A big red flag for me is relatability. I've seen lots of Good Reads reviewers say they DNF books or don't like books because "they couldn't relate to it" and I find that really sad. I noticed this phenomenon in University too while I was studying English lit. My (maybe) unpopular take is that if you're searching for yourself in the books you read then you're missing out one of literature's really great and unique features.
Listening to this podcast makes me think of this quote. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” - Theodore Roosevelt Whether it be comparing numbers of books being read, whether you have read the books that won literary prizes or best sellers, comparing or bragging or counting how many books you read is missing the whole purpose of losing oneself in a book. There were a lot of good points made in the podcast. I do find that I can enjoy a book that is not from the "literary canon" and it does not always have to be a so called "5" star read which is whole topic on its own about rating book. I am a slow reader. It takes me time to absorb what I am reading. I started to feel pressure after I found the booktube world. I have finally found a group of older, more discerning group of content providers that fits my tastes and that are not doing 24 hour readathons or some other ridiculous reading challenge. Keep up the good content Tony and Andy
Re: audiobooks- I often read and listen at the same time and it’s honestly really helpful for me to remember and stay focused on the plot or finer points to BOTH read and hear it. I think there are different modes of learning and more importantly REMEMBERING so it’s just another methodology and tool. To me, if it helps me or others remember what I’m reading then it “counts” to me.
I am the exact same way, always listening to the book as I am physically reading it. There are a few exceptions though. For example I am listening to The Expeditionary Force, which is just a fun scifi series, but its now on book 17 and I am not made of money nor do I plan to ever reread the series.
@@jeremygunkel oh I feel that on the money piece for sure - and I do listen to audiobooks I don’t plan on buying either - like ACOTAR - where I wanted to consume it to feel like I could critique but don’t want to buy it.
I do this as well! It’s called immersive reading. (Seemingly everything has a term, lol.) I find it more enriching of an experience-an excellent example for me is “Project Hail Mary”. 🤓
Generally speaking, if I pick up a book labeled an Oprah’s book club pick, I put it down without further perusal. I don’t like the marketing surrounding books. Also, I rarely read contemporary literature simply because it usually doesn’t contain the depth or language I enjoy in my reading experience.
To add to the audiobook conversation, my taste in books maps on to Andy’s pretty closely, and I enjoy reading more challenging fiction novels. I drive for work(10 hours in a delivery truck typically) and I will usually throw an audiobook on in my AirPods while I work. I have tried supplementing books I’m reading with audio and the experience is so different. I don’t even bother trying to listen to more literary or challenging novels via audiobook, I will just pick fantasy series or horror books that sound fun for my audiobooks. A lot of Stephen kings books have amazing narrators, and all of Joe Abercrombie’s books have probably the best narrator out there if you want some fun/easy listening
Lack of synopsis is INFURIATING. Joe Schmoe author saying "Yeah, it was great I TOTALLY read it *wink wink*" is NOT selling me a book like "Here are the themes, the archetypes, the characters, etc"
I don't have any specific red flags, but I am much more hesitant to read a book that's been published in the last twenty years. I generally don't like contemporary literature, nor do I like "overly popular " lit. I didn't finish the Lispector bio because it was too obsessive about irrelevant details of her life. Andy's comment on singular focus is the essence of the audiobook issue.
I'm the same way with more current stuff. I don't avoid it all together, but there's just such an amazing back catalogue of incredible writing, it's hard for me to risk my precious reading time on works that have yet to prove themselves!
My red flag is when an author makes a clown out of themselves on social media (especially on a place like twitter)(and ESPECIALLY when they are directly attacking a person with no platform, who will receive an onslaught of hate from the author's fans). I haven't forgotten the people in the SFF community who contributed to running Isabel Fall off the internet after her short story debut (it's a pretty heinous story that perfectly summarizes the way progressive communities can cannibalize themselves). I understand separating art from the artist, and I'll never begrudge someone for reading and enjoying a book written by a "bad person", but there are more books in the world that I want to read than I'll ever be able to finish in my lifetime, so once I've soured on an author, I'm happier to just move on from them. I really enjoyed the discussions in this video! I appreciate hearing people who I finally agree with about audiobooks haha. I always look forward to new episodes of this podcast.
I'm going to write a conspiracy nonfiction about Amazon and Goodreads conspiring to remove synopses from books to drive traffic to their website to find the info. I expect this channel to provide a blurb in lieu of me writing a synopsis.
@Lifeonbooks I have to believe this will drive sales into the dozens! I also share your irritation for the lack of synopses, but when I ran that by my wife she said she prefers it the other way after reading too many spoilers on the backs of books. Fair enough.
My red flag is related to yours about a book being popular or a NYT bestseller. When a book has a “trendy” style cover - flat, colorful and blocky. That tells you who it’s marketed to, and that it’s trying to fit into a mold in some way. I try to keep an open mind though. Sometimes I’ll still read one of these if I trust the rec. I don’t mind breaking up my reading with “light” entertainment every once in a while - IF it is done well, like RF Kuang, Stephen King or Perceval Everett. Also I just enjoyed Catcher in the Rye…a common red flag for the TikTok crowd 😂
This was a very stimulating podcast, I could add a thought to everything you said... I wouldn't say "I read an audiobook", because listening and reading are different things (and one is not better than the other). BUT- if I tell you what books I read last month, I don't differenciate between audio and physical/e-book. A good example of a 'reasonable booktuber' for me is Ariel Bissett. She's been booktubing for over 10 years and she averages 30 books a year. I feel the same about Lonesome Dove and have issues with some representations and simplified depictions. I finished it this week. On diversifying your reading: I always encourage people to read something out of their preferred range of books every now and then. I think that is all we can do
I’ve never asked if audio books count as reading but it’s always instinctively felt like it doesn’t. There are some books that i have to do BOTH the audio and read along. i find that if you don’t physically try to read the book and dissect its meaning you probably are not interacting with the book well enough. When your intentions are to learn to enjoy reading you focus less on how much you consume and focus on what you consume. I use to try to train myself to speed read only to find that some fictions are meant to read slow. It’s the difference between being able to play a mindless show in the background vs a show that you REALLY have to pay attention to. I find that I’m enjoying reading more when i narrate it slowly in my head word by word. sometimes i may read along with an audiobook because I’m having difficulty on picking up its Rhythm on my own, this obviously means i lack diversity and experience with different writing styles. This has slowed me down and made me more intentional in what i read. Asometimes I’ll read a chapter and then listen to the same chapter i physically read while i drive. The key for me is to use audio as back up and a tool not as my form of consumption.
The one thing I cannot understand about the audiobook conversation is why anyone cares. Why do you* care whether I listened to an audiobook or read a physical book? Why do you care if I say I read it or listened to it? If I don’t tell you what format I consumed it in you would have no idea. Also, I don’t think the conversation is ever really just about “I think people should say listen when they mean read” because this always leads into a follow up of “you can’t possibly be getting the same from it as if you physically read it”. But I guess again, at least for me, it goes back to why do you care how much or little I am getting from the books I consume? 🤷♀️ *I mean generic you, rather than anyone in particular.
I can't speak for anyone else, but the reason I want people to be transparent about it is to have more nuanced conversations about art, as well as give credit to the artists. I agree with you, if someone just says "read" when they really listened, no one would know the difference, and that's a problem, because you're not giving credit to the very talented artists who narrate audiobooks. By avoiding saying you listened, you're also not doing anything to normalize listening, only further perpetuating the belief that listening is inferior.
Thank you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate the perspective. And I feel like nuance in any conversation can only be a good thing so that totally makes sense to me. Personally I always tell people if I consumed something via audio, but sometimes I say I listened to the audio book and sometimes I say I audio read it. I am not sure I agree that saying you “read” an audiobook rather than listened to an audiobook does in fact perpetuate the belief that listening is inferior, but I respect your point.
Any book with a blurb from Stephen King might as well have a skull and crossbones warning label on the cover because you can be guaranteed it will be one of the worst novels you'll ever read. That man either has the worst taste in the world or he doesn't care what he's endorsing because he just likes the writer - whichever one, no bueno!
Ha it's funny you say that, the reason why I even used King as an example is because I've definitely seen him blurb books more often than any other writer I can think of.
@@noelthorne1984 he must be paid bank for those - I think he’s one of very few names that would actually help sell a novel to people who know nothing else about the book
A little late to the party but a couple of thoughts: 1) audio books: a lot of people I see really loving audiobooks are people more into genre fiction with a heavier plot, and I think those kinds of books you really can get a lot out of without 100% of your attention focused. I also find that even when they say they have “read” the book, they are very open in talking about it being via audio, what the quality of production/ narration was etc so at least from what I’ve seen, the word “read” isn’t being used to hide that it was listened to, it’s just that they aren’t as focused on the semantics of read vs listened. Not that I disagree with your points, because I would probably say I listened to an audio book vs read but just to put in a perspective I see. Point 2: “you don’t read enough women authors” : I think talking about how erotica isn’t your thing while discussing how people think you don’t read enough women was a little bizzare , sorry I just gotta say… I get your point of just … let people read what they want to read and I agree with that, but you clearly do read women so it’s not that female authors aren’t your cup of tea, it’s just that people haven’t seen or listened to your podcasts where you discuss those authors. So comparing it to a genre and lol at you choice of genre, just feels besides the point. I do think you guys would get those comments, based on what I have seen, because people enjoy the genres of literary fiction you do read and and would love to hear about female authors that fall into those categories and also you both clearly are very thoughtful about your reading so I imagine there is an expectation that you are thoughtful about reading from all different kinds of authors and how much 👌👌👌 literary fiction there is out there from people besides white guys. Not saying you don’t know that or are reading it but if someone popped in for one video that might be their impression. Anyway, long comment but great conversation, love that you aren’t afraid to talk about things you don’t like, your opinions always come across as very genuine and it makes the discussion so much more interesting.
Starting to become my favourite booktubers! Thank you! Do you guys ever get into Toni Morrison? Would love to see u review writers like Ondjaki from Angola or Cape Verdean writers. Thank you!
@@Lifeonbooks Damn! Now that is a big coincidence. I'm gonna start reading it next week! Amazing...but u guys read way too fast compared to me. Would love to have some inputs on your routine on reading. I read at my own pace and agree with you guys on the trend about counting books and all. But a good routine and tricks to read faster is something i would love to hear you talk about. Thank you for replying. Much love from Cabo Verde!
Listening isn’t reading, yes, there are some caveats, of course. Depending on who you are and the way your attention works, but for me, my attention will drift for either the physical copy or the audiobook, but I don’t miss anything with the physical copy because once my imagination is done going on its tangent, my eyes return back to the page to pick up where I left off.
"HEY, We're Recording a podcast over here buddy... 😑 YEA" Continues conversation ... 😂 agua viva is my first lispector I do agree with the idea of letting the author be the author.
We're definitely going to do a "green flags" episode in the next few weeks. As far as how we find our books, you're in luck, as we already have an episode where we tackle this! ua-cam.com/video/kR4K7HxCjg0/v-deo.htmlsi=hJtHZWUGOGV0wvju
A book about a woman in Afghanistan coming of Age written by a male author - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Fantastic book , one that I recommend to anyone who wants to start reading. I think there is no topic that is off limits for a writer - writing well outside of your own experience is an exercise in empathy. Not everyone can do it but when it is done well it can really be transformative.
The thing about dark academia is that it IS pretentious and people know it for the most part. For example, the ultimate dark academia book, The Secret History, makes fun of pretentious academic types. I get it if it’s just not for you though. Either you like this type of setting or you don’t!
Oupsyyy I’m definitely guilty of asking about books written by women a while ago on the first video of yours I ever watched, but I think it led to a nice exchange and it made me stick around… 😎
You get a pass because it was here on YT where the content is 1 hour long, and you also weren't condescending about it. But "I bet you couldn't even name a book by a woman" on a 90s video, amidst half a dozen book reviews of books written by women has nothing to do with a genuine desire to promote diverse reading and is just a weak attempt at bullying IMO.
Reading versus listening... both are valid methods of entertainment, but they are not equivalent. If you are going to keep a count, have two tallies. Or 3 tallies, if you are going to start to say that watching a movie of the book is the same, too. If you are rating a book, you might rate the plot, characterization, setting, style, etc... much of that might be the same for an audio book. However, an audiobook will have things above and beyond what a written form wouldn't: narration style, "casting" (for the lack of better term), sound quality, etc And a book in written form could well have others items to rank, too, especially "enriched classics" where an editor or publisher makes footnotes (such as historical context, or explanation of obscure or obsolete words like "fewter" (from _Between Two Fires_)), or perhaps even rating of the translation.
I am in agreement with you that reading and listening are two valid methods of entertainment. I cannot drive the car to the store then claim to have walked to the store though both methods get me to the store.
I agree, whenever I see that the book is told through a child's POV it gives me pause. It's not a hard no, but I definitely will have to do more research.
Also, i started my reading journey in 2022. And so far i find that there are very specific women book bloggers i follow. I find that i like following the men more. Which is funny that as a woman you guys want to read more books from women . NOT because i don’t read books by women it’s because i also intentionally try to read books by men. it could be because i hate romance based plots. I thought i liked fantasy until i realized most of the new books are now classified as ROMANTASY. And i hate it all. 😂 i find that I’m more interested in books from a lot more men channels . Idc if the author is man or woman but i find the content men recommend resonate with me more.
RE: Periodic goals for reading. How is this any different than arbitrarily reading books from every country? Are you going to read the Bertram Roach book from Saint Kitts and Nevis just because you want to check that country off? I think using periodic goals to create new habits is a good thing, similarly if you feel like you need to expose yourself to literature from other countries a read the world goal is a good way to force yourself to seek out those books. I suspect you might find more than one book per country in your research. Just an observation. I'm not sure what book you selected from Saint Kitts and Nevis. Thanks for the content gentlemen.
Ah, but that is not a number. The goal is not a number for an "around the world tour"... the goal is (potential) exposure to a culture that might be different from your own. You might learn history, and be exposed to ideas than are not trodden upon your venture in your home turf.
@@kurtfox4944 I agree. I think my point is that if your goal is to check the boxes to read every country it's a wholly different endeavor than the goal you speak to, which is largely a diversification of ones world view. After all there are a very specific number of countries in the world.
I think it's a fair question, though there are a few distinct differences. The primary one being that the ultimate goal of "reading the world" is one of experiencing different perspectives, it just so happens that doing so by country makes it an easier way to organize those perspectives, where as a goal purely based on number of books doesn't inform you in any way as to what the content or quality of those books is. In this way I think of it like saying "I want to read all of Steinbeck's books." That there are a fixed number of books written by John Steinbeck is a byproduct of the goal, not the goal itself. The other main difference, in my view, is that the goal does not reset, and doesn't necessarily invite one to try to increase the goal in terms of volume for volume's sake. There is no doubt that there are certain countries that simply do not produce many options for works available in English, and in that instance you would be choosing a book to "check a box" towards the goal, but for the majority of countries in the world, there are quite a few options for English speakers to choose from. There's also an implied "at least one book" in my variation of this project. I often acquire multiple works from a particular country if more than one catches my eye, and because I have put no time frame on the project, I usually read multiple books from a single country.
half-way thru the video but just had to chime in before the thoughts go inherent. totally agree with andy re: dark academia. donna tartt, to borrow a phrase from rap, has got so many sons. the amount of books i've picked up in the last five years where i feel like it's clearly ripping off the overall vibe of the secret history is baffling. also re: the blurb business and comparing books to other books makes me personally sick, haha. speaking from my own experience in the querying process, having to compare books to previous, well-selling books is both an essential and nauseating facet of seeking traditional publishing. especially in a larger literary and publishing climate that prioritzes genre fiction more and more in the mainstream, it's inevitable that the expectation becomes more and more geared to putting books into neatly defined camps. also edited to add: not an opinion i share amongst mixed company, but definitely agree about audiobooks. it's one thing if it's an access/disability thing and i wholeheartedly get it, but if you're able to multi-task, it's not the same. it's reading-adjacent, but it is not reading. to MEE, the beauty and the joy of reading is in part because of the fact that you have to do NOTHING else, it requires your undivided attention. if you multi-task, you lose that and therefore are no longer reading.
The title of this video made me a little apprehensive about watching especially give the juxtaposition of the Election Day next Tuesday. However I did watch and was glad to that the video did not go down that road. Plenty of red flags I agree with NYT best sellers, trendy books, and those that provide no detail about a book in their reviews. Maybe it just my age but over the top reviews of books is real red flag for me. I have not read a fictional book that just devastated me or broke my view of the world maybe that will come one day but as for now I prefer more realistic reviews. I truly enjoyed the video made for good Saturday morning watch, thank you.
Agreed. It's a passive activity while reading requires your full attention and commitment. Listening is lazier. Also, how do you audiobook maps if you're listening to a fantasy?
Yeah DTS has had a huge impact here. Last year I found myself at a social function with typical American sports fans (the types of guys that play fantasy football and can name every stat of every player on their favorite baseball team). When they found out I follow F1 they were asking me all kinds of questions about it and talking about their favorite drivers, even though they clearly don't really understand racing in general. It was a very odd cultural moment. It hasn't really made me feel any less lonely as a fan though because most people here are just Verstappen Stans since he's been the most dominant driver since they started watching. It doesn't help that most of the races are on at 8-9am here, so it doesn't bode well for getting together with people.
A big red flag for me is relatability. I've seen lots of Good Reads reviewers say they DNF books or don't like books because "they couldn't relate to it" and I find that really sad. I noticed this phenomenon in University too while I was studying English lit. My (maybe) unpopular take is that if you're searching for yourself in the books you read then you're missing out one of literature's really great and unique features.
Listening to this podcast makes me think of this quote. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” - Theodore Roosevelt Whether it be comparing numbers of books being read, whether you have read the books that won literary prizes or best sellers, comparing or bragging or counting how many books you read is missing the whole purpose of losing oneself in a book. There were a lot of good points made in the podcast. I do find that I can enjoy a book that is not from the "literary canon" and it does not always have to be a so called "5" star read which is whole topic on its own about rating book. I am a slow reader. It takes me time to absorb what I am reading. I started to feel pressure after I found the booktube world. I have finally found a group of older, more discerning group of content providers that fits my tastes and that are not doing 24 hour readathons or some other ridiculous reading challenge. Keep up the good content Tony and Andy
Completely agree!
Re: audiobooks- I often read and listen at the same time and it’s honestly really helpful for me to remember and stay focused on the plot or finer points to BOTH read and hear it. I think there are different modes of learning and more importantly REMEMBERING so it’s just another methodology and tool. To me, if it helps me or others remember what I’m reading then it “counts” to me.
Also I read and listen to the SAME book haha 🤣 I couldn’t do two different books now that is just insane 😂
I am the exact same way, always listening to the book as I am physically reading it. There are a few exceptions though. For example I am listening to The Expeditionary Force, which is just a fun scifi series, but its now on book 17 and I am not made of money nor do I plan to ever reread the series.
@@jeremygunkel oh I feel that on the money piece for sure - and I do listen to audiobooks I don’t plan on buying either - like ACOTAR - where I wanted to consume it to feel like I could critique but don’t want to buy it.
I've heard a good amount of people talk about this practice. I've tried it a few times but couldn't get the hang of it.
I do this as well! It’s called immersive reading. (Seemingly everything has a term, lol.) I find it more enriching of an experience-an excellent example for me is “Project Hail Mary”. 🤓
Generally speaking, if I pick up a book labeled an Oprah’s book club pick, I put it down without further perusal. I don’t like the marketing surrounding books. Also, I rarely read contemporary literature simply because it usually doesn’t contain the depth or language I enjoy in my reading experience.
I love this. Break the chains of yearly reading goals
To add to the audiobook conversation, my taste in books maps on to Andy’s pretty closely, and I enjoy reading more challenging fiction novels. I drive for work(10 hours in a delivery truck typically) and I will usually throw an audiobook on in my AirPods while I work. I have tried supplementing books I’m reading with audio and the experience is so different. I don’t even bother trying to listen to more literary or challenging novels via audiobook, I will just pick fantasy series or horror books that sound fun for my audiobooks. A lot of Stephen kings books have amazing narrators, and all of Joe Abercrombie’s books have probably the best narrator out there if you want some fun/easy listening
Lack of synopsis is INFURIATING. Joe Schmoe author saying "Yeah, it was great I TOTALLY read it *wink wink*" is NOT selling me a book like "Here are the themes, the archetypes, the characters, etc"
I've found that classics get the most informative blurbs. Maybe because their names alone sell the book?
To be fair, there is not room for that on the back of the book
@@Julio-cp1kb because people have read these before. Lol.
Listening isn't reading, I completely agree.
I don't have any specific red flags, but I am much more hesitant to read a book that's been published in the last twenty years. I generally don't like contemporary literature, nor do I like "overly popular " lit.
I didn't finish the Lispector bio because it was too obsessive about irrelevant details of her life.
Andy's comment on singular focus is the essence of the audiobook issue.
I'm the same way with more current stuff. I don't avoid it all together, but there's just such an amazing back catalogue of incredible writing, it's hard for me to risk my precious reading time on works that have yet to prove themselves!
My red flag is when an author makes a clown out of themselves on social media (especially on a place like twitter)(and ESPECIALLY when they are directly attacking a person with no platform, who will receive an onslaught of hate from the author's fans). I haven't forgotten the people in the SFF community who contributed to running Isabel Fall off the internet after her short story debut (it's a pretty heinous story that perfectly summarizes the way progressive communities can cannibalize themselves). I understand separating art from the artist, and I'll never begrudge someone for reading and enjoying a book written by a "bad person", but there are more books in the world that I want to read than I'll ever be able to finish in my lifetime, so once I've soured on an author, I'm happier to just move on from them.
I really enjoyed the discussions in this video! I appreciate hearing people who I finally agree with about audiobooks haha. I always look forward to new episodes of this podcast.
Wow I didn't even know that was a thing. I don't really think there is anything to be gained by an author talking smack to some random internet user.
I'm going to write a conspiracy nonfiction about Amazon and Goodreads conspiring to remove synopses from books to drive traffic to their website to find the info. I expect this channel to provide a blurb in lieu of me writing a synopsis.
"A brave and daring tour de force of investigative journalism for the discerning 21st century reader."
-LOB Podcast
@Lifeonbooks I have to believe this will drive sales into the dozens! I also share your irritation for the lack of synopses, but when I ran that by my wife she said she prefers it the other way after reading too many spoilers on the backs of books. Fair enough.
My first thought was, "A book that everyone is reading."
My red flag is related to yours about a book being popular or a NYT bestseller. When a book has a “trendy” style cover - flat, colorful and blocky. That tells you who it’s marketed to, and that it’s trying to fit into a mold in some way.
I try to keep an open mind though. Sometimes I’ll still read one of these if I trust the rec. I don’t mind breaking up my reading with “light” entertainment every once in a while - IF it is done well, like RF Kuang, Stephen King or Perceval Everett.
Also I just enjoyed Catcher in the Rye…a common red flag for the TikTok crowd 😂
This was a very stimulating podcast, I could add a thought to everything you said...
I wouldn't say "I read an audiobook", because listening and reading are different things (and one is not better than the other). BUT- if I tell you what books I read last month, I don't differenciate between audio and physical/e-book.
A good example of a 'reasonable booktuber' for me is Ariel Bissett. She's been booktubing for over 10 years and she averages 30 books a year.
I feel the same about Lonesome Dove and have issues with some representations and simplified depictions. I finished it this week.
On diversifying your reading: I always encourage people to read something out of their preferred range of books every now and then. I think that is all we can do
I’ve never asked if audio books count as reading but it’s always instinctively felt like it doesn’t. There are some books that i have to do BOTH the audio and read along. i find that if you don’t physically try to read the book and dissect its meaning you probably are not interacting with the book well enough. When your intentions are to learn to enjoy reading you focus less on how much you consume and focus on what you consume. I use to try to train myself to speed read only to find that some fictions are meant to read slow. It’s the difference between being able to play a mindless show in the background vs a show that you REALLY have to pay attention to. I find that I’m enjoying reading more when i narrate it slowly in my head word by word. sometimes i may read along with an audiobook because I’m having difficulty on picking up its Rhythm on my own, this obviously means i lack diversity and experience with different writing styles. This has slowed me down and made me more intentional in what i read. Asometimes I’ll read a chapter and then listen to the same chapter i physically read while i drive. The key for me is to use audio as back up and a tool not as my form of consumption.
The one thing I cannot understand about the audiobook conversation is why anyone cares. Why do you* care whether I listened to an audiobook or read a physical book? Why do you care if I say I read it or listened to it? If I don’t tell you what format I consumed it in you would have no idea.
Also, I don’t think the conversation is ever really just about “I think people should say listen when they mean read” because this always leads into a follow up of “you can’t possibly be getting the same from it as if you physically read it”. But I guess again, at least for me, it goes back to why do you care how much or little I am getting from the books I consume? 🤷♀️
*I mean generic you, rather than anyone in particular.
I can't speak for anyone else, but the reason I want people to be transparent about it is to have more nuanced conversations about art, as well as give credit to the artists.
I agree with you, if someone just says "read" when they really listened, no one would know the difference, and that's a problem, because you're not giving credit to the very talented artists who narrate audiobooks.
By avoiding saying you listened, you're also not doing anything to normalize listening, only further perpetuating the belief that listening is inferior.
Thank you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate the perspective. And I feel like nuance in any conversation can only be a good thing so that totally makes sense to me.
Personally I always tell people if I consumed something via audio, but sometimes I say I listened to the audio book and sometimes I say I audio read it. I am not sure I agree that saying you “read” an audiobook rather than listened to an audiobook does in fact perpetuate the belief that listening is inferior, but I respect your point.
Any book with a blurb from Stephen King might as well have a skull and crossbones warning label on the cover because you can be guaranteed it will be one of the worst novels you'll ever read. That man either has the worst taste in the world or he doesn't care what he's endorsing because he just likes the writer - whichever one, no bueno!
Ha it's funny you say that, the reason why I even used King as an example is because I've definitely seen him blurb books more often than any other writer I can think of.
@@noelthorne1984 he must be paid bank for those - I think he’s one of very few names that would actually help sell a novel to people who know nothing else about the book
Another great one guys! Love this !
Thank you
A little late to the party but a couple of thoughts:
1) audio books: a lot of people I see really loving audiobooks are people more into genre fiction with a heavier plot, and I think those kinds of books you really can get a lot out of without 100% of your attention focused. I also find that even when they say they have “read” the book, they are very open in talking about it being via audio, what the quality of production/ narration was etc so at least from what I’ve seen, the word “read” isn’t being used to hide that it was listened to, it’s just that they aren’t as focused on the semantics of read vs listened. Not that I disagree with your points, because I would probably say I listened to an audio book vs read but just to put in a perspective I see.
Point 2: “you don’t read enough women authors” : I think talking about how erotica isn’t your thing while discussing how people think you don’t read enough women was a little bizzare , sorry I just gotta say… I get your point of just … let people read what they want to read and I agree with that, but you clearly do read women so it’s not that female authors aren’t your cup of tea, it’s just that people haven’t seen or listened to your podcasts where you discuss those authors. So comparing it to a genre and lol at you choice of genre, just feels besides the point. I do think you guys would get those comments, based on what I have seen, because people enjoy the genres of literary fiction you do read and and would love to hear about female authors that fall into those categories and also you both clearly are very thoughtful about your reading so I imagine there is an expectation that you are thoughtful about reading from all different kinds of authors and how much 👌👌👌 literary fiction there is out there from people besides white guys. Not saying you don’t know that or are reading it but if someone popped in for one video that might be their impression.
Anyway, long comment but great conversation, love that you aren’t afraid to talk about things you don’t like, your opinions always come across as very genuine and it makes the discussion so much more interesting.
In regard to book counting: quality (of the books and your reading of them) over quantity
Starting to become my favourite booktubers! Thank you! Do you guys ever get into Toni Morrison? Would love to see u review writers like Ondjaki from Angola or Cape Verdean writers. Thank you!
We're actually reading Song of Solomon for our November book club!
@@Lifeonbooks Damn! Now that is a big coincidence. I'm gonna start reading it next week! Amazing...but u guys read way too fast compared to me. Would love to have some inputs on your routine on reading. I read at my own pace and agree with you guys on the trend about counting books and all. But a good routine and tricks to read faster is something i would love to hear you talk about. Thank you for replying. Much love from Cabo Verde!
Listening isn’t reading, yes, there are some caveats, of course. Depending on who you are and the way your attention works, but for me, my attention will drift for either the physical copy or the audiobook, but I don’t miss anything with the physical copy because once my imagination is done going on its tangent, my eyes return back to the page to pick up where I left off.
5:28 “that was published ___” what was that last word you used?
Posthumously
"HEY, We're Recording a podcast over here buddy... 😑 YEA"
Continues conversation ... 😂
agua viva is my first lispector
I do agree with the idea of letting the author be the author.
He's mostly very polite, but every once in a while he gets barky while we're recording.
Curious about what your Green Flags are and where/how you find new books & new authors outside of the booktube/booktok spheres.
We're definitely going to do a "green flags" episode in the next few weeks. As far as how we find our books, you're in luck, as we already have an episode where we tackle this!
ua-cam.com/video/kR4K7HxCjg0/v-deo.htmlsi=hJtHZWUGOGV0wvju
@@Lifeonbooks Awesome! Thanks.
A book about a woman in Afghanistan coming of Age written by a male author -
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
Fantastic book , one that I recommend to anyone who wants to start reading.
I think there is no topic that is off limits for a writer - writing well outside of your own experience is an exercise in empathy.
Not everyone can do it but when it is done well it can really be transformative.
That's exactly the book I was thinking of. Brilliant! One of my favourites
@ I think it’s a good reminder that there are no absolutes in literature and every “rule” is broken atleast once.
The thing about dark academia is that it IS pretentious and people know it for the most part. For example, the ultimate dark academia book, The Secret History, makes fun of pretentious academic types.
I get it if it’s just not for you though. Either you like this type of setting or you don’t!
I'm not sure I've really ever read anything in the gerne other than Babel. I did just get a copy of the Secret History though!
Page or book-length sentences - ugh, instantly going back onto the shelf with ye!
Same. I'm not against it in principle, it just makes it hard for me to read because of my ADHD.
@@Lifeonbooksto me its usually a gimmick
Oupsyyy I’m definitely guilty of asking about books written by women a while ago on the first video of yours I ever watched, but I think it led to a nice exchange and it made me stick around… 😎
You get a pass because it was here on YT where the content is 1 hour long, and you also weren't condescending about it.
But "I bet you couldn't even name a book by a woman" on a 90s video, amidst half a dozen book reviews of books written by women has nothing to do with a genuine desire to promote diverse reading and is just a weak attempt at bullying IMO.
@@Lifeonbooksoh I agree!
Reading versus listening... both are valid methods of entertainment, but they are not equivalent. If you are going to keep a count, have two tallies. Or 3 tallies, if you are going to start to say that watching a movie of the book is the same, too.
If you are rating a book, you might rate the plot, characterization, setting, style, etc... much of that might be the same for an audio book.
However, an audiobook will have things above and beyond what a written form wouldn't: narration style, "casting" (for the lack of better term), sound quality, etc
And a book in written form could well have others items to rank, too, especially "enriched classics" where an editor or publisher makes footnotes (such as historical context, or explanation of obscure or obsolete words like "fewter" (from _Between Two Fires_)), or perhaps even rating of the translation.
I am in agreement with you that reading and listening are two valid methods of entertainment. I cannot drive the car to the store then claim to have walked to the store though both methods get me to the store.
great video. my biggest red flag is when the story is from the POV of a child. their way to intelligent and never done well
I agree, whenever I see that the book is told through a child's POV it gives me pause. It's not a hard no, but I definitely will have to do more research.
Also, i started my reading journey in 2022. And so far i find that there are very specific women book bloggers i follow. I find that i like following the men more. Which is funny that as a woman you guys want to read more books from women . NOT because i don’t read books by women it’s because i also intentionally try to read books by men. it could be because i hate romance based plots. I thought i liked fantasy until i realized most of the new books are now classified as ROMANTASY. And i hate it all. 😂 i find that I’m more interested in books from a lot more men channels . Idc if the author is man or woman but i find the content men recommend resonate with me more.
RE: Periodic goals for reading. How is this any different than arbitrarily reading books from every country? Are you going to read the Bertram Roach book from Saint Kitts and Nevis just because you want to check that country off? I think using periodic goals to create new habits is a good thing, similarly if you feel like you need to expose yourself to literature from other countries a read the world goal is a good way to force yourself to seek out those books. I suspect you might find more than one book per country in your research. Just an observation. I'm not sure what book you selected from Saint Kitts and Nevis. Thanks for the content gentlemen.
Ah, but that is not a number. The goal is not a number for an "around the world tour"... the goal is (potential) exposure to a culture that might be different from your own. You might learn history, and be exposed to ideas than are not trodden upon your venture in your home turf.
@@kurtfox4944 I agree. I think my point is that if your goal is to check the boxes to read every country it's a wholly different endeavor than the goal you speak to, which is largely a diversification of ones world view. After all there are a very specific number of countries in the world.
I think it's a fair question, though there are a few distinct differences. The primary one being that the ultimate goal of "reading the world" is one of experiencing different perspectives, it just so happens that doing so by country makes it an easier way to organize those perspectives, where as a goal purely based on number of books doesn't inform you in any way as to what the content or quality of those books is. In this way I think of it like saying "I want to read all of Steinbeck's books." That there are a fixed number of books written by John Steinbeck is a byproduct of the goal, not the goal itself.
The other main difference, in my view, is that the goal does not reset, and doesn't necessarily invite one to try to increase the goal in terms of volume for volume's sake.
There is no doubt that there are certain countries that simply do not produce many options for works available in English, and in that instance you would be choosing a book to "check a box" towards the goal, but for the majority of countries in the world, there are quite a few options for English speakers to choose from.
There's also an implied "at least one book" in my variation of this project. I often acquire multiple works from a particular country if more than one catches my eye, and because I have put no time frame on the project, I usually read multiple books from a single country.
half-way thru the video but just had to chime in before the thoughts go inherent.
totally agree with andy re: dark academia. donna tartt, to borrow a phrase from rap, has got so many sons. the amount of books i've picked up in the last five years where i feel like it's clearly ripping off the overall vibe of the secret history is baffling.
also re: the blurb business and comparing books to other books makes me personally sick, haha. speaking from my own experience in the querying process, having to compare books to previous, well-selling books is both an essential and nauseating facet of seeking traditional publishing. especially in a larger literary and publishing climate that prioritzes genre fiction more and more in the mainstream, it's inevitable that the expectation becomes more and more geared to putting books into neatly defined camps.
also edited to add: not an opinion i share amongst mixed company, but definitely agree about audiobooks. it's one thing if it's an access/disability thing and i wholeheartedly get it, but if you're able to multi-task, it's not the same. it's reading-adjacent, but it is not reading. to MEE, the beauty and the joy of reading is in part because of the fact that you have to do NOTHING else, it requires your undivided attention. if you multi-task, you lose that and therefore are no longer reading.
I usually won't read any fantasy or sci fi, but I'll certainly listen to it. I won't listen to literary fic though, I'll read that.
Hey it would be helpful if you can add chapters to the podcast. Thanks.
Philosopher or Dog is a title of a Machado De Assisi book
What a boss. Have you read it? Is it good?
The title of this video made me a little apprehensive about watching especially give the juxtaposition of the Election Day next Tuesday. However I did watch and was glad to that the video did not go down that road. Plenty of red flags I agree with NYT best sellers, trendy books, and those that provide no detail about a book in their reviews. Maybe it just my age but over the top reviews of books is real red flag for me. I have not read a fictional book that just devastated me or broke my view of the world maybe that will come one day but as for now I prefer more realistic reviews.
I truly enjoyed the video made for good Saturday morning watch, thank you.
or "changed my life"
Is it possible you could do short videos for us new viewers? That would be more engaging
Listening is not reading. And yes, listening is inferior. 😶
What makes you think it's inferior?
@@Lifeonbooks Listening clearly doesn't work the same cognitive muscles
@@flutebasket4294 no. But the ones that it does work are inferior.😑
Agreed. It's a passive activity while reading requires your full attention and commitment. Listening is lazier. Also, how do you audiobook maps if you're listening to a fantasy?
@@Christopher-n9u The fact that this stuff has to be pointed out to people makes me a little worried.
Just for pure entertainment Lonesome Dove has to be the best novel I ever read⚛️❤
Definitely a very entertaining book!
Oh hey, more formula 1 fans! Always weird seeing other Americans say they are into it (before DTS came out at least)!
Yeah DTS has had a huge impact here. Last year I found myself at a social function with typical American sports fans (the types of guys that play fantasy football and can name every stat of every player on their favorite baseball team).
When they found out I follow F1 they were asking me all kinds of questions about it and talking about their favorite drivers, even though they clearly don't really understand racing in general. It was a very odd cultural moment.
It hasn't really made me feel any less lonely as a fan though because most people here are just Verstappen Stans since he's been the most dominant driver since they started watching. It doesn't help that most of the races are on at 8-9am here, so it doesn't bode well for getting together with people.
dang…. my hour of the star is a moser…. mild disappointment
What about counting childrens books? Some readers do this as well 😂
Absurd. Obviously just a desire to pump up numbers.
Children’s books have their values you could learn a lot.
@@choco1199 of course. But if you count for example a Gruffalo book as a +1 book you read this month... Come on...