Hot Literary Takes From Reddit...How Hot Do They Get? Feat. Nigel [CC]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ต.ค. 2022
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Hey hey! As I was browsing Reddit, I saw this post on r/books about their spiciest literary takes and so I wanted to see if they were truly spicy and anything different from what we've heard on booktube or book twitter. Please let me know your thoughts! Thanks for watching!
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In Dumas's defense, The Count of Monte Cristo is long because it was written as a serial that was later collected into a book. The longer the serialization ran, the more he got paid and the dude had gambling debts.
It’s also really good
i agree that house in the cerulean sea could've been classified as YA instead of adult but i dislike the idea that adult literature can't be fun and heartwarmingly fluffy, and i didn't think the writing was bad. adult books don't have to be dark or deal with really hard stuff! i think house in the cerulean sea was probs marketed as an adult book bc the main character is a middle aged man lol
I really like this take and I agree with you👏
Totally agree! Also the idea that literature needs to be sad/dark to be meaningful or qualify as "classic literature" is wrong.
I did think the main character was bland and that the story wasn't as good as it could be. It laked something.
Nigel is everything in this video. He's a homeowner now. He's got property to protect.
The audiobook one is interesting cause I know plenty of people who miss just as much physically reading. I think retention problems can occur with both methods and it just depends on where you are most engaged and focused.
Hell, I have ADHD and am fully capable of physically reading entire chapters before realizing I absorbed none of it and having to backtrack. My powers of being destracted can not be contained by any one form of media.
@@devlyn873 same! 😂 That's I do both audio and physical books together. Helps me so much and I pay much better attention.
@@VanessaMarieBooks I've started doing that too!! It really is helpful!!
Most discussions about audiobooks should be prefaced with: "for abled people only".
Also, it has been proven, that people learn information differently: some of us learn by reading, some of us learn by listening and some of us learn by doing.
It's really high time for people in the book community to stop putting their own experience on a pedestal and be more open minded about how diverse human beings are.
Little Women as YA: yes, absolutely. I thought the book was a total snooze when I was a child but loved it as a teen. But House in the Cerulean Sea not for adults because it's too happy?? Pfffff. We need more happy books for adults IMO.
I understand where that person is coming from though house on the cerulean sea was written in a very YA style, also I disagree with little women being YA
As someone who retains books better in audio form, I am forever annoyed by the smugness of the reading only crowd
I certainly retain information much better by reading it, but not everyone is me. People have different ways of learning/retaining info, and one way is not better than the other. It's just whatever works for YOU.
I think more people should consider the mind-blowing possibility that 1) listening audiobooks is not the same as reading physical books and 2) both are valid ways to engage with language and stories. Both can be true!
I think my response to the audiobook take is also that not everyone engages with all books in an attempt to retain information. For some really impactful books, of course I'm gonna pay attention to every single word and engage deeply, but sometimes I just want some background thoughts off entertainment from a book while I do things. I don't think that's an inherently worse way of consuming books
I never understand the deep hate for audiobooks. People take them as a personal attack against their bookshelves or something.
Definitely!! Not all books need full attention and sometimes it’s just nice to have someone tell you a story while you do other things
A common thread I see is that when there is "bad" writing or not over the top lyrical pros, people automatically say is was written for YA or should be YA. This frustrates me.
1. YA deserves good writing not just want you think is bad writing. If you don't like it why would you want teens to read it.
2. Not all writing needs to be lyrical to tell a good story (for adults or YA). Sometimes simple writing makes more of an impact than complicated writing.
.....I kind of agree with the hot take about YA = an excuse to write terribly but I want to reword it a bit. I don't think that YA automatically means a worse novel but I do think that there is a certain level of lowering standards the younger the audience is.
There are YA novels right now that are just mind numbing but there is also a sense of "you shouldn't judge this so harshly, it's for teens, it's better they're reading than scrolling through tiktok, etc"
No you're right it isn't so much that ya in itself is a bad genre but it feels very much like since its for teens than why bother. It's in the same vein as bad children's shows like since its for children why does it matter what the quality is like.
This. There are some great YA books out there, and I don't think there is anything wrong with YA having conventions, that maybe be used to great effect or subverted, just like any other genre. I just wish the quality standard for YA books wasn't so low, and I fully blame the publishers for that.
I have read some better middle grade series than I have YA, to be completely honest: Artemis Fowl, The Tiger's Apprentice Series, The Dragon Series, The Lost Years of Merlin, Septimus Heap series, etc.
It's a shame! Why don't we want young people to reas quality books? It can still be about sexy vampires or whatever, but that doesn't mean the writing quality should be poorly writteb fanfiction.
Agree but i do have to say there is nothing wrong with a simple writing style.
My hot take as someone who used to be a book seller. It feels like many (but not all) YA novels are published just to make money. I’d go as far to say that YA more so describes marketing more so than a genre. Many YA novels have the same feel as the over saturation of the MCU and Star Wars universe. The publishers know a YA novel with a good marketing campaign will sell well and YA readers tend to spend more money on books.
Here is my literary hot take: just because a book is wildly popular doesn't automatically mean it's trashy fluff. There are many reasons that books or authors blow up, but I've noticed there is a popularity threshold that once a book hits people start trashing it just because it's popular. It always reminds me of that whole cliche about people thinking that a musical band becomes bad the minute it becomes popular 🙄
And oh my glob, BIN JANE EYRE?! Noooo! 😱 😭 Now THAT is a hot take 🤣
And yeah The Fifth Season is generic?! Uh, excuse me SIR, POINT ME to all these other books that are so like it as to make it generic because if The Fith Season is generic, then I want to read every other book that is exactly like it 😤
My hot take is that I think the literary snobs people rail against just do not exist in the numbers people act like they do. I have personally met very few people who have been assholes about reading only classics, non-fiction, or ""serious literature;"" but I HAVE met plenty of people who have looked askance at me when I tell them my favorite book is Goethe's Faust, like I'm lying or flexing. No judgment whether your favorite genre is YA or classics; but if other people find joy someplace where you personally don't, they're not doing it just to dunk on you. (Also, I love Nigel)
agree, anti-intellectualism is on the rise and it's reflected by how people are reading and interacting with books
What's also shocking about Hoover's books gaining all this popularity is also how aware the target demographic for her books seems to think they are of toxic behavior. A different author could have a similar plot beat or character trait in their book and be called out for it, but Hoover isn't. Odd.
I've said this before but Nigel's side eye is my favourite thing!
So many people's takes on audio vs digital vs physical books is based on "well, I can't consume it this way so obviously NO ONE can consume it this way". Just let people consume books and stories however they are able.
lol when you called that author adam driver i nearly choked on my tea lol
Nigel just gives in to every intrusive thought lmao
I find it interesting that people think The House on the Cerulean is YA, seeing as how there isn't a single teenaged character in the book. The main character is middle aged and the issues he's struggling with are age-appropriate. The other part of the book is the children and because of them and the overall tone of the story, I could see the whole book being considered Middle Grade the way that The Hobbit is considered children's literature. But I just don't get the YA 🤷🏾♀️ Would a teenaged reader enjoy such a book?
The way I laughed when you said Adam Driver wrote Project Hail Mary 😂😂 ❤
Okay, I'm agree with the misreading Austen one. Context, I studied Mansfield Park at uni (that one sentence changed the meaning of the whole text for me) and I did my thesis on Pride & Prejudice (most misread & misunderstood text!)
edit: I'm assuming that the hot take refers to people only reading it for the romance (by the way, it isn't a romance book. It has a marriage plot, which is not the same as romance, it's a plot point that was central in stories depicting female characters (see Richardson's Pamela, Frances Burney's Evelina - btw this was Austen's favourite novel) There is a lot of important historical, political & societal contexts getting lost by readers if they only read for the marriage plot. Like Mansfield Park, a lot of people's least favourite Austen, was a critique on slavery and English people profiting of slavery in the Empire's colonies. It's a very subtle critique because she was a woman in Regency England. She were in a very precarious position socially (unmarried, financially unstable, etc.)
Ooooh this explains things. I feel my world view has been slightly cracked (not shattered but like shifted)
Mansfield Park is actually my favorite of Austen's works while I'm Not a fan of the others. Although, yes there is a lot of social commentary going on like some good women's lit from today, which is how I would categorize her stuff (Yes, I know they're also "classics" aka old 😉).
I am convinced that people who generalize YA as being all poorly written have not read a YA book since 2012. The category has evolved a long in the last decade. There are some incredible titles! (I also feel the need to point out as a bookseller that people miscategorize books in their mind based on this stereotype ALL THE TIME. Looking for a book they have heard is incredible? Shocked it’s in YA). Not to mention that, as a category, YA is the best place to find diverse representation of race and ethnicity, sexuality, ability, etc. And in many cases, women and POC authors get pigeonholed into YA because of the market, so there are a lot of “YA” books that don’t belong there. YA, in my opinion, is the most complex and nuanced category in literature in the way it has formed and changed in such a short time.
I don’t want Sanderson to write a sex scene either 😂😂
Joe Hill is a far better writer than his dad, but I do still enjoy Uncle Stevie’s books…that post wasn’t wrong about the redundant phrases though.
I like most of the Coleen Hoover books I've read. ( I feel like that's actually the hot take on booktube/booktok to be honest. LOL). Her books are fast paced and usually start with some really catchy scene from the first page which pulls the readers in and makes them want to figure out what is going on. I don't really think any of her couples are "goals" because they are all flawed and need therapy but so do people in the real world which is why i think so many people identify with her books. She does not have the same writing style as an author with a MFA from Columbia but not everyone wants to read books where they have to re-read a passage two or three times to truly understand it and that's ok.
Popular opinion: Watching Nigel just being a loving mama's boy gives me so much joy.
Unpopular opinion: Lessons in Chemistry was a DNF for me. So many people talk about how groundbreaking, unique, and authentic it is, and I just felt like I was reading a Lifetime movie. 🤷♀
Thank you so much for putting out content for us, Jess. I know you have been busy with work and getting settled into your house and just life, and I really appreciate you still making videos for us. You are the best!
that person about the "orange mocha chip frap" is def just hating on YA as a whole in a way that feels very "teenage girls are basic and have bad taste and I'm an intellectual actually because i like other genres"
source: I'm a barista at a barnes & noble café and that drink literally does not exist lol. mocha chip frap? we call it Java chip but okay. making it orange? not a flavour, unless you want a pumpkin spice frap for the colour and add java chips. sounds like it would slap tho so like not as insulting as they were aiming for.
to add: and if I could advise people against buying colleen hoover for all the reasons mentioned, I would. but alas, capitalism.
A LOT to unpack from those. I will choose one I feel most passionate about, and that is: in re: Great Gatsby v. Sun Also Rises. In short, apples and oranges. TSAR is one of my all time favorites, but I enjoy GG as well. But they are so different in characters, themes, and general essence, that it would be a disservice to both to compare them in that way. You go into them for different reasons. In GG, we have an unreliable narrator, and we have to draw our own conclusions about the type of man Gatsby is from a third party. We get glitz and glam, extravagance and parties, we get unrequited love, rich people literally getting away with murder, and entitlement at its finest. Whereas in TSAR, we get Hemingway's lyrical prose and delightful day to day descriptions of texture, taste, and place in Spain, a first hand experience of living as an ex-pat. We get the heartache and depression of living with a life altering injury from war. We get friendship and disillusionment. Ok, so we also get unrequited love. BUT, I'd also argue that even that isn't the whole truth as I believe Brett does love Jake, but as Jake is impotent from a war injury, Brett is unwilling commit to him. Whereas Daisy is just an entitled asshole who, I don't think, ever really loved Gatsby. Thanks for coming to my TEd talk. 😅
I have always loved Gatsby and read it many times. That may be because my interpretation is that the story is about every single character making themselves miserable pining for something they don't have and failing to recognize what they do. If that doesn't still resonate in 2022, I don't know what does.
"ALL the people who read YA and have it on their tote bags and drink orange chip fraps..." Yeah that's waaay too specific to not be about someone 😂
Nigel being amazing as per usual. He's so needy and keeps stealing the show. Love him!
Agree, and people need to stop hating on Marie Kondo 😐
@@mglarson5936 definitely! It always bothered me that she got so much hate when she was taking off, especially when it came to people like that, when there are TONS of "self-help gurus"- usually minimalists -who actually DO advocate for throwing out/donating books.
I remember so many people joking: "but should I throw out my plates and utensils since they don't give me joy?" Completely ignoring that those are pretty much essential to eating which probably DOES make you happy. Also, if that stuff doesn't give you joy while looking at it maybe you could just- I don't know -buy really nice plates and silverware that makes you happy by looking at it? I mean, I don't personally NEED that pair of chopsticks with the flowers on them, but I like looking at them while I eat.
Hard agree on Stephen King. I've read so many other horror books that really give me the "WTF just happened here" moments. Examples: "The Only Good Indians" by Stephen Grahamn Jones (seriously, please someone turn that into a limited series show), "The Beauty" by Aliya Whitely and "House of Leaves" by Mark Danielewski.
@@justpepper5126 I've heard SO many good things about House of Leaves. From what I've seen of the interior of the book, too, I'm definitely interested!
When it comes to horror and horror-adjacent stuff, I'd actually recommend Gretchen Felker-Martin's stuff to start. If that's not enough, then I'd be more than happy to recommend something more hardcore.
I've honestly considered starting a booktube channel so I could have a place to talk about the stuff I find that's published by indie publishers. And by indie, I Mean, INDIE. As in, the most mainstream publisher I can think of is Apocalypse Party Press. Because No Tiger by Mika is absolutely phenomenal.
@@pixelsbykris5494 The writing can be a slog to get through in the beginning, but 1/4 (or less) through, shit gets crazy. I feel like even the formatting of the text is meant to pull you into the existential horror that is that book. Phenomenally done and someone needs to pick it up and make it a show with ARG aspects. Like, a QR code that takes you to an artifact, source, etc. Not enough to take away from the plot of the series, but the little things that you find that make you go "oh SHIT WTF". An enhanced experience, maybe? Guillermo Del Toro bet could pull it off.
I love Nigel so much 😂. I appreciate your efforts to keep him in the video for us! Also the one that really made me mad was The Fifth Season being called generic! Wtf
Agreed! Fifth Season was amazing and I binged that whole series over about three days because I could not put them down!
The Fifth Season was SO unique and wonderful!
I'm watching this with the auto-generated closed captioning, and the phrase "nice queer fiction where no one dies" was written as "nice crucifixion where no one dies". 🤣
Nigel said "Keep it pushing, other dog! You don't want this smoke!"
My literary hot take is that people who make a show of how much they hate YA and how they're so above it and so mature are actually just insecure and desperately need a petty arbitrary marker of how much smarter they are than everyone around them. Like get over it, "YA" comprises millions of books and you think you're too good for all of them? Get real lol.
TOTALLY AGREE!!
My hot take isnt about books but about readers and it's simple: readers and writers' intelligence is overrated. Reading/writing =/= smart.
Omygurd! The house in the Cerulean Sea can be found in the kid section in bookstores in my country. Which I found a tad iffy but I also can't remember if there were sexy times in the book so couldn't be bothered to ask why they put it there. Plus we are a lot more relaxed about 'adult content' in our stories targeted for kids and teenagers than the USA seem to be.
My unpopular opinion is that toxic books are okay for adults / new adults. I dare say even young adults (16+ up). I'm perfectly okay with TW but people act like just because I enjoy toxic books it's a 1 to 1 to real life. It's giving people who play videogames are violent.
This answer right here!!! Thank you!
1000% it's not the author's fault you don't have critical thinking skills and want to idolize toxicity irl
I agree with this so hard. People can consume media that has toxic content/relationships/etc. without glorifying the toxicity. This is like the difference between saying that Fight Club is a great book/movie because of the themes that it explores/the twist/whatever vs watching Fight Club for the first time and wanting to BE Tyler Durden. The first is completely fine. The second suggests a lack of critical thinking skills and/or maturity level. No one is supposed to watch Fight Club and come away with it wanting to START a Fight Club...
Hard agree
Depends. With some books, the author is bigoted/toxic and frames the narrative to excuse, justify and glorify bad behaviour. Whilst there's nothing wrong with reading a book like that, promoting it and it's content without critical analysis makes you complicit.
I took almost the except same pic of my dog that you took of Nigel the other day 😂 I like to pretend my dog is a nosy Karen judging the neighbors and making up HOA scenarios in his head bc he’s deaf and blind and we live in a quiet neighborhood so I don’t know why he’s looking out the window but he will stretch his head like he’s really seeing something.
My sort of unpopular opinion is that middle grade is more engaging and entertaining than YA. That’s probably just personal bias but I much prefer middle grade to YA because it focuses on the plot and world rather than romantic interests.
Also, anti-audiobook people are ableist and that’s just facts. If you don’t personally like audiobooks, it’s perfectly okay, but putting it down as less “real” than reading a paper book is ridiculous. I will say that I strongly dislike how many audiobook companies are creating books as ONLY audiobooks. Books being available in multiple formats allow everyone to enjoy the books.
My take (which will probably not be popular lol) is that "classic" novels are often underappreciated by the book community (especially on BookTok). There are some people that can be total a-holes when it comes to classic novels and some people are truly snobby about it, but I think classic novels are, in general, very good. I was super weird in middle school and only read classic novels. Dickens, Austen, the Brontë sisters, and Tolstoy formed my early teen years. And I loved them. I literally read War and Peace for a book report when I was 14. I think classic novels are also a good way to learn history, different styles of writing and sentence structure, and broaden vocab. That being said, there are elements to classic novels you should keep in mind while reading. Most of the authors are white men, are privileged in some way, and some have very bad takes on sensitive issues, like racism, the way women are written, and anti-semitism. Please take historical norms into consideration while you're reading. Please don't place modern expectations on books written 200+ years ago. You should read it critically, of course, but try not to take some things as seriously as we do now. If you hate classic novels, I totally get it lol (there's some I hate too). If you'd like to read classic novels, I would recommend the female writers of this time. They are brilliant and often better than their male counterparts. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre", Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma", and Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" are all great places to start. Happy reading!! 😊
1) Colleen Hoover - every single word that was said was true, for me personally when you are young reading those books you thing omg this is so cute he did that for her that's goals cause these are books they are ''perfect'' nothing wrong can be done in it cause it's about true love and you don't see red flags cause you don't know they are red flags ( I know I didn't in highschool...)
2)audiobooks - my atenttion spand is so small sometimes i need good 20min to read 2 pages and focus and go on so personally like you said, when I'm doing something simple like loading up washer or dryer I listen to audiobooks cause even if I lost my focust for a second I go back cause the story is gonig but if I was reading I would zone out for at least 5-10min, usually I have a book ro read while listening to audiobook and that is the best for me or just audiobook and those lines that I want to come back too I write down chapter and go back to it
Also truly loved the floor setting because I loved seeing Nigel walk around! I love frenchies, we have three at work (doggy daycare) and for being such a specific shape of dog, they all have such unique looks! Nigel is a fine specimen, truly A Good Boy
I see some folks praising Colleen's work but when i actually look at the takes with exerts it reinforces my decision to not get into her books. And personally, audiobooks have made it easier for me to read just cause i dont want to stare at my phone/computer for longer than i need to
Agree! I commute about 50 minutes one way so audio-books have made it so much easier for me to read
on the Murakami one, I thought it was just generally agreed upon that Murakami's books (some, not all) are surrealist lol. That's how I've been referring to them for years.
On the topic of audiobooks, listening to an audiobook while reading the physical book has become my preferred way to read now, because it helps me retain the most information and keeps me focused the best. I have to get the timing right with my library holds on audiobooks, but it's wild how much information I used to miss when reading books with my eyes only. I probably listen to more audiobooks now than actually sitting down and reading, because I can listen to audiobooks at work, and I think I still retain more listening (and I, too, go back and relisten to sections often). I think the whole "what type of learner are you" thing has been debunked, but at least for me, audiobooks are great for retaining info.
Yes, learning styles theory has been thoroughly debunked - it's easy to find a ton of scientific studies and reviews on it. You can still prefer one over the other but that doesn't result in you learning better through that preferred modality.
In conclusion, just do whatever you prefer and have fun U.U
Personally, I found Sharp Objects a more engaging read than Gone Girl, but I attribute that to the depiction of an adult who struggles with self-harm. And while the portrayal of self-harm may be problematic - I can't say, it's been years since I read it - it was the first work of fiction that I'd read with that representation in an adult. It made the character more relatable to me.
My hot take: some of the episodes of Love, Death + Robots are written better than a lot of books I have read: specifically "Sonnie's Edge", "Jibaro" (and that one doesn't even have WORDS, lmao), "The Witness", "Beyond the Aquila Rift", "The Dump", "Shape-shifters", "Fish Night", "Lucky 13", "Zima Blue", "Ice Age", "The Secret War", "Ice", "The Tall Grass", "All Through The Night", "The Drowned Giant", "Bad Travelling", "Swarm", and "Mason's Rats" (that one's actually written by Joe Abercrombie) are some of the best short storytelling in visual form.
This was so fun!💖💖💖📚📚📚And no, The Fifth Season is absolutely not generic!!!
i disagree with the house in the cerulean sea take. i read it and for me it didn't felt like YA and i feel like the only reason some people see it as such is because we normalized the fact that books for adults needs to be dark or a realistic depiction of adult life. fantasy, especially fun fantasy is seen as a genre for children and teens and something you need to grow out of. the depiction of adults didn't felt childish just humorous and fun, theres more to adult life than sex, trauma and work.
If I could like this more times I would 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 most people think that a good adult book = dark(trauma porn) and they’ll say it’s “realistic” , idk about you but feeling the crushing weight of capitalism and the monotony of work is pretty real to me lol
@@dionnadays8908 I agree completely. The book has adult themes and some dark moments but because it focuses on the happy moments of life people think its not à proper adult fantasy
if someone told me the house on the cerulean sea was originally YA but just marketed to adults because the protagonist is middle aged, i'd believe them without question. i actually liked the book. it's extremely cute and fun. but there's this flatness and oversimplification of the way the world works that's jarring to see in an adult novel. it sets out to talk about complex issues in the real world, but reads like an old fairytale (no nuance was a stylistic choice that made sense for children's stories, see the problem?). it gives "watered down social message bc teens just need to get introduced to these ideas". this kind of cartoonish vibe would also work perfectly in a "family friendly" or kids movie. honestly maybe they should adapt it
Nigel's lil growl 🥰
I def agree abt house on the cerulean sea like i remember enjoying it but even in the moment it felt like a middle-grade book or YA at most, I didn’t even realize it was technically classified as adult
I was today years old when I learned it was considered adult fiction 😅. I listened and thought it was an enjoyable YA story🤷🏾♀️
I read House on the Cerulean Sea to middle schoolers as a summer camp counselor; it was the assigned book for all kids under 14, so I straight-up didn't know it was marketed for adults, and in reading it, there were a few language choices (mostly the continued use of the word 'bastard,' which is a fairly low-level swear word, and some really anatomical sexual references meant to be a joke about little kids saying 'inappropriate' or shocking things) that didn't feel wholly aimed at that age group. It's definitely an odd bird - if it's for kids, having adult protagonists is a step outside the box, and if it's for adults, the voice is definitely a little too simple to fit the mold. It's not a bad book by any means, but it feels more like a book in the mold of family movies from the early 2000s than strictly a MG/YA/Adult lit offering.
That Little Women take has changed my life. It really does have all the ingredients.
The Redditor with the list chose violence-they sound so fed up lol.
And I find that the take on audiobooks depends on so many different factors: mainly learning and comprehension style (if you’re using the VARK model-I know some people think it should be thrown out-it’s probably very good for people that are primarily or solely auditory learners and they probably retain a lot, but for me, a reading/writing, visual, and kinaesthetic learner, my brain feels like it’s sliding off of the narrator’s voice or I have to be in a very specific state of focus). Other factors may be whether you’re using another medium alongside, the skill of the narrator, and other audio elements. I don’t personally think any one medium is better than the other, but I think the sentiment expressed by the Redditor feels sort of prevalent and I think it intimidates people who find reading in the traditional sense difficult or just aren’t as confident in their reading ability, potentially turning them away from enjoying and experiencing books and the bookish community. When you intersect it with good or bad taste, it’s a whole other monster.
This was a great video because Reddit takes simply give, for better or worse. Would love to see another one, but generally, I’m loving all the new content you’re putting out. Ty💚💚
The sinking feeling of seeing your dog eating something while standing somewhere where nothing should be eatable....twice now when I've yelled "what did you just eat?!"at my dog the answer was "a wasp" and we then had to go get a cortisone injection from the vet.
Lord Nigel is so cute, quirky and funny....it's always good to see him.
I agree with all the takes on Colleen Hoover, I will never get the hype around her or the success. There are just so many better romance/women's fiction authors. I don't see why Stephen King is so successful, the plots sound great, but I haven't loved any of his books. I have read at least 9 and tried some of his other books. They just aren't very interesting and are not compelling. I haven't loved any of Brandon Sanderson's work yet, but I've got The Way of Kings to try. The whole audiobooks argument just annoys me, some people like myself can retain the information. Even if someone can't retain it and still uses audiobooks what does it matter to anyone else. The whole thing just reeks of elitism, and it always leads back to audiobooks not being real reading (which they are). Great video, Jess. 💖
I didn't think "The House in the Cerulean Sea" was as good as everyone told me it was. I don't think it was bad, but I definitely didn't enjoy it at the level I was led to believe I would. And I had to wonder: who was it written for? It read like YA but was an adult MC and his pseudo-love story and character arc, so... ???
My husband listens to audiobooks at 3 time speed or more. He’s dyslexic. I fall asleep to audiobooks. So now often I’ll read the book out loud to him so we are both retaining it!
Fun fact: I've read that The Great Gatsby was inspired by Le Grand Meaulnes(1913), one of the most sold books of French litterature. I feel I need to read TGG in English to figure out if this is likely. The name structure is the same and there is an incredible party and doomed love story in both.
Nigel eating things in the background took me out lol😂
"If it's an erotica, get to the banging."
😂 we know why we're here!
The part about Reese’s book club not being good- I disagree. Yes there’s always a few duds when you’re selecting so many books in a year but overall it slaps when it comes to selections.
I call BS on YA books being lesser than the "adult" books. YA came into popularity after I was out of that age range, so I never experienced reading that genre. I do read a YA book or two a year mostly by accident because I like dark academia and murder blog storylines. I can tell you that those YA books are better plotted with better dialogue and certainly have a better writing style than many of the adult best sellers. Looking at you, Colleen Hoover.
11:23 this person was hurt by someone and never recovered 😂
The magical realism one is because if it's not Latinx, it's not MR, it's surrealism.
I think Magical Realism outside of the Latin American tradition is called marvelous realism or fabulism. Surrealism is a bit different than that.
Did not know this! Thank you!
is that because magical realism was invented in latin america and therefore there's something inherently latinx about it? if you don't mind explaining, i love those type of books
@@andrewf7732 Thanks! I always get surrealism and fabulism mixed up!
@@melonramune That's my understanding. Since magical realism is tied to Latin American writing tradition, people try to use that terminology only for those books. Books with a similar style rooted in other cultures are given a different name. That said, magical realism is more widely known and understood so people still use it for any book that falls in that category.
I thought the house in the cerulean sea was marketed as YA? At least to me it was and I LOVED IT. I usually read “adult” fiction but I just don’t get why adults can’t have fluffy cute books?!
The Count of Monte Cristo is definitely long and plotty and moralistic but it's just so fun. It's just 1000 pages of the wildest stuff
I was a bookseller at b&n and I 100% judged people for their book tastes. I knew everything I needed to know in the 2 mins I scanned and bagged your stuff.
Man! I do love Gatsby!!!! And I love The Sun Also Rises. I don’t know that SAR is better though? But yes to Fitzgerald’s other works are also top tier!!! 🎉🎉
I think the audiobook person doesn't know that people learn and retain information better in some formats than others, and it's not the same for everyone. Some people are visual learners, and we saw a rise in those types of learners as visual media exploded a couple decades ago. But other people are audio learners, and DO retain better when they listen versus read.
Most of the 'hot takes' that were just slamming popular stuff are probably people who like to think they have better taste than 'the masses' but honestly it's okay to just not like the same things as everyone else, that doesn't mean what they like is bad I mean did Oprah break into your house and assault you with a copy of Gone Girl or something?
And for the Sanderson hate, I think those are just pretentious fantasy fans who prefer GRRM or The Name of the Wind or something more obscure. Because Sanderson's fantasy is ACCESSIBLE; people who would be intimidated by GoT or NotW or LotR can easily pick up and enjoy a Sanderson fantasy, and honestly I think that's GREAT. More fantasy fans is never a bad thing! This is coming from someone who got back into enjoying reading via the Mistborn trilogy, so I will never accept unjustified Sanderson slander lol.
I'm sorry but Nigel looks like Hank Hill in that photo that you took.
I agree with the argument that it's harder to retain information listening to an audiobook. I'd say that it's certainly a valid way to consume books, but the comment was right that it's different, and unless you're a heavy auditory learner you're losing something listening instead of reading. That being said, I've consumed audiobooks all my life, and it's helped my pronunciation and diction a great deal.
Hi Jess and Nigel!
Rolling my eyes at the audiobok comment. Zero people will know if I've physically read or listened.
I love Sanderson’s books but I agree, please don’t write sex scenes Brandon NO ONE wants that.
Second how DARE they call the 5th Season generic! They obviously didn’t read it or haven’t read that much at all, I haven’t read anything else like it.
Not only do I agree with the hot take on Stephen King, I think that the poster was being generous lol I read and loved Carrie and Firestarter when I was in 3rd grade (I know, I was too young). Then I read Cujo, Misery, Geralds Game, blah, blah, blah and I thought they were boring. As an adult, I tried to read some of his short story anthologies. If you like Stephen King DEFINITELY don't read his short story anthologies! They make it even more apparent that his writing is repetitive and redundant! A couple years ago, I forced myself to read It, I was traumatized by the movie when I was very young and the book as always freaked me out. The book is just horrific. I contemplated THROWING THE BOOK AWAY instead of donating it! I did not throw it away and I sold it to a local used book store (which, I then refused to take the $$ for it because I hate that book so much).
Also, I listen to YA thrillers on audiobook because I hate reading them. They are always just so predictable and boring. Of course there are good ones out there, I really enjoy Mindy McGinnis for example. However, when I am doing the dishes, walking, doing some type of chore, a good YA thriller on 2x speed can be enjoyable.
I’m a “yes and amen” to that House in the Cerulean Sea take. That is a children’s book.
Hi Nigel! So cute. As opposed to the poster who hates Little Women and Jane Eyre, my two favorite classics. They can bite me. 😁
If I'm reading an audiobook I'll constantly go back to relisten to a line so I can write it down, i do agree tho that if i have to read an audiobook over a few days i definelty think about it more, whereas if I have the day off and end up listening to an audiobook in one day, i kind of can't remember anything thag happened within a few months
I read the Great Gatsby in 2020 and really liked it. I wish it had been longer though because the ending was a little rushed. I haven’t read The Sun Also Rises, but I read the Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway around the same time as Gatsby and hated it so much I would need to be forced or convinced to pick up something else by him.
Really sick of all the people hating on YA. It's perfectly fine if you don't like YA, but some of these comments felt like they were judging people for liking YA or certain kinds of books. If people are enjoying reading some YA, why do you feel the need to rain on their parade?
This is so dumb, but one of your videos just popped up in my recommendations and when you mentioned you lived abroad, i checked your bio to see where, and when you mentioned your “Frenchie co-host Nigel” i assumed France….so seeing that THIS is Nigel the Frenchie is hilarious 😂😂😂
TBH I see where that person is coming from about YA being used as an excuse to write badly even if their overall tone is kinda mean.
I think the quality (or lack thereof) of YA or any other category has fuck all to do with which group age it's meant for. The reason publishers and authors alike keep gravitating towards YA (and not, say, MG or children's books as much) is because that's what became suddenly profitable 10ish years ago and at some point it went from having writers interested in writing for or about teens to a horde of people interested in making a profit. I disagree when people defend poorly written YA novels because oh it's for teens you're not allowed to expect better and I also disagree when people put them down because oh it's for teens who can possibly expect better. I don't automatically struggle to read from a 12 year old's perspective just because I don't quite remember what it's like to be 12 but that's because that character is probably written by somebody actually interested in telling stories about 12 year olds and that shows. I imagine a lot of the bad YA novels feel half baked because those writers don't know how to write for teens and aren't writing for adults and end up appealing to neither group. It's the how do you do fellow kids of it all.
I recently read, the society of irregular witches and felt it did The house by the cerulean sea better. It has a lot of the same aspects, found family,love story,orphans I just feel like society did it much better
For Gatsby:
EYE recommend Anne-Marie McLemore's retelling "Self-Made Boys." It makes SO MUCH more sense with a cast of POC and queer identities.
I feel like the person who hates Little Women & Jane Eyre just hates women lmao
Stephen king is very hit or miss. I’ve only just read my first Sanderson and it was Tress Of The Emerald Sea and it was beautiful. I loved it so much I made my husband read it too so we could share it.
Who on earth is calling The Fifth Season GENERIC?! I am fully galled. Also the Sanderson haters really do come out of the woodwork on threads like this. I very much enjoy Sanderson even if he's not my absolute favorite or anything, he writes some really fun popcorn fantasy that's easy to read and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't really know many people who speak of him more strongly than that, most of the praise is for his consistency in producing books which I guess might set some people off (looking at you, Rothfuss and Martin stans).
That comment about the Tattooist of Auschwitz reminds me of the episode of Ricky Gervais' 'Extras' with Kate Winslet where she says that doing a holocaust movie guarantees you an Oscar - and then in real life she did go on to win awards for a holocaust movie. Would have liked to know more about how that person thinks people read Jane Austen wrong - what is it we are reading wrong I wonder?
Jane Eyre is my favorite classic.
The Person with the Adults reading YA comment needs to chill. People who say stuff like that are probably the same people that buy Mickey Mouse ears at disney Land and say Lion King is the best movie ever made
I am very glad you had that reaction to the fifth season being "generic" because I was going through the exact same thing
LIKE MAYBE YOU DON'T LIKE IT BUT "GENERIC" WHAT
oh man yeah everybody's doing apocalyptic sentient earth rock magic science-fantasy, getting so sick of it, she's clearly just ripping off ????, ????, and ???UUUUh???
LIKE THERE'S A REAL CONTINUITY IN HER WORK FROM GENE WOLFE/OCTAVIA BUTLER/AA ATTANASIO ETC BUT THAT ISN'T AND HAS NEVER BEEN THE DOMINANT MODE OF SF/F AAAAAH
Thank you! I felt the same. I do also know I'm a huge Jemison fangirl, so im biased. But fuck. I was like in what universe is it generic?!!!!! Feels like there's an undertone of racism with that one.
The Murakami one is interesting, because I actually was trying to read the memory police but never finished (just ended up being in the mood for something more lighthearted but hope to come back to it some day). Magical realism is one of my favorite genres but but I wasn't getting magical realism vibes from this book. I haven't read any other from Murakami though so I'm definitely not qualified! Also if someone has a good magical realism rec let me know! :)
Hii the memory police is by Yoko ogawa not Murakami
Here's another Hot Take for ya, when you've read Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises, or ANY book, in an academic setting, and had to write papers, analysis, and had nuanced discussions with people, it gives you a different view of those works. I'd argue that's the truth for any type of reading or study. And love or hate them, I believe that informs how you read and form your opinions about books in a very meaningful way.
I know my writing can be pretty dry at times cause i suck at poetic imagery but i really want to get better at prose and writing more complex scentences but i get soo stuck sometimes its infuriating
Nigel is the best reader sidekick.
One way to avoid unputdownable I guess is mentioning words like fast pacing, exciting, compelling, idk tho I have to write tons of reviews for work (bookstore) so sometimes you just get tired of thesaurusing 😅
To say that the 5th Season is generic is ridiculous. It's the first book that I've read in years that's felt fresh and new.
I read The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises in the first semester of my undergrad, one after the other. I liked Gatsby but not The Sun Also Rises, but I do think I have a bit of a grudge against Hemingway.
The video is great, also, Nigel has very floppy ears and he's a cute lil guy.
Adam driver 🤣🤣🤣
My hot take is that the enemies-to-lovers trope is overrated. Or at least just so poorly done. And it oversaturates all the recommendations on booktok. It's just so easy to devolve into some sort of toxic, abusive relationship. I get a little uncomfortable reading it. Sometimes I like rivals to lovers or something with characters at opposite ends of a conflict, but even then I don't seek the tropes out voluntarily because they never hit quite right
I tried to read counte of monte cristo cause it was the only movie in history class that i liked but i could not get through it