Something I've noticed is that the books I most frequently recommend are usually 4 stars. Which I think is interesting! My hypothesis is that 4+ means it's a great book, but the 5th star is more personal and may be from things I connect with that aren't as universal? I don't know! But it's interesting!
I understand that. Even some of my 3 star reads I can acknowledge are still rather good books, for example are written well and have a good plot. However, it's my 5 stars that have hit me more on a deeper level.
So true. Most of my 5 star books are pretty disturbing and can have quite a lot of triggers. Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, and Beloved by Toni Morrison are both 5 star reads for me, but they're not necessarily something I would recommend to a person I just met.
I completely agree! My 5 stared books have made me feel something others haven’t, and it’s not to say the other books are bad, but to me they don’t quite match to the same degree.
You should do a video called “Every book I’ve rated 5 stars in my life described in one or two sentences” I think is a way for us to discover hidden gemes. And for you to talk about books you love that you haven’t talk about them in a long time
I think it would be easier to just scroll through his goodreads tbh! I really enjoyed this video, I feel like Jack hasnt had the time recently to film a video where he talks about a book for more than 1 minute (each), which I think is such a shame. I love it when the description of the book goes beyond a mere summary. It seems like Jack doesnt have that much time, and I would rather encourage him to make longer video essay-ish content.
There's a book called Hidden Time Wealth, and it talks about how using some secret techniques, you can overcome procrastination and accomplish anything in life. It's not just a bunch of empty promises; it's the real deal.
Not me watching a Instagram reel where someone said "When you're stupid every book is 4-5 stars" and then I got the UA-cam notification. Hahahahahaha I can't this is so funny
Oh, I'm toooo nice. The only books I've rated less than 4 stars are two I really did not enjoy and even then I rated them 3.5 and 3.75. I'm studying a masters in literature and writing so I don't think I'm stupid lol, but I can see merit in most books I read. But I have been reading (trying to read) The Beautiful and Damned by Gatsy for the last 12 months and as soon as I get through it, it's getting 1 star. I don't care how much merit is has, it does not deserve any more (and even as I say that, I feel guilty).
That's a stupid thing for someone to say XD you can rate books for any reason you want, and none of them are depended by your "IQ," education, or literary analysis skills. You can rate books based on how much you enjoyed the story, by how well it was written, how well the characters were developed, how well it connected with you, or conversely how well it connected you to a different group of people. For how much it made you laugh, for how corny it was. If I'm looking for a corny read, I want to know if it was an ENJOYABLE corny. Don't anyone fall for that classist rhetoric, the way you review things does not determine nor is determined by your intelligence. ❤
Engaging with books has significantly elevated my perspective on investing. True wealth isn't built through mere savings; financial freedom stems from strategic investments. I've learned that accumulating wealth hinges on making prudent investment decisions|
Books have also changed my perspective on investing. Understanding that real wealth is built through strategic investments rather than mere savings is crucial. Working with an adviser has pointed me in the right direction.
Jack’s vlogs are great!! If you’d like, here’s my recommendation for some really good but not as well known book creators you can watch in between Jack uploads! My favorite is allisonpaiges. She’s my queen, she is an icon, she’s the moment. Unfortunately she’s on an indefinite hiatus, but if you’re interested, just take a look at her stuff! Her editing is some of the best I’ve ever seen on the site period. She encourages self care, positive mindsets, and living life to the fullest to the best of your capabilities. Her videos are comfort videos for me and I rewatch them all the time! JesseTheReader is a channel I’ve watched for years. I’ve even met him in person at a book event lol! He’s an OG booktuber and I think his content still holds up today! He has a nice balance of chatting about both currently popular books as well as lesser known titles! He has a fun personality and a lot of original video ideas! Finally, plantbasedbride. I’m still new to her content, but it’s been so good! She gives cozy, long haul type videos and she’s been great from what I’ve watched! I hope this helps fill the need for good book creator content, lol!
adding some of these to my tbr! My five star reads so far are: - martyr! - kaveh akbar - In memoriam - alice winn - idlewild - james frankie thomas (queer chaos speaks to my soul) - the rachel incident - caroline o'donoghue - east of eden - john steinbeck - bellies - nicola dinan - words of radiance - brandon sanderson !!!! i've had a really incredible reading year so far it feels so good
Aw the fact you mentioned James Baldwin as one of your favourite authors made me want to comment. I'm producing a James Baldwin festival in Berlin from 6 - 8 September, to honour that James would've turned 100 this year :) Great video as always! I've only had Boulder on my radar, and now excited to hunt down the others. The way you speak about books just radiates enthusiasm ☺
I heard about White Nights because of the aforementioned Jack video. A week later I noticed that different versions of White Nights were on the “Trending on Goodreads” tab on Audible and I’m so glad I listened to it.
I read The Details after you recommended it in a prior video and I loved it! I then recommended it to my mom, and she read it and enjoyed it too! Really made me think about characters and how to write in a detailed way - which is important to me as a writer myself. Your recommendations always hit.
Jack, I adore your book recommendations and you have never failed me. Until... White Nights. It's so full of artificial pathos and I couldn't see the point of anything. I'm sorry, but I truly, honestly cannot understand how it's one of your favs... They don't even know each other and he's crazily in love with her, even after she's doing all of that with some other dude? And then takes advantage of him? And apparently it's all because of "love"? :)) I mean, I love love stories and I love lyrical writing and melancholy prose, but they should at least be 1% believable. 😅 This was such a let-down for me... 😣
I live in Germany and the funny thing is that Jenny Erpenbeck is not a big name over here! Her books are so much more successful in translation which is so strange to me
thanks again jack!! you are my favorite place to get book recs and just added these to my want to read list my five star books this year have been - open water by caleb azumah nelson - young mungo by douglas stuart - in memoriam by alice winn - the kite runner by khaled hosseini - funny story by emily henry - song of achilles by madeline miller
If you haven’t read Circe by Madeline miller I recommend that one. I just did and now I’m going through Achilles and probably every other book she wrote lol
I read white nights after you recommended it, literally finished flipped back a few pages, read the end again and stared at the wall. Whenever I think about it which is at least once a week I still just stare into a wall. But like honestly yeah one of the best books about love
Laurie Colwin was also a food writer for the now defunct Gourmet magazine and other publications. She also wrote 2 memoirs about food and cooking. I was so surprised to see her book on your list, since I haven’t heard about her in so long…she died suddenly at a pretty young age sometime in the 90s. Thanks for bringing back the memory of her.
Glad you mentioned this. I re-read Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking and More Home Cooking every few years - they are an absolute delight. Embarrassingly, I didn't know she wrote fiction!
Jack you must read “talking at night” It's just so up your alley and normal people coded My most recent 5⭐️ so beautifully written and character oriented Please please please I'm dying to hear your thoughts on it ❤
Dostoevsky is one of my favourite writers. I highly recommend to also read "The Gambler" and "Crime and Punishment". Both of these books are soooo good!!
Ive read notes from underground and white nights and felt that it was a little boring cuz nothing was really happening. Do you think crime and punishment or another such book would be better?
@@jkn.01 yeah, crime and punishment is so much better. but honestly, it still can get a little boring for some people, because even though there are many things happening, Dostoevsky describes emotions and thoughts which are necessary for the sake of understanding the book better. but tbh, it not once got boring for me
Maybe lack discrimination because 36 books so far; 12 get 5 stars. Did reading about the dark side of Goodreads influence this? Or Yellowface? Something Old Melvyn Bragg - Crossing the Lines: A revelation! Booker shortlisted, semi autobiographical tale of a Cumbrian pub landlord's son whose grammar school education takes him to Oxford. Donna Tartt - The Secret History. Dark, pitch-perfect prose as entitled students try to evade justice for a killing: again in an elite university. Elena Ferrante - Neapolitan quartet: all five star. The ultimate Bildungsroman series where love, friendship and betrayal meet Italian post-war social and political change. Neil Gaiman - American Gods Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - Good Omens: SF/Fantasy books for thinking people that are still outrageously funny and super-readable. Something New Eleanor Catton - Birnam Wood: no punches are pulled in this long awaited second novel from Catton. The style is very different from the Luminaries but the insidious effect of mining New Zealand's mineral riches is front and centre again. Benjamin Myers - Cuddy: Structurally bold and showcasing a mixture of poetry and prose, Myers stays true to his Durham roots in this ode to St Cuthbert and the Northern spirit. Something Borrowed Olga Tokarczuk - Driving your Plow over the Bones of the Dead: A Booker International Prize shortlisted, dark thriller with an idealistic, animal-loving protagonist, who yearns for the utopia of the Czech Republic! Something Blue Hiro Arikawa - The Travelling Cat Chronicles: for cat lovers only; have the tissues nearby. Max Porter - Grief is the Thing with Feathers: How do you learn to live again when your soul mate or your mother die too young?
The home library is my Barbie dream house as well. I want to convert my current bedroom into a self-contained personal library at some point. I'm thinking paint the room white, put floor to ceiling shelves, stained a mahogany color, with an attached ladder to the bookshelves in the same shade. I don't have nearly enough books, but I'll get there someday. The creme de la fresh comment was hilarious.
I don't get how *Kairos* won the Booker Prize. To me, it was slow and repetitive. The storyline could've wrapped up by page 50/100 but the author dragged it out. It was frustrating and felt like it led nowhere. Don't hate me, but I really disliked it
Every book i own is 4-5 stars. I just won’t pick up a book unless i truly think i’ll like it. Although I did just pick up Beach Read by Emily Henry because I’ve never read a romance book before.
I read the new novel by the "it" writer Coco Mellors, and despite the fact that the reading went smoothly and the writing was good, something felt off. It seemed she was writing with the clear goal and intent of having her work turned into a movie or something similar. The main characters false complexity is extremely stereotypical and one-dimensional, giving off "I'm not like the other girls/women" vibes that border on cringe at times. I also felt a tinge of ridiculous ageism in the treatment of Chiti and the mom, and I was upset when a novel written by a woman and set in this day and age described the act of giving birth at 40 as geriatric.
I feel like every book you recommend is a book I end up falling in love with. Definitely adding all of these to my never ending TBR list! My ONLY 5 star book so far is "The Book of Everlasting Things" by Aanchal Malhotra. I truly loved this book and I think it's so exquisitely written and it delves into such a heart-wrenching topic (The India-Pakistan Partition). Malhotra's writing style is so beautiful and it's one of those books where I thought every line was frame-worthy.
Currently reading white nights per your recommendation! And I literally underlined the paragraph: "we thank some people for merely living at the same time as we do"this morning. It was just so stunningly frased. Made me think of all my wonderful, wonderful friends without whom I could simply not live! At least not in such bliss as I am currently living.
and my tbr keeps growing. The meanest thing about Kairos is that I'm German but the English cover is so much prettier than the German one TT My favourite books of the year so far (no particular order): In Memoriam, Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Beartown, A Half-Built Garden, Young Mungo, Notes of a Crocodile and Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow
My two lowest rated books this year are Kairos and the Details 😂. It's so odd hearing someone give a 5 star review to your 1 star books. It makes you wonder if you were reading the same thing.
My favourite read so far this year was Long Island by Colm Toibin. I was a big fan of Brooklyn for the love story, but Long Island really introduces some of the complexities of relationships and it made me think of the characters in Brooklyn in a different light.
Feel the urge to tell you that Boulder is the 2nd of the "triptic" of novels that the author (Eva Baltasar) wrote about women and the times we're living. First one is called Permafrost and the third is Mamut. In case you want to explore her writing any further
I just got Kairos (while traveling in Germany)… so I’m excited to read it! Recently read “The details” and enjoyed it but it was more like a 4 stars for me. I think we have slightly different taste but coincide in some titles. Thanks for your reviews and for bringing so many new titles to my TBR!! ❤ “Boulder” is also in the lineup! 📚
My absolute favourite 5-star read from this year is Toward Eternity by Anton Hur. He's already an award-winning translator, and now his own debut novel is out and it's extraordinary. If you read the summary and think it borders too much on sci-fi for you, I encourage you to pick it up anyway-it balances on the line between literary and sci-fi so perfectly that it really extends beyond both genres. It only came out a few weeks ago, but it's not getting the attention it deserves imo. And thanks for the extra push to read White Nights and Boulder. Coming up soon on my list ✍
I find it insane that people remember the books they read. I have read my favorite books multiple times and had the "reading for the first time" feeling every time. I'm happy to have a bad memory, i guess
My five star books so far: The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Hurting Kind by Ada Limon Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown Vietnam by Stanley Karnow The Hundred Years War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
Jack! I was just going to look up the publishing date for "Happy All the Time", because I read that book DECADES ago, and I remember it as a very satisfying read with no big conflict, sweet and calming. I couldn't believe it was the same book, but it IS! I feel very validated in really liking a book that does not follow the traditional "conflict-resolution" pattern of most plots.
I studied Russian Literature (yes I enjoy sadness) and Dostoyevsky is my favorite author. I've always admired how despite the turmoil Russian authors faced, they manage to write themes that mimicked the historical times they were living through in Russia.
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is one of my top reads and lives rent free in my head!! Totally underhyped IMO. Other 5 star recs for you and your audience would be: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, The Silence That Binds Us by Johanna Ho, Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig,
I read The Details and it's one of my 5 stars from this year too! I wanted this one to win so badly! I havent read Kairos though. Also, as a Catalan person and Catalan speaker I am so happy to see Boulder in this list!
I always anticipate videos with your favourite books. I adore the way you describe books and the feelings they evoked in you. I genuinely think you have incredible taste, so finding the books you've rated so high is incredibly refreshing and exciting, because I know that I have the chance to read a masterfully written or thought-provoking book that I might not have found otherwise. Sooo excited for these books. When you compared the writing in Evenings and Weekends to Baldwin's and Morrison's I actually gasped. What a high praise. I will definitely read Boulder soon, because that's one I've been eyeing for a long time because of you. Funnily enough, my only 5-star read of this year is Alice Winn's In Memoriam that I discovered thanks to you. Forever grateful for that recommendation, that book broke me to pieces and mended me back together. This reading year was quite mediocre for me, but I did get some 4,5 stars. I might need more of your 5 star reads to get some myself this year 😂
As much as I like your content and respect you, I can’t understand how popularisation of russian authors can take place during times like these. Culture is never separate from politics
That paragraph of Blue sisters !!!!!! *instantly adds to cart* My absolute fav this year has been These impossible things by Salma El-Wardany. It's so beautifully written, I want to read it for the first time again.
omg!! my dads name is guido and he was born in 1978 when the book was published originally! crazy coincidence (his name is pronounced ghee-dough though)
so happy that “white nights” has made it to your list because that book is a required reading for an obligatory literature class at high school in russia. we need more people to know how good it is!
I absolutely loved Kairos. I read it in the original German and is honestly one of the most affecting books I've ever read in my second language. It's so beautiful
I've only read 4 pages of white nights but im a bit confused. So far the main character is giving creep. He chased the main love 'saving' her from a different creep. Then followed her home and told her he would be outside her home the next day waiting for her. Do i need to turn a blind eye because its a product of the time? Should i expect it to get better?
I LOVE HAPPY ALL THE TIME. It's so wholesome and normal and funnily enough the seemingly "ordinary" exterior it exudes it what makes the book feel so unique to me.
SAME I finished it a while back and it was so beautiful. I loved each character, and I resonated with them so many times. The simple relationships, the conversations - it was beautiful.
It's impressive to see such empathy and accountability. I've seen more of it from Russians in the last two years than Americans in the last two decades.
Wow, I learned so much from watching this video. Thank you! Recently, I stumbled upon an ebook that is supposedly canceled on all platforms, called Hidden Art of Manipulating Minds. I am still in disbelief about what I found there. I would have never thought that such marketing secrets are kept hidden from the public. trust me, guys, read it as soon as possible; the book is available on Borlest.
Evenings and weekends was hugely anticipated by me and I was very underwhelmed by it…. I just didn’t get what you got out of it- I just don’t think the characters were as realized as I was hoping for But! If you do like it, I think you would love the daytripper by James goodhand - a book I loved
I've been experimenting with Hidden Time Wealth, and wow, the results speak for themselves. It's a game changer for anyone struggling with procrastination.
I'm grateful for the knowledge you've shared in this video, but I recommend everyone to go deeper into the rabbit hole, don't just stay on the surface, check out the forbidden book about money "Hidden Art of Manipulating Minds" on Borlest and you will be amazed at the incredible information found there.
You recommending books that are originally in catalan feels like you are interfering with my family business (i’m catalan) (still LOVE that you are recommending them thank you so so much)
My guy, if you read one more book for the rest of your life, make it “Autobiography of Red” by Anne Carson. I have no basis for comparison for this book. I don’t think there’s anything in the world as gorgeous or heart wrenching or life affirming. Please please please get your hands on it!
![[UA] NAVI проти G2 Esports | Blast Premier Fall Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QWlIm4FGESQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Great list of 5-star reads! But if you're looking for even more game-changing books, Nixorus has some hidden gems that aren't on most people's radar.
Something I've noticed is that the books I most frequently recommend are usually 4 stars. Which I think is interesting! My hypothesis is that 4+ means it's a great book, but the 5th star is more personal and may be from things I connect with that aren't as universal? I don't know! But it's interesting!
i feel the exact same way!
I understand that. Even some of my 3 star reads I can acknowledge are still rather good books, for example are written well and have a good plot. However, it's my 5 stars that have hit me more on a deeper level.
So true. Most of my 5 star books are pretty disturbing and can have quite a lot of triggers. Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, and Beloved by Toni Morrison are both 5 star reads for me, but they're not necessarily something I would recommend to a person I just met.
I completely agree! My 5 stared books have made me feel something others haven’t, and it’s not to say the other books are bad, but to me they don’t quite match to the same degree.
Completely agree!!
Keeping us fed with this crème de la fresh content, I see.
Right lol
You should do a video called “Every book I’ve rated 5 stars in my life described in one or two sentences”
I think is a way for us to discover hidden gemes. And for you to talk about books you love that you haven’t talk about them in a long time
Omg yes I’d love this!!
I think it would be easier to just scroll through his goodreads tbh! I really enjoyed this video, I feel like Jack hasnt had the time recently to film a video where he talks about a book for more than 1 minute (each), which I think is such a shame. I love it when the description of the book goes beyond a mere summary. It seems like Jack doesnt have that much time, and I would rather encourage him to make longer video essay-ish content.
Omg yes yes to this video idea! Tier-ranking all the books Jack rated 5 stars also sound exciting
*gems
@@PoopusLoopus thank you, I’m sorry, english is not my first language
There's a book called Hidden Time Wealth, and it talks about how using some secret techniques, you can overcome procrastination and accomplish anything in life. It's not just a bunch of empty promises; it's the real deal.
Bullshit.
Not me watching a Instagram reel where someone said "When you're stupid every book is 4-5 stars" and then I got the UA-cam notification. Hahahahahaha I can't this is so funny
All my books are 4-5 stars bc if they're not I don't finish them 🚮
Oh, I'm toooo nice. The only books I've rated less than 4 stars are two I really did not enjoy and even then I rated them 3.5 and 3.75. I'm studying a masters in literature and writing so I don't think I'm stupid lol, but I can see merit in most books I read.
But I have been reading (trying to read) The Beautiful and Damned by Gatsy for the last 12 months and as soon as I get through it, it's getting 1 star. I don't care how much merit is has, it does not deserve any more (and even as I say that, I feel guilty).
That being said, I only have two books that I actually consider 5 star books... I just have a lot of 4, 4.25, 4.5, and 4.75's.
That's a stupid thing for someone to say XD you can rate books for any reason you want, and none of them are depended by your "IQ," education, or literary analysis skills.
You can rate books based on how much you enjoyed the story, by how well it was written, how well the characters were developed, how well it connected with you, or conversely how well it connected you to a different group of people. For how much it made you laugh, for how corny it was.
If I'm looking for a corny read, I want to know if it was an ENJOYABLE corny.
Don't anyone fall for that classist rhetoric, the way you review things does not determine nor is determined by your intelligence. ❤
@@teentitansrock88 yass!!!
The way you can so beautifully and casually describe books is unparalleled !!!! Also I highly recommend you read Sunburn ☀️ the writing is incredible
queen i love you please make book content!!
OMG Brittany! I DID NOT expect to see you around here, but I’m so glad we both like him!! I love your book recs btw
Engaging with books has significantly elevated my perspective on investing. True wealth isn't built through mere savings; financial freedom stems from strategic investments. I've learned that accumulating wealth hinges on making prudent investment decisions|
Embarking on the investment journey at 40, I envision a triumphant testimony of significant success by the age of 55.
Books have also changed my perspective on investing. Understanding that real wealth is built through strategic investments rather than mere savings is crucial. Working with an adviser has pointed me in the right direction.
'Angela Lynn Schilling’ maintains an online presence. Just make a simple search for her name online.
which book about investing did you like the most/found the most useful?
My TBR did not need to get longer but here we are…
Seriously, same!
sAme
Same I refuse to buy more though 😂
same, i have like two pages of books i want to read now.
'The Hidden Truths Of Wealth by Oliver Mercer' is a must read for everyone
"how could you do this to me but also thank you" is the review I am looking for 😂
* searching a new video to watch bc I’ve caught up on jack’s vlogs *
* jack uploads *
Jack’s vlogs are great!!
If you’d like, here’s my recommendation for some really good but not as well known book creators you can watch in between Jack uploads!
My favorite is allisonpaiges. She’s my queen, she is an icon, she’s the moment. Unfortunately she’s on an indefinite hiatus, but if you’re interested, just take a look at her stuff! Her editing is some of the best I’ve ever seen on the site period. She encourages self care, positive mindsets, and living life to the fullest to the best of your capabilities. Her videos are comfort videos for me and I rewatch them all the time!
JesseTheReader is a channel I’ve watched for years. I’ve even met him in person at a book event lol! He’s an OG booktuber and I think his content still holds up today! He has a nice balance of chatting about both currently popular books as well as lesser known titles! He has a fun personality and a lot of original video ideas!
Finally, plantbasedbride. I’m still new to her content, but it’s been so good! She gives cozy, long haul type videos and she’s been great from what I’ve watched!
I hope this helps fill the need for good book creator content, lol!
As a french person, "la crême de la fraîche" actually makes sense lmao
Je suis d’accord
RIGHT lmaooo
so much new content bros really been blessing us
The Blue Sisters opening paragraph gave me CHILLS I have to buy it now
You should do a tier ranking of all the books you have rated 5 stars
i will!!
adding some of these to my tbr!
My five star reads so far are:
- martyr! - kaveh akbar
- In memoriam - alice winn
- idlewild - james frankie thomas (queer chaos speaks to my soul)
- the rachel incident - caroline o'donoghue
- east of eden - john steinbeck
- bellies - nicola dinan
- words of radiance - brandon sanderson
!!!! i've had a really incredible reading year so far it feels so good
Ooooh I want to read bellies!
Loved the rachel incident !
In memoriam was AMAZING!!!
in memorian and words of radiance , ❤
EAST OF EDEN MENTION🗣🗣
I listened to White Nights on the Sleepy Bookshelf (on Spotify) and this story made me go through all the emotions 💙
' i think i'm a tough critic' U THINK JACK U THINK ?????????
Aw the fact you mentioned James Baldwin as one of your favourite authors made me want to comment. I'm producing a James Baldwin festival in Berlin from 6 - 8 September, to honour that James would've turned 100 this year :) Great video as always! I've only had Boulder on my radar, and now excited to hunt down the others. The way you speak about books just radiates enthusiasm ☺
Omg..when you read that part in blue sisters I teared up. I have 3 sisters so this book will probably kill me.
you and i, both!
"Guy-doe". Lol.
Um. No.
Guido is pronounced Gwee-doe.
I heard about White Nights because of the aforementioned Jack video. A week later I noticed that different versions of White Nights were on the “Trending on Goodreads” tab on Audible and I’m so glad I listened to it.
the book leo also reviewed it this week. she's great!
every book you talk about immediately gets put on my wishlist
Your content really helps me find good reads
Lots of love from Balochistan
I read The Details after you recommended it in a prior video and I loved it! I then recommended it to my mom, and she read it and enjoyed it too! Really made me think about characters and how to write in a detailed way - which is important to me as a writer myself. Your recommendations always hit.
Jack, I adore your book recommendations and you have never failed me. Until... White Nights. It's so full of artificial pathos and I couldn't see the point of anything. I'm sorry, but I truly, honestly cannot understand how it's one of your favs... They don't even know each other and he's crazily in love with her, even after she's doing all of that with some other dude? And then takes advantage of him? And apparently it's all because of "love"? :)) I mean, I love love stories and I love lyrical writing and melancholy prose, but they should at least be 1% believable. 😅 This was such a let-down for me... 😣
I live in Germany and the funny thing is that Jenny Erpenbeck is not a big name over here! Her books are so much more successful in translation which is so strange to me
thanks again jack!! you are my favorite place to get book recs and just added these to my want to read list
my five star books this year have been
- open water by caleb azumah nelson
- young mungo by douglas stuart
- in memoriam by alice winn
- the kite runner by khaled hosseini
- funny story by emily henry
- song of achilles by madeline miller
what a great list
If you haven’t read Circe by Madeline miller I recommend that one. I just did and now I’m going through Achilles and probably every other book she wrote lol
I read white nights after you recommended it, literally finished flipped back a few pages, read the end again and stared at the wall. Whenever I think about it which is at least once a week I still just stare into a wall. But like honestly yeah one of the best books about love
I agree, the same happened to me. Dostoevsky is incredible! I would recommend so many books of his
Laurie Colwin was also a food writer for the now defunct Gourmet magazine and other publications. She also wrote 2 memoirs about food and cooking. I was so surprised to see her book on your list, since I haven’t heard about her in so long…she died suddenly at a pretty young age sometime in the 90s. Thanks for bringing back the memory of her.
Glad you mentioned this. I re-read Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking and More Home Cooking every few years - they are an absolute delight. Embarrassingly, I didn't know she wrote fiction!
Jack you must read “talking at night”
It's just so up your alley and normal people coded
My most recent 5⭐️ so beautifully written and character oriented
Please please please
I'm dying to hear your thoughts on it ❤
Guy-do? 😂😂😂 You don’t know the name Guido? Gweedoh.
Dostoevsky is one of my favourite writers. I highly recommend to also read "The Gambler" and "Crime and Punishment". Both of these books are soooo good!!
Ive read notes from underground and white nights and felt that it was a little boring cuz nothing was really happening. Do you think crime and punishment or another such book would be better?
@@jkn.01 yeah, crime and punishment is so much better. but honestly, it still can get a little boring for some people, because even though there are many things happening, Dostoevsky describes emotions and thoughts which are necessary for the sake of understanding the book better. but tbh, it not once got boring for me
Maybe lack discrimination because 36 books so far; 12 get 5 stars. Did reading about the dark side of Goodreads influence this? Or Yellowface?
Something Old
Melvyn Bragg - Crossing the Lines: A revelation! Booker shortlisted, semi autobiographical tale of a Cumbrian pub landlord's son whose grammar school education takes him to Oxford.
Donna Tartt - The Secret History. Dark, pitch-perfect prose as entitled students try to evade justice for a killing: again in an elite university.
Elena Ferrante - Neapolitan quartet: all five star. The ultimate Bildungsroman series where love, friendship and betrayal meet Italian post-war social and political change.
Neil Gaiman - American Gods
Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - Good Omens: SF/Fantasy books for thinking people that are still outrageously funny and super-readable.
Something New
Eleanor Catton - Birnam Wood: no punches are pulled in this long awaited second novel from Catton. The style is very different from the Luminaries but the insidious effect of mining New Zealand's mineral riches is front and centre again.
Benjamin Myers - Cuddy: Structurally bold and showcasing a mixture of poetry and prose, Myers stays true to his Durham roots in this ode to St Cuthbert and the Northern spirit.
Something Borrowed
Olga Tokarczuk - Driving your Plow over the Bones of the Dead: A Booker International Prize shortlisted, dark thriller with an idealistic, animal-loving protagonist, who yearns for the utopia of the Czech Republic!
Something Blue
Hiro Arikawa - The Travelling Cat Chronicles: for cat lovers only; have the tissues nearby.
Max Porter - Grief is the Thing with Feathers: How do you learn to live again when your soul mate or your mother die too young?
The home library is my Barbie dream house as well. I want to convert my current bedroom into a self-contained personal library at some point. I'm thinking paint the room white, put floor to ceiling shelves, stained a mahogany color, with an attached ladder to the bookshelves in the same shade. I don't have nearly enough books, but I'll get there someday. The creme de la fresh comment was hilarious.
Reading that excerpt of blue sisters convinced me to put it into my tbr
I don't get how *Kairos* won the Booker Prize. To me, it was slow and repetitive. The storyline could've wrapped up by page 50/100 but the author dragged it out. It was frustrating and felt like it led nowhere. Don't hate me, but I really disliked it
another video so soon? i’m the happiest
Kairos is my book club's August selection. Glad to see it on your list.
Every book i own is 4-5 stars. I just won’t pick up a book unless i truly think i’ll like it. Although I did just pick up Beach Read by Emily Henry because I’ve never read a romance book before.
I read the new novel by the "it" writer Coco Mellors, and despite the fact that the reading went smoothly and the writing was good, something felt off. It seemed she was writing with the clear goal and intent of having her work turned into a movie or something similar. The main characters false complexity is extremely stereotypical and one-dimensional, giving off "I'm not like the other girls/women" vibes that border on cringe at times. I also felt a tinge of ridiculous ageism in the treatment of Chiti and the mom, and I was upset when a novel written by a woman and set in this day and age described the act of giving birth at 40 as geriatric.
Literally went and placed holds on ALL of these at my local library!
You and me, baby!
I feel like every book you recommend is a book I end up falling in love with. Definitely adding all of these to my never ending TBR list!
My ONLY 5 star book so far is "The Book of Everlasting Things" by Aanchal Malhotra. I truly loved this book and I think it's so exquisitely written and it delves into such a heart-wrenching topic (The India-Pakistan Partition). Malhotra's writing style is so beautiful and it's one of those books where I thought every line was frame-worthy.
Currently reading white nights per your recommendation! And I literally underlined the paragraph: "we thank some people for merely living at the same time as we do"this morning. It was just so stunningly frased. Made me think of all my wonderful, wonderful friends without whom I could simply not live! At least not in such bliss as I am currently living.
Love this lighting! So relaxing 😊
and my tbr keeps growing. The meanest thing about Kairos is that I'm German but the English cover is so much prettier than the German one TT
My favourite books of the year so far (no particular order): In Memoriam, Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Beartown, A Half-Built Garden, Young Mungo, Notes of a Crocodile and Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow
My two lowest rated books this year are Kairos and the Details 😂. It's so odd hearing someone give a 5 star review to your 1 star books. It makes you wonder if you were reading the same thing.
My thoughts exactly!
Jacks video’s are the crème de la fraîche of booktube 👌
I love classic literature! Have you ever tried quiz bowl? You would be amazing at Literature!
My favourite read so far this year was Long Island by Colm Toibin. I was a big fan of Brooklyn for the love story, but Long Island really introduces some of the complexities of relationships and it made me think of the characters in Brooklyn in a different light.
Feel the urge to tell you that Boulder is the 2nd of the "triptic" of novels that the author (Eva Baltasar) wrote about women and the times we're living. First one is called Permafrost and the third is Mamut. In case you want to explore her writing any further
u explain books in such a unique way I love hearing it .
Only me 💀🤫🤭, which I came here from Chat GPT recommandation :))
I just got Kairos (while traveling in Germany)… so I’m excited to read it! Recently read “The details” and enjoyed it but it was more like a 4 stars for me. I think we have slightly different taste but coincide in some titles. Thanks for your reviews and for bringing so many new titles to my TBR!! ❤ “Boulder” is also in the lineup! 📚
Please react to the New York Times Top 100 books of the 21st century
Dang it!! I went to Barnes and noble today I and I was going to buy Evenings and Weekends!!! I’ll have to go back now
My absolute favourite 5-star read from this year is Toward Eternity by Anton Hur. He's already an award-winning translator, and now his own debut novel is out and it's extraordinary. If you read the summary and think it borders too much on sci-fi for you, I encourage you to pick it up anyway-it balances on the line between literary and sci-fi so perfectly that it really extends beyond both genres. It only came out a few weeks ago, but it's not getting the attention it deserves imo.
And thanks for the extra push to read White Nights and Boulder. Coming up soon on my list ✍
I find it insane that people remember the books they read. I have read my favorite books multiple times and had the "reading for the first time" feeling every time. I'm happy to have a bad memory, i guess
JACK EDWARDS UPLOADED AT 3 AM OFC IM GONNA WATCH IT RN
Just bought Kairos, sadly the German cover is kinda ugly
My five star books so far:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Hurting Kind by Ada Limon
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
Vietnam by Stanley Karnow
The Hundred Years War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi
Jack! I was just going to look up the publishing date for "Happy All the Time", because I read that book DECADES ago, and I remember it as a very satisfying read with no big conflict, sweet and calming. I couldn't believe it was the same book, but it IS! I feel very validated in really liking a book that does not follow the traditional "conflict-resolution" pattern of most plots.
random but i just finished re-reading the kite runner (6 years after the first time i'd read it) and it still hurts me so damn much i can't😭
I studied Russian Literature (yes I enjoy sadness) and Dostoyevsky is my favorite author. I've always admired how despite the turmoil Russian authors faced, they manage to write themes that mimicked the historical times they were living through in Russia.
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is one of my top reads and lives rent free in my head!! Totally underhyped IMO. Other 5 star recs for you and your audience would be: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, The Silence That Binds Us by Johanna Ho, Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig,
jack is in his lover era; loving books about love❤
I read The Details and it's one of my 5 stars from this year too! I wanted this one to win so badly! I havent read Kairos though. Also, as a Catalan person and Catalan speaker I am so happy to see Boulder in this list!
I always anticipate videos with your favourite books. I adore the way you describe books and the feelings they evoked in you. I genuinely think you have incredible taste, so finding the books you've rated so high is incredibly refreshing and exciting, because I know that I have the chance to read a masterfully written or thought-provoking book that I might not have found otherwise. Sooo excited for these books. When you compared the writing in Evenings and Weekends to Baldwin's and Morrison's I actually gasped. What a high praise. I will definitely read Boulder soon, because that's one I've been eyeing for a long time because of you.
Funnily enough, my only 5-star read of this year is Alice Winn's In Memoriam that I discovered thanks to you. Forever grateful for that recommendation, that book broke me to pieces and mended me back together. This reading year was quite mediocre for me, but I did get some 4,5 stars. I might need more of your 5 star reads to get some myself this year 😂
Same about In Memoriam + 2 by Nathan Hill (Wellness and The nix)
i can't help but smile while watching these videos. just feels so cosy idk.
As much as I like your content and respect you, I can’t understand how popularisation of russian authors can take place during times like these. Culture is never separate from politics
ok ik this isnt ur jam but PLEASE give a fantasy rec video from a person who doesnt typically read fantasy!!!
12:19 Jack telling me about a book I had never heart about and can read in my first language in original lol. Going to the tbr instantly.
you reading that blue sisters paragraph… amazing!
That paragraph of Blue sisters !!!!!! *instantly adds to cart*
My absolute fav this year has been These impossible things by Salma El-Wardany. It's so beautifully written, I want to read it for the first time again.
omg!! my dads name is guido and he was born in 1978 when the book was published originally! crazy coincidence (his name is pronounced ghee-dough though)
so happy that “white nights” has made it to your list because that book is a required reading for an obligatory literature class at high school in russia.
we need more people to know how good it is!
"Crème de la fresh" actually makes more sense.
Love to see a German book on your channel 🤩
I just ordered four of these books 😂. Jack, I’ll Venmo request you for a reimbursement. Thanks for the recs!
I absolutely loved Kairos. I read it in the original German and is honestly one of the most affecting books I've ever read in my second language. It's so beautiful
Always find great books on your page Jack! Thanks for sharing great content
EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS WAS AMAZING! Great video as always!
I've rated 6 books 5 stars (I've read 61 books so far) this year and I just realized I am more critical than I once thought I was 😅
Picked up White Nights after your recommendation and what a book! One od favorite reads of the year.
Great video, so many good recs! Just one thing, Oisín is pronounced Uh-sheen, its an Irish name
11:08 : Me when i am forced to study.
I read Foster this month after seeing one of your videos and I loved the book. Thank you very much for this video, Jack. I added it all into my tbr 🤗
I've only read 4 pages of white nights but im a bit confused. So far the main character is giving creep. He chased the main love 'saving' her from a different creep. Then followed her home and told her he would be outside her home the next day waiting for her. Do i need to turn a blind eye because its a product of the time? Should i expect it to get better?
I don't see Kairos as a beautifully-written love story either. It's an unsettling spot-on description of an abusive relationship.
Great that you have so many 5 star books. Best wishes.
I LOVE HAPPY ALL THE TIME. It's so wholesome and normal and funnily enough the seemingly "ordinary" exterior it exudes it what makes the book feel so unique to me.
SAME I finished it a while back and it was so beautiful. I loved each character, and I resonated with them so many times. The simple relationships, the conversations - it was beautiful.
i hated it lol it was like the worst book i have ever read and im really not a picky reader
If there is one good thing about being russian in 2024, it's the ability to read original Dostoyevsky's works
Hang in there, things will be better one day
It's impressive to see such empathy and accountability. I've seen more of it from Russians in the last two years than Americans in the last two decades.
Wow, I learned so much from watching this video. Thank you! Recently, I stumbled upon an ebook that is supposedly canceled on all platforms, called Hidden Art of Manipulating Minds. I am still in disbelief about what I found there. I would have never thought that such marketing secrets are kept hidden from the public. trust me, guys, read it as soon as possible; the book is available on Borlest.
Evenings and weekends was hugely anticipated by me and I was very underwhelmed by it…. I just didn’t get what you got out of it- I just don’t think the characters were as realized as I was hoping for
But! If you do like it, I think you would love the daytripper by James goodhand - a book I loved
I've been experimenting with Hidden Time Wealth, and wow, the results speak for themselves. It's a game changer for anyone struggling with procrastination.
I'm grateful for the knowledge you've shared in this video, but I recommend everyone to go deeper into the rabbit hole, don't just stay on the surface, check out the forbidden book about money "Hidden Art of Manipulating Minds" on Borlest and you will be amazed at the incredible information found there.
See the title.
Open my notion TBR list.
Click on video.
Add all.
You recommending books that are originally in catalan feels like you are interfering with my family business (i’m catalan) (still LOVE that you are recommending them thank you so so much)
Jack you are the King ! Your recommendations and reviews are la creme de la creme Love your channel
My guy, if you read one more book for the rest of your life, make it “Autobiography of Red” by Anne Carson.
I have no basis for comparison for this book. I don’t think there’s anything in the world as gorgeous or heart wrenching or life affirming. Please please please get your hands on it!