I don't know if you'll read this, but I remember you saying in your Disturbing Books list that you were left somewhat disappointed by how The Road by Cormac McCarthy wasn't very disturbing, and with that in mind I wanted to say that his (much shorter) novel Child of God was far more disturbing in my opinion, and I'd love to know your thoughts on it
If you like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, you would probably like Isabel Allende. House of the Spirits is a great introductory work for her. It's a magical realism exploration of the decades leading up to the Chilean civil war, told through the interactions of two families over several generations. It's definitely not light reading, but it's beautifully written, imersive, and extremely memorable.
I appreciate your videos! Hemingway is one of my favorite authors from HS. I can hardly remember them now. I also loved your coverage of accelerated learners! I was so nervous about performing well at 11. They said I could read at a college level. At 11. I had an entire little library area for tests. And yet, here I am. I also love Steinbeck. I love Orwell and Huxley. Anything philosophical. I would, in this vein, point out my love for the death of Socrates. LoTR? The Silmarillion. Hope? Don Quixote. Redemption? Les Miserables. Dark, emotive pieces? Twilight. IDK, some classics. I’m sorry for your Moby experience! Also, loved some of your coverage on Sue Lyon/Lolita. Lovely analysis. Amazing how many burdens of being upright a man carrying a thing must have. Reading all of these would make me nuts! Might try Skillshare (“: I love learning. Thanks, man! Sorry. Probably some mistakes in here! Oh, yeah! Treasure Island is interesting. And Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Just had to order that. I can be persnickety with my little book covers. I also think books as easy and simple as The Little Prince can make us all happier. Sometimes, at least for me, it’s not all about quantity or word length.
I appreciate the fact you opened the blinds for a more artsy shot and lighting. I can imagine a neighbor walking by and glancing over to see a guy in his living room talking to himself in a chair.
I came for the memes and stayed for the book reviews. It must be tempting to just make skits since they get the most views, so I appreciate that you still give book reviews.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez often said that Gregory Rabassa’s translations-especially for 100 Years-were better than his Spanish. He was likely just being modest, but it really speaks to how well the English translation captured the nuances of the original work!
One of the things I love about this channel is that you read indiscriminately. A lot of booktubers tend to kind of stick to their niche and rarely veer out of it. Not that that's a bad thing but it's just refreshing to see someone recommending everything from Frank Herbert and Brandon Sanderson to Philip Roth, Faulkner and Hemingway
Light is like Water is my favorite Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude had too many characters with the same name and I found Florentino Ariza's obsession for Fermina in Love in the Time of Cholera, unsettling and a bit boring.
Sir, you are absolutely an influencer in the best sense. I read "Five Decembers" based solely on your recommendation, and I think it single handedly renewed my love of reading a book just because you want to engage in a solid narrative. I'd rather go to you for writing advice than most "professional" reviewers.
The book for The Princes Bride is so weird and meta and wonderful. It is written as if it was a translation of an older book and manages to play with that concept in such a wonderful way. If you ever wondered why the story in the film is told as a book being read by a grandfather to his grandchild it was to preserve some of that meta analysis of the story that the book does.
I appreciate that you mentioned Cannery Row. I loved that book so much that once I finished it I took a roadtrip to Monterey with my girlfriend specifically to visit the row. Any time someone asks what they should read by Steinbeck to get into him, I say Cannery Row, The Pearl, or The Red Pony. One other short book I enjoy is called Arise and Walk by Barry Gifford. I feel like it could be adapted into a Tarantino movie and work really well.
I loved Stephen King's On Writing. His advice has helped me with my writing, and it was interesting to see some stuff about his life before he made it as a bestselling author.
This is insane. I haven't read much fiction in a long time. And just last week I decided to read something and actually reread 'Everything that rises must converge' - I read it several years ago for the first time because the book appeared in 'Lost'. This week I'm reading 'Good man is hard to find'. Absolutely didn't expect to see the mention of something I'm not just aware of but also currently reading.
I never know how to find older literature, as there's so many that it feels so daunting. You're very good at discussing books in a way that's very conversational, and I appreciate these videos a lot.
as a hispanic person it makes me so happy that you recommended Marquez books, first time i fell in love with reading novels was with his short stories collection "ojos de perro azul", he is one of my favourites writers and i have reread many of her works at this rate.... i am currently reading 'the road' that you recommended last time so thank you for influencing my reading
Hey Jake, I usually comment some meme or some joke here, but I have to say, thank you for talking about Gabriel Garcia Marquez. One Hundred Years of Solitude is my favorite book ever, I re read it at least once a year, and you're probably the first youtube influenza man that I've seen in here even _mention_ The Handsomest Drowned Man in The World. Hearing you call it "one of the best short stories ever written" brought a smile to my face. For real. I had to study that one in highschool and I didn't get it at the time, but I re-read it as an adult and now every time I finish it, it fucking breaks me. Thanks for the shout out to latin culture, more Americans need to start paying attention cuz yall missing out on some amazing stuff :)
I read Butcher's Crossing because of your recommendation! I would not have even heard of it, if not for you. As a massive fantasy nerd, I didn't expect a western to affect me as much. One of my favorites this year. The bleakness and brutality of it was moving. John Williams did an excellent job of making me feel what the characters were going through.
I think that you really have a talent for reviewing books in a nice, concise way. You just know how to give your take on a book, and I admire that. I used to only look at your skits but I think I’m starting to really enjoy your reviews.
Solid recommendations. You suggested some books I love , you suggested books that I already intend to read, and you suggested some books that I did not know. Excellent!
One hundred years of solitude is mandatory reading here in Colombia. I cannot wrap my head around a translation, some words are so provincial there's a glossary at the end in some editions. It's great to see people all over the world admire his writing
I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate these book videos. I added everything to my Goodreads and Storygraph as I watched. You may get me to try more American classics.
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro is one of my favorite books of all time. Such a fantastic fantasy/romance/historical fiction book. So atmospheric and just brilliant.
So pumped to see book videos from you. I love them. I'm currently reading McCarthy's new book The Passenger. I'm a huge McCarthy fan, but I haven't been crazy about it so far. I'm only 140 pages in though, so maybe that will change. I'm coming off of Stoner by John Williams, and Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. It's kind of hard to follow two books that are that good!
Man, a lot of my favs here. Cannery Row was a defining book of my college years and every time I go back to Flannery I’m reminded of how technically and emotionally powerful she is. Everything that rises must converge is an all time favorite. If you’ve never read Charles Portis, he is an Arkansas (represent) native who writes these hilarious picaresque novels. Dog of The South and Masters of Atlantis are a sort of hybrid in tone between Big Lebowski and Confederacy of Dunces. And of course his classic True Grit.
Literally finished Double Indemnity this morning. Weird/strange ending is probably the only way to describe it. Love the book reviews, always come back when I'm looking for something to read next.
It takes a special person to compile their thoughts of such a deep and multitudinous subject. I want to read everything you’ve mentioned although I’m not sure why.
Im trying to get into writing and I'm currently reading a lot of Ray Bradbury's works. Zen in the Art of Writing has to be my favorite. It portrays Bradbury as incredibly wise while still incorporating humor and flavor.
Jake, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for the content you regularly put out. I'm doing my best not to sound pedantic, but in case I fail, apologies in advance: There's a million 'booktubers' on this platform, and most of them sound like little more than hype machines for the most popular best-selling franchises out there. All of their videos talk about books, but as if they were just products you bought to decorate your pristine, methodically composed shelves. They value premium editions and differences between book covers. You compare their channels and in all of them you find reviews of the same five or six topical fantasy series (I get it; I know how UA-cam works, but still). You, Jake, on the other hand, genuinely seem like someone who really reads a lot of different books, without pretensions, and value them for what they are as works of art. I really appreciate you picking poetry for your suggestions, for example, as well as older pieces of literature, that aren't as marketable. In a world dictated by algorithms, where Arts and Humanities are ever more often frowned upon, I think we're veering towards an increasingly colder, utilitarian way of experiencing books. What seems to matter most are the number of pages of a book, it's ranking on a tier-list, or the respect it gets you in a fandom. The obsession with spoilers makes it seem as if knowing the ending of the book was the most important thing about it, the sole reason to read it. And I think it's a shame. My Literature teacher used to say that the great benefit of the written page is the freedom it gives to the reader. You can read and re-read the same paragraph time and time again, you can linger on the same page until it really sinks in. You can even skip an entire chapter at your own risk - it's your right as a reader. What really matters is that the reading experience is your own. And nothing compares to picking up an old book you've read more than once and being surprised by details you had never noticed before, or recognising how your perspective changed on them. Books are truly one of the best ways to evaluate our personal growth, and much more than novelty items.
A series of books I’ve read over the past couple of years and have absolutely loved are Karl Ove Knausgaard’s My Struggle. He’s an excellent writer that can find the poetry in the most banal of activities. Very easy to fly through but Karl Ove is so open and honest about his own failures as a person that you can’t help but love him. Phenomenal books, would highly recommend
Dude, have read most of these books and will definitely read the others I haven't yet. It can be hard to find books recommended by others, but when you get as many hits as this with me, I pay attention. Subscring...
I love these book recommendations and just hearing you talk about books. I'll check some of these out as I'm looking for books to get back into reading.
Love all these book recommendations! I've got 100 years of solitude sitting on my shelf. I got it after reading (and absolutely loving) Don Quixote. Still haven't read it, but it's high on the list. I would recommend Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. It's a fantastic and haunting post modern (I think that's the writing style?) book about drug addiction. Some of the most vivid writing I've ever read.
Immediately got a book by Flannery O'Connor, saw Wise Blood and it fascinated me, had no idea that it was based on a book, so thank you, man (carrying thing)
You should read 'Raised Eyebrows', a book about Groucho Marx's final years from the perspective of a fan who handled his mail until he passed. The audiobook is even better because the author is skilled at impressions. Even if you do not share his enthusiasm for Golden Age Hollywood, the digestible prose transports you to that time. It is hard not to love the author's enthusiasm for meeting vaudevillian legends who visited Groucho's house when he worked there. The book contains tons of great stories and bits, but also touches on the exploitative treatment of aged celebrities, which is unfortunately all too common in Hollywood.
Read cannery row earlier this year and it’s now one of my all time favorites along with east of Eden. Still need to read the sequel Sweet Thursday. I’m from Salinas and Steinbeck captures the spirit of the area so well. I also read through most of O’Connor’s work this year as well. She likes to laugh at her characters while Steinbeck cherishes his. There’s so much truth in both whether they are lampooning or affirming humanity
I've never seen your channel before in my life but I already completely trust in your tastes 3 seconds in. I will now go and buy every book you mentioned because I have no self control or self worth apparently
Nice to see that special edition of the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy in the background, especially since I'm most of the way through reading that exact same edition.
I've really been enjoying "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler" by Italo Calvino. It's one of the strangest fiction books I've read that, to me, gets at the heart of why I love to read. It's mostly second person, and because it is originally an Italian work, I sometimes wonder if the act of translation plays a part in the complex sentence and paragraph structure. I haven't finished it, but I believe it will be one of my comfort books.
your skits are great but as somebody who wants to get back into reading after like a dozen years gap period i do enjoy when your book review videos pop up
Charlie Kaufman’s ‘Antkind’, ‘Ishmael’ by Daniel Quinn, and Octave Mirbeau’s ‘the Torture Garden’ (Citadel edition, 1st or 2nd printing, all other versions I’ve tried were censored by dead French aristocrats even if they claim to be unexpurgated) are all really underrated but intensely well-realized books I read recently.
Thanks for the suggestion. 1000 years of solitude has been my TBR list but put off because it's not available as ebook for some reason. Before the end of the year I hope to read Mistborn because I'm curious to see what this Brandon Sanderson guy is all about and then the Pratchett's Hogfather for Christmas. Next year I'm finally going to tackle Pillars of the Earth which has been on my TBR since forever.
A Moveable Feast!!! That book is so good, feels like Hemingway at his most bitter, but also his most loving. Even though he depicts Fitzgerald in moments of weakness I found it to also border on a sort of admission of love (possibly unexplored romantic love, especially in his conversations about Zelda and the physical descriptions he gives of the guy). Haven't seen you talk much about Pynchon, so correct if you've already read it, but The Crying of Lot 49 is his shortest and probably my favorite book of all time and you should absolutely check it out.
Looking forward to checking these out Also I don't know if you've read much David Sedaris, but they're an author I very much enjoy. His books are all mostly collections of humorous short stories about his life, usually with a stretch of short stories in the middle of the book being based around a central arc in his life that the title is based on. Really fun stuff and some of my favorite reads.
Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach is also really good if you like A Moveable Feast although it's more focused on James Joyce and the publication of Ulysses. It does give attention to a more vast array of writers and other artists in Paris in the '20s and '30s and even touches briefly on the occupation of Paris during WW2.
Great recs. Cannery Row is a comfort book for me too! Been meaning to read Faulkner, so may as well start with “The Hamlet”. Also, if you haven’t read “What Makes Sammy Run?” By Budd Schulberg. It’s a great book that’s in the same vein as “The Day of the Locust”, but with a dash of comedy and pulp narration.
What really got me back into reading a few years ago was the book 2666 by Roberto Bolaño. Judging by your recs I think you might like that book in particular, it is very strange and labyrinthine.
Yes, you're absolutely an influencer, I just ordered The complete stories of Flannery O'Connor and gonna read all the books you're telling me to + I gave your video a thumbs up.
I have yet to read a book you recommended, but I gladly watch these videos knowing it'll still take a while before I actually get to reading one of the recommendations
honestly an actual man carrying thing book club would be cool. every month or so give the audience time to read a book then make a video about it. think it'd be pretty nice
Heck yeah. Maybe just one book at a time thought. The problem I have is that with all my class readings, my prior book list, and everything else, it's a struggle to pick a single book from his reccs.
I recommend Frye's 'Anatomy of Criticism' Imagine a dude speaking so clearly and poignantly about poetry that it feels like someone is teaching you to read from scratch. It's amazing.
Nice timing, my tbr is getting real thin. A recent fave for me is Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. It's pretty funny, cynical, I think it's fun reading a story where the narrator kind of despises the protagonist lol
Great list, have read a few but will have to try the others. I just finished the Sweet Goodbye by Ron Corbett, a romance-crime noir set in Northern Maine, highly recommend.
Muchos años después, frente al pelotón de fusilamiento, el coronel Aureliano Buendía recordaría la tarde en que su padre lo llevó a conocer el hielo. Best start to a book ever.
Both the book Double Idemnity and film with Fred McMurray are incredible. Good recommendations. And you have The Plot Against America. Dude, you're my spirit animal...
cannery row and sweet thursday have always been great comforts of mine. they're written with a lot of affection, so you end up falling in love with everyone in them. really like your videos both the funnies and the bookies
I read 5 Decembers because of an earlier book video of yours. It was one of the best books I have read in years. Thank You! Non fiction deep dive you might enjoy is called The Box. All about how the shipping container revolutionized our world.
Its so good to know you like Gabriel García Márquez, he's writing is some of the most beautiful ever. For anyone interested, he wrote two other books that are as good as Cien años de soledad: El otoño del patriarca, and El amor en los tiempos del cólera. Also, he really was influenced by a previous latin american writer, who wrote stuff using the same lyrical and dreamlike style: Miguel Ángel Asturias.
My favorite book on writing, by far, is Writers Dreaming, by Naomi Epel. It has a lot of famous writers describing how they get in a trancelike state to write. The authors include Stephen King, Maya Angelou, Elmore Leonard, Isabel Allende, Amy Tan, John Barth, and many others.
One Hundred Years of Solitude really is the best book. I often think about how i miss Macondo as if it was a real place I visited. You should try some Machado de Assis. I think you will like it!
The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/mancarryingthing11221
wowza! words!!
I don't know if you'll read this, but I remember you saying in your Disturbing Books list that you were left somewhat disappointed by how The Road by Cormac McCarthy wasn't very disturbing, and with that in mind I wanted to say that his (much shorter) novel Child of God was far more disturbing in my opinion, and I'd love to know your thoughts on it
how is this 1 day ago
If you like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, you would probably like Isabel Allende. House of the Spirits is a great introductory work for her. It's a magical realism exploration of the decades leading up to the Chilean civil war, told through the interactions of two families over several generations. It's definitely not light reading, but it's beautifully written, imersive, and extremely memorable.
I appreciate your videos! Hemingway is one of my favorite authors from HS. I can hardly remember them now. I also loved your coverage of accelerated learners! I was so nervous about performing well at 11. They said I could read at a college level. At 11. I had an entire little library area for tests. And yet, here I am. I also love Steinbeck. I love Orwell and Huxley. Anything philosophical. I would, in this vein, point out my love for the death of Socrates. LoTR? The Silmarillion. Hope? Don Quixote. Redemption? Les Miserables. Dark, emotive pieces? Twilight. IDK, some classics. I’m sorry for your Moby experience! Also, loved some of your coverage on Sue Lyon/Lolita. Lovely analysis. Amazing how many burdens of being upright a man carrying a thing must have. Reading all of these would make me nuts! Might try Skillshare (“: I love learning. Thanks, man! Sorry. Probably some mistakes in here! Oh, yeah! Treasure Island is interesting. And Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Just had to order that. I can be persnickety with my little book covers. I also think books as easy and simple as The Little Prince can make us all happier. Sometimes, at least for me, it’s not all about quantity or word length.
I appreciate the fact you opened the blinds for a more artsy shot and lighting. I can imagine a neighbor walking by and glancing over to see a guy in his living room talking to himself in a chair.
His own living room. Not the neighbor's living room. Worded that weird but I don't regret it
At least he was clothed.
*Sips whiskey smokes cigarette*
These books... are infested.
@@numinous2506 I wouldn't have been
As a weak willed person I now feel compelled to read these books
Sounds like you got influenced, by an influencer.
As a strong willed person, I now feel compelled to read these books.
As a fellow weak willed person I agree
Or maybe I influenced the influencer to influence you!
No
I came for the memes and stayed for the book reviews. It must be tempting to just make skits since they get the most views, so I appreciate that you still give book reviews.
Same. This man (carrying thing) got me back into reading.
@@Zoomii5 indeed, the man has carried me back into reading.
If you ever decided to venture into Podcasts, then a bookclub would be amazing.
I never was much a reading-guy but thanks to your videos about books im still not a reading-guy but they are entertaining.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez often said that Gregory Rabassa’s translations-especially for 100 Years-were better than his Spanish. He was likely just being modest, but it really speaks to how well the English translation captured the nuances of the original work!
One of the things I love about this channel is that you read indiscriminately. A lot of booktubers tend to kind of stick to their niche and rarely veer out of it. Not that that's a bad thing but it's just refreshing to see someone recommending everything from Frank Herbert and Brandon Sanderson to Philip Roth, Faulkner and Hemingway
If you did a readalong or an analysis of 100 years of solitude, that would be MEGAAAAA dope, just putting it out there :DD
Yes. I too have a paper due on one of these books. Or, uh, I meant yes yes. That sounds entertaining.
Gabriel García Márquez is fantastic. I enjoyed a lot of his work. Besides 100 Years of Solitude, specially The Autumn of the Patriarch.
@@harrynac6017 "Love in the times of cholera" is also great
Light is like Water is my favorite Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude had too many characters with the same name and I found Florentino Ariza's obsession for Fermina in Love in the Time of Cholera, unsettling and a bit boring.
I got about midway before losing track of all the characters
Sir, you are absolutely an influencer in the best sense. I read "Five Decembers" based solely on your recommendation, and I think it single handedly renewed my love of reading a book just because you want to engage in a solid narrative. I'd rather go to you for writing advice than most "professional" reviewers.
so glad you enjoyed that!
@viewz He is many things. Man carrying things also carries multitudes.
The book for The Princes Bride is so weird and meta and wonderful. It is written as if it was a translation of an older book and manages to play with that concept in such a wonderful way. If you ever wondered why the story in the film is told as a book being read by a grandfather to his grandchild it was to preserve some of that meta analysis of the story that the book does.
I saw the most beautiful printing of this book and now you’ve convinced me to buy it. Thanks!
I laugh when you post skits and I’m happy you talk about books 💛
I appreciate that you mentioned Cannery Row. I loved that book so much that once I finished it I took a roadtrip to Monterey with my girlfriend specifically to visit the row. Any time someone asks what they should read by Steinbeck to get into him, I say Cannery Row, The Pearl, or The Red Pony.
One other short book I enjoy is called Arise and Walk by Barry Gifford. I feel like it could be adapted into a Tarantino movie and work really well.
I met Barry Gifford once lol, he's a great writer
I loved Stephen King's On Writing. His advice has helped me with my writing, and it was interesting to see some stuff about his life before he made it as a bestselling author.
This is insane. I haven't read much fiction in a long time. And just last week I decided to read something and actually reread 'Everything that rises must converge' - I read it several years ago for the first time because the book appeared in 'Lost'. This week I'm reading 'Good man is hard to find'. Absolutely didn't expect to see the mention of something I'm not just aware of but also currently reading.
I never know how to find older literature, as there's so many that it feels so daunting. You're very good at discussing books in a way that's very conversational, and I appreciate these videos a lot.
as a hispanic person it makes me so happy that you recommended Marquez books, first time i fell in love with reading novels was with his short stories collection "ojos de perro azul", he is one of my favourites writers and i have reread many of her works at this rate.... i am currently reading 'the road' that you recommended last time so thank you for influencing my reading
Hey Jake, I usually comment some meme or some joke here, but I have to say, thank you for talking about Gabriel Garcia Marquez. One Hundred Years of Solitude is my favorite book ever, I re read it at least once a year, and you're probably the first youtube influenza man that I've seen in here even _mention_ The Handsomest Drowned Man in The World. Hearing you call it "one of the best short stories ever written" brought a smile to my face. For real. I had to study that one in highschool and I didn't get it at the time, but I re-read it as an adult and now every time I finish it, it fucking breaks me. Thanks for the shout out to latin culture, more Americans need to start paying attention cuz yall missing out on some amazing stuff :)
I read Butcher's Crossing because of your recommendation! I would not have even heard of it, if not for you. As a massive fantasy nerd, I didn't expect a western to affect me as much. One of my favorites this year. The bleakness and brutality of it was moving. John Williams did an excellent job of making me feel what the characters were going through.
I've been reading Blood Meridian at your previous recommendation, and it's been fascinating so far! Looking forward to more from this list.
Flannery O'Connor's a great recommendation. 'A Good Man is Hard to Find' is like the perfect short story.
I think that you really have a talent for reviewing books in a nice, concise way.
You just know how to give your take on a book, and I admire that.
I used to only look at your skits but I think I’m starting to really enjoy your reviews.
Solid recommendations. You suggested some books I love , you suggested books that I already intend to read, and you suggested some books that I did not know. Excellent!
One hundred years of solitude is mandatory reading here in Colombia. I cannot wrap my head around a translation, some words are so provincial there's a glossary at the end in some editions. It's great to see people all over the world admire his writing
Love that ypur channel is book reviews & 20 sec sketches. Weird mix but works👏
I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate these book videos. I added everything to my Goodreads and Storygraph as I watched. You may get me to try more American classics.
i love your books recs cause you have such different taste than me so i always find out about books i wouldnt know about in other parts of booktube
Its always a good day when Jake talks about books. Can't wait for the next on!
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro is one of my favorite books of all time. Such a fantastic fantasy/romance/historical fiction book. So atmospheric and just brilliant.
So pumped to see book videos from you. I love them. I'm currently reading McCarthy's new book The Passenger. I'm a huge McCarthy fan, but I haven't been crazy about it so far. I'm only 140 pages in though, so maybe that will change. I'm coming off of Stoner by John Williams, and Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. It's kind of hard to follow two books that are that good!
Man, a lot of my favs here. Cannery Row was a defining book of my college years and every time I go back to Flannery I’m reminded of how technically and emotionally powerful she is. Everything that rises must converge is an all time favorite.
If you’ve never read Charles Portis, he is an Arkansas (represent) native who writes these hilarious picaresque novels. Dog of The South and Masters of Atlantis are a sort of hybrid in tone between Big Lebowski and Confederacy of Dunces. And of course his classic True Grit.
Really enjoy your bookclub videos. More please. Thank you in advance!
Adorable intro, just from the first seconds - bass waves, quick tempo and something interesting is going to be told)
Literally finished Double Indemnity this morning. Weird/strange ending is probably the only way to describe it. Love the book reviews, always come back when I'm looking for something to read next.
Good list, my dude. Reading 100 Years of Solitude in Spanish is one of my longer term Spanish goals, so I WILL get to it one day.
It takes a special person to compile their thoughts of such a deep and multitudinous subject. I want to read everything you’ve mentioned although I’m not sure why.
I love you man carying things happy to see booktuber still in you.
Im trying to get into writing and I'm currently reading a lot of Ray Bradbury's works. Zen in the Art of Writing has to be my favorite. It portrays Bradbury as incredibly wise while still incorporating humor and flavor.
Jake, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for the content you regularly put out. I'm doing my best not to sound pedantic, but in case I fail, apologies in advance: There's a million 'booktubers' on this platform, and most of them sound like little more than hype machines for the most popular best-selling franchises out there. All of their videos talk about books, but as if they were just products you bought to decorate your pristine, methodically composed shelves. They value premium editions and differences between book covers. You compare their channels and in all of them you find reviews of the same five or six topical fantasy series (I get it; I know how UA-cam works, but still). You, Jake, on the other hand, genuinely seem like someone who really reads a lot of different books, without pretensions, and value them for what they are as works of art. I really appreciate you picking poetry for your suggestions, for example, as well as older pieces of literature, that aren't as marketable. In a world dictated by algorithms, where Arts and Humanities are ever more often frowned upon, I think we're veering towards an increasingly colder, utilitarian way of experiencing books. What seems to matter most are the number of pages of a book, it's ranking on a tier-list, or the respect it gets you in a fandom. The obsession with spoilers makes it seem as if knowing the ending of the book was the most important thing about it, the sole reason to read it. And I think it's a shame. My Literature teacher used to say that the great benefit of the written page is the freedom it gives to the reader. You can read and re-read the same paragraph time and time again, you can linger on the same page until it really sinks in. You can even skip an entire chapter at your own risk - it's your right as a reader. What really matters is that the reading experience is your own. And nothing compares to picking up an old book you've read more than once and being surprised by details you had never noticed before, or recognising how your perspective changed on them. Books are truly one of the best ways to evaluate our personal growth, and much more than novelty items.
A series of books I’ve read over the past couple of years and have absolutely loved are Karl Ove Knausgaard’s My Struggle. He’s an excellent writer that can find the poetry in the most banal of activities. Very easy to fly through but Karl Ove is so open and honest about his own failures as a person that you can’t help but love him. Phenomenal books, would highly recommend
please talk more about your favorite books! your short bits are hilarious, and your book reviews are very indepth & interesting!
Dude, have read most of these books and will definitely read the others I haven't yet. It can be hard to find books recommended by others, but when you get as many hits as this with me, I pay attention. Subscring...
I love these book recommendations and just hearing you talk about books. I'll check some of these out as I'm looking for books to get back into reading.
Love all these book recommendations! I've got 100 years of solitude sitting on my shelf. I got it after reading (and absolutely loving) Don Quixote. Still haven't read it, but it's high on the list.
I would recommend Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. It's a fantastic and haunting post modern (I think that's the writing style?) book about drug addiction. Some of the most vivid writing I've ever read.
Got some new things to put on my list. Thank you, Man Carrying Books
Poem by Wallace Stevens - 1879-1955 (and a single day in 2007)
Immediately got a book by Flannery O'Connor, saw Wise Blood and it fascinated me, had no idea that it was based on a book, so thank you, man (carrying thing)
You should read 'Raised Eyebrows', a book about Groucho Marx's final years from the perspective of a fan who handled his mail until he passed. The audiobook is even better because the author is skilled at impressions. Even if you do not share his enthusiasm for Golden Age Hollywood, the digestible prose transports you to that time. It is hard not to love the author's enthusiasm for meeting vaudevillian legends who visited Groucho's house when he worked there. The book contains tons of great stories and bits, but also touches on the exploitative treatment of aged celebrities, which is unfortunately all too common in Hollywood.
Read cannery row earlier this year and it’s now one of my all time favorites along with east of Eden. Still need to read the sequel Sweet Thursday. I’m from Salinas and Steinbeck captures the spirit of the area so well. I also read through most of O’Connor’s work this year as well. She likes to laugh at her characters while Steinbeck cherishes his. There’s so much truth in both whether they are lampooning or affirming humanity
i love your book videos!
Just started reading butchers crossing. It's amazing so far. Thx for the recommendations
I've never seen your channel before in my life but I already completely trust in your tastes 3 seconds in. I will now go and buy every book you mentioned because I have no self control or self worth apparently
Nice to see that special edition of the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy in the background, especially since I'm most of the way through reading that exact same edition.
I've really been enjoying "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler" by Italo Calvino. It's one of the strangest fiction books I've read that, to me, gets at the heart of why I love to read. It's mostly second person, and because it is originally an Italian work, I sometimes wonder if the act of translation plays a part in the complex sentence and paragraph structure. I haven't finished it, but I believe it will be one of my comfort books.
I just got my copy of House of Leaves in the mail yesterday. Super excited to read it!
Awesome! That book is a ride from start to finish. I'm glad MCT did a video on it that took the book a little bit more seriously.
I like the shadow on the wall
I read Five Decembers based on your rec. Great stuff.
Very interesting to hear you talk about the books you like. Thank you for this.
I'm never planning on reading any of these books but it is funny to see someone care! Keep it up
your skits are great but as somebody who wants to get back into reading after like a dozen years gap period i do enjoy when your book review videos pop up
Cannery Row is one of my all time favourites, as is one hundred years of solitude, so you ended this video with two absolute bangers!
One oft overlooked element to your videos is the immaculate mise-en-scène
Charlie Kaufman’s ‘Antkind’, ‘Ishmael’ by Daniel Quinn, and Octave Mirbeau’s ‘the Torture Garden’ (Citadel edition, 1st or 2nd printing, all other versions I’ve tried were censored by dead French aristocrats even if they claim to be unexpurgated) are all really underrated but intensely well-realized books I read recently.
Awesome first recommendation of the hillbilly thomist!
5:36 I am currently reading "Dallas 1963" and it's a really great one of those non-fiction deep dives into a topic
Thanks for the suggestion. 1000 years of solitude has been my TBR list but put off because it's not available as ebook for some reason.
Before the end of the year I hope to read Mistborn because I'm curious to see what this Brandon Sanderson guy is all about and then the Pratchett's Hogfather for Christmas.
Next year I'm finally going to tackle Pillars of the Earth which has been on my TBR since forever.
A Moveable Feast!!! That book is so good, feels like Hemingway at his most bitter, but also his most loving. Even though he depicts Fitzgerald in moments of weakness I found it to also border on a sort of admission of love (possibly unexplored romantic love, especially in his conversations about Zelda and the physical descriptions he gives of the guy). Haven't seen you talk much about Pynchon, so correct if you've already read it, but The Crying of Lot 49 is his shortest and probably my favorite book of all time and you should absolutely check it out.
Thank you for this video!
I feel the same about A Moveable Feast! Really captures a mood
Keep doing these!
Looking forward to checking these out
Also I don't know if you've read much David Sedaris, but they're an author I very much enjoy. His books are all mostly collections of humorous short stories about his life, usually with a stretch of short stories in the middle of the book being based around a central arc in his life that the title is based on. Really fun stuff and some of my favorite reads.
Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach is also really good if you like A Moveable Feast although it's more focused on James Joyce and the publication of Ulysses. It does give attention to a more vast array of writers and other artists in Paris in the '20s and '30s and even touches briefly on the occupation of Paris during WW2.
your skits are great of course, but i really like these videos
Yes to 100 years of solitude! One of my favorites. I need to check out the others
thanks for all the editing; it must have taken forever, but those talkers who don't edit are so tedious to sit through
Cannery Row really is a comfort book. You're just an extra character in the town hanging out with everyone.
Great recs. Cannery Row is a comfort book for me too! Been meaning to read Faulkner, so may as well start with “The Hamlet”. Also, if you haven’t read “What Makes Sammy Run?” By Budd Schulberg. It’s a great book that’s in the same vein as “The Day of the Locust”, but with a dash of comedy and pulp narration.
I maybe one of the rare people who found you through skits, but stayed for the booktent. Keep it up Daddy-Man, make me read
Hey! I live in Monterey Bay! That’s where cannery row is located. John Steinbeck had a big statue on the row
I’m subscribed for the book content so I live for these occasional uploads!
What really got me back into reading a few years ago was the book 2666 by Roberto Bolaño. Judging by your recs I think you might like that book in particular, it is very strange and labyrinthine.
Yes, you're absolutely an influencer, I just ordered The complete stories of Flannery O'Connor and gonna read all the books you're telling me to + I gave your video a thumbs up.
I have yet to read a book you recommended, but I gladly watch these videos knowing it'll still take a while before I actually get to reading one of the recommendations
Obligatory I love your skits but adore you book review videos more. Keep em coming!!
honestly an actual man carrying thing book club would be cool. every month or so give the audience time to read a book then make a video about it. think it'd be pretty nice
I would second that
Heck yeah. Maybe just one book at a time thought. The problem I have is that with all my class readings, my prior book list, and everything else, it's a struggle to pick a single book from his reccs.
I just read Cannery Row this and I loved it. I also started its sequel Sweet Thursday and I think I may like it a little more.
thank u sir, i enjoyed this. i like the book talky videos
I recommend Frye's 'Anatomy of Criticism'
Imagine a dude speaking so clearly and poignantly about poetry that it feels like someone is teaching you to read from scratch. It's amazing.
Oh man! Brother, you keep making book content and I’ll keep watchin
Nice timing, my tbr is getting real thin. A recent fave for me is Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. It's pretty funny, cynical, I think it's fun reading a story where the narrator kind of despises the protagonist lol
Great list, have read a few but will have to try the others. I just finished the Sweet Goodbye by Ron Corbett, a romance-crime noir set in Northern Maine, highly recommend.
Muchos años después, frente al pelotón de fusilamiento, el coronel Aureliano Buendía recordaría la tarde en que su padre lo llevó a conocer el hielo.
Best start to a book ever.
Both the book Double Idemnity and film with Fred McMurray are incredible. Good recommendations. And you have The Plot Against America. Dude, you're my spirit animal...
cannery row and sweet thursday have always been great comforts of mine. they're written with a lot of affection, so you end up falling in love with everyone in them. really like your videos both the funnies and the bookies
I read 5 Decembers because of an earlier book video of yours. It was one of the best books I have read in years. Thank You! Non fiction deep dive you might enjoy is called The Box. All about how the shipping container revolutionized our world.
Its so good to know you like Gabriel García Márquez, he's writing is some of the most beautiful ever. For anyone interested, he wrote two other books that are as good as Cien años de soledad: El otoño del patriarca, and El amor en los tiempos del cólera. Also, he really was influenced by a previous latin american writer, who wrote stuff using the same lyrical and dreamlike style: Miguel Ángel Asturias.
My favorite book on writing, by far, is Writers Dreaming, by Naomi Epel. It has a lot of famous writers describing how they get in a trancelike state to write. The authors include Stephen King, Maya Angelou, Elmore Leonard, Isabel Allende, Amy Tan, John Barth, and many others.
If you haven't I would highly recommend reading Haunted or Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. I really love these videos btw!
Guts
I remember reading so much back in elementary I need to get back into it
One Hundred Years of Solitude really is the best book. I often think about how i miss Macondo as if it was a real place I visited. You should try some Machado de Assis. I think you will like it!
I love Flannery O'Connor! Makes me trust the rest of these recommendations. I'll give these a shot.
Good job. All very good books worth reading.