Oh my word hahahaha I love it!! I read Eleanor Oliphant too! I loved it…except the ending didn’t quite land with me. I agree the middle section of the book was the best!
The Scar _is_ even better. But they are both exceptional. If you fancy something shorter and equally as beautiful, This Census Taker is haunting, baffling, and memorable. Thank you for covering one of my favorite books!
😮💨 The “letting the characters breathe” comment for “Perdido Street Station” really chimed a bell with me, because it’s something I often gasp for, particularly in faster-paced tomes. Hey, I’ve read “Eleanor Oliphant…” too!!! Yes, I caught the BookTube hypewagon a few years ago. While very much not my usual sort of read, I certainly did fair enjoy the wry observations on people, life and situations - an awful lot of which are highly familiar! - and chuckled away at them more than I anticipated. And an unexpected turn…
Ooooh! We're delighted to see the semi impromptu Month of StoryToob 😂 Will and Testament, Eleanor Oliphant, Gone Girl and Claire Keegan ❤ some great books Johanna! Perdido is on the list for this year for us... We're currently reading Mieville non fiction
Hooray for the Storytoob endorsement of these books! Fascinating how much non-fiction Mieville has written. I'm so happy Perdido Street Station is on your list for this year! ❤️
You make me want to re-read not just PSS but everything China Mieville, lol. The guy's brain is built on another level and it just marinates his stories. Will and Testament sounds messed up, I'm in, lol. And now I'm imagining you have a folder of Allen pics just waiting to be strategically deployed when the time comes 😂
The Scar is really good, it's faster paced than Perdido in that the main plot kicks in much earlier but weaves in and out of the story. It has some elements of romanticism and even swashbuckling.
Really enjoyed your thoughtful review of Perdido Street Station! I completely agree with your take on New Crobuzon - the grimy atmosphere somehow adds to the fascination rather than detracts from it. The way Miéville builds that world is just extraordinary. Also, I was so happy to see you mention Small Things Like These! It's such a powerful book, and I love that you chose to revisit it during Christmas since that's when it takes place. I've also fallen in love with Claire Keegan's writing through that book. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on The Scar when you get to it! The Teller of Small Fortunes sounds intriguing too.
You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear praise for Perdido Street Station and Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These in the same comment! 😊 Thank you so much!
Don't mind me cackling over all the Allen GIFs in the Eleanor Oliphant review hahahah. I just read that one as well because of that livestream and it really crept up on me. Sounds like we ended up feeling very similar. Raymond was such a precious sweet gem!! ☺ And happy to hear you enjoyed Small Fortunes, I found that to be such comfort food for the soul. Also can't wait to try out Perdido Street Station, it's been on my TBR for ages but I keep being intimidated oops. Happy reading! 🤩
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed the Eleanor Allenphont parts! 😂 I also love that we felt the same about the book and loved Raymond! Small Fortunes was very comforting. I love the way the author built the friendships in such fun, warm-hearted way. Happy reading, Esmay! 💜
Great wrap up! I read Perdido Street Station 15 years ago and am itching to reread it this year. I might do a lot of rereads and new reads of Miéville this year, as I'm a little burnt out on traditional fantasy after Wind and Truth. I actually have The Last Days of New Paris by Miéville as something I want to get to early this year. I read six (but should count seven as I read over the first 1000pgs of Wind and Truth in December but didn't finish it until the beginning this month) books in December. My favorites were Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez, and the posthumous release by anthropologist Marshall Sahlins 'The New Science of the Enchanted Universe'. I really liked Our Shar of Night because Mariana Enríquez writing was like a mashup of Umberto Eco and Gabriel García Márquez. It was very smartly written but the book was slightly marred for me due to an abrupt climax. But I for sure want to read everything by her after reading this.
Sounds like Mariana Enriquez is worth checking out! I was going to pick up Wind and Truth, but I’m going to put it off for a while longer. It’s now been 5 years since I’ve read anything by Sanderson. I knew I needed a break, but I didn’t realize it needed to be this long! Mieville is calling to me more right now. Thanks, Andrew!
I didn't realise Allen was going to guest star. 😂 Perdido is one I'm definitely reading this year, especially after your review. That cosy fantasy sounds like something I might like too since I love cosy mysteries too. Glad you had such a great reading month.
Did not expect a cozy fantasy to sneak it's way into this wrap-up lolol. I have thought of trying Perdido Street Station mainly because it's a fav of Elle's husband and I always enjoy getting to read fav books of people I know...but it sounds so strange lol
He and I might have a some crossover in our reading taste because he also loves Stoner! 😁 I don’t know if Perdido Street Station will be for you or not, but I look forward to hearing your thoughts if you read it!
Looks like you had some amazing reads. China Mieville is an author on my "new to me" list for 2025, and I'll be starting with Perdido Street Station sometime this year. Happy reading in January!
@@Christopher_Navo I would love to hear your thoughts if you pick up Perdido Street Station! I think he’s one of those authors whose prose would appeal to writers as well as those who just want wild, immersive stories!
I’ve been eyeing The Teller of Small Fortunes since reviews started coming out! Cozy fantasy doesn’t always work for me but I think I might give it a try !
It was charming! Merphy said she got a bit of a stomachache from all the sweetness at the end. 😂 It was short enough to scratch that cozy itch, so I hope you enjoy it!
I literally just put Perdido Street Station on my TBR yesterday. I was researching for a video I’m working on about novels like my favorite video games. Interestingly enough, Perdido Street Station came up when I was looking for something like the game Batman: Arkham City. I’m glad to hear it worked so well for you! I might have to bump it up my list!
Glad to hear that you enjoyed Perdido Street Station. Alongside American Gods, Black Leopard Red Wolf, and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, I consider it to be one of the best fantasy novels of the 21st century. Bas-Lag jumped up there as one of my favorite fantasy settings of all time...though I'd never live in New Crobuzon. Considering your quibbles with PSS, I think you would like The Scar even more. It has that vast setting and the characterization is top notch. Also Gone Girl is great, but I think Sharp Objects is even better. Unflinching look at trauma and the cyclical nature of violence and abuse.
Thank you, Britton! I’ll keep that in mind about The Scar. I think you’ve just convinced me to try out Sharp Objects though I might have to be in the right headspace for that.
I've been seeing several from Vigdis Hjorth around, I need to pick one up. It's been great seeing Claire Keegan seemingly blow up lately. I'm interested in Glorious Exploits. It won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize for comic fiction last year, for novels that evoke the spirit of PG Wodehouse, a favorite author of mine. My favorites last were were Look at Me by Anita Brookner and A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar. I ended the year strong with Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi.
If you want to join me in reading Glorious Exploits, I’ll probably start it next weekend! I haven’t heard of your favorites, but you have me intrigued about those books!
Glad you found «Will & Testament» such an emotional read! 😃 In December I read: «The Power Broker» by Robert Caro (Political Biography/Investigative Journalism Classic, my Q4 long-read: What an amazing mix of encyclopedic knowledge, real life larger than life characters & wit, as a showcase, his description of NYC Mayor La Guardia as a mayoral candidate: «La Guardia possessed qualifications for making the run beyond the fact that, half Jewish and half Italian, married first to a Catholic and then to a Lutheran of German descent, himself a Mason and an Episcopalian, he was practically a balanced ticket all by himself.» 😂) «Dreaming the Eagle» («Boudica» #1) by Manda Scott (Historical Fiction about the Celtic British Queen and her Rebellion against the Romans: Amazing prose, borderline Fantasy with the Celtic Druidic elements!) «Baudolino» by Umberto Eco (Historical Fantasy set during the Later Crusades on the border of Myth and History in 13th Century Europe and Middle East: Eco loves to overload his reader with Literary and Medieval in-jokes, so clearly he is my spiritual Italian Uncle!😄) «Dictator» (Cicero Trilogy #3) by Robert Harris (Historical Fiction about the Roman Politician Cicero: While not my favorite in the Trilogy, Harris’ Cicero is easily my favorite character in 2024!) «City of Thieves» by David Benioff (Historical Fiction set during the WW2 Seige of Leningrad (Modern Day St. Petersburg): Man, the gallows humor is strong in this one! 😅)
Amazing list of books! I am so eager to read City of Thieves after hearing John from Talking Story gush about it, and now you're adding to my interest! I'm hosting a readalong of Name of the Rose in March.I hope I love your spiritual Italian uncle! 😂
@ Eco LOVES to play with layers upon layers: An example is a mention in «Baudolino» about Jews being saved from prosecution…and settled in the German City of Nuremberg… Now, the obvious is that it is meant as irony, with what Germans later in history would do with the Nuremberg Protocols against the Jews, but on a deeper layer, it is a «take that» to those who claim for a «return to how things used to be», by showcasing a (at least somewhat) more tolerant, diverse and multicultural past even farther back than the «ideal past» often imagined by the reactionaries, a history of tolerance in Nuremberg way older than the eponymous protocols!
Hi Johanna. My only December read was the fascinating latest from Haruki Murakami, The City and Its Uncertain Walls, which I found to be greatly entertaining, my first fiction experience with the author. I intend to read many more. January begins with a biography of Socrates by Paul Johnson, very good so far. Stay warm.
Can't wait to read China Mieville's works! In December I read: *Fantasy* Fitz & the Fool 2: Fool's Quest Fitz & the Fool 3: Assassin's Fate - And thus ends my initial journey around the Realm of the Elderlings, and believe me I'm already dying for a re-read. Its definitely become my favourite completed Fantasy series (sorry Malazan and First Law). I also read some Daredevil and Ultimate Black Panther comics. So far in January, I have read: Batman Universe by Brian Bendis and Nick Derington *Espionage* James Bond 001: Casino Royale - Showing its age in places but I'll continue if I need a palate cleanser. *Fantasy* The Heart of What was Lost / Tad Williams - Looks like I'll be starting Last King of Osten Ard sooner than later! *Sci-Fi* Southern Reach 1: Annihilation - Loved it but I'm content to stop here for now. As for what I'm currently reading: *Fantasy* Dagger & Coin 1: Dragon's Path - Needed more Abraham while I wait for the last Kithamar book.
I really need to read China Miéville. And I loved seeing Allen as Eleanor Oliphant, lol. In December, I read : - The Burning God, by RF Kuang, which is the final book in The Poppy War trilogy, and I really liked it! It was my favourite of the 3, but still wasn't a 5 stars read for me. 4.5, though; - Blood and Bone, by Ian Esslemont, which is book 5 in the Novels of the Malazan Empire. I also liked it a lot and also gave it a 4.5 stars. The setting is very cool, seeing more about one High King was pretty cool, learning a bit more about the Crimson Guard and all that. And it set up the next (and last) book in the series quite well imo; - Assail, by Ian Esslemont, is the final book in the Novels of the Malazan Empire. 5/5, very interesting, loved seeing what the hell was going on in Assail after all; - Purple and Black, by KJ Parker. This was recommended to me by Allen, and he was absolutely right. It's a novella in epistolary format and it is great. 4.5/5; - Children of Dune, by Frank Herbert. I had started this book a few months ago, and was doing a buddy read with my best friend. We discussed on the 50% mark and then I read what was left in December. Good book, not as good as the first one imo. And it's very weird, which is nice. 4/5
Thank you! 😁 I loved Children of Dune as it felt like it completed a story arc, but I agree that it’s not as good as book 1. That’s aweomse how you buddy read it and discussed at the halfway point with your best friend! Maybe I’ll try Purple and Black sometime.
I just read Too like a lightning and Seven Surrenders. I already know I will - again - miss Mycroft so much. Natasha Pulley’s Mars House was also interesting read.
I think it’s a skill to make reader to care about a character that has committed heinous crimes and still is in his way fierce, intelligent, tender, loving and mad. 😀 But then again I understood last year that for me ideas are important in fantasy and sci-fi. I’m sorry to say but I was disappointed of Wurts saga. I read it last summer and maybe it was too heavy. I didn’t like books 9 and 10 and skimmed them. Last book found my hating Arithon. And I still don’t why but I just didn’t like what he become.
@@tainakauppinen9878 Thanks for sharing that! I’m having some dips in how I feel about the series though I’m enjoying book 7 so far. I’ve not attached myself to Arithon to the depth that seems intended, so I’ll have to see how the last few book affect that.
I have my guesses why the ending fall flat with me but because they are part of me as a person I don’t want to discuss about them. I find Elayne(?) more interesting character.
Its just a really tiny essay with the full text of the manifesto as a significant portion of the book. I didn't care for it much but I've read a lot of Marx in my day might just be me
Yep that was my biggest feeling after finishing Perdido Street Station as well, just a bit more time to let the characters and setting breath would have been more than welcomed. I think that's a big reason why I prefer the first third to half of the book. After the halfway point it all just happens so quickly and I feel the book sort of looses the slow character focused pacing of the first third and I found myself really missing that whilst being excited by all the revelations and action on page.
I read 10 books in December I totally recommend Be my baby by ronnie spector memoir My song by harry bellefonte memoir The true love experiment by christina Lauren
I hate to be that guy in the comments, but as the city is just a few miles down the road from me, I feel I need to say something: Glasgow is pronounced 'Glaz-go' (hard s, ignore the w). I'm glad you enjoyed the book, and I'm very interested in Will and Testament after your review. Thanks for this and all the other videos you've done this past year: your content is a bit more diverse than other book tubers I watch, so I always look forward to hearing about what you're reading.
The second Glasgow came out of my mouth, I had a feeling I was mispronouncing it and that someone would call me out. 😅 I appreciate the kind correction! Thank you for the kind works!
Lynn was the most likable character in Perdido Street Station. Merphy will never read this as it has 15 "undulations" in it. Booktube has been planting the seed for Janny Wurts reading. I DNF Too Like The Lightning. Bets book of 2024: Seasons of Albadone by Elan Marche and Christopher Warman.
Lots of great reads, Johanna! I hope Traitor’s Knot is continuing to go well, and I look forward to our discussion of it very much!
Thank you, Philip! I’m making progress slowly but surely. I’m still enjoying quite a bit and look forward to our discussion! 💜
Your picture inserts of Allen and Brian during the Elearnor Oliphant portion made me laugh out loud!!!
Thank you! I couldn’t resist repurposing all the Allen personas into an Eleanor Allenphant review! 😂
Oh my word hahahaha I love it!! I read Eleanor Oliphant too! I loved it…except the ending didn’t quite land with me. I agree the middle section of the book was the best!
@ yeah, I could’ve done without the abusive mother parts (which I forgot to mention). Glad you loved the video, Christina! 😁
I still stand by that the movie Gone Girl is #1 on the list of ‘Movies you shouldn’t watch on a honeymoon’ Hahaha.
Hahaha!! Valuable life lesson!
😂
Loved the cuts to pictures of Allen and Belltube during Eleanor Oliphant 😂
Thank you!! 😂
Brilliant!
@@christinak.walker9902 Thank you! ☺️
The Scar _is_ even better. But they are both exceptional. If you fancy something shorter and equally as beautiful, This Census Taker is haunting, baffling, and memorable. Thank you for covering one of my favorite books!
Thank you so much for weighing in and sharing that recommendation! That’s a wonderful pitch for a book!
😮💨 The “letting the characters breathe” comment for “Perdido Street Station” really chimed a bell with me, because it’s something I often gasp for, particularly in faster-paced tomes.
Hey, I’ve read “Eleanor Oliphant…” too!!! Yes, I caught the BookTube hypewagon a few years ago. While very much not my usual sort of read, I certainly did fair enjoy the wry observations on people, life and situations - an awful lot of which are highly familiar! - and chuckled away at them more than I anticipated. And an unexpected turn…
Yes! Hooray for books that breathe a little! Haha! Hooray for Eleanor Oliphant! I loved the light humor in that book! ☺️
❤❤❤ perdido street station was so fresh but grotesque. I also had a great time with it. I hope we can both get to the scar this year 😊
Yay!!! 🦋
Love the Perdido Street Station love. 🦋 That book is such a marvelous work of art.
Hooray for the banger of the month! Can't wait to see what's in store in The Scar!
Ooooh! We're delighted to see the semi impromptu Month of StoryToob 😂 Will and Testament, Eleanor Oliphant, Gone Girl and Claire Keegan ❤ some great books Johanna!
Perdido is on the list for this year for us... We're currently reading Mieville non fiction
Hooray for the Storytoob endorsement of these books! Fascinating how much non-fiction Mieville has written. I'm so happy Perdido Street Station is on your list for this year! ❤️
Awesome video Johanna! Teller of Small Fortunes sounds amazing, and I’ve been wanting to read Claire Keegan too.
Thank you, Chas! Teller of Small Fortunes is charming! Delightful palate cleanser. I hope you enjoy Claire Keegan as well!
2 Jimmy books, a buddy read with Merphy…. A classic betrayal month 🔥 🔥
That's the way we roll! 😂
You make me want to re-read not just PSS but everything China Mieville, lol. The guy's brain is built on another level and it just marinates his stories.
Will and Testament sounds messed up, I'm in, lol.
And now I'm imagining you have a folder of Allen pics just waiting to be strategically deployed when the time comes 😂
It was amazing! I'm excited to get to more Mieville! Thank you so much for enjoying the Allen pics! I couldn't resist. Haha!!
@@Johanna_reads the Oxford one caught me completely off guard, ha
The Scar is really good, it's faster paced than Perdido in that the main plot kicks in much earlier but weaves in and out of the story. It has some elements of romanticism and even swashbuckling.
That sounds amazing! I’m looking forward to it! Thanks!
Really enjoyed your thoughtful review of Perdido Street Station! I completely agree with your take on New Crobuzon - the grimy atmosphere somehow adds to the fascination rather than detracts from it. The way Miéville builds that world is just extraordinary. Also, I was so happy to see you mention Small Things Like These! It's such a powerful book, and I love that you chose to revisit it during Christmas since that's when it takes place. I've also fallen in love with Claire Keegan's writing through that book. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on The Scar when you get to it! The Teller of Small Fortunes sounds intriguing too.
You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear praise for Perdido Street Station and Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These in the same comment! 😊 Thank you so much!
Don't mind me cackling over all the Allen GIFs in the Eleanor Oliphant review hahahah. I just read that one as well because of that livestream and it really crept up on me. Sounds like we ended up feeling very similar. Raymond was such a precious sweet gem!! ☺
And happy to hear you enjoyed Small Fortunes, I found that to be such comfort food for the soul. Also can't wait to try out Perdido Street Station, it's been on my TBR for ages but I keep being intimidated oops.
Happy reading! 🤩
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed the Eleanor Allenphont parts! 😂 I also love that we felt the same about the book and loved Raymond! Small Fortunes was very comforting. I love the way the author built the friendships in such fun, warm-hearted way. Happy reading, Esmay! 💜
Adding Perdido Street Station to my tbr, thank you xoxo
I hope you enjoy it! 😊
Same! I’m excited to read this book after discussion of the book🥰🥳
I've heard good things about China Miéville and Claire Keegan! I'll have to look into both!
They’re both excellent writers in very different ways! I hope you enjoy both. Thanks!
Great wrap up! I read Perdido Street Station 15 years ago and am itching to reread it this year. I might do a lot of rereads and new reads of Miéville this year, as I'm a little burnt out on traditional fantasy after Wind and Truth. I actually have The Last Days of New Paris by Miéville as something I want to get to early this year.
I read six (but should count seven as I read over the first 1000pgs of Wind and Truth in December but didn't finish it until the beginning this month) books in December. My favorites were Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez, and the posthumous release by anthropologist Marshall Sahlins 'The New Science of the Enchanted Universe'. I really liked Our Shar of Night because Mariana Enríquez writing was like a mashup of Umberto Eco and Gabriel García Márquez. It was very smartly written but the book was slightly marred for me due to an abrupt climax. But I for sure want to read everything by her after reading this.
Sounds like Mariana Enriquez is worth checking out! I was going to pick up Wind and Truth, but I’m going to put it off for a while longer. It’s now been 5 years since I’ve read anything by Sanderson. I knew I needed a break, but I didn’t realize it needed to be this long! Mieville is calling to me more right now. Thanks, Andrew!
I didn't realise Allen was going to guest star. 😂
Perdido is one I'm definitely reading this year, especially after your review.
That cosy fantasy sounds like something I might like too since I love cosy mysteries too.
Glad you had such a great reading month.
Okay-I am sold on perdido-now I just need to fit it in somewhere 😂
It's a great read.
Thank you! I hope you love it!
Did not expect a cozy fantasy to sneak it's way into this wrap-up lolol. I have thought of trying Perdido Street Station mainly because it's a fav of Elle's husband and I always enjoy getting to read fav books of people I know...but it sounds so strange lol
He and I might have a some crossover in our reading taste because he also loves Stoner! 😁 I don’t know if Perdido Street Station will be for you or not, but I look forward to hearing your thoughts if you read it!
@ oh he and you both love weird books so definitely some overlap 🤣🤣🤣
Looks like you had some amazing reads. China Mieville is an author on my "new to me" list for 2025, and I'll be starting with Perdido Street Station sometime this year. Happy reading in January!
@@Christopher_Navo I would love to hear your thoughts if you pick up Perdido Street Station! I think he’s one of those authors whose prose would appeal to writers as well as those who just want wild, immersive stories!
Oh man getting me excited to try Mieville!
Ben, I think you would enjoy it! It’s out there, but I think you’d enjoy the ride!
And now I want to read Perdido Street Station. I'm here for the "grimy" stuff, LOL. Peace.
It’s a wild, grimy time! I hope you enjoy it, Jeremy!
I’ve been eyeing The Teller of Small Fortunes since reviews started coming out! Cozy fantasy doesn’t always work for me but I think I might give it a try !
It was charming! Merphy said she got a bit of a stomachache from all the sweetness at the end. 😂 It was short enough to scratch that cozy itch, so I hope you enjoy it!
I literally just put Perdido Street Station on my TBR yesterday. I was researching for a video I’m working on about novels like my favorite video games. Interestingly enough, Perdido Street Station came up when I was looking for something like the game Batman: Arkham City. I’m glad to hear it worked so well for you! I might have to bump it up my list!
That actually makes a lot of sense! 😄 I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for watching!
@ of course! I’m excited to check it out now!
Glad to hear that you enjoyed Perdido Street Station. Alongside American Gods, Black Leopard Red Wolf, and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, I consider it to be one of the best fantasy novels of the 21st century. Bas-Lag jumped up there as one of my favorite fantasy settings of all time...though I'd never live in New Crobuzon.
Considering your quibbles with PSS, I think you would like The Scar even more. It has that vast setting and the characterization is top notch.
Also Gone Girl is great, but I think Sharp Objects is even better. Unflinching look at trauma and the cyclical nature of violence and abuse.
Thank you, Britton! I’ll keep that in mind about The Scar. I think you’ve just convinced me to try out Sharp Objects though I might have to be in the right headspace for that.
@@Johanna_reads Yeah, it's a very intense read. It's like Mystic River in that way.
lol love the Allen edits!
Thank you! Unplanned when filming, but I couldn't resist when editing! 😂
I've been seeing several from Vigdis Hjorth around, I need to pick one up. It's been great seeing Claire Keegan seemingly blow up lately. I'm interested in Glorious Exploits. It won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize for comic fiction last year, for novels that evoke the spirit of PG Wodehouse, a favorite author of mine.
My favorites last were were Look at Me by Anita Brookner and A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar. I ended the year strong with Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi.
If you want to join me in reading Glorious Exploits, I’ll probably start it next weekend! I haven’t heard of your favorites, but you have me intrigued about those books!
Glad you found «Will & Testament» such an emotional read! 😃
In December I read:
«The Power Broker» by Robert Caro (Political Biography/Investigative Journalism Classic, my Q4 long-read: What an amazing mix of encyclopedic knowledge, real life larger than life characters & wit, as a showcase, his description of NYC Mayor La Guardia as a mayoral candidate: «La Guardia possessed qualifications for making the run beyond the fact that, half Jewish and half Italian, married first to a Catholic and then to a Lutheran of German descent, himself a Mason and an Episcopalian, he was practically a balanced ticket all by himself.» 😂)
«Dreaming the Eagle» («Boudica» #1) by Manda Scott (Historical Fiction about the Celtic British Queen and her Rebellion against the Romans: Amazing prose, borderline Fantasy with the Celtic Druidic elements!)
«Baudolino» by Umberto Eco (Historical Fantasy set during the Later Crusades on the border of Myth and History in 13th Century Europe and Middle East: Eco loves to overload his reader with Literary and Medieval in-jokes, so clearly he is my spiritual Italian Uncle!😄)
«Dictator» (Cicero Trilogy #3) by Robert Harris (Historical Fiction about the Roman Politician Cicero: While not my favorite in the Trilogy, Harris’ Cicero is easily my favorite character in 2024!)
«City of Thieves» by David Benioff (Historical Fiction set during the WW2 Seige of Leningrad (Modern Day St. Petersburg): Man, the gallows humor is strong in this one! 😅)
Amazing list of books! I am so eager to read City of Thieves after hearing John from Talking Story gush about it, and now you're adding to my interest! I'm hosting a readalong of Name of the Rose in March.I hope I love your spiritual Italian uncle! 😂
@ Eco LOVES to play with layers upon layers: An example is a mention in «Baudolino» about Jews being saved from prosecution…and settled in the German City of Nuremberg… Now, the obvious is that it is meant as irony, with what Germans later in history would do with the Nuremberg Protocols against the Jews, but on a deeper layer, it is a «take that» to those who claim for a «return to how things used to be», by showcasing a (at least somewhat) more tolerant, diverse and multicultural past even farther back than the «ideal past» often imagined by the reactionaries, a history of tolerance in Nuremberg way older than the eponymous protocols!
Hey Johanna I've read hundreds of psychological thrillers and Gone girl is one of my all-time faves!😁
Oh nice! Any other recommendations from that genre?
Rick is going to love this. And That's a Fact!
🎸
Looks like I’ll be adding Perdido Station to my TBR… thanks 😩
Hahaha! Sorry, not sorry! 😁
@ 😂🙌
Hi Johanna. My only December read was the fascinating latest from Haruki Murakami, The City and Its Uncertain Walls, which I found to be greatly entertaining, my first fiction experience with the author. I intend to read many more. January begins with a biography of Socrates by Paul Johnson, very good so far. Stay warm.
Hi Curt! I’m glad to hear you had a great experience wtih the lastest from Murakami. Maybe I’ll check it out sometime. Thanks!
Can't wait to read China Mieville's works!
In December I read:
*Fantasy*
Fitz & the Fool 2: Fool's Quest
Fitz & the Fool 3: Assassin's Fate
- And thus ends my initial journey around the Realm of the Elderlings, and believe me I'm already dying for a re-read. Its definitely become my favourite completed Fantasy series (sorry Malazan and First Law).
I also read some Daredevil and Ultimate Black Panther comics.
So far in January, I have read:
Batman Universe by Brian Bendis and Nick Derington
*Espionage*
James Bond 001: Casino Royale
- Showing its age in places but I'll continue if I need a palate cleanser.
*Fantasy*
The Heart of What was Lost / Tad Williams
- Looks like I'll be starting Last King of Osten Ard sooner than later!
*Sci-Fi*
Southern Reach 1: Annihilation
- Loved it but I'm content to stop here for now.
As for what I'm currently reading:
*Fantasy*
Dagger & Coin 1: Dragon's Path
- Needed more Abraham while I wait for the last Kithamar book.
Wow! Tad Williams, Abraham, and Hobb? Amazing! I hope you enjoy Mieville when you get to him!
I really need to read China Miéville. And I loved seeing Allen as Eleanor Oliphant, lol.
In December, I read :
- The Burning God, by RF Kuang, which is the final book in The Poppy War trilogy, and I really liked it! It was my favourite of the 3, but still wasn't a 5 stars read for me. 4.5, though;
- Blood and Bone, by Ian Esslemont, which is book 5 in the Novels of the Malazan Empire. I also liked it a lot and also gave it a 4.5 stars. The setting is very cool, seeing more about one High King was pretty cool, learning a bit more about the Crimson Guard and all that. And it set up the next (and last) book in the series quite well imo;
- Assail, by Ian Esslemont, is the final book in the Novels of the Malazan Empire. 5/5, very interesting, loved seeing what the hell was going on in Assail after all;
- Purple and Black, by KJ Parker. This was recommended to me by Allen, and he was absolutely right. It's a novella in epistolary format and it is great. 4.5/5;
- Children of Dune, by Frank Herbert. I had started this book a few months ago, and was doing a buddy read with my best friend. We discussed on the 50% mark and then I read what was left in December. Good book, not as good as the first one imo. And it's very weird, which is nice. 4/5
Thank you! 😁 I loved Children of Dune as it felt like it completed a story arc, but I agree that it’s not as good as book 1. That’s aweomse how you buddy read it and discussed at the halfway point with your best friend! Maybe I’ll try Purple and Black sometime.
Great video 🎉
Thanks!
I just read Too like a lightning and Seven Surrenders. I already know I will - again - miss Mycroft so much. Natasha Pulley’s Mars House was also interesting read.
Oh wow! Good to hear that! I’m not far in and had to put it down for Traitor’s Knot, but I’d love to finish it before the end of the month!
I think it’s a skill to make reader to care about a character that has committed heinous crimes and still is in his way fierce, intelligent, tender, loving and mad. 😀 But then again I understood last year that for me ideas are important in fantasy and sci-fi.
I’m sorry to say but I was disappointed of Wurts saga. I read it last summer and maybe it was too heavy. I didn’t like books 9 and 10 and skimmed them. Last book found my hating Arithon. And I still don’t why but I just didn’t like what he become.
@@tainakauppinen9878 Thanks for sharing that! I’m having some dips in how I feel about the series though I’m enjoying book 7 so far. I’ve not attached myself to Arithon to the depth that seems intended, so I’ll have to see how the last few book affect that.
I have my guesses why the ending fall flat with me but because they are part of me as a person I don’t want to discuss about them. I find Elayne(?) more interesting character.
Gone Girl was a movie watching experience I think I’m still recovering from.🤣
I need to watch the movie! 😂
@ I am dying to know what you will think of it!
I’m very interested to read Mieville’s book on The Communist Manifesto.
I just saw that come up on my Kindle ad the other day. I had to do a double-take. Interesting!
Its just a really tiny essay with the full text of the manifesto as a significant portion of the book. I didn't care for it much but I've read a lot of Marx in my day might just be me
Yep that was my biggest feeling after finishing Perdido Street Station as well, just a bit more time to let the characters and setting breath would have been more than welcomed. I think that's a big reason why I prefer the first third to half of the book. After the halfway point it all just happens so quickly and I feel the book sort of looses the slow character focused pacing of the first third and I found myself really missing that whilst being excited by all the revelations and action on page.
That’s a good point about the first third! I’m really excited to see if The Scar addresses that. Thanks!
I read 10 books in December
I totally recommend
Be my baby by ronnie spector memoir
My song by harry bellefonte memoir
The true love experiment by christina Lauren
Wonderful, Angela!
HAHAHAHAHAHHA
Allenor Oliphant!
I hate to be that guy in the comments, but as the city is just a few miles down the road from me, I feel I need to say something: Glasgow is pronounced 'Glaz-go' (hard s, ignore the w). I'm glad you enjoyed the book, and I'm very interested in Will and Testament after your review.
Thanks for this and all the other videos you've done this past year: your content is a bit more diverse than other book tubers I watch, so I always look forward to hearing about what you're reading.
The second Glasgow came out of my mouth, I had a feeling I was mispronouncing it and that someone would call me out. 😅 I appreciate the kind correction! Thank you for the kind works!
Lynn was the most likable character in Perdido Street Station. Merphy will never read this as it has 15 "undulations" in it.
Booktube has been planting the seed for Janny Wurts reading.
I DNF Too Like The Lightning.
Bets book of 2024: Seasons of Albadone by Elan Marche and Christopher Warman.
I didn’t think about the “undulations.” Hahahaha! Thanks for sharing your favorite book from last year!