Tbh you're one of the only literature UA-camrs who's love of reading doesnt ever smack of bullshit. I'll never forget a video I watched of yours where you talked about how it doesn't matter how much you read but how well you read. I think of that quote often and I can see you walk the walk just based on your short snippets about each novel. You get what is essential and unique about each novel you liked and I feel that the vast majority of booktubers do not provide such insightful views. Truly one of the only people on here who's book recommendations mean a lick to me and I mean that! Great work!
Your channel helped me get back into reading after a few years of stagnancy. Keep up the good work and know that your videos have a positive effect on readers like me all around the world!
Glad to see you finally got around to making this video. If anyone cares to read this, my ten favorites from the past year were: 1. The Plot Against America (P. Roth) 2. Super-Cannes (J.G. Ballard) 3. Revival (S. King) 4. The Virgin Suicides (J. Eugenides) 5. Operation Shylock (P. Roth) 6. The Unlimited Dream Company (J.G. Ballard) 7. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Novelization) (Q. Tarantino) 8. Running Wild (J.G. Ballard) 9. 2001 (A.C. Clarke) 10. Choke (C. Palahniuk)
Great list! I have read The Testaments, Emma, Possession, Baudolino, Howards End, The Autumn of the Patriarch, The Buddha of Suburbia, Norwegian Wood, and On Beauty and enjoyed all of them greatly. Last year I read my first Moravia (Il desprezzo) and my first Morante (L'isola di Arturo), and I definitely want to read more by both writers. This year, I intend to read The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch, and War and Peace by Tolstoy. And after watching your video, I've decided to read East of Eden by Steinbeck, too. I love your book reviews and look forward to more of them in 2022!
Wow. This was quite the list. Amazing. A nice cross section of various genres and authors and cultures. Congratulations on an amazing literary year and here’s to 2022 🥂 📚
I really must get to Baudolino (+ NOTR) & EOEden in 2022! Great to see Possession make the list (in my top 10 of 2021), Tolstoy & Forster.. (incidentally Howards End is one of those rare screen productions that exceeds expectations- its brilliant & i *highly* recomemnd- just make sure its the Merchant Ivory A. Hopkins 1992. Love the way you talk about literature - you always bring something completely unique (otherwise missed insights thoughts etc) to the table. Happy 2022!!!😊
Thank you Melissa :)! I really appreciated the Merchant/Ivory adaptation of A Room With a View (which I'm still to read) and I can see how they'd be able to do justice to the tone and story of Howards End :)
Loved your list! I’m about to pick up War and Peace (again) so it spoke to me. I hated The Testaments though, my only disagreement ;) and wouldn’t you know, the Canadian in me feels guilty over that. Nul n’est prophète en son pays… Personally, my number 1 book was The Dutch House, read by Tom Hanks who brought the finest touch of irony, it was pure joy. I spend so much time at the computer that I’ve started to embrace audiobooks to rest my eyes, it has been a game changer, I must say. The Tolstoi will probably be the Thandie Newton narration as a result, 60+ hours of it. See you in 2023 lol.
Nice list! I have to say, I was with Piranesi until I got to the epilogue, which I hated as much as I've ever hated a piece of writing. I would definitely read the book again, but I'd have to pretend the epilogue doesn't exist. My own fave book of last year was Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession, which I will keep pimping until everyone in the world finally reads it. Happy new year!
I love that you loved Baudolino. I feel like it's so underappreciated! I really love Eco's buddy comedies (for lack of a better term) like Foucault's Pendulum and this, it's got a bit of joy that his loner-focused books lack. Is 2022 the year I reread Baudolino?
The Priory of the orange tree has been recommended to me a few times, just jumped up my list of books to read, thanks as always, your reviews are the best on UA-cam. Also I'd like to out The Morning star and the my struggle series by Karl Ove Knausgaard up for your consideration, working my way through this series and it's phenomenal.
Thank you for the comment - and for the recommendation! I have read a couple of essays by Knausgaard and he's definitely an insightful writer - perhaps one day I'll be brave enough to tackle his massive series :)
Hi Mattia, I am writing my undergraduate dissertation on Michael Chabon and post-postmodern fiction. I found your article on and the idea of literary influence hugely insightful, especially when considering the relationship between Chabon's fiction and his postmodern predecessors (i.e., Pynchon). I was wondering if you thought Chabon also critiques postmodernism in his fiction (either implicitly or explicitly). Thanks, Nick.
Hi Nicholas! I don't think he critiques it necessarily (he's clearly smitten with so many postmodern authors), I think he just writes in a different tradition. I'm thinking in particular about the essay "My Back Pages," where he talks about his fascination with experimental and avant-garde writers (the Calvinos and Ballards) but also admits that he realized when still young that he wanted to write in a different, more "bourgeois" style.
Ciao! I was curious about your favorites of 2021, thanks for sharing :) I want to read other works of Rachel Kushner (I read "The Flamethrowers" last year), maybe the next one will be ''The Mars Room"
Do you happen to take recommendations? You're my favorite "Book UA-camr" and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer. I just finished it and it's honestly different from any science fiction I've ever read before.
Thank you for your comment Max! I actually read and reviewed the trilogy a few years ago - there's videos on my channel about all three books! In a nutshell - I absolutely loved Annihilation, it's one of the most mesmerizing novels I've read in recent years, but I struggled a bit with Authority and Acceptance.
My $.02--Baudelino is a worthy #1. Such an enjoyable intelligently written book. Above War and Peace? Tough call for me. Ecco seems the superior writer and intelligence, W and P the bigger book. In my top 10 goats I have War and Peace at 8 and Baudelino at 10. For some reason--maybe its more powerful historical images that stay with u with War and Peace. Onto Bleeding Edge and Focault's P and wondering if either of those will bump something in my top 10.
I saw you have 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' at 5, (which I also read this past year) and 'Buddha of Suburbia' at 3, (which I read a few years ago). Personally, I found both disappointing. I was pretty indifferent to the Shirley Jackson novel, and I didn't like Buddha of Suburbia. Mind-numbinlgy tedious. But that's my two cents.
Moby Dick was my #1 for 2021. Finally read that book and yeah it really does deserve the praise it gets. I can't believe War and Peace made it onto your list though; that book is hella overrated, at least I think. But still, great video; very intriguing! 😃
I want to know if you are interested in gothic style jewelry, because you really fit our products and I want to know if I have the opportunity to work with you.
@@TheBookchemist It was my first generational novel and i understood the scope of these type of novels. Pachinko, East of Eden, Kane & Abel is in my TBR now
I know nowadays it is antidemocratic to ask, but I‘m from socialistic country and too curious to sit in silence. May I know your nationality, I mean your roots, because I think that we look a little bit alike and it‘s interesting how two men from UK and Uzbekistan can have almost the same appearance))) Thank you and sorry if I did something wrong
I just discovered your channel with this video, and I subscribed right away - you are so delightful!!! I appreciate how thoughtful your commentary is on these books and how your selections are personal and sincere.
Tbh you're one of the only literature UA-camrs who's love of reading doesnt ever smack of bullshit. I'll never forget a video I watched of yours where you talked about how it doesn't matter how much you read but how well you read. I think of that quote often and I can see you walk the walk just based on your short snippets about each novel. You get what is essential and unique about each novel you liked and I feel that the vast majority of booktubers do not provide such insightful views. Truly one of the only people on here who's book recommendations mean a lick to me and I mean that! Great work!
Commenting here so I can get notifications from the comments of people suggesting other booktuber channels with similar characteristics.
@@teoentrelibros Leaf by Leaf. Check him out, if not already.
Thank you for the kind words - I appreciate them!
Your channel helped me get back into reading after a few years of stagnancy. Keep up the good work and know that your videos have a positive effect on readers like me all around the world!
Happy to be of help :) happy 2022 Chino!
Glad to see you finally got around to making this video.
If anyone cares to read this, my ten favorites from the past year were:
1. The Plot Against America (P. Roth)
2. Super-Cannes (J.G. Ballard)
3. Revival (S. King)
4. The Virgin Suicides (J. Eugenides)
5. Operation Shylock (P. Roth)
6. The Unlimited Dream Company (J.G. Ballard)
7. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Novelization) (Q. Tarantino)
8. Running Wild (J.G. Ballard)
9. 2001 (A.C. Clarke)
10. Choke (C. Palahniuk)
You continually surprise me by reading and ranking some of my favorite all time reads! Thank you for your wonderful insights.
this video is amazing but I cannot stop staring at the plant in the background, it’s seriously gorgeous 🌱
Great list! I have read The Testaments, Emma, Possession, Baudolino, Howards End, The Autumn of the Patriarch, The Buddha of Suburbia, Norwegian Wood, and On Beauty and enjoyed all of them greatly. Last year I read my first Moravia (Il desprezzo) and my first Morante (L'isola di Arturo), and I definitely want to read more by both writers. This year, I intend to read The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch, and War and Peace by Tolstoy. And after watching your video, I've decided to read East of Eden by Steinbeck, too.
I love your book reviews and look forward to more of them in 2022!
Wow. This was quite the list. Amazing. A nice cross section of various genres and authors and cultures. Congratulations on an amazing literary year and here’s to 2022 🥂 📚
It was a lucky year for reading I must say!! Thank you and happy 2022 again!
Amazing list as always! Can't wait to get into The Copenhagen Trilogy
This channel is really great. Good book recommendations
I really must get to Baudolino (+ NOTR) & EOEden in 2022! Great to see Possession make the list (in my top 10 of 2021), Tolstoy & Forster.. (incidentally Howards End is one of those rare screen productions that exceeds expectations- its brilliant & i *highly* recomemnd- just make sure its the Merchant Ivory A. Hopkins 1992. Love the way you talk about literature - you always bring something completely unique (otherwise missed insights thoughts etc) to the table. Happy 2022!!!😊
Thank you Melissa :)! I really appreciated the Merchant/Ivory adaptation of A Room With a View (which I'm still to read) and I can see how they'd be able to do justice to the tone and story of Howards End :)
@@TheBookchemist My pleasure : ) ..they actually expanded on Leonard Bast's character & it worked! 🤗🙂
you talk about books so beautifully!
The event of the year is finally here!
That's sweet :D
I love that you intelligently talk about complicated books and at the same time sort your books by colour like a teenage girl who only reads YA
Loved your list! I’m about to pick up War and Peace (again) so it spoke to me. I hated The Testaments though, my only disagreement ;) and wouldn’t you know, the Canadian in me feels guilty over that. Nul n’est prophète en son pays… Personally, my number 1 book was The Dutch House, read by Tom Hanks who brought the finest touch of irony, it was pure joy. I spend so much time at the computer that I’ve started to embrace audiobooks to rest my eyes, it has been a game changer, I must say. The Tolstoi will probably be the Thandie Newton narration as a result, 60+ hours of it. See you in 2023 lol.
Nice list! I have to say, I was with Piranesi until I got to the epilogue, which I hated as much as I've ever hated a piece of writing. I would definitely read the book again, but I'd have to pretend the epilogue doesn't exist. My own fave book of last year was Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession, which I will keep pimping until everyone in the world finally reads it. Happy new year!
Ah, I was a sucker for that epilogue I must confess! Went straight to my heart :P
I love that you loved Baudolino. I feel like it's so underappreciated! I really love Eco's buddy comedies (for lack of a better term) like Foucault's Pendulum and this, it's got a bit of joy that his loner-focused books lack. Is 2022 the year I reread Baudolino?
Steinbeck - East of Eden” is a gorgeous work of literature, this possibly will be a re-read since I read this back when I was 17!
Your channel is inspiring, thanks!
The Priory of the orange tree has been recommended to me a few times, just jumped up my list of books to read, thanks as always, your reviews are the best on UA-cam. Also I'd like to out The Morning star and the my struggle series by Karl Ove Knausgaard up for your consideration, working my way through this series and it's phenomenal.
Thank you for the comment - and for the recommendation! I have read a couple of essays by Knausgaard and he's definitely an insightful writer - perhaps one day I'll be brave enough to tackle his massive series :)
might have to check out Baudolino, just read The Name of the Rose and I can already tell is gonna be among the best of 2022
Hi Mattia, I am writing my undergraduate dissertation on Michael Chabon and post-postmodern fiction. I found your article on and the idea of literary influence hugely insightful, especially when considering the relationship between Chabon's fiction and his postmodern predecessors (i.e., Pynchon). I was wondering if you thought Chabon also critiques postmodernism in his fiction (either implicitly or explicitly). Thanks, Nick.
Hi Nicholas! I don't think he critiques it necessarily (he's clearly smitten with so many postmodern authors), I think he just writes in a different tradition. I'm thinking in particular about the essay "My Back Pages," where he talks about his fascination with experimental and avant-garde writers (the Calvinos and Ballards) but also admits that he realized when still young that he wanted to write in a different, more "bourgeois" style.
Also, I almost forgot - thank you so much for reading my essay!!, I'm happy you found it useful!
Ciao! I was curious about your favorites of 2021, thanks for sharing :) I want to read other works of Rachel Kushner (I read "The Flamethrowers" last year), maybe the next one will be ''The Mars Room"
Funnily I'm in the opposite situation - I'm hoping to read The Flamethrowers in the near future!
Wow. 20. This will be fun. Attention span of 5 but that’s cool. My favorites were Charlie Kaufman “Antkind” & Dennis Cooper “I wished.”
I had no idea Charlie Kaufman wrote a novel!
Love this, thank you
Do you happen to take recommendations? You're my favorite "Book UA-camr" and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer. I just finished it and it's honestly different from any science fiction I've ever read before.
Thank you for your comment Max! I actually read and reviewed the trilogy a few years ago - there's videos on my channel about all three books! In a nutshell - I absolutely loved Annihilation, it's one of the most mesmerizing novels I've read in recent years, but I struggled a bit with Authority and Acceptance.
@@TheBookchemist Thanks for the reply, I'll check them out now
My $.02--Baudelino is a worthy #1. Such an enjoyable intelligently written book. Above War and Peace? Tough call for me. Ecco seems the superior writer and intelligence, W and P the bigger book. In my top 10 goats I have War and Peace at 8 and Baudelino at 10. For some reason--maybe its more powerful historical images that stay with u with War and Peace. Onto Bleeding Edge and Focault's P and wondering if either of those will bump something in my top 10.
great selection, i need to read more italian literature...
I read Il conformista and some of Moravia's short stories during my Master's degree. I'll have to real Gli indifferenti sometime.
I saw you have 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' at 5, (which I also read this past year) and 'Buddha of Suburbia' at 3, (which I read a few years ago). Personally, I found both disappointing. I was pretty indifferent to the Shirley Jackson novel, and I didn't like Buddha of Suburbia. Mind-numbinlgy tedious. But that's my two cents.
Nice list
Hey, Your links are swapped in the description for the bookstores. Just a heads up!
Ops! Fixed it ;) thanks!
Have you read Ocean Vuong?
Please make an INFINITE JEST READING PROJECT
I wonder, where did you get those grey hair since you are only 30 years old!
L’ho letto in tedesco e il linguaggio è bellissimo!
Moby Dick was my #1 for 2021. Finally read that book and yeah it really does deserve the praise it gets. I can't believe War and Peace made it onto your list though; that book is hella overrated, at least I think. But still, great video; very intriguing! 😃
A me è piaciuto tantissimo i Buddenbrooks
I want to know if you are interested in gothic style jewelry, because you really fit our products and I want to know if I have the opportunity to work with you.
East of Eden is a masterpiece
One of the few book readers whose recommendation is taken seriously. A great list and BTW I just finished Buddenbrooks a couple of weeks ago.
Thank you! I hope you had a great time with Buddenbrooks :)
@@TheBookchemist It was my first generational novel and i understood the scope of these type of novels. Pachinko, East of Eden, Kane & Abel is in my TBR now
I know nowadays it is antidemocratic to ask, but I‘m from socialistic country and too curious to sit in silence. May I know your nationality, I mean your roots, because I think that we look a little bit alike and it‘s interesting how two men from UK and Uzbekistan can have almost the same appearance))) Thank you and sorry if I did something wrong
Mattia is actually Italian in descent fyi
As Dheeraj said I'm Italian :)
I just discovered your channel with this video, and I subscribed right away - you are so delightful!!! I appreciate how thoughtful your commentary is on these books and how your selections are personal and sincere.