@@Givebackthescarf its barely 2 decades old calm down with the modern classic stuff lol. and dont be so annoying with making it about feminism, Dostoevsky is basic! but that doesnt mean anything negative. Donna Tart and dostoevsky are both some of the biggest authors popularity wise, thats basic. also never said we should only read niche works ur really annoying and preachy dude
I read it recently. Loved the prose, even though I dislike first person narration. But the subject matter was too bourgeois for me. Mini Succession, I guess.
The Secret History is so brilliant in terms of character study. So many themes investigated so thoroughly and Tartt just absolutely consumes your entire soul while you're reading. She doesn't even let go when you're done, it'll stay with you forever fr. She's such a genius for creating such awful people who are at the same time so charming and relatable. The gold standard of both literary fiction and dark academia. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Goldfinch! TSH and The Goldfinch are my two favourite books but I love the latter just a little bit more. The characters are just as complex and wonderful as in The Secret History :))
The Goldfinch is not my type to be honest with you. It is a little bit slower pace. I am going to kick off reading the Secret History. Fingers crossed it lives up to the hype.
@@jackchen1306if the goldfinch is even more slow paced than a secret history idk what I'm gonna do. maybe I'll just have to indulge in her wonderful prose
Immaculate taste, the range! So happy to find a booktuber who *actually* reads a variety of genres, you must have very balanced takes. Will be watching your other videos for recs!
OMG, sorry, there is something wrong; his writing is terrible by any literary standard. Also, the book is just tripe. Okay for a summer read by the pool or for recreational readers who'll read anything. Yes, I'm a snob.
@@turntablesrockmyworld9315 you're not a snob, you have critical thinking skills. it's totally fine to like whatever you want, but I think it's very difficult to take somebody's taste in literature seriously if their favourite books include The Da Vinci Code or Harry Potter or any of those types.
@@maxkproductions I will say I wasn't a big Harry Potter opponent when it first came out as I found it bland, and derivative but when flipping through the first novel. But about 3 novels in, the quality for that type of fiction is excellent. It still does not make the desire to read it, though.
when you mentioned the “trapped on a deserted island” criteria for books to make it into your faves, I instantly thought of The Secret History. happy to see it on your list afterward ♡
The Little Friend is one of my favourite books of all time, along with TSH. But The Little Friend is so underrated, and I don't know why, but the southern Gothic vibe always reminds me of a dark, more morbid version To Kill A Mockingbird.
I promise you the goldfinch will have all (if not more) of the magical atmosphere and enthralling characters you expect from it. I was in awe of the intricacies in her writing from reading the secret history but I kept pausing, rereading, and screaming. Also (and this happens to me a lot but idk its a causation vs correlation thing) I just love serendipity between a story I'm reading and my own life (in a minor parallels way and not in a crime or trauma way :D). Anyway I haven't read A little friend for the same reason you mentioned but also I don't want it to depress me yuh
to "depress me yuh" HAHAH no the little friend is heartwarming apart from the grim premise. Idk when I'll read the Goldfinch but I believe you--Donna is the best. She can really do characters and an atmosphere
I also love Forster’s books! If you haven’t already I’d highly recommend picking up James Baldwin, his work also brilliantly depicts humanity. Giovanni’s Room, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Another Country are favorites of mine. We definitely have similar taste - Secret History, Anna Karenina, & Gone Girl
those three books are like my holy trinity. I picked up Giovanni's room a few months ago--I will bump it up on the tbr because your taste sounds genuinely flawless. Thanks for watching ;)
I’m pleasantly surprised. When u said popular books I went ughhhh 😵💫 but these are “deeper” books that I can sink my teeth into. thank you for new potential TBRs.
i love the realness of this video and how you express yourself when talking abt these books. i kept adding more to my to read list as the video went along!
FINALLY! Someone who loves Anna Karenina and Dan Brown books! My personal fave is Angel & Demons :) Such a great list! Secret History has been on my TBR for the longest time. I really need to get around to it.
AK and DB were both pivotal in my life hahaha--angels and demons is so so good. I love all of the Langdon ones almost equally, maybe especially the lost symbol
I really appreciate your reviews, your unique perspectives, your unique choices. You have a good way of identifying what you actually feel and not listening to any encouragement or discouragement for that feeling about these books. Helps deliver us authentic, sometimes unique, sometimes mainstream reviews. P.S. Your review of Ayn Rand is the first time I've ever considered approaching her work, so thank you.
charles you are so well read!!! Glad this came up on my home page. I’m still in the middle of this vid but I seriously LOVE hearing your thoughts about these books. I haven’t read a lot of them, but I JUST found a second hand copy of The Great Believers and I’m SO BLEEPIN EXCITED TO READ IT I’ve heard NOTHING but good things. I love that it was your 2022 #1 choice wowza!!! Super bummed to hear about her new book :( One of my favorite books EVEERRR was also The Secret History (haven’t gotten to your section about it yet but I saw it in the chap breakdowns heh) - I literally thought about it EVERY DAY FOR MONTHSSS. MONTHS after reading it. It made me feel insane I loved it so much
Aw thank you! Your comment is so sweet. The great believers is worth all the hype. If you're not in tears by the end, you're doing something wrong 😤hahaha Nothing I could say would accurately express how much I love the secret history and Donna. I also still think about it 👀--I'm glad you found my channel too🫶
I have read "the da vinci code" and "angels and demons" I love them soo much: they remind me of my childhood, I am currently reading "the dutch house" The writing is just so fine♡-♡
hey! just found your channel today and not to be a creep but you actually made me feel like i was just sitting with my friend and having a conversation on what books i should read next. its nice to see such cozy yt channels these days.not to be cliche wish i had a friend like you tbh :/ have a great day!
Awww! Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I want it to feel like I'm just talking to a friend because that's how I feel when I make videos like these hahaha--I started the channel to chat with people about books, so I hope you stick around--and we can be friends ;)
What's great about your list, is that it's so original; it seems like it was't influenced by anyone but yourself. No fear in being bashed, you were genuine to your opinion. Most people aren't; so many favorite lists out there are almost predictable.
I swear seeing endless night on the list was such a good surprise. I read it in the school library and it was so good. I raved about it to everyone I knew and nobody knew anything about it, i was so sad. The end was so good. You are the first person i have heard talking about it.
I recently read Endless Night immediately after reading Roger Ackroyd. They're both so satisfying! We're read Roger Ackroyd in a book club, and figured out the puzzle before the twist, that was so much fun.
hello charles! i'm so grateful for the algorithm that recommended me this video lmao now i have a new channel with vlogs to binge! you're hilarious some of my all-time faves are: the perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky, the song of achilles by madeline miller, the secret history by donna tartt, notes of a crocodile by qiu miaojin, and every book by joan didion and patti smith :)
Hi nate! Thank you for watching and for the book recs ;) I have a fun time with madeline miller! I can't believe I haven't gotten around to reading perks yet, but I always mean to. I neeeed to read more didion!!
I like how eclectic your tastes are!!! Very progressive, well rounded person I would say. Anna Karenina and Harry Potter then u go to Davinci Code and speak about Foster!!!! Amazing!! I’ve read half of what u mentioned. Looking forward to picking up The Dutch House , was long on my list! Thank you for the video👌🏻
Aww thank you for watching and for the sweet comment! I hope you love the dutch house as much as I do. Come back and tell me what you think! Also feel free to recommend books whenever--it sounds like you have great taste ;)
Having a guy mention Valley of the Dolls was so cool. It's certainly underrated in the book community. I had a BLAST reading The Shards and I didn't expect to enjoy it as much but I did. I disagree about Dark Places! Anna Karenina was a lot of fun to read too but I had to watch a couple of adaptations before reading it which I recommend with War and Peace as well. Finally, if loving The Secret History is basic then I'm very basic. I have reread this book every year for the past six years and it's so fun. These characters are fantastic and it's a book for people who love books.
This was a very random youtube recommendations but I'm GLAD I found this channel and super excited to watch the rest of the videos 😅..loved your fav books of all times list,, am a huge classic literature reader and so so so happy to see picture of dorian gray and Anna Karenina,, I'm getting into my thriller murder mystery reading era and so thank you for the recommendations,, 💖✨️most of the books went straight into my TBR 🤭✌️
I hope you love them!! I've been working on weeding through classics to find the ones I love, and Russian lit feels like it might be my sweet spot 😛 Tell me what you think when you read them!!
Finally, someone who likes Dan Brown! I love his books and it’s kinda sad to see him being pushed aside and humored 😅 thank you for acknowledging his work! Also, I’m going to read as many of your refs as I can, cause we seem to have a similar taste (I also LOVE Anna Karenina but I’m Russian so I’m probably biased haha)
i absolutely loved endless night! found it in a thrift store two years ago and was blown away by how clever it was. i wanted to reread it immediately after finishing it - and yes, such an eerie atmosphere.
omg wait... i too thought i was eNLiGhTEnEd because i read The DaVinci Code in 7th grade too! so much so that i had The Last Supper on the cover of my 3 ring binder 😭😭😭i wanted a cryptex so bad! been meaning to get to The Shards, but am terrorized by its sheer size! even though i have Glamorama with me now. so so glad the algorithm has blessed me with this video. and happy belated welcome to booktube, Charles! will go on a binge of your videos over the next few days! ✨🐌
HAHAHA I remember trying to buy a cryptex on ebay 💀Having the last supper on your middle school binder is a power play. The Shards is extremely fast paced and written in short blurbs making it so easy to binge. It is so so good. Thank you for watching !
it is such a joy when a random booktuber on my recommended happens to have the same taste as me!! loved the video and thanks for the recs. not to pile up book recs on you but if you haven't read her, I really recommend anything by Maggie Shipstead, especially Great Circle!! lots of complex character study and themes about humanity, like Donna Tartt, but less dark. also the prose is just beautiful. Great Circle is my favorite book ever!
This is the first one of your videos that I have come across, but I like that you seem to have eclectic tastes, some of which we share. The Dutch House was really good and Anna Karenina is probably in my top five of all time. I do enjoy mysteries but I am a little burned out on them, but The Shards piqued my interest.
Thank you ! I get being burnt out on mysteries, I usually binge a few every once in a while and then take a break. The shards is really great. It's very unsettling, and I could hardly put it down. I need to read more tolstoy and Ann Patchett, I love them 😭
So glad you randomly popped up on my home feed, this was a great video! Loved your nuanced takes on these books, and I love love love Donna Tartt as well. She is my writing crush and biggest inspiration. I've been wanting to read more Ayn Rand; I only read "We the Living" a long time ago and don't remember much. Just subscribed!
I loved the writing and atmosphere in The Secret History, but I've been hesitant to read The Little Friend because I keep hearing it's not as good as her other stuff. I think I'll give it a try after all, your review was super reassuring! Glad this video popped up on my feed haha
Was so excited to see Endless Night on this list! Christie is who got me into reading in middle school, and by the time I read Endless Night I knew it was immediately a favorite and was a book that get me to start reading more literary fiction and started my love for gothic classics. My favorite Christie, and I think I saw somewhere once that it was Christie’s favorite as well.
The Shards still sort of haunts my brain since reading it a couple months ago lol. Very impulsive, but like you said, not very corny, which I have trouble with thriller-y books. Seen a few of your vids now, but I think this is my first comment on one -- saw another vid where you talked about Elena Ferrante and how you hope to continue the series, I think once you finish the series (or even read book 2, my fav of the four) it'll appear in a future fav-books-all-time vid! 😉 Belated welcome to booktube!
Thank you! Ferrente almost got an honorable mention. I'm excited to finish the rest of the series, and I think you're probably right. I can't wait for book 2
You're a real one because Donna Tartt's novels are so well written and the story itself brings you to a different world. I also take awhile to read The Little Friend and Goldflinch because I prefer to savor her books because I real in a well fast paced when it comes to her books and I love every single one of them.
Great! Another channel to obsess over for the next few months. Secret History is sitting on my bedside table rn unread, and practically screaming to me after this
fantastic taste, just added a bunch of these to my tbr. anna karenina all day wow can’t believe i forgot about anna! also you’re gna flip the heck out when u read goldfinch oh my gosh i’m so excited for you
What an interesting selection. I tend to think I've read everything but some of these I'd not even heard of, which has shocked me! Anyone who likes Dan Brown and Tolstoy in the same list deserves following.
the video accidentally got into my recommendations and you won me over with your charisma. I didn't expect anything from the books at the top, but after seeing Donna Tartt, I knew that I would stay on this channel, it was definitely fate. hello from Ukraine!
hey man! i’ve never seen your videos before and you were recommended to me through some other youtubers i watch, but im really glad to have found your channel! your laidback and genuine reactions to talking about books you love is really refreshing to see and your taste is INCREDIBLE not to mention!! keep up the great work and you found yourself a new subscriber :))
Your taste and mine seem in line so I’m gonna read all of this. The Secret History is in my top five. It’s one of the only books where I remember every character: Richard, Henry, Camilla and Charles, Bunny, Francis. Just a beautiful book. I went to a little rural Vermont college in the mountains (Johnson) and the sense of place is amazing. The Dutch House is waiting in my Audible que, and I’ve been dying to read the Little Friend. Thanks for this!
a huge like for the little friend!!! I liked this book tremendously and think that it's def above the secret history, even though I like it just as much
I love a good disagreement! They make for some of the best book conversations. I'm glad you love the little friend though, that one is pretty close to my heart hahaha
i’m reading the great believers now and i’m absolutely obsessed. also planning on reading i have some questions for you afterwards but i am definitely lowering my expectations after hearing your thoughts on it lol
@@cs0p i have returned!! great believers = excellent, i have some questions = trash!! it wasn’t the worst thing i’ve ever read, but i think my lower expectations helped my reading experience. you were spot on about the ultra liberalism, like why did she make that choice? def a disappointing follow-up and a total nothing burger of a book
@@chaoscentralbooks 🫶🫶 I KNOW. I was seriously distraught for a couple weeks--I really thought I have some questions was going to be a fav. There are of course worse books, but I haven't read one in years --the whole book was cringey and so so so awful. And her trying to be hip...I need to stop thinking about this book 😩
I got no clue if you’ll enjoy these book recommendations AT ALL but i feel compelled to recommend these books based off your reading taste: We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (yea there’s also the movie version but i do feel the book does it differently), Memorial by Bryan Washington, and The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara (most people tend to recommend this authors most popular book A Little Life but I preferred this one far more). Apologies in advance if you’ve already read these books or end up hating them ✌️. Also you’ve gained a new sub!!
The little friend is my favourite Donna tartt book too, it’s so so good, way better then secret history imo, also as someone who’s dealt with grief and suicide, the little friend hit me very very hard
Just found your channel. Big fan of your videos and appreciate your taste in books. Super refreshing and I'll definitely check out some of the ones you recommended.
Surprised and glad to see The Fountainhead on your list and at #3 at that. Kudos to you for putting it on here when you knew that you would be attacked for it. I read it about 30 years ago and loved it. I have never forgotten the characters. In 45 years of reading, I don't think I have hated a character as much as I hated Ellsworth Toohey. Too bad 90% of people will never read it
I have now read the top 3 on your list. When I saw that the secret history was your favourite, I knew I could trust your taste. Can’t wait to eventually get to more on the list
Now whenever I see a book by E. M. Forester or other authors you've mentioned, I think of your videos, which is why I decided to watch one of your videos today
I love valley of the dolls so much!!! Read it about 6 years ago but I still remember how fun it was and what an enjoyable experience. Definitely going to reread soon
I read about 50 books a year, mostly literary fiction and some non-fiction. At the absolute bottom of my list is The Secret History. I was enjoying reading it well enough, I liked most of the characters and the writing and pacing were fairly pleasant, but did a literal spit-take when I came across the reference to a ‘Vanderfeller.” How can anyone be expected to take something seriously as literature when the author creates a “Vanderbilt/Rockerfeller-like” character and names it … ugh … Vanderfeller?!? That’s the kind of thing that might work as a placeholder in a first draft, or in a cheesy spoof movie, but any literary editor that lets something so inane and juvenile actually go to press should be tarred and feathered and run out from the industry on a rail. But more troublesome, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around why there was the whole second half. I felt like it was laying breadcrumbs for some fantastic reveals, many of which I was imagining in my head and kinda excited for, but alas. No fantastic reveals. It was just plain old crumbs. I get why people like it. There’s a lot of promise. But for me, sadly, it was an empty one.
I sometimes have gone beyond writing notes on the pages of some books that I especially enjoy and which I have reread, even multiple times. I have done what I call "scrapbooking" a book of this kind, where I paste in images with captions or short texts with photos. Sometimes these comment upon the book's story and characters, other times invent alternative streams of narrative that parallel what the author writes! Yeah, this is very whimsical, but I love humour and that's my way of emphasising it. An example of this is the racy and unusually well and vividly written novel, "Brandy Wine: a Gay Western", by John Ahern, a really clever and entertaining novel set in various places on the American frontier. I find empty space on a page, hopefully close to the portion of text which I am "scrapbooking" to insert these clippings. It's time consuming, but so much fun, but I do this to few books for those reasons. Whoever after my death ends up with these copies is probably going to think that some wild eccentric or lunatic had owned the book!
I do that "scrapbooking mostly to books of fiction, but to some non-fiction also, occasionally. The captions are mostly of my own devising, which I type onto or near the images or texts chosen. The images usually have nothing to do with the book, but I dragoon them into service to accord with the book for my own purposes.
the davinci code... so relatable... i recommend playing "broken sword: the knights templar" or just watching a play through it had me obsessed when i was on my knights templar bs
Really enjoyed hearing your list. I have also read probably half of your choices. I recommend anything by Pat Conroy (esp. Beach Music and South of Broad), John Irving (esp. Son of the Circus, World According to Garp and my fave..A Prayer for Owen Meaney), Anne Tyler (esp. Breathing Lessons), Lee Smith (esp. The Last Girls), Ann Patchett (esp. The Dutch House) and all the works of David Sedaris. Forgot to mention Glamorama by Brett Easton Ellis.
Judging by your youthfulness, you're in the first leg of a journey I've been on for 63 years and counting! I have a library of around 4,000 books, most of them hardbacks, most texts. There are books I've read ten times, and books I put down and never picked up again. Some authors, regardless of subject or topic, write prose I call "eye candy", it just flows through your eyeballs as fast as you can scan the words, imprinting immediately in your brain. Pages and chapters fly by, the hours melt away. Then, there are writers whose prose is a visceral as a knife at your throat, as sudden as a bullet, as timeless as the pyramids, Dashiell Hammett, Dumas, Walter Scott, Brett Harte, Louis L'Amour at his best, Robert Heinlein, in Starship Troopers, and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, John Grisham, Arthur C Clarke at his best, when the details stand out as clear as day, the characters live and breathe. There are also scribes who toil and toil and toil, and their prose reeks of toiling. No matter how hard one tries, reading their versions are work, heavy sledding, indeed. As for Ayn Rand, one of the most-overrated authors of all time, self-serving slop that didn't even help her, as it turned out, better choices are Anthem, a story that might yet turn out prophetic. Instead of The DaVinci Code, pick up a copy of Worlds in Collision, instead. The story of our ancient past, before the 8th Century BC, back to Exodus, is not what we've been told. The reality produced the books of the Old Testament, plus Greek and Norse myths, and all the legends associated with the era, including Homer's story of the Trojan War, The Iliad. Anna Karenina is interesting, but Solzhenitzen is better, Dr Zhivago, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, the Gulag Diaries, it's powerful stuff about the exercise of the power of the state. Kudos on Agatha Christie, always a quick read for fun. Keep reading, you never know what will show up! Enjoy the ride ... A Best-Of for All Times 01 C A T C H 2 2 (1961) Joseph Heller Best Antiwar Novel 02 O N E F L E W O V E R T H E C U C K O O ' S N E S T (1968) Ken Kesey Best Institutionalized Medicine Novel, Ever 03 T O Y O U R S C A T T E R E D B O D I E S G O (1971) Philip Jose Farmer Best Speculative Fiction on "What Happens After?" 04 T H E G R A P E S O F W R A T H (1939) 8x+ John Steinbeck Best Human Drama 05 L O N E S O M E D O V E (1986) 7x+ Larry MacMurtry Best Western Hands Down 06 T H E M A L T E S E F A L C O N (1930) 4x Dashiell Hammett Best Hard-Boiled Detective Fiction 07 P I L L A R S O F T H E E A R T H (1986) Ken Follett Best Medeival Times Novel 08 T H E L A S T O F T H E M O H I C A N S (1812) James Fennimore Cooper Best Novel about Colonial America 09 D U N E (1965) Frank Herbert Best Sci-Fi Political Intrigue Novel 10 T H E C A I N E M U T I N Y Herman Wouk Best Men-at-War Novel
I've read a number of books multiple times, Grapes of Wrath 8x, Lonsesome Dove, and The Hobbit 7x, Glory Road 6x, The Count of Monte Cristo 5x. I read about 3-5 books a week, down from 5-7. Good books are old friends, often perceived in different lights, as I've matured. Reading is brain food! I've been reading Worlds in Collision since 1976, have at least three copies, have given away a dozen, over the years. I've worn out multiple paperback copies I once found in used book stores and thrift stores for a quarter, or fifty cents. I think it is the most important book of the 20th Century, and still has implications for our modern world. @@patriciafeehan7732
I enjoyed your comment. I too have to include Lonesome Dove of one of the greatest 20 th century. Why? I don't know. I will never forget those people. Were his sequels great? Not so much. What is that mysterious x factor?
Literally same with The Da Vinci Code I lovedddd it and years later found out ppl thought Dan Brown was like cheugy or something idk 💀 I haven’t read anything else by him but like I’ll defend The Da Vinci code to my grave
I just discovered your channel but I have a feeling I can trust your recommendations. Writers & Lovers has been on my wishlist since 2020 and I completely forgot about it lol. I just saw it was $1 on kindle so let's goooo
Greetings from Scotland 🏴. Just found your channel and delighted to say we have very similar tastes. I have a stunning vintage edition of Agatha Christie's Endless Night which I have not read in many years so that is now on my TBR. Many thanks 🙏
"Tolstoy has the best insights into humanity." Man, you HAVE to read Dostoevsky! Both Crime and Punishmemt and Brothers Karamazov! The way he writes psychological aspects of his characters is absolutely unmatched.
I don't know if anybody has ever told you this but you've got great hair! apart from that I really enjoyed your picks and little explanations--keep it going! :)
You're so real about not exactly remembering the plot but remembering the deep feelings you had when reading your favorite books.
it's the dam truth !
Exactly omg
This is just liking the aesthetic of reading without actually caring about the plot or details of literature.
@@samhartje723 you lack serious reading comprehension
@@lanak7038 what are your favorite books?
"I'm basic and have basic literary taste" *calls the little friend one of his favourite books of all time* lmao. made me smile dude you're hilarious
hahah thank you 🫣😝🫶
Is that not a very basic book?
@@Givebackthescarf its barely 2 decades old calm down with the modern classic stuff lol. and dont be so annoying with making it about feminism, Dostoevsky is basic! but that doesnt mean anything negative. Donna Tart and dostoevsky are both some of the biggest authors popularity wise, thats basic.
also never said we should only read niche works ur really annoying and preachy dude
@@BalimSwogat agree with everything you just said
i cannot describe how much i love the secret history. it had something weird and magical at the same time. the characters one of a kind.
amen. Me neither
Literally I love it so much and it’s so meaningful
Do I have some similar recs?.
I read it recently. Loved the prose, even though I dislike first person narration. But the subject matter was too bourgeois for me. Mini Succession, I guess.
One of my favourite novels of all time.
Wow so glad I found your channel through my recommendations on youtube. lol
thank you! I'm glad you're here ;)
we’re in booktube now! im glad im here too
Same!!
Saaaame
It’s natural not to remember details of every books we read.
amen
😂 Guess I'm not natural then
The Secret History is so brilliant in terms of character study. So many themes investigated so thoroughly and Tartt just absolutely consumes your entire soul while you're reading. She doesn't even let go when you're done, it'll stay with you forever fr. She's such a genius for creating such awful people who are at the same time so charming and relatable. The gold standard of both literary fiction and dark academia.
I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Goldfinch! TSH and The Goldfinch are my two favourite books but I love the latter just a little bit more. The characters are just as complex and wonderful as in The Secret History :))
amen amen amen Donna is incredible--Idk when I'll read the goldfinch, but I am forever looking forward to it
The Goldfinch is not my type to be honest with you. It is a little bit slower pace. I am going to kick off reading the Secret History. Fingers crossed it lives up to the hype.
@@jackchen1306 The Secret History is pretty slow-paced too, but I hope you're able to find something you love in it :)
@@jackchen1306if the goldfinch is even more slow paced than a secret history idk what I'm gonna do. maybe I'll just have to indulge in her wonderful prose
“Secret history” sucks. Could not finish it
for some reason it's so lovely to just sit and listen to you talking about books! I didn't know I needed this, thanks 💌
🥺🥺dam thank you--it is lovely to read comments like yours
I screamed when you said "The Secret History." Most fun I've had reading a book.
lmao so so so fun
Immaculate taste, the range! So happy to find a booktuber who *actually* reads a variety of genres, you must have very balanced takes. Will be watching your other videos for recs!
thank you!!
There is nothing wrong with loving Dan Brown books! Booktube loves to hate on him but his books are so engaging. Great video!
amen 😤 hahaha thank you!
OMG, sorry, there is something wrong; his writing is terrible by any literary standard. Also, the book is just tripe. Okay for a summer read by the pool or for recreational readers who'll read anything. Yes, I'm a snob.
@@turntablesrockmyworld9315LMAOO
@@turntablesrockmyworld9315 you're not a snob, you have critical thinking skills. it's totally fine to like whatever you want, but I think it's very difficult to take somebody's taste in literature seriously if their favourite books include The Da Vinci Code or Harry Potter or any of those types.
@@maxkproductions I will say I wasn't a big Harry Potter opponent when it first came out as I found it bland, and derivative but when flipping through the first novel. But about 3 novels in, the quality for that type of fiction is excellent. It still does not make the desire to read it, though.
I'm so thankful for finding this channel randomly. I hope you always find happiness in creating bookish videos.
damn people like you hitting me with comments like these--I really appreciate it
when you mentioned the “trapped on a deserted island” criteria for books to make it into your faves, I instantly thought of The Secret History. happy to see it on your list afterward ♡
I could read only donna tartt books for the rest of my life and I would die happy and content
The Little Friend is one of my favourite books of all time, along with TSH. But The Little Friend is so underrated, and I don't know why, but the southern Gothic vibe always reminds me of a dark, more morbid version To Kill A Mockingbird.
soooo underrated, the southern gothic atmosphere is incredible. TKAM wishes it were the little friend 😤😤 (that's a great comparison tho haha)
I promise you the goldfinch will have all (if not more) of the magical atmosphere and enthralling characters you expect from it. I was in awe of the intricacies in her writing from reading the secret history but I kept pausing, rereading, and screaming. Also (and this happens to me a lot but idk its a causation vs correlation thing) I just love serendipity between a story I'm reading and my own life (in a minor parallels way and not in a crime or trauma way :D). Anyway I haven't read A little friend for the same reason you mentioned but also I don't want it to depress me yuh
to "depress me yuh" HAHAH no the little friend is heartwarming apart from the grim premise. Idk when I'll read the Goldfinch but I believe you--Donna is the best. She can really do characters and an atmosphere
I also love Forster’s books! If you haven’t already I’d highly recommend picking up James Baldwin, his work also brilliantly depicts humanity. Giovanni’s Room, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Another Country are favorites of mine.
We definitely have similar taste - Secret History, Anna Karenina, & Gone Girl
those three books are like my holy trinity. I picked up Giovanni's room a few months ago--I will bump it up on the tbr because your taste sounds genuinely flawless. Thanks for watching ;)
I’m pleasantly surprised. When u said popular books I went ughhhh 😵💫 but these are “deeper” books that I can sink my teeth into. thank you for new potential TBRs.
hahaha thank you! I hope you like some of them ;)
i love the realness of this video and how you express yourself when talking abt these books. i kept adding more to my to read list as the video went along!
tell me if you read any!!
The dutch house made me cry, which I was not expecting, I never cried with books but it hits so hard
It hits so damn hard. I flew through that book. Starting a campaign to make it the next book that dominates the internet
FINALLY! Someone who loves Anna Karenina and Dan Brown books! My personal fave is Angel & Demons :) Such a great list! Secret History has been on my TBR for the longest time. I really need to get around to it.
AK and DB were both pivotal in my life hahaha--angels and demons is so so good. I love all of the Langdon ones almost equally, maybe especially the lost symbol
I love Anna Karenina and i been looking for more anna karenina around the world versions.
I really appreciate your reviews, your unique perspectives, your unique choices. You have a good way of identifying what you actually feel and not listening to any encouragement or discouragement for that feeling about these books. Helps deliver us authentic, sometimes unique, sometimes mainstream reviews. P.S. Your review of Ayn Rand is the first time I've ever considered approaching her work, so thank you.
charles you are so well read!!! Glad this came up on my home page. I’m still in the middle of this vid but I seriously LOVE hearing your thoughts about these books. I haven’t read a lot of them, but I JUST found a second hand copy of The Great Believers and I’m SO BLEEPIN EXCITED TO READ IT I’ve heard NOTHING but good things. I love that it was your 2022 #1 choice wowza!!! Super bummed to hear about her new book :(
One of my favorite books EVEERRR was also The Secret History (haven’t gotten to your section about it yet but I saw it in the chap breakdowns heh) - I literally thought about it EVERY DAY FOR MONTHSSS. MONTHS after reading it. It made me feel insane I loved it so much
Aw thank you! Your comment is so sweet. The great believers is worth all the hype. If you're not in tears by the end, you're doing something wrong 😤hahaha Nothing I could say would accurately express how much I love the secret history and Donna. I also still think about it 👀--I'm glad you found my channel too🫶
I have read "the da vinci code" and "angels and demons" I love them soo much: they remind me of my childhood, I am currently reading "the dutch house"
The writing is just so fine♡-♡
Dan brown is just a blast! hahaha And the dutch house is incredible 😭
hey! just found your channel today and not to be a creep but you actually made me feel like i was just sitting with my friend and having a conversation on what books i should read next. its nice to see such cozy yt channels these days.not to be cliche wish i had a friend like you tbh :/ have a great day!
Awww! Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I want it to feel like I'm just talking to a friend because that's how I feel when I make videos like these hahaha--I started the channel to chat with people about books, so I hope you stick around--and we can be friends ;)
I really appreciate the way you review books. I could listen to you talk about books for hours lol
🥺🥺thank you. You are so sweet!! Subscribe and you won't have a choice ;))
i deeply appreciate the time stamps in all of your videos 😇
omg good. As a chronic youtube watcher myself i UNDERSTAND the mission
What's great about your list, is that it's so original; it seems like it was't influenced by anyone but yourself. No fear in being bashed, you were genuine to your opinion. Most people aren't; so many favorite lists out there are almost predictable.
Thank you! My list is definitely silly and all over the place, but I really love each of the books 😛
I swear seeing endless night on the list was such a good surprise. I read it in the school library and it was so good. I raved about it to everyone I knew and nobody knew anything about it, i was so sad. The end was so good. You are the first person i have heard talking about it.
IT IS SO GOOD so so so underrated. Atmosphere: nailed. Writing: stellar. Spooky: bunches.
I love The Secret History and The Goldfinch. The Little Friend will go on my TBR.
good good good I hope you love it as much as I do
I recently read Endless Night immediately after reading Roger Ackroyd. They're both so satisfying!
We're read Roger Ackroyd in a book club, and figured out the puzzle before the twist, that was so much fun.
her books are so so fun and comforting! let me know if you read and like any more ;)
hello charles! i'm so grateful for the algorithm that recommended me this video lmao now i have a new channel with vlogs to binge! you're hilarious
some of my all-time faves are: the perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky, the song of achilles by madeline miller, the secret history by donna tartt, notes of a crocodile by qiu miaojin, and every book by joan didion and patti smith :)
Hi nate! Thank you for watching and for the book recs ;) I have a fun time with madeline miller! I can't believe I haven't gotten around to reading perks yet, but I always mean to. I neeeed to read more didion!!
I like how eclectic your tastes are!!! Very progressive, well rounded person I would say. Anna Karenina and Harry Potter then u go to Davinci Code and speak about Foster!!!! Amazing!! I’ve read half of what u mentioned. Looking forward to picking up The Dutch House , was long on my list! Thank you for the video👌🏻
Aww thank you for watching and for the sweet comment! I hope you love the dutch house as much as I do. Come back and tell me what you think! Also feel free to recommend books whenever--it sounds like you have great taste ;)
Having a guy mention Valley of the Dolls was so cool. It's certainly underrated in the book community. I had a BLAST reading The Shards and I didn't expect to enjoy it as much but I did. I disagree about Dark Places! Anna Karenina was a lot of fun to read too but I had to watch a couple of adaptations before reading it which I recommend with War and Peace as well. Finally, if loving The Secret History is basic then I'm very basic. I have reread this book every year for the past six years and it's so fun. These characters are fantastic and it's a book for people who love books.
ive been recently wondering if id like dark places more if i read it now. valley of the dolls is so good. i wonder if her other books measure up
This was a very random youtube recommendations but I'm GLAD I found this channel and super excited to watch the rest of the videos 😅..loved your fav books of all times list,, am a huge classic literature reader and so so so happy to see picture of dorian gray and Anna Karenina,,
I'm getting into my thriller murder mystery reading era and so thank you for the recommendations,, 💖✨️most of the books went straight into my TBR 🤭✌️
I hope you love them!! I've been working on weeding through classics to find the ones I love, and Russian lit feels like it might be my sweet spot 😛 Tell me what you think when you read them!!
Fountainhead is fantastic!! Liked Atlas Shrugged even more.
I cant wait to read atlas shrugged!
The Fountain Head is a novel. Atlas Shrugged ceases to be a novel and becomes a treatise in case readers failed to get the message of the former.
Glad someone else loves Dan Brown. I’ve only read The Davinci code, but I just loved it!
Sooo good. Read more of them!! You will love them if you loved da Vinci
Finally, someone who likes Dan Brown! I love his books and it’s kinda sad to see him being pushed aside and humored 😅 thank you for acknowledging his work!
Also, I’m going to read as many of your refs as I can, cause we seem to have a similar taste (I also LOVE Anna Karenina but I’m Russian so I’m probably biased haha)
Dan brown and russian classics are the best--let me know if you read any of the books 👀🫶
i absolutely loved endless night! found it in a thrift store two years ago and was blown away by how clever it was. i wanted to reread it immediately after finishing it - and yes, such an eerie atmosphere.
SO GOOD me too, I finished and wanted to start it again immediately. I said damn damn damn agatha you've done it
omg wait... i too thought i was eNLiGhTEnEd because i read The DaVinci Code in 7th grade too! so much so that i had The Last Supper on the cover of my 3 ring binder 😭😭😭i wanted a cryptex so bad!
been meaning to get to The Shards, but am terrorized by its sheer size! even though i have Glamorama with me now.
so so glad the algorithm has blessed me with this video. and happy belated welcome to booktube, Charles! will go on a binge of your videos over the next few days! ✨🐌
HAHAHA I remember trying to buy a cryptex on ebay 💀Having the last supper on your middle school binder is a power play. The Shards is extremely fast paced and written in short blurbs making it so easy to binge. It is so so good. Thank you for watching !
I cant wait to read some of these!! You did such a great job explaining them :)
thank you!! come back and let me know what you think of them ;)
it is such a joy when a random booktuber on my recommended happens to have the same taste as me!! loved the video and thanks for the recs.
not to pile up book recs on you but if you haven't read her, I really recommend anything by Maggie Shipstead, especially Great Circle!! lots of complex character study and themes about humanity, like Donna Tartt, but less dark. also the prose is just beautiful. Great Circle is my favorite book ever!
thank you!! I will add great circle to the tbr--it doesn't hurt that it has a hot cover ;)
This is the first one of your videos that I have come across, but I like that you seem to have eclectic tastes, some of which we share. The Dutch House was really good and Anna Karenina is probably in my top five of all time. I do enjoy mysteries but I am a little burned out on them, but The Shards piqued my interest.
Thank you ! I get being burnt out on mysteries, I usually binge a few every once in a while and then take a break. The shards is really great. It's very unsettling, and I could hardly put it down. I need to read more tolstoy and Ann Patchett, I love them 😭
So glad you randomly popped up on my home feed, this was a great video! Loved your nuanced takes on these books, and I love love love Donna Tartt as well. She is my writing crush and biggest inspiration. I've been wanting to read more Ayn Rand; I only read "We the Living" a long time ago and don't remember much. Just subscribed!
Thank you!! We should start at DT fan club hahaha she really is the best. Read more Ayn Rand and tell me what you think!
just found my new favorite book tube channel
shut up...
@@cs0p😂
PLEASE keep making TH-cam videos I’m so obsessed w your channel rn
idk if it's bc it's midnight or I'm tired or what, but I stg my eyes are watering you are so sweet
I loved the writing and atmosphere in The Secret History, but I've been hesitant to read The Little Friend because I keep hearing it's not as good as her other stuff. I think I'll give it a try after all, your review was super reassuring! Glad this video popped up on my feed haha
Try it try it try it! You sound like you like TSH for all the right reasons so you should have fun 😛
Was so excited to see Endless Night on this list! Christie is who got me into reading in middle school, and by the time I read Endless Night I knew it was immediately a favorite and was a book that get me to start reading more literary fiction and started my love for gothic classics. My favorite Christie, and I think I saw somewhere once that it was Christie’s favorite as well.
!!! Endless night is so underrated--I'm glad you love it too
The Shards still sort of haunts my brain since reading it a couple months ago lol. Very impulsive, but like you said, not very corny, which I have trouble with thriller-y books. Seen a few of your vids now, but I think this is my first comment on one -- saw another vid where you talked about Elena Ferrante and how you hope to continue the series, I think once you finish the series (or even read book 2, my fav of the four) it'll appear in a future fav-books-all-time vid! 😉
Belated welcome to booktube!
Thank you! Ferrente almost got an honorable mention. I'm excited to finish the rest of the series, and I think you're probably right. I can't wait for book 2
You're a real one because Donna Tartt's novels are so well written and the story itself brings you to a different world. I also take awhile to read The Little Friend and Goldflinch because I prefer to savor her books because I real in a well fast paced when it comes to her books and I love every single one of them.
Great! Another channel to obsess over for the next few months. Secret History is sitting on my bedside table rn unread, and practically screaming to me after this
hahaha thank you--READ IT it's so hot and sexy
"I don't wanna be done with Donna Tartt" I was just thinking this today, it's the only thing holding me back from The Little Friend.
You get it ;)
fantastic taste, just added a bunch of these to my tbr. anna karenina all day wow can’t believe i forgot about anna! also you’re gna flip the heck out when u read goldfinch oh my gosh i’m so excited for you
thank you!! I can't wait for the goldfinch 🫣🫣
the dutch house intro made me subscribe instantly lol 🤌🏼
🫣🫶🫶 it's just how I really feel 😤
What an interesting selection. I tend to think I've read everything but some of these I'd not even heard of, which has shocked me! Anyone who likes Dan Brown and Tolstoy in the same list deserves following.
tell me what you think if you pick any of the books up 👀 I need more DB + Tolstoy followers!!
You’ve been blessed by the algorithm ✨
ik ik ik 🫣🫣🫣
Read East of Eden by Steinbeck! Honestly. Just do it! Love E.M. Forster, Howards End is my fave, the adaptation starring Anthony Hopkins is superb! 😊
I have read East of Eden and you're damn right it's amazing ;) I'll have to watch the howards end movie!
I love listening about different kinds of books. AND you have chapters!
Thank you!!
bro is sassy and right about it
one of the best booktubers❤
HAHAH Thank you ;))))
the da vinci code was the book that made me realise that i love books. nice vid bro.
Thank you! Dan brown is the best. I'll probably end up reading the books again hahaha
the video accidentally got into my recommendations and you won me over with your charisma. I didn't expect anything from the books at the top, but after seeing Donna Tartt, I knew that I would stay on this channel, it was definitely fate. hello from Ukraine!
Hello there in Ukraine! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and will be joining for the ride ;)
hey man! i’ve never seen your videos before and you were recommended to me through some other youtubers i watch, but im really glad to have found your channel! your laidback and genuine reactions to talking about books you love is really refreshing to see and your taste is INCREDIBLE not to mention!! keep up the great work and you found yourself a new subscriber :))
dam I appreciate it. Thank you for watching! ;)
i love forster ! i’ve only read maurice but i adored it - probably one of my all time favourites. room with a view is staring at me from my bookshelf
dam dam dam everyone is recommending maurice!! I'll have to read ASAP. All of my unread forster books stare me down hahaha
really really loved the way you described some of these books! so accurate
Thank you!!
Your taste and mine seem in line so I’m gonna read all of this. The Secret History is in my top five. It’s one of the only books where I remember every character: Richard, Henry, Camilla and Charles, Bunny, Francis. Just a beautiful book. I went to a little rural Vermont college in the mountains (Johnson) and the sense of place is amazing.
The Dutch House is waiting in my Audible que, and I’ve been dying to read the Little Friend. Thanks for this!
tell me what you think of dutch and little friend 👀👀
a huge like for the little friend!!! I liked this book tremendously and think that it's def above the secret history, even though I like it just as much
honestly I'm not made at the take--I'm more itching to reread the little friend than TSH if that says anything. Thanks for the like ;))
The Dutch House…it was such an experience! I first listened to it on Audible read by Tom Hanks…🥺
!! She wrote an essay about how it came about that he narrated it and it’s very sweet
I'd definitely recommend Maurice by Forster! def my favorite one of his works, instantly fell in love with his writing.
his writing is the best. He is so brilliant. I have Maurice! I'll bump it up on the TBR 🫣
@@cs0p btw, do you have goodreads by any chance??
@@malik-kg7kq I dont I dont--I tried but I could never keep up with it 🥲
We disagree on some books here, but The Little Friend is my favourite by Donna Tartt! I loved it!
I love a good disagreement! They make for some of the best book conversations. I'm glad you love the little friend though, that one is pretty close to my heart hahaha
the way you talk about these books makes them sound so enticing
they are!! I'm just relaying the message ;)
i’m reading the great believers now and i’m absolutely obsessed. also planning on reading i have some questions for you afterwards but i am definitely lowering my expectations after hearing your thoughts on it lol
You better come back and let me know what you think of i have some questions! I was obsessed with great believers too hahah
@@cs0p i have returned!! great believers = excellent, i have some questions = trash!! it wasn’t the worst thing i’ve ever read, but i think my lower expectations helped my reading experience. you were spot on about the ultra liberalism, like why did she make that choice? def a disappointing follow-up and a total nothing burger of a book
@@chaoscentralbooks 🫶🫶 I KNOW. I was seriously distraught for a couple weeks--I really thought I have some questions was going to be a fav. There are of course worse books, but I haven't read one in years --the whole book was cringey and so so so awful. And her trying to be hip...I need to stop thinking about this book 😩
i love agatha christie too and i’d never heard about endless night, i’m looking forward to read it!! loved finding your channel :)
Thank you!! Tell me what you think of endless night! ;)
I got no clue if you’ll enjoy these book recommendations AT ALL but i feel compelled to recommend these books based off your reading taste: We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (yea there’s also the movie version but i do feel the book does it differently), Memorial by Bryan Washington, and The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara (most people tend to recommend this authors most popular book A Little Life but I preferred this one far more). Apologies in advance if you’ve already read these books or end up hating them ✌️. Also you’ve gained a new sub!!
A THRILLER REC IM HERE FOR IT hahaha I've heard of the other two books, I'll have to add them to the tbr--Thanks for watching 🫣
The little friend is my favourite Donna tartt book too, it’s so so good, way better then secret history imo, also as someone who’s dealt with grief and suicide, the little friend hit me very very hard
Understandable. I think the ppl who get the little friend absolutely love it. I'm glad to find people who love it as much as (and more!) than I do
Ahh the Donna Tartt love on this channel 😌😌
there is MORE in the works ;)
Just found your channel. Big fan of your videos and appreciate your taste in books. Super refreshing and I'll definitely check out some of the ones you recommended.
aww thank you! I really appreciate it. Hope you find some new favs ;)
I just found your channel in my recommendations, subscribed. What a great list of books, so many to put on my TBR and some I’ve never heard of.
thank you!! let me know if you read any ;)
Surprised and glad to see The Fountainhead on your list and at #3 at that. Kudos to you for putting it on here when you knew that you would be attacked for it. I read it about 30 years ago and loved it. I have never forgotten the characters. In 45 years of reading, I don't think I have hated a character as much as I hated Ellsworth Toohey. Too bad 90% of people will never read it
I looooove the dutch house so much!’ I got it at my library and still remember finishing it and crying super hard
Amen amen the ending got me good. I fuckin love Maeve
OMG! “The fountainhead”. I read this in HS ‘69 and i was affected for life. I am so happy a young person gave it a chance and “got it”!
just found your channel and love the chill vibes!!
glad to have you here ;)
omg the wink @@cs0p
Idk what you did but I’m in a reading slump and I’m sat here listening to you like fully focused ahah
get out...I'm glad you had fun. wishing death on your reading slump 😘
this is my first time seeing a video from you but as soon as you called us ‘sexy prudes’ i subscribed
I have now read the top 3 on your list. When I saw that the secret history was your favourite, I knew I could trust your taste. Can’t wait to eventually get to more on the list
!! I hope you enjoy them
Now whenever I see a book by E. M. Forester or other authors you've mentioned, I think of your videos, which is why I decided to watch one of your videos today
🥺🥺 you are so so sweet 😭
@@cs0p Thank you 🥰🤍
I love valley of the dolls so much!!! Read it about 6 years ago but I still remember how fun it was and what an enjoyable experience. Definitely going to reread soon
sooo so good i need to reread too
In no specific order:
The Oath, Pilgrim’s Progress, The Wind in the Willows, The Grapes of Wrath, Beowulf.
oooo I loooved east of eden. it might be time for grapes...
I read about 50 books a year, mostly literary fiction and some non-fiction. At the absolute bottom of my list is The Secret History. I was enjoying reading it well enough, I liked most of the characters and the writing and pacing were fairly pleasant, but did a literal spit-take when I came across the reference to a ‘Vanderfeller.” How can anyone be expected to take something seriously as literature when the author creates a “Vanderbilt/Rockerfeller-like” character and names it … ugh … Vanderfeller?!? That’s the kind of thing that might work as a placeholder in a first draft, or in a cheesy spoof movie, but any literary editor that lets something so inane and juvenile actually go to press should be tarred and feathered and run out from the industry on a rail. But more troublesome, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around why there was the whole second half. I felt like it was laying breadcrumbs for some fantastic reveals, many of which I was imagining in my head and kinda excited for, but alas. No fantastic reveals. It was just plain old crumbs. I get why people like it. There’s a lot of promise. But for me, sadly, it was an empty one.
I sometimes have gone beyond writing notes on the pages of some books that I especially enjoy and which I have reread, even multiple times. I have done what I call "scrapbooking" a book of this kind, where I paste in images with captions or short texts with photos. Sometimes these comment upon the book's story and characters, other times invent alternative streams of narrative that parallel what the author writes! Yeah, this is very whimsical, but I love humour and that's my way of emphasising it. An example of this is the racy and unusually well and vividly written novel, "Brandy Wine: a Gay Western", by John Ahern, a really clever and entertaining novel set in various places on the American frontier. I find empty space on a page, hopefully close to the portion of text which I am "scrapbooking" to insert these clippings. It's time consuming, but so much fun, but I do this to few books for those reasons. Whoever after my death ends up with these copies is probably going to think that some wild eccentric or lunatic had owned the book!
I do that "scrapbooking mostly to books of fiction, but to some non-fiction also, occasionally. The captions are mostly of my own devising, which I type onto or near the images or texts chosen. The images usually have nothing to do with the book, but I dragoon them into service to accord with the book for my own purposes.
the davinci code... so relatable... i recommend playing "broken sword: the knights templar" or just watching a play through it had me obsessed when i was on my knights templar bs
ok ok ok noted.
Your channel is pure gold I love it
Thank you 🥺
Really enjoyed hearing your list. I have also read probably half of your choices. I recommend anything by Pat Conroy (esp. Beach Music and South of Broad), John Irving (esp. Son of the Circus, World According to Garp and my fave..A Prayer for Owen Meaney), Anne Tyler (esp. Breathing Lessons), Lee Smith (esp. The Last Girls), Ann Patchett (esp. The Dutch House) and all the works of David Sedaris.
Forgot to mention Glamorama by Brett Easton Ellis.
I think breathing lessons was in my top 10 of 2022! and The dutch house is on this list!! It sounds like you have sexy taste.. I have taken notes
i love your voice omg. and thanks for the book recs 😍
Thank you! And you're welcome! hahaha I hope you enjoy them
Judging by your youthfulness, you're in the first leg of a journey I've been on for 63 years and counting! I have a library of around 4,000 books, most of them hardbacks, most texts. There are books I've read ten times, and books I put down and never picked up again. Some authors, regardless of subject or topic, write prose I call "eye candy", it just flows through your eyeballs as fast as you can scan the words, imprinting immediately in your brain. Pages and chapters fly by, the hours melt away.
Then, there are writers whose prose is a visceral as a knife at your throat, as sudden as a bullet, as timeless as the pyramids, Dashiell Hammett, Dumas, Walter Scott, Brett Harte, Louis L'Amour at his best, Robert Heinlein, in Starship Troopers, and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, John Grisham, Arthur C Clarke at his best, when the details stand out as clear as day, the characters live and breathe. There are also scribes who toil and toil and toil, and their prose reeks of toiling. No matter how hard one tries, reading their versions are work, heavy sledding, indeed.
As for Ayn Rand, one of the most-overrated authors of all time, self-serving slop that didn't even help her, as it turned out, better choices are Anthem, a story that might yet turn out prophetic. Instead of The DaVinci Code, pick up a copy of Worlds in Collision, instead. The story of our ancient past, before the 8th Century BC, back to Exodus, is not what we've been told. The reality produced the books of the Old Testament, plus Greek and Norse myths, and all the legends associated with the era, including Homer's story of the Trojan War, The Iliad.
Anna Karenina is interesting, but Solzhenitzen is better, Dr Zhivago, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, the Gulag Diaries, it's powerful stuff about the exercise of the power of the state. Kudos on Agatha Christie, always a quick read for fun. Keep reading, you never know what will show up! Enjoy the ride ...
A Best-Of for All Times
01 C A T C H 2 2 (1961)
Joseph Heller Best Antiwar Novel
02 O N E F L E W O V E R T H E C U C K O O ' S N E S T (1968)
Ken Kesey Best Institutionalized Medicine Novel, Ever
03 T O Y O U R S C A T T E R E D B O D I E S G O (1971)
Philip Jose Farmer Best Speculative Fiction on "What Happens After?"
04 T H E G R A P E S O F W R A T H (1939) 8x+
John Steinbeck Best Human Drama
05 L O N E S O M E D O V E (1986) 7x+
Larry MacMurtry Best Western Hands Down
06 T H E M A L T E S E F A L C O N (1930) 4x
Dashiell Hammett Best Hard-Boiled Detective Fiction
07 P I L L A R S O F T H E E A R T H (1986)
Ken Follett Best Medeival Times Novel
08 T H E L A S T O F T H E M O H I C A N S (1812)
James Fennimore Cooper Best Novel about Colonial America
09 D U N E (1965)
Frank Herbert Best Sci-Fi Political Intrigue Novel
10 T H E C A I N E M U T I N Y
Herman Wouk Best Men-at-War Novel
What book did you read 10 times? We all have our favorite.
I've read a number of books multiple times, Grapes of Wrath 8x, Lonsesome Dove, and The Hobbit 7x, Glory Road 6x, The Count of Monte Cristo 5x. I read about 3-5 books a week, down from 5-7. Good books are old friends, often perceived in different lights, as I've matured. Reading is brain food!
I've been reading Worlds in Collision since 1976, have at least three copies, have given away a dozen, over the years. I've worn out multiple paperback copies I once found in used book stores and thrift stores for a quarter, or fifty cents. I think it is the most important book of the 20th Century, and still has implications for our modern world.
@@patriciafeehan7732
woah! Ive been thinking about reading docta Z for years...
I enjoyed your comment. I too have to include Lonesome Dove of one of the greatest 20 th century. Why? I don't know. I will never forget those people. Were his sequels great? Not so much. What is that mysterious x factor?
Count of Monte Crisco? Overwritten. I think he was paid by the word. But a great and satisfying story.
For a long time I wanted to read Anne Karenina but I wasn't ready to read. Now, I'm gonna read it thanks a lot:)
Literally same with The Da Vinci Code I lovedddd it and years later found out ppl thought Dan Brown was like cheugy or something idk 💀 I haven’t read anything else by him but like I’ll defend The Da Vinci code to my grave
ME TOO HAHAH No I had such a good time with his books I can't even front. I'm a dan brown truther 😤
I just discovered your channel but I have a feeling I can trust your recommendations. Writers & Lovers has been on my wishlist since 2020 and I completely forgot about it lol. I just saw it was $1 on kindle so let's goooo
aww thank you! now you better come back and tell me what you think of writers and lovers even if you hate it!
Send your bookshelf to Shawn McComb for a bookshelf roast. I dare you. Lol
he would eat me hahaha
Greetings from Scotland 🏴. Just found your channel and delighted to say we have very similar tastes. I have a stunning vintage edition of Agatha Christie's Endless Night which I have not read in many years so that is now on my TBR. Many thanks 🙏
Hey! I hope I gave you some good recs. I looove the vintage agatha editions. I wanna know what you think of endless night on reread 👀👀
"Tolstoy has the best insights into humanity."
Man, you HAVE to read Dostoevsky! Both Crime and Punishmemt and Brothers Karamazov! The way he writes psychological aspects of his characters is absolutely unmatched.
eeK ive read some of both and enjoyed them. i just need to plow on
I don't know if anybody has ever told you this but you've got great hair! apart from that I really enjoyed your picks and little explanations--keep it going! :)
Thank you!! I'm glad you enjoy both ;)
Great list .. loved it. I think you will love martin eden from Jack London if u haven't read it allredy.❤
Thank you! I haven't read it yet, but I'll add it to the tbr ;)