I will never get tired of hearing you talk about books - you are so articulate. I'm currently having TECHNICAL WOES getting my best of the year video done but we have two in common!
I feel the same way about you. I think I can guess which ones we have in common, and I can't wait to see your video! (good luck with the tech - if you can't tell from the lighting in this video, I know absolutely nothing about any of it)
Thanks for posting! You have such a lovely and articulate way of describing a book, without devolving into a description of what 'happens' or giving anything away. And you make me want to read them ALL! Thanks, Gina
Your channel is a new find for me, and I enjoyed your descriptions very, very much! Some of the books you named I have on my shelf, and now I'm off to Amazon and my library's site to find the rest.
Intellectual Fireworks: BAM! BAM! Your commentary on these novels is SO persuasive and not to mention entertaining. I'm definitely checking a few of these out.
I've just discovered your book tube channel tonight, and wow! Love your passion and intensity. We had two in common for best of 2016: Thien's DNSWHN is actually my favorite novel of all time, and I love love LOVED The Portable Veblen too! I didn't discover Ali Smith until this year, and loved her now Booker long-listed Autumn and I'm looking forward to reading all her other stuff.
Wow it sounds like our tastes are crazily similar - I know so few people who loved The Portable Veblen, it's criminal! And I'm going to read Autumn soon, can't wait for it. Happy you found your way here :)
Hooray for Collette, I loved it and while she is so different from me I felt her and for her....and she was my first Bronte... great list and great video...Happy New Year!
Hi Jennifer, what a great list of books! I've read none of them, but some I've heard of (all good things), but some are completely new to me. Great vid!
Great list! Villette is one of my favorite books. I was lucky enough to direct Laramie Project when I taught HS. A life-changing experience. We have really similar taste in books, so I'm so glad I found your channel!
83 books?? What is your secret ma'am! Also your description of the Laramie project has inspired me to pick up the play. I've known about it but never heard a review, and your point about the honesty and compassion of the portrayals regardless of viewpoint sounds really well done
Thank you for this list, interesting and well phrased as always! And it always excites me to come across fellow Ali Smith readers. "The Accidental" is on my shelf but so far untouched. My absolute personal favourite at this point is "Artful". This year's favourite would have to be either Deborah Levy's "Things I Don't Want to Know" (a short book with an epic scope, very sharp and so, so rich in detail) or Jeanette Winterson's "Sexing the Cherry" from 1989 (again relatively short but carrying entire fairytale worlds and leashing out at heteronormativity - I think you'd like the 12 dancing princesses!). Happy New Year and please keep the videos coming! :-)
Sarah Crossan actually wrote a few other books which perhaps didn't have the impact as "One" (I haven't read it so I wouldn't know) but they were sweet and would probably brighten your afternoon as well. :)
I also heard of her through Booktube! And it's so funny because I feel like it's boring to mention her in my videos because everyone else does, and then I go out in the real world and I'm like...I don't know a single person in real life who's heard of Sarah Moss haha
Thanks! You could be right. Villette is modeled on Brontë's time in Brussels, but I believe it's never specified whether it's French or Belgian - just that it's French-speaking
Loved your description of Villette. It's been lingering on my list forever, so I think 2017 will be the year. Funny you didn't love Night Waking because it was one of my favourites of the year - I love the interior monologue, how well Moss orchestrates all the various aspects of her narrators' interior and intellectual lives (she does the same v well in The Tidal Zone). I loved the themes of reluctant motherhood and the intrigue of the islanders. But I didn't think I'd be that into Bodies of Light based on the letters in the story. I may give it a go, though. I gave The Portable Veblen about 50 pages and didn't love it. Seems our tastes cross-over and diverge quite a bit!
Interesting - I completely love that description of Night Waking, but I also had to think back and was like, "Was that the same book I read?" Nice to hear a different opinion. And the first 50 pages are a good sample of TPV, so I think it was a good call to stop. Thanks for watching!
Recently read How to be Both ( I thought teenage Georgie was brilliantly done) and have the Accidental on my TBR shelf, so will get to it soon. Totally agree with you about The Portable Veblen. I love the humour and the mass of original ideas. I actually bought it to reread after reading my library loan. Read 2016 Booker and Bailey shortlists and enjoyed them all with my rereads being The Sellout for the wit and intelligent writing...(not the plot) and The Green Road for the tale of ordinary life told so engagingly. So far I have rated 14 of the 166 books I've read this year as 5 star. Nearly all the others rated in the 3 to 4 star range. (I enjoy nearly every book I read! Hey, I am retired and most books I can relate to in some way! ) 5 stars for me is a definite reread. My 5 stars are: Wives and Daughters; Suttree; Child of God; Crime and Punishment; Amongst Women; Northanger Abbey; The Sound of the Mountain; Waiting; Night; The Book of Ebenezer Le Page; The Stranger; The Green Road; The Portable Veblen and One Flew Over The Cuckoos Next. I only read 8 non fiction books, the rest mostly being literary fiction. I particularly enjoy your positive book reviews.
Thank you so much for letting me know about your favorite books of the year! Wives and Daughters is one of my all-time favorite books. I hope you enjoy The Accidental
I've seen this, and I liked it a lot! But it was a little weird to have someone like Laura Linney reading the lines - occasionally it was distracting how famous some of the people were, even though they all did a great job in their roles
Congrats on reading all those books in 2016. I just found your channel and enjoyed your video. I haven't read any of the books you mentioned yet but My Grandmother Asked... is on my TBR. I subscribed to your channel. If you'd like to check me out, you might want to start with my list of my most influential fiction reads of 2016 th-cam.com/video/iL6b1416izM/w-d-xo.html
I will never get tired of hearing you talk about books - you are so articulate. I'm currently having TECHNICAL WOES getting my best of the year video done but we have two in common!
I feel the same way about you. I think I can guess which ones we have in common, and I can't wait to see your video! (good luck with the tech - if you can't tell from the lighting in this video, I know absolutely nothing about any of it)
Thanks for posting! You have such a lovely and articulate way of describing a book, without devolving into a description of what 'happens' or giving anything away. And you make me want to read them ALL!
Thanks, Gina
Thank you, I couldn't have asked for a nicer compliment! I hope you enjoy the ones you read :)
Your channel is a new find for me, and I enjoyed your descriptions very, very much! Some of the books you named I have on my shelf, and now I'm off to Amazon and my library's site to find the rest.
Excellent, thank you!
I really love the way you talk about books! So happy to have found your channel. Happy New Year!
Thank you, and Happy New Year!
I just found your channel and I love it! You're so smart and eloquent and I want to read everything on this list 😊
That's so nice, thank you! If you do read some of them, let me know what you think
Intellectual Fireworks: BAM! BAM! Your commentary on these novels is SO persuasive and not to mention entertaining. I'm definitely checking a few of these out.
Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy them!
your reviews are EXCELLENT! So glad I found you :) I was a little late to discover Ali Smith, but GAWD I'm glad I did.
Thank you, so glad to have you here!
I just finished The Portable Veblen and loved it. I'm still mulling over why the squirrel might've roared at the wedding.
Beautiful list! You have the best way of describing books... I'll have to add a few of these to my 2017 TBR.
I've just discovered your book tube channel tonight, and wow! Love your passion and intensity. We had two in common for best of 2016: Thien's DNSWHN is actually my favorite novel of all time, and I love love LOVED The Portable Veblen too! I didn't discover Ali Smith until this year, and loved her now Booker long-listed Autumn and I'm looking forward to reading all her other stuff.
Wow it sounds like our tastes are crazily similar - I know so few people who loved The Portable Veblen, it's criminal! And I'm going to read Autumn soon, can't wait for it. Happy you found your way here :)
Your reviews are so good - I added some books to my own list. Thanks for doing this video.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hooray for Collette, I loved it and while she is so different from me I felt her and for her....and she was my first Bronte... great list and great video...Happy New Year!
So great to hear from another person that liked it! Happy New Year to you
Hi Jennifer, what a great list of books! I've read none of them, but some I've heard of (all good things), but some are completely new to me. Great vid!
Thank you, I hope at least one caught your interest!
Great list! Villette is one of my favorite books. I was lucky enough to direct Laramie Project when I taught HS. A life-changing experience. We have really similar taste in books, so I'm so glad I found your channel!
So glad you found your way here!
I also decided to read the accidental recently and LOVED it! Also, you've inspired me to try Villette again.
I'm so glad! I think it takes a lot of work, but that it's worth it
I really liked the video and how you describe what you thought about each book and why. :) I'm very excited to read One Child now.
I'm so glad, it's fantastic! And thank you :)
Thien's novel has been on my radar for a while, but your review pushed me over the line. Classical music, too?... I have to read it.
83 books?? What is your secret ma'am! Also your description of the Laramie project has inspired me to pick up the play. I've known about it but never heard a review, and your point about the honesty and compassion of the portrayals regardless of viewpoint sounds really well done
It's fantastic! And you're good for my ego - I feel like I read nothing compared to other booktubers :)
Insert Literary Pun Here that's why I love watching your videos!
I LOVE your videos! This was excellent! My TBT just got a bit longer.
Yay, thanks for watching!
Thank you for this list, interesting and well phrased as always! And it always excites me to come across fellow Ali Smith readers. "The Accidental" is on my shelf but so far untouched. My absolute personal favourite at this point is "Artful". This year's favourite would have to be either Deborah Levy's "Things I Don't Want to Know" (a short book with an epic scope, very sharp and so, so rich in detail) or Jeanette Winterson's "Sexing the Cherry" from 1989 (again relatively short but carrying entire fairytale worlds and leashing out at heteronormativity - I think you'd like the 12 dancing princesses!). Happy New Year and please keep the videos coming! :-)
Haven't read either of those, but love the sound of them. Happy New Year!
Okay I definitely need to read One Child and The Portable Veblen. I mean, I wasn't taking a drink after EVERY positive adjective but CHEERS ANYWAY!
Cheers mate!
Sarah Crossan actually wrote a few other books which perhaps didn't have the impact as "One" (I haven't read it so I wouldn't know) but they were sweet and would probably brighten your afternoon as well. :)
I had never heard of Sarah Moss before Booktube and now I need to read all her books!
I also heard of her through Booktube! And it's so funny because I feel like it's boring to mention her in my videos because everyone else does, and then I go out in the real world and I'm like...I don't know a single person in real life who's heard of Sarah Moss haha
I added One to my TBR when you first talked about it and now I'm more excited to get to it :)
Excellent, enjoy :)
Hi! Nice video. I believe that Villette it would be a Belgian City, maybe is modelled upon the city of Brussels.
Thanks! You could be right. Villette is modeled on Brontë's time in Brussels, but I believe it's never specified whether it's French or Belgian - just that it's French-speaking
Loved your description of Villette. It's been lingering on my list forever, so I think 2017 will be the year. Funny you didn't love Night Waking because it was one of my favourites of the year - I love the interior monologue, how well Moss orchestrates all the various aspects of her narrators' interior and intellectual lives (she does the same v well in The Tidal Zone). I loved the themes of reluctant motherhood and the intrigue of the islanders. But I didn't think I'd be that into Bodies of Light based on the letters in the story. I may give it a go, though. I gave The Portable Veblen about 50 pages and didn't love it. Seems our tastes cross-over and diverge quite a bit!
Interesting - I completely love that description of Night Waking, but I also had to think back and was like, "Was that the same book I read?" Nice to hear a different opinion. And the first 50 pages are a good sample of TPV, so I think it was a good call to stop. Thanks for watching!
The accidental sounds really interesting. Thanks for the recommendations
I'm glad! Thanks for watching
I really want to check out both One Child and The Portable Veblen! Great list 😊
I'm glad something caught your interest! Happy New Year to you :)
Recently read How to be Both ( I thought teenage Georgie was brilliantly done) and have the Accidental on my TBR shelf, so will get to it soon.
Totally agree with you about The Portable Veblen. I love the humour and the mass of original ideas. I actually bought it to reread after reading my library loan. Read 2016 Booker and Bailey shortlists and enjoyed them all with my rereads being The Sellout for the wit and intelligent writing...(not the plot) and The Green Road for the tale of ordinary life told so engagingly.
So far I have rated 14 of the 166 books I've read this year as 5 star. Nearly all the others rated in the 3 to 4 star range. (I enjoy nearly every book I read! Hey, I am retired and most books I can relate to in some way! ) 5 stars for me is a definite reread. My 5 stars are: Wives and Daughters; Suttree; Child of God; Crime and Punishment; Amongst Women; Northanger Abbey; The Sound of the Mountain; Waiting; Night; The Book of Ebenezer Le Page; The Stranger; The Green Road; The Portable Veblen and One Flew Over The Cuckoos Next. I only read 8 non fiction books, the rest mostly being literary fiction.
I particularly enjoy your positive book reviews.
Thank you so much for letting me know about your favorite books of the year! Wives and Daughters is one of my all-time favorite books. I hope you enjoy The Accidental
a person who never tells you what they think. you just described the British.
Lulz, then consider this British to the nth degree
One child sounds PERFECT to me. As a non-fiction book, not as an idea of course :) Thanks for recommendation.
You're welcome, I hope you love it too!
You convinced to read Do not said we have nothing!
The portable Veblen sounds wonderful as well! I'm also adding One child to my tbr.
Yay, so happy to hear it!
I had to read BOTH Death of a Salesman and The Laramie Project in high school, actually!
Haha lucky you!
Great list! I need to read body of light now
Do it, it's great!
You have to try "There But For The" by Ali Smith!!
Definitely on my TBR for 2017 :)
Such an interesting selection of books. I was however, secretly hoping for some russian lit here. I think I will have to pick up One Child
Thank you! Planning to put my foot on the gas with the Russian TBR in 2017, so stay tuned :)
look forward to it. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere
The Laramie Project was made into a pretty well made movie in 2002: www.imdb.com/title/tt0257850/
I've seen this, and I liked it a lot! But it was a little weird to have someone like Laura Linney reading the lines - occasionally it was distracting how famous some of the people were, even though they all did a great job in their roles
You've piqued my interest in Villette.
Congrats on reading all those books in 2016.
I just found your channel and enjoyed your video. I haven't read any of the books you mentioned yet but My Grandmother Asked... is on my TBR.
I subscribed to your channel. If you'd like to check me out, you might want to start with my list of my most influential fiction reads of 2016 th-cam.com/video/iL6b1416izM/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the support!