Thank you for sharing some of the beauties of your trip, Johanna! I’m glad that you and your husband have mostly recovered from the illness. From this video I learned what “mad scenes” are and that you’re a fan of them!
Thank you, Philip! The Lucia di Lamermoor mad scene is probably the most famous, but my ultimate favorite (that wasn't in the recital) is in Ambroise Thomas's opera, "Hamlet" (based on Shakespeare's play). It's peak craziness, and I love it! I wish I could do a full video on opera, but the copyright issues would never allow that.
Wow - what a trip! The Sydney Opera House is definitely on my bucket list. That Singapore Airlines Suite looks ridiculously great! Wow! I haven't been to south Asia either, so that's a must-do next time I visit that part of the world. East of Eden is a top 5 book of all time for me - glad you hear you talk about it. Thanks for the video!
The Sydney Opera House was a huge bucket list item for me too, and it was amazing! The orchestra was probably the best I've ever heard live. The acoustics were incredible! I was just sad not to see Beethoven's 6th, which was playing a couple of nights before. It was just so expensive! You would love Singapore, Josh!!!!
The Sydney Opera House was a huge bucket list item for me too, and it was amazing! The orchestra was probably the best I've ever heard live. The acoustics were incredible! I was just sad not to see Beethoven's 6th, which was playing a couple of nights before. It was just so expensive! You would love Singapore, Josh!!!!
Thank you! I was so excited that we got those photos with my iPhone! They sold plastic covers so you could take your device underwater. Getting sick sucked, but I'm just glad to be mostly well now!
From the stunning landscapes of Australia to the vibrant cityscape of Singapore, you took us on an incredible journey through your experiences. The way you seamlessly blended the descriptions of the books you read with the places you visited added such a unique touch to the video. It felt like I was right there with you, exploring and learning alongside you.
Loved this type of vlog/review!! Singapore is truly amazing 😍 South East Asia is one of my favourite travel destinations and I could go there again and again
Thank you so much! It makes me happy to hear you've been to Singapore, so you know exactly how amazing it is! I couldn't help but be happy exploring that beautiful city! I love traveling so much!
Last time I visited my parents in Sydney, I went to Galaxy books for the first time with my dad - the rest of the family couldn’t get us out of there! Glad you enjoyed your trip, sickness aside!
I was in Australia about 20 years ago and to this day is on my favorite destinations and hope to go back one day. I'm jealous of that Singapore Airlines suite. Hope you enjoy The Paper Menagerie. It's an excellent short story collection by one of my favorite authors.
What an awesome trip, I have to put that «Book Restaurant» in Singapore on my bucket list 😄! Wish you and your husband a quick full recovery! Hope to get to LPQ next year! In July I read: «The Strife from Camlamn» (book 2 in the «Arthurian Age», a Great Historical take on King Arthur) by Sean Poage, «Tortilla Flat» by John Steinbeck (Fiction story set among vagabonds in post-WW1 Southern California: Mostly utter hillarious, and sometimes melancholic), «The Prophet of Edan» by Philip Chase, «Under Heaven» by Guy Gavriel Kay (Inspired by the Tang Dynasty and the An Lushan Rebellion: Not only Ancient Chinese, but also Turkic, Persian and Tibetan Culture flows through his imagined world! And again, the first chapter(s) could have been an amazing short story on it’s own: I am always amazed how quickly I feel at home with his writing and characters! My book of July and might be my new book of the year 🤩!) and «Badon Hill» by «I, Anonymous» (Fun mix of mythical and historical take on King Arthur)! August has been a bit slow reading-wise so far for me, have only found time to finish one short book «The Tartar Steppe» by Dino Buzzati (a bit Kafkaesque in its futility and bureaucracy, though a lot more "aesthetic" in it's mountain fortress setting along a border about to break into war and bittersweet in its tragedy, than the dreadful grey dull paranoia of Kafka, I have the 70s movie adaptation: Gorgeous! Filmed on location at an actual ruined fortress in Iran, with a great soundtrack by Ennio Morricone!), but are well into «First Book of Lankhmar» (a «Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser» by Fritz Lieber Omnibus, Classic S&S). So I might have to push some or all of «Count Belisarius» by Robert Graves and the Tim Leach books «The Last King of Lydia» & «The King and the Slave» till next month, but should I finish at least the «Vindolandia» Trilogy by Adrian Goldsworthy this month and I am still on a «quality-wise» high from finishing «Under Heaven» last month!😄
@@Johanna_reads Very much looking forward to a future «Al-Rassan» discussion with you and Josh (Red Fury Books)! The Movie Version of «The Tartar Steppe», «The Desert of the Tartars», that I mentioned: No CGI, shot in a genuin Iranian Castle Ruin! With music by Morricone and with Max von Sydow (The Seventh Seal, Conan the Barbarian, The Exorcist!) and Jacques Perrin (Cinema Paradiso)! th-cam.com/video/sK6oKZ7Vi4I/w-d-xo.html
Just now catching this video. So sorry you and your husband ended up getting so sick, but wow this sounds like such an amazing trip! These pictures are so beautiful. All this wonderful travel and you still got some great reading done! So happy you and your husband were able to share this time together, Johanna.
Thank you, Penny! I think they showed an airplane suite in the movie, Crazy Rich Asians. I never would've dreamed I'd fly in one, but my husband worked a lot of travel hacking magic!
Hi Johanna. Welcome back. So nice to her your vacation was full of goodness (sorry to hear about the flu), and good reading. East of Eden is a Steinbeck favorite. Cathy Trask is considered to be 'the most evil woman in American fiction.' I don't remember the source of that quote.
Thank you, Curtis! Cathy Trask was one of the best evil characters I’ve read about! I really loved the Alice in Wonderland references in her storyline. Such a great book!
Wow, what a wonderful video!! Thank you so much for sharing all these clips and letting me experience parts of your exciting trip vicariously through you 🤩🤪That Singapore Airlines Suite looks absolutely fantastic, I doubt I'd even want to leave the plane hahaha. I am sorry that you both got knocked out by the flu, though I am glad that you both recovered relatively swiftly and still had a fantastic time! Also loved hearing your thoughts on these books. LPQ is just a masterpiece, no more words needed! And I am still curious about ML Wang's new book, it sounds so cool!
I'm glad you enjoyed the trip footage, Esmay! That airplane suite was so comfortable! It was hard to leave. Haha! I hope you enjoy Wang's new book. Although it wasn't my preferred type of story, I really think it had a lot of strengths and ended strong. Happy reading, Esmay! ❤️
Awesome trip, and sorry to hear about your husband's sickness! I did chuckle on the kangaroo note. Before relocating to Australia I was *so excited* about finding any kangaroo, and now it is just "meh" - especially because some roads have a high risk of kangaroos crossing wildly around, which makes it risky to drive. The books sounded very interesting. You have been discussing Abraham's quartet for a while, and it sounds worth reading. I'm a bit unsure about it, because my TBR is so huge that committing to a quartet seems... unreasonable. After your comment, I'll really need to check the audible sample, since that can be a deal breaker. I have never heard of East of Eden, but it sounded a curious read - just not up my alley. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I’m sure I sound ridiculous in my excitement over the kangaroo, but it was the only one I saw the whole trip! 😅 I enjoyed the audiobook narratation, but I can see how it wouldn’t work for some audiences. The stories are very character focused with a beautifully light touch of atmosphere. I hope you enjoy it!
Whale watching is amazing, I got the chance to do some when I visited Canada. There is certainly something to be said for enjoying the moment rather than recording the moment. Great to hear that you had a lovely holiday other than falling ill.
Thank you! Whales are incredible! The crew explained how the species of whales we were watching (humpbacks, I think) were recently removed from the endangered species list. Beautiful how they trust us and seemed to enjoy showing off!
What an amazing trip! Thank you for sharing that with us. I am hoping to pick up ML Wangs new book. Although it wasn't a favorite or yours, I appreciate the information, so I know a bit more going into it.
It's so cool that you went to Australia and Singapore. I've long wanted to go to Hong Kong and Singapore. That boating trips looks amazing; sorry to hear about your husband's flu, though. I may have to dive into the ML Wang series. I like the idea of cities powered by magic, if it's done well. Also, the "you're a female; you WOULD think that, so I can summarily discard your argument" is a fallacy called "Circumstantial Ad Hominem." I'm wondering if there was anything from Shakespeare in Mad Scenes. I would think Euripides' Medea would make for a good mad scene. Il Puritani must be from the witch trials. Lovely video! :)
Thank you, Jordan! I appreciate you letting me know about the logical fallacy “Circumstantial Ad Hominem!” I looked up logical fallacies trying to figure out which one that was, but I didn’t come across that one. Glad to learn about that! There is a mad scene for the opera, Hamlet (based on the Shakespeare play). It’s probably my favorite mad scene, but the soprano didn’t perform it. I recommend looking it up on TH-cam. The soprano, Natalie Dessay, does an excellent job with that one!
Your trip looks incredible! Sorry you guys got sick 😭 Whale watching is the best 🐳 looking forward to diving into An Autumn War. I liked Blood Over Bright Haven but definitely agree it was a bit too heavy handed and needed more nuance. Reminded me of a better Babel but still not quite what I wanted. I wish authors trying to get across these heavy subjects could trust the audience slightly more. East of Eden was so good!
Thank you, Kyle! I completely agree with you about Blood Over Bright Haven. It was like a better Babel and needed more nuance. East of Eden was such a special read. I’m still thinking about those characters!
Looks like you both had an amazing time in some beautiful spots, apart from falling sick of course (hope you fully recover soon). I have bought LPQ and hope to get to it soon, and have joined a BR of Kaigen in Oct. Otherwise I’ve somehow found myself reading Farseer 1. So good!
oh my goodness Cairns looks so beautiful!! I really want to visit there now. Sorry you and your husband got sick on the trip, but glad everyone is ok. That bookshop looked amazing! Also what a fun way to fly with that suite! Loved this reading and vacation wrap-up vid, and I'm very intrigued with the ML Wang new release and can't wait to start LPQ!
Thank you, Ben! Cairns was gorgeous, and it was such a wonderful trip overall! I’m excited to hear your thoughts about LPQ, and I also hope you enjoy the Wang book if you do pick it up!
Looks like an amazing trip despite the illnesses. We both got through a Steinbeck novel over this time. I made it through The Winter of our Discontent by him and it reminded me why he is one of my favorites. So many themes throughout. I am glad you enjoyed EoE as it really is such an amazing tale.
You’ve already had me looking up “The Long Price Quartet” but it seems hard to come by here 🇬🇧 though it seems I can get the quartet as two separate books. Quite pricey still, so haven’t yet swooped on them. Holiday flu sounds really unfortunate - it usually takes me out for about 3d in the past when I’ve had it. Not in the past decade, fortunately - so I can imagine that was a bit rough for you guys. Fancy ✈️ seats though 😮
It was no fun having the flu, but the flights were wonderful! I’m so sorry about the LPQ bindup not being avaialble. She Was Only Evie very kindly gave me the bindup now own. The two omnibus editions are the way to go! Thanks!
As someone who just spent a week with 2 sick boys with flu, my wife and myself I can't even imagine being sick on a vacation so far from home. But it sounds like you had an amazing time even with some hiccups! Cheers!
Thank you! It was the first time I've had the flu since I was a kid or teen! I am so grateful that we were still able to enjoy as much of the trip as we did!
I live in Melbourne. That sounds like a painful way to get to Australia. I've flown from New York and Montreal to Melbourne with one stop in California.
I feel like Blood Over Bright Haven dragged a bit after the twist, but I really loved it. Sword of Kaigen was also amazing despite pacing issues. If she can figure out her pacing a bit more, she'll be putting out all timers
I'm so glad you liked it! While it wasn't quite for me, there were still some entertaining moments. I thought the end tied in the themes in a satisfying way.
I did An Autumn War mostly on audio and *hated* it. I regret listening to it so much. Thankfully once i had time to switch back to physical i had a brilliant time.
It was one of those books in which the author really succeeded in telling the story they wanted to tell, but I just wasn't the right reader for it. I'd still recommend it if you think you'd enjoy it!
The bind-up is ridiculously expensive! I got mine thanks to a friend who decided it wasn't for her. The omnibus editions are affordable. The first one is called, Shadow and Betrayal: A Shadow in Summer, A Betrayal in Winter (Long Price Quartet), and it does appear to be $18.20 USD on Amazon. I hope that helps!
@@Johanna_reads Thank you for the clarification. After re-reading the other comment, I see they were referring to just book 1, and not the bind-up, which is what I want. I'll keep checking on it, in the hope that the price changes. ♥️
Looks like a trip of a lifetime! Welcome back.
Thank you so much! It was quite the journey!
what a wonderful video Johanna and thank you for showing us pieces of your trip! It looked like you had a wonderful time and I loved watching it!
Thank you, Merphy! It was a wonderful trip! ❤️
Thank you for sharing some of the beauties of your trip, Johanna! I’m glad that you and your husband have mostly recovered from the illness. From this video I learned what “mad scenes” are and that you’re a fan of them!
Thank you, Philip! The Lucia di Lamermoor mad scene is probably the most famous, but my ultimate favorite (that wasn't in the recital) is in Ambroise Thomas's opera, "Hamlet" (based on Shakespeare's play). It's peak craziness, and I love it! I wish I could do a full video on opera, but the copyright issues would never allow that.
Wow - what a trip! The Sydney Opera House is definitely on my bucket list. That Singapore Airlines Suite looks ridiculously great! Wow! I haven't been to south Asia either, so that's a must-do next time I visit that part of the world. East of Eden is a top 5 book of all time for me - glad you hear you talk about it. Thanks for the video!
The Sydney Opera House was a huge bucket list item for me too, and it was amazing! The orchestra was probably the best I've ever heard live. The acoustics were incredible! I was just sad not to see Beethoven's 6th, which was playing a couple of nights before. It was just so expensive! You would love Singapore, Josh!!!!
The Sydney Opera House was a huge bucket list item for me too, and it was amazing! The orchestra was probably the best I've ever heard live. The acoustics were incredible! I was just sad not to see Beethoven's 6th, which was playing a couple of nights before. It was just so expensive! You would love Singapore, Josh!!!!
I look forward to hopefully seeing both!
Yaaaaay you’re home! Omg I get sick every time I travel, without fail.
Whoa though GBR photos are stunning! I love the footage from there
Thank you! I was so excited that we got those photos with my iPhone! They sold plastic covers so you could take your device underwater. Getting sick sucked, but I'm just glad to be mostly well now!
Omg you went to a show IN the opera house?! That is so cool! What an experience
@@JAKandtheBookStack It was amazing! I've always wanted to go, so it was a dream come true!
“Just business class” LOL
From the stunning landscapes of Australia to the vibrant cityscape of Singapore, you took us on an incredible journey through your experiences. The way you seamlessly blended the descriptions of the books you read with the places you visited added such a unique touch to the video. It felt like I was right there with you, exploring and learning alongside you.
Thank you so much for this lovely comment! I'm so happy you enjoyed the video! 🤍
Glad you enjoyed your vacation 🏝😊
Thank you, Angela! 😊
What a fantastic trip!! ❤
Sorry you got sick though, bur glad you managed to do some amazing things.
I'm so glad as well! Thank you so much! ❤
Loved this type of vlog/review!! Singapore is truly amazing 😍 South East Asia is one of my favourite travel destinations and I could go there again and again
Thank you so much! It makes me happy to hear you've been to Singapore, so you know exactly how amazing it is! I couldn't help but be happy exploring that beautiful city! I love traveling so much!
@@Johanna_reads also we need your husband to share those credit card points tips bc that Singapore airlines flight…. Wow 👀
Glad to have you back! We've missed your videos! Totally looks like you had a great trip in spite of the flu. Looking forward to future stuff, cheers!
Thank you so much! It was a good time despite being sick, but I’m also enjoying getting back into a normal routine!
Last time I visited my parents in Sydney, I went to Galaxy books for the first time with my dad - the rest of the family couldn’t get us out of there! Glad you enjoyed your trip, sickness aside!
How neat! It was such a cool bookstore! It made me wish I had more space in my suitcase. Haha! Thanks!
I was in Australia about 20 years ago and to this day is on my favorite destinations and hope to go back one day. I'm jealous of that Singapore Airlines suite.
Hope you enjoy The Paper Menagerie. It's an excellent short story collection by one of my favorite authors.
It was such a special experience! I’m really looking forward to picking up The Paper Managerie and Dandelion Dynasty! Thank you so much!
Wow those nature and sea are breathtakingly beautiful! So happy that you had visited those places Johanna!😃🥰😘
Thank you so much! ❤️☺️
Thanks for sharing your trip with us! The reef looks amazing 🥰
Thank you, Laura! ❤️
What an awesome trip, I have to put that «Book Restaurant» in Singapore on my bucket list 😄! Wish you and your husband a quick full recovery! Hope to get to LPQ next year!
In July I read: «The Strife from Camlamn» (book 2 in the «Arthurian Age», a Great Historical take on King Arthur) by Sean Poage, «Tortilla Flat» by John Steinbeck (Fiction story set among vagabonds in post-WW1 Southern California: Mostly utter hillarious, and sometimes melancholic), «The Prophet of Edan» by Philip Chase, «Under Heaven» by Guy Gavriel Kay (Inspired by the Tang Dynasty and the An Lushan Rebellion: Not only Ancient Chinese, but also Turkic, Persian and Tibetan Culture flows through his imagined world! And again, the first chapter(s) could have been an amazing short story on it’s own: I am always amazed how quickly I feel at home with his writing and characters! My book of July and might be my new book of the year 🤩!) and «Badon Hill» by «I, Anonymous» (Fun mix of mythical and historical take on King Arthur)!
August has been a bit slow reading-wise so far for me, have only found time to finish one short book «The Tartar Steppe» by Dino Buzzati (a bit Kafkaesque in its futility and bureaucracy, though a lot more "aesthetic" in it's mountain fortress setting along a border about to break into war and bittersweet in its tragedy, than the dreadful grey dull paranoia of Kafka, I have the 70s movie adaptation: Gorgeous! Filmed on location at an actual ruined fortress in Iran, with a great soundtrack by Ennio Morricone!), but are well into «First Book of Lankhmar» (a «Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser» by Fritz Lieber Omnibus, Classic S&S). So I might have to push some or all of «Count Belisarius» by Robert Graves and the Tim Leach books «The Last King of Lydia» & «The King and the Slave» till next month, but should I finish at least the «Vindolandia» Trilogy by Adrian Goldsworthy this month and I am still on a «quality-wise» high from finishing «Under Heaven» last month!😄
Wow, that is such an impressive list of books! I'm curious about Under Heaven and look forward to reading more GGK in general. Happy reading!
@@Johanna_reads Very much looking forward to a future «Al-Rassan» discussion with you and Josh (Red Fury Books)!
The Movie Version of «The Tartar Steppe», «The Desert of the Tartars», that I mentioned: No CGI, shot in a genuin Iranian Castle Ruin! With music by Morricone and with Max von Sydow (The Seventh Seal, Conan the Barbarian, The Exorcist!) and Jacques Perrin (Cinema Paradiso)! th-cam.com/video/sK6oKZ7Vi4I/w-d-xo.html
Just now catching this video. So sorry you and your husband ended up getting so sick, but wow this sounds like such an amazing trip! These pictures are so beautiful. All this wonderful travel and you still got some great reading done!
So happy you and your husband were able to share this time together, Johanna.
Thank you so much, Colin! I'm just grateful we recovered quickly enough to enjoy what we did. It was truly incredible in so many ways!
Wow Amazing trip!! So sorry y'all got sick. I didn't even know airplane suites existed. 😅
Thank you, Penny! I think they showed an airplane suite in the movie, Crazy Rich Asians. I never would've dreamed I'd fly in one, but my husband worked a lot of travel hacking magic!
💗
Welcome back! I'm glad you found your voice. I've flown to Australia before and agree it's such a long trek! Great vacation videos and photos.
Thank you, Jeremy! My voice is still not 100% recovered, but I'm getting there!
Thanks for sharing. It looks like an amazing trip! East of Eden is on my TBR. I’ve heard such good things about it.
Thank you, Sarah! East of Eden was a great story, and I hope you enjoy it!
Stunning footage of your trip! Sorry you fell ill😮. And, your artwork! I had no idea. Thanks for sharing all of the above.
Aw, thank you so much! I really miss doing art sometimes. It used to be all-consuming for me. 😊
Hi Johanna. Welcome back. So nice to her your vacation was full of goodness (sorry to hear about the flu), and good reading. East of Eden is a Steinbeck favorite. Cathy Trask is considered to be 'the most evil woman in American fiction.' I don't remember the source of that quote.
Thank you, Curtis! Cathy Trask was one of the best evil characters I’ve read about! I really loved the Alice in Wonderland references in her storyline. Such a great book!
Wow this sounds like such a fin experience Johanna! I’m so sorry you got so sick. 😢
Thank you, Chas! ♥ It was a bummer to get sick, but it was still a great trip.
Wow, what a wonderful video!! Thank you so much for sharing all these clips and letting me experience parts of your exciting trip vicariously through you 🤩🤪That Singapore Airlines Suite looks absolutely fantastic, I doubt I'd even want to leave the plane hahaha.
I am sorry that you both got knocked out by the flu, though I am glad that you both recovered relatively swiftly and still had a fantastic time!
Also loved hearing your thoughts on these books. LPQ is just a masterpiece, no more words needed! And I am still curious about ML Wang's new book, it sounds so cool!
I'm glad you enjoyed the trip footage, Esmay! That airplane suite was so comfortable! It was hard to leave. Haha! I hope you enjoy Wang's new book. Although it wasn't my preferred type of story, I really think it had a lot of strengths and ended strong. Happy reading, Esmay! ❤️
Looks wonderful
It was really was! Thanks, Liam!
Awesome trip, and sorry to hear about your husband's sickness! I did chuckle on the kangaroo note. Before relocating to Australia I was *so excited* about finding any kangaroo, and now it is just "meh" - especially because some roads have a high risk of kangaroos crossing wildly around, which makes it risky to drive.
The books sounded very interesting. You have been discussing Abraham's quartet for a while, and it sounds worth reading. I'm a bit unsure about it, because my TBR is so huge that committing to a quartet seems... unreasonable. After your comment, I'll really need to check the audible sample, since that can be a deal breaker. I have never heard of East of Eden, but it sounded a curious read - just not up my alley. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I’m sure I sound ridiculous in my excitement over the kangaroo, but it was the only one I saw the whole trip! 😅 I enjoyed the audiobook narratation, but I can see how it wouldn’t work for some audiences. The stories are very character focused with a beautifully light touch of atmosphere. I hope you enjoy it!
Whale watching is amazing, I got the chance to do some when I visited Canada. There is certainly something to be said for enjoying the moment rather than recording the moment.
Great to hear that you had a lovely holiday other than falling ill.
Thank you! Whales are incredible! The crew explained how the species of whales we were watching (humpbacks, I think) were recently removed from the endangered species list. Beautiful how they trust us and seemed to enjoy showing off!
@@Johanna_reads some great news to hear that they have come off the endangered list.
What an amazing trip! Thank you for sharing that with us. I am hoping to pick up ML Wangs new book. Although it wasn't a favorite or yours, I appreciate the information, so I know a bit more going into it.
Thank you! I'm so glad you found my thoughts on Wang's book helpful. I do think it could be a great read for the right reader!
It's so cool that you went to Australia and Singapore. I've long wanted to go to Hong Kong and Singapore. That boating trips looks amazing; sorry to hear about your husband's flu, though. I may have to dive into the ML Wang series. I like the idea of cities powered by magic, if it's done well. Also, the "you're a female; you WOULD think that, so I can summarily discard your argument" is a fallacy called "Circumstantial Ad Hominem." I'm wondering if there was anything from Shakespeare in Mad Scenes. I would think Euripides' Medea would make for a good mad scene. Il Puritani must be from the witch trials. Lovely video! :)
Thank you, Jordan! I appreciate you letting me know about the logical fallacy “Circumstantial Ad Hominem!” I looked up logical fallacies trying to figure out which one that was, but I didn’t come across that one. Glad to learn about that! There is a mad scene for the opera, Hamlet (based on the Shakespeare play). It’s probably my favorite mad scene, but the soprano didn’t perform it. I recommend looking it up on TH-cam. The soprano, Natalie Dessay, does an excellent job with that one!
Your trip looks incredible! Sorry you guys got sick 😭 Whale watching is the best 🐳 looking forward to diving into An Autumn War. I liked Blood Over Bright Haven but definitely agree it was a bit too heavy handed and needed more nuance. Reminded me of a better Babel but still not quite what I wanted. I wish authors trying to get across these heavy subjects could trust the audience slightly more. East of Eden was so good!
Thank you, Kyle! I completely agree with you about Blood Over Bright Haven. It was like a better Babel and needed more nuance. East of Eden was such a special read. I’m still thinking about those characters!
Looks like you both had an amazing time in some beautiful spots, apart from falling sick of course (hope you fully recover soon).
I have bought LPQ and hope to get to it soon, and have joined a BR of Kaigen in Oct. Otherwise I’ve somehow found myself reading Farseer 1. So good!
Yay! I hope you enjoy LPQ and Farseer! Thank you so much!
I’m glad you enjoyed my home country 🇦🇺 haha
I am interested in reading East of Eden some day!
It was wonderful! 😄 East of Eden was a great story, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it! Thank you, Jonathan!
oh my goodness Cairns looks so beautiful!! I really want to visit there now. Sorry you and your husband got sick on the trip, but glad everyone is ok. That bookshop looked amazing! Also what a fun way to fly with that suite! Loved this reading and vacation wrap-up vid, and I'm very intrigued with the ML Wang new release and can't wait to start LPQ!
Thank you, Ben! Cairns was gorgeous, and it was such a wonderful trip overall! I’m excited to hear your thoughts about LPQ, and I also hope you enjoy the Wang book if you do pick it up!
Happy reading to you!! 😊
Thank you! Same to you, Safina! 😊
I've always heard Singapore has the best airline in the world. Glad you had fun!
Thank you! My husband said that as well about Singapore Airlines, and I now definitely think that’s the case!
Looks like an amazing trip despite the illnesses. We both got through a Steinbeck novel over this time. I made it through The Winter of our Discontent by him and it reminded me why he is one of my favorites. So many themes throughout. I am glad you enjoyed EoE as it really is such an amazing tale.
Thank you! That’s neat that we both read some Steinbeck this month! What a gifted writer. It’s so hard for me to believe his characters are fictional!
You’ve already had me looking up “The Long Price Quartet” but it seems hard to come by here 🇬🇧 though it seems I can get the quartet as two separate books. Quite pricey still, so haven’t yet swooped on them.
Holiday flu sounds really unfortunate - it usually takes me out for about 3d in the past when I’ve had it. Not in the past decade, fortunately - so I can imagine that was a bit rough for you guys. Fancy ✈️ seats though 😮
It was no fun having the flu, but the flights were wonderful! I’m so sorry about the LPQ bindup not being avaialble. She Was Only Evie very kindly gave me the bindup now own. The two omnibus editions are the way to go! Thanks!
As someone who just spent a week with 2 sick boys with flu, my wife and myself I can't even imagine being sick on a vacation so far from home. But it sounds like you had an amazing time even with some hiccups! Cheers!
Thank you! It was the first time I've had the flu since I was a kid or teen! I am so grateful that we were still able to enjoy as much of the trip as we did!
Sounds like a great trip. Apart from the flu.... I finished Paper Menagerie just a few of weeks ago. I loved it!
Thank you! I’m really looking forward to reading from Ken Liu and glad to hear your praises for The Paper Mangerie!
I live in Melbourne. That sounds like a painful way to get to Australia. I've flown from New York and Montreal to Melbourne with one stop in California.
Yeah, it was such a long journey! I was just grateful for that Hong Kong lounge experience that made the trip more tolerable.
I feel like Blood Over Bright Haven dragged a bit after the twist, but I really loved it. Sword of Kaigen was also amazing despite pacing issues. If she can figure out her pacing a bit more, she'll be putting out all timers
I'm so glad you liked it! While it wasn't quite for me, there were still some entertaining moments. I thought the end tied in the themes in a satisfying way.
You should start doing travel vlog videos! I think this could be your niche! Great stuff!
Thank you so much! That means a lot! I love traveling and hope to do more videos on future trips!
I took that same LPQ bindup to Greece. You could totally have taken that with you.
I seriously had no room! 😅
I did An Autumn War mostly on audio and *hated* it. I regret listening to it so much. Thankfully once i had time to switch back to physical i had a brilliant time.
I loved it, but I can also totally understand the audiobook clash for that one!
I have been very curious about blood over bright haven…. Im sad to hear your experience was less than great
It was one of those books in which the author really succeeded in telling the story they wanted to tell, but I just wasn't the right reader for it. I'd still recommend it if you think you'd enjoy it!
I tried ordering the physical copy of The Long Price Quartet weeks ago, and it fluctuates between $73-$95 on Amazon, and I refuse to pay that much.
I just looked and the first book is 30 dollars but there is an Omnibus of first two novels for 18usd. I just ordered one
@@Jistarii Are you in the United States? I just checked again, and it's still $73.12.
The bind-up is ridiculously expensive! I got mine thanks to a friend who decided it wasn't for her. The omnibus editions are affordable. The first one is called, Shadow and Betrayal: A Shadow in Summer, A Betrayal in Winter (Long Price Quartet), and it does appear to be $18.20 USD on Amazon. I hope that helps!
@@Johanna_reads Thank you for the clarification. After re-reading the other comment, I see they were referring to just book 1, and not the bind-up, which is what I want. I'll keep checking on it, in the hope that the price changes. ♥️
I'm so sorry you had to come back from your vacation. I truly hate that for you.
Same here! Hahaha!
Hi there Hi there Hi there Hi
Hello! :)