want romance and a book hardly has any but the other way around too. In general I’ve been having a lot of mid-books with just a few great hits.
I use the library for all my books and I love it. I feel more able to just DNF and return a book I am not feeling without any guilt of "oh I spent money on this" or "I should hang on to it in case I want to read it in the future" since I can always just go back to the library and get it out again. As a result my ratings tend to skew rather high. If a book is looking to be below a 3 star read and I haven't committed to reading it fully for another reason (book club, personal recommendation from a firned) I just DNF.
You can't always go back and check out a book again. Several years ago, my county library system got rid of over half its books. They emptied out a whole floor in their new headquarters building. Things I thought I could just check out again were no longer there.
@@michaelsommers2356 Half the books?!?! That's a purge! I would be so sad! I'm really lucky- where I live in the US I can order books to my library for free from any other library in my state (and there are hundreds). If my library doesn't have the book, someone else does. In my almost 30 years I have only found one old book from the 1950s that not a single library had.
That Time I got Drunk .... was dnf-ed on the page were they just starting the journey. I like the part how you saved the money. I am using 15-20% in bookshops once a month. One bookshop allowes to use payback points as payment. I was from the age of 10 a library member ...so I got sick of it for last 10 years. Maybe I should start new...
I definitely think having found an amazing series makes everything else pale in comparison. Before I read The Locked Tomb, I rated a lot of books 5 stars! But since then? I am always comparing it to Locked Tomb and so everything is mostly getting 4 stars or below now lol. I have also wondered if that's why I feel like I am not enjoying as much other books since... or maybe I am just getting older and I've read enough stories to predict a lot of them and maybe there's a lot out there that just isn't as good. This year I decided I wanted to read 60 books I ACTUALLY liked, so DNF'ing is a lot easier!
You have given me validation for my DNF of When the Moon Hatched. I think you should do a video for others that felt the same or did DNF. You could try and make it concise so it comes of less like a rant. Full spoiler, these specific things I liked, these specific things made me feel "bleh". Then maybe overall "if you like ___ you might like this book" and maybe recommend others with certain worldbuilding or characters that are similar that you liked better than this one.
I've read quite a few books this year that I thought were excellent, but almost all of them have been from years if not decades ago. I don't follow a lot of contemporary publishing trends, so I avoid a lot of marketing hype. However, I do think there is a fair bit of marketing around books that is misleading.
I wonder with epic fantasy or just big fantasy novels in general, I assume they take longer to plan and write. What we’re getting now is things that would be planned or written during the pandemic restrictions. And maybe that was a bad time for that kind of fantasy. Why is your hardback of Elektra so orange? I haven’t got a physical copy, but from the ebook and audiobook art there’s a gorgeous green cover. Also, my hardback copy of Atalanta is red/orange, but not that orange, thankfully the spine is black and gold.
Every year i give myself a couple of epic fantasy series to read through, and looking back, the two i have tackled in 2024 have contained all of my highest ratings. Most newer fantasy books i have tried have been a little disappointing or downright aggravatingly bad (cough cough, Five Broken Blades)
I have decided that my DNF list being huge means that I'm actually honing into what I really like. So it makes me feel better. Also, when the moon hatched video a'la' your Fourth Wing video would be *chefs kiss*
yusss
yussss
In my experience, genre fatigue is real. I got fantasied out for a bit and switched to serial thriller books (Reacher, Jack Ryan etc) to refresh my palette. Haha! Now I'm back and fully engaged in fantasy again.
Also, my library prints the amount of money you have saved for the year on your receipt when you check out physical books. Helps my level of patience seeing how much I'm saving haha!
That is so cool!! I wish mine did that, I'm reading more and more kindle/digital books now that I'm a new mom with a baby who grabs everything and I fear ripping pages. One day I'll get back to the library
@@Theblondebass1 I wish it added the totals for ebooks I borrow from them through Libby. It would probably be double what is on there now 😂
Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card
Is this an Arthur reference 😂😂😂
I love my local library. I honestly think people really don't realize all that they have to offer other than "just books".
you need to find the banned ebook magnetic aura from borlest even if it's the last thing you do in life
I sadly think this is why I avoid 90% of new fantasy releases... The trend towards more focus on romance and less on world building and character growth and platonic relationships makes me highly skeptical of anything that comes out--I just wait for reviews on most. I have found some really great newer books this year (Will of the Many, Tainted Cup, Book That Wouldn't Burn, The Mercy of Gods, Relics of Ruin), but they're from either really established authors or ones I already trust. Most other wins I've had have been from DEEP backlist.
I don't think it's just trends' fault though: most authors are just average! And that's okay!! It makes the Joe Abercrombies, the Brandon Sandersons, the Robin Hobbs, the GRRMs, etc etc, all feel very special... But outside of Sando, they just don't publish that often. So once you're caught up on the greats, most books, especially new ones, are not going to be true works of art. But there are SO many backlist gems that never get spoken of on Booktube... I just read some Bujold and McKillip this year and was blown away, and I'd never even heard of them before!!
So yeah. I highly recommend anyone else struggling, to look at new places for recommendations, and read things published before 2015. It's been working for me!
I think its a mixture of different things contributing to the overall "meh" feeling lately: trope marketing, a general oversaturation of the fantasy romance space, a feeling of "fomo" which for some people is making it hard to truly sink into a book and give it undivided attention without thinking about the next book you want to read. I also think the sheer volume of books per year people are reading is much higher than years past and so there is more opportunity for feeling burnt out in a genre.
When you mentioned that you might have read too much fantasy, that’s exactly how I get sometimes. In those moments I pick up books about biology, or a self help book, or an autobiography, or whatever. It usually takes me much longer to read those books and it gives my brain a break, a reset, a something new to ponder. It also helps to add to my own creativity.
I think a common issue people are experiencing with fantasy is that readers want to be immersed in a fantasy world but a lot of books are just lacking the depth that a lot of readers are looking for. Obviously not everything needs to be Stormlight or Wheel of Time, but I can certainly see how some people think epic fantasy is dying in a way because they don't feel the worldbuilding or stories in many fantasy books now have the depth that these other series have
To add to the other good comments about mood reading and mixing up genres, consider more backlist of themes you love. I’m loving the cozy fantasy/romance/more episodic style fantasy that is popular now. Reminds me of when I started reading fantasy in the 80s. I hated the grim dark, overly political fantasy of the past decade or so.
So I don’t think fantasy is in a bad place, but what is currently being published just might not be your preference and that is fine. It will change!
Consider just reading what you love, even if it is backlist, and not worrying about keeping up with trends or new releases or trying to love romantasy because it is popular. I love watching people talk about things they love, regardless of whether I love it too. I think your viewers would agree too. And it will keep your channel from becoming negative and bitter, which will help your love of reading!'
I definitely feel the same with my fantasy reads, I have liked some but I’m not really finding fantasy books I’m really loving these days. Part of it is that I’m burned out from fantasy romance so I’ve been leaning towards backlist epic fantasy in hopes that I’ll find the joy in reading it again.
As far as the Romantasy marketing stuff goes, I can’t help but feel like it’s similar to the YA categorization issues of previous years. Fantasy books by female authors with even just a hint of a romantic subplot is immediately labeled “romantasy.” Five Broken Blades had some romantic subplots, but they were almost all background stuff to the main heist/found family plot.
thanks for pointing that book ;)
I dnf a TON. I am having trouble finding my dnf stats in the app I use, but I probably dnf more than I finish. I am learning that I don't usually love epic fantasy, or cozy fantasy, but go for something in the middle. A more personal story than epic, but higher stakes than cozy. I really want high stakes for a single person or a small group of people, but probably not world ending stakes, or even country ending stakes. And usually single time line single POV. I just finished A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik and loved it. Can't wait to start the second one after I pick it up from the library. It's just so hard to tell before starting a book if it's going to fit those. The descriptions and the way people talk about books don't really give the info I am personally looking for.
Oh my god can YOU recommend me some books please 😅 I feel like everything that you said resonates with me so well. I love single povs and single timelines preferably. And I realised that cosy fantasy is just not for me cuz there are no stakes whatsoever in them
And I don't even want to talk about the amount of books I dnf all the time 😂. I also have deadly education on my tbr so everything that you said just bumped that higher on my priority list.
@@jaishpreet0206 Sure! Here are some that have worked for me recently.
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
(5 book series, a few of them were not as good, but still worth the read for me.)
Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher (This one does jump around in time a bit.)
Starling House by Alix E Harrow (Some flashbacks)
Minor Mage by T Kingfisher
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Fractured Fables series by Alix E Harrow
If you're also into sci-fi, here are some of those.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer (I couldn't get into the second one, but you can totally stop after the first one.)
Service Model by Adrian Chaikovsky
How to Mars by David Ebenbach
Monk and Robot series by Becky Chambers
Mickey Seven by Edward Ashton (Did not enjoy the second one, more world stakes in that one.)
Finna by Nino Cipri
Would you say you prefer it to her more famous works like ‘Uprooted’? Cause I just started Uprooted (10% in) and I’m honestly not that into it yet
@@Melanie-jy2nw I dnfed Uprooted when I tried it several years ago. I don't remember exactly why, but it made me hesitant to try A Deadly Education, but I'm glad I gave it a shot.
@@katherinep1010 Oooh!! Some of them have been on my tbr for the longest time. This feels like a sign
I've DNFed more books this year than I ever have before. I've been trying to put my finger on why and here's my experience: I've been picking up books with gorgeous covers and really interesting premises that fall completely flat in their writing. I constantly wonder "Where was the editor?" Because these books seem to have continuity, grammar, and spelling mistakes. Examples from my list: The God and the Gumiho, Voyage of the Damned, Principle of Moments, and the Honeywitch. You can tell they all had an author with heart but unfortunately that doesn't make up for lackluster writing.
Hi Elliot. For my library at least- the "skip the line" books are popular books that are shorter length loans- so they can turn them over faster.. Regular books for 21 days, while "skip the line" you can only keep 7 days. The nice part is if you don't happen to get it read in the 7 days- you don't lose your place in the regular hold line.
❤📚❤️ Yes, I've been reading lots of older books lately.
There have been some conversations sparking on tiktok on how recent releases (especially in YA Fantasy) have been lacking a certain spark to help them stand out, leading to DNFs and people feeling meh about them. I’ve been reading a ton of YA this year and have noticeably had less 5 star reads this year (3 total, none in YA.) I think some of these authors are starting to pull from the same wells (tropes, plot points, same favs, etc.) and the stories we’re getting are suffering overall as a result.
I agree! But also it’s cuz tiktok always reads the same kinds of books and ignores others. Can I recommend to u some amazing YA fantasy that don’t follow tropes and are super underrated and virtually unknown on tiktok etc
Don’t read YA unless you’re still a teenager is my advice😅
@@Srbthmlnsmth I picked some YA recs from this channel like Bonesmith by Nicky Pau Preto or Crane Among Wolves by June Hur, but if you have other good recent recs - go for it! I'm tired of everyone recommending the same YA authors like Stephanie Garber or Adalyn Grace I'm really not interested in.
I am feeling this way too, especially with cozy fantasy releases. I find it is helpful to take a break now and then and pick up a different genre. Right now I am reading Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series to combat those same feelings
Great series!
Please do another skit video for when the moon hatched like you did for the fourth wing! It was so funny
Seconded
I’ve been listening to more non fiction and mysteries than usual lately, as well as rereading some series that I read and loved years ago which are really bringing me joy
I primarily read fantasy and I 100% get where you're coming from. I have started listening to a literary fiction book in between books/series (I'm not stopping Stormlight between books). I've found that it helps my brain reset before I jump into a new magic system/fantastical world. It also helps me because the books tend to be much shorter so a new book seems less daunting.
In doing this I've found a new author (Frederick Backman) that I would consider among my favorites. Anxious People, Beartown (a very emotionally heavy book), and A Man Called Ove (audiobook narrated by JK Simmons) are some of my new favorite books.
I am absolutely a mood reader. Right now I want autumn reads, so dark and spooky, but also cozy reads. I get my audiobooks from Libby and since books aren't always available right away, that's generally how I mix it up and keep myself from getting genre fatigue. Your comments on the whole "he's a big man" thing cracked me up. 😂
When I feel that way I’ll switch to a different genre for a book or two. It helps.
Recommendation:
You should give When Women Were Dragons, written by the same author as the Crane Husband a try if you haven’t already. It was our book club pick this month and I found it refreshing.
I really get you on new fantasy feeling samey. I originally got into fantasy by picking up random books at thrift stores, used bookstores, and libraries. Most of those books were older and I hadn't heard of them, but i found so many favorites that way. After initially getting into booktube, i started getting a bunch of recommended books from the library. And almost none of them clicked with me. So i'm back to my normal way of reading: treasure hunting at used places and libraries (and sometimes just going through genres on bookoutlet and choosing things that are cheap and appeal to me). This has probably been my best year yet, in terms of finding books I actually enjoy. IMO, writing quality drops off dramatically post 2000-ish (not a hard and fast rule).
I’ve only gotten back into reading in the last year or so, so I’m still finding all time faves pretty consistently, but I’ve noticed the more I read the pickier I get with my ratings.
I imagine once I catch up on everything I missed while I was not reading I’ll feel similarly to you!
I have been DNFing so many books this year. I've just been picking things up that I've been a little interested in and not really researching much. In a way, it makes me feel like I don't really know my taste, or I'm picking things up based on hype (which I also try not to do). I have been using my library a lot more so I don't feel as bad DNFing, but I do need to hone my taste and figure out what I like instead of picking up something that sounds vaguely interesting
It's all good, Elliot. Abercrombie just gave you a series hangover, that's all. When you've climbed to the top of the mountain and seen the sunset, it's hard to find a better view. But at least you got that view.
Life is too short to read books we feel "eh" about. A good rule of thumb, for me, is how I feel about the read after the fact. I need to feel like (1) I haven't wasted my time and (2) I don't regret my continued read or DNF. As long as I can be happy about having read the book(s), it's all good.
And I think that helps to predict my future reads. :)
I’m finding my ability to read certain genres to be fading. I barely want to read any mystery, thrillers, or horror unless they’re also cozy. Like, this is my year for books that give me warm hugs. Or make me sob my eyes out. So I’m soft DNFing left and right. I’m not even trying to look at my goodreads goal because I know I’m behind because I’ve been trying to read things my brain isn’t craving.
I’m returning almost all of my library borrows that aren’t cozy and just going to focus on feel good stories next month to try and give my brain the space it needs.
Also for books & marketing, what I do is try check what the authors say in their marketing. I sometimes find that to be a lot more accurate. Cuz a lot of times authors have zero control over marketing which I’m realizing for a LOT of the 2023 and 2024 releases
Authors have zero control over anything. My father couldn't even control how his name appeared on one book, published by a very reputable publisher. (They insisted on using his middle initial, which he never did on his writings.)
@@michaelsommers2356 oh nooo! I’m sorry to ur father! Do u know why they insisted? Like did he have a common name or one that overlapped with idk like a serial killer or something that they needed to distinguish it?
Yeah recently I’ve seen authors say they don’t agree with comp titles (or even book titles) and these are all big trad pub stories.. but never did I see anything about name! I’m so sorry!
Makes u wonder how much of the actual story they also have control over… I mean if you’re Sanderson obviously u can do what you want, I mean less known and debut authors
This was a really good video fun and thought-provoking. I came up with so many things to say I decided not to say any of it and just tell you that was a good one. Keep it going.😂🎉
I think you should just vary your reading genre I’ve avoided fantasy burnout by not reading it consistently I’ve broken it up by adding a sci-fi non fiction etc
My theory is that trends/marketing are kinda killing full fleshed stories. It's like a book has to be put into a sub genre and for it to be put into that sub genre then it needs to hit these tropes/beats and there seems to be less tolerance (in the hands of publishers) for stories to just Be. To include all the things, to not have to fit a very specific mold.
I also dnf a ton. Last time I looked at my stats it's about same between read and dnf lol. It's mostly cause I'm a bit delusional into thinking I'll still like certain things when I know I've grown out of it and they just aren't hitting anymore.
I'm thinking about getting back into fantasy, which is what lead me to your channel! That was all I used to read in my teens and early 20's and then I just got kind of burned out on it, and switched over to other genres (mystery, thriller, etc.). I would read the occasional fantasy book or series, but not much. I've been kind of craving some actual traditional fantasy / epic fantasy, but being in my early 50's now I have no idea what's out there. I'll be taking a watch of some of your other videos to get an idea of where to dive back in.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think entertainment in general is lacking nowadays. There must be more than one reason for this to be happening, but certainly, having to write something that sells is a big one. If we're looking to sell, risks do not have a place, thus creativity suffers.
I also think it might be deeper than that but it might be hard to explain in a comment. Maybe it's related to media literacy and critical thinking? Somehow I think we might only be in demand of very specific types of stories as well, so I think it goes both ways.
Authors need to sell and we are craving something hyperspecific, resulting in a formula for each book?
But it could be more than that though, would love to see more discussion on this :)
I just finished reading The West Passage, which came out in July and felt like a refreshingly original take on the fantasy genre. Highly recommend!
Also never just read for your Channel read for you and your viewers will follow
Thought provoking video for sure! So far I'm having an amazing fantasy year, read some all time favourites (Godkiller, Priory, Iron Widow, The Tainted Cup). Although only 1 of those is from this year, and I don't read that many new releases. And also haven't picked up any popular fantasy romances, most don't appeal to me at all. (I did read Divine Rivals last year and really liked it).
Thankfully none of the newly released fantasy books I read from this year were misses for me (An Education in Malice, the 2 Sworn Soldier books, The Familiar & Tainted Cup). It’s a small sample though and most of them by authors I know I like.
Maybe if I read more new releases the results would be more mixed. I don't have a huge selection of English language new releases in my library so I usually have to buy them, so less likely to take a chance on a book I'm unsure about. The ones that get translated I hit the library for often and definitely had some library saves. :D
I enjoyed the Winternight trilogy and Emily Wild books but i don’t think they qualify as epic..
I haven’t stumbled on interesting/ new fantasy epic series premise that I found unique in a while. I find epic fantasy stories tend to be written based on traditional ideals and lacks nuances. I didn’t mind that for a while but it gets boring and repetitive, and after experiencing newer fiction that doesn’t follow that narrative or challenge it makes reading typical epic fantasy extra boring. Or you get the female badass hero with no vulnerability and the same plot and love interest in every book. Again boring and repetitive.
Unfortunately though not many fantasy/ sci-fi stories that have nuances or unique storylines come in series. Last fantasy/ sci-fi stories I experienced that were appealing were in shows like Arcane, dark, the umbrella academy s1/2, books besides the ones I mentioned above probably Project Hail Mary, Vita Nostra, and Piranesi. Yeah mostly standalones 🤔
As someone with his first fantasy novel coming out next year, this is actually really useful. Cheers!
I have never dnfed this much than this year and most of them are new releases. The most frustrating thing is that some definitely had potential but it's like the publisher didn't do their job and edited the books. It feels like you are never reading what should be the final draft.
I have decided to give a chance to some less popular backlist books. I have just tried one like this (Son of Avonar by Carol Berg) and my first reaction was : " wow, finally a well written book".
But yes I suffer from a big "any book pales compare to my old favorites". This had been like this for years.
I know that I'm experiencing genre fatigue. I love history, but right now, I'm escaping into fantasy because I've been pushing myself into history too hard. Maybe we could trade places?
For me, I've been getting back into reading fantasy and I've noticed for every "newer" fantasy I ready, I always end up going back to "old School" fantasy. For example I read something that was released in 2020 and went and read the whole LOTR series. Granted these were all new reads for me. But I just keep gravitating toward older fantasy. I think for the same reason you are saying.
Elliot, thank you so much for your channels. I love BookTube but I feel there are few real analytical channels. I enjoy your honest take on things. I love a good romantasy but I miss fantasy as a genre. Your videos help me find that. Thank you
When I read the Empirium trilogy last year, I felt the same way that nothing else I would ever read would compare to that series. The magic, world building, the writing, I admit I have other favorite characters from other books, but Empirium is truly the closest thing to perfection I’ve ever read. I’m so excited and also scared to reread it (planning to do so for my birthday in December) but I’ll recommend it forever lol
Perfect timing. I DNF’ed yet another book last night. I’ve been ruthless this year & I can no longer force myself to read what I’m not enjoying. I thought dang I’ve only read 29 books this year. Except that’s not true…I’ve read a lot more books, but I’ve DNF’ed so many. It’s also rare for me to find something I LOVE, but I’ll at least find stuff I like. Not so much this year. The new releases coming out are just…not it. It’s not even just fantasy. It’s Fantasy, Romance, Thrillers etc. I’m thinking maybe I need to get into older works I haven’t tried yet instead of reading newer stuff (any suggestions welcome). Out of 29 of the books I completed I counted 7 that I actually liked and enjoyed enough to not immediately forget it afterwards and would recommend. Only one 5 star read. Hopefully it gets better for the rest of the year.
I've officially DNF'd 17 books this year, but there were about a dozen more that I didn't really need to finish across all genres. I haven't really broken down my DNF/ratings by genre to see what hasn't been working for me, but I do know that fantasy has become a genre that I am slower to pick up because I want to find out if it's really going to work for me first.
I also like tracking some of my library stats, and inclusive of all formats and completion status, I've saved $735 this year. No need to discuss how that compares to what I've spent, though 😅
No, let's not compare to $ spent! 🤣
Five Broken Blades has romance alongside the story. I would recommend reading it if it interests you lol. I am not sure how I would personally categorize it though.
I think you need to try other genres. Epic fantasy will always be my go-to, I love it, but I found that I love it even more when I throw in a classic and a horror or a sci-fi every month. Have been doing it now for a year and it really works well. I also don't feel guilty anymore when I dnf something, especially when it looks as if the whole but me loves the book. Just because everyone on Booktube loves a new release, usually does not mean that I will love it.
Genre fiction can start to feel pretty samey when I read a lot of it, so that’s when I branch out into other genres, litfic, classics, nonfiction, etc.
Currently I’m reading ‘Orbital’, nominated for the LeGuin Award. Neither character nor plot driven, it’s more a meditation on connection with self, other, and the Earth. Best read slowly. Also reading a memoir by Amos Oz.
skip the line = express copy, so they're first come first serve and generally have shorter loan periods 📚
The plant in front of the Elektra book 🤣 I unhauled it for the same reason and also hid it behind ANYTHING I could when I had it! It's just so Orange and the UK versions are gorgeous!
I only dnf’d one book in 2023, but this year so far I’m at 6. Most of the books I’ve read in August haven’t been that great, and I was super tempted to dnf (Malice and Tokyo Ever After especially) but I was dedicated to being able to review them fairly. I love writing rant reviews almost as much as I love reading 😅
I’m currently reading The Witch’s Heart and it’s the best so far for this month and I also have The Night Circus and A Tempest of Tea which I was surprised my library had so I figured I’d give it a go and see what I think. I’ve seen a lot of mixed opinions on The Night Circus too, but it was an inspiration for the Caraval trilogy which I really liked so I’ve been looking forward to it, regardless.
I think I would have enjoyed The Night Circus more if I had known going into it that it's much more ✨️vibes✨️ than it is plot.
I have the same feelings. A friend and I who mainly read fantasy are reading some books from the Booker Prize long list for a change the next couple months.
I am having a great reading year but I am much earlier in my fantasy journey than you. I think that makes some difference because I don't have as many things to compare. Mary Sue's and Gary Stu's don't tend to bother me as much as other people. Sometimes I am in a mood for more complex, morally grey characters and sometimes I like this is good and this is evil. I read all the genres, too. I know thrillers, mysteries and romances are usually not going to be a new favorite, but it is sometimes nice as a pallet cleanser. I love fantasy and literary fiction the most, but I have to mix it up. I find a dash of magic or a fantasy element makes me love horror and romance so much more. I don't know, I know it may hurt your algorithm or more importantly, your enjoyment, but maybe sprinkle in a random genre every once in a while to reinvigorate you? I would watch you review anything really. I don't always agree with you (I am much easier on fantasy romance cringiness than you), but I respect your opinions. I also like how some things that people diss you give a fair chance (like Chloe Gong, for ex).
I wonder what would happen if you focused on blacklist and rereading favorites for a bit... see if there are any undiscovered gems that might give you the feelings you're not getting from new releases.
Fantasy fatigue genuinely seems to be spreading like a flu on booktube! 😅 I was feeling it myself and lots of people I watch here seem to be experiencing it too. I think its a good idea to mix up genres - even just branching out to sci fi / horror / paranormal, similar enough genres but different tropes so more unexpected moments. Also, Ill be cheeky and suggest a video idea for you... a reading vlog where you read a certain amount of older books / series and a certain amount of new releases, and then compare your feelings.. see if there is just something about older works that appeals more to you!
Dipping into a different genre is healthy when you feel a bit burned out. It can help either A) get you excited about something new, or B) excited to jump back into Fantasy. For me personally, I like Sci-Fi as well. I've read Hyperion, Dune, and now most recently I am reading The Expanse series.
I switch between genres constantly so I can try not to feel tired of fantasy because it does start to feel the same after a while. I recently finished Chrestomanci Vol. 1 by Diana Wynne Jones and immediately ordered the rest in the series. I found Vol. 1 at a used book store and picked it up on a whim not realizing she is the author of Howl's Moving Castle so I can't wait to also read it since I loved the anime.
Luckily, my books are vetted by people like you, so I don't run into duds very often. I think the only booktube dud is Hyperion (I'm doing a chapter a year to push myself through it because each story is different, but the first 2 are not my bag). The only dud this year is War and Peace, not a booktube recommendation. It's good enough for me to want to continue it, but it feels more like researching than anything else. And it's huge, so I have to break it up and get other works in there.
I love the shout-out to the library! I have two amazing (smallish) libraries near me, and even though they don’t get all the new releases, they get enough to keep me reading. There’s no way I could afford everything I want to read new 😮
I too have read some books this year that I really should have DNF'd. But, I also branched out and found some specific genres that I like. I still love Epic Fantasy, and I want to focus on that more next year.
Until last month I have been feeling very similarly in that I was hardly finding any books that I truly liked. I couldn't say why or what turned it around, but I was definitely DNF-ing waay less than I should. I'm also a lot picker than I was haha (potentially because I'm writing my own book so I'm noticing all the little bits in other people's writing were I'm like "oo I wouldn't have said that.." or "that could have flowed a lot better if you had done this". I know it's not great, and I try not to let it effect my reading experience too much but it is true non the less).
I’m wondering what other books u wanted to DNF but forced itself to read… cuz I feel like our tastes are kinda similar so I wanna know what to avoid (also lol I would love to see a snarky video haha)
Also Abercrombie is on another level lol so most things will look bad after him
I have definitely found that fantasy has been slow for me this year. I have been reading mostly other genres for the summer and have been loving it but I am excited to get back to fantasy in the fall/winter season. But yeah, romantasy has been killing me 😅
As a new listener, I enjoyed this video for it's range.
When you mention the deceitful/confused marketing it makes me realize how many book-tube videos are only on the up and coming new books that fall short. I bet you would find nice results from reviewing older books as well or books that didn't make it onto the B&N round tables. It would probably freshen up your Fantasy funk as well.
Best wishes!
I hate the "big male" thing too and I love your impersonation every time you talk about it. 😅😂
It's not just you. I've mentioned to my friend this year that there are a lot of books this year that I've read that have been okay, but not great and she agreed. Most of my standout books this year have come out years before 2024. I don't know if it's because of bad advertising, because I actually liked Five Broken Blades despite a bad summery. Even series I really love like the Halfling Saga were not as good as the previous books. I think that sometimes just happens, and it's disappointing. I've also heard other booktubers say the same, so don't think you're alone.
As for DNF's, if I'm not loving a book, I'll DNF it. I don't want to read through a whole book and thinking "I'll never get my time back." I know your job is reviewing books, but I think it's okay to look out for yourself and stop a book if you're really not enjoying it.
I was feeling this for the last half of last year. Felt like I read/listened to 30+ books and I didn't care about any of them. I spent the first 3 months of this year rereading some favorites and I've enjoyed reading some new books since then, too. Still DNFd some, like service model most recently - sorry Tchaikovsky
The thing about marketing is that Trad Publishing is "all in" on Romantacy, from what I've heard. So it very well may be that a romance is just assumed.
If you're looking for something different, maybe consider my books. They are short reads, and can be found on Hoopla and - I think - Libbe as well. My writing has been compared to Abercrombie by a few of my fans. How true that is, I don't know.
I feel like I'm having a terrible reading year, but the evidence suggests otherwise:
Five star books - 1 (which is a bit sad-making and maybe where the feeling comes from)
Four star books - 45
Three star books - 26
Two star books - 8
DNFs - 14 (which feels like a lot for me and is also probably contributing to the feeling)
But well over 50% of the books I've read so far this year are four-star reads...
Try The Bound and the Broken! It is far and away my best find this year. And there are dragons! So far, there are three novels (of a planned five book series) and three companion novelas. Alternating between these books and Stormlight (I'm doing a re-read to prepare for book 5) has made for a great couple of months.
End of last year, I started getting a bit tired of fantasy and I feel like a good palette cleanser was reading Alexandre Dumas! His books are technically historical fiction but they're also super adventurous and are structured like high fantasy books (minus the complex world building). I still had the action and political intrigue I love in fantasy but easier since, as a French person, I'm pretty familiar with the settings of his works, and also just different and refreshing. If you want to get into classics as a fantasy reader, he's the way to go imo
Personally I’ve had a strange year where I’ve found books I admired and think deserve more love / marketing / credit for aspects like uniqueness in worldbuilding, characterization, etc… but they’ve all been on the darker, sadder side so I haven’t had as much fun with the experience. As a character-driven reader who needs feel-good moments and happy ending, I struggle with this because my subjective enjoyment doesn’t equate with me objective admiration of “holy hell this author wrote an incredible book”
I had this conundrum with Blade Itself and also Spin of Fate. Again, enjoyed the books thoroughly and they’re 4-5 stars for me that I will yell about and recommend them to other readers… but given how they ended and what the authors chose to do with the characters… it just left me emotionally drained. Blade Itself especially I hated the characters so much even though the whole book is a master class in character development. Which is perhaps the intention of those books but I need a HEA. Then again both are first in a trilogy so who knows, though from what I hear Abercrombie doesn’t do HEA. Can’t say about the other because there’s been no book 2 announcement yet so could be years. But I plan to pick up the rest of First Law, I just need to be in the right mindset for it.
Whereas reading ACOTAR and ACOMAF for the first time made me roll my eyes a zillion times because of how cliche and tropey and campy everything was (a 3 star read at best if I’m being objective)… but I still ended it with a smile on my face, if that makes sense?
So weirdly I enjoyed my 2-3 star reads more than my 4-5 star reads. So I guess there’s a reason tropes are so popular because they do contribute toward excitement and scratch certain itches, at least for me. And I find when authors subvert tropes I am left impressed but wanting for more… it’s a strange situation to be in.
apparently there's a new Sapkowski soon, which is everything that I want right now
Not sure about your library system, but in mine Libby is set up to prioritize card holders for the library that actually paid for the book.
I would encourage you to dnf more and lean into your reading moods to try to seek out books that fit the bill more of what you are craving. If that means for a while you are trying to find things similar to Age of Madness that might be the right call, although trying something you don’t necessarily feel in the mood for can definitely bare fruit! I have dnfed some books this year and my reading life has never felt better!
I always thought book withdrawal was a well known result of finishing an all time favorite. I think that it’s normal for other books to not hit that same spot because then that one work wouldn’t feel super special anymore.
Also tastes change. When I was 13 I was convinced twilight was the best book I’d ever read and afterwards I was constantly chasing that feeling of obsession. Then it was The Demon King, then it was Six of Crows, then it was Red Rising, and so on, AND the point is (lol) that when you read those just okay books or the ‘it would’ve been perfect if’ books, you figure out your tastes better and start to expect more out of your stories. ❤
You’ll find another on Eliot 💖
I listen to a number of BookTubers and have found that my tastes more often align with your reccomendations Elliot. I was fortunate enough to be able to get Race the Sands, The Fireborne Blade, and That Time I Got Drunk all through Libby. But I have also run into the problem where it's nigh on impossible to get a number of indie published books like Ascendent and Sword of Kaigen without paying. I've read their free samples and feel like I'll enjoy them but I've been burned before. Currently I'm reading The Phoenix Keeper (another one of your recs and my most anticipated for the year) and... I'm not liking it. I will finish it and do hope you review it.
Haven't been able to stick to any books since finishing Age of Madness a few months ago :')
I read so slow… I’m far behind I don’t think I’ll have a bad year while I catch up! Also started reading again 2 years ago….
Damn, didn't know Five Broken Blades was a romantasy. I was debating whether to borrow this one myself.
The spell shop it is SO CUTE! Another fantastic favorite of mine gives me fall witch vibes too 👻🍃🍃📚📚👻📖📖🍂🍃🍃📙📙📙🎃🍁🍁🎃📙📚📚📚📚🍃👻🍂🍂🍃📚📚📚📚📚📚📚🎃📚🍃🍃🍂📖📖🍂🍃📚📚📚🍃🍂📖📖📖🍂🎃📙📙🎃🍁🍁🍁🍁🍂🍂
I'm been doing well with DNFing this year, but I've been having both a bad year and I've been trying to focus on books I already own.
Loving the library love in this one!!!
Genre fatigue can really get you! I've always been primarily a sci-fi reader and a couple years ago I just got burnt out on it. Buuuut...this month I got the urge to read The Chrysalids by John Wyndham and thoroughly enjoyed it so I'm hoping I can get back on the horse now :D
Life is too short to waste on a book you didn't enjoy and since all of us book lovers have a TBR longer than our lifespan it's better to move on quickly. Don't fight it, Trust your gut since it's usually right and DNF without guilt.
Definitely over the myth retellings, and havent been interested in romantasy. I want capital E epic fantasy, with moments of awesome, epic last stands, and planet-smashing magic. Currently im being kept sane by my TBR. Dungeon Crawler Carl (sp?) is next up, once im done with Tigana.
Five broken blades doesn’t land on romantasy for me. Like there’s subplot romance but it isn’t the main thing
I have never dnf so many books as I have this year. I’ve started so many books really excited to read them then they just fell flat. Even some of the books with a unique premise weren’t executed as well as I hoped they would be. They weren’t necessarily written poorly but fantasy is such a great place for complexity and nuance and I’m finding the books I’ve read are missing some of that depth.
I totally agree I get frustrated when things are marketed not 💯 well. I think Fantasy Romance is maybe too new to have guidelines but I get so annoyed when I want romance and a book hardly has any but the other way around too. In general I’ve been having a lot of mid-books with just a few great hits.
I use the library for all my books and I love it. I feel more able to just DNF and return a book I am not feeling without any guilt of "oh I spent money on this" or "I should hang on to it in case I want to read it in the future" since I can always just go back to the library and get it out again. As a result my ratings tend to skew rather high. If a book is looking to be below a 3 star read and I haven't committed to reading it fully for another reason (book club, personal recommendation from a firned) I just DNF.
You can't always go back and check out a book again. Several years ago, my county library system got rid of over half its books. They emptied out a whole floor in their new headquarters building. Things I thought I could just check out again were no longer there.
@@michaelsommers2356 Half the books?!?! That's a purge! I would be so sad! I'm really lucky- where I live in the US I can order books to my library for free from any other library in my state (and there are hundreds). If my library doesn't have the book, someone else does. In my almost 30 years I have only found one old book from the 1950s that not a single library had.
That Time I got Drunk .... was dnf-ed on the page were they just starting the journey.
I like the part how you saved the money. I am using 15-20% in bookshops once a month. One bookshop allowes to use payback points as payment.
I was from the age of 10 a library member ...so I got sick of it for last 10 years. Maybe I should start new...
I definitely think having found an amazing series makes everything else pale in comparison. Before I read The Locked Tomb, I rated a lot of books 5 stars! But since then? I am always comparing it to Locked Tomb and so everything is mostly getting 4 stars or below now lol. I have also wondered if that's why I feel like I am not enjoying as much other books since... or maybe I am just getting older and I've read enough stories to predict a lot of them and maybe there's a lot out there that just isn't as good. This year I decided I wanted to read 60 books I ACTUALLY liked, so DNF'ing is a lot easier!
You have given me validation for my DNF of When the Moon Hatched. I think you should do a video for others that felt the same or did DNF. You could try and make it concise so it comes of less like a rant. Full spoiler, these specific things I liked, these specific things made me feel "bleh". Then maybe overall "if you like ___ you might like this book" and maybe recommend others with certain worldbuilding or characters that are similar that you liked better than this one.
I've read quite a few books this year that I thought were excellent, but almost all of them have been from years if not decades ago. I don't follow a lot of contemporary publishing trends, so I avoid a lot of marketing hype. However, I do think there is a fair bit of marketing around books that is misleading.
I wonder with epic fantasy or just big fantasy novels in general, I assume they take longer to plan and write. What we’re getting now is things that would be planned or written during the pandemic restrictions. And maybe that was a bad time for that kind of fantasy.
Why is your hardback of Elektra so orange? I haven’t got a physical copy, but from the ebook and audiobook art there’s a gorgeous green cover. Also, my hardback copy of Atalanta is red/orange, but not that orange, thankfully the spine is black and gold.
Every year i give myself a couple of epic fantasy series to read through, and looking back, the two i have tackled in 2024 have contained all of my highest ratings. Most newer fantasy books i have tried have been a little disappointing or downright aggravatingly bad (cough cough, Five Broken Blades)
My library seems to have about 10% of the books I am looking for.😒
I dnf when I ask myself during a book "what happens next?" and my answer is 🤷♀️