I was talking to an acquaintance at a party and she said she had finished the book she was reading the night before and in the next couple of days she would go to the bookstore and get a new one. My jaw dropped. I had no response.
I don't know how interesting this is, but A Tale for the Time Being is a book cemented in a very tumultuous time in my life and has been haunting me ever since. In 2015 I was starting college in NYC and A Tale for the Time Being was assigned as a sort of freshman orientation group read for every single new freshman on campus. I had read about half of it when I made the decision to drop out of college and move back home halfway across the country. I've never finished it, but have held onto it and is now this symbol of a dying dream my high school self had. Now, seven years later, I have graduated from college and law school. I'm a completely different person from who I was in 2015. I always tell myself I will go back and read it someday. For now it's a book on my shelf reminding me of who I was, where I could have been, and where I am now. Thank you for taking the time to talk about it, it really has made me think
Another great video,, the intimacy and conversational aspect you bring to your videos is very engaging and always a pleasure to tune in. Happy reading!!
Dear Jennifer, It's good to see you take on another year of uploading. I can't tell you how lovely it is is that you continue to bring us your insights. Your years of work are appreciated, you make my day better every time you upload. I've revisited so many of your videos a number of times, they're my comfort food. Your work is charming, smart, and motivated me to keep reading, through it all. I am a reader in no small part thanks to your influence. Thanks! Also, I hope you're adjusting to your new diet and health challenges. Being gluten-free doesn't mean you have to give up all yummy baked goods forever but I'm sure it's a challenge changing your diet so radically. All the best to you and your dear kitties in 2022.
It was so funny to watch you talk so seriously and your cats in the back having the best time of their lives 🙂 Your video made my may. I'm sorry about the health diagnosis but life goes one, people live. I had a friend in school who had it and she was doing pretty good. A famous influencer in France who lives in Netherlands travels to France, Spain and the US all the time and she finds food ! As I told you before, I have many food allergies so I know how it sucks in the beginning, how suddenly you find it difficult but trust me, within six months and a year, you'll be a master chef and back on your feet (like your two lovely cats !) I have three projects to turn in, with deadline in mid-Feb and mid-March, so I know how it feels - as for the mood reader, I am one though I kept telling myself otherwise. A few years ago, I would pick up 15 books (fiction, non fiction, classic) and read them all - this year I tried to join new challenges but my job and my mind weren't there. No more pressure. I gave up last week and you know what ? I read three books ! The ones I wanted to read and loved it. I read actually a Croatian one, and before two Russian (one WW2 and one contemporary), a Korean contemporary one (Untold Night and Day by Bae Suah) and this one was so special, so unique. Anyway, I recognize that I need freedom in my choices. I really loved this type of video and the speech about how as readers we grow up and can read the same book differently 😊 Have a nice week !
I read multiple books across a few categories because I don't like rushing through a work by an Author that I read for their writing style. I've found that this balances my desire to be able to relate with others by reading more and savouring Authors I like.
It's hard to believe that there was a time when Jen's videos didn't feature cat chaos in the background. 😆 ❤️ I loved ("a take" and) "form and emptiness" but it is a lot, so I'm curious what you'll think of it. Can't wait for the Robin Hobb round-up. I'm still intimidated by, but determined to get into that series. (I feel when so many really different folks on booktube are into something, it must be good.)
I may have an idea of what I want to read next, but the amount of times I change last minute when it actually comes to starting a new book is high. I like to follow my moods or whatever you may call it. I hardly own any unread books anymore and the pandemic had me reading mostly digital books, so there are no restrictions on what to read next. It is a lot of fun, I must admit. Hope the rest of the month picks up for you.
Always love a life/reading update 🥰 My January reading has been v bizarre. I decided to start the year with 5 poetry collections in a row, which was fun enough. But trying to pick up a novel afterward was a strain. My brain almost flipped a switch to: "Why are there so many words?!" It's been tricky trying to recenter.
I’ve had an excellent reading month. I’ve read about 7 books and enjoyed all of them. One was a book I had to read (book group I’m in) and because of having read it I read two others related to the topic. And I may read a few more in February because I don’t think I’m finished with that topic. I’m about to pick up a purely mood read tonight, Grammar for a Full Life by Lawrence Weinstein.
Hi! I've never commented on one of your videos before but I always enjoy how thoughtful and considered they are, so thanks for putting out great (and relatable!) content. A Tale for the Time Being is a personal favorite of mine and I remember hearing the critique about Ruth parts at the time that I read it, but I find them quite integral to the story and the concept of time that Ozeki explores. Because they are much slower, I really appreciated how they forced me to slow down as a reader and to sort of sit with that uncomfortable slowness. It felt like I was being interrupted from enjoying the fast pace of Nao's narrative, by being reminded of the actual passing of time. I also think it has something to say about how time is experienced at different ages. Anyways, those are just some of my unsolicited thoughts. Good luck with the upcoming deadline! 😊
The blouse/shirt/pjs you're wearing are gorge. I re-read Normal People this week - was much better upon a re-read. I love re-reading and getting to experience moments in a book again. Currently reading a biography on Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee which is vr good. Good luck with the coeliac recipe endeavour.
My January reading month has been... Ok I suppose. One of my goals this year was to decrease my tbr by at least one book each month and I've accomplished that so far by reading one book off my tbr, dnfing another, and only purchasing one book. I have a book out from the library I'd like to finish and also a couple of books in a series I was rereading at the end of last year I'd like to finish. Which means the majority of my reading this month has not been from my tbr which is less than ideal but what can you do, you know Re: rereading-one of the reasons for my aforementioned goal is the porportion how much I reread to reading off my tbr is a ratio I consider to be very, very broken. I'd say between 30-60% of my reading EACH YEAR is rereading which I obviously enjoy and I'm fine with enjoying that coupled with the fact I own about 500 unread books is obviously a problem. Re: mood reading-I honestly don't know how I would be able to tell if I'm a mood reader or not? Like you, I often think ahead to my next book but the next book I read is rarely the one I thought ahead to. For instance, when I a dnfed a book earlier this month I intended to finish reading the book I have out from the library (which I have 40 minutes left of I really should finish it) or the book in the series I'd like to finish rereading but instead I found myself reading a 520,000 word fanfiction which was recommended to me on TikTok and now rereading parts of that instead and other fanfictions featuring the same pairing. And that usually happens to me: I'll have a plan of what to read next but then end up reading something completely different that hadn't even been on my radar when I'd been planning. Does that make me a mood reader? Or does that just mean I really need to "discover" things when I'm already in between books? Is it because I have ADHD? Your guess is as good as mine! Happy reading!
Really adored this video. This is my first year on Booktube so, of course, I’m reading like I’ve never read before: voracious, inspired, and with ardent speed. Missing a bit of that “mood reader” freedom. Thanks for the wonderful video.
This year I want to slow down my reading. And here I am, having read a pile of big books already. But that’s also because I reduced my internet time drastically. I never spent too much time online but now that I’ve cut out the majority of it and turned it into reading time instead it does seem that I indeed did waste a lot of time.
Super video. I enjoy your videos so much these days. Perhaps it’s because we get more about you as a person in addition to the book talk. Either way, thank you. 🙂
Loved this chatty video. So much to think on. I normally find January super slow and this year it’s the polar opposite so my plan to read by whim has gone out the window. Ha. I loved what you said about reading at different ages and how that makes your relate to characters of different ages and situations. Fab chat.
I love these kinds of videos - so difefrent from thise formulaic booktube videos and yet we get to hear a lot about books and reading. I very much enjoyed your content the whole last year and I'm so looking forward to it this year! My reading this january hasn't gone exactly as I was hoping so I understand you...
I had to laugh out loud when you said we probably don't have 250 different moods! Recently I have started to mix in books that I give myself a push to read even when I'm not "in the mood" for them, and it's been working out pretty well (like, when am I ever going to be in the mood for Timothy Snyder's The Road to Unfreedom? But it's pushing my mind to be more flexible, and I love it) I wish you all the best with dealing with the celiac disease! (it was both terrifying and a relief for me when I got diagnosed with my autoimmune disease - there was an explanation for these weird symptoms, but the thought of having an autoimmune disease was really disquieting) And I hope the project you have set your heart on works out the way you want
I'll be really interested to hear your take on the final Realm of the Elderlings. The last book was probably my least favorite. I liked the end end, but really despised a lot of the ways that she got there. The 'villains' and that entire setting were weak IMO and (tiny spoiler) ---- there is no way that the Fool would have left Fitz... no way....
i am having to wade through a brain fog to find my reading taste again, but after reading a book i bought in 2021, i found a book i really love so far! it gives me a glimmer of hope - perhaps i know my own tastes after all. a tale for the time being was my portal book into the booktube world as well!
Ooh cat activity...attention span lost... I am on a no buy month with the plan to make a dent in my physical TBR and I have and it's been wonderful. I have some re reads in mind over the remainder of the year too, it's always interesting to see what new themes I pick up or how I respond being older than when I first read a particular book. I enjoyed the Book of Form and Emptiness, it's not an onerous read but some interesting things to think about.
I used to reread a lot when I was a teenager and in my early 20s but now my TBR is so big I feel I need to prioritise that. Maybe I’ll get to reread again once I move towards retirement 🤣
I’ve always been a bit of a re-reader due to ongoing fantasy series, but it does get a little bit more intimidating as you get older doesn’t it. I’ve had the last book of Trudi Canavan’s Millennium Rule series on my shelf staring at me for over a year now, but I keep picking up other books and series before retreading the first three and this one.
When I first started on Booktube I didn't know what a mood reader was because to me it was just the way I always read 😂 I think I plan things out more now due to book clubs and strange desires to read the entirety of certain prize shortlists
I always enjoy your videos, I know it’s hard now but hopefully you will feel a lot better once you’ve gotten into the grove of your gluten free diet. My partner is a coeliac and I can assure you that she’s has happy life full of nice food, I even nick some of the oat bread we make because I’m a git :) I found the last 100 pages of assassins fate incredibly moving and wept openly when I put down the book, I hope you enjoy the last stretch. I picked up the Luminaries based on your recommendation and I’m really enjoying it so far, but I’m only about 140 pages in so far. I’ve gotten through three books and I’m nearing the end of the fourth. I think the luminaries will probably take up the rest of my reading bandwidth this month though.
I've been having trouble focusing on books for months and have only finished a handful. Instead, I've been listening to audio books and reading short stories & novellas.
I’m a mood reader but it’s why I keep very few unread books at a time. For me there are only two genres that feel like a mood in themselves (romance and mysteries). Other than that every book feels like it’s own mood in a way. Thousands, millions. I’ve always used the term mood reading as very book specific, so to use it as a way to justify many unread books is odd to me. I can’t keep as many reading moods as there are available on the shelf. And the whole point of the term for me, is that I can't predict my moods in the future which is what pre-buying is.
That is so interesting that you noticed how you have changed your focus on Ruth and Nao over time which I suppose is at least one point of the story. Have you read her The Face book - I found that quite profound.
I’m with you on the mood reader thing. I think that & the minimalist thing are, “performative UA-camr” things, just as I’m finding some parallels in some of the more aggressive eat clean adjacent spaces no more than a political performance like the comedian Gallagher, the watermelon sledgehammer guy. It’s unfortunate that the above readers need to be in opposition to the ePub/Kindle/library/elibrary/audiobook crowd. I only found my pace with audiobooks in the last 3 years, after listening to podcasts since Leo left TechTV/g4 to launch TWIT. I just started the 3rd book in the Amberlough Dossier (loving) & Just finished this month’s Get Lit with All Of It NYPL/WNYC virtual book club selection Our Country Friends.
I was talking to an acquaintance at a party and she said she had finished the book she was reading the night before and in the next couple of days she would go to the bookstore and get a new one. My jaw dropped. I had no response.
1:42 That is the most perfect indoor hiding spot for a cat I have ever seen.
I don't know how interesting this is, but A Tale for the Time Being is a book cemented in a very tumultuous time in my life and has been haunting me ever since. In 2015 I was starting college in NYC and A Tale for the Time Being was assigned as a sort of freshman orientation group read for every single new freshman on campus. I had read about half of it when I made the decision to drop out of college and move back home halfway across the country. I've never finished it, but have held onto it and is now this symbol of a dying dream my high school self had. Now, seven years later, I have graduated from college and law school. I'm a completely different person from who I was in 2015. I always tell myself I will go back and read it someday. For now it's a book on my shelf reminding me of who I was, where I could have been, and where I am now. Thank you for taking the time to talk about it, it really has made me think
Another great video,, the intimacy and conversational aspect you bring to your videos is very engaging and always a pleasure to tune in. Happy reading!!
Dear Jennifer,
It's good to see you take on another year of uploading. I can't tell you how lovely it is is that you continue to bring us your insights. Your years of work are appreciated, you make my day better every time you upload. I've revisited so many of your videos a number of times, they're my comfort food. Your work is charming, smart, and motivated me to keep reading, through it all. I am a reader in no small part thanks to your influence. Thanks! Also, I hope you're adjusting to your new diet and health challenges. Being gluten-free doesn't mean you have to give up all yummy baked goods forever but I'm sure it's a challenge changing your diet so radically. All the best to you and your dear kitties in 2022.
I know this isn't the point, but now I'm thinking, "Wait, when *was* the last time I Windex'ed my bathroom mirror?" 😆
When I saw your cat jump onto the shelf I was thinking my cat would almost max out the weight capacity. Then I noticed that there were two cats. 😲
I am trying to make more space for rereads this year as well, one of which will be A Tale For the Time Being. Serendipity!
It was so funny to watch you talk so seriously and your cats in the back having the best time of their lives 🙂 Your video made my may. I'm sorry about the health diagnosis but life goes one, people live. I had a friend in school who had it and she was doing pretty good. A famous influencer in France who lives in Netherlands travels to France, Spain and the US all the time and she finds food ! As I told you before, I have many food allergies so I know how it sucks in the beginning, how suddenly you find it difficult but trust me, within six months and a year, you'll be a master chef and back on your feet (like your two lovely cats !) I have three projects to turn in, with deadline in mid-Feb and mid-March, so I know how it feels - as for the mood reader, I am one though I kept telling myself otherwise. A few years ago, I would pick up 15 books (fiction, non fiction, classic) and read them all - this year I tried to join new challenges but my job and my mind weren't there. No more pressure. I gave up last week and you know what ? I read three books ! The ones I wanted to read and loved it. I read actually a Croatian one, and before two Russian (one WW2 and one contemporary), a Korean contemporary one (Untold Night and Day by Bae Suah) and this one was so special, so unique. Anyway, I recognize that I need freedom in my choices. I really loved this type of video and the speech about how as readers we grow up and can read the same book differently 😊 Have a nice week !
I read multiple books across a few categories because I don't like rushing through a work by an Author that I read for their writing style.
I've found that this balances my desire to be able to relate with others by reading more and savouring Authors I like.
It's hard to believe that there was a time when Jen's videos didn't feature cat chaos in the background. 😆 ❤️
I loved ("a take" and) "form and emptiness" but it is a lot, so I'm curious what you'll think of it.
Can't wait for the Robin Hobb round-up. I'm still intimidated by, but determined to get into that series. (I feel when so many really different folks on booktube are into something, it must be good.)
I may have an idea of what I want to read next, but the amount of times I change last minute when it actually comes to starting a new book is high. I like to follow my moods or whatever you may call it. I hardly own any unread books anymore and the pandemic had me reading mostly digital books, so there are no restrictions on what to read next. It is a lot of fun, I must admit. Hope the rest of the month picks up for you.
Always love a life/reading update 🥰
My January reading has been v bizarre. I decided to start the year with 5 poetry collections in a row, which was fun enough. But trying to pick up a novel afterward was a strain. My brain almost flipped a switch to: "Why are there so many words?!" It's been tricky trying to recenter.
Just wanted to say , you could seriously be a model ! Such beautiful features.
I’ve had an excellent reading month. I’ve read about 7 books and enjoyed all of them. One was a book I had to read (book group I’m in) and because of having read it I read two others related to the topic. And I may read a few more in February because I don’t think I’m finished with that topic. I’m about to pick up a purely mood read tonight, Grammar for a Full Life by Lawrence Weinstein.
Hi! I've never commented on one of your videos before but I always enjoy how thoughtful and considered they are, so thanks for putting out great (and relatable!) content.
A Tale for the Time Being is a personal favorite of mine and I remember hearing the critique about Ruth parts at the time that I read it, but I find them quite integral to the story and the concept of time that Ozeki explores. Because they are much slower, I really appreciated how they forced me to slow down as a reader and to sort of sit with that uncomfortable slowness. It felt like I was being interrupted from enjoying the fast pace of Nao's narrative, by being reminded of the actual passing of time. I also think it has something to say about how time is experienced at different ages.
Anyways, those are just some of my unsolicited thoughts. Good luck with the upcoming deadline! 😊
The blouse/shirt/pjs you're wearing are gorge. I re-read Normal People this week - was much better upon a re-read. I love re-reading and getting to experience moments in a book again. Currently reading a biography on Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee which is vr good. Good luck with the coeliac recipe endeavour.
My January reading month has been... Ok I suppose. One of my goals this year was to decrease my tbr by at least one book each month and I've accomplished that so far by reading one book off my tbr, dnfing another, and only purchasing one book. I have a book out from the library I'd like to finish and also a couple of books in a series I was rereading at the end of last year I'd like to finish. Which means the majority of my reading this month has not been from my tbr which is less than ideal but what can you do, you know
Re: rereading-one of the reasons for my aforementioned goal is the porportion how much I reread to reading off my tbr is a ratio I consider to be very, very broken. I'd say between 30-60% of my reading EACH YEAR is rereading which I obviously enjoy and I'm fine with enjoying that coupled with the fact I own about 500 unread books is obviously a problem.
Re: mood reading-I honestly don't know how I would be able to tell if I'm a mood reader or not? Like you, I often think ahead to my next book but the next book I read is rarely the one I thought ahead to. For instance, when I a dnfed a book earlier this month I intended to finish reading the book I have out from the library (which I have 40 minutes left of I really should finish it) or the book in the series I'd like to finish rereading but instead I found myself reading a 520,000 word fanfiction which was recommended to me on TikTok and now rereading parts of that instead and other fanfictions featuring the same pairing. And that usually happens to me: I'll have a plan of what to read next but then end up reading something completely different that hadn't even been on my radar when I'd been planning. Does that make me a mood reader? Or does that just mean I really need to "discover" things when I'm already in between books? Is it because I have ADHD? Your guess is as good as mine!
Happy reading!
Really adored this video. This is my first year on Booktube so, of course, I’m reading like I’ve never read before: voracious, inspired, and with ardent speed.
Missing a bit of that “mood reader” freedom.
Thanks for the wonderful video.
Hi Shelly :)
@@GinaStanyerBooks Hi Gina!!!!
This year I want to slow down my reading. And here I am, having read a pile of big books already. But that’s also because I reduced my internet time drastically. I never spent too much time online but now that I’ve cut out the majority of it and turned it into reading time instead it does seem that I indeed did waste a lot of time.
Super video. I enjoy your videos so much these days. Perhaps it’s because we get more about you as a person in addition to the book talk. Either way, thank you. 🙂
I’m so happy for you to get some definite answers and begin to see positive change. ❤️
Loved this chatty video. So much to think on. I normally find January super slow and this year it’s the polar opposite so my plan to read by whim has gone out the window. Ha. I loved what you said about reading at different ages and how that makes your relate to characters of different ages and situations. Fab chat.
I love these kinds of videos - so difefrent from thise formulaic booktube videos and yet we get to hear a lot about books and reading. I very much enjoyed your content the whole last year and I'm so looking forward to it this year! My reading this january hasn't gone exactly as I was hoping so I understand you...
I had to laugh out loud when you said we probably don't have 250 different moods! Recently I have started to mix in books that I give myself a push to read even when I'm not "in the mood" for them, and it's been working out pretty well (like, when am I ever going to be in the mood for Timothy Snyder's The Road to Unfreedom? But it's pushing my mind to be more flexible, and I love it)
I wish you all the best with dealing with the celiac disease! (it was both terrifying and a relief for me when I got diagnosed with my autoimmune disease - there was an explanation for these weird symptoms, but the thought of having an autoimmune disease was really disquieting) And I hope the project you have set your heart on works out the way you want
I'll be really interested to hear your take on the final Realm of the Elderlings. The last book was probably my least favorite. I liked the end end, but really despised a lot of the ways that she got there. The 'villains' and that entire setting were weak IMO and (tiny spoiler) ---- there is no way that the Fool would have left Fitz... no way....
i am having to wade through a brain fog to find my reading taste again, but after reading a book i bought in 2021, i found a book i really love so far! it gives me a glimmer of hope - perhaps i know my own tastes after all. a tale for the time being was my portal book into the booktube world as well!
Ooh cat activity...attention span lost... I am on a no buy month with the plan to make a dent in my physical TBR and I have and it's been wonderful. I have some re reads in mind over the remainder of the year too, it's always interesting to see what new themes I pick up or how I respond being older than when I first read a particular book. I enjoyed the Book of Form and Emptiness, it's not an onerous read but some interesting things to think about.
I used to reread a lot when I was a teenager and in my early 20s but now my TBR is so big I feel I need to prioritise that. Maybe I’ll get to reread again once I move towards retirement 🤣
I’ve always been a bit of a re-reader due to ongoing fantasy series, but it does get a little bit more intimidating as you get older doesn’t it. I’ve had the last book of Trudi Canavan’s Millennium Rule series on my shelf staring at me for over a year now, but I keep picking up other books and series before retreading the first three and this one.
When I first started on Booktube I didn't know what a mood reader was because to me it was just the way I always read 😂 I think I plan things out more now due to book clubs and strange desires to read the entirety of certain prize shortlists
I always enjoy your videos, I know it’s hard now but hopefully you will feel a lot better once you’ve gotten into the grove of your gluten free diet. My partner is a coeliac and I can assure you that she’s has happy life full of nice food, I even nick some of the oat bread we make because I’m a git :)
I found the last 100 pages of assassins fate incredibly moving and wept openly when I put down the book, I hope you enjoy the last stretch.
I picked up the Luminaries based on your recommendation and I’m really enjoying it so far, but I’m only about 140 pages in so far.
I’ve gotten through three books and I’m nearing the end of the fourth. I think the luminaries will probably take up the rest of my reading bandwidth this month though.
Aha! But what if one wants to have 10 options for each of their 17 moods?!
really enjoyed this as usual ! ❤️
I've been having trouble focusing on books for months and have only finished a handful. Instead, I've been listening to audio books and reading short stories & novellas.
"The Books of Jacob" by Olga Tokarczuk has been my main January read - I highly recommend it!
I’m a mood reader but it’s why I keep very few unread books at a time. For me there are only two genres that feel like a mood in themselves (romance and mysteries). Other than that every book feels like it’s own mood in a way. Thousands, millions. I’ve always used the term mood reading as very book specific, so to use it as a way to justify many unread books is odd to me. I can’t keep as many reading moods as there are available on the shelf. And the whole point of the term for me, is that I can't predict my moods in the future which is what pre-buying is.
That is so interesting that you noticed how you have changed your focus on Ruth and Nao over time which I suppose is at least one point of the story. Have you read her The Face book - I found that quite profound.
At 3 am ? Yeahhhh
I highly recommend Gluten Freedom by Alessio Fasano
I’m with you on the mood reader thing. I think that & the minimalist thing are, “performative UA-camr” things, just as I’m finding some parallels in some of the more aggressive eat clean adjacent spaces no more than a political performance like the comedian Gallagher, the watermelon sledgehammer guy. It’s unfortunate that the above readers need to be in opposition to the ePub/Kindle/library/elibrary/audiobook crowd. I only found my pace with audiobooks in the last 3 years, after listening to podcasts since Leo left TechTV/g4 to launch TWIT.
I just started the 3rd book in the Amberlough Dossier (loving) & Just finished this month’s Get Lit with All Of It NYPL/WNYC virtual book club selection Our Country Friends.
I am here for the mood reader slander. I still say hits different, but I'm real close to Ruth's age so don't listen to me!
Hey