I DEVOURED that video you’re talking about because, honestly, it felt very validating to hear someone with the same opinion as me argue with proper articulation and present points in such an admirable way. I immediately subbed last time, locking in for this one!
"critical thinking can boost enjoyment and enjoyment can boost critical thinking." THIS. if i had to pick one quote from this video encapsulating what i think about media literacy in general, this is it.
People who can't understand this are like the fish in water. They don't even realize how deep they are into anti-intellectualism. They would call you nerd like it's a slur for trying to process what you read or even selecting a book you would have to process after you read it. Their brains are so fried from corn/smut books that they take it as an insult whenever you suggest they get out of their comfort zone for their own benefit. Also, people think everyone is on a "high horse" because the expectations for themselves are so low, lol. It's a matter of perspective, after all.
For romance, I absolutely adored Michael F. Moore's recent translation of The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni. A classic of Italian literature that never really became known outside of Italy, the central romance is so engrossing and the themes of love spread throughout the twisting story
never understood people thinking addressing someone with a slur would EVER make them be a person to be heard out or agreed with.. you can make a point just fine without it. loved this video and was looking from recs for u ty!!
After watching the first video my brain started to make the connection between this sort of commodification of books and classical music in pop culture and I realized something; in my view, if booktok worsens the way books are treated in the way it has been doing so, in 50 or so years the literature scene will look much like the classical music scene looks today. Classical music nowadays has been turned into this event where people go in fancy outfits to concerts in fancy venues so they can say "oh, look at me, I'm so intellectual because I attended a *classical music* concert tonight" and has almost completely become elitist in popular culture. Depictions of it especially in dark academia feed into that perception of classical music as being "for the smart people" or whatever. That perception is so far removed from the actual intents of composers, the actual meaning and intellectual wonder of the music, etc. but it has become the main draw of classical music for the general public, and the industry has adapted to fit that draw. Many performers now are completely vacuous in their interpretations of the pieces but make themselves look really posh while performing so it looks fancy. Combine that with a culture of idolization and you find an art form with such power to really communicate well with people and elicit powerful emotion being completely squandered in the name of elitism. Basically, take how most people view classical music as a cautionary tale; books could become similar, with similarly vacuous draws and authors adapting to those draws. Heck, books sort of already are similar in those ways. All this to say that it is our duty as consumers of media to look for the real meaning in all art and not dismiss it nor endorse it because of some social stupidity, in books, classical music, and everything else.
I also feel like capitalism (in the form of sponsored, mass market content) is a really important part of the argument you were making in the previous video. It's similar to one of the arguments Maggie Nelson makes in her book of art criticism, The Art of Cruelty - that culture in the modern world is created for, and not by the people. Although TikTok is obviously not the only platform where the attitude of "anti-intellectualism" becoming the standard, it is normalizing mindless consumption through curated, sponsored content disguised as "sex-positive" or "progressive" or "feminist". I think we really underestimate how many of these creators are heavily moderated by industry. The readers themselves, in my opinion, are not the problem - it's the proliferation of corporate values attached to every single possible pursuit, which in our case is books and reading: low quality, cheaply-made, stimulating, condescending, promoting overconsumption and a lack of reflection. Readers, especially young women, deserve better out of their literary fiction, their romance, their fantasy. They deserve better than to have their attention, their money, their desires bought and sold - to be commodified by the industries that rely so heavily on their participation. All I want is more effort demanded by readers regardless of genre - whether that's in your smutty romance or your 700 page fantasy book about a cool dragon. And for us to resist the temptation of consumption without reflection, or attempt to justify it by slapping a progressive label on it.
The individual is the one who supports those corporate values. Culture wouldn’t be homogenized if we didn’t actively support the homogenization with our own money. There is a talk called “Intellectual wasteland” by William Gaddis on TH-cam that I thought was a good analysis of consumer vs producer dichotomy.
It's what I try to do with films! I realize I have a hard time to critically think about books sometimes, because they can be long and I tend to forget the beginning when I'm finished.
And Then There Were None has continued to be one of my all time favorites. I love it so much. You’ve given me a long list of books but I can’t wait to read them.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer is part of my favourite trilogy ever, the Southern Reach Trilogy, but the first book is amazing as a standalone too. It's so hard to explain but I felt so changed by the end of it. Also very out there but A Black Fox Running by Brian Carter also changed me.
Pride and Prejudice is a good book, but I would never tell anyone to read it on the basis of it being enemies to lovers. That's what I was told, and so I expected tension and complicated feelings and redemption. What I got was misunderstandings and major character development happening almost entirely offscreen. Which is a shame. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it if my expectations hadn't been so mismatched to the content.
kafka on the shore is an amazing book for magical realism, the entirety of it feels like a dream. i’ve been interested in reading beloved but haven’t got round to it yet. thoughts on paradise and jazz?
I haven't read paradise or jazz but I've read other toni Morriston and I'll tell you toni Morriston is smarter than all of us and her books are just so, so, so good. I cannot recommend her enough. Extremely dark though. But the level of empathy she has for everything she writes about, they way reading her feels like you're an active participant in her story and not just a silent watcher. You actually have to think about what you're reading and confront your own ideas I could yap about her for hours
i enjoyed your last video a lot, and this one didn’t disappoint. it’s obvious you’re very passionate about books and reading, which is why i imagine many viewers value your opinion on what’s happening in the literature space. good work!
Your video essay on booktok and anti-intellectualism was one of my favorite video essays I've ever seen. The fact that people could not see the nuance because of hyperbole proves how little of a space there is for critical thought on the internet. I was incredibly inspired by that video, and I'm really surprised you had to make these statements. I really enjoyed the video. Please continue to do videos like that!
I've been desperately wanting to get into reading again, but i felt like everything i picked up was a total flop. These suggestions are so diverse, and you got me really excited to check them out, thanks!
I can't believe we are around the same age yet you are so much more eloquent! Adore your content, it's quite nuanced and well communicated- keep going please :)
I’m so surprised you’re only 18! Hearing other people stand up on their platform and advocate for critical thinking really boosts my hope for the future! Great conversations being had 👏🏼
thank you so much for sharing your perspective on Booktok and challenging audiences uncritical "consuming"/"aquiring" of media. I honestly think you communicated these really important points in a thoughtful and accessible way (which is huge to me because im so tired of people framing things as Drama or Discourse when in fact like. hey there is a really thoughtful lesson here and we're inviting you to come along and broaden your world!!!) if people flinch at being told to "think critically", they should know that it is truly Not an insult. to think critically and engage deeply with art is such a sign of respect for yourself and the work. it's too simplistic to grade art on whether you "like" or "hate" it-- it's so much more enriching to talk about, maybe how it broadened your perspective or gave you a new appreciation for a technique or idk maybe it got you thru some hard shit by holding up a mirror to things you weren't willing to confront... or maybe you did "hate it" and by articulating thoughtfully what didnt work about a book you are much better able to pursue things that DO work for you. idk. as you say, being a Hater is Necessary ❤ idk. i think we owe ourselves more than "finding my thing and making it my personality and never growing". like. damn. the world is so much bigger than that !! come on out and enjoy some new experimental shit! you might like it??? plus on the consumerism / think where you buy from side: like prettyyyyy materially the world cannot sustain Constant Growth. and whatver "warm fuzzy feeling" a person might get from buying tons of books or promo items or whatever... it is not worth the trade-off of environmental decay and labor exploitation that the industry demands... eek! support your library! read an odd old edition of a book that you borrow from a friend and make Jeff Bezos cry by not putting more money in his pocket!!! yippee !
I don’t think I’ve left a comment on any account before. Well done! Thank you for the book reviews and recommendations. You are obviously a well rounded reader- which is disappointingly rare on major platforms. Review format was so refreshing! So glad for quality over quantity of videos.
Hello fellow reader!! Loved your videos, and I just wanted to say my personal all time favorite is The Kingkiller Chronicles (The Name of the Wind, and The Wise Man’s Fear) by Patrick Rothfuss. His writing style is just so unique and the stories are so poetic and nothing else can just scratch that itch anywhere else. Your takes are valid and I hope you keep creating videos!
I think you would get a lot of validation from How To Read Now by Elaine Castillo. It criticizes literature as a cultural notion both from intellectualism and from mindless consumption.
I read little women when I was young, and it really killed me. I’m currently rereading for the first time. I loved Jo as a child and I’m glad I still do.
In my second reading of my year of rest and relaxation, I felt the author didn't know how to end it. And I deeply believe there is less commentary than we give her credit. The only thing I got from it is that the privileged basically get away with stupidity. The fact she just woke up one day sober and her friend is dead. I would say the way the psychologist was written was interesting, but the commentary on capitalism was very light if not nonexistent. And I just disliked the part of the photographer friend, it seemed unnecessary and drawn out.
I have read many of these recomendations and have loved them all i will say though with the shout outs to Little Women and Pride and Prejudice I was suprised not to hear a mention of Anne of Green Gables which is one of my absolute favorites, I think Anne Shirley is a contender for best protaginist in litriture and I absolutely recomend it to any fan of the previously mentioned books. Anyway keep up the good work, I always love finding new Video essayists. Congrats on your success thus far.
Do you have a Discord server or some other place where people can go to talk about books? I think it would be interesting to build something up like that
there is actually a show called the mysterious benedict society and i watched during the pandemic, the show is pretty great i watched it a bunch of times but it didnt feel like a kids show per say because of the various complex issues it deals with like how we are mindlessly brainwashed into consuming things, etc. i was really delighted to know that it was a children's book, because most modern kids media assumes that its audience is dumb and it is frustrating (like the new avatar).
Oi, I can correctly spell Dostoevsky! All jokes aside: I find your criticism very valid and honestly can't fathom how someone would take "romance is bad" from your video. Both your videos on the topic are rather nuanced (and a joy to watch for that reason).
I wish I were literate :( I always hear people talking about these things called books and they are quite elusive to me. im now sure they are beautiful things from the way you speak so beautifully about them. even if I dont know reading I enjoy your videos because you are an amazing videoer and that brain of yours is so great (it must have many folds whereas mine is quite smooth). maybe one day I will learn to read and if that day ever comes around, the first books I will pick up are the ones you've recommended. thank you kindly alisha :D
oh i love these recommendations. for modern romance, i really suggest The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali, and for magical realism i have to suggest Swamplandia! by Karen Russell which is one of my favorite books
Lovely follow up, thank you for the thoughts. I liked Bright Dead Things but preferred Sharks In The Rivers even more so if you haven’t read that yet, check it out!
Your taste is immaculate, and I have several more books on my to-read list. Though I think I have put off Pride & Prejudice too long; my reading habit is about 50% fiction, 50% nonfiction, and of the 50% fiction about 2/3 is SFF. Also yes, as a child, I also loved The Westing Game and the Mysterious Benedict Society because they were clever books that also made me feel smart. Though I also like the DaVinci Code as a kid for eliciting a similar feeling because I was able to figure out the solution to the cryptex right after I read the riddle for it - but that's more because it's a shit riddle, not because I was all that smart as a kid. It wasn't until Inferno came out and 14-year-old me realized how bad it was as I was reading it. I love your passion for literature and your eloquence in discussing it - I have quickly tired of "booktubers" whose "deep dives" into books (including Booktok books) are just point-by-point retellings of what happens with occasional pauses to offer criticism that is little more than "that's bad writing" or some joke. Sometimes those videos are fun, but perhaps they are fun in much the same way the very books they are "critiquing" can be fun. I hope to see more impassioned critique from you in the future, whether it is of tropes, genre trends, or particular books/authors. Part of me has wanted to try my hand at producing Booktube content for a long time, but I've been uncertain how well the type of videos I want to make would be received. I have a script brewing in my mind for a video on sex in literature, the history of it, the societal perceptions of it, the various discourses and perspectives around it I see on social media and have had with my peers, and the place sex scenes have in books. I suspect, however, that such a script when completed would make for a three hour video. At least I'd be getting perhaps the least monetizable video out of the way first if I make that my first Booktube video!
Girl, I'm here from the other one of your videos you made about booktok, and I enjoyed it so much. You've given so many new ways of thinking about reading, that video is probably a reason for a thousand new synapses that were created in my brain. I hate to hear how you've gotten so many disgusting comments, unfortunately that's the way some people are, having a capacity of thinking as complex as an amoeba. Never mind them, please, it's gonna be a waste of your time Genuinely speaking though, you're really inspiring and mature for your age, and I mean it in the best way possible! P.S. all the books you've recommended here are solid picks, but as a Persian, the poem excerpt didn't do it for me😭😭I suggest you look into some old Persian classics tho, they're something else
I'd like to recommend you any novel by Natasha Pulley! My favorite of hers is The Bedlam Stacks because of its symbolism and themes about time, devotion, and love, but for people who have never heard of her I always say to start with The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. It's a historical fiction, magical realism novel!
im watching this while i study for finals; im gonna buy gone girl and read it over summer break, and ill reply to this video again when i get to the twist. promise
do not read it i read gone girl because of her and i can tell u this: it is genuinely terrible. it is the worst novel i have ever read. i beg of u save urself the hours
this was such a great vid and i got so many new recs :,-) i wanna also recommend a book called unlikely animals by annie hartnett, it seems like something that may be up your alley!! it's one of my all time favs, it's such a beautiful story
you said magical realism and i rushed to the comments heres some i love YA - The Sleep Watcher by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan a young girl sleepwalks outside of her body and comes to terms with who her father really is, her small seaside town and what it is to be a teenage girl - Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour a girl with an abusive past ages out of her foster home and takes a job at an isolated farmhouse teaching a young boy, but there is something weird ging on (very beautiful not horror even though the blurb sounds like it) ADULT - Temporary by Hilary Leichter a woman takes a series of bizarre temp jobs and slowly untangles herself from work culture, a wonderfully weird critique of capitalism - The Immortalists by Choe Benjamin four siblings go to a fortune teller as children, she tells them each the day they will die. it follows the siblings diverging paths and life and how they carry that knowledge.
Hi Alisha, I have a lot I could comment on in regards to your booktok video (entirely in agreement with you) but more importantly...do you read fantasy/sci-fi? If so, I recommend The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. It's my favorite book of all time and is so beautifully written. I think you'd enjoy it.
Hi Alisha! I just spent the last couple hours watching all four of you videos and I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed them. I want to caveat this a bit. I'm an English Lit professor and cultural studies podcaster... so that colors my view of things a bit and while I don't necessarily agree with everything you've said, I think you're done a phenomenal job of expressing your views, especially as "an 18 year old barely legal adult." The great thing about academic arguments is that if you do them right, it shouldn't be about whether or not everyone agrees. It should be about finding your niche in the critical conversation based on your own arguments and view points. I think your videos are really great and I think it’s amazing that you’re wrestling with these complex issues at this point in your academic career and I just want to say… ƒµ¢& the haters!!!! Keep up the good work! Oh, and you're right... no one bragging about reading Dostoyevsky can spell it!!!! None of them!!!!
What Mav said! Your videos sparked a bunch of interesting conversations in our group chat of our friends from grad school. I found your video from folks talking about it on a twitch stream - people having thoughtful discussions about books in the wild always makes my day so thanks for making people talk, including us! Keep at it :)
I’ve seen all of your videos and I just wanted to say that although academia is RIFE with problems (sometimes including, ironically, anti-intellectualism!) if you’re not already considering it, you could think about doing a PhD. Your analytical skills are incredible and your brain and ideas are needed in research! ❤
My only concern is when someone reads a booktok book darling or a ya book. Or the latest smutty romance it doesn't mean that's all they read. I read a lot of books in all kind of genres. But I switch up literary and classic books with ya fantasy and historical romance. So it would be a bit hurtful if people judge on a snapshot of what I read that week. But I love this discussion especially the part when you recommend books you love. We should all keep on sharing our favorite books. It's how we keep good literature alive.
Praising highly accessible poetry by contrasting it with “pretentious,” “high-brow” art sounds like the kind of anti-intellectualism criticized in a previous video.
If you want magic realism, you need to read latinamerican magic realism. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I don't particularly like 100 years of solitude. Garcia Marquez has way better books. (Specially short tales). You should read Carlos Fuentes (short tales too), Maria Luisa Bombal, Elena Garro (my personal fav) ❤ And a lot of contemporary authors over here have inherited the style in a magnificent way.
I was absolutely shocked to find out that your BookTok video was only your second video. It was SUPER well made! Congrats!
I know! That was a FEATURE FILM!!
the goodreads must be dropped
REEAAAALL
YUP
Just watched the last video and was literally looking on her channel and in her description for it. Yes...we need it
Indeed
i think its @alishalihsha
I DEVOURED that video you’re talking about because, honestly, it felt very validating to hear someone with the same opinion as me argue with proper articulation and present points in such an admirable way. I immediately subbed last time, locking in for this one!
"critical thinking can boost enjoyment and enjoyment can boost critical thinking." THIS. if i had to pick one quote from this video encapsulating what i think about media literacy in general, this is it.
People who can't understand this are like the fish in water. They don't even realize how deep they are into anti-intellectualism. They would call you nerd like it's a slur for trying to process what you read or even selecting a book you would have to process after you read it. Their brains are so fried from corn/smut books that they take it as an insult whenever you suggest they get out of their comfort zone for their own benefit. Also, people think everyone is on a "high horse" because the expectations for themselves are so low, lol. It's a matter of perspective, after all.
For romance, I absolutely adored Michael F. Moore's recent translation of The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni. A classic of Italian literature that never really became known outside of Italy, the central romance is so engrossing and the themes of love spread throughout the twisting story
both of ur videos on this topic were such empathetic and understanding takes imo💗🎀
never understood people thinking addressing someone with a slur would EVER make them be a person to be heard out or agreed with.. you can make a point just fine without it. loved this video and was looking from recs for u ty!!
After watching the first video my brain started to make the connection between this sort of commodification of books and classical music in pop culture and I realized something; in my view, if booktok worsens the way books are treated in the way it has been doing so, in 50 or so years the literature scene will look much like the classical music scene looks today. Classical music nowadays has been turned into this event where people go in fancy outfits to concerts in fancy venues so they can say "oh, look at me, I'm so intellectual because I attended a *classical music* concert tonight" and has almost completely become elitist in popular culture. Depictions of it especially in dark academia feed into that perception of classical music as being "for the smart people" or whatever. That perception is so far removed from the actual intents of composers, the actual meaning and intellectual wonder of the music, etc. but it has become the main draw of classical music for the general public, and the industry has adapted to fit that draw. Many performers now are completely vacuous in their interpretations of the pieces but make themselves look really posh while performing so it looks fancy. Combine that with a culture of idolization and you find an art form with such power to really communicate well with people and elicit powerful emotion being completely squandered in the name of elitism. Basically, take how most people view classical music as a cautionary tale; books could become similar, with similarly vacuous draws and authors adapting to those draws. Heck, books sort of already are similar in those ways. All this to say that it is our duty as consumers of media to look for the real meaning in all art and not dismiss it nor endorse it because of some social stupidity, in books, classical music, and everything else.
damn, that sounds orientalist as _fuuuuuuuck_
@@paisleepunk ?
i think books have already been commodified like that
@@sillysilly366 yeah, but not nearly to the extent of classical music (or so it seems to me)
@@paisleepunk out of curiosity, how is this in any way related to orientalism???
i personally don’t really like romance but to my surprise i LOVED this is how you lose the time war. 10/10 love story
I had a similar experience. I've never read a romance I found compelling until that one.
I also feel like capitalism (in the form of sponsored, mass market content) is a really important part of the argument you were making in the previous video. It's similar to one of the arguments Maggie Nelson makes in her book of art criticism, The Art of Cruelty - that culture in the modern world is created for, and not by the people. Although TikTok is obviously not the only platform where the attitude of "anti-intellectualism" becoming the standard, it is normalizing mindless consumption through curated, sponsored content disguised as "sex-positive" or "progressive" or "feminist". I think we really underestimate how many of these creators are heavily moderated by industry. The readers themselves, in my opinion, are not the problem - it's the proliferation of corporate values attached to every single possible pursuit, which in our case is books and reading: low quality, cheaply-made, stimulating, condescending, promoting overconsumption and a lack of reflection. Readers, especially young women, deserve better out of their literary fiction, their romance, their fantasy. They deserve better than to have their attention, their money, their desires bought and sold - to be commodified by the industries that rely so heavily on their participation. All I want is more effort demanded by readers regardless of genre - whether that's in your smutty romance or your 700 page fantasy book about a cool dragon. And for us to resist the temptation of consumption without reflection, or attempt to justify it by slapping a progressive label on it.
The individual is the one who supports those corporate values. Culture wouldn’t be homogenized if we didn’t actively support the homogenization with our own money. There is a talk called “Intellectual wasteland” by William Gaddis on TH-cam that I thought was a good analysis of consumer vs producer dichotomy.
It's what I try to do with films! I realize I have a hard time to critically think about books sometimes, because they can be long and I tend to forget the beginning when I'm finished.
We are seated
investing in this channels long term success.
You're becoming one of the TH-cam video essay all-time greats- your work is amazing!
And Then There Were None has continued to be one of my all time favorites. I love it so much. You’ve given me a long list of books but I can’t wait to read them.
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer is part of my favourite trilogy ever, the Southern Reach Trilogy, but the first book is amazing as a standalone too. It's so hard to explain but I felt so changed by the end of it. Also very out there but A Black Fox Running by Brian Carter also changed me.
Pride and Prejudice is a good book, but I would never tell anyone to read it on the basis of it being enemies to lovers. That's what I was told, and so I expected tension and complicated feelings and redemption. What I got was misunderstandings and major character development happening almost entirely offscreen.
Which is a shame. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it if my expectations hadn't been so mismatched to the content.
kafka on the shore is an amazing book for magical realism, the entirety of it feels like a dream. i’ve been interested in reading beloved but haven’t got round to it yet. thoughts on paradise and jazz?
I haven't read paradise or jazz but I've read other toni Morriston and I'll tell you toni Morriston is smarter than all of us and her books are just so, so, so good. I cannot recommend her enough. Extremely dark though. But the level of empathy she has for everything she writes about, they way reading her feels like you're an active participant in her story and not just a silent watcher. You actually have to think about what you're reading and confront your own ideas I could yap about her for hours
@@zionhalder1017 i’ll definitely read some of her work then, i think it would be really interesting thank you!
Thank you for your thoughtful commentary regarding the online book community- nuanced and thought provoking
I don't usually comment on videos but thank you for the amazing essay, it's now one of my favourites.
i enjoyed your last video a lot, and this one didn’t disappoint. it’s obvious you’re very passionate about books and reading, which is why i imagine many viewers value your opinion on what’s happening in the literature space. good work!
Your video essay on booktok and anti-intellectualism was one of my favorite video essays I've ever seen. The fact that people could not see the nuance because of hyperbole proves how little of a space there is for critical thought on the internet. I was incredibly inspired by that video, and I'm really surprised you had to make these statements. I really enjoyed the video. Please continue to do videos like that!
One of the only critical yet fair viewpoints I have seen on this topic, can't wait to see you make more
YESSSSS SIX OF CROWS!!!!!!!!!!! Love that book and the sequel
I've been desperately wanting to get into reading again, but i felt like everything i picked up was a total flop. These suggestions are so diverse, and you got me really excited to check them out, thanks!
As soon as you brought up Little women i knew I’d be reading all of these books.
I can't believe we are around the same age yet you are so much more eloquent! Adore your content, it's quite nuanced and well communicated- keep going please :)
I’m so excited for this!!!
I’m so surprised you’re only 18! Hearing other people stand up on their platform and advocate for critical thinking really boosts my hope for the future! Great conversations being had 👏🏼
thank you so much for sharing your perspective on Booktok and challenging audiences uncritical "consuming"/"aquiring" of media.
I honestly think you communicated these really important points in a thoughtful and accessible way (which is huge to me because im so tired of people framing things as Drama or Discourse when in fact like. hey there is a really thoughtful lesson here and we're inviting you to come along and broaden your world!!!)
if people flinch at being told to "think critically", they should know that it is truly Not an insult. to think critically and engage deeply with art is such a sign of respect for yourself and the work. it's too simplistic to grade art on whether you "like" or "hate" it-- it's so much more enriching to talk about, maybe how it broadened your perspective or gave you a new appreciation for a technique or idk maybe it got you thru some hard shit by holding up a mirror to things you weren't willing to confront... or maybe you did "hate it" and by articulating thoughtfully what didnt work about a book you are much better able to pursue things that DO work for you. idk. as you say, being a Hater is Necessary ❤
idk. i think we owe ourselves more than "finding my thing and making it my personality and never growing". like. damn. the world is so much bigger than that !! come on out and enjoy some new experimental shit! you might like it???
plus on the consumerism / think where you buy from side: like prettyyyyy materially the world cannot sustain Constant Growth. and whatver "warm fuzzy feeling" a person might get from buying tons of books or promo items or whatever... it is not worth the trade-off of environmental decay and labor exploitation that the industry demands... eek! support your library! read an odd old edition of a book that you borrow from a friend and make Jeff Bezos cry by not putting more money in his pocket!!! yippee !
I don’t think I’ve left a comment on any account before. Well done! Thank you for the book reviews and recommendations. You are obviously a well rounded reader- which is disappointingly rare on major platforms. Review format was so refreshing! So glad for quality over quantity of videos.
for romance you can try: seven days in june by tia williams. its a lot but its really great!
I knew i liked you when you recommended beloved
I would recommend 1Q84, it's magical realism and love story in one. It's one of those books I can't stop thinking about since I read it.
I just wanted to say I read Gone Girl because of your video, and it has since become one of my top 5 books of ALL time 🙏
0:30 almost 8k now! You're doing great, love your videos!
i just wanted to drop by to say you have inspired me to start reading :) thank you
Hello fellow reader!! Loved your videos, and I just wanted to say my personal all time favorite is The Kingkiller Chronicles (The Name of the Wind, and The Wise Man’s Fear) by Patrick Rothfuss. His writing style is just so unique and the stories are so poetic and nothing else can just scratch that itch anywhere else. Your takes are valid and I hope you keep creating videos!
I think you would get a lot of validation from How To Read Now by Elaine Castillo. It criticizes literature as a cultural notion both from intellectualism and from mindless consumption.
I read little women when I was young, and it really killed me. I’m currently rereading for the first time. I loved Jo as a child and I’m glad I still do.
In my second reading of my year of rest and relaxation, I felt the author didn't know how to end it. And I deeply believe there is less commentary than we give her credit. The only thing I got from it is that the privileged basically get away with stupidity. The fact she just woke up one day sober and her friend is dead. I would say the way the psychologist was written was interesting, but the commentary on capitalism was very light if not nonexistent. And I just disliked the part of the photographer friend, it seemed unnecessary and drawn out.
yesssss a new video we feasting! 🙌
Clue goated movie.
Oh wow girl your followers doubled in a month! Congrats!
I have read many of these recomendations and have loved them all i will say though with the shout outs to Little Women and Pride and Prejudice I was suprised not to hear a mention of Anne of Green Gables which is one of my absolute favorites, I think Anne Shirley is a contender for best protaginist in litriture and I absolutely recomend it to any fan of the previously mentioned books. Anyway keep up the good work, I always love finding new Video essayists. Congrats on your success thus far.
Do you have a Discord server or some other place where people can go to talk about books? I think it would be interesting to build something up like that
FRLL i need a server like this
there is actually a show called the mysterious benedict society and i watched during the pandemic, the show is pretty great i watched it a bunch of times but it didnt feel like a kids show per say because of the various complex issues it deals with like how we are mindlessly brainwashed into consuming things, etc. i was really delighted to know that it was a children's book, because most modern kids media assumes that its audience is dumb and it is frustrating (like the new avatar).
Oi, I can correctly spell Dostoevsky! All jokes aside: I find your criticism very valid and honestly can't fathom how someone would take "romance is bad" from your video. Both your videos on the topic are rather nuanced (and a joy to watch for that reason).
gj it took me a year
There are so many ways to transcribe Russian that any is spelling is likely to be correct in one of them.
LOVE Gone Girl omg
Little Women has too for me become apart of my personality 😂 I reread it all the time. Love this video ❤ also DROP THE GOODREADS/OTHER SOCIALS
You best believe I had my library app open and was placing reservations
If you like books like Pride and Prejudice and haven’t read A Room With a View by E.M. Forster you absolutely should!
I wish I were literate :( I always hear people talking about these things called books and they are quite elusive to me. im now sure they are beautiful things from the way you speak so beautifully about them. even if I dont know reading I enjoy your videos because you are an amazing videoer and that brain of yours is so great (it must have many folds whereas mine is quite smooth). maybe one day I will learn to read and if that day ever comes around, the first books I will pick up are the ones you've recommended. thank you kindly alisha :D
oh i love these recommendations. for modern romance, i really suggest The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali, and for magical realism i have to suggest Swamplandia! by Karen Russell which is one of my favorite books
Amy stan from day one, when I first read it (at 9 or something) I even hated Jo because of their fight. At that time I reread it every two months.
Lovely follow up, thank you for the thoughts. I liked Bright Dead Things but preferred Sharks In The Rivers even more so if you haven’t read that yet, check it out!
Your taste is immaculate, and I have several more books on my to-read list. Though I think I have put off Pride & Prejudice too long; my reading habit is about 50% fiction, 50% nonfiction, and of the 50% fiction about 2/3 is SFF.
Also yes, as a child, I also loved The Westing Game and the Mysterious Benedict Society because they were clever books that also made me feel smart. Though I also like the DaVinci Code as a kid for eliciting a similar feeling because I was able to figure out the solution to the cryptex right after I read the riddle for it - but that's more because it's a shit riddle, not because I was all that smart as a kid. It wasn't until Inferno came out and 14-year-old me realized how bad it was as I was reading it.
I love your passion for literature and your eloquence in discussing it - I have quickly tired of "booktubers" whose "deep dives" into books (including Booktok books) are just point-by-point retellings of what happens with occasional pauses to offer criticism that is little more than "that's bad writing" or some joke. Sometimes those videos are fun, but perhaps they are fun in much the same way the very books they are "critiquing" can be fun. I hope to see more impassioned critique from you in the future, whether it is of tropes, genre trends, or particular books/authors.
Part of me has wanted to try my hand at producing Booktube content for a long time, but I've been uncertain how well the type of videos I want to make would be received. I have a script brewing in my mind for a video on sex in literature, the history of it, the societal perceptions of it, the various discourses and perspectives around it I see on social media and have had with my peers, and the place sex scenes have in books. I suspect, however, that such a script when completed would make for a three hour video. At least I'd be getting perhaps the least monetizable video out of the way first if I make that my first Booktube video!
Best new channel
for magical realism, I recommend you try Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.
My fav book is magical realism!!! The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende- highly recommend :)
Girl, I'm here from the other one of your videos you made about booktok, and I enjoyed it so much. You've given so many new ways of thinking about reading, that video is probably a reason for a thousand new synapses that were created in my brain. I hate to hear how you've gotten so many disgusting comments, unfortunately that's the way some people are, having a capacity of thinking as complex as an amoeba. Never mind them, please, it's gonna be a waste of your time
Genuinely speaking though, you're really inspiring and mature for your age, and I mean it in the best way possible!
P.S. all the books you've recommended here are solid picks, but as a Persian, the poem excerpt didn't do it for me😭😭I suggest you look into some old Persian classics tho, they're something else
I'd like to recommend you any novel by Natasha Pulley! My favorite of hers is The Bedlam Stacks because of its symbolism and themes about time, devotion, and love, but for people who have never heard of her I always say to start with The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. It's a historical fiction, magical realism novel!
The way you jump scared me with Gabbie Hanna 😂
Same 😂
17:01 I watched the David Fincher movie, I don't know if that counts
thank you the recommendations
after watching ur video i was rly scared that I was a fake reader but I am very glad to say we have very similar taste
have you read the book piglet? it’s the same vein as a certain hunger highly recommend
im watching this while i study for finals; im gonna buy gone girl and read it over summer break, and ill reply to this video again when i get to the twist. promise
writers and lovers too. my heart broke with the snippet of it
do not read it i read gone girl because of her and i can tell u this: it is genuinely terrible. it is the worst novel i have ever read. i beg of u save urself the hours
this was such a great vid and i got so many new recs :,-) i wanna also recommend a book called unlikely animals by annie hartnett, it seems like something that may be up your alley!! it's one of my all time favs, it's such a beautiful story
I discorved the westing game as a kid after another kid threw it at my head lol. Great book.
Yaaay soc fan ❤. I only like romance as subplot
you said magical realism and i rushed to the comments heres some i love
YA
- The Sleep Watcher by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
a young girl sleepwalks outside of her body and comes to terms with who her father really is, her small seaside town and what it is to be a teenage girl
- Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour
a girl with an abusive past ages out of her foster home and takes a job at an isolated farmhouse teaching a young boy, but there is something weird ging on (very beautiful not horror even though the blurb sounds like it)
ADULT
- Temporary by Hilary Leichter
a woman takes a series of bizarre temp jobs and slowly untangles herself from work culture, a wonderfully weird critique of capitalism
- The Immortalists by Choe Benjamin
four siblings go to a fortune teller as children, she tells them each the day they will die. it follows the siblings diverging paths and life and how they carry that knowledge.
DROP THE GOODREADS
Been wanting to see your reviews, but can't find them. Where are they?
Hi Alisha, I have a lot I could comment on in regards to your booktok video (entirely in agreement with you) but more importantly...do you read fantasy/sci-fi? If so, I recommend The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. It's my favorite book of all time and is so beautifully written. I think you'd enjoy it.
Hi Alisha! I just spent the last couple hours watching all four of you videos and I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed them. I want to caveat this a bit. I'm an English Lit professor and cultural studies podcaster... so that colors my view of things a bit and while I don't necessarily agree with everything you've said, I think you're done a phenomenal job of expressing your views, especially as "an 18 year old barely legal adult." The great thing about academic arguments is that if you do them right, it shouldn't be about whether or not everyone agrees. It should be about finding your niche in the critical conversation based on your own arguments and view points. I think your videos are really great and I think it’s amazing that you’re wrestling with these complex issues at this point in your academic career and I just want to say… ƒµ¢& the haters!!!! Keep up the good work!
Oh, and you're right... no one bragging about reading Dostoyevsky can spell it!!!! None of them!!!!
What Mav said! Your videos sparked a bunch of interesting conversations in our group chat of our friends from grad school. I found your video from folks talking about it on a twitch stream - people having thoughtful discussions about books in the wild always makes my day so thanks for making people talk, including us! Keep at it :)
I’m so heartbroken that you don’t have more videos published 😂
I really want to see your reviews. I think many of us do. I understand you may not want to share those directly with us all, but I hope you do.
looking forward to more!
I’ve seen all of your videos and I just wanted to say that although academia is RIFE with problems (sometimes including, ironically, anti-intellectualism!) if you’re not already considering it, you could think about doing a PhD. Your analytical skills are incredible and your brain and ideas are needed in research! ❤
If you liked Pride and Prejudice you should definitely read Emma. In my opinion is Jane Austen's best book.
amazing video AS ALWAYs
i need to read more
and you are so inspiring
You have my ATTENTION on gone girl
ITS HERE
BABEL BY RF KUANG BABEL BY RF KUANG BABEL BY KF KUANG READ IT
My only concern is when someone reads a booktok book darling or a ya book. Or the latest smutty romance it doesn't mean that's all they read. I read a lot of books in all kind of genres. But I switch up literary and classic books with ya fantasy and historical romance. So it would be a bit hurtful if people judge on a snapshot of what I read that week. But I love this discussion especially the part when you recommend books you love. We should all keep on sharing our favorite books. It's how we keep good literature alive.
I think you really struck a chord with that last video.
Romance rec: This is How You Lose the Time War
Magical realism rec: The Stars are not yet Bells
Praising highly accessible poetry by contrasting it with “pretentious,” “high-brow” art sounds like the kind of anti-intellectualism criticized in a previous video.
Gotta be real, Ive never heard anyone spell it alihsha
YUMMY VIDEO
A little bit of respect and human decency? On the internet? Oh no. That's never going to happen. Asking for it probably made it worse unfortunately.
IM SAT
PLEASE drop your Goodreads
our savior alisha. I am tuned in
1:05 💀💀💀
If you want magic realism, you need to read latinamerican magic realism. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I don't particularly like 100 years of solitude. Garcia Marquez has way better books. (Specially short tales).
You should read Carlos Fuentes (short tales too), Maria Luisa Bombal, Elena Garro (my personal fav) ❤
And a lot of contemporary authors over here have inherited the style in a magnificent way.
you have such good brain...
💜💜💜
i am begging you for your goodreads
DAMN HOW DOES FAME FEEL