I don't remember a huge surprise this year. Maybe the Finnish crime novel I picked up at the library at random. I've just read the description on the back about a diner between friends and intended murder. It was really good, dark and funny
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem! It was an utterly disjointed book really enjoyed the meta perspective on science and we can ever understand truly alien life forms.
I picked up When we cease to understand the world without really knowing what it was about and it was so amazingly good! I don't normally like short stories but these ones worked so well!
I do really enjoy the Louise Penny mysteries. They're all solid imo. You keep getting to know these characters better and better and they start feeling like friends, which just makes it cozier!
I'm finding myself sadly not enjoying YA fantasy as much as I used to, but the love around Cemetery Boys has me wanting to try my hand at it again!!! Maybe I could fall in love with YA fantasy again hahaha
I might finally add Jade City to my tbr based on this...I also don't care for stories about gangs but I've seen so much hype about this that I've been curious. Your review might have finally pushed me over the edge into trying at least the first book so thanks for that! I wish I'd enjoyed Black Sun as much as you, I felt like the whole book was just set up for the next one and it dragged for me. Not sure yet if I'll pick up the second one or not 🤔
If We Were Villains was such a surprise for me too! I didn't know Shakespeare enough to get the references either but I didn't expect to like it so much.
Still Alice....boy I actually couldn't finish it, not because it was bad but because it wrecked me. My grandma had Alzheimer's and it was so brutal reading about what a person goes through.
The most surprising book for me this year was Dune! After you gave it 1 star I expected to hate it, but I read it while in jaw surgery recovery (lol) and I actually quite enjoyed (most of) it! 🎉 I also watched the 2021 film in tandem with reading it which was really awesome!
I‘m so excited for your end of the year series! Every year I pick a few of your favourites I haven’t read yet and read them in January, so I’m so hyped for your best books of the year video!
Yay! I’m so glad you included Black Sun on your list. I loved it and it was my favourite read of this year - I think about it all the time. Great list 😁
I read and enjoyed If We Were Villains this year. I was not sure about it going in but it was a book club pick. Looking forward to the rest of this series of videos.
I absolutely love the Jade City series! I went in expecting nothing and was blown away by the characters and the setting. I think I finished the first audiobook (the narrator does a fantastic job) within 24 hours because I was so hooked. I really love Shae and Wen. I am really partial to stories about crime families, but it's also amazing if you enjoy Kung Fu movies and East Asian fantasy tropes.
I'm reading A Fatal Grace, the second Louise Penny, right now! It takes place at Christmas time so it's a miracle it was my hold turn at the library since I was like 50th in line (she's very popular in Ottawa). I'm really enjoying the second book so far...My only complaint is all the police have Quebecois last names, so I confuse them often. I wouldn't have such a hard time if they were more varied....but as I'm Acadian, Quebecois family names to in a pile in my brain, same as Scottish last names, etc. You should definitely give this one a shot soon! So many descriptions of slushy snow, toques, and cold fingers...
honestly i am surprised too, i'm glad that you read books that are kinda out of your comfort zone. Also emily reading romance and having a good time? didn't see that coming.....
No book has shattered me like The Kite Runner. A Thousand Splendid Suns by him is also amazing. I preferred The Kite Runner, but I know a lot of people prefer Splendid Suns.
The whole Green Bones saga destroyed my soul, so fucking good. If We Were Alice was okay, I was kinda hyped but didn’t feel anything special about it, solid 3.5 stars.
I need to re-read Black Sun, I have an intense phobia of eye injuries and going blind. That first chapter really freaked me out, so I want to re-read it and just skip that first chapter. I already know what happens, and don't need to read the details again. I think I would have enjoyed the book more had I known about the details of that first chapter first and been able to prepare myself for it or just skip it.
I read A Man Called Ove and Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and had so much fun, definitely a new favourite author. Btw, Station Eleven is now a minisseries on HBO Max, have you watched it?
The Push deffo surprised me too, I loved it so much! I liked The Broken Girls but also wanna check out The Sundown Motel 👀 Sadly i didn't like The Night Swim 😭 I'm a YA reader for sure but I'm not into fantasy so idk if Cemetery Boys would be for me 👀
I've listen to the audiobook of If We were Vilains base on your recommandation. I didn't like the Shakespeare quote in it. English being my second language (I'm french canadian too), the old english made me not listen to it. I lost a lot of the book because of it. I know I will never read a Shakespeare play in English in the future.
Here's the books that surprised me but in a good way Black sun A heart so fierce and broken Way of kings The jasmine throne Sunshine girl by julianna margolis The comeback by ella berman Deadhouse gates The wastelands by Stephen king Wizard and glass by Stephen king The kiss quotient
For me, the most surprising book of the year was „The silent patient“.. I know, you didn’t really enjoy it, Emily, but I just didn’t see this ending coming and loved it😍
Hosseini is from Afghanistan and his purpose isn’t to manipulate your emotions, he writes about how life really is in Afghanistan. We are spoiled in some places of the earth but there are other places where there is so much suffering.
Oh for sure, I meant that sometimes some of authors of contemporary books make me feel manipulated so they don’t work for me. I assumed it would be the same for him but it totally wasn’t!
I’m struggling so much through Jade City, I really wanted to like it.. I’ll probably force myself to finish it, but as you mentioned, the author already did something to someone I cared the most about sooooooooo.. is the ending worth it?
Finally that time of the year!!! What books surprised you in 2021?
I had Animal Farm on my shelf for 4 years and I always thought I’ll hate it for some reason. It actually was good!
Took me forever to try that one and I was also pleasantly surprised!
I don't remember a huge surprise this year. Maybe the Finnish crime novel I picked up at the library at random. I've just read the description on the back about a diner between friends and intended murder. It was really good, dark and funny
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem! It was an utterly disjointed book really enjoyed the meta perspective on science and we can ever understand truly alien life forms.
I picked up When we cease to understand the world without really knowing what it was about and it was so amazingly good! I don't normally like short stories but these ones worked so well!
The holiday season begins with Emily's end of the year series for me
Bunny by Mona Awad had me shocked. I'm not sure I understood this book, but I LOVED IT!! 😂
I do really enjoy the Louise Penny mysteries. They're all solid imo. You keep getting to know these characters better and better and they start feeling like friends, which just makes it cozier!
YES, IS FINALLY THAT TIME OF THE YEAR
I'm finding myself sadly not enjoying YA fantasy as much as I used to, but the love around Cemetery Boys has me wanting to try my hand at it again!!! Maybe I could fall in love with YA fantasy again hahaha
For three years now I get incredibly excited for your end of the year series the moment December starts ☺️ ✨
I might finally add Jade City to my tbr based on this...I also don't care for stories about gangs but I've seen so much hype about this that I've been curious. Your review might have finally pushed me over the edge into trying at least the first book so thanks for that! I wish I'd enjoyed Black Sun as much as you, I felt like the whole book was just set up for the next one and it dragged for me. Not sure yet if I'll pick up the second one or not 🤔
If We Were Villains was such a surprise for me too! I didn't know Shakespeare enough to get the references either but I didn't expect to like it so much.
Still Alice....boy I actually couldn't finish it, not because it was bad but because it wrecked me. My grandma had Alzheimer's and it was so brutal reading about what a person goes through.
The most surprising book for me this year was Dune! After you gave it 1 star I expected to hate it, but I read it while in jaw surgery recovery (lol) and I actually quite enjoyed (most of) it! 🎉 I also watched the 2021 film in tandem with reading it which was really awesome!
I liked the movie much more! I'm even looking forward to part 2
I was seeking the video and two of the titles say 'the sunken motel' and 'the cat runner' and I was so confused. But like always, great picks!
Not me on the clock again watching Emily's new video 🤣
Won't tell if you don't 🙊
I‘m so excited for your end of the year series! Every year I pick a few of your favourites I haven’t read yet and read them in January, so
I’m so hyped for your best books of the year video!
Yay! I’m so glad you included Black Sun on your list. I loved it and it was my favourite read of this year - I think about it all the time. Great list 😁
I read The Kite Runner in high school. I’m 24 now and still think about that book.
I read and enjoyed If We Were Villains this year. I was not sure about it going in but it was a book club pick. Looking forward to the rest of this series of videos.
I absolutely love the Jade City series! I went in expecting nothing and was blown away by the characters and the setting. I think I finished the first audiobook (the narrator does a fantastic job) within 24 hours because I was so hooked. I really love Shae and Wen.
I am really partial to stories about crime families, but it's also amazing if you enjoy Kung Fu movies and East Asian fantasy tropes.
You will LOVE the Louise Penny series. Some of them are very dark but wonderful.
I can also recommend Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova; it's about Huntington's Disease!
I love the lights on your bookshelves!
I'm reading A Fatal Grace, the second Louise Penny, right now! It takes place at Christmas time so it's a miracle it was my hold turn at the library since I was like 50th in line (she's very popular in Ottawa). I'm really enjoying the second book so far...My only complaint is all the police have Quebecois last names, so I confuse them often. I wouldn't have such a hard time if they were more varied....but as I'm Acadian, Quebecois family names to in a pile in my brain, same as Scottish last names, etc. You should definitely give this one a shot soon! So many descriptions of slushy snow, toques, and cold fingers...
Nice recommendations. I read the kite runner as a graphic novel and it did broke my heart too.
I hope you read the rest of the inspector gamache series and I hope you love it! 😍
I hated secret history but loved if we were villains so much.
Loved the night swim ty for the recommendation
honestly i am surprised too, i'm glad that you read books that are kinda out of your comfort zone. Also emily reading romance and having a good time? didn't see that coming.....
Hi Emily! I finally also read "The kite runner", and I loved it. HAPPY NEW YEAR EMILY! 🎄☃️📚 I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!! THANKS FOR DO ITS!!! 📚📖💜☃️💖
Great video! I love a good surprising book, as long as it's surprising in a good way.
No book has shattered me like The Kite Runner. A Thousand Splendid Suns by him is also amazing. I preferred The Kite Runner, but I know a lot of people prefer Splendid Suns.
Your lights look really pretty!
Thank you! Needed the shelves to look more festive!
I’ve been wanting to read The Push so badly 👀
The whole Green Bones saga destroyed my soul, so fucking good. If We Were Alice was okay, I was kinda hyped but didn’t feel anything special about it, solid 3.5 stars.
I was waiting for this video! And omg Amir was so annoying. One of my least favorite protagonists.
I really enjoyed The Goblin Emperor much more than I thought I would. I saw it one of your videos, and the political drama called to me :)
I need to find time for that one!
I need to re-read Black Sun, I have an intense phobia of eye injuries and going blind. That first chapter really freaked me out, so I want to re-read it and just skip that first chapter. I already know what happens, and don't need to read the details again. I think I would have enjoyed the book more had I known about the details of that first chapter first and been able to prepare myself for it or just skip it.
I don't remember the rest of the book being nearly as bad if it helps!
I read A Man Called Ove and Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and had so much fun, definitely a new favourite author.
Btw, Station Eleven is now a minisseries on HBO Max, have you watched it?
If We Were Villains took me completely by surprise! As did Female of the Species…I don’t cry easily but that one just…😢
I remember really liking that one too!
The Push deffo surprised me too, I loved it so much! I liked The Broken Girls but also wanna check out The Sundown Motel 👀
Sadly i didn't like The Night Swim 😭
I'm a YA reader for sure but I'm not into fantasy so idk if Cemetery Boys would be for me 👀
best time of the year 🥰 i love this series
I've listen to the audiobook of If We were Vilains base on your recommandation. I didn't like the Shakespeare quote in it. English being my second language (I'm french canadian too), the old english made me not listen to it. I lost a lot of the book because of it. I know I will never read a Shakespeare play in English in the future.
Currently reading night swim and jade city and they both are really good so far. I feel like night swim is gonna make me mad at people 😩
My most surprised books were the sun down motel and the night swim
Yay!!! Favorite time of the year!!
I remember disliking The Sun Down Motel, but I don't remember why exactly... 🙃🤔
Ya genre is quite good, have you tried the daevabad trilogy it is amazing!
Here's the books that surprised me but in a good way
Black sun
A heart so fierce and broken
Way of kings
The jasmine throne
Sunshine girl by julianna margolis
The comeback by ella berman
Deadhouse gates
The wastelands by Stephen king
Wizard and glass by Stephen king
The kiss quotient
I always love this video every year! But right now I am obsessed with that lip color… what is it?
Maybelline lip pencil I’m Own Your Empire :)
For me, the most surprising book of the year was „The silent patient“.. I know, you didn’t really enjoy it, Emily, but I just didn’t see this ending coming and loved it😍
Most surprising was maybe jade legacy by Fonda lee
Hosseini is from Afghanistan and his purpose isn’t to manipulate your emotions, he writes about how life really is in Afghanistan. We are spoiled in some places of the earth but there are other places where there is so much suffering.
Oh for sure, I meant that sometimes some of authors of contemporary books make me feel manipulated so they don’t work for me. I assumed it would be the same for him but it totally wasn’t!
@@BookswithEmilyFox I was definitely not ok after reading this book. It’s just a lot to take in. Broke my heart.
I’m struggling so much through Jade City, I really wanted to like it.. I’ll probably force myself to finish it, but as you mentioned, the author already did something to someone I cared the most about sooooooooo.. is the ending worth it?
I thought so but you might feel differently!
Nice lipstick, you look beautiful :)
Thank you :)
You never did beauty stuff on UA-cam anymore