Get 15% off your first Brooklinen order! Just click here bit.ly/PlantBasedBrideYT ✧˖°. This video is kindly sponsored by Brooklinen. Which of these sci-fi books did you vote for in the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards?🏆
I loved Orbital but I also loved this rant 😂 I interpreted the book as an attempt to make the reader feel like the astronauts felt: simultaneously bored and mind blown.
@@rynbartel929 lol simultaneously bored and mind blown is a surprisingly apt representation of this book 😂 maybe I’ve read too many books set in space to appreciate the mind blown portions!
I love that you don’t shy away from explaining (very eloquently) why you don’t like a book. You aren’t afraid to say they are bad and it’s refreshing in this particular space. I DNFed The Ministry of Time at about 40% which I think was somewhere in the 4th chapter. Specifically after the first seen with our protagonist and Maggie going to do makeup and laying in the bed together which was all strange. I just couldn’t connect to any of the characters. My favorite parts were the glimpses into the government overreach that looked like were going to be explored, with some of the mystery elements, but simply didn’t care enough to waste my time on a book with very mixed reviews. Glad I didn’t stick around for an ending that would have made me mad.
Thank you! I seem to have upset some people with this one, which is frustrating because I try to make sure to say it’s just one person’s opinion, and I’m open to hearing others. Life would be boring if we all liked the same books!
Major props to you for taking on this monumental task of reading all ten finalists 😮 Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres, but I haven't read any of the 20 nominees this year. Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves are the ones I'm most intrigued to pick up soon, so I'm glad you enjoyed them. Also a massive Star Wars fan and loving the Silo TV show!
proof that art is subjective is that i gave both "i cheerfully refuse" and "orbital" five stars 😂😂😂 your orbital rant was great. it's so funny because when you were reading that long-winded quote, i was like, "yes! yes! loved this part!" "i cheerfully refuse" was so beautiful, and so exciting; it reminded me of "the last of us" at points, but with a big beautiful beating heart. i picked it up because of the cover and title, not knowing anything else about it, and what a magnificent surprise
Haha, I love this! I’m glad you could enjoy my rant even though you felt completely differently about the book 😂 oo yeah that's a great way to describe it. ICR really does have so much heart ❤️
You summed up my feelings about the Ministry of Time perfectly. After hearing so much praise towards it, I felt like everyone else read a different version of the book I was reading. Very disappointed to see it win when there's so much great literature out there but it is my first year of using Goodreads so I suppose I'll get used to it lol
I agree with a lot of what you said about Orbital. I gave it a generous 3 stars because i liked the meditations on the Earth as a physical object and that idea of these rapid circuits around the planet not diminishing the astronauts’ infatuation. But like you I just finished it and felt confused about the point? If it were 100 pages longer with fleshed out character relationships, and even a semblance of a plot I would have found it brilliant. I’m also just… not at all convinced it’s science fiction? The ISS exists. There are astronauts on it right now. The only futuristic thing about it is the new manned mission to the moon under the Artemis program which is mentioned in passing a few times and which isn’t even hypothetical. It’s planned and scheduled. There’s been a lot of discussion about how the Booker went to a scifi book and we should be making a bigger deal of it but I can’t get behind that because I don’t understand how it’s science fiction!!
How is iss existing makes the book not science fiction? Sci-fi is not fantasy, it’s about current or futuristic technology and it’s effects. This novel is probably what’s classified as soft sci-fi
@@emryborge7027I understand that sci-fi and fantasy are not the same but science fiction is *science* fiction. Even soft scifi deals with new and emerging technology (I’m thinking of something like Klara and the Sun or another book read in this video Annie Bot). There is no new and emerging technology or setting in Orbital. The space station it takes place on and all the technology therein, the space program, and the planet itself are all just as they are right now. I’m confused how that makes it sci-fi and not just literary fiction.
Nothing could have prepared me for the length of that sentence. As long as I thought it could be, it was three times longer and made half as much sense.
i am a huge star trek/sci-fi tv fan but haven’t read much sci-fi in the past few years! very excited to watch this whole video and would love to hear your top recs sometime if you haven’t made that video yet (new sub here!)
I’d definitely recommend a few from this video (and there’s a bonus rec during the Orbital review!) I love NK Jemisin, Octavia Butler, and Becky Chambers and they’re a good starting point, I’d say. I also really enjoyed Everina Maxwell’s sci fi romance duology and some standalones like The Memory Police and How to Lose the Time War! Oh and the Area X series is awesome and strange, too.
It's funny to me that you mention the main character in I Cheerfully Refuse being a musician and how prominent that is for him as something you really loved when for me it was one of the parts that took me out of the story a bit. As someone who is not in any sense a musician (even though I do love music a lot) it always feels a bit isolating, like I'm suddenly watching the story from a distance instead of experiencing it. I just can't relate at all. I also have a hard time remembering what this book was when I see it mentioned. I gave it four stars and made a note in my reading tracker "Beautiful writing" so I clearly enjoyed it at the time but it didn't stick with me the way it did with others. Art is an interesting thing, eh?
It definitely makes sense to me! I’m someone who’s been making and loving music since before I can remember, so it felt very close to my heart, and I could relate to it, but I often struggle with books that have characters who are really into sports, for example, because I have never been a sporty person and I just don’t get it and my eyes glaze over 😂 I think it makes sense that we feel more deeply for characters who we can relate to on some level, but it’s always a good exercise to read outside of our scope and experience something different!
I really enjoyed Annie Bot, and I think you described things quite accurately! My takeaway was just different, which is why I didn't hate this. To me, Doug represents exactly what you described; a man who thinks he's "a good guy" but is actually an abhorrent asshole with incredibly little ability or will to look at himself and his actions objectively. The real world is full of Dougs who look at real women and see Annies, with no regard to their needs or wants. The real world is also full of Annies, women who have been brainwashed by society to focus their entire existence into pleasing men, and who either tolerate Dougs' behaviour because they think it's normal and they imagine Doug has actual feelings for them despite the abuse, or they're so deep in the relationship they feel like they're trapped with no independence and no way out. Doug was the villain from beginning to end, and Annie was one of the lucky ones who ended up finding a way out from under her jailor, probably leaving Doug thinking he'd done nothing wrong and that he's now being punished for what a soft hearted fool he is for falling for the wiles of evil Annie.
Did you find the ending hopeful/cathartic? Reading other comments from people who agreed largely with what I said but still enjoyed the book more than I did, it seems like a difference of opinion on the ending is the main thing that separates us! I agree with everything you said here, and I think it was well portrayed; I had a pit in my stomach the whole time I was reading, but I hated the ending so much that it made it feel like I suffered through a painfully realistic portrayal of domestic abuse without a purpose (if that makes sense.)
@@PlantBasedBride For me, the ending was mostly triumphant in that Doug really orchestrated his own emotional downfall by actually falling in love with someone who, for all intents and purposes, only existed in his own head. Once Annie was released from the compulsion to service him, she was free to start figuring out who she actually is without Doug's needs and what she actually wants to do. The first step was to get out and everything else was secondary. I honestly didn't think too deeply about who she went to, in the end, considering he was her only contact in the outside world, and I mostly considered him a stepping stone on her way to a life of her own making. I also didn't resent her for not getting revenge on Doug, because I felt like her first priority after effectively getting control of her own body and mind for the first time in her life should be her own well being. Everything else can come later, once she's really figured out what she wants and what kind of person she truly even is. But you're absolutely correct in that how you feel about this book is really just a matter of perspective.
Whoa I had NO idea that The Ministry of Time had a real historical person in it with explicit sexual content. I’ve been interested in this book this year but kept seeing conflicting reviews and missed a library hold on it. That makes me super uncomfortable and I will not be reading. Thank you for sharing
Yeah, I know that doesn’t bother everyone but I can’t help but feel it’s disrespectful to a real man who lived, suffered, and died. And while he himself didn’t have children, he had siblings who had children so he presumably has living relatives in the world. Just gives me the ick, honestly. The Terror (a novel - more thriller/horror historical fiction) has one or two sexual scenes with real historical figures, but they weren’t as explicit and felt like they were in the service of character development (though I didn’t love that book either, for different reasons). The tv show is fantastic, though!
The Family Experiment sounds like John Mars read some news headlines and binged watched Law & Order but did ZERO research into psychology, child development, and personality disorders.
Loved the rants on Orbital and Annie Bot lol definitely not reading those but glad you took the fall for us! The top 5 all got mentioned in BOTM or other book subscriptions so pure popularity contest as usual. But if you’re looking for good new sci-fi, I’d recommend: - Meru by S.B. Divya - These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs - Where Peace is Lost by Valerie Valdes - A Slice of Mars by Guerric Haché (self-published)
When I had looked through the Goodreads Choice Finalists for all the categories when they were released, I just pointed at my phone screen and said "That one should win but THAT one will probably win due to booktok." Also removing the Graphic Novel category is a CRIME!
I haven't read any of the books but your reviews of I cheerfully refuse and The Mercy of Gods made me want to read them. Your rant over Orbital was highly entertaning and I feel sorry you felt you had to read it. You are not the only one hating Annie Bot, BookswithEmilyFox thought it deserved to be burned... I hope you have a great end of the year!
Thank you for also feeling the same way about Annie bot, I felt like the only person who didn’t feel like this was feminist and was just abusive and awful
My main comment on Ministry of Time was the forced hetero romance when there was a perfectly good lesbian actually openly showing interest 😅 (And no I don’t need every book to be gay, it’s the “forced” bit I took issue with) I did love the main character referring to Guinness as “angry marmite”, though 😂
i’m really excited to read i cheerfully refuse!! i had it out as an audiobook but i realized i want to read it physically so i have to wait for it to be available at my library but it sounds very up my alley and i can’t wait to see what you think about it! it seems like something you might like
Anniebot is the only book of these i read and while I understand your criticisms I'm not sure I agree. I agree about there basically being no world building (which is why it surprised me this book is in sci fi, it did not feel like a sci fi book to me it felt like litfic) but I also don't think it matters because the book isn't trying to be sci fi. It def did not interpret the ending as her "going back to the one man that was nice to her." I interpreted it as her going back to the only place that she ever felt free/happy at and I didn't think the book was implying they were going to start a relationship. I do wish she had gotten free through coding though.
I definitely think that’s a fair take! I was so disappointed by the direction the ending went that I’m sure I was looking at it through the most uncharitable lens possible by that point. I did feel like there were hints that she would start a relationship with the son, which obviously isn’t terrible on its own since people should be allowed to find joy in romantic relationships again after escaping an abusive situation, of course! But with the added context of this being a place that Doug knows about and can easily come to get her or have the company go get her, which I imagine they would 100% do since they knew about her first escape attempt, which is why the engineer was reassigned/demoted and she's such a valuable asset to them for research purposes, I just can’t see it as a happy ending. It feels like I have to suspend my disbelief too much to think that it’s going to work out, you know? After everything she went through I wanted her to be free and have a chance
I love Science Fiction so much!!! My favourite SF book that I read most recently was Translation State by Ann Leckie. I adore Diane Duane’s Star Trek books and hope you read them someday. I am reading Orbital and enjoying it, but it’s 100 percent literary fiction, not SF at all. Thanks so much for the video!
I haven’t read any of the Star Trek books, though I’ve bought a couple for my husband over the years and keep meaning to get around to them! I don’t believe I’ve ever read any Ann Leckie, either! I’ll have to check their work out ❤️
I think I would have maybe found it deep if it was my first time reading a book set in space/exploring these ideas, but it just didn’t bring anything new to the table, you know?
Thank you for taking one for the team. I didn’t dislike Orbital nearly as much as I did The Ministry of Time. What a mess-such a disappointment. I agree with your thoughts on Annie Bot-another disappointment. I cannot believe anyone is Team Doug. Your review convinced me to put a library hold on I Cheerfully Refuse.
I hope you enjoy ICR! It’s devastatingly beautiful. Mess is truly the perfect way to describe TMoT 😂 and I agree, the number of people I saw praising Doug made me very concerned.
🌌🤖⏰ Thank you so much for the video, it truly was a lot of work! I always enjoy how well-spoken you are and how diligently you dive into different aspects of a book. And I loved how you laid out what you seek for in sci-fi! The type of sci-fi I enjoy the most is when advanced technologies are used as a base for a more intense exploration of human nature. Some of these books wouldn't fit my taste, so I'm glad to hear a trusted opinion for those that clearly interest many people! Sincerely hope the catharsis you got from ICR compensated for the books you didn't allow yourself to dnf throughout this challenge😅
Thank you! I definitely feel finding the 4 star and 5 star books made this whole video worth it ❤️ also your profile picture is absolutely adorable and I love it 😂❤️
You summed up my feelings about Annie Bot so well. I do not get they hype around it. The only reason I finished it was because I had hope that I'd understand why it was being talked about and never got my answer
You should absolutely try reading The Expanse if you get the chance. I have only read the first book and it was amazing. The human side of all of that technology is the driving force behind it. I haven’t ready The Mercy of Gods, but it sounds similar, yet different.
I cheerfully refuse was my favorite book from this year, it genuinely affected my so deeply and I get teary eyed every time I think about it. I knew it wouldn’t win because I know it’s not consumable for everyone, but I rlly wish it got more hype :(
@@PlantBasedBrideI just finished the Annie bot portion of the video and I am so unbelievably relieved that you hated it as much as I did!!! So much misogyny baked into that book it concerns me
Being irrationally angry about Orbital is a mooooood :) The audiobook was like 3 or 4 hours (can't remember) and it felt 5 times as long, because I gleaned NOTHING from it, wtf? The reaction to that book was baffling to me, so facile and kumbaya and just flat - yeah, it makes the earth seem flat from space and it makes the space station flat also. It was so cathartic to listen to your rant, thank you for your service! Also, yeah, I second the To Be Taught if Fortunate rec, this was my thought exactly when I was listening to Orbital, that Becky did it much better. I read that five years ago and I still remember it!!!
I have cozy bed envy. Cats are the best reading friend. I gave Annie Bot 3 stars. I thought, there’s nothing new here, pretty much sums up the female experience. A male reviewer loved it - it was eye opening for him. I’m thinking I wasn’t the target audience.
They really are! They’re also so obsessed with our new throw blanket and it’s hilarious 😂 That’s interesting - I wonder who the target demographic was? I’ve heard so many wildly different reactions to the book across the spectrum at this point!
Two minutes in & pausing to say I'm a Star Trek: Voyager girl! The best thing about getting home from school were thr Voyager reruns from 4-5. ❤ As far as scifi preferences, I love a good space war or space horror. Gimme a rogue AI or an important character with unclear motives & I am sold!
Children of Time was my favourite sci fi I read this year. Station Eleven too I guess, but I have a hard time calling dystopian/ speculative fiction sci fi even though I guess it is. From this list all I read was I Cheerfully Refuse, and I DNF’d The Stardust Grail (I fell asleep around 25% in and took that as a sign). I Cheerfully Refuse was a like not love for me, I think just because I read it because it was nominated for sci fi and felt let down by how little sci fi it was. You and your husband being your own wedding band is so cute ❤
One of my favourite genres of sci-fi is dystopian near-future, but I get that it doesn’t necessarily feel super sci-fi. The beginning of Stardust Grail was a bit slow, but I felt the characters and their relationships really grew through the middle, and the end was exciting!
Even though this video takes a while to come out.. I've been really looking forward to it!! I was distinctly disappointed in horror selections this year, so I think i'll expand my sci-fi TBR with some of the stuff here
I’d love to know which ones from this video you’re adding to your TBR! I don’t think I’d read any of the horror nominees this year, though I can’t remember off the top of my head. A few looked interesting and have been added to my TBR, though!
@@PlantBasedBride Because i'm enjoying Moon of the Crusted Snow right now.. i'm even more excited to read the sequel!! I've also heard such great things from James S.A. Corey, and my partner would be sad if I didn't get to their books soon so thats moving up for sure! AND I have to get to I Cheerfully Refuse now... I have to know!!! The Other Valley has been gathering dust on my shelf so that needs to change too. If there was anything I enjoyed from the horror winners... it wasn't stephen king thats for sure, but hopefully Diavola and Indian Burial Ground save this year for me
I've only read 3 sci-fi books in 2024 so it's safe to say it is not my favorite genre... They were all >4 stars so i guess I should take a closer look. What would be your go to suggestion for a SCI fi beginner?
@PlantBasedBride c'est plutôt intimidant! I absolutely love Taylor Jenkins Reid (Carrie Soto is back was a 5 star read). I also loved Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy (only Brandy Sandy i've read though). I also liked Stephen King's The Stand, 11/22/63, Billy Summers so I guess less on the horror spectrum of his registry. Project hail mary was my sci fi premier and I liked it ( 4+ stars if I remember correctly). I also loved Black Mirror so The family experiment teased me but I'm less inclined to give it a shot after what you said about the characters being the same but different font. 🫤 Merci beaucoup d'avance, indépendamment de ta suggestion! Edit: I should add I read in french so the book must be a few years old
I just picked up Orbital but am feeling like it might not be what I was expecting after hearing this. Im still going to read it, but at least I’ll be less disappointed now haha. Also, love your white sweater in the first part, where is it from??
Loved this vid and feel sorry for u for the most part 😮. At least some good ones. But, this may be a little weird, regarding the exploration of what is human, can robots be humans, what is consciousness etc., then I highly recommend you either play or watch a playthrough of SOMA by Frictional Games. Yes a game. But it's a fantastic story and has explored this theme in the most interesting way and not afraid to ask questions, and with choices the player needs to make, that are way more impactful than an author making all the choices for all characters. So if you like that theme, I think you would love that story. That's all :)
That’s not a weird suggestion at all! I’m not a huge gamer myself, though I have played a few like Detroit Become Human, but I do enjoy watching play-throughs of especially science fiction and horror games and often find the stories quite thought-provoking! I’ll definitely check this one out ❤️
I would say that it’s not always a dealbreaker. I definitely don’t love when books omit quotation marks, especially when the dialogue is incorporated into paragraphs without line breaks, because I find it much more difficult to parse. But I’m not inherently against experimental sentence structure or long run-on sentences. In fact, I read a book that I loved in a reading vlog a few months back, The Longcut, which is made up of almost exclusively extremely long sentences, but they served to drive the narrative and deepen the character development and weren’t trying to be profound. I haven't read that book, though!
Amazing video, thank you for taking the time to do this. Personally, I read Orbital because of the Booker Prize and didn't think much of it. There were better books on the longlist, like My Friends and the Safekeep. I also read Mercy of Gods and liked it very much. I will be checking out The Stardust Grail, The Other Valley and I Cheerfully Refuse on your recommendation.
The Family Experiment by John Marrs sounds like The Giver by Lois Lowry in respect to how Jonas is being parented by his parents and mentored/parented by the giver... and how Jonas is parenting his brother, Gabriel...
I feel like I enjoyed Family Experiment for the same reasons you disliked it. I'm not a big sci-fi fan, but i think I trend more towards a cautionary look at the future. "This is what will happen if we continue in this direction." So, I felt that the disturbing, shocking elements were meant for that purpose, and were fairly effective. Having said that I agree, the characters needed so much more development, I'm not sure the secondary plot was necessary, they were totally unfair to Issy, and her end was a bit too much for me. Still, I don't know much about sci-fi, so maybe I'm giving the book too much credit. I think I will explore the genre some more after this. So, as much as maybe these books weren't the greatest, I'm very happy you've covered them and have given me a push into an area I'm not familiar in.
I’m happy to encourage you to explore sci fi a little more! I have such a soft spot for the genre ❤️ I agree it’s a cautionary tale! That seems to be Marrs’ focus with this series and it’s certainly interesting/thought provoking.
Is it graphic or is it just like "he SAed her" if you catch my drift? Does it read like "extreme horror" or just regular horror? Lol I'm not making sense but I'm trying to decide if it's worth the triggering content bc to me it sounds really fascinating but I don't wanna take the journey if it begins to feel gratuitous or even just too extremely descriptive. If it's written in third person I can handle disgusting characters better as well lol.
@@Horrorbabe4there’s no SA in The Family Experiment, as for the other triggering content it’s on page but not explicit (no super detailed descriptions from what I recall but we read about these things happening in real time).
@PlantBasedBride ohhh okay. I read human trafficking and child abuse and assumed there would be some SA that u and other reviewers were just not mentioning explicitly... hmm how'd the author manage that? Is my next wonder. Lmao
Part of me wants to read the other books considered for the Booker Prize to try to understand how it won, but I’m concerned about my emotional well-being if orbital is any indication of the books that they were considering 😂
I hope you enjoy it! It’s definitely more wholesome sci fi (think Becky Chambers) which I know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I felt the science and world building really added a lot of depth to the story on top of the found family coziness!
Enjoyed your takes and found a couple new books to read, so thanks! I like Ministry of Time more than you, mostly because the writer had a really unique voice - mordant wit near the end of the world, and I liked trying to puzzle out what was going on. But yes, flawed characters and weird choices.
I think the dry humour and banter between the characters was the best part so I agree with you there! I just couldn’t get on board with everything else that was going on 😅
Thank you for saving me from reading Annie Bot, I've been so close to impulse-buying it a couple times, and after watching this I think I'd hate it 👎🏼 Really looking forward to picking up I Cheerfully Refuse, now 😌
Unfortunately the disadvantage of Goodreads book awards that books with strong marketing and publicity may overwhelmingly win over simply good books. I was generally disappointed with almost all awards and nominations for this year. Moreover, what bothers me the most is fiction has so many sub categories, while non fiction, what is actually useful, encompassing science and lifestyle and improve our thinking is just non-fiction category.
Definitely some duds in that group. I had hoped Annie bot would be like Detroit Becoming Human but it clearly didnt get anywhere near. Connor, Kara, and Markus are way more interesting. Thanks for your reviews and spending the time reading. I'm excited to read your top three.
I had hoped for that, too! Although this has made me want to replay Detroit Become Human, so I will be doing that over the holidays 😅 I hope you enjoy any of the books you pick up on my recommendation!
Some of my favourite authors (Johnson, Catton, Porter, Armfield) heaped such praise on Ministry of Time and it did my head in. Surely that was nepotism in action. Orbital winning the Booker is a joke. I expect such farce from goodreads awards, but rarely from the Booker
@@PlantBasedBride Yesss Julia!! She declared it 'the book of 2024' on her ig stories back in late 2023. I think Bradley is more of a nepo friend lol UK literary circle is so small, their agents must know each other, if not the authors themselves
I think there’s a bit of a divide between people who see near-future pre- or post-apocalyptic societal collapse books as science fiction and those who don’t. To me, they are science fiction, but they obviously have a very different quality from space, aliens, or super-advanced technology science fiction.
Wow. The Ministry of Time is one of titles on their llst of routinely baffling choices thai I was halfway intersted in picking up.and you have just talked me out of it.
1:33:26 I think it’s pretty obvious what that sentence means which is what pisses ME off because clearly the writer thought she was cooking with that one and it’s like you’re not. you’re absolutely not. TRUE “what the fuck does that even mean” sentences are in much better novels such as pure colour by sheila heti which is debatable of course, but that sentence you just read was so juvenile ofc it was a booker prize winner LOL
Oh yeah, I was being facetious 😂 I just felt all the random unrelated details were so pointless and irritating while obfuscating the actual point of the sentence and I was on full rant mode haha
Love the cat cameos ❤ I haven't read any yet, but added the Stardust Grail to my "maybe I'll read this someday" collection. As someone who is politically conservative but fond of actual literature, your review of Annie Bot reminds me of most of my attempts to read Christian lit. There are very few artists who are also conservative in a way that allows them to tell a true story, and it leads them to writing a dull and moralizing story instead of one that explores themes in a deep and rich and human way. I don't know why so many people let their political viewpoints get in the way of seeing the world as it is and exploring possible consequences of their beliefs. Well, I sort of do - cognitive dissonance is painful, and even if you come to the realization that you had some things right, it was still a difficult walk and probably you needed to give some things up to get to the other side, even if it's just the certainty that the other side of the chasm is evil and inhuman. Anyway, Annie Bot sounds like the worst kind of uncritically conservative literature (again, as someone who is politically conservative but doesn't believe a lot of the woman's place stuff) to me and the kind of thing I'm surprised gets traction anywhere. Also, I hate hope chess endings (making a bad move because if my opponent plays exactly what I hope they will, then I'll win), so I understand your frustration with the end. Please keep making these videos! I watched last year's too, even though I wasn't into BookTube yet last year 📚
I'm sorry but..... that whole section you read for Orbital almost sounds like AI gobbly goop. It may not but it reminds me of listening to people trying to make stuff with AI and it goes those strange tangents randomly and then go back to the origonal topic at the end.
To me it reads like fake deep word salad 😂 add in lots of imagery and list lots of vaguely worldly things to make a sentence about having the hots for someone feel more profound 🤣
@@PlantBasedBride You would be suprised how many times AI have sounded *exactly* like that.... Especually on a "first pass" when putting in a prompt. I'm all for anvnt gard writing but that.... that was a whole other level of "wtf." which only AI can really make me feel. When Reads with Gavin reviewed it, I didn't realize how bad it was when he said he had to DNF it about 15% through. That scene alone is an abomination to the senses and imagery. It's much like how there was an avertisement of a "AAA" game from the game reward got shown and people started to speculate it may be AI. Look up Catly and you'll see what I mean.
Just finished The Other Valley. First half was great. Second half started okay, but about halfway through, the book reminds you that it was a male author and it's apparently impossible for a male author to write scifi or fiction that doesn't involve massive sexism. I liked the first half so much! What a disappointment.
"The Ministry of Time" is actually a book purposely plagiarising a Spanish tv show that had already been plagiarised by a US channel (at least they bothered to change the name so it wouldn't be SO obvious. The Ministry of time didn't) so...can people actually have new ideas? I hate that so many people who read the book don't know that as I think it'd change their perspective a bit. I can't "like" plagiarism.
Are you telling me that in Canada you don’t have men who portray themselves as liberal and progressive but are just as misogynistic and abusive as “conservative” men, but just in different ways? How you do claim that duplicity - that’s rampant among men today - is somehow a failing of the author? That she doesn’t understand what the words mean???
I said maybe the point was to show that Doug is delusional and thinks he’s liberal when he’s really not, but that the portrayal of Doug on top of a couple other factors made me feel like there was a bit of a weird lens the story was being told through. Of course I’ve known men who portray themselves as liberal and are misogynistic. Haven’t we all? Also I don’t recall commenting on the author of Annie Bot not knowing what words mean. That was a rant fueled frustrated comment about the author of orbital who kept going on long diatribes trying to pull deep meaning out of nowhere by misusing words.
This is my first time on your channel and I’m click off because a 7 minute mid roll ad break is so insane and disrespectful to your audience. 27:27-34:20 is all an ad for Brooklinen. That was ridiculous. By the time the ad is over, you’ve spent 20% of the video playtime on an ad for sheets.
The video is almost 3 hours long - it’s not 20% of the run time of the video. It’s less than 5%. The ad would have to be over 30 minutes long to be 20% of the video. I’ve watched many
If you disagree with me, that’s fine; as I said in the video, I’m open to hearing other opinions. But just throwing insults at me certainly won’t convince me of your opinion 😂
Pro tip, don't insult the collective intelligence of your subscribers. They tend to not like that....and for those of you who can't see you're being insulted to your face, God help you.
When did I insult anyone’s intelligence? I said more than once that not everyone has the same taste and that’s fine, but the whole point of the video is sharing my opinions. It would be pretty boring if I never said anything critical in case someone else disagreed, wouldn’t it?
Get 15% off your first Brooklinen order! Just click here bit.ly/PlantBasedBrideYT ✧˖°. This video is kindly sponsored by Brooklinen.
Which of these sci-fi books did you vote for in the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards?🏆
That orbital rant was the most beautiful thing ive heard in a while. thank you
I’m so glad it was entertaining 😂 almost makes reading it worth it lol
I loved Orbital but I also loved this rant 😂 I interpreted the book as an attempt to make the reader feel like the astronauts felt: simultaneously bored and mind blown.
@@rynbartel929 lol simultaneously bored and mind blown is a surprisingly apt representation of this book 😂 maybe I’ve read too many books set in space to appreciate the mind blown portions!
Very good done.
"There is nothing to spoil"🤣🤣🤣
I was crying with laughter re bone town
I love that you don’t shy away from explaining (very eloquently) why you don’t like a book. You aren’t afraid to say they are bad and it’s refreshing in this particular space.
I DNFed The Ministry of Time at about 40% which I think was somewhere in the 4th chapter. Specifically after the first seen with our protagonist and Maggie going to do makeup and laying in the bed together which was all strange. I just couldn’t connect to any of the characters. My favorite parts were the glimpses into the government overreach that looked like were going to be explored, with some of the mystery elements, but simply didn’t care enough to waste my time on a book with very mixed reviews. Glad I didn’t stick around for an ending that would have made me mad.
Thank you! I seem to have upset some people with this one, which is frustrating because I try to make sure to say it’s just one person’s opinion, and I’m open to hearing others. Life would be boring if we all liked the same books!
You are THE ONLY ONE reading the sciFi books of the GRCA and I’m SOOOO here for this 🎉🎉🎉 thank u thank u so much for giving sci-fi a chance 😊
Love sci fi forever ❤️
Your rant about Orbital is HILARIOUS, it made me laugh so hard, thank you so much for that!!! 🤣🤣🤣 made my day!!
Haha I’m glad you enjoyed it 😅
Major props to you for taking on this monumental task of reading all ten finalists 😮 Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres, but I haven't read any of the 20 nominees this year. Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves are the ones I'm most intrigued to pick up soon, so I'm glad you enjoyed them. Also a massive Star Wars fan and loving the Silo TV show!
I’d 100% recommend the Moon… duology! There are a few other gems in the nominees but definitely some duds, too 😅
@@PlantBasedBride Also adding I Cheerfully Refuse to my TBR based on your lovely review ❤
proof that art is subjective is that i gave both "i cheerfully refuse" and "orbital" five stars 😂😂😂 your orbital rant was great. it's so funny because when you were reading that long-winded quote, i was like, "yes! yes! loved this part!"
"i cheerfully refuse" was so beautiful, and so exciting; it reminded me of "the last of us" at points, but with a big beautiful beating heart. i picked it up because of the cover and title, not knowing anything else about it, and what a magnificent surprise
Haha, I love this! I’m glad you could enjoy my rant even though you felt completely differently about the book 😂 oo yeah that's a great way to describe it. ICR really does have so much heart ❤️
Book content aside, super love the "making the bed with the cats" ad break
They’re the best helpers! Even when they make every task take three times as long 😂
You summed up my feelings about the Ministry of Time perfectly. After hearing so much praise towards it, I felt like everyone else read a different version of the book I was reading. Very disappointed to see it win when there's so much great literature out there but it is my first year of using Goodreads so I suppose I'll get used to it lol
Yeah, it was rough. Tried to do way too many things!
Thanks for going the extra mile with the time stamps 🙏
No problem! ❤️
It is Chewy and Yoda’s world, and we are simply living in it. 😂❤
So so true 😂🐈⬛🐈⬛
I agree with a lot of what you said about Orbital. I gave it a generous 3 stars because i liked the meditations on the Earth as a physical object and that idea of these rapid circuits around the planet not diminishing the astronauts’ infatuation. But like you I just finished it and felt confused about the point? If it were 100 pages longer with fleshed out character relationships, and even a semblance of a plot I would have found it brilliant. I’m also just… not at all convinced it’s science fiction? The ISS exists. There are astronauts on it right now. The only futuristic thing about it is the new manned mission to the moon under the Artemis program which is mentioned in passing a few times and which isn’t even hypothetical. It’s planned and scheduled. There’s been a lot of discussion about how the Booker went to a scifi book and we should be making a bigger deal of it but I can’t get behind that because I don’t understand how it’s science fiction!!
That’s such a great point! It’s not really science fiction at all, honestly. I really don’t know what the purpose of it was 😂
How is iss existing makes the book not science fiction? Sci-fi is not fantasy, it’s about current or futuristic technology and it’s effects. This novel is probably what’s classified as soft sci-fi
@@emryborge7027I understand that sci-fi and fantasy are not the same but science fiction is *science* fiction. Even soft scifi deals with new and emerging technology (I’m thinking of something like Klara and the Sun or another book read in this video Annie Bot). There is no new and emerging technology or setting in Orbital. The space station it takes place on and all the technology therein, the space program, and the planet itself are all just as they are right now. I’m confused how that makes it sci-fi and not just literary fiction.
I actually liked Orbital but, like you, did not consider it sci-fi and would definitely not have placed it in this category.
SometimesI want to read a book because it gets a bad review😅
Nothing could have prepared me for the length of that sentence. As long as I thought it could be, it was three times longer and made half as much sense.
Right?? There might have even been longer ones in there but I think I blocked it out for my own sanity 😂
i am a huge star trek/sci-fi tv fan but haven’t read much sci-fi in the past few years! very excited to watch this whole video and would love to hear your top recs sometime if you haven’t made that video yet (new sub here!)
I’d definitely recommend a few from this video (and there’s a bonus rec during the Orbital review!) I love NK Jemisin, Octavia Butler, and Becky Chambers and they’re a good starting point, I’d say. I also really enjoyed Everina Maxwell’s sci fi romance duology and some standalones like The Memory Police and How to Lose the Time War! Oh and the Area X series is awesome and strange, too.
It's funny to me that you mention the main character in I Cheerfully Refuse being a musician and how prominent that is for him as something you really loved when for me it was one of the parts that took me out of the story a bit. As someone who is not in any sense a musician (even though I do love music a lot) it always feels a bit isolating, like I'm suddenly watching the story from a distance instead of experiencing it. I just can't relate at all. I also have a hard time remembering what this book was when I see it mentioned. I gave it four stars and made a note in my reading tracker "Beautiful writing" so I clearly enjoyed it at the time but it didn't stick with me the way it did with others. Art is an interesting thing, eh?
It definitely makes sense to me! I’m someone who’s been making and loving music since before I can remember, so it felt very close to my heart, and I could relate to it, but I often struggle with books that have characters who are really into sports, for example, because I have never been a sporty person and I just don’t get it and my eyes glaze over 😂 I think it makes sense that we feel more deeply for characters who we can relate to on some level, but it’s always a good exercise to read outside of our scope and experience something different!
Always excited to see an extra long video from you PBB!
I’m happy to oblige! 😂❤
I really enjoyed Annie Bot, and I think you described things quite accurately! My takeaway was just different, which is why I didn't hate this.
To me, Doug represents exactly what you described; a man who thinks he's "a good guy" but is actually an abhorrent asshole with incredibly little ability or will to look at himself and his actions objectively. The real world is full of Dougs who look at real women and see Annies, with no regard to their needs or wants. The real world is also full of Annies, women who have been brainwashed by society to focus their entire existence into pleasing men, and who either tolerate Dougs' behaviour because they think it's normal and they imagine Doug has actual feelings for them despite the abuse, or they're so deep in the relationship they feel like they're trapped with no independence and no way out.
Doug was the villain from beginning to end, and Annie was one of the lucky ones who ended up finding a way out from under her jailor, probably leaving Doug thinking he'd done nothing wrong and that he's now being punished for what a soft hearted fool he is for falling for the wiles of evil Annie.
I felt the exact same way
Did you find the ending hopeful/cathartic? Reading other comments from people who agreed largely with what I said but still enjoyed the book more than I did, it seems like a difference of opinion on the ending is the main thing that separates us! I agree with everything you said here, and I think it was well portrayed; I had a pit in my stomach the whole time I was reading, but I hated the ending so much that it made it feel like I suffered through a painfully realistic portrayal of domestic abuse without a purpose (if that makes sense.)
@@PlantBasedBride For me, the ending was mostly triumphant in that Doug really orchestrated his own emotional downfall by actually falling in love with someone who, for all intents and purposes, only existed in his own head. Once Annie was released from the compulsion to service him, she was free to start figuring out who she actually is without Doug's needs and what she actually wants to do. The first step was to get out and everything else was secondary.
I honestly didn't think too deeply about who she went to, in the end, considering he was her only contact in the outside world, and I mostly considered him a stepping stone on her way to a life of her own making. I also didn't resent her for not getting revenge on Doug, because I felt like her first priority after effectively getting control of her own body and mind for the first time in her life should be her own well being. Everything else can come later, once she's really figured out what she wants and what kind of person she truly even is.
But you're absolutely correct in that how you feel about this book is really just a matter of perspective.
your orbital rant is the best thing ever
I've clearly ruffled few feathers already 😂
Loved your takes on 'Orbital' and on 'Cheerfully'. I was SO entertained 😊
Whoa I had NO idea that The Ministry of Time had a real historical person in it with explicit sexual content. I’ve been interested in this book this year but kept seeing conflicting reviews and missed a library hold on it. That makes me super uncomfortable and I will not be reading. Thank you for sharing
Yeah, I know that doesn’t bother everyone but I can’t help but feel it’s disrespectful to a real man who lived, suffered, and died. And while he himself didn’t have children, he had siblings who had children so he presumably has living relatives in the world. Just gives me the ick, honestly.
The Terror (a novel - more thriller/horror historical fiction) has one or two sexual scenes with real historical figures, but they weren’t as explicit and felt like they were in the service of character development (though I didn’t love that book either, for different reasons). The tv show is fantastic, though!
The Family Experiment sounds like John Mars read some news headlines and binged watched Law & Order but did ZERO research into psychology, child development, and personality disorders.
Loved the rants on Orbital and Annie Bot lol definitely not reading those but glad you took the fall for us!
The top 5 all got mentioned in BOTM or other book subscriptions so pure popularity contest as usual. But if you’re looking for good new sci-fi, I’d recommend:
- Meru by S.B. Divya
- These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs
- Where Peace is Lost by Valerie Valdes
- A Slice of Mars by Guerric Haché (self-published)
Oo thank you for the recommendations! I’ll look into these ❤️
When I had looked through the Goodreads Choice Finalists for all the categories when they were released, I just pointed at my phone screen and said "That one should win but THAT one will probably win due to booktok."
Also removing the Graphic Novel category is a CRIME!
lol every time! And yes, they’ve eliminated several interesting categories in the past few years. It’s frustrating!
I haven't read any of the books but your reviews of I cheerfully refuse and The Mercy of Gods made me want to read them. Your rant over Orbital was highly entertaning and I feel sorry you felt you had to read it. You are not the only one hating Annie Bot, BookswithEmilyFox thought it deserved to be burned... I hope you have a great end of the year!
Love your review and all your content! Eagerly awaiting more. And your voice is so soothing!
Aw thank you! I’m glad you enjoy the videos 🥰
Thank you for also feeling the same way about Annie bot, I felt like the only person who didn’t feel like this was feminist and was just abusive and awful
Yeah, I truly don’t understand where the feminism comes in. It had so much potential, but oh well 🥲
My main comment on Ministry of Time was the forced hetero romance when there was a perfectly good lesbian actually openly showing interest 😅
(And no I don’t need every book to be gay, it’s the “forced” bit I took issue with)
I did love the main character referring to Guinness as “angry marmite”, though 😂
At first I thought the main character and Maggie were going to start a relationship, but alas.
i’m really excited to read i cheerfully refuse!! i had it out as an audiobook but i realized i want to read it physically so i have to wait for it to be available at my library but it sounds very up my alley and i can’t wait to see what you think about it! it seems like something you might like
Oh you’re in for a treat! I’m excited for you to read it ❤️
Almost 3 hours??? Life is good
I cut out over half of each individual review and it was still this long 😂 I think I have a problem lol
My new favorite thing: Elizabeth “hate reading” Orbital. ❤ 😂
Anniebot is the only book of these i read and while I understand your criticisms I'm not sure I agree. I agree about there basically being no world building (which is why it surprised me this book is in sci fi, it did not feel like a sci fi book to me it felt like litfic) but I also don't think it matters because the book isn't trying to be sci fi. It def did not interpret the ending as her "going back to the one man that was nice to her." I interpreted it as her going back to the only place that she ever felt free/happy at and I didn't think the book was implying they were going to start a relationship. I do wish she had gotten free through coding though.
I definitely think that’s a fair take! I was so disappointed by the direction the ending went that I’m sure I was looking at it through the most uncharitable lens possible by that point. I did feel like there were hints that she would start a relationship with the son, which obviously isn’t terrible on its own since people should be allowed to find joy in romantic relationships again after escaping an abusive situation, of course! But with the added context of this being a place that Doug knows about and can easily come to get her or have the company go get her, which I imagine they would 100% do since they knew about her first escape attempt, which is why the engineer was reassigned/demoted and she's such a valuable asset to them for research purposes, I just can’t see it as a happy ending. It feels like I have to suspend my disbelief too much to think that it’s going to work out, you know? After everything she went through I wanted her to be free and have a chance
I almost never read literary fiction or sci-fi and I read I Cheerfully Refuse and it’s one of my favorite books of the year, such a beautiful book ❤️
I love Science Fiction so much!!! My favourite SF book that I read most recently was Translation State by Ann Leckie. I adore Diane Duane’s Star Trek books and hope you read them someday. I am reading Orbital and enjoying it, but it’s 100 percent literary fiction, not SF at all. Thanks so much for the video!
I haven’t read any of the Star Trek books, though I’ve bought a couple for my husband over the years and keep meaning to get around to them! I don’t believe I’ve ever read any Ann Leckie, either! I’ll have to check their work out ❤️
I feel like "Orbital" is something that BookTok would consider "omg so deep!" when it's just... eh
I think I would have maybe found it deep if it was my first time reading a book set in space/exploring these ideas, but it just didn’t bring anything new to the table, you know?
This was a lot of fun! I knew so little about most of the nominees even though i like scifi.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I feel like I fell behind on reading new releases this year so I was unfamiliar with most of the nominees.
Thank you for taking one for the team. I didn’t dislike Orbital nearly as much as I did The Ministry of Time. What a mess-such a disappointment. I agree with your thoughts on Annie Bot-another disappointment. I cannot believe anyone is Team Doug. Your review convinced me to put a library hold on I Cheerfully Refuse.
I hope you enjoy ICR! It’s devastatingly beautiful. Mess is truly the perfect way to describe TMoT 😂 and I agree, the number of people I saw praising Doug made me very concerned.
I’m getting my popcorn 🍿 lets go 🙌🏼
Hehe I think some of my opinions in this one will be controversial 😂👀
“Humans are so preoccupied with whether or not the could they don’t stop to think if they should!!” (Jurassic park) lol
The orbital rant was indeed very entertaining. 😂
got my tea and I'm ready for the tea!
Oo what kind of tea?
@@PlantBasedBride A good Pu'er that I really enjoy.
🌌🤖⏰ Thank you so much for the video, it truly was a lot of work! I always enjoy how well-spoken you are and how diligently you dive into different aspects of a book. And I loved how you laid out what you seek for in sci-fi! The type of sci-fi I enjoy the most is when advanced technologies are used as a base for a more intense exploration of human nature. Some of these books wouldn't fit my taste, so I'm glad to hear a trusted opinion for those that clearly interest many people! Sincerely hope the catharsis you got from ICR compensated for the books you didn't allow yourself to dnf throughout this challenge😅
Thank you! I definitely feel finding the 4 star and 5 star books made this whole video worth it ❤️ also your profile picture is absolutely adorable and I love it 😂❤️
the quote from Ministry of Time about being a randy anteater had me howling. How did that one win????
I had to stop reading and just stare into the middle distance for approximately 10 minutes after I read that because truly what in the world 😂
I MISSED UR VIDSSS ive been busy asl so having this banger to come to is tewwwww good ❤️❤️❤️💋💋💋
Loved the Orbital rant! Completely agree!
You summed up my feelings about Annie Bot so well. I do not get they hype around it. The only reason I finished it was because I had hope that I'd understand why it was being talked about and never got my answer
You should absolutely try reading The Expanse if you get the chance. I have only read the first book and it was amazing. The human side of all of that technology is the driving force behind it. I haven’t ready The Mercy of Gods, but it sounds similar, yet different.
I’m definitely even more interested now that I know I enjoy Corey’s writing!
Agreed! I'm reading the last book right now and wow what a journey. Definitely recommend!
@@razpberyl2004 I’m just starting my journey in the series. I’m a touch jealous but I get it’s also a bit sad to see it end :)
I cheerfully refuse was my favorite book from this year, it genuinely affected my so deeply and I get teary eyed every time I think about it. I knew it wouldn’t win because I know it’s not consumable for everyone, but I rlly wish it got more hype :(
It was so beautiful 😭 it deserves more love for sure!
@@PlantBasedBrideI just finished the Annie bot portion of the video and I am so unbelievably relieved that you hated it as much as I did!!! So much misogyny baked into that book it concerns me
Being irrationally angry about Orbital is a mooooood :) The audiobook was like 3 or 4 hours (can't remember) and it felt 5 times as long, because I gleaned NOTHING from it, wtf? The reaction to that book was baffling to me, so facile and kumbaya and just flat - yeah, it makes the earth seem flat from space and it makes the space station flat also. It was so cathartic to listen to your rant, thank you for your service!
Also, yeah, I second the To Be Taught if Fortunate rec, this was my thought exactly when I was listening to Orbital, that Becky did it much better. I read that five years ago and I still remember it!!!
I have cozy bed envy. Cats are the best reading friend.
I gave Annie Bot 3 stars. I thought, there’s nothing new here, pretty much sums up the female experience. A male reviewer loved it - it was eye opening for him. I’m thinking I wasn’t the target audience.
They really are! They’re also so obsessed with our new throw blanket and it’s hilarious 😂
That’s interesting - I wonder who the target demographic was? I’ve heard so many wildly different reactions to the book across the spectrum at this point!
Two minutes in & pausing to say I'm a Star Trek: Voyager girl! The best thing about getting home from school were thr Voyager reruns from 4-5. ❤
As far as scifi preferences, I love a good space war or space horror. Gimme a rogue AI or an important character with unclear motives & I am sold!
I loved Voyager as a kid! I wanted to be Janeway when I grew up ❤️ still think it’s a great show with some of the best characters in the franchise!
Children of Time was my favourite sci fi I read this year. Station Eleven too I guess, but I have a hard time calling dystopian/ speculative fiction sci fi even though I guess it is.
From this list all I read was I Cheerfully Refuse, and I DNF’d The Stardust Grail (I fell asleep around 25% in and took that as a sign). I Cheerfully Refuse was a like not love for me, I think just because I read it because it was nominated for sci fi and felt let down by how little sci fi it was.
You and your husband being your own wedding band is so cute ❤
One of my favourite genres of sci-fi is dystopian near-future, but I get that it doesn’t necessarily feel super sci-fi. The beginning of Stardust Grail was a bit slow, but I felt the characters and their relationships really grew through the middle, and the end was exciting!
Even though this video takes a while to come out.. I've been really looking forward to it!! I was distinctly disappointed in horror selections this year, so I think i'll expand my sci-fi TBR with some of the stuff here
I’d love to know which ones from this video you’re adding to your TBR! I don’t think I’d read any of the horror nominees this year, though I can’t remember off the top of my head. A few looked interesting and have been added to my TBR, though!
@@PlantBasedBride Because i'm enjoying Moon of the Crusted Snow right now.. i'm even more excited to read the sequel!! I've also heard such great things from James S.A. Corey, and my partner would be sad if I didn't get to their books soon so thats moving up for sure! AND I have to get to I Cheerfully Refuse now... I have to know!!! The Other Valley has been gathering dust on my shelf so that needs to change too. If there was anything I enjoyed from the horror winners... it wasn't stephen king thats for sure, but hopefully Diavola and Indian Burial Ground save this year for me
I've only read 3 sci-fi books in 2024 so it's safe to say it is not my favorite genre... They were all >4 stars so i guess I should take a closer look. What would be your go to suggestion for a SCI fi beginner?
Oo I love a challenge! What genres are your favourite and can you share a few specific books you enjoyed or a “vibe” or theme you tend to like ?
@PlantBasedBride c'est plutôt intimidant! I absolutely love Taylor Jenkins Reid (Carrie Soto is back was a 5 star read). I also loved Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy (only Brandy Sandy i've read though). I also liked Stephen King's The Stand, 11/22/63, Billy Summers so I guess less on the horror spectrum of his registry. Project hail mary was my sci fi premier and I liked it ( 4+ stars if I remember correctly). I also loved Black Mirror so The family experiment teased me but I'm less inclined to give it a shot after what you said about the characters being the same but different font. 🫤 Merci beaucoup d'avance, indépendamment de ta suggestion!
Edit: I should add I read in french so the book must be a few years old
I just picked up Orbital but am feeling like it might not be what I was expecting after hearing this. Im still going to read it, but at least I’ll be less disappointed now haha.
Also, love your white sweater in the first part, where is it from??
Loved this vid and feel sorry for u for the most part 😮. At least some good ones. But, this may be a little weird, regarding the exploration of what is human, can robots be humans, what is consciousness etc., then I highly recommend you either play or watch a playthrough of SOMA by Frictional Games. Yes a game. But it's a fantastic story and has explored this theme in the most interesting way and not afraid to ask questions, and with choices the player needs to make, that are way more impactful than an author making all the choices for all characters. So if you like that theme, I think you would love that story. That's all :)
That’s not a weird suggestion at all! I’m not a huge gamer myself, though I have played a few like Detroit Become Human, but I do enjoy watching play-throughs of especially science fiction and horror games and often find the stories quite thought-provoking! I’ll definitely check this one out ❤️
Have you read "Ducks,Newburyport"? Wondering if you would enjoy it or if lack of punctuation is always a deal-breaker for you?
I would say that it’s not always a dealbreaker. I definitely don’t love when books omit quotation marks, especially when the dialogue is incorporated into paragraphs without line breaks, because I find it much more difficult to parse. But I’m not inherently against experimental sentence structure or long run-on sentences. In fact, I read a book that I loved in a reading vlog a few months back, The Longcut, which is made up of almost exclusively extremely long sentences, but they served to drive the narrative and deepen the character development and weren’t trying to be profound.
I haven't read that book, though!
Amazing video, thank you for taking the time to do this. Personally, I read Orbital because of the Booker Prize and didn't think much of it. There were better books on the longlist, like My Friends and the Safekeep. I also read Mercy of Gods and liked it very much. I will be checking out The Stardust Grail, The Other Valley and I Cheerfully Refuse on your recommendation.
I hope you enjoy those three! I’m very glad I discovered those authors through this video ❤️
1:37:00 I am literally SO entertained by your complaining about this book. Like, I legitimately am enjoying this rant 😂
Well at least something positive came out of the experience 😂
@ lol yup, there’s that!
The Family Experiment by John Marrs sounds like The Giver by Lois Lowry in respect to how Jonas is being parented by his parents and mentored/parented by the giver... and how Jonas is parenting his brother, Gabriel...
Idk if it's too niche, but Goodreads is giving Valentina at the season 9 reunion. "Come on Fan Favorite!"
Omg I love this so much 😂 I unironically loved Valentina back in her first season. Such an icon.
Time did prouve her right! And very much agree. It's one thing to be confident, but if you can back it up? We have to stan.
Just that quote from Orbital was enough to convince me that book isn't for me either 🥴
The writing was a slog 😅
I feel like I enjoyed Family Experiment for the same reasons you disliked it. I'm not a big sci-fi fan, but i think I trend more towards a cautionary look at the future. "This is what will happen if we continue in this direction." So, I felt that the disturbing, shocking elements were meant for that purpose, and were fairly effective. Having said that I agree, the characters needed so much more development, I'm not sure the secondary plot was necessary, they were totally unfair to Issy, and her end was a bit too much for me. Still, I don't know much about sci-fi, so maybe I'm giving the book too much credit. I think I will explore the genre some more after this. So, as much as maybe these books weren't the greatest, I'm very happy you've covered them and have given me a push into an area I'm not familiar in.
I’m happy to encourage you to explore sci fi a little more! I have such a soft spot for the genre ❤️ I agree it’s a cautionary tale! That seems to be Marrs’ focus with this series and it’s certainly interesting/thought provoking.
Is it graphic or is it just like "he SAed her" if you catch my drift? Does it read like "extreme horror" or just regular horror? Lol I'm not making sense but I'm trying to decide if it's worth the triggering content bc to me it sounds really fascinating but I don't wanna take the journey if it begins to feel gratuitous or even just too extremely descriptive. If it's written in third person I can handle disgusting characters better as well lol.
Also omg it's almost 500 pages... that's a long time to spend with SA content.
@@Horrorbabe4there’s no SA in The Family Experiment, as for the other triggering content it’s on page but not explicit (no super detailed descriptions from what I recall but we read about these things happening in real time).
@PlantBasedBride ohhh okay. I read human trafficking and child abuse and assumed there would be some SA that u and other reviewers were just not mentioning explicitly... hmm how'd the author manage that? Is my next wonder. Lmao
As a french person, we do not drink wine at 16 while doing our hw. Lolol
Lol I thought it sounded extreme but what do I know. I am very reassured 😂
Thank you for reading orbital so I don’t have to 😂 it is so popular in the UK because of the prize it won 🙈
Part of me wants to read the other books considered for the Booker Prize to try to understand how it won, but I’m concerned about my emotional well-being if orbital is any indication of the books that they were considering 😂
Orbital wasn’t even on my radar, but that sentence you read? Yeah, no. Never touching that book 😂
I might have to share more quotes on my Instagram stories or something because I’m still annoyed 😂
@ please do! Get that annoyance out of your system and give us some laughs.
Great review! I was so disappointed with Annie Bot (2 ⭐️ )and The Ministry of Time (1 ⭐️). I have Stardust Grail on my shelf and need to start.
I hope you enjoy it! It’s definitely more wholesome sci fi (think Becky Chambers) which I know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I felt the science and world building really added a lot of depth to the story on top of the found family coziness!
Enjoyed your takes and found a couple new books to read, so thanks! I like Ministry of Time more than you, mostly because the writer had a really unique voice - mordant wit near the end of the world, and I liked trying to puzzle out what was going on. But yes, flawed characters and weird choices.
I think the dry humour and banter between the characters was the best part so I agree with you there! I just couldn’t get on board with everything else that was going on 😅
Omg where is your necklace from?? I’m obsessed
The one I’m wearing at the start is from Ana Luisa!
Thank you for saving me from reading Annie Bot, I've been so close to impulse-buying it a couple times, and after watching this I think I'd hate it 👎🏼
Really looking forward to picking up I Cheerfully Refuse, now 😌
I’m glad I could save you from it! It left me very angry and frustrated. I hope you love ICR ❤️
IMO yes!! I am pissed at the daily wire!
If you love sci-fi shows, you should try Stargate!
Oh I’ve watched it! I grew up watching it with my dad and forced my husband to watch it with me a few years back haha
Have you seen Ai: Artificial Intelligence the movie? The Family Experiment reminds me of that
I haven’t!
@@PlantBasedBride I recommend it!
Unfortunately the disadvantage of Goodreads book awards that books with strong marketing and publicity may overwhelmingly win over simply good books. I was generally disappointed with almost all awards and nominations for this year.
Moreover, what bothers me the most is fiction has so many sub categories, while non fiction, what is actually useful, encompassing science and lifestyle and improve our thinking is just non-fiction category.
Definitely some duds in that group. I had hoped Annie bot would be like Detroit Becoming Human but it clearly didnt get anywhere near. Connor, Kara, and Markus are way more interesting. Thanks for your reviews and spending the time reading. I'm excited to read your top three.
I had hoped for that, too! Although this has made me want to replay Detroit Become Human, so I will be doing that over the holidays 😅 I hope you enjoy any of the books you pick up on my recommendation!
I've just checked and I cheerfully refuse is not available as audiobook...that obviously puts it in disadvantage when it comes to choice awards
It is available in audiobook form! I listened to it as I read the ebook.
Some of my favourite authors (Johnson, Catton, Porter, Armfield) heaped such praise on Ministry of Time and it did my head in. Surely that was nepotism in action.
Orbital winning the Booker is a joke. I expect such farce from goodreads awards, but rarely from the Booker
What?? Julia Armfield?? I love her work and that’s actually bonkers 😭 is the author a nepo baby?
@@PlantBasedBride Yesss Julia!! She declared it 'the book of 2024' on her ig stories back in late 2023. I think Bradley is more of a nepo friend lol UK literary circle is so small, their agents must know each other, if not the authors themselves
Trial of the grasses.
Not to gatekeep sci-fi but most of the nominees didn’t feel sci-fi to me…
I think there’s a bit of a divide between people who see near-future pre- or post-apocalyptic societal collapse books as science fiction and those who don’t. To me, they are science fiction, but they obviously have a very different quality from space, aliens, or super-advanced technology science fiction.
2:02:11 Oh, it almost sounds like the author had their own agenda on the subject of meat and decided to include it in their book.
I really don’t know what was going on with that! Maybe they didn’t even realize they kept using the same example? It seemed odd, though.
I also strongly disliked Annie Bot and am shocked at the positive reviews! Thank you for articulating my disgust and disdain for the book.
I’m going to need a linguist and/or English literature expert to tell us if that run-on sentence was grammatically and linguistically correct. ☠️
I believe it’s an example of polysyndeton (used to create a sense of overwhelming emotion or intensity) but I didn’t like it 😂
I feel more justified in having DNFd orbital
People seem to have strong feelings about it one way or another 😂
Wow. The Ministry of Time is one of titles on their llst of routinely baffling choices thai I was halfway intersted in picking up.and you have just talked me out of it.
I’m sorry, but also you’re welcome? 😅
1:33:26 I think it’s pretty obvious what that sentence means which is what pisses ME off because clearly the writer thought she was cooking with that one and it’s like you’re not. you’re absolutely not. TRUE “what the fuck does that even mean” sentences are in much better novels such as pure colour by sheila heti which is debatable of course, but that sentence you just read was so juvenile ofc it was a booker prize winner LOL
Oh yeah, I was being facetious 😂 I just felt all the random unrelated details were so pointless and irritating while obfuscating the actual point of the sentence and I was on full rant mode haha
⚓️⏰=🤦🏻♀️
Thanks for watching the entirety of this monster of a video 😂 I appreciate you!
Love the cat cameos ❤ I haven't read any yet, but added the Stardust Grail to my "maybe I'll read this someday" collection.
As someone who is politically conservative but fond of actual literature, your review of Annie Bot reminds me of most of my attempts to read Christian lit. There are very few artists who are also conservative in a way that allows them to tell a true story, and it leads them to writing a dull and moralizing story instead of one that explores themes in a deep and rich and human way. I don't know why so many people let their political viewpoints get in the way of seeing the world as it is and exploring possible consequences of their beliefs. Well, I sort of do - cognitive dissonance is painful, and even if you come to the realization that you had some things right, it was still a difficult walk and probably you needed to give some things up to get to the other side, even if it's just the certainty that the other side of the chasm is evil and inhuman.
Anyway, Annie Bot sounds like the worst kind of uncritically conservative literature (again, as someone who is politically conservative but doesn't believe a lot of the woman's place stuff) to me and the kind of thing I'm surprised gets traction anywhere. Also, I hate hope chess endings (making a bad move because if my opponent plays exactly what I hope they will, then I'll win), so I understand your frustration with the end.
Please keep making these videos! I watched last year's too, even though I wasn't into BookTube yet last year 📚
I'm sorry but..... that whole section you read for Orbital almost sounds like AI gobbly goop. It may not but it reminds me of listening to people trying to make stuff with AI and it goes those strange tangents randomly and then go back to the origonal topic at the end.
To me it reads like fake deep word salad 😂 add in lots of imagery and list lots of vaguely worldly things to make a sentence about having the hots for someone feel more profound 🤣
@@PlantBasedBride You would be suprised how many times AI have sounded *exactly* like that.... Especually on a "first pass" when putting in a prompt. I'm all for anvnt gard writing but that.... that was a whole other level of "wtf." which only AI can really make me feel. When Reads with Gavin reviewed it, I didn't realize how bad it was when he said he had to DNF it about 15% through.
That scene alone is an abomination to the senses and imagery.
It's much like how there was an avertisement of a "AAA" game from the game reward got shown and people started to speculate it may be AI. Look up Catly and you'll see what I mean.
Just finished The Other Valley. First half was great. Second half started okay, but about halfway through, the book reminds you that it was a male author and it's apparently impossible for a male author to write scifi or fiction that doesn't involve massive sexism. I liked the first half so much! What a disappointment.
the hair is hairing
I… is this a compliment? I feel old lol. If it is, thank you! 😅❤️
🤖🌌👨🚀
I’m impressed you made it all the way to the end! This was a marathon 😂❤️❤️
"The Ministry of Time" is actually a book purposely plagiarising a Spanish tv show that had already been plagiarised by a US channel (at least they bothered to change the name so it wouldn't be SO obvious. The Ministry of time didn't) so...can people actually have new ideas? I hate that so many people who read the book don't know that as I think it'd change their perspective a bit. I can't "like" plagiarism.
I didn’t know this! I’m not a fan of the book on its own merit but this definitely makes it worse.
Are you telling me that in Canada you don’t have men who portray themselves as liberal and progressive but are just as misogynistic and abusive as “conservative” men, but just in different ways? How you do claim that duplicity - that’s rampant among men today - is somehow a failing of the author? That she doesn’t understand what the words mean???
I said maybe the point was to show that Doug is delusional and thinks he’s liberal when he’s really not, but that the portrayal of Doug on top of a couple other factors made me feel like there was a bit of a weird lens the story was being told through. Of course I’ve known men who portray themselves as liberal and are misogynistic. Haven’t we all?
Also I don’t recall commenting on the author of Annie Bot not knowing what words mean. That was a rant fueled frustrated comment about the author of orbital who kept going on long diatribes trying to pull deep meaning out of nowhere by misusing words.
This is my first time on your channel and I’m click off because a 7 minute mid roll ad break is so insane and disrespectful to your audience. 27:27-34:20 is all an ad for Brooklinen. That was ridiculous. By the time the ad is over, you’ve spent 20% of the video playtime on an ad for sheets.
The video is almost 3 hours long - it’s not 20% of the run time of the video. It’s less than 5%. The ad would have to be over 30 minutes long to be 20% of the video. I’ve watched many
Yup, Orbital will throw off bad readers.
If you disagree with me, that’s fine; as I said in the video, I’m open to hearing other opinions. But just throwing insults at me certainly won’t convince me of your opinion 😂
@PlantBasedBride I stated a fact, not an opinion.
Nah, your comment throws off bad vibes.
Pro tip, don't insult the collective intelligence of your subscribers. They tend to not like that....and for those of you who can't see you're being insulted to your face, God help you.
When did I insult anyone’s intelligence? I said more than once that not everyone has the same taste and that’s fine, but the whole point of the video is sharing my opinions. It would be pretty boring if I never said anything critical in case someone else disagreed, wouldn’t it?