Something I've noticed is that the books I most frequently recommend are usually 4 stars. Which I think is interesting! My hypothesis is that 4+ means it's a great book, but the 5th star is more personal and may be from things I connect with that aren't as universal? I don't know! But it's interesting!
I understand that. Even some of my 3 star reads I can acknowledge are still rather good books, for example are written well and have a good plot. However, it's my 5 stars that have hit me more on a deeper level.
So true. Most of my 5 star books are pretty disturbing and can have quite a lot of triggers. Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, and Beloved by Toni Morrison are both 5 star reads for me, but they're not necessarily something I would recommend to a person I just met.
I completely agree! My 5 stared books have made me feel something others haven’t, and it’s not to say the other books are bad, but to me they don’t quite match to the same degree.
You should do a video called “Every book I’ve rated 5 stars in my life described in one or two sentences” I think is a way for us to discover hidden gemes. And for you to talk about books you love that you haven’t talk about them in a long time
I think it would be easier to just scroll through his goodreads tbh! I really enjoyed this video, I feel like Jack hasnt had the time recently to film a video where he talks about a book for more than 1 minute (each), which I think is such a shame. I love it when the description of the book goes beyond a mere summary. It seems like Jack doesnt have that much time, and I would rather encourage him to make longer video essay-ish content.
Engaging with books has significantly elevated my perspective on investing. True wealth isn't built through mere savings; financial freedom stems from strategic investments. I've learned that accumulating wealth hinges on making prudent investment decisions|
Books have also changed my perspective on investing. Understanding that real wealth is built through strategic investments rather than mere savings is crucial. Working with an adviser has pointed me in the right direction.
Not me watching a Instagram reel where someone said "When you're stupid every book is 4-5 stars" and then I got the TH-cam notification. Hahahahahaha I can't this is so funny
Oh, I'm toooo nice. The only books I've rated less than 4 stars are two I really did not enjoy and even then I rated them 3.5 and 3.75. I'm studying a masters in literature and writing so I don't think I'm stupid lol, but I can see merit in most books I read. But I have been reading (trying to read) The Beautiful and Damned by Gatsy for the last 12 months and as soon as I get through it, it's getting 1 star. I don't care how much merit is has, it does not deserve any more (and even as I say that, I feel guilty).
That's a stupid thing for someone to say XD you can rate books for any reason you want, and none of them are depended by your "IQ," education, or literary analysis skills. You can rate books based on how much you enjoyed the story, by how well it was written, how well the characters were developed, how well it connected with you, or conversely how well it connected you to a different group of people. For how much it made you laugh, for how corny it was. If I'm looking for a corny read, I want to know if it was an ENJOYABLE corny. Don't anyone fall for that classist rhetoric, the way you review things does not determine nor is determined by your intelligence. ❤
Jack’s vlogs are great!! If you’d like, here’s my recommendation for some really good but not as well known book creators you can watch in between Jack uploads! My favorite is allisonpaiges. She’s my queen, she is an icon, she’s the moment. Unfortunately she’s on an indefinite hiatus, but if you’re interested, just take a look at her stuff! Her editing is some of the best I’ve ever seen on the site period. She encourages self care, positive mindsets, and living life to the fullest to the best of your capabilities. Her videos are comfort videos for me and I rewatch them all the time! JesseTheReader is a channel I’ve watched for years. I’ve even met him in person at a book event lol! He’s an OG booktuber and I think his content still holds up today! He has a nice balance of chatting about both currently popular books as well as lesser known titles! He has a fun personality and a lot of original video ideas! Finally, plantbasedbride. I’m still new to her content, but it’s been so good! She gives cozy, long haul type videos and she’s been great from what I’ve watched! I hope this helps fill the need for good book creator content, lol!
adding some of these to my tbr! My five star reads so far are: - martyr! - kaveh akbar - In memoriam - alice winn - idlewild - james frankie thomas (queer chaos speaks to my soul) - the rachel incident - caroline o'donoghue - east of eden - john steinbeck - bellies - nicola dinan - words of radiance - brandon sanderson !!!! i've had a really incredible reading year so far it feels so good
Aw the fact you mentioned James Baldwin as one of your favourite authors made me want to comment. I'm producing a James Baldwin festival in Berlin from 6 - 8 September, to honour that James would've turned 100 this year :) Great video as always! I've only had Boulder on my radar, and now excited to hunt down the others. The way you speak about books just radiates enthusiasm ☺
I heard about White Nights because of the aforementioned Jack video. A week later I noticed that different versions of White Nights were on the “Trending on Goodreads” tab on Audible and I’m so glad I listened to it.
I read The Details after you recommended it in a prior video and I loved it! I then recommended it to my mom, and she read it and enjoyed it too! Really made me think about characters and how to write in a detailed way - which is important to me as a writer myself. Your recommendations always hit.
thanks again jack!! you are my favorite place to get book recs and just added these to my want to read list my five star books this year have been - open water by caleb azumah nelson - young mungo by douglas stuart - in memoriam by alice winn - the kite runner by khaled hosseini - funny story by emily henry - song of achilles by madeline miller
If you haven’t read Circe by Madeline miller I recommend that one. I just did and now I’m going through Achilles and probably every other book she wrote lol
I read white nights after you recommended it, literally finished flipped back a few pages, read the end again and stared at the wall. Whenever I think about it which is at least once a week I still just stare into a wall. But like honestly yeah one of the best books about love
Laurie Colwin was also a food writer for the now defunct Gourmet magazine and other publications. She also wrote 2 memoirs about food and cooking. I was so surprised to see her book on your list, since I haven’t heard about her in so long…she died suddenly at a pretty young age sometime in the 90s. Thanks for bringing back the memory of her.
Glad you mentioned this. I re-read Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking and More Home Cooking every few years - they are an absolute delight. Embarrassingly, I didn't know she wrote fiction!
My absolute favourite 5-star read from this year is Toward Eternity by Anton Hur. He's already an award-winning translator, and now his own debut novel is out and it's extraordinary. If you read the summary and think it borders too much on sci-fi for you, I encourage you to pick it up anyway-it balances on the line between literary and sci-fi so perfectly that it really extends beyond both genres. It only came out a few weeks ago, but it's not getting the attention it deserves imo. And thanks for the extra push to read White Nights and Boulder. Coming up soon on my list ✍
Currently reading white nights per your recommendation! And I literally underlined the paragraph: "we thank some people for merely living at the same time as we do"this morning. It was just so stunningly frased. Made me think of all my wonderful, wonderful friends without whom I could simply not live! At least not in such bliss as I am currently living.
Jack! I was just going to look up the publishing date for "Happy All the Time", because I read that book DECADES ago, and I remember it as a very satisfying read with no big conflict, sweet and calming. I couldn't believe it was the same book, but it IS! I feel very validated in really liking a book that does not follow the traditional "conflict-resolution" pattern of most plots.
I LOVE HAPPY ALL THE TIME. It's so wholesome and normal and funnily enough the seemingly "ordinary" exterior it exudes it what makes the book feel so unique to me.
SAME I finished it a while back and it was so beautiful. I loved each character, and I resonated with them so many times. The simple relationships, the conversations - it was beautiful.
I just got Kairos (while traveling in Germany)… so I’m excited to read it! Recently read “The details” and enjoyed it but it was more like a 4 stars for me. I think we have slightly different taste but coincide in some titles. Thanks for your reviews and for bringing so many new titles to my TBR!! ❤ “Boulder” is also in the lineup! 📚
The home library is my Barbie dream house as well. I want to convert my current bedroom into a self-contained personal library at some point. I'm thinking paint the room white, put floor to ceiling shelves, stained a mahogany color, with an attached ladder to the bookshelves in the same shade. I don't have nearly enough books, but I'll get there someday. The creme de la fresh comment was hilarious.
I feel like every book you recommend is a book I end up falling in love with. Definitely adding all of these to my never ending TBR list! My ONLY 5 star book so far is "The Book of Everlasting Things" by Aanchal Malhotra. I truly loved this book and I think it's so exquisitely written and it delves into such a heart-wrenching topic (The India-Pakistan Partition). Malhotra's writing style is so beautiful and it's one of those books where I thought every line was frame-worthy.
Dostoevsky is one of my favourite writers. I highly recommend to also read "The Gambler" and "Crime and Punishment". Both of these books are soooo good!!
Ive read notes from underground and white nights and felt that it was a little boring cuz nothing was really happening. Do you think crime and punishment or another such book would be better?
@@jkn.01 yeah, crime and punishment is so much better. but honestly, it still can get a little boring for some people, because even though there are many things happening, Dostoevsky describes emotions and thoughts which are necessary for the sake of understanding the book better. but tbh, it not once got boring for me
and my tbr keeps growing. The meanest thing about Kairos is that I'm German but the English cover is so much prettier than the German one TT My favourite books of the year so far (no particular order): In Memoriam, Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Beartown, A Half-Built Garden, Young Mungo, Notes of a Crocodile and Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow
Feel the urge to tell you that Boulder is the 2nd of the "triptic" of novels that the author (Eva Baltasar) wrote about women and the times we're living. First one is called Permafrost and the third is Mamut. In case you want to explore her writing any further
My favourite read so far this year was Long Island by Colm Toibin. I was a big fan of Brooklyn for the love story, but Long Island really introduces some of the complexities of relationships and it made me think of the characters in Brooklyn in a different light.
so happy that “white nights” has made it to your list because that book is a required reading for an obligatory literature class at high school in russia. we need more people to know how good it is!
I live in Germany and the funny thing is that Jenny Erpenbeck is not a big name over here! Her books are so much more successful in translation which is so strange to me
Jack, I adore your book recommendations and you have never failed me. Until... White Nights. It's so full of artificial pathos and I couldn't see the point of anything. I'm sorry, but I truly, honestly cannot understand how it's one of your favs... They don't even know each other and he's crazily in love with her, even after she's doing all of that with some other dude? And then takes advantage of him? And apparently it's all because of "love"? :)) I mean, I love love stories and I love lyrical writing and melancholy prose, but they should at least be 1% believable. 😅 This was such a let-down for me... 😣
just stumbled upon your video and I cant wait to watch more of your reccs! your excitement and the way you explain each plot- your energy is amazing! def will be getting some of these books asap! instant subscribed to you!
Jack you must read “talking at night” It's just so up your alley and normal people coded My most recent 5⭐️ so beautifully written and character oriented Please please please I'm dying to hear your thoughts on it ❤
I always anticipate videos with your favourite books. I adore the way you describe books and the feelings they evoked in you. I genuinely think you have incredible taste, so finding the books you've rated so high is incredibly refreshing and exciting, because I know that I have the chance to read a masterfully written or thought-provoking book that I might not have found otherwise. Sooo excited for these books. When you compared the writing in Evenings and Weekends to Baldwin's and Morrison's I actually gasped. What a high praise. I will definitely read Boulder soon, because that's one I've been eyeing for a long time because of you. Funnily enough, my only 5-star read of this year is Alice Winn's In Memoriam that I discovered thanks to you. Forever grateful for that recommendation, that book broke me to pieces and mended me back together. This reading year was quite mediocre for me, but I did get some 4,5 stars. I might need more of your 5 star reads to get some myself this year 😂
I am so happy to see "White Nights" in this list! This wonderful piece of literature was what got me seriously back into reading when I was fourteen, and I truly believe if has changed my life and my perception of love forever. I reread it at least once a year and a goal of mine is to read it in as many languages as possible!
That paragraph of Blue sisters !!!!!! *instantly adds to cart* My absolute fav this year has been These impossible things by Salma El-Wardany. It's so beautifully written, I want to read it for the first time again.
love these recs!! my five star reads so far: everything begins and ends at the kentucky club - benjamin alire sáenz, there there - tommy orange, childhood’s end - arthur c. clarke, and wellness - nathan hill
I'm very much a 'Judge a Book by the cover' person. Just recently I borrowed a book called 'Grace's Table' from the library based solely on the cover and having no idea what it was about, and I loved it. ----- My 5 Star Reads so far this year are: * Vignettes from the End of the World by various (it's a flash fiction collection edited by Jacob Haddon) * Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller -- I'd give this 6 stars if I could.
I studied Russian Literature (yes I enjoy sadness) and Dostoyevsky is my favorite author. I've always admired how despite the turmoil Russian authors faced, they manage to write themes that mimicked the historical times they were living through in Russia.
I read The Details and it's one of my 5 stars from this year too! I wanted this one to win so badly! I havent read Kairos though. Also, as a Catalan person and Catalan speaker I am so happy to see Boulder in this list!
I absolutely loved Kairos. I read it in the original German and is honestly one of the most affecting books I've ever read in my second language. It's so beautiful
You make me want to start reading books again😢 I've been reading only fanfiction for the past 2-3 years because of my mental health and severe anxiety. I was and still am very scared to take a random book, read it and be affected by it's ideas/characters and feel depressed because of the plot or the ending. But the way you talk about books makes them look less scary than usual. And maybe I'll read at list one book till the end of this year..
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is one of my top reads and lives rent free in my head!! Totally underhyped IMO. Other 5 star recs for you and your audience would be: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, The Silence That Binds Us by Johanna Ho, Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig,
I see hardly anyone talk about Kristin Hannah on booktube, but I beg you to read one of her books. They are incredibly written, vivid, heartbreaking, brutal, but they live on with you. I'm reading her most recent one called "The Women", which follows a young nurse volunteer go to Vietnam during the war. I already know this will be 5 stars. The Nightingale set in WW2 and The Great Alone set in Alaska in the 80s were also unbelievable.
I couldn't agree more with you, Jack! I was also intrigued to pick up Kairos because of its historical context. The Cold War is fascinating, and I feel most authors shy away from this gripping historical event. I am currently reading it, and I can't help but wonder: where will this book take me when it ends? It has left me reeling. In addition, I love Dostoyevsky, and I highly suggest you read, if you haven't already done so, Brothers Karamazov. It is beyond perfection. I am glad to see Dostoyevsky getting a shout-out because he's worthy of not only our attention but also our admiration and time. Great content!
Okay! I had the ARC of Blue Sisters sitting in my bookshelf, now you've convinced me! My favorite reads of the year so far would be : - Babel by R.F. Kuang - The Guest by Emma Cline - Lie with me by Philippe Besson - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - The Great Believers, Rebecca Makkai
Every book i own is 4-5 stars. I just won’t pick up a book unless i truly think i’ll like it. Although I did just pick up Beach Read by Emily Henry because I’ve never read a romance book before.
Jack, I've read all of Laurie Colwin's books and you may like the others as well. The Lone Pilgrim short stories are lovely, and so are her food books. She died tragically young at 48.
My five star books so far: The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Hurting Kind by Ada Limon Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown Vietnam by Stanley Karnow The Hundred Years War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
It's so funny, I just reread normal people and then picked up Kairos as my next read and I was like...wait...this writing style is so similar!! I think if I hadn't gotten used to the way normal people was written I wouldn't understand what was going on. Funny that you bring that exact thing up here too on the day that I started reading Kairos. I'm now scared about the ending lol.
I read the Booker short lists every year. I usually consume that media by audiobook or kindle, but I always buy a physical copy of the winner, and usually 1-2 others that were my favorites. This year my favorite buy was The Details, and last year it was Boulder. So right with you there, man.
Jack I’ve got a video idea for you. I know you already did a chatgpt video but the other day I tried inputting a list of all my favourite books into it and asked it to give me recommendations based on them and they were AMAZING. Like I read the descriptions and they’re exactly on point for the kinds of books I like
I just pulled an all nighter to finish blue sisters and let me you tell I CRIED. I knew from the first page that this book was going to ruin me but Coco Mellors did it in the most beautiful way😭
Evenings and weekends was hugely anticipated by me and I was very underwhelmed by it…. I just didn’t get what you got out of it- I just don’t think the characters were as realized as I was hoping for But! If you do like it, I think you would love the daytripper by James goodhand - a book I loved
What I want to say is that I spent less than $ 100 from the fake LV I bought from a aunt *luxdups* . The quality is very good. I spent four years on the plane, the bus, and anywhere. As a rag. I specially smelled the bag and compared the stitching color. This is the most authentic I have ever seen. To this day, this bag is still very strong. Although it has been abused, the material is still great.
Something I've noticed is that the books I most frequently recommend are usually 4 stars. Which I think is interesting! My hypothesis is that 4+ means it's a great book, but the 5th star is more personal and may be from things I connect with that aren't as universal? I don't know! But it's interesting!
i feel the exact same way!
I understand that. Even some of my 3 star reads I can acknowledge are still rather good books, for example are written well and have a good plot. However, it's my 5 stars that have hit me more on a deeper level.
So true. Most of my 5 star books are pretty disturbing and can have quite a lot of triggers. Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, and Beloved by Toni Morrison are both 5 star reads for me, but they're not necessarily something I would recommend to a person I just met.
I completely agree! My 5 stared books have made me feel something others haven’t, and it’s not to say the other books are bad, but to me they don’t quite match to the same degree.
Completely agree!!
Great list of 5-star reads! But if you're looking for even more game-changing books, Nixorus has some hidden gems that aren't on most people's radar.
You should do a video called “Every book I’ve rated 5 stars in my life described in one or two sentences”
I think is a way for us to discover hidden gemes. And for you to talk about books you love that you haven’t talk about them in a long time
Omg yes I’d love this!!
I think it would be easier to just scroll through his goodreads tbh! I really enjoyed this video, I feel like Jack hasnt had the time recently to film a video where he talks about a book for more than 1 minute (each), which I think is such a shame. I love it when the description of the book goes beyond a mere summary. It seems like Jack doesnt have that much time, and I would rather encourage him to make longer video essay-ish content.
Omg yes yes to this video idea! Tier-ranking all the books Jack rated 5 stars also sound exciting
*gems
@@PoopusLoopus thank you, I’m sorry, english is not my first language
Keeping us fed with this crème de la fresh content, I see.
The way you can so beautifully and casually describe books is unparalleled !!!! Also I highly recommend you read Sunburn ☀️ the writing is incredible
queen i love you please make book content!!
OMG Brittany! I DID NOT expect to see you around here, but I’m so glad we both like him!! I love your book recs btw
Engaging with books has significantly elevated my perspective on investing. True wealth isn't built through mere savings; financial freedom stems from strategic investments. I've learned that accumulating wealth hinges on making prudent investment decisions|
Embarking on the investment journey at 40, I envision a triumphant testimony of significant success by the age of 55.
Books have also changed my perspective on investing. Understanding that real wealth is built through strategic investments rather than mere savings is crucial. Working with an adviser has pointed me in the right direction.
'Angela Lynn Schilling’ maintains an online presence. Just make a simple search for her name online.
which book about investing did you like the most/found the most useful?
My TBR did not need to get longer but here we are…
Seriously, same!
sAme
Same I refuse to buy more though 😂
same, i have like two pages of books i want to read now.
Not me watching a Instagram reel where someone said "When you're stupid every book is 4-5 stars" and then I got the TH-cam notification. Hahahahahaha I can't this is so funny
All my books are 4-5 stars bc if they're not I don't finish them 🚮
Oh, I'm toooo nice. The only books I've rated less than 4 stars are two I really did not enjoy and even then I rated them 3.5 and 3.75. I'm studying a masters in literature and writing so I don't think I'm stupid lol, but I can see merit in most books I read.
But I have been reading (trying to read) The Beautiful and Damned by Gatsy for the last 12 months and as soon as I get through it, it's getting 1 star. I don't care how much merit is has, it does not deserve any more (and even as I say that, I feel guilty).
That being said, I only have two books that I actually consider 5 star books... I just have a lot of 4, 4.25, 4.5, and 4.75's.
That's a stupid thing for someone to say XD you can rate books for any reason you want, and none of them are depended by your "IQ," education, or literary analysis skills.
You can rate books based on how much you enjoyed the story, by how well it was written, how well the characters were developed, how well it connected with you, or conversely how well it connected you to a different group of people. For how much it made you laugh, for how corny it was.
If I'm looking for a corny read, I want to know if it was an ENJOYABLE corny.
Don't anyone fall for that classist rhetoric, the way you review things does not determine nor is determined by your intelligence. ❤
@@teentitansrock88 yass!!!
"how could you do this to me but also thank you" is the review I am looking for 😂
As a french person, "la crême de la fraîche" actually makes sense lmao
Je suis d’accord
RIGHT lmaooo
'The Hidden Truths Of Wealth by Oliver Mercer' is a must read for everyone
* searching a new video to watch bc I’ve caught up on jack’s vlogs *
* jack uploads *
Jack’s vlogs are great!!
If you’d like, here’s my recommendation for some really good but not as well known book creators you can watch in between Jack uploads!
My favorite is allisonpaiges. She’s my queen, she is an icon, she’s the moment. Unfortunately she’s on an indefinite hiatus, but if you’re interested, just take a look at her stuff! Her editing is some of the best I’ve ever seen on the site period. She encourages self care, positive mindsets, and living life to the fullest to the best of your capabilities. Her videos are comfort videos for me and I rewatch them all the time!
JesseTheReader is a channel I’ve watched for years. I’ve even met him in person at a book event lol! He’s an OG booktuber and I think his content still holds up today! He has a nice balance of chatting about both currently popular books as well as lesser known titles! He has a fun personality and a lot of original video ideas!
Finally, plantbasedbride. I’m still new to her content, but it’s been so good! She gives cozy, long haul type videos and she’s been great from what I’ve watched!
I hope this helps fill the need for good book creator content, lol!
so much new content bros really been blessing us
The Blue Sisters opening paragraph gave me CHILLS I have to buy it now
adding some of these to my tbr!
My five star reads so far are:
- martyr! - kaveh akbar
- In memoriam - alice winn
- idlewild - james frankie thomas (queer chaos speaks to my soul)
- the rachel incident - caroline o'donoghue
- east of eden - john steinbeck
- bellies - nicola dinan
- words of radiance - brandon sanderson
!!!! i've had a really incredible reading year so far it feels so good
Ooooh I want to read bellies!
Loved the rachel incident !
In memoriam was AMAZING!!!
in memorian and words of radiance , ❤
EAST OF EDEN MENTION🗣🗣
You should do a tier ranking of all the books you have rated 5 stars
i will!!
Aw the fact you mentioned James Baldwin as one of your favourite authors made me want to comment. I'm producing a James Baldwin festival in Berlin from 6 - 8 September, to honour that James would've turned 100 this year :) Great video as always! I've only had Boulder on my radar, and now excited to hunt down the others. The way you speak about books just radiates enthusiasm ☺
I listened to White Nights on the Sleepy Bookshelf (on Spotify) and this story made me go through all the emotions 💙
every book you talk about immediately gets put on my wishlist
Your content really helps me find good reads
Lots of love from Balochistan
I heard about White Nights because of the aforementioned Jack video. A week later I noticed that different versions of White Nights were on the “Trending on Goodreads” tab on Audible and I’m so glad I listened to it.
the book leo also reviewed it this week. she's great!
Love this lighting! So relaxing 😊
I read The Details after you recommended it in a prior video and I loved it! I then recommended it to my mom, and she read it and enjoyed it too! Really made me think about characters and how to write in a detailed way - which is important to me as a writer myself. Your recommendations always hit.
thanks again jack!! you are my favorite place to get book recs and just added these to my want to read list
my five star books this year have been
- open water by caleb azumah nelson
- young mungo by douglas stuart
- in memoriam by alice winn
- the kite runner by khaled hosseini
- funny story by emily henry
- song of achilles by madeline miller
what a great list
If you haven’t read Circe by Madeline miller I recommend that one. I just did and now I’m going through Achilles and probably every other book she wrote lol
I read white nights after you recommended it, literally finished flipped back a few pages, read the end again and stared at the wall. Whenever I think about it which is at least once a week I still just stare into a wall. But like honestly yeah one of the best books about love
I agree, the same happened to me. Dostoevsky is incredible! I would recommend so many books of his
Omg..when you read that part in blue sisters I teared up. I have 3 sisters so this book will probably kill me.
you and i, both!
Laurie Colwin was also a food writer for the now defunct Gourmet magazine and other publications. She also wrote 2 memoirs about food and cooking. I was so surprised to see her book on your list, since I haven’t heard about her in so long…she died suddenly at a pretty young age sometime in the 90s. Thanks for bringing back the memory of her.
Glad you mentioned this. I re-read Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking and More Home Cooking every few years - they are an absolute delight. Embarrassingly, I didn't know she wrote fiction!
' i think i'm a tough critic' U THINK JACK U THINK ?????????
Reading that excerpt of blue sisters convinced me to put it into my tbr
u explain books in such a unique way I love hearing it .
My absolute favourite 5-star read from this year is Toward Eternity by Anton Hur. He's already an award-winning translator, and now his own debut novel is out and it's extraordinary. If you read the summary and think it borders too much on sci-fi for you, I encourage you to pick it up anyway-it balances on the line between literary and sci-fi so perfectly that it really extends beyond both genres. It only came out a few weeks ago, but it's not getting the attention it deserves imo.
And thanks for the extra push to read White Nights and Boulder. Coming up soon on my list ✍
Currently reading white nights per your recommendation! And I literally underlined the paragraph: "we thank some people for merely living at the same time as we do"this morning. It was just so stunningly frased. Made me think of all my wonderful, wonderful friends without whom I could simply not live! At least not in such bliss as I am currently living.
Kairos is my book club's August selection. Glad to see it on your list.
Jack! I was just going to look up the publishing date for "Happy All the Time", because I read that book DECADES ago, and I remember it as a very satisfying read with no big conflict, sweet and calming. I couldn't believe it was the same book, but it IS! I feel very validated in really liking a book that does not follow the traditional "conflict-resolution" pattern of most plots.
i can't help but smile while watching these videos. just feels so cosy idk.
I LOVE HAPPY ALL THE TIME. It's so wholesome and normal and funnily enough the seemingly "ordinary" exterior it exudes it what makes the book feel so unique to me.
SAME I finished it a while back and it was so beautiful. I loved each character, and I resonated with them so many times. The simple relationships, the conversations - it was beautiful.
I just got Kairos (while traveling in Germany)… so I’m excited to read it! Recently read “The details” and enjoyed it but it was more like a 4 stars for me. I think we have slightly different taste but coincide in some titles. Thanks for your reviews and for bringing so many new titles to my TBR!! ❤ “Boulder” is also in the lineup! 📚
jack is in his lover era; loving books about love❤
The home library is my Barbie dream house as well. I want to convert my current bedroom into a self-contained personal library at some point. I'm thinking paint the room white, put floor to ceiling shelves, stained a mahogany color, with an attached ladder to the bookshelves in the same shade. I don't have nearly enough books, but I'll get there someday. The creme de la fresh comment was hilarious.
I feel like every book you recommend is a book I end up falling in love with. Definitely adding all of these to my never ending TBR list!
My ONLY 5 star book so far is "The Book of Everlasting Things" by Aanchal Malhotra. I truly loved this book and I think it's so exquisitely written and it delves into such a heart-wrenching topic (The India-Pakistan Partition). Malhotra's writing style is so beautiful and it's one of those books where I thought every line was frame-worthy.
Dostoevsky is one of my favourite writers. I highly recommend to also read "The Gambler" and "Crime and Punishment". Both of these books are soooo good!!
Ive read notes from underground and white nights and felt that it was a little boring cuz nothing was really happening. Do you think crime and punishment or another such book would be better?
@@jkn.01 yeah, crime and punishment is so much better. but honestly, it still can get a little boring for some people, because even though there are many things happening, Dostoevsky describes emotions and thoughts which are necessary for the sake of understanding the book better. but tbh, it not once got boring for me
another video so soon? i’m the happiest
and my tbr keeps growing. The meanest thing about Kairos is that I'm German but the English cover is so much prettier than the German one TT
My favourite books of the year so far (no particular order): In Memoriam, Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Beartown, A Half-Built Garden, Young Mungo, Notes of a Crocodile and Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow
Feel the urge to tell you that Boulder is the 2nd of the "triptic" of novels that the author (Eva Baltasar) wrote about women and the times we're living. First one is called Permafrost and the third is Mamut. In case you want to explore her writing any further
you reading that blue sisters paragraph… amazing!
Literally went and placed holds on ALL of these at my local library!
You and me, baby!
My favourite read so far this year was Long Island by Colm Toibin. I was a big fan of Brooklyn for the love story, but Long Island really introduces some of the complexities of relationships and it made me think of the characters in Brooklyn in a different light.
loved your recs - your enthusiasm makes want to read them all.
Always find great books on your page Jack! Thanks for sharing great content
so happy that “white nights” has made it to your list because that book is a required reading for an obligatory literature class at high school in russia.
we need more people to know how good it is!
EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS WAS AMAZING! Great video as always!
JACK EDWARDS UPLOADED AT 3 AM OFC IM GONNA WATCH IT RN
I read Foster this month after seeing one of your videos and I loved the book. Thank you very much for this video, Jack. I added it all into my tbr 🤗
I live in Germany and the funny thing is that Jenny Erpenbeck is not a big name over here! Her books are so much more successful in translation which is so strange to me
Jack, I adore your book recommendations and you have never failed me. Until... White Nights. It's so full of artificial pathos and I couldn't see the point of anything. I'm sorry, but I truly, honestly cannot understand how it's one of your favs... They don't even know each other and he's crazily in love with her, even after she's doing all of that with some other dude? And then takes advantage of him? And apparently it's all because of "love"? :)) I mean, I love love stories and I love lyrical writing and melancholy prose, but they should at least be 1% believable. 😅 This was such a let-down for me... 😣
just stumbled upon your video and I cant wait to watch more of your reccs! your excitement and the way you explain each plot- your energy is amazing! def will be getting some of these books asap! instant subscribed to you!
Jack you must read “talking at night”
It's just so up your alley and normal people coded
My most recent 5⭐️ so beautifully written and character oriented
Please please please
I'm dying to hear your thoughts on it ❤
I always anticipate videos with your favourite books. I adore the way you describe books and the feelings they evoked in you. I genuinely think you have incredible taste, so finding the books you've rated so high is incredibly refreshing and exciting, because I know that I have the chance to read a masterfully written or thought-provoking book that I might not have found otherwise. Sooo excited for these books. When you compared the writing in Evenings and Weekends to Baldwin's and Morrison's I actually gasped. What a high praise. I will definitely read Boulder soon, because that's one I've been eyeing for a long time because of you.
Funnily enough, my only 5-star read of this year is Alice Winn's In Memoriam that I discovered thanks to you. Forever grateful for that recommendation, that book broke me to pieces and mended me back together. This reading year was quite mediocre for me, but I did get some 4,5 stars. I might need more of your 5 star reads to get some myself this year 😂
Same about In Memoriam + 2 by Nathan Hill (Wellness and The nix)
I am so happy to see "White Nights" in this list! This wonderful piece of literature was what got me seriously back into reading when I was fourteen, and I truly believe if has changed my life and my perception of love forever. I reread it at least once a year and a goal of mine is to read it in as many languages as possible!
You’ve literally convinced me to read ALL of them! They sound amazing! Can’t wait to get started ❤️
That paragraph of Blue sisters !!!!!! *instantly adds to cart*
My absolute fav this year has been These impossible things by Salma El-Wardany. It's so beautifully written, I want to read it for the first time again.
love these recs!! my five star reads so far: everything begins and ends at the kentucky club - benjamin alire sáenz, there there - tommy orange, childhood’s end - arthur c. clarke, and wellness - nathan hill
I'm very much a 'Judge a Book by the cover' person. Just recently I borrowed a book called 'Grace's Table' from the library based solely on the cover and having no idea what it was about, and I loved it.
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My 5 Star Reads so far this year are:
* Vignettes from the End of the World by various (it's a flash fiction collection edited by Jacob Haddon)
* Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller -- I'd give this 6 stars if I could.
12:19 Jack telling me about a book I had never heart about and can read in my first language in original lol. Going to the tbr instantly.
I love classic literature! Have you ever tried quiz bowl? You would be amazing at Literature!
Jacks video’s are the crème de la fraîche of booktube 👌
I studied Russian Literature (yes I enjoy sadness) and Dostoyevsky is my favorite author. I've always admired how despite the turmoil Russian authors faced, they manage to write themes that mimicked the historical times they were living through in Russia.
I read The Details and it's one of my 5 stars from this year too! I wanted this one to win so badly! I havent read Kairos though. Also, as a Catalan person and Catalan speaker I am so happy to see Boulder in this list!
Boulder thoughts -- To yearn for love, or to yearn for freedom? I have to read this now.
I absolutely loved Kairos. I read it in the original German and is honestly one of the most affecting books I've ever read in my second language. It's so beautiful
You make me want to start reading books again😢 I've been reading only fanfiction for the past 2-3 years because of my mental health and severe anxiety. I was and still am very scared to take a random book, read it and be affected by it's ideas/characters and feel depressed because of the plot or the ending. But the way you talk about books makes them look less scary than usual. And maybe I'll read at list one book till the end of this year..
Dang it!! I went to Barnes and noble today I and I was going to buy Evenings and Weekends!!! I’ll have to go back now
Picked up White Nights after your recommendation and what a book! One od favorite reads of the year.
random but i just finished re-reading the kite runner (6 years after the first time i'd read it) and it still hurts me so damn much i can't😭
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is one of my top reads and lives rent free in my head!! Totally underhyped IMO. Other 5 star recs for you and your audience would be: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, The Silence That Binds Us by Johanna Ho, Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig,
i can listen to this guy talk about books forever and never get tired
I can't wait for Blue Sisters to release here in the States. I also just grabbed Evenings and Weekends and I'm so looking forward to it!
I see hardly anyone talk about Kristin Hannah on booktube, but I beg you to read one of her books. They are incredibly written, vivid, heartbreaking, brutal, but they live on with you. I'm reading her most recent one called "The Women", which follows a young nurse volunteer go to Vietnam during the war. I already know this will be 5 stars. The Nightingale set in WW2 and The Great Alone set in Alaska in the 80s were also unbelievable.
I couldn't agree more with you, Jack! I was also intrigued to pick up Kairos because of its historical context. The Cold War is fascinating, and I feel most authors shy away from this gripping historical event. I am currently reading it, and I can't help but wonder: where will this book take me when it ends? It has left me reeling. In addition, I love Dostoyevsky, and I highly suggest you read, if you haven't already done so, Brothers Karamazov. It is beyond perfection. I am glad to see Dostoyevsky getting a shout-out because he's worthy of not only our attention but also our admiration and time. Great content!
I love how much you love these books!
Crème de la fresh content indeed! Adding each and everyone of them to my TBR as top priorities right now!
Okay! I had the ARC of Blue Sisters sitting in my bookshelf, now you've convinced me! My favorite reads of the year so far would be :
- Babel by R.F. Kuang
- The Guest by Emma Cline
- Lie with me by Philippe Besson
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- The Great Believers, Rebecca Makkai
This video is a game-changer! So much helpful information packed into one clip. I personally don't like promoting anything in comments,
Every book i own is 4-5 stars. I just won’t pick up a book unless i truly think i’ll like it. Although I did just pick up Beach Read by Emily Henry because I’ve never read a romance book before.
I loved happy all the time. A really refreshing, funny, observant read
Jack, I've read all of Laurie Colwin's books and you may like the others as well. The Lone Pilgrim short stories are lovely, and so are her food books. She died tragically young at 48.
My five star books so far:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Hurting Kind by Ada Limon
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
Vietnam by Stanley Karnow
The Hundred Years War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
It's so funny, I just reread normal people and then picked up Kairos as my next read and I was like...wait...this writing style is so similar!! I think if I hadn't gotten used to the way normal people was written I wouldn't understand what was going on. Funny that you bring that exact thing up here too on the day that I started reading Kairos. I'm now scared about the ending lol.
I read the Booker short lists every year. I usually consume that media by audiobook or kindle, but I always buy a physical copy of the winner, and usually 1-2 others that were my favorites. This year my favorite buy was The Details, and last year it was Boulder. So right with you there, man.
"Crème de la fresh" actually makes more sense.
Jack I’ve got a video idea for you. I know you already did a chatgpt video but the other day I tried inputting a list of all my favourite books into it and asked it to give me recommendations based on them and they were AMAZING. Like I read the descriptions and they’re exactly on point for the kinds of books I like
I just pulled an all nighter to finish blue sisters and let me you tell I CRIED. I knew from the first page that this book was going to ruin me but Coco Mellors did it in the most beautiful way😭
Excited to read each and every one of these!
This video made my TBR grow exponentially!
Jack you are the King ! Your recommendations and reviews are la creme de la creme Love your channel
You had me at “modern day Love Actually.” Adding to TBR!
Evenings and weekends was hugely anticipated by me and I was very underwhelmed by it…. I just didn’t get what you got out of it- I just don’t think the characters were as realized as I was hoping for
But! If you do like it, I think you would love the daytripper by James goodhand - a book I loved
What I want to say is that I spent less than $ 100 from the fake LV I bought from a aunt *luxdups* . The quality is very good. I spent four years on the plane, the bus, and anywhere. As a rag. I specially smelled the bag and compared the stitching color. This is the most authentic I have ever seen. To this day, this bag is still very strong. Although it has been abused, the material is still great.
I want to read all of them now!
What an amazing video! Thank you for sharing such valuable insights.