Are you having this problem in January? I watch the best of 2023 videos and start listing all the great books you want to read? I started with a list of 24. Then it was 47. Now its 56. At this stage I need to go on a five year mission in space to get through my TBR.
I recently caused a stir in a Facebook group when I said Demon Copperhead might be viewed as a Great American Novel in a few years' time. I said this because the list posted by the OP included the Grapes of Wrath, which kept coming to mind while I was reading Demon primarily because of the regional prejudice featured in both. I booked a hiking trip in Appalachia for early June, mostly because I have never been and I want to check it out. And yes, it's the best first-person narration ever. No question.
ok yes, this intro is a delight. also, i'm deeply impressed (and entertained) by the micro-review system of this video! and so i say: pithy, surprisingly thorough, 5 ⭐
“Realistic War, unrealistic gays.” That’s imo a very apt description of In Memoriam. Lydia Millet’s Dinosaurs was a 5 star to me too. “Saltburn for kids” 😂
I am surprised not to be catching more heat for that take on In Memoriam, but I guess it was still 4 stars 😅 The Mouse and His Child is truly unhinged!
Love it. 5 words is probably my average review length all the time. Mostly because I don’t feel like I have anything clever to say about them. You, however, have shown that a few words can be genius.
Words for review based on number of stars given - what a fantastic idea! I find reviewing books too onerous when I want to just start the next one, this format I will try!!
Haha yes sometimes I get a bit sick of trying to think critically about books, but it's a fun challenge to try and distil your thoughts into like 3 words 🤪
Such a cool idea and you executed it brilliantly as always. I think I must have missed your Dec wrap up as I didn’t realise you had read Clear. Will have to go back and watch it now to hear your full thoughts as that’s one I was interested in. It is great to hear you gave it 5 stars.
Thanks Charlie ❤️ Yes Clear is great! It's the first review on that December wrap-up - I found it such a lovely, quiet story about isolation, companionship, language and island life. Really beautiful.
I was fortunate to read an ARC of Clear, and it's such a lovely book. Much like Davies' West (which I loved), the story is hopeful even amid dire circumstances. I hope you get a chance to read it and that you enjoy it. Cheers!
I remember attempting this my first year on Booktube and deciding never again when a stack dramatically fell during the filming and Harry 🐈 ran for his life! 😂 Love the idea of only as many words as it got stars. This is an awesome video.
Haha yes there were some touch and go moments, but luckily nothing came crashing down. But as a pet-free household the risks were only ever to myself 😂 (although... that may change later this year). Thanks for watching, Alice 🙏
@@benreadsgood ooh a pet! Excited for this possible development! Very much enjoyed this video and did have to pause a couple of times to look up books and even to reserve one from the library! 😂
Great format! Crazy how you have every single book you read? A library might save a pretty penny (and instead overlaying the book on the screen as an alternative)
Thanks! There are quite a few overlays in the mix here - about 25% of the books are digital (cheap Kindle deals or audio), and then another 20% or so are library books or ones sent by publishers. I do spend money on books, but it’s kind of my main hobby - I don’t smoke, don’t spend much money on alcohol, and don’t have kids! I also love a bargain and have a fantastic £4 bookshop nearby. So I make it work 😊
I love the concept of allotting the same number of descriptive words to match the numbers of stars per rating. I might steal that. Great selection of books. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in these videos. I really emjoy them!
Please feel free to steal! It's such a fun (and at times challenging) exercise to go through, and really gets you thinking about the books. Thanks so much for watching 🙏
I hope you do this next year as well as it's great fun ... an very clever start! Yes, Flowers for Algernon was fabulous and made me cry. Currently reading The Marriage Portrait which I remember you saying 'better than Hamnet, 3 stars'. I'm only 1/3 way through and think it's very dull so far. Loved the 'Saltburn for kids' review.
Oh my god how did I miss that out?! It is in my list I just didn’t record it in the video 😭 The review is: Engrossing family drama… that ending!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you so much! Hoping to continue for years to come... although it may stop me embracing the quarter- and half-star ratings The StoryGraph has to offer! 😱
Books from your 2023 list that I have read: The Overstory Still Life (currently reading) Eileen Homesick for Another World Demon Copperhead Foster Chain-Gang All-Stars
Oh my goodness, Ben, this video is quite a feat! Simplicity looks easy, but in fact it's incredibly challenging. **An impressive video. Well done! Five stars.** (Footnote: Important to note that Pod mostly features r*ape/SA rather than sex, which are two very different things. It's meant to disgust and discomfort the reader; there's nothing comfortable about assault.)
Thanks very much - it was definitely tricky to put together (but also lots of fun). And yes you’re absolutely right on Pod. It felt a little heavy to drop that into a two-word review, but I felt the sexual content was quite central to the book (not just for the dolphins) so wanted to mention it. I’m glad you’ve added some extra context here 🙏
“Cursed Bread - incorrectly marketed”. So true that marketing can just ruin the experience of a book. So disappointing. Which is one way, along with misleading blurbs, where we can end up with an average rating that’s low-ish bc we obviously (mostly at least) go into a book with curiosity and hoping to enjoy it. Strong reviews - and style 😉💪
Yeah a real shame with that one. I just wanted to know about the mass hysteria!!! Could have found the right audience if marketed differently. Thanks for watching as ever ❤️
This was excellent, and I’m happy to find someone who felt similar about Still Life and saw the potential in Open Throat. How will StoryGraph with quarters, halves and three quarters affect this going forward? For me the nuances of them made for such better ratings, and a true five is a five, not rounding up or defaulting a high four.
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed the video! I need to give some thought to the half and quarter stars… for now I have been sticking to whole stars. I do see the benefit, but part of me thinks it might be better to accept all 3/4/5 star reads are not the same. I think I’d prefer having a six star or a 5 star+ option for those extra special books!
@@benreadsgood My theory is all books start at 3, then they earn, or devalue from there. Having fourths really helps me monitor what I think of a book. I do know myself very well as a reader and how to evaluate books that are right for me. A book has to work hard to be below a 3 on my StoryGraph, and I love having a 1/4 star for a truly awful book to make it obvious that I didn’t forgot to rate it. 1/4 star is a greater dismissive than zero ever could be. Consequently, my average is wholly within four stars, because I’m choosing stuff I’ll know I want to spend time with and justify putting that effort into reading. But then again, I’ve never read full long or short list books, only engaging in what I find interesting. I’ve basically weeded out the 3 and under potential right there. Despite how this sounds, I still consider myself an adventurous reader and gravitate towards the experimental and creative, but I’ll give those books merit points for trying, even if failing, where I wouldn’t put up with failings in something more mainstream. Also, first novels get an extra boost from me, I’m more likely to overlook flaws that others might get hung up on.
Good video. Just my opinion, so take it or leave it, but some of your 3 star reviews sound more like 2 star books. If you give some of those books 2 stars, you could then give some 4 star books 3 instead. Then you would have less 4 star books. Which sounded like something you want. But great video. My favorite books Red Harvest Dashiell Hammett Cutting For Stone Abraham Verghese Liberation Day George Saunders
I probably am a bit generous, but it’s also hard to get across the things I liked about the 3 star books in so few words! Often even if a book wasn’t a super enjoyable experience, I try to see what the author was aiming for and how well they did it. It is quite why I enjoy my main wrap ups - a nice opportunity to record my thoughts and not just a star rating! Thanks for sharing your faves - Saunders is one of my favourites!
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If nothing else I am just quite happy with that intro 😅
Very Clever Review of Books - 5 stars!! 😉❤
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it, and I love your review of my reviews haha ❤️
Are you having this problem in January? I watch the best of 2023 videos and start listing all the great books you want to read?
I started with a list of 24. Then it was 47. Now its 56. At this stage I need to go on a five year mission in space to get through my TBR.
Always! A space mission sounds great 😂 But I would worry about time dilation giving you less time than you think 😨
@@benreadsgood ah ! I forgot about time dilation.
I recently caused a stir in a Facebook group when I said Demon Copperhead might be viewed as a Great American Novel in a few years' time. I said this because the list posted by the OP included the Grapes of Wrath, which kept coming to mind while I was reading Demon primarily because of the regional prejudice featured in both. I booked a hiking trip in Appalachia for early June, mostly because I have never been and I want to check it out. And yes, it's the best first-person narration ever. No question.
You're surely right - I can't think of many other books more obviously destined for 'classic' status!
Last year’s video was what made me follow you and this one is just as good. 10/10
Thank you so much - glad you enjoyed this one as much as last year’s! 🙏
ok yes, this intro is a delight. also, i'm deeply impressed (and entertained) by the micro-review system of this video! and so i say: pithy, surprisingly thorough, 5 ⭐
Thanks Sophie 🤩 It's a fun lil snapshot journal of the year (and surprisingly tricky for some of them!)
“Realistic War, unrealistic gays.” That’s imo a very apt description of In Memoriam. Lydia Millet’s Dinosaurs was a 5 star to me too.
“Saltburn for kids” 😂
I am surprised not to be catching more heat for that take on In Memoriam, but I guess it was still 4 stars 😅
The Mouse and His Child is truly unhinged!
Love that you are on StoryGraph this year! I added so many books to my TBR from this video lol - thanks for another great video :)
Thanks so much for watching 🙌 Enjoying my Storygraph experience so far!
Love it. 5 words is probably my average review length all the time. Mostly because I don’t feel like I have anything clever to say about them. You, however, have shown that a few words can be genius.
Thank you! It's weird that the 2024 edition of this video is very quickly approaching 🫨
@@benreadsgood Yes, time flies when you're reading and reviewing books.
Words for review based on number of stars given - what a fantastic idea! I find reviewing books too onerous when I want to just start the next one, this format I will try!!
Haha yes sometimes I get a bit sick of trying to think critically about books, but it's a fun challenge to try and distil your thoughts into like 3 words 🤪
Such a cool idea and you executed it brilliantly as always. I think I must have missed your Dec wrap up as I didn’t realise you had read Clear. Will have to go back and watch it now to hear your full thoughts as that’s one I was interested in. It is great to hear you gave it 5 stars.
Thanks Charlie ❤️
Yes Clear is great! It's the first review on that December wrap-up - I found it such a lovely, quiet story about isolation, companionship, language and island life. Really beautiful.
I was fortunate to read an ARC of Clear, and it's such a lovely book. Much like Davies' West (which I loved), the story is hopeful even amid dire circumstances. I hope you get a chance to read it and that you enjoy it. Cheers!
@@hellobookworm that’s good to hear thank you ☺️
Great video! I lost track of the number of books that piqued my interest because of your reviews! 😊
Thanks very much - hope it doesn't inflate the TBR too much! 😅
This was fun!! I particularly liked the Children of Paradise one 😂
I strive for accuracy 😂
@@benreadsgood you achieved that 😂
I remember attempting this my first year on Booktube and deciding never again when a stack dramatically fell during the filming and Harry 🐈 ran for his life! 😂 Love the idea of only as many words as it got stars. This is an awesome video.
Haha yes there were some touch and go moments, but luckily nothing came crashing down. But as a pet-free household the risks were only ever to myself 😂 (although... that may change later this year).
Thanks for watching, Alice 🙏
@@benreadsgood ooh a pet! Excited for this possible development! Very much enjoyed this video and did have to pause a couple of times to look up books and even to reserve one from the library! 😂
Great format! Crazy how you have every single book you read? A library might save a pretty penny (and instead overlaying the book on the screen as an alternative)
Thanks! There are quite a few overlays in the mix here - about 25% of the books are digital (cheap Kindle deals or audio), and then another 20% or so are library books or ones sent by publishers.
I do spend money on books, but it’s kind of my main hobby - I don’t smoke, don’t spend much money on alcohol, and don’t have kids! I also love a bargain and have a fantastic £4 bookshop nearby. So I make it work 😊
I love the concept of allotting the same number of descriptive words to match the numbers of stars per rating. I might steal that. Great selection of books. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in these videos. I really emjoy them!
Please feel free to steal! It's such a fun (and at times challenging) exercise to go through, and really gets you thinking about the books. Thanks so much for watching 🙏
Well done! That was fun! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks so much - glad you enjoyed it! I shall treasure my stars 🤩
I hope you do this next year as well as it's great fun ... an very clever start! Yes, Flowers for Algernon was fabulous and made me cry. Currently reading The Marriage Portrait which I remember you saying 'better than Hamnet, 3 stars'. I'm only 1/3 way through and think it's very dull so far. Loved the 'Saltburn for kids' review.
I think it was more telling of my Hamnet cynicism than my enthusiasm for The Marriage Portrait 😂
Thanks for watching!
Great video and fun format.
Thanks so much for watching! It’s always a fun way to sum up my reading year.
Read plenty there. Best wishes of your reading choices this year. Hope you get some great reads.
Thanks very much - hope 2024 brings you some top notch reads too!
Loved your quick reviews 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you - so glad you enjoyed them! 🎉
Excellent summary thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it! 😊
thanks Ben, really enjoyed that! i feel like I remember you reading the bee sting?
Oh my god how did I miss that out?! It is in my list I just didn’t record it in the video 😭
The review is:
Engrossing family drama… that ending!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
this was incredible & so satisfying! love with the concept, glad that you’ve done it again this year👏📚✨
Thank you so much! Hoping to continue for years to come... although it may stop me embracing the quarter- and half-star ratings The StoryGraph has to offer! 😱
@@benreadsgood oh gosh yeah I didn’t even think about the half/quarter stars situation! that would make for an interesting review - 3.25 words😂👏
“it was o” - 3.5 stars
Only vibes when? Hahah
I love this vid! I need to read Dinosaurs and need to reread Demon Copperhead.
Only vibes if and when times get hard 😂
this was epic!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you!!! ❤️
Books from your 2023 list that I have read:
The Overstory
Still Life (currently reading)
Eileen
Homesick for Another World
Demon Copperhead
Foster
Chain-Gang All-Stars
All good picks! Hope you're getting on well with Still Life 🙏
Love the rating idea!! Another awesome video😁🎉... hope you guys are doing great
Thanks so much for watching - glad you enjoyed it! 🙌
Oh my goodness, Ben, this video is quite a feat! Simplicity looks easy, but in fact it's incredibly challenging. **An impressive video. Well done! Five stars.** (Footnote: Important to note that Pod mostly features r*ape/SA rather than sex, which are two very different things. It's meant to disgust and discomfort the reader; there's nothing comfortable about assault.)
Thanks very much - it was definitely tricky to put together (but also lots of fun).
And yes you’re absolutely right on Pod. It felt a little heavy to drop that into a two-word review, but I felt the sexual content was quite central to the book (not just for the dolphins) so wanted to mention it. I’m glad you’ve added some extra context here 🙏
'Crazy cinema shit happens' 😂 I liked it too.
It had a vibe and I liked it!
This is such a cool idea! I disagree with so many of your reviews haha. But I did really enjoy children of paradise
I like to think a reviewer you consistently disagree with is as useful as a reviewer you always agree with 😅
Thanks for watching!
“Cursed Bread - incorrectly marketed”. So true that marketing can just ruin the experience of a book. So disappointing. Which is one way, along with misleading blurbs, where we can end up with an average rating that’s low-ish bc we obviously (mostly at least) go into a book with curiosity and hoping to enjoy it.
Strong reviews - and style 😉💪
Yeah a real shame with that one. I just wanted to know about the mass hysteria!!! Could have found the right audience if marketed differently.
Thanks for watching as ever ❤️
@@benreadsgoodyou can count on me!
I completely agree, though I wound up enjoy Cursed Bread, despite it being marketed disadvantageously.
This was excellent, and I’m happy to find someone who felt similar about Still Life and saw the potential in Open Throat. How will StoryGraph with quarters, halves and three quarters affect this going forward? For me the nuances of them made for such better ratings, and a true five is a five, not rounding up or defaulting a high four.
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed the video!
I need to give some thought to the half and quarter stars… for now I have been sticking to whole stars. I do see the benefit, but part of me thinks it might be better to accept all 3/4/5 star reads are not the same. I think I’d prefer having a six star or a 5 star+ option for those extra special books!
@@benreadsgood My theory is all books start at 3, then they earn, or devalue from there. Having fourths really helps me monitor what I think of a book. I do know myself very well as a reader and how to evaluate books that are right for me.
A book has to work hard to be below a 3 on my StoryGraph, and I love having a 1/4 star for a truly awful book to make it obvious that I didn’t forgot to rate it. 1/4 star is a greater dismissive than zero ever could be.
Consequently, my average is wholly within four stars, because I’m choosing stuff I’ll know I want to spend time with and justify putting that effort into reading. But then again, I’ve never read full long or short list books, only engaging in what I find interesting. I’ve basically weeded out the 3 and under potential right there.
Despite how this sounds, I still consider myself an adventurous reader and gravitate towards the experimental and creative, but I’ll give those books merit points for trying, even if failing, where I wouldn’t put up with failings in something more mainstream.
Also, first novels get an extra boost from me, I’m more likely to overlook flaws that others might get hung up on.
It’s great that you know your own system so well! 👏
I tried getting The pachinko Parlour on Amazon but it says that it will be released on September 2024? Did u get an early copy?
Oh that’s interesting. It came out in the UK in 2022, so maybe not out yet in some other territories?
I'm sorry, you're going to have to do that again. Many of those were descriptions, not reviews 😜
Great video 😊
Not when I've just put all the books away 😭 I did my best with the words available!!!
Good video. Just my opinion, so take it or leave it, but some of your 3 star reviews sound more like 2 star books. If you give some of those books 2 stars, you could then give some 4 star books 3 instead. Then you would have less 4 star books. Which sounded like something you want. But great video. My favorite books
Red Harvest Dashiell Hammett
Cutting For Stone Abraham Verghese
Liberation Day George Saunders
I probably am a bit generous, but it’s also hard to get across the things I liked about the 3 star books in so few words! Often even if a book wasn’t a super enjoyable experience, I try to see what the author was aiming for and how well they did it. It is quite why I enjoy my main wrap ups - a nice opportunity to record my thoughts and not just a star rating!
Thanks for sharing your faves - Saunders is one of my favourites!
From which app website do you get that reading stats ?
Those are generated by The StoryGraph! There's a link to my profile in the description of the video 👍
Hard core DNFer... I feel seen and busted 😅
Different strokes for different folks! It's all good 😅