new favourite books, love triangles & gothic fantasy 🌹books I recently read
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
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welcome to another review roundup of the books i recently read!
review for:
• belladonna by adalyn grace
• stories of your life and others by ted chiang
• wuthering heights by emily bronte
• angela carter's book of fairytales
• the erl king by angela carter
• the bloody chamber by angela carter
• slaying the vampire conquerer by carissa broadbent
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🌺 a b o u t m e
Hi! My name is Leonie and I am a 25 year old girl from the Netherlands who loves talking about books! From YA to non-fiction to classics, I read it all (although fantasy will always be my fave).
🌹 m u s i c
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13:19 "the only tenant I care about is David Tennant"
I loved that part
Favorite moment 😂
Leonie's videos are my main source of serotonin
Only source of serotonin in my exam session😭
for real she is my comfort youtuber
Facts
Sameee
Same! I watch her videos whenever I need cozy vibes or need something to just make my day better 💜
I have a page in my journal called "what was good about today", and I was struggling to find something good about today, and then I remembered I watched this video in the morning, and I remembered the good and comfort feeling I had while watching it. So that was it. And it got me thinking that Leonie is just there living her life, not even imagining that there is a girl in Brazil that just wrote in her journal "today I watched Leonie's new video", and that was the only good thing about my day. So thank you.
The journal sounds like a lovely idea, I think it's great that you take that time and space for yourself every day. And I sincerely hope that you will have lots of more good things to write in there soon. Maybe you think it's weird that some random girl relates to your state of mind, but I just stumbled about you comment and wanted to pass on some kindness. I hope you're doing & feeling okay :)
I don't write journals, but I used to write daily good things that happen last year, it really helped me with my mood and remember the good things and now I don't do it anymore and it does feel a bit more gloomy than when I would do it 😭
Ok but i do feel the same way for a lot of things like when im listening to something or reading some book and i just think with myself " the author have no idea a girl from persia is reading this and drawing things for it" i mean it is pretty interesting how much stories or media in general effects all sorts of different people from all arond the world in different moments
Uma brasileira por aqui também eeeeee 🥰😆😆
I need this page tbh. It sounds amazing to make sure that something, at least 1 thing, made you yourself happy ever day
“the only tenant i care about is david tennant” she is so real for that one
About the narration in Wuthering Heights: we read the book last year in my book club and also talked about this. My view on it was that it was quite clever to tell the story through the maid because she represented the perspective of us / the reader. We are only watching what is unfolding and are pretty powerless to do anything about it or really help anyone. So she kind of mirrors our position, if that makes sense.
So, about Wuthering Heights... I think that if it was told from the perspective of one of the main characters, we would have had the "romantic/dramatical aura" that we had in Twilight. The reason why the story was told from some outsider perspective is the fact that when we are in an abusive relationship, we often don't realise that. 😅
Erl king is probably a reference to the German song, Erlkönig by Franz Schubert and written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe! My music teacher in middle school sang this to us, and I loved it - it was super creepy. It was about the king of the elves who steals children.
From google:
The name translates literally from the German as “Alder King” rather than its common English translation, “Elf King” (which would be rendered as Elfenkönig in German). It has often been suggested that Erlkönig is a mistranslation from the original Danish elverkonge, which does mean “king of the elves.”
Yes, great song! I especially like the piano accompaniment
Yay!!! You officially have 500,000 subscribers! Congrats, Leonie! 🥳🎉🎈
Wuthering Heights is one of my all time favourite books but I get what you're saying about the narrative style.
I think a lot of people have an idea of what they think WH is about, an epic romance basically, and when you read it it's definitely not that. I was pleasantly surprised by that the first time I read it, and how it does actually address the ideas of generational trauma and cycles of abuse, long before they would have had names for that kind of stuff.
Having just read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne Bronte) - I feel compelled to recommend it to you because I think it addresses what you didn't like about Wuthering Heights (not getting a POV from the people in the relationship), while still maintaining a super similar gothic vibe and telling a story of abuse and its impact.
Is it worth reading? I found agnes grey to be super disappointing honestly
I agree! It's my favourite Brontë novel, and it's very emotionally impactful
@@palcicaa I enjoyed it! It was definitely slow, but once I got to the diary section I was super engaged. I haven't read a lot of other Bronte works, so all I can say is that I enjoyed it a lot more than Jane Eyre (which I just didn't click with). I definitely say give it a go if it sounds interesting, and if you're iffy at the beginning I think the diary section (which is like ~150-200 pages in) is where it gets really good.
Have you seen the 1996 BBC adaptation of The Tenant at Wildfell Hall starring Tara Fitzgerald and Toby Stephens? If so, how effectively did it convey the themes and crucial plot elements of the novel? I love the adaptation and haven't been compelled to read the source material.
@@palcicaaYes it is.
I would love to see your thoughts on Anna Karenina if you liked a classic like Jane Eyre, it’s a comment on Russian society, love, passion and obsession. Unlike what you said about Wuthering Heights, you get very close into the minds of all the characters and their layered plots even though it’s in third person.
I love Wuthering Heights, but I agree with your opinion about the POV. It would have been much better if we could actually glimpse the real feelings of the characters. I had the same issue with The Phantom of the Opera since the narrator is some unknown guy who discovers this story thirty years later.
I am so happy that you are enjoying One Dark Window! It was one of the best reads for me last year
That might have been my issue with Phantom thinking back on it.
The funny thing for me is I love „Wuthering Heights“ but „Jane Eyre“ was just ok for me. I despise Mr. Rochester more than Heathcliff. For me Catherine and Heathcliff fell in love because they were the only people who could understand the darkest parts of their souls, while their „partners“ only liked the ideas of them. Their relationship just makes sense, because you see them in their most wicked moments still swooning for the other, while everyone else would try to run away. The story feels like a family drama instead of dramatic romance. I rooted for almost everyone except for Heathcliff‘s son (satan‘s copy). They all do gross stuff to each other through the story, but seeing the next generation followed by Nellie finally overcoming all the trauma caused by the ones before them, makes this story so sweet. And Heathcliff dying after he knew that they turned out to be strong enough to put up with him is so funny. I also have some strange idea for a modern retelling of it since I read it. „Wuthering Heights“ but in the style of „the Kardashians“. I think it would be insane and funny at the same time. Heathcliff complaining about everything in a white box would be gold. ( Ah I almost forgot. I‘m also glad that it‘s from Nellie‘s perspective I love her and sharing a head with Catherine and Heathcliff is only tolerable in snippets)
Entirely agree with everything you said.
The first thing you need to know about Wuthering Heights is: it is NOT a love story. It has been marketed as a love story, but it is not. It is a dark tale with protagonists you are meant to hate, seen from the point of view of a person of a lower class, commenting on the habits and thoughts of her wealthier employers, criticising them and exposing them. Nelly works as a sort of self-insert for Emily herself, since she also worked, if briefly, at households similar to Wuthering Heights and observed the frivolity and indolence of the upper strata, depicted in Catherine. She mixed that with another almost self-insert character and a homage to her literary hero, Lord Byron, in Heathcliff. But Heatcliff is never meant to be sympathetic, Heathcliff is the perversion of the romantic ideal when inserted into Brontë's realist narrative, he is also a fear of what is "other", a fear of the foreign or the exterior that evolved into the Dracula type narrative. Now the voice of Longwood was there for two reasons: first, he is a well to do male narrator, and therefore, liable to be taken more seriously than the voice of a maid, at least in mid 19th century. Secondly, his arrival offers a queue for the start of the narrative, without him, there is no reason or purpose for the narrative to start thirldy, something that has been lost in later years is the need of the author to justify their book "in universe" so to speak, Emily needed a fictional reason for the manuscript that was Wuthering Heights to exist, and that reason is Longwood's letters to his brother. It is like Jonathan Harker's journal entries or Doctor Watson's work for the Strand. The only other way for her to achieve this while using one of the main characters as first person narrators was if the story was written as a confesion by Heathcliff or Linton or Cathy, and still, for her to bring across the whole story as she intended she would have needed someone who compiled it, who couldn't be Nelly, because of her gender and class. Maybe one of the kids could have done it. But anyway, I don't mean to be pedantic with this obnoxiously long comment, I myself didn't love Wuthering Heights the first time I read it because I was expecting something else. But after studying the Brontë's in depth, I consider Emily to be the best writer out of the three and honestly love to hate her marvellous book and her cast of detestable characters.
Thank you for this dose of humour and good books❤ To answer your question, the traditional fairy tale that inspired "The Bloody Chamber" is very famous in France. It is called "Barbe Bleue" (meaning Blue Beard) and it was standardised by Charles Perrault in the 17th century like Cinderella or Little Red Riding Hood. The original version is already pretty gothic but Angela Carter's retelling is gold✨✨✨
This video is literally the highlight of my day. I'm sick and I need to write an essay for college even though it's hard to concentrate. And I was so happy when I saw the post of a new video. I really needed this cozy calm atmosphere 💜
The Brontes are so great at taking a romance and turning it into a more cynical cautionary tale.
Angela Carter is always interesting.
Hope you've been well Leonie!
One dark window is SO GOOD. and the second book is even better!! (Shocker!)
YES I KEEP SAYING THIS!! Two twisted crowns was top tier
YES! I cant believe how much I ADORED One Dark Window & Two Twisted Crowns, and I definitely liked Two Twisted Crowns better! I finished it at like 2 in the morning and was sobbing in bed for the last chapter or two 😅 Being someone hwho really doesnt cry much, thats saying something!
@@heavenlychaotik SAME! I was actually gasping 😱 that is how you write a duology!!!
@nikki-b Yes! I cant wait to reread them eventually, I still think about them so much haha
Agreeeeed!!
One Dark Window and its sequel have been my favorite books of the year so far, so glad you’re picking them up!
Congratulations on 500k, Leonie! Just saw it and kind of freaked out, this is amazing! You so deserve it
I loved hearing you talk about Belladonna. It reminded me why I loved it so much and makes me want to pick up the sequel!
the bronte sisters didn't have money and charlotte and anne both worked as governesses, so that is kind of their window onto the rich people they worked for. it's typical for them to narrate their stories through servant perspectives. it kind of tells you about them as authors, the separation that they felt. I can see how you as a modern reader in a more class flattened society would want that more direct connection. I need to reread wuthering heights but I have a big physical TBR shelf I'm trying to get to. wuthering heights is kind of the origin of that tall dark handsome bad boy romantic hero - worth reading just to get that history.
Yess another video! Love everybody doing their January wrap-ups right now (I’m doing one as well so it’s giving a lot of inspiration)
your videos are literally so comforting i love them sm
happy 500,000k subs!!!!! love your videos
Leonie says "let's brush past the shadow tentacles" but this was a selling point for me ngl
happy 500k leonie!! your opinions exactly are on point with mine, defo comfort youtuber
yay so excited for this video ❤ i finished the dead romantics today and i loved it so much i think you are going to love it too because it's very cozy and it's a small town romance with some spooky elements
i absolutely ADORE your sweater in this vid oh my god
Does anyone know where it's from?✨
no idea - i would love to know! @@emska7230
Having a nice cup of tea while watching your video :) I've never been this early to a video before!
once again a very cosy and interesting books reviews, thank you
i just finished reading the bloody chamber for my literature class and i got so excited seeing that you read it and hearing your thoughts on it!!
for some reason the idea of one dark window reminds me of narnia voyage of the dawn treader and now i'm so much more excited to read it
Im so happy you're reading (and loving) One Dark Window! I just read that and its sequel around the end of last year/start of this year and loved them! They are both amazing books with such good vibes!
Get well soon~ love ur video as always❤
i LOVED slaying the vampire conqueror!!! i will read literally anything by carissa broadbent now. i also love the serpent and the wings of night and the sequel, six scorched roses.
It’s a good day when Leonie posts a video 😌🫶🏻
I absolutely love your videos! Im definitely adding One Dark Window to my tbr :3
I loved the Bloody Chamber story collection and the Magic Toy shop by Angela Carter. Totally agree with you on Angela Carter's writing style.
I have had belladonna on my TBR forever now 🥹
Hope you're feeling better soon! I suggest curling up with a nice cup of tea and the book you're reading now.
GURL i’ve been waiting for you to talk about belladonna SO BAD i needed you opinion desperately hahshd
a little late to the video but i lovedit, lov u leonie 💖
congrats on half a million!
Love your earrings 🤩 and your book reccomendations. Had to add belladonna to my read list
There’s a version of Bluebeards castle told by Anna Biller (the creator of The Love Witch) that you’d probably like! It also has a gorgeous cover
She’s back when we needed her most 🩷🩷🩷
Immediately picking up some Angela Carter books! They sound amazing! I love fairytale retellings!
This year I really want to read some of Angela Caters fairytales, your reviews have reignited that want ❤
Congratz on the 500K suscribers Leo! 👍
I'm 14 and you're the best at inspiring me to pick up a book again. My sincere gratitude s to you
Fantastic earrings as always :)
Congratulations! You reached 500 subs 🥳✨✨✨
wuthering heights was an instant favorite for me ( it was also my first finished book in 2024 lol )
amazing book!
I really recommend you to read ‘The invisible life of Addie LaRue’! I haven’t read Belladonna, but Addie LaRue will offer you everything you wanted Belladonna to be ☺️
I love The Bloody Chamber collection! yess!! I feel the same about Angela Carter's writing
I have bee waiting for your video for so longgg😭😭
it's fun to see you give same rating to Belladonna and Slaying the Vampire Conqueror. those books were definitely fun, but still a bit lacking, and it's nice to know someone else thinks so too!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who was underwhelmed by withering heights. You explained it so well. I wasn’t sure why I was just not a big fan of it, but maybe it’s better if I reread it some day
If you're interested in fairytales and retellings, definitely check out T. Kingfisher's work. I'd especially suggest checking out her book The Halcyon Fairy Book - it's lesser known, but it has the author examining some old folk tales, with her comments along the way, and it almost feels like reading the folk tale together with her and analysing it. Very fun and interesting read!
Okay but before anything I’M SO HAPPY SO MANY OF MY FAVOURITE BOOK TUBERS HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH A FAIRYTALE RETELLING ARC
AND ON THAT NOTE this is officially day one of asking you to read “Thorn” by Intisar Khanani, a retelling of the Goose Girl, and it is my favourite book, period. Managed to dethrone “A Man Called Ove” after seven years, but still.
It’s a soft fantasy with a WONDERFUL female lead, a very soft neutered romance and one of the best exploration of its themes of class, responsibility, spirituality and abuse.
It’s very character-driven, but I know you’ll love it
If you haven’t read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier you’d love it!
OMG I second this! It has the classic Gothic vibes of Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre, but with even better immersive descriptive writing, and it has the 'obsession' theme done really well from the pov of a character who is actually feeling the obsession. Exactly what Leonie was looking for.
Wuthering Heights holds a special place in my heart because it was one of my favorite books as a teen before I even read many adult books, and it got me really into flawed characters, and it has influenced my own stories as well. But although I definitely still like Wuthering Heights, I think Rebecca is better written.
Ooh, and I'd also recommend The Thirteenth Tale for fans of Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Rebecca!
And I'll add Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys.
Belladonna was great!! One Dark Window is my on list ❤️
Van harte gefeliciteerd met je ongelofelijke resultaat van 500,000 abonnees! Translation: Congratulations on your incredible result of 500,000 subscribers!
Leonie, I just have to say I am so happy I discovered you and your channel, because we seem to have such a similar taste! Ever since I found out, you loved the book vicious by V.E. Schwab, the hunger games, the trilogy folk of the air *and* Zelda botw (and like me owns the Art Book of botw) I knew I can trust your recommendations!
I always look forward to them 🥰
was lit having a shit dayyy and so rwady to chill with ur video
One dark window is sooo good ❤
OMG love your earrings. Also, can you reccomend some contemporary romance books?
so looking forward to this video!!!
So sad that you didn't love Wuthering heights 😢 I absolutely adored it, and felt very connected to the characters. I also really loved the narrative structure of it, so I think it's just to personal taste 🤷🏻♀️
my comfort booktuber is back
I love your videos💜
I’m currently reading “daughter of no worlds” from the trilogy named “the war of hearts” by Carissa Broadbent and omg LOVE IT. It has a perfect balance of everything, I quite liked “the serpent and the wings of night” but I don’t understand why is more popular that this trilogy that I’m talking about. It feels more complex than the serpent books and at the same time it’s still is so much fun like her books are. They are a total recommendation!
oh i get you leonie, i have covid too and i miss when i used to breathe so easily 😭
Love ur videos !!!! ❤❤❤❤
“you are a product of your environment” THANK YOU! i feel the same way when i read all these historical fiction books where these women are perfect 21st century thinkers, it was my main criticism of “lesssons in chemistry”
I LOVED One Dark Window! But my hot take is that Two Twisted Crowns wasn't quite as good for me, I was disappointed 😭 I can't wait to hear your thoughts on both 💚
The Erl King is not only my favorite retelling that Angela Carter did, but it's also my favorite German folktale of all time??? I HIGHLY recommend looking up the song, they put the original poem to music and it's PERFECTION
Get well soon ❤
i really love your videos
First book just sounds like Deadpool relationship with Lady Death…
But could be interesting to see how differently this idea can be tackled.
UA-cam's algorithm let me down--I'm just seeing this an hour later! 😞Come on, notification bell! Hope you are well, Leonie! Congrats on half a million, well deserved!
If you'd like a largely unproblematic love interest in a Bronte novel, try The Tenant at Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte.
It makes perfect sense what you said about wuthering heights: I read somewhere that Emily wrote from the perspective of her looking at the world/people around her, from the outside, tyring to make sense of it all. Her style is more on the poetic side. Many say that if she'd lived in the modern world, she would have been a poet (in that era, female writers were almost always only novelists). Whereas Jane always wrote from her own experiences, her own feelings and intense emotions, making you feel like you are in her characters' minds. She was a pure novelist, the novel being the perfect format for her writing style.
Could you maybe make a video reading/recommending more short stories? I have a hard time finding recommendations for them and I’d like to read more.
I loveee The Arrival so I’m definitely gonna pick up Ted Chiang’s book!!
What's the bookclub pick for February. Can I see it in any place in case I want to join??
I met Adalyn Grace on a book signing (there were multiple writers) and she was THE NICEST person ever. That’s always a plus on my book (pun intended lol). I have Belladonna on my TBR since then, I guess it’s time to put it up on the list haha Love your videos!
I didn’t like Wuthering Heights and I couldn’t really put my finger on why I didn’t like it, but you put it into words perfectly! I just kept thinking to myself “who do these two characters like each other so much??”
general grievous: will make a fine addition to my collection
omg feel better queen
Get well soon❤
I've read so many fairy tale collections over the years but my library has a copy of The Bloody Chamber so maybe I'll check it out.
Feel better soon, hope you are staying safe
Bluebeard traumatized me SO MUCH as a child, just hearing you mention it now gives me goosebumps😂
I totally get the point about Wuthering Heights. I feel the same way 😢
Considering the interest you’ve taken in the retelling of fairytales, I think you would really enjoy Carol Ann Duffy’s collection of poems “A world’s wife”, most of which are written in the form of a dramatic monologue from the perspective of female characters of fairy tales, myths and real women, whose voice has remained unheard. It is witty and striking and I am sure that you will love it! Reading it is a real experience, pushing you to research more about the characters and about the author too ✨
I bought Ted Chiangs book because of you ❤❤ and I agree about Wuthering heights and the tennant pov 😂😂😂
Finally a video to chill with)
*le gasp* i just started watching her videos and am early to this how 😲
"Arrival" is the perfect movie!