I know you always say you don’t like doing reviews but these are so excellent that I’ve put all of your top ten on my reading list! Now if you could please do an honourable mentions video as well then I’ve got my 2019 tbr sorted!
First let me start by saying I thoroughly enjoy your channel, however we have very different taste in books. There have been so many you hate that I love or visa versa. That being said I still love to watch your reviews and your favorites are one of my favorites. I read 2 on this list with a few more to follow. I read Dead Mountain and Blanca and Roja. I LOVED both. And it’s made me realize that I love how you review your books not our similarity in what we read that makes me watch your videos. Thank you and I hope we have a long relationship of you making videos and me watching them!
So glad to see If We Were Villains made the list. I checked it out from my library based on your recommendation and immediately fell in love and bought it the next day! I’ll be checking out Girl Made of Stars next
listening to you talk about these books with so much emotion, literally had me tearing up for some reason ?? this just made me want to pick up some of these so much sooner.
Your top 10 has so many books on it that I hadn't heard from on other channels. I really appreciate it. I am most excited about Blanca & Roja (I love a good fairy tale) and if we were villains.
About that hiking incident there was actually one guy who survived! He left a day or two early due to being sick. Fun fact! There was also one person who had a missing tongue and there was supposedly military insignia left at the scene. I’m very interested in this if you can’t tell lol
A few of these were my faves (Poet x was my fave of the year) of the year and a few (blanca & roja + girls burn brighter etc) have now been moved up on my tbr!
I loved If We Were Villains, it made my top 10 favorites last year. I have The Astonishing Color of After and Girls Burn Brighter on my TBR already, but after watching this video I'm definitely moving them up on my list and adding Girl Made of Stars as well. Great video!
I’m not really one to go for sad books, so several of these I probably wouldn’t reach for, but If We Were Villains and Dead Mountain are on my list now for sure.
hi! i'm new to your channel in the last few months, and i absolutely love it. i just wanted to say thanks for if we were villains! i read it just before christmas after seeing it in your videos, and it ended up being my favourite book of 2018. happy new year!
I loved If we were villains so much when I read it last year. I was so sad because almost no one on booktube talked about it and I'm so glad you liked it so much
Lala, I’m curious about your shelves behind you! Do you mix your read and unread??? You are my new fav booktuber! You’re so articulate & concise & just so well spoken, I love it!!
Fantastic list! If We Were Villains sounds really intriguing- I may have to pick that one up. I read Undead Girl Gang as well last year and loved it. Great choices! 👍❤️
I read Girls Burn Brighter and love it! I at least 1 out of 10 of your favorite books this year. The rest are on my TBR. I hope your feeling much better.
Girl Made of Stars, Girls of Paper and Fire, The Astonishing Color of After, The Poet X and Blanca & Roja are all on my list of books I need to read sooner than later.
I was excited to see If We Were Villains on this list! I owned it for ages before you read it but you motivated me to read it! It ended up being my favourite book of the year!
Aaaaahhhh! I've heard of this hiking mystery before!!! The podcast Lore has an episode about it and it's a fabulous episode. Super creepy and so interesting! I thought I'd never be interested in something like that but the way you've explained the book I'm definitely considering picking it up now.
I’ve only read The Poet X (I actually just read it last week because it was a Christmas gift!). However, you’re convinced me to pick up Dead Mountain on audiobook, and I’m definitely going to look at getting a copy of Girl Made Of Stars.
😂 You were actually right, out of all the books mentioned, I'd only read one book (Undead Girl Gang, which I also loved!) However, al the rest are on my TBR and the way you described the books and the reasons you loved them just made me even more excited to get to them. Dead Mountain was the only one I hadn't heard of but I've now added that one to my TBR because wow 😱 does it sound amazing! I think I'm going to start my year off with that one because the way you pitched it is driving my curiousity insane 😅❤
I recommend SIster of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. When you were talking about Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao, it reminded me of Sister of My Heart. It has intense moments in it and is also about two girls who have a very close bond who are ripped apart and one resides in the U.S. and the other resides in India.
I've actually managed to read 8 of these 10, so I'll have to pick up the remaining two (Dead Mountain and Girls Burn Brighter) in 2019. I definitely used your list of 2018 anticipated reads as inspiration when I needed something to read this year though, so not a surprise! Although I don't agree with all of them--I just couldn't get into If We Were Villains--I loved quite a few of these, I read Blanca and Roja last week and adored it, and it's definitely in my top ten as well, can't wait to read more from Anna-Marie McLemore.
I haven't read Girl Made of Stars yet because I'm afraid of its high chance triggering me but I know that it's an important read and would like to delve into it some day.
I have 'Blanca & Roja', 'If We Were Villains' and 'The Astonishing Colour of After' high on my list for 2019 reading. I'm so glad you loved Girls Made of Paper and Fire! I didn't think it was perfect but I liked parts of it a lot, and I've been seeing a lot of negative opinions which is disappointing
I know nonfiction is not your go-to genre, but just based on the one you included in your fav list, I think you should give The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride a try! I read and loved Dead Mountain a couple years ago - but to me, the Indifferent Stars Above is even BETTER! It doesn't have the conspiracy theory/what on earth happened element that Dead Mountain did - but it's fascinating and compelling and gut-wrenching. Obviously a strong stomach is required because cannibalism. (As an aside I've had the Astonishing Color of After on my shelf for the better part of the year and I still haven't picked it up! I don't read a lot of YA these days, but I have a feeling that one will hit my sweet spot.)
Girls of Paper and Fire is definitely one that I want to pick up and maybe The Astonishing Colour of After (is that what’s it called😅 it’s a long title)
I just finished Dead Mountain based off your recommendation! Loved it. Did not see where his theory was going to go.. and I guess it makes sense...? I mean I didn’t understand a lot of it, to be honest lol. But it was a very compelling book.
Just wanted to point out that the author of "Dead mountain" isn't the only one who investigates and visited the place. Here, in Russia we have a lot of documentary films and books about this case.
I feel like from watching you for the last few months that we like a lot of the same things, but I haven't read any of these. Several I have on my TBR list, but it's interesting how many of those were fantasy. I say I don't like fantasy, but if I can suspend belief to read them, I almost always love them (maybe it's that change in belief?). Anyway, great list and thank you for the reviews!
I read If We Were Villains because you brought it to my attention and I absolutely loved it. Surprised it was the only mystery/thriller on this list though!
If you loved GIRLS MADE OF STARS I think you’ll also like WRECKED by Maria Padian. It’s a YA contemporary about a girl who is sexually assaulted at college and the story is told in alternating perspectives from the girl’s roommate and the alleged rapists best friend. This book shows all the nuances and challenges and perspectives involved in reporting assault on college campuses. I had never read a book like this before. It was serious obviously because of its subject matter but the story manages to be light and a pageturner. I would say it’s my favorite YA of all time. Highly recommend :)
Only 1 thriller 😲 whattttt and that swan book sounds crazayyyyyyy I never would have picked it up but now I have to 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️Blanca n Roja I’m coming for you
I read Undead Girl Gang and Girls of Paper and Fire on your recommendation earlier this year and really enjoyed them both! I also have Girls Burn Brighter on my tbr (#buzzword). I didn't love The Astonishing Color of After, unfortunately, but now I'm intrigued to read the rest!
I read Dead Mountain on your recommendation and I loved it as well. Thank you! I recently got Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer regarding the Mt Everett disaster in 1996. Have you read it?
If we were villains is in my top fave of 2018 too 🤗 and i read it cause you called it better and gayer than secret history lol i also really wanna read dead mountain, sounds so good! Oh and also girls of paper and fire i'm ordering for my bday 😁
I'm not a big reader of contemporary books but you made me want to read Girl Made of Stars. I myself was put in that situation while in a relationship and most of the comments I got at the time was that he couldn't have raped me cos being in a relationship is an automatic permission. That just being with him meant I shouldn't be saying no. So it's nice knowing that there's a book out there that puts out there that it can still happen and no is always no. Sorry for writing a book, I know I'm late watching this as it popped up on my recommendation to watch.
Because of you I read Astonishing color of After and Girls Burn Brighter! GBB was on my favorites, even though the hand scene, I think, pushed it to torture porn. I learned a lot from that book, and grieve for what many women have to endure. I just maxed out my Libby holds request with Dead Mountain and Girls of Paper and Fire!
![Quarterly Reading Wrap Up, Stats & Favourites [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/l67BhZjxA78/mqdefault.jpg)
I know you always say you don’t like doing reviews but these are so excellent that I’ve put all of your top ten on my reading list! Now if you could please do an honourable mentions video as well then I’ve got my 2019 tbr sorted!
Elisabeth Stein Lol love the dedication
Why do you say you are bad at doing reviews? This video was in my opinion very much a collection of reviews and it was fantastic!
First let me start by saying I thoroughly enjoy your channel, however we have very different taste in books. There have been so many you hate that I love or visa versa. That being said I still love to watch your reviews and your favorites are one of my favorites. I read 2 on this list with a few more to follow. I read Dead Mountain and Blanca and Roja. I LOVED both. And it’s made me realize that I love how you review your books not our similarity in what we read that makes me watch your videos.
Thank you and I hope we have a long relationship of you making videos and me watching them!
So glad to see If We Were Villains made the list. I checked it out from my library based on your recommendation and immediately fell in love and bought it the next day! I’ll be checking out Girl Made of Stars next
I’m surprised you only have 1 thriller! :O
Honestly same
I listened to If We Were Villains on Scribd after you mentioned it in one of your vlogs and it was definitely one of my favorites of the year.
Such a good audiobook!
listening to you talk about these books with so much emotion, literally had me tearing up for some reason ?? this just made me want to pick up some of these so much sooner.
Your top 10 has so many books on it that I hadn't heard from on other channels. I really appreciate it.
I am most excited about Blanca & Roja (I love a good fairy tale) and if we were villains.
So many hard hitting books!! Loved hearing you talk about these books and how diversely you read. ❤️
I love how you talk about these books, one can see you genuinely love them!
About that hiking incident there was actually one guy who survived! He left a day or two early due to being sick. Fun fact! There was also one person who had a missing tongue and there was supposedly military insignia left at the scene. I’m very interested in this if you can’t tell lol
Yep- all that's covered in the book- you should read it if you haven't already! 💕
I was so happy to see The Astonishing Color of After on your list! You described so well what I loved about it, I wish more people would read it.
A few of these were my faves (Poet x was my fave of the year) of the year and a few (blanca & roja + girls burn brighter etc) have now been moved up on my tbr!
Did not expect dead mountain! I listen to a podcast that discussed the dyatalov pass and now I’m definitely planning on picking up that one.
I loved If We Were Villains, it made my top 10 favorites last year. I have The Astonishing Color of After and Girls Burn Brighter on my TBR already, but after watching this video I'm definitely moving them up on my list and adding Girl Made of Stars as well. Great video!
I’m not really one to go for sad books, so several of these I probably wouldn’t reach for, but If We Were Villains and Dead Mountain are on my list now for sure.
They all sound so good. Definitely adding them to my list. Thank you and Happy New Year !
hi! i'm new to your channel in the last few months, and i absolutely love it. i just wanted to say thanks for if we were villains! i read it just before christmas after seeing it in your videos, and it ended up being my favourite book of 2018. happy new year!
I loved If we were villains so much when I read it last year. I was so sad because almost no one on booktube talked about it and I'm so glad you liked it so much
Lala, I’m curious about your shelves behind you! Do you mix your read and unread???
You are my new fav booktuber! You’re so articulate & concise & just so well spoken, I love it!!
I think that's all of her read books, she has different shelf for unread books :)
I got If We Were Villains for Christmas! Put it on my wishlist based on your recommendation! Can't wait to read it this year!
you always end up making me add new books to my amazon wishlist :P thanks for the lovely reviews!
Fantastic list! If We Were Villains sounds really intriguing- I may have to pick that one up. I read Undead Girl Gang as well last year and loved it. Great choices! 👍❤️
I read Girls Burn Brighter and love it! I at least 1 out of 10 of your favorite books this year. The rest are on my TBR.
I hope your feeling much better.
Girl Made of Stars, Girls of Paper and Fire, The Astonishing Color of After, The Poet X and Blanca & Roja are all on my list of books I need to read sooner than later.
Just read Dead Mountain as my first book of 2019 because of your recommendation! Loved it!!
I was excited to see If We Were Villains on this list! I owned it for ages before you read it but you motivated me to read it! It ended up being my favourite book of the year!
I already had Girls of Paper and Fire on my need-to-read list but I'm definitely adding Bianca & Roja after this!
Wow. I think this the first video of yours I've watched. I appreciate your thoughtful demeanour! Subscribed!
Aaaaahhhh! I've heard of this hiking mystery before!!! The podcast Lore has an episode about it and it's a fabulous episode. Super creepy and so interesting! I thought I'd never be interested in something like that but the way you've explained the book I'm definitely considering picking it up now.
I just ordered If We Were Villans, and Girls Burn Brighter, on your recommendation. Thanks for your reviews, Lala!
I’ve only read The Poet X (I actually just read it last week because it was a Christmas gift!). However, you’re convinced me to pick up Dead Mountain on audiobook, and I’m definitely going to look at getting a copy of Girl Made Of Stars.
happy New Year lala ! because of you I got to read a lot of good books this year ! every book you liked I ended up also rating it 4 or 5 stars
so excited for this to premiere!!
😂 You were actually right, out of all the books mentioned, I'd only read one book (Undead Girl Gang, which I also loved!) However, al the rest are on my TBR and the way you described the books and the reasons you loved them just made me even more excited to get to them. Dead Mountain was the only one I hadn't heard of but I've now added that one to my TBR because wow 😱 does it sound amazing! I think I'm going to start my year off with that one because the way you pitched it is driving my curiousity insane 😅❤
I am listening to _Dead Mountain_ because you made it sound FASCINATING in this video, and now I can’t wait to find out what he believes happens.
I recommend SIster of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. When you were talking about Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao, it reminded me of Sister of My Heart. It has intense moments in it and is also about two girls who have a very close bond who are ripped apart and one resides in the U.S. and the other resides in India.
I've actually managed to read 8 of these 10, so I'll have to pick up the remaining two (Dead Mountain and Girls Burn Brighter) in 2019. I definitely used your list of 2018 anticipated reads as inspiration when I needed something to read this year though, so not a surprise!
Although I don't agree with all of them--I just couldn't get into If We Were Villains--I loved quite a few of these, I read Blanca and Roja last week and adored it, and it's definitely in my top ten as well, can't wait to read more from Anna-Marie McLemore.
Girl made of stars was one of my top 5 this year also. So incredibly written I couldn't believe it. ❤️
I really loved Dead Mountain, it only the journey to find out what happened but the look back into their time
I haven't read Girl Made of Stars yet because I'm afraid of its high chance triggering me but I know that it's an important read and would like to delve into it some day.
I have 'Blanca & Roja', 'If We Were Villains' and 'The Astonishing Colour of After' high on my list for 2019 reading. I'm so glad you loved Girls Made of Paper and Fire! I didn't think it was perfect but I liked parts of it a lot, and I've been seeing a lot of negative opinions which is disappointing
I agree with you about Dead Mountain. I believe the author's conclusion is what truly did happen. What a great book.
dang, I need to reread Girl Made of Stars. that was so good!!
So excited to finally catch a premiere for once
can't wait for the yearly wrap up!!
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore definitely made top 5 books I read in 2018! Really want to read Blanca & Roja now!
undead girl gang was so fun!
this made me add quite a few books to my tbr for 2019 lolol
I know nonfiction is not your go-to genre, but just based on the one you included in your fav list, I think you should give The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride a try! I read and loved Dead Mountain a couple years ago - but to me, the Indifferent Stars Above is even BETTER! It doesn't have the conspiracy theory/what on earth happened element that Dead Mountain did - but it's fascinating and compelling and gut-wrenching. Obviously a strong stomach is required because cannibalism. (As an aside I've had the Astonishing Color of After on my shelf for the better part of the year and I still haven't picked it up! I don't read a lot of YA these days, but I have a feeling that one will hit my sweet spot.)
Already had Girl Made Of Stars and Girls Of Paper And Fire on my TBR for the next weeks, gonna add If We Were Villains to that list. 💗
I plan on reading The Astonishing Color of After and Dead Mountain now! Thank you!
Girl Made of Stars was my favorite book of the year too. I've been trying to get everyone to read it!
I listened to a podcast about the Dyatalov pass. I need to pick up that book. Fascinating!!
girl made of stars was incredible. incredibly hard but amazing. and that cover ❤️
I have got so many recommendations for this video!! And Girl Made of Stars was in my personal Top 3 too!!
I am so going to read Dead Mountain! You should watch the movie Devils Pass. It's based on the case but it made the plot a little different.
I am defo adding dead mountain to my tbr and will be reading it this year.
I thought Summer of Salt was going to be on this!
Added most of these to my want to read list! Hopefully i can buy and read them soon!!
Girls of Paper and Fire is definitely one that I want to pick up and maybe The Astonishing Colour of After (is that what’s it called😅 it’s a long title)
I just finished Dead Mountain based off your recommendation!
Loved it. Did not see where his theory was going to go.. and I guess it makes sense...? I mean I didn’t understand a lot of it, to be honest lol. But it was a very compelling book.
I just finished "girl made of stars" last week and I totally agree, it's a great and even more important book!
The Poet X was actually on Hannah( A Clockwork Reader)'s 2018 fave books.
I'm looking forward to read Blanca & Roja and Girl Made of Stars! :)
The astonishing color of after. I think it’s about time I read it.
I've not read a single one of these books haha, but if I spot any of them secondhand now I'll definitely pick them up and see how I feel about them
Girl Made of Stars is one of my favorite reads of the year as well. Such a beautifully written account of a tragedy.
I loved this video, you were just so well spoken!
You definitely convinced me to pick up the two non fictions, which is funny because I almost never read that genre!!
The books by color are so aesthetically pleasing.
I definitely want to pick up Undead girl gang! Happy new year!!
You premired this exactly on new years im my country habhahahah
Girls Burn Brighter has a "SnowFlower and The Secret Fan" vibes - Sounds Quite Good! Great list of books!
Just wanted to point out that the author of "Dead mountain" isn't the only one who investigates and visited the place. Here, in Russia we have a lot of documentary films and books about this case.
I feel like from watching you for the last few months that we like a lot of the same things, but I haven't read any of these. Several I have on my TBR list, but it's interesting how many of those were fantasy. I say I don't like fantasy, but if I can suspend belief to read them, I almost always love them (maybe it's that change in belief?). Anyway, great list and thank you for the reviews!
Girl Made of Stars BROKE me. I was up reading until 5am just sobbing.
This is definitely a different top 10 list! I love it.
I've read 4 of your picks and plan on reading If We Were Villains soon 👍
Happy New Year Lala! ❤️🎉👏📖
I read If We Were Villains because you brought it to my attention and I absolutely loved it. Surprised it was the only mystery/thriller on this list though!
I don’t think Undead Girl Gang aka Lily Anderson is a debut author (she’s published a contemporary prior to UGG)
Gabby Chiera - True. I am currently reading “The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You” by Lily Anderson. Published 2016
Dead Mountain has officially moved to the top of my non-fiction list to read.
The poet x made me cry so many times, its amazing
If you loved GIRLS MADE OF STARS I think you’ll also like WRECKED by Maria Padian. It’s a YA contemporary about a girl who is sexually assaulted at college and the story is told in alternating perspectives from the girl’s roommate and the alleged rapists best friend. This book shows all the nuances and challenges and perspectives involved in reporting assault on college campuses. I had never read a book like this before. It was serious obviously because of its subject matter but the story manages to be light and a pageturner. I would say it’s my favorite YA of all time. Highly recommend :)
I am going to read The Astonishing Color of After
sounds like a great list!
happy new year 😊⭐
Girls of paper and fire IS NOT author's debut novel. Natasha Ngan has written other books before Girls of paper and fire.
I don't know if you'll see this but where did you get that copy of Moby Dick on your shelf? I've been looking for a while for a nice hardback version!
Only 1 thriller 😲 whattttt and that swan book sounds crazayyyyyyy I never would have picked it up but now I have to 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️Blanca n Roja I’m coming for you
ok so I just started this but I needed to comment. Your hair is beautiful in this video!
I read Undead Girl Gang and Girls of Paper and Fire on your recommendation earlier this year and really enjoyed them both! I also have Girls Burn Brighter on my tbr (#buzzword). I didn't love The Astonishing Color of After, unfortunately, but now I'm intrigued to read the rest!
I love that Girl Made of Stars is your #1!!
I read Dead Mountain on your recommendation and I loved it as well. Thank you! I recently got Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer regarding the Mt Everett disaster in 1996. Have you read it?
Adds Girl Made Of Stars to TBR immediately
If we were villains is in my top fave of 2018 too 🤗 and i read it cause you called it better and gayer than secret history lol i also really wanna read dead mountain, sounds so good! Oh and also girls of paper and fire i'm ordering for my bday 😁
I was surprised by my fave books this past year but it was the Cinder Series by Marissa Meyer
Just added Dead Mountain to my TBR. It sounds so interesting!
I'm not a big reader of contemporary books but you made me want to read Girl Made of Stars. I myself was put in that situation while in a relationship and most of the comments I got at the time was that he couldn't have raped me cos being in a relationship is an automatic permission. That just being with him meant I shouldn't be saying no. So it's nice knowing that there's a book out there that puts out there that it can still happen and no is always no. Sorry for writing a book, I know I'm late watching this as it popped up on my recommendation to watch.
Wow Dead Mountain sounds absolutely fascinating!
Because of you I read Astonishing color of After and Girls Burn Brighter! GBB was on my favorites, even though the hand scene, I think, pushed it to torture porn. I learned a lot from that book, and grieve for what many women have to endure. I just maxed out my Libby holds request with Dead Mountain and Girls of Paper and Fire!
I have some of this books on my TBR for 2019. I am super excited to get specially to If we were villains 😎