Finally had time and space to watch this and oh what a joy! So many books on my TBR and a few others added to my list :) I received Study for Disobedience for Christmas and I’m itching to pick it up soon!
I love love love to see non-brazilian people reading Clarice Lispector and loving her. She's such a tresure ❤ I love your recs and subscribed to your channel already
ugh this is an incredible list!! going to be adding so many of these to my tbr especially from your nonfiction list!! hope 2024 is a stellar reading year for you 🤩
Just found this video on my feed, and subscribed: I'm interested in the reading reflections of anyone who loves Lispector! She's become one of my all-time favorites in the last couple years. G.H. was the first thing I read from her (about two years ago), and I went on to read everything she wrote. (Except her correspondence. I can't read Portuguese, and New Directions still has yet to translate it, ach!) In fact, this past semester, I taught G.H. in a seminar on philosophy (my field) and literature that was focused entirely on Lispector. But I find that she doesn't appeal to everyone - not even to most of my friends whose literary tastes otherwise overlap pretty substantially with mine. I look forward to seeing more of your videos!
she’s definitely not everyone’s bag, but i think those of us who like her do so quite fiercely. a philosophy seminar centered lispector sounds fabulous to me! thanks for subscribing! i suspect if you liked this vid/these books, you’ll like my others bc this is very much my vibe :)
I was waiting for this list. You're fabulous with great reviews, recommendations, and personality. I've added Quicksand and a few more . Thank you. Happy New Year!😊❤
Your thumbnail is so sweet 😍 close to the knives sounds v compelling and i will definitely have to keep my eyes peeled for that. What a reading year, sophie!
thank you! pink and shiny eyed and excited to share my favorite books!! let me know if you end up reading close to the knives - i’d be really really curious to see what you think!
I've read Katalin Street as one of my very last books of 2023. I loved it! It is not an easy read, it requires patience from the reader to understand what's going on and some parts are difficult, but that patience is well rewarded. Quiet but deeply sorrowful is a book that will stay with me for a while, and I'll need to reread it at some point. This was my first one of Szabo, but definitely, I'm looking forward to read more from her.
What a great list! I added many of these titles to my to-read shelf for 2024. It sounds like you had a great reading year! I read The Door by Szabo this year and loved it, and (almost) three out of the four Neapolitan novels, which have been standouts.
glad to hear some of these made yr upcoming tbr! i read 2 of the 4 neapolitan novels this year and also loved them, and read and loved the door last year (i think it made my top books list?)
sophie, so many books that made it to your favs that i NEED to get to. they can't kill us till they kill us! i'm a fan! still born! hearing you talk about all these books is making me wanna just curl up and get to reading!!
i absolutely love to hear this! i really got a lot out of these books, and it’s definitely my hope that i can help convince others to pick them up 🥰 (and also just read in general - something i love about best books lists is that you get to see people be really enthusiastic about their reading, and that’s contagious, even if you don’t plan to read the books mentioned)
@@ebonykenae i saw água viva in yr pile!👀 have you read boulder or passing? i’m looking forward to yr thoughts on whichever of these you do pick up! also looking forward to watching yr top books video - i’m making my way through my subscriptions little by little lol
as soon as i saw you were on the throne, i knew i would be taking notes. very into the sound of ugly feelings and they can't kill us until they kill us. a good essay collection is the way to my heart! x
the throne means important business! i think you’ll def get a lot out of both ugly feelings and they can’t kill us - they’re very much within yr interests re subject matter, and also very good reads on a writerly level
Still Born and If an Egyptian are two of my favourites of the year, too. I've been seeing They Can't Kill Us... around for ages but only started hearing what it's about more recently. I think you're the third person I've heard rave about it lately, so I'll have to try it. My absolute favourite this year has been Voyager by Nona Fernandez. I think you'd love it too. She plays with structure and obfuscation really well. So in control with a really fine touch.
have added voyager to my tbr, bc it sounds definitely like something i’d like. memory? storytelling? political narrative? personal history? you’ve tailored your rec well - thanks!
If Egyptians cannot speak English is also one of my favourites this year! I also read Quicksand (and Passing - both amazing and beautifully writen) and Simple Passion. Close to the knives and Too much and not in the mood are waiting on my bookshelf. I know I'll defenetly love Close to the knives when I'll read it. :) I really want to read I'm a Fan and Katalin Street. And many more of course :) I had great reading year, there are so many amazing books outthere! Thanks for your videos and happy New Year!🥳🤍
@@bibliosophie yes, I read The Door, what a book!! I was so confused reading it and really hooked. What a strange and toxic relationship they had. What a character is Emerence! Szabo truly is an amazing and complex writer and I'm looking forward to read more of her work.
I am starting my own channel on Friday or Saturday of this week! I will have many recommendations from my favorites of 2023. I am thrilled I stumbled across your beautiful channel. All my best....@@bibliosophie
An inspiring list- thank you! I'm currently reading Barbara Comyn's A Touch of Mistletoe and loving it so far. Have a great new year and I look forward to watching your channel in 2024. 😊
thanks for watching! you got me down a whole barbara comyns rabbit hole bc i confess i’d never heard of her (or forgot her perhaps). i’ve put her in my ever-growing tbr pile. thanks for telling me about a touch of mistletoe!
@@bibliosophie Ooh this is exciting! I hope you pick something up by her. I also have a copy of Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead, which sounds fantastic, too. Happy rabbit-holing!
@@oliviaturner3345 I realized I have actually heard of our spoons came from woolworths a bit via youtube. but yes, I hope I dig into at least one of her books soon!
Permafrost has been in my top list too! And I loved Study for Obedience too. I really have to get to They Can't Kill Us, Until They Kill Us. I loved A Little Devil in America so much and Hanif Abdurraqib's writing is absolutely marvellous.
Yay! Your list! I too am such a fan of Eva Balthasar. I feel like shes an author for me. I’m glad to be reminded of If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English. I meant to get to it and then didn’t. You’re convincing me to put Magda Szabo bk on my whiteboard to try it out. I tried The Fawn and for some reason, it didnt click. Kate Briggs: I can’t wait to dip into her this yr. I’m reading a couple of her works with a read-a-long group starting in Jan. I’m looking forward to it! Maybe this is the year I will finally read Too Much & Not The Mood. 😊😊 There’s so many fantastic recommendations here in the non-fiction realm. A literal non-fiction playground of book choices. So exciting!
i didn’t get on magnificently with the fawn at first - i ended up liking it a lot, but still, it wasn’t a total love affair. i think there’s something additive about reading her, too, and sort of a slow burn. i think i’d recommend abigail or the door if you want to give szabó another try
too much and not the mood is quite a fast read, so i think it’s well worth adding to yr nonfiction roster! the nonfic playground i present definitely centers around a couple of themes, but hey, i like what i like. :)
Sis, the notes being jotted! The recommendations being taken! This vid added some real heft to my tbr list and im not even a lil mad about it. I reallllllly have to try Permafrost sooner rather than later. Also have been meaning to read Quicksand, thank you for the reminder and great motivation! And love your words on Nettel. That book is so dang special. Excited to see what you pick up in 2024!
I love it I love it I love it! the good news is that a lot of these books are pretty short so the tbr doesn't get too cumbersome? we should read something together in the new year! (and also meet!)
@@bibliosophie literally hopped off this vid last night and right onto thrift books, so excited for the soph-haul 😂 YESSSSS! Also Im awful, life got so hectic after summer Im sorry! But sí please, lets def! Maybe we do a lil IRL buddy read chat?!? Is that too nerdy?? Why am I overly-excited about that 😂
@@katsfieldnotes ha ha i have done the youtube video to thriftbooks or library pipeline pipeline many times, i feel you irl buddy read chat sounds utterly delightful. little bev, little book, little conversation ✨ got any books in mind that you’d like company for?
I want to read like EVERY book you are talking about 😳 especially Clarice Lispector, Guadalupe Nettel and Magda Szabó sound super interesting 🐈⬛🐦⬛ I already own “I’m a Fan” so maybe I should start with this one tho Great list!!! have a great 2024🎉
Love this list! I've read a few of these and recently bought Violent Phenomena after your review. I've had Close to the Knives on my TBR for ages and must get to it! Happy new year! Siân
oh yes, close to the knives is definitely one of those classics I absolutely see you reading at some point (or would have assumed you'd already read!) happy new year to you both, and thanks for watching/commenting so actively and thoughtfully these past few months! been lovely to get to know yr channel and hear from you on mine
i’ll be really curious to know what you think. it’s def been divisive, and i absolutely can’t guess where you’ll fall. did you ever read the coming bad days by bernstein? i always always associate you with too much and not the mood. your love for it is really what convinced me to read it, and, more superficially, the purple on the cover reminds me of you!
New subscriber here. I wish I could read better in French so that I can read Pierre Adrian's book. I enjoyed this video and I will go back and watch some of your other ones.
Love this list! I can tell that your best books are likely to work for me too because I am also a fan of Amina Cain, Elena Ferrante, Durga Chew-Bose and Sarah Bernstein.
@@bibliosophie I’m still working on my top list (so hard to narrow it down to a manageable size) but probably my top two are No Friend but the Mountains (Behrouz Boochani) and Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns.
@@lindysmagpiereads i just subscribed to yr channel, so i’ll keep an eye out for your favorites list ha ha (and other videos) i very much empathize with the difficulty of narrowing down favorites…
I LOVE listening to you talk about books. I especially love your Francophone African recommendations because that's an ocean of literature I'm hoping to get into. Happy reading, Sophie! ❤ Edit: My original comment mentioned Francophone African authors, but I really appreciate your celebration of northern and central African authors (whether they are Francophone or not.) Since I'm southern African, I'm really hoping to immerse myself in different experiences of the Continent.
thank you! i’m really glad to hear this! i admit that african literature is definitely a comparative blindspot for me, so i’m looking to read more. with that in mind, got any recommendations? :)
@@bibliosophie This is a super late reply, because I was mulling over the types of books I thought you'd like based on the reading you share here. -"Collective Amnesia" by Koleka Putuma (Afro-feminist poetry, sub-Saharan context) - "Disgrace", "The Childhood of Jesus" and "Elizabeth Costello" by JM Coetzee (lyrical, philosophical and insightful author. Has been listed for the Booker a few times, won the Nobel Prize for Literature.) - "Living, Loving & Lying Awake at Night" by Sindiwe Magona. A mix of tragic and humourous vignettes that show South African women's experiences. Happy reading!
yes! i want to know what you think! it seems mostly that people like if an egyptian (at least in my tiny slice of internet), but i’m a fan is much more divisive even amongst people whose tastes i mostly share
ceci un excellent premier livre pour découvrir lispector ! (je réponds en français parce que je comprends assez bien le portugais quand je le lis mais je ne le parle pas du tout !)
Ok I loved this set of books BUT the real number one in this video is that throne you’re sitting on!!! *Love* to see I’m A Fan up there - glad that’s the one we had in common 👏 I am intrigued by Lispector, but also scared… it sounds like the sort of thing that would just go over my head. But lovers of Lispector REALLY love her so maybe I should give her a go.
ha ha ha yes, the throne felt appropriate for this particular video theme! (it's not hugely comfortable for me bc I'm unable to sit like a normal person in most moments of my life...)
lispector lovers really love her indeed -- we have a sort of religious and rabid zeal. (I wonder if that's also a little scary in itself?) frankly, I think if you pick up one of her novels, a lot of it will go over yr head, bc I think it goes over anyone's head. but think of that as diving into water: it's over yr head, it's between yr fingers, it's soaking into yr head. if you can let it be an experiential rather than purely logical/narrative experience, it's easier. and I think that's why we love her so much: we're forced to set aside some of her critical brain while also being forced to think *a lot*
@@bibliosophie Maybe a challenge for myself in 2024... I am too much of a logical it-must-surely-make-sense kind of reader, but I know that means I miss out on some great stuff!
@@benreadsgood i say try something outside your usual, but perhaps it just won’t do it for you. which i think is fine. we should broaden our horizons, but we’re allowed our limits. i’m seldom venturing into very plotty books with large world building, and that definitely means i miss many reading experiences
omg yesss read baldwin - fiction and nonfiction. hit me up if you want a buddy or taskmaster. would happily read more and/or reread any baldwin i’ve already read based on yr reaction to days of abandonment, i think you’ll like study for obedience. unhinged, queasy energy and re szabó, i say start with the door. and join yena, kiran, nathan and i in #szabó2024 !
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ALL YEAR!!! eep! shocked to see GH take over A Breath of Life??? a TWIST i say!!! in our recent zoom chat, i wholeheartedly agree that A Breath of Life, in itself, could also be deemed a perfect novel given whole closely it ties with the time she wrote it in her life. i really need to pick up that Cain. love a book that pushes you to read more and more and more and with that, i hope 2024 is a grand year of books for you. cheers and love to you, ma chérie~~!
"The Passion According to GH" might be too close to home for me I am the guy who turns every dead bug into yet another pondering of the order of things under God or the lack of it. I finally get the full meaning of the term "meh" after this book year the standouts were few and the "mehs" were many for me, I just peer forward to better. That looks like a royal chair you are sitting in appropriately enough, you are the Queen of your corner of Booktube where you read precisely what you want without regard to age or popularity, keep up the great work and happy new year 🎉🎊
yes, it sounds like perhaps you’re not in the market for the particular brand of existential crisis that lispector brings up… sorry for yr meh reading year, and i hope 2024 brings about more inspiring reading experiences! so mote it be from book review throne!
thanks for the reminder! funnily, i have learnt this, and i pronounce various hungarian words/names (liszt!) correctly, but for no particular reason say szabó and szerb with a french/english mispronunciation. i should break the habit :)
that’s very interesting! i don’t particularly seek out translated books, but i definitely read a number, and as this list shows, really like some. what was some standout translated writing for you this year?
youve probably read it but "Tender is the Flesh" is my favorite read of all time and i just found it this year. It was originally spanish hence why the main character is addicted to Mate haha @@bibliosophie
right?! i had the thought while making my list that reading it feels like an eternity ago. would definitely love to read something with you again this coming year - let me know if you think of something, and i will too 💗
the taste!!!!!!!! i havent seen you around before but i'm gonna be stopping by for recs more often 👀
welcome! i look forward to watching yr videos, too, bc we obviously have some overlapping tastes based on thumbnails:)
Finally had time and space to watch this and oh what a joy!
So many books on my TBR and a few others added to my list :) I received Study for Disobedience for Christmas and I’m itching to pick it up soon!
💕 i saw this in yr insta haul! (also apple in the dark, which i’ll probably get to this year)
I love love love to see non-brazilian people reading Clarice Lispector and loving her. She's such a tresure ❤ I love your recs and subscribed to your channel already
hi! welcome! thanks for visiting 🥰
I was looking forward to this one!
and here it is! 🍾
@@bibliosophie ta-daaah!
ugh this is an incredible list!! going to be adding so many of these to my tbr especially from your nonfiction list!! hope 2024 is a stellar reading year for you 🤩
✌️ yeehaw! love to hear it!
def looking forward to yr upcoming list for some good ideas. wishing you a good reading year to come too!
Just found this video on my feed, and subscribed: I'm interested in the reading reflections of anyone who loves Lispector! She's become one of my all-time favorites in the last couple years. G.H. was the first thing I read from her (about two years ago), and I went on to read everything she wrote. (Except her correspondence. I can't read Portuguese, and New Directions still has yet to translate it, ach!) In fact, this past semester, I taught G.H. in a seminar on philosophy (my field) and literature that was focused entirely on Lispector. But I find that she doesn't appeal to everyone - not even to most of my friends whose literary tastes otherwise overlap pretty substantially with mine. I look forward to seeing more of your videos!
she’s definitely not everyone’s bag, but i think those of us who like her do so quite fiercely. a philosophy seminar centered lispector sounds fabulous to me!
thanks for subscribing! i suspect if you liked this vid/these books, you’ll like my others bc this is very much my vibe :)
I was waiting for this list. You're fabulous with great reviews, recommendations, and personality. I've added Quicksand and a few more . Thank you. Happy New Year!😊❤
thanks so much! that’s incredibly nice to hear, and i’m glad you’ve added some ideas to your to-read list!
i need to read Magda Szabó in 2024
#szabó2024 💖
(I would buddy read/reread with you if you're interested!)
yes!! lets do it : ) @@bibliosophie
jumping on this bandwagon me tooo
@@nathansnook #szabó2024 book club !!
Your thumbnail is so sweet 😍 close to the knives sounds v compelling and i will definitely have to keep my eyes peeled for that. What a reading year, sophie!
thank you! pink and shiny eyed and excited to share my favorite books!!
let me know if you end up reading close to the knives - i’d be really really curious to see what you think!
I've read Katalin Street as one of my very last books of 2023. I loved it! It is not an easy read, it requires patience from the reader to understand what's going on and some parts are difficult, but that patience is well rewarded. Quiet but deeply sorrowful is a book that will stay with me for a while, and I'll need to reread it at some point. This was my first one of Szabo, but definitely, I'm looking forward to read more from her.
“quiet but deeply sorrowful” is a perfect description - i hope you enjoy your other szabó reads in the future!
@@bibliosophie Thank you!
What a great list! I added many of these titles to my to-read shelf for 2024. It sounds like you had a great reading year! I read The Door by Szabo this year and loved it, and (almost) three out of the four Neapolitan novels, which have been standouts.
glad to hear some of these made yr upcoming tbr! i read 2 of the 4 neapolitan novels this year and also loved them, and read and loved the door last year (i think it made my top books list?)
what a thoughtful and inspiring collection - will be reading many of these in 2024!
wonderful, I love to hear it! thanks for leaving a comment telling me 💓
sophie, so many books that made it to your favs that i NEED to get to. they can't kill us till they kill us! i'm a fan! still born! hearing you talk about all these books is making me wanna just curl up and get to reading!!
i absolutely love to hear this! i really got a lot out of these books, and it’s definitely my hope that i can help convince others to pick them up 🥰 (and also just read in general - something i love about best books lists is that you get to see people be really enthusiastic about their reading, and that’s contagious, even if you don’t plan to read the books mentioned)
@@bibliosophie YESSS absolutely, love to hear people gush about their favs bc of exactly what you said!!
such a great list!! i neeeed to read quicksand and permafrost!
also i've had agua viva for sooo long and now i'm adding G.H. and A Breath of Life to my must reads for 2024!
@@ebonykenae i saw água viva in yr pile!👀
have you read boulder or passing? i’m looking forward to yr thoughts on whichever of these you do pick up! also looking forward to watching yr top books video - i’m making my way through my subscriptions little by little lol
as soon as i saw you were on the throne, i knew i would be taking notes.
very into the sound of ugly feelings and they can't kill us until they kill us. a good essay collection is the way to my heart! x
the throne means important business!
i think you’ll def get a lot out of both ugly feelings and they can’t kill us - they’re very much within yr interests re subject matter, and also very good reads on a writerly level
Still Born and If an Egyptian are two of my favourites of the year, too. I've been seeing They Can't Kill Us... around for ages but only started hearing what it's about more recently. I think you're the third person I've heard rave about it lately, so I'll have to try it. My absolute favourite this year has been Voyager by Nona Fernandez. I think you'd love it too. She plays with structure and obfuscation really well. So in control with a really fine touch.
have added voyager to my tbr, bc it sounds definitely like something i’d like. memory? storytelling? political narrative? personal history? you’ve tailored your rec well - thanks!
re they can’t kill us until they kill us, i also very much recommend a little devil in america, if you haven’t read that collection of essays!
If Egyptians cannot speak English is also one of my favourites this year!
I also read Quicksand (and Passing - both amazing and beautifully writen) and Simple Passion.
Close to the knives and Too much and not in the mood are waiting on my bookshelf. I know I'll defenetly love Close to the knives when I'll read it. :)
I really want to read I'm a Fan and Katalin Street. And many more of course :)
I had great reading year, there are so many amazing books outthere!
Thanks for your videos and happy New Year!🥳🤍
happy new year to you! i’ve really enjoyed seeing your monthly lists on instagram - i know you had a good reading year ha ha ha 👀
btw have you read any szabó? i can’t remember - did i see the door in your reads at some point?
@@bibliosophie yes, I read The Door, what a book!! I was so confused reading it and really hooked. What a strange and toxic relationship they had. What a character is Emerence! Szabo truly is an amazing and complex writer and I'm looking forward to read more of her work.
@@sabinagruden2702 i should read it again soon - you’re making me want to revisit it!
We share the same aesthetic regarding reading material. Outstanding video. Well done in all aspects. Thank you! Happy New Year!
thanks so much! happy new year to you! (any fav reads to recommend from your 2023 list? 😋)
I am starting my own channel on Friday or Saturday of this week! I will have many recommendations from my favorites of 2023. I am thrilled I stumbled across your beautiful channel. All my best....@@bibliosophie
@@TKTalksBooks aha! welcome to booktube! I'll have to check out yr channel when it's up and running
I got a bunch of book cash for Christmas and was trying to decide what books to get… this vid comes in perfect timing!! ❤
yessss let me influence youuuu 💓
(this is I suppose why we all do these videos at this time of the year!)
An inspiring list- thank you! I'm currently reading Barbara Comyn's A Touch of Mistletoe and loving it so far.
Have a great new year and I look forward to watching your channel in 2024. 😊
thanks for watching! you got me down a whole barbara comyns rabbit hole bc i confess i’d never heard of her (or forgot her perhaps). i’ve put her in my ever-growing tbr pile. thanks for telling me about a touch of mistletoe!
@@bibliosophie Ooh this is exciting! I hope you pick something up by her. I also have a copy of Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead, which sounds fantastic, too. Happy rabbit-holing!
@@oliviaturner3345 I realized I have actually heard of our spoons came from woolworths a bit via youtube. but yes, I hope I dig into at least one of her books soon!
what a sweet year of reading, Sophie! added many to my list
reading was good to (and for) me this year! looking forward to watching your top books vid 😘
Permafrost has been in my top list too! And I loved Study for Obedience too.
I really have to get to They Can't Kill Us, Until They Kill Us. I loved A Little Devil in America so much and Hanif Abdurraqib's writing is absolutely marvellous.
i loved a little devil in america too! always happy to hear about people who liked the bernstein bc i know it’s divisive
Yay! Your list! I too am such a fan of Eva Balthasar. I feel like shes an author for me. I’m glad to be reminded of If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English. I meant to get to it and then didn’t. You’re convincing me to put Magda Szabo bk on my whiteboard to try it out. I tried The Fawn and for some reason, it didnt click.
Kate Briggs: I can’t wait to dip into her this yr. I’m reading a couple of her works with a read-a-long group starting in Jan. I’m looking forward to it! Maybe this is the year I will finally read Too Much & Not The Mood. 😊😊
There’s so many fantastic recommendations here in the non-fiction realm. A literal non-fiction playground of book choices. So exciting!
i didn’t get on magnificently with the fawn at first - i ended up liking it a lot, but still, it wasn’t a total love affair. i think there’s something additive about reading her, too, and sort of a slow burn. i think i’d recommend abigail or the door if you want to give szabó another try
too much and not the mood is quite a fast read, so i think it’s well worth adding to yr nonfiction roster!
the nonfic playground i present definitely centers around a couple of themes, but hey, i like what i like. :)
@@bibliosophie , I'm glad to have the rec!
Sis, the notes being jotted! The recommendations being taken! This vid added some real heft to my tbr list and im not even a lil mad about it. I reallllllly have to try Permafrost sooner rather than later. Also have been meaning to read Quicksand, thank you for the reminder and great motivation! And love your words on Nettel. That book is so dang special. Excited to see what you pick up in 2024!
I love it I love it I love it! the good news is that a lot of these books are pretty short so the tbr doesn't get too cumbersome?
we should read something together in the new year! (and also meet!)
@@bibliosophie literally hopped off this vid last night and right onto thrift books, so excited for the soph-haul 😂
YESSSSS! Also Im awful, life got so hectic after summer Im sorry! But sí please, lets def! Maybe we do a lil IRL buddy read chat?!? Is that too nerdy?? Why am I overly-excited about that 😂
@@katsfieldnotes ha ha i have done the youtube video to thriftbooks or library pipeline pipeline many times, i feel you
irl buddy read chat sounds utterly delightful. little bev, little book, little conversation ✨ got any books in mind that you’d like company for?
I want to read like EVERY book you are talking about 😳 especially Clarice Lispector, Guadalupe Nettel and Magda Szabó sound super interesting 🐈⬛🐦⬛
I already own “I’m a Fan” so maybe I should start with this one tho
Great list!!! have a great 2024🎉
woohoo! i love to hear it! obviously, i think you should read every book on this list 👼
what have you read and loved recently? happy 2024 to you!
Love this list! I've read a few of these and recently bought Violent Phenomena after your review. I've had Close to the Knives on my TBR for ages and must get to it! Happy new year! Siân
oh yes, close to the knives is definitely one of those classics I absolutely see you reading at some point (or would have assumed you'd already read!)
happy new year to you both, and thanks for watching/commenting so actively and thoughtfully these past few months! been lovely to get to know yr channel and hear from you on mine
@@bibliosophie thankyou so much!! And same to you - we love your channel!
Taaaste, i have either read and lovedthe same books or they're on my tbr ♡♡
excellent! so you’ve got very good taste too! 😋
Added the Bernstein to my wishlist. Love Durga deeply. 💜💜
i’ll be really curious to know what you think. it’s def been divisive, and i absolutely can’t guess where you’ll fall. did you ever read the coming bad days by bernstein?
i always always associate you with too much and not the mood. your love for it is really what convinced me to read it, and, more superficially, the purple on the cover reminds me of you!
@@bibliosophie haven’t read the coming bad days where should I start?
Durga’s love for purple is life affirming. 💜💜
@@r.enee.morris i think both are similar in tone and what they explore: alienation, unease, antipathy
@@bibliosophieI do like the sound of all that.
New subscriber here. I wish I could read better in French so that I can read Pierre Adrian's book. I enjoyed this video and I will go back and watch some of your other ones.
welcome! glad you found me :)
(a little part of me wants to translate adrian’s book, but i suspect it will get translated at some point?)
great video! for sure some cool new recs :) would looove to know where your shirt is from! love it
it’s a shirt i thrifted years ago - i forgot the brand, but something entirely random. it’s served me well, though!
Love this list! I can tell that your best books are likely to work for me too because I am also a fan of Amina Cain, Elena Ferrante, Durga Chew-Bose and Sarah Bernstein.
yes, it seems we probably have similar tastes! what have been some of your favorite books recently, so i can take note? 👀
@@bibliosophie I’m still working on my top list (so hard to narrow it down to a manageable size) but probably my top two are No Friend but the Mountains (Behrouz Boochani) and Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns.
@@lindysmagpiereads i just subscribed to yr channel, so i’ll keep an eye out for your favorites list ha ha (and other videos)
i very much empathize with the difficulty of narrowing down favorites…
I LOVE listening to you talk about books. I especially love your Francophone African recommendations because that's an ocean of literature I'm hoping to get into. Happy reading, Sophie! ❤
Edit: My original comment mentioned Francophone African authors, but I really appreciate your celebration of northern and central African authors (whether they are Francophone or not.) Since I'm southern African, I'm really hoping to immerse myself in different experiences of the Continent.
thank you! i’m really glad to hear this! i admit that african literature is definitely a comparative blindspot for me, so i’m looking to read more. with that in mind, got any recommendations? :)
@@bibliosophie This is a super late reply, because I was mulling over the types of books I thought you'd like based on the reading you share here.
-"Collective Amnesia" by Koleka Putuma (Afro-feminist poetry, sub-Saharan context)
- "Disgrace", "The Childhood of Jesus" and "Elizabeth Costello" by JM Coetzee (lyrical, philosophical and insightful author. Has been listed for the Booker a few times, won the Nobel Prize for Literature.)
- "Living, Loving & Lying Awake at Night" by Sindiwe Magona. A mix of tragic and humourous vignettes that show South African women's experiences.
Happy reading!
@@RashmikaLikesBooks thank you! i have read books by coetzee, but koleka putuma and sindiwe magona are new to me!
Need to read If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English! Also I’m a Fan
yes! i want to know what you think! it seems mostly that people like if an egyptian (at least in my tiny slice of internet), but i’m a fan is much more divisive even amongst people whose tastes i mostly share
Amei as dicas, também comecei a ler Clarice Lispector, porém comecei por Água Viva.
ceci un excellent premier livre pour découvrir lispector ! (je réponds en français parce que je comprends assez bien le portugais quand je le lis mais je ne le parle pas du tout !)
Ok I loved this set of books BUT the real number one in this video is that throne you’re sitting on!!!
*Love* to see I’m A Fan up there - glad that’s the one we had in common 👏
I am intrigued by Lispector, but also scared… it sounds like the sort of thing that would just go over my head. But lovers of Lispector REALLY love her so maybe I should give her a go.
ha ha ha yes, the throne felt appropriate for this particular video theme! (it's not hugely comfortable for me bc I'm unable to sit like a normal person in most moments of my life...)
lispector lovers really love her indeed -- we have a sort of religious and rabid zeal. (I wonder if that's also a little scary in itself?) frankly, I think if you pick up one of her novels, a lot of it will go over yr head, bc I think it goes over anyone's head. but think of that as diving into water: it's over yr head, it's between yr fingers, it's soaking into yr head. if you can let it be an experiential rather than purely logical/narrative experience, it's easier. and I think that's why we love her so much: we're forced to set aside some of her critical brain while also being forced to think *a lot*
@@bibliosophie Maybe a challenge for myself in 2024... I am too much of a logical it-must-surely-make-sense kind of reader, but I know that means I miss out on some great stuff!
@@benreadsgood i say try something outside your usual, but perhaps it just won’t do it for you. which i think is fine. we should broaden our horizons, but we’re allowed our limits. i’m seldom venturing into very plotty books with large world building, and that definitely means i miss many reading experiences
i feel like your patronus would be Clarice Lispector
i’m absolutely chuffed and honored by this assessment (although at this point pretty disdainful of the harry potter world…)
if 2024 isnt the year of baldwin for me, i quit. You've convinced me to pick up magda szabo! you've also piqued my interest with study for obedience
omg yesss read baldwin - fiction and nonfiction. hit me up if you want a buddy or taskmaster. would happily read more and/or reread any baldwin i’ve already read
based on yr reaction to days of abandonment, i think you’ll like study for obedience. unhinged, queasy energy
and re szabó, i say start with the door. and join yena, kiran, nathan and i in #szabó2024 !
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ALL YEAR!!!
eep! shocked to see GH take over A Breath of Life??? a TWIST i say!!! in our recent zoom chat, i wholeheartedly agree that A Breath of Life, in itself, could also be deemed a perfect novel given whole closely it ties with the time she wrote it in her life.
i really need to pick up that Cain. love a book that pushes you to read more and more and more
and with that, i hope 2024 is a grand year of books for you. cheers and love to you, ma chérie~~!
the great GH coup of 2023! although, i admit my choice really boils down to variety and bc i think it’s a better entryway book 😋
i do think you’re a perfect candidate for that cain - it’s such a lit and writing nerd’s playground. it’s the collector of writers and writings
are you giving us a list at some point?!?
(why did i answer everything as a separate comment oyyy)
@@bibliosophie i want in on the nerdy playground!!!
@@bibliosophie idk how ppl be putting out lists i'm still reading for the year 😭😭😭
Great Picks! - A New Subscriber. : )
thank you! and welcome!
"The Passion According to GH" might be too close to home for me I am the guy who turns every dead bug into yet another pondering of the order of things under God or the lack of it. I finally get the full meaning of the term "meh" after this book year the standouts were few and the "mehs" were many for me, I just peer forward to better. That looks like a royal chair you are sitting in appropriately enough, you are the Queen of your corner of Booktube where you read precisely what you want without regard to age or popularity, keep up the great work and happy new year 🎉🎊
yes, it sounds like perhaps you’re not in the market for the particular brand of existential crisis that lispector brings up…
sorry for yr meh reading year, and i hope 2024 brings about more inspiring reading experiences! so mote it be from book review throne!
the sz in szabó is pronounced like s in snake or silent for example
thanks for the reminder! funnily, i have learnt this, and i pronounce various hungarian words/names (liszt!) correctly, but for no particular reason say szabó and szerb with a french/english mispronunciation. i should break the habit :)
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can u make a book recommendations about the most important queer books, poetries essays anything
that’s an excellent idea! i’d like to come up with my list and make a video at some point. thanks!
i LOVE a good translated books. Foreign writing always has an edge to it that american writing doesnt capture for me. (as an american)
that’s very interesting! i don’t particularly seek out translated books, but i definitely read a number, and as this list shows, really like some. what was some standout translated writing for you this year?
youve probably read it but "Tender is the Flesh" is my favorite read of all time and i just found it this year. It was originally spanish hence why the main character is addicted to Mate haha @@bibliosophie
@@sarasworst I've definitely heard of it, but never read it! (I don't have the courage/stomach ha ha ha)
great picks and thoughts! cant believe beale street was this year, feels like so long ago,, hope to read something else with you in ‘24 🫶🫶
right?! i had the thought while making my list that reading it feels like an eternity ago. would definitely love to read something with you again this coming year - let me know if you think of something, and i will too 💗