Hi Petrik! I'm reading Holmes right now and loving it. The mysteries themselves are not always as well executed as the 1920-40s Golden Age Detective novels (Christie, Carr, etc. etc.) but they're compulsively readable and short. The longest book is 300ish pages. I would recommend published reading order, starting with A Study in Scarlet and Sign of Four before jumping into the first of the short story volumes (Adventures), but you could read them in mostly any order.
Yes, stop after the Millennium trilogy. When the author died, his family hired another author to keep the series going. Stieg Larsson's girlfriend got nothing because they were not married. But she may have an unpublished manuscript of Larsson's. Also, check out the Swedish films of all three books. Noomi Rapace is as awesome as Lisbeth Salander in those movies.
Noted! Thanks for the advice and input. Also, I actually watched the Swedish film of the first book, and I found it superb. That was a long time ago, though. Not sure I remember much of the story and details now. :)
Speaks the Nightbird is very good. The sense of place, colonial America is so well portrayed by the author as is the lead character Matthew Corbett. It’s a detailed but entertaining read.
Just finished The Sword of Kaigen today! Another 10/10 book for me! Thanks for the awesome recommendations! Every book I have read this year has been wonderful and most of my reading list has come from your recommendations.
Go for Pillars of the Earth! I'm a huge fantasy fan but I'll tell you this, Pillars of the Earth is my #1 book on my top 5 list. I think many fantasy fans like it because it's in a medieval setting. If you like A Game of Thrones then you’ll like Pillars of the Earth. There's a lot of plotting and as one of your commentors said the villains you love to hate. This book has a bit of everything even romance. Good luck and Happy reading to you.
As a science fiction fan, I might also recommend this to science fiction readers in an odd way: the description of the reasoning, techniques, and tools used in the building construction has a nerdy, eager engineering feel to it. A really fun exploration of knowledge and problem-solving given certain limitations. Those who like that aspect of hard-er science fiction might find that compelling.
I've only read the Millennium trilogy, but it is great. Lisbeth Salander is one of the most iconic and memorable characters in all literature, for me at least. I've only read the original trilogy, so I can't speak for the rest, but I've heard they aren't worth the time.
From all I've heard I have a feeling Pillars of the Earth is going to be a major hit for both of us when we finally get to it. And YES The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is sooooo good! My grandma actually recommended that one to me (when I was 17) and I still don't know how she thought that dark content was appropriate but I was enthralled hahaha. Don't know why I haven't read the other two books yet, I should do that sometime soon! Hope you enjoy all of these when you get to them! 🤩
Thank you, my friend! From everyone's comment, it seems like Kingsbridge will be a hit with us. And it's so cool your grandma recommended The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo! :D
Ah, Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These two names are legendary enough as they are, and rightly so. I've read all the original works, and let me tell you very honestly... the bar is set very high on this one. SH has been a part of my life since childhood. From reading the stories, to watching Jeremy Brett in the old TV show, to watching the movies of RDJ, and of course to the newer adaptation by BBC starring Benedict Cumberbatch (and many more SH related stuff, including visiting Baker Street physically! Yes, I'm a massive fan!). I would say that SH is the pinnacle of detective fiction, and the foundation for the genre we see today. No doubt it inspired countless authors and people in general. Also, how amazing does that special edition look?! Can't wait for you to read the stories and share your thoughts. Petrik, my brother, you better get that magnifying glass out already!
Thank you so much! Haha I'm excited about it. Kinda insane that I still haven't read Sherlock Holmes yet. As you said, the series has inspired countless stories in other medium that I read, watched, or played. I will have to read the original source! And yeah, this special edition is magnificent. So beautiful!
Great video and choices. Doyle is pure mystery, you have to enjoy that. Kingsbridge is a definite, planning a re read. I have read both Pillars and World Without End, both are fantastic. The settings and characters are incredible. Read the Larsson series, the first was extremely good. McCammon is so underrated, read some of his books years and only recently pick up the Corbett books, and have gone thru two, they are so atmospheric. Well get to these selections, LOL.
Thank you so much, Frank! Loved hearing your opinion on these series I haven't read. I plan to read at least Pillars of the Earth and World Without End next year. For McCammon, I will read them for sure. I think Robert McCammon said Leviathan will be finished by late 2024 or early 2025! :)
_The Pillars of the Earth_ is absolutely worth reading. I read it a few years ago, and I remember the story much more vividly than many books that I have otherwise liked more. It is written in a way that the story feels like I was _there,_ like I had seen what happened. Very immersive style. That does not usually happen to me even with the best books.
I've read the first two of the Wolf Hall series & thought they were really great. Need to read the last one. I don't thing they are super inaccessible if you don't have a detailed history knowledge, and nothing a quick stop on Wikipedia won't give you a quick education on! It's very cool to have these perspectives of other historical figures besides the ones we know so well...
Awesome! Glad to hear that. I agree with you. It's very cool to have a new perspective on other historical figures. That's a part of why I love historical fiction. Usually it lead me to do more research on the historical figures! :)
I’ve only made it to the Sherlock Holmes portion and, I have to say, that is an EXCELLENT selection of the stories. Several of those are favorites of mine. I love all of the stories but you have the best of the best in there. It’s not necessary to read anything before you read those, but of the ones in the collection, I would start with A Scandal in Bohemia, as that’s the first ever Sherlock short story. Pillars of the Earth is on my TBR, so hearing what you think would be great. Everyone seems to love it. I loved The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. The other two books in the Millennium Trilogy are still really good, but not AS good, if that makes sense. It’s an excellent crime fiction trilogy.
Awesome! I'll keep that in mind. Good to know I can just start from anywhere I want with Sherlock Holmes. I'll most likely start with A Study in Scarlet or A Scandal in Bohemia! I definitely will read Pillars of the Earth next year. And it seems like many agree Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the best of the trilogy. I will read the trilogy! :)
I loved the Kingsbridge series! Follett writes enemies you love to hate. The books can be exhausting because the villains are relentless and you just want the protagonist to get a win once in a while 😂 Personally, if you’re going to give it a try, definitely start with Pillars. They’re all standalone and that one is my favourite.
Absolutely read the Millennium trilogy at least. I have continued on with the 4th book and did enjoy it. It felt like a Larsson book but it was obviously different. I did the audiobook of them and Simon Vance is amazing.
I will be starting Ken Follet series in 24 and I can say with no hesitation Mathew Corbett is a must. Next to the two you have read this McCammon's best work. Think Holmes vs Moriarity but you get to start the journey with the protagonist as a boy and follow his adventures. Has a good dash of the super natural folded into it.
Guess I'll have to catch up on your reading progress eventually for Kingsbridge. And soooo awesome to hear your praise about Matthew Corbett. I love Swan Song and Boys Life very much already. I hope the news on Leviathan will be out soon, and then I will read the series! :)
I read the Sherlock Holmes stories as a teenager and and loved them. The Millennium Trilogy is great, haven't read anything past that, but have hear they are not good. Happy reading!
What a beautiful copy of Sherlock Holmes! I've read Sherlock Holmes and I think that's an easy one to start with, since it's a collection of short stories. You can try one out or read one in between your TBR books. For The Millennium series, I was blown away by the first book, enjoyed the second book, and also kind of enjoyed the third book, but thought the first was the best. Haven't read the other series
Thank you so much! It's such a beautiful copy. Hard to resist reading it. I think there's a good chance I will follow your advice on Sherlock Holmes! :)
So many of these are on my want to read list. I have read the first two in the Millennium trilogy and they are really good, great characters, well told mystery with enough thriller to keep you riveted to the story. I'm hoping to get to the third one before the end of the year
Huh. I finished the entire Holmes series (the original series) when I was like 9. I have yet to read any of the others, even though I own both Millennium and Corbett.
Absolutely read Wolf's Hall. The first book is strange though with how often Hilary Mantel uses the word "He" but whenever you see "He" it's 99% of the time talking about the MC.
Oh, I love everything Sherlock Holmes! Be it the original stories and novels or the many, many interpretations in film, TV, books or games. There are so many. Like NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writing novels about Sherlock's brother Mycroft. Or Neil Gaiman mixing Holmes and Lovecraft in his short story Study in Emerald, which I think is amazing (that one is for free on his website. The PDF looks like an old newspaper, with ads and everything). But for now, I think the collection offers a great selection of stories to see, if you like it. Enjoy!
Thank you for the input! I definitely will read Sherlock Holmes. It has been a while since I experienced Sherlock and Watson's story. Might as well go back to the original! :)
Sherlock Holmes was the first english book I ever read(was a short story collection), but it amazed me so much that for the next 4 years those were the only books I read. Hound of Baskerville holds a special place for me since it was my first novel, its in my top 5 novels along with a few of malazan n stormlight novels even though its probably not as good lol.
That's wonderful, though. Glad to hear Sherlock Holmes has such a special place in your heart! I think it's a very different series compared to Malazan or Stormlight. :)
Pillars of the Earth is my 3rd favorite novel after Lonesome Dove and Shogun. The new one in that series is very good. Follett is an amazing writer and an interesting guy all around.
I am a big fan of Ken Follett. I knkw the size of his books can appear intimidating, but the way Follett writes is very accessible. In fact i see frequent readers criticise his simple prose, as if telling a story as simply as possible is a crime. Kingsbridge is fantasyic. Im also a very, VERY big fan of his Century trilogy, which is a multiple family saga that spans just before WW1 all the way through to about 2011. It covers extensively life in the two world wars, and does so with events and scenarios often overlooked. If i was to liken him to a fantasy author, id compsre his prose to someone like Sanderson. He writes to entertain, and his brilliant research is also very informative and educational. His characters are diverse and i think brilliantly written, even when you dont like them
Oh! I didn't know that you're a fan of Ken Follett's books. I have a LOT to catch up on. I haven't read any of his books. I'm sure if I end up loving Kingsbridge, I will read his Century trilogy. As you know, I have no issue with simple prose. Never get the criticisms on that kind of prose anyway. :)
@@PetrikLeo yeah i adore him! He has some terrific standalones as well. He makes history as gripping and fascinating to read as an epic fantasy. I was gripped by the first two Century books the same way I was Robin Hobb. Just so immersed and touched by the events and characters, especially the Russian setting in book one
Cool! I plan to read The Kingsbridge Trilogy next yr... 🤔 or at least start it! 📖😃👍I really liked Follett's Century Trilogy. I've read the Millennium Trilogy by Larsson and really liked it. I haven't read the other books that his son finished after Stieg passed away.
Sherlock Holmes can be read in any order. *A Study in Scarlet* is technically the beginning, but I don't think it's the best introduction. I would say to just read the book you have and then seek out others if you like those stories. *The Hound of the Baskervilles* is probably the best of the longer novels, and the earlier short story collections are generally considered better than the last couple.
I bought the Pillars of Earth last week to start soon. The series sounds great. As far as Sherlock, I have read some of the stories and I do like them. I should maybe do 1 or 2 between books to just get through them.
I tried Wolf Hall and DNFed it. The writing style was just not for me. It sort of cuts from scene to scene but it's ahead in time so it came off too choppy for me. I really hope to read Pillars of thr Earth in the next year or two. And I'm so glad they're standalones (based on other comments here). I've read his Century Trilogy and it's one of my all time favorite books/trilogies
I looked into the BBC Sherlock eps and the original short stories/novels they were drawing from and that enhanced my reading experience and watching experience! Because while the BBC show IS very different, they absolutely pay homage to the original writing and it was delightful to pick out some of the subtler references.
Sherlock Holmes is amazing stuff, very dry but fantastic. I would say you can for sure read that book, most people know the whole point of Sherlock Holmes in passing, so you won't lose any lore or anything by reading them. Kingsbridge is brilliant. Wolf Hall... It won awards for a reason. I think it's fairly underrated on booktube though to be honest. I read it not knowing much about Thomas Cromwell, although I did go and read about 15 history books of the period after reading it hahaha so... it was a good primer for the history I think.
Thank you for your comment! I guess that's true regarding Sherlock Holmes. I'm thinking about it too much due to the way I read multiple epic fantasy series hahaha. I look forward to reading Kingsbridge next year! And maybe Wolf Hall, too! :)
There's an incredibly good adaptation of Wolf Hall with outstanding acting that you could watch before reading the books so you can get to know who Cromwell was. As a Spanish I didn't go into detail on English history when I was in school, only the most important things or whatever had impact for the Spain of that day and age. This series can be watched or read without knowing anything about Cromwell, because it's thanks to the series or the books that you get to know who he was and what he did. Personally I would start Sherlock Holmes with "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and the "A Study in Scarlett"
Thank you for your input on Wolf Hall trilogy. Only now I know there's a TV adaptation of it hahaha. I think I will start Sherlock Holmes from A Study in Scarlet! :)
As a foreighner I can say that the writing style for Sherlok Holmes is an older one and a bit difficult. Except the last series you mentioned I avoid the rest as I know they have trigger warnings for sexism, something I hate experiencing in my books.
I would do a little research before reading Wolf Hall, only because you should at least familiarize yourself with the (many) names and have at least a passing idea of how they all relate. You don't have to do a deep dive, but knowing who Cromwell and Moore and some others are will be helpful in understanding their importance.
Pillars of the Earth is excellent. I'm a lot less enthused about the other books - I've read them all and they are good, but KF has a bit of a 'template' for his characters /plots for this series and it gets a little bit stale after a couple of books. Certainly I'd allow gaps between the books at a minimum.
Thank you for the advice! That's my plan at the moment, I will read Pillars of the Earth and then take a few months before tackling the next one. Thankfully, they're all standalones! :)
The pillars of the earth also has an excellent TV miniseries with Ian McShane and Rufus Sewell that I can highly recommend. The 8 episodes went by before I even realized it, it was great!
@@PetrikLeoThere is even a point & click adventure game from 2017 by Daedalic Entertainment. 😂 I loved the mini series too. Was how i first discovered it.
I would highly recommend reading Sherlock holmes. Connan Doyle is an absolute genius when it comes to mystery plus his character Sherlock Holmes is morally gray and eccentric. Connan Doyle also put some interesting social commentary into the Sherlock holmes stories. I read Sherlock Holmes as a kid and I loved it. The social commentary in Sherlock Holmes is so relevant to today is really interesting and at times really funny which is why I love the adventures of Sherlock holmes. You could start anywhere with Sherlock Holmes honestly. Ken follet is considered the king of writing historical fiction so definitely read his books.
Thank you so much, Keziah! I totally will read Sherlock Holmes. Most likely sooner than later. And for Ken Follett, based on everyone's comment, I don't think I can postpone Pillars of the Earth for long. Will read it early next year! :)
If you love Sherlock, I would highly recommend the CBS series Elementary. Johnny Lee Miller is an excellent Holmes. Also Lucy Liu is a great Dr Watson. Lastly, I think it’s a better modern adaption than the BBC Sherlock.
I love Sherlock Holmes Petrik! Definitely give it a try, and check out the BBC series from the 80s - 90s with Jeremy Brett. It’s my favorite adaptation. I also highly recommend the Millennium trilogy.
Well rite off I can tell you the Millennium trilogy is top-notch reading already years ago when it first came out. The first trilogy is awesome. Lizabeth is one of the best female protagonist that I've ever read but only the first three books I started some Sherlock Holmes years ago in the writing was to dry so I couldn't finish I don't know anything about the rest of these books it's the month of October so I'm reading horror and I am about a hundred pages into the Boatman's Daughter by Andy Davidson another good video by the best booktuber on UA-cam
I didn't know that there's a new book in the kingsbridge series I have read most of the books except for column of fire I love the storytelling in the series definitely worth a read especially if you love epic sagas
I loved both the Sherlock adaptations with Benedict Cumberbatch and RDJ, and I love the original source material too. When I read it it felt so nostalgic even though I was reading it for the first time. Not sure what order to read it in though since I read a complete collection 😝. As for the millennium trilogy, I loved them when I read them many years ago, but now all I can really remember is the excessive amounts of open sandwhiches consumed 🤣.
Haha I think I will feel the same when I read Sherlock Holmes even though I never read them. I have the Complete Collection! I probably will read that, too. :) Also, it's funny open sandwiches is what you remember most about Millenium trilogy. 🤣
Sad that the hound of the Baskerville is not there I think that was the best of Sherlock Holmes works that special edition looks amazing. The series was good but don’t compare it with the book. You have to remember it is more in tune with the time it was written. You might find it a little slow. But the conclusions always makes up for it
do sherlock holmes :) read it back to back with lord darcy. same setting, just that magic is most likely involved in the crimes, lord darcy is the sleuth and the "watson" is a kingdom/state approved and registered mage
Ok l got too excited about Sherlock, l do a second comment on the others. I love the original Sherlock Holmes stories, and also the BBC adaptation (S1 and S2) which was a great modernized version. Very clever how they 'updated' things to modern times. Think of it like a jazz improvisation on a theme... they kind of took the ideas and remixed them. For Wolf Hall, I haven't read the books but l watched the 6 part miniseries which is based on them, which is also excellent. I didn't need to know too much history, it kind of shows you who Thomas Cromwell is/becomes... I'm also interested in Pillars of the Earth, because of the cathedral building part 😂
Haha no worries! And that's a great way to look at the Sherlock Holmes adaptation. I found out there's a TV show adaptation of Wolf Hall just now, and I will have to watch that eventually. Now the dilemma begins. To watch or to read the book first hahaha!
I have read the Millenium trilogy, and I really love it! There are some cringy parts in the last two books, but I definitely think it’s worth it! I haven’t read the other 3 books that are in this same world because I am afraid they would ruin the original trilogy 😅. The books are really smart, and you can tell the author was a journalist, but the plot is captivating and the action is page turning! I really like the author’s prose and the way he tells the story. I vote for you to try the Millenium trilogy! I really hope you like it!
I think the cringy parts in last two books and ridicilous storyline that is absolutely different in tone with the first book really took over those two books. I gave them 2 and 1 stars out of 5 respectively. My wife couldn't even finish them. The first book had a captivating plot, I agree (the inner story). The captivating plot was nowhere to be found in 2nd and 3rd.
@@Rendref yeah, some people I know couldn’t get over the cringy parts either. The cringy parts are suuuuper cringy 😂. They were definitely unnecessary and took away from the story. I wish they weren’t there. Some members of my book club and I were able to ignore that part and still found the story to be good. It definitely won’t work for some people though, so I understand why you and your wife didn’t like it. The first book is worth it at least lol!
I've read all of Knightbridge novels (including Armour of Light) and the Millennium trilogy. Both are pretty good, though Knightbridge is brilliant at times (World without End and the Pillars of the earth. I found the prequel was the weakest. The Armour of light was very readable). I have read the first four Matthew Corbett books- the first 3 are brilliant, the 4th- the providence rider wasn't so great. Th Millennium trilogy is compelling and easy to read, but nothing too earth shattering. The main character is interesting but what seemed fresh in late 90's may seem jaded and hackneyed nowadays.
Awesome to hear your thoughts. I look forward to reading all of these. I think many agreed with you on Kingsbridge that Pillars and World Without End are the best of them all! :)
@@PetrikLeo thanks I'd rank Knightsbridge as: 1: Pillars of the Earth 2: World without End 3: The Armour of Light 4: A Column of Fire 5: In the morning and the evening the duology of Speaks the NIghtbird (Matthew Corbett) is really worth reading, whether you continue reading the rest or not. Those two are near peak McCammon
@@PetrikLeo it’s a story about building a cathedral. The cathedral it talks about is in Salisbury England if you ever visit the area ( not too far from Stonehenge)
Sherlock Holmes is meant to be read as short stories. There are only a couple of novels. Having read all of Sherlock several times with the exception of reading A Study in Scarlet first, I think you can really go in any order you like. Once you read Pillars of the Earth you will not stop thinking about it…ever. I read these when they came out and I still think of them often. Take your time with them though. You can easily read just one a year and not get too far away to keep going without reread. Wolf Hall will grab you by the throat if for no other reason than knowing that it isn’t at all far from what really happened. As a side note, the hard to find UK hardback box set is simple but nice if you don’t want to go all the way to Folio. Mantel absolutely deserved the Booker for this series. This is the story of how insane people get when they refuse to separate greed, power, religion, and faith. It’s a LOT but I don’t think you need to know UK history to understand it. I think that can add to it but the basic story Mantel is telling is universal and in no way confined to the boarders of one island. (I think this series should have earned Mantel the Nobel in literature but the committee was busy awarding it to literary fiction that no one reads. And yes, I’m bitter.) Only read Steig Larssen when you can read them back to back to back because 😮. I know there are politics around the continuation books (so I bought beautiful used copies) but I do think they are very nearly as good as the first three. Not quite but close. There is a very nice hardback set of the first three that is easy to pick up if you eventually want them. What to read first? You can fit Holmes in as pallet cleansers between other things so that is easy. Pillars can be read very slowly and the series broken apart so that makes that easy too. Between Mantel and Larssen? They are both modern classics in their respective genres and they both will hold up for a very long time. It really comes down to your reading mood. I have not read Corbett so I’m not useful there. Maybe this helps otherwise though?
These are totally helpful, my friend! And I definitely will read all of them. I think Pillars of the Earth will take priority first next year. It seems like that one has the biggest chance of hooking me in. And good to know about Sherlock Holmes reading guide and Millenium trilogy hardback! I might have to get those someday! :)
Yes! You can definitely start Sherlock Holmes with the short story collection that you have. In fact, l think The Speckled Band was the first short story l read... actually most of the Sherlock Holmes oeuvre is short stories. There are just 4 novellas/novels, if l remember correctly. A Study in Scarlet is chronologically first as it tells how Holmes and Watson met, but you don't need to read it first. The others are the Sign of Four and the Hound of the Baskervilles... hm, I'm forgetting the last one. Traditionally (after being first released individually in the magazine), the short stories were published in various collections like "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" etc. Yours seems to be a mixture from the different collections. In terms of the short stories/collections, most are pretty independent, except the one with the final Holmes/Moriarty showdown (the Final Problem?), which should come after the other Moriarty stories and before the Adventure of the Empty House. It's not a big deal if those are out of order, just might be a bit confusing 😂. Anyway l believe the stories are all out of copyright so you can get them free on Project Gutenberg and such. Or Kindle editions (maybe with better formatting) that you can get cheaply also. If you read the stories in your book and like them, you could get the Complete Sherlock Holmes electronically for the rest. (With your book, l think you can read those stories in any order, except Final Problem before Empty House! You could just read them in the order they are presented, that might be in publication order for those particular stories, tho there were plenty of others in between)
Hahaha, it seems like you have a great investment in Sherlock Holmes! Thank you so much for providing your opinion and thoughts. I already have Complete Sherlock Holmes Volume 1 and 2, which I think cover everything ever published in Sherlock Holmes. So I guess I'll just read them together with this beautiful special edition. :)
I vote for Matthew Corbett and Kingsbridge series. I absolutely love Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. One of the best books I've read and I see no reason for you not giving them 5 stars :-) Matthew Corbett, though I have not read yet, it is Robert McCammon and he is one of my favorite authors. WIll be reading it myself next year. As for Millenium trilogy... man, I cannot hold my contempt for that series. The first book was okay (it was even good inside the framing story), but the second and the third books are worse than I could ever imagine. We read shopping lists of main character, a bloatload of meaningless scenes, and the whole story is such a drasticly differently in tone and execution than the first book... Also the story gets absolutely ridicilous, imo (maybe it is because it deals with some Soviet/Russian characters and it is more often than not comes cringy and trashy from authors who don't really know how to write about Soviet-related matters - I am harsh on that because of my origins), by the end of book 3 I thought I am reading a cartoon for the mentally challenged.
Kingsbridge and Matthew Corbett are certainly my priority for now. Once I hear more news on the release date of Leviathan, I will start Matthew Corbett immediately. As for Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, both of them will be read within next year! :) Too bad about Millenium Trilogy, but at least you still enjoyed the first book. I hope I'll have better luck with the series!
My possibly unpopular opinion on the series chosen. 1) I loved the Millennium Trilogy. I agree with everyone who said to match it with watching their Swedish movies after. 2) I am not sure if you will like The Pillars of the Earth. I liked it when I originally read it. However, it was very early on in my reading career. Since then I have read a lot of amazing (particularly fantasy) books and series have brilliant world building and in depth characterisations and character developments. I recently tried to reread POTE and I struggled to finish it. While I loved the descriptions of the architecture, I realised how one dimensional all of the characters are i.e. the good guys were very good (no moral ambiguity) and the bad guys were basically cartoonish moustache twirling villains. The female characters were all whores, witches and SA victims (or some kind of combination of those three). There’s also a lot of weird sex scenes. Let’s just say that the author clearly loves big boobs. I found that the 2nd book in the series is kind of the same as the 1st. Despite being set like 200 years later all of the characters were basically (poor man) versions of characters in the first book. There was only one original character was a girl named Gwendolyn that I did really like. All this to say I did not hate the books but I definitely would not recommend them. No hate to the author or those that loved the series as it is clearly well loved. 3) I struggled to get into Wolf Hall. I think it was quite confusing. The author would often refer to people as “he” instead of naming them. E.g. multiple men would be in a room talking and it was say he said “…..”, He replied “….” Etc and I struggled to know which he in the room was being referred to. This may just be a me thing as I do not know much about the actual history and probably found it more confusing then others. That being said I do think Hilary Mantel is a talented writer and you may enjoy the series. Sorry for my extra long reply.
That is one of the longest comments I've ever received haha. Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinion! I will still read them all and form my opinion on them. For Wolf Hall, I think someone mentioned the same thing about the constant usage of "he".
Just a warning with Kingsbridge. Once you read one it feels like you read them all. Read Pillars of the Earth and then see if you want to go back to the Evening and the Morning or progress to the world without end. I don't know about his thrillers but Follet book feels the same once you read one of the Kingsbridge and his other trilogy that starts with Fall of Giants (the name currently escapes me).
Pillars of the Earth is one of those books that you read for 18 hours uninterrupted and makes you skip meals. I think it's one the most beloved contemporary works of fiction.
I recommend reading one Sherlock Holmes story a month. After a year you will be done. I do not think you will have to be concerned about a reading order.
Noted! Yeah, I think I've been thinking about reading order the way I treat fantasy books too much hahaha. I will just read anything in it when I'm in the right reading mood! :)
Sherlock Holmes is a MUST and you are in heresy for not having read It yet! The order is not really that important, so you can read that gorgeous edition of yours, the stories in there are among the greatest, and some of them were "adapted" in Cumberbatch's show. But do not expect the batmanesque style from RDJ's films. The action is scarce. I read the Millenium trilogy back when they became best -sellers. It is really entertaining but not very dissimilar to the Swedish films. I also stopped after reading Larson's last. Pillars of the Earth... I read the original novel many years ago. And did not keep on reading the sequels. Basically because I want my historical fiction historically accurate, and you had people from the middle ages acting as if they were people from the end of the 20th century. If you want quality historical fiction search for Robert Graves' novels, especially the I, Claudius duology. I don't know about Mantell's or MacCammon's series, but do look good. Good reading! And start with Holmes!
The Millenium trilogy is great. I would not continue past the third book because it has a satisfying conclusion. The fourth is pretty good, but I think the other ones are mediocre or bad. I’m not continuing the series, which is a shame because Lisbeth is an iconic character.
Sherlock homes! Defenetly. I think is sandersons top 5 clasics after les miserables. You askt if we knew your taist by now, let me see: you like grim dark, fantasy, dragonraiders and not much romance. Hope im right.😊
Kingsbridge is good!.. my god I'm hooked. I'm almost done with Pillars, Follett has this way of keeping you interested he plays with the human condition frequently; thing's like romance and the like keep you interested. It sound's boring but damn is it interesting, the quality of the characters; along with the multi-perspective story telling style are so so dynamic; I never found myself lost with what was going on between characters. It's political like Game of thrones and grim/ bloody like a Abercrombie novel. it has impressed me. The book's are cheap on Thriftbook
Thank you for the comment! It sounds like a book I will end up loving. I believe my friend actually got me a copy of Pillars of the Earth recently. I haven't received the book yet but shouldn't be long from now. 😁
@@PetrikLeo Follett’s writing is pretty basic and yeah, the quirks he has re leg, underarm, chest and pubic hair is really bizarre. His characters aren’t great either but the setting is what everyone seems to love. I personally find Pillars lacking a strong central conflict but most people are so engrossed by the setting that it doesn’t bother them.
These are Victorian novels so ignore the recent incarnations; read that beautiful bound section, his prose is artfully pleasing to read and fascinating the way he weaves the mystery in Conan Doyle is one of England’s finest writers, and I don’t say that lightly Pillars of the Earth is mighty indeed, another classic writer and you will love it Steig Larson sadly died early, and the first three are the ones to read; watch the Nordic version of films featuring Noomi Rapace in the title role - still, the books are better but ONLY the 1st 3 Thomas Cromwell is one of the most influential, and divisive, characters in English history - Hilary Mantell (R.I.P) did win the man booker prize for Wolf Hall and it’s a wonderfully epic story woven around the throne, the church and the burgeoning parliament … it’s masterful and brilliantly written Robert McCrammon, not read any of his and be very interested in this as will be getting the two you mention I’d start with Wolf Hall
Noted! Thank you for your input. I definitely will read Sherlock Holmes and Pillars of the Earth next year. I look forward to reading Thomas Cromwell trilogy and Millenium trilogy, too, but based on what everyone said here, I think Kingsbridge and Sherlock Holmes will take precedence. :)
Sherlock Holmes stories can be for the most part read in any order. I'd just start at the beginning of the book and read those. Pillars of the Earth is one of the worst books I've ever read. It was bad when it first came out, but reading it as a modern reader I can't stand the treatment of female characters by the author. I'm not talking about how they're often mistreated in the book, I'm talking about how the author slights them and treats them as unimportant objects. The cathedral building was interesting, but the characters were often cartoonish.
Noted! And I think this is the first negative opinion on Pillars of the Earth in today's video. Good to have contrasting opinion. I look forward to reading it and find out how it will go for me! :)
@@PetrikLeo Good luck! You should probably be made aware that Follett got a LOT of the history wrong in the books too. His idea of medieval life was really uninformed and inaccurate and more based upon what people assume things were like than what they actually were like.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Absolutely yes to the millennium trilogy! Lisbeth is such a compelling MC
I already liked her in the movie, I think I will like her more in the books. 😄
Hi Petrik! I'm reading Holmes right now and loving it. The mysteries themselves are not always as well executed as the 1920-40s Golden Age Detective novels (Christie, Carr, etc. etc.) but they're compulsively readable and short. The longest book is 300ish pages. I would recommend published reading order, starting with A Study in Scarlet and Sign of Four before jumping into the first of the short story volumes (Adventures), but you could read them in mostly any order.
Thank you for the suggestion! At the very least, I think I might read A Study in Scarlet first and then move on to read all the rest in any order. 😁
Yes, stop after the Millennium trilogy. When the author died, his family hired another author to keep the series going. Stieg Larsson's girlfriend got nothing because they were not married. But she may have an unpublished manuscript of Larsson's. Also, check out the Swedish films of all three books. Noomi Rapace is as awesome as Lisbeth Salander in those movies.
Noted! Thanks for the advice and input. Also, I actually watched the Swedish film of the first book, and I found it superb. That was a long time ago, though. Not sure I remember much of the story and details now. :)
I love the Sweedish films.
Speaks the Nightbird is very good. The sense of place, colonial America is so well portrayed by the author as is the lead character Matthew Corbett. It’s a detailed but entertaining read.
@@joebo7777 Cool. Thanks. That is my favorite time in American history.
Great list! I binged the Matthew Corbett series this year and it was great. Once I started I couldn't stop, great characters.
Thank you! Good to know another set of amazing books bu McCammon awaits me! 😁
Just finished The Sword of Kaigen today! Another 10/10 book for me! Thanks for the awesome recommendations! Every book I have read this year has been wonderful and most of my reading list has come from your recommendations.
Woohoo! The best self-pub book of all time! Glad you loved it. And thanks for the kind words. Always glad to hear my recommendation clicking well!
Found this video and subscribed to your channel! I love your style and we share many opinions.
Keep up and read Sherlock! 😊 Bye from Italy!
@@MariannaD934 hey thank you, Marianna! Thanks for the reminder to read Sherlock, too! 🤩
Go for Pillars of the Earth! I'm a huge fantasy fan but I'll tell you this, Pillars of the Earth is my #1 book on my top 5 list. I think many fantasy fans like it because it's in a medieval setting. If you like A Game of Thrones then you’ll like Pillars of the Earth. There's a lot of plotting and as one of your commentors said the villains you love to hate. This book has a bit of everything even romance. Good luck and Happy reading to you.
Oh wow! That is VERY high praise, Cynthia. Thanks for letting me know. I certainly will read it next year! Maybe early next year! :)
As a science fiction fan, I might also recommend this to science fiction readers in an odd way: the description of the reasoning, techniques, and tools used in the building construction has a nerdy, eager engineering feel to it. A really fun exploration of knowledge and problem-solving given certain limitations. Those who like that aspect of hard-er science fiction might find that compelling.
It’s medieval setting feels like a fantasy without the dragons, magic etc.
I've only read the Millennium trilogy, but it is great. Lisbeth Salander is one of the most iconic and memorable characters in all literature, for me at least. I've only read the original trilogy, so I can't speak for the rest, but I've heard they aren't worth the time.
That's great! I haven't read the books yet, but I like Lisbeth in the movie adaptation already. I expect her to be more iconic in the books! :)
From all I've heard I have a feeling Pillars of the Earth is going to be a major hit for both of us when we finally get to it. And YES The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is sooooo good! My grandma actually recommended that one to me (when I was 17) and I still don't know how she thought that dark content was appropriate but I was enthralled hahaha. Don't know why I haven't read the other two books yet, I should do that sometime soon!
Hope you enjoy all of these when you get to them! 🤩
Thank you, my friend! From everyone's comment, it seems like Kingsbridge will be a hit with us. And it's so cool your grandma recommended The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo! :D
Hi 👋 some interesting books on your list.. I hope they are great!! 👍 happy reading to you!! 🎉
Thank you. Happy reading to you, too!
Ah, Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These two names are legendary enough as they are, and rightly so. I've read all the original works, and let me tell you very honestly... the bar is set very high on this one. SH has been a part of my life since childhood. From reading the stories, to watching Jeremy Brett in the old TV show, to watching the movies of RDJ, and of course to the newer adaptation by BBC starring Benedict Cumberbatch (and many more SH related stuff, including visiting Baker Street physically! Yes, I'm a massive fan!). I would say that SH is the pinnacle of detective fiction, and the foundation for the genre we see today. No doubt it inspired countless authors and people in general. Also, how amazing does that special edition look?! Can't wait for you to read the stories and share your thoughts. Petrik, my brother, you better get that magnifying glass out already!
Thank you so much! Haha I'm excited about it. Kinda insane that I still haven't read Sherlock Holmes yet. As you said, the series has inspired countless stories in other medium that I read, watched, or played. I will have to read the original source! And yeah, this special edition is magnificent. So beautiful!
Great video and choices.
Doyle is pure mystery, you have to enjoy that. Kingsbridge is a definite, planning a re read. I have read both Pillars and World Without End, both are fantastic. The settings and characters are incredible. Read the Larsson series, the first was extremely good. McCammon is so underrated, read some of his books years and only recently pick up the Corbett books, and have gone thru two, they are so atmospheric. Well get to these selections, LOL.
Thank you so much, Frank! Loved hearing your opinion on these series I haven't read. I plan to read at least Pillars of the Earth and World Without End next year. For McCammon, I will read them for sure. I think Robert McCammon said Leviathan will be finished by late 2024 or early 2025! :)
_The Pillars of the Earth_ is absolutely worth reading. I read it a few years ago, and I remember the story much more vividly than many books that I have otherwise liked more. It is written in a way that the story feels like I was _there,_ like I had seen what happened. Very immersive style. That does not usually happen to me even with the best books.
Sold. This is the kind of experience the best books can conjure. To feel like you're truly there inside the story. :)
I've read the first two of the Wolf Hall series & thought they were really great. Need to read the last one. I don't thing they are super inaccessible if you don't have a detailed history knowledge, and nothing a quick stop on Wikipedia won't give you a quick education on! It's very cool to have these perspectives of other historical figures besides the ones we know so well...
Awesome! Glad to hear that. I agree with you. It's very cool to have a new perspective on other historical figures. That's a part of why I love historical fiction. Usually it lead me to do more research on the historical figures! :)
I’ve only made it to the Sherlock Holmes portion and, I have to say, that is an EXCELLENT selection of the stories. Several of those are favorites of mine. I love all of the stories but you have the best of the best in there. It’s not necessary to read anything before you read those, but of the ones in the collection, I would start with A Scandal in Bohemia, as that’s the first ever Sherlock short story.
Pillars of the Earth is on my TBR, so hearing what you think would be great. Everyone seems to love it. I loved The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. The other two books in the Millennium Trilogy are still really good, but not AS good, if that makes sense. It’s an excellent crime fiction trilogy.
Awesome! I'll keep that in mind. Good to know I can just start from anywhere I want with Sherlock Holmes. I'll most likely start with A Study in Scarlet or A Scandal in Bohemia!
I definitely will read Pillars of the Earth next year. And it seems like many agree Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the best of the trilogy. I will read the trilogy! :)
I loved the Kingsbridge series! Follett writes enemies you love to hate. The books can be exhausting because the villains are relentless and you just want the protagonist to get a win once in a while 😂
Personally, if you’re going to give it a try, definitely start with Pillars. They’re all standalone and that one is my favourite.
Sounds like an engaging reading experience. Definitely will read it next year! :)
Absolutely read the Millennium trilogy at least. I have continued on with the 4th book and did enjoy it. It felt like a Larsson book but it was obviously different.
I did the audiobook of them and Simon Vance is amazing.
Thank you for letting me know! 😁 I will read the first trilogy eventually!
I will be starting Ken Follet series in 24 and I can say with no hesitation Mathew Corbett is a must. Next to the two you have read this McCammon's best work. Think Holmes vs Moriarity but you get to start the journey with the protagonist as a boy and follow his adventures. Has a good dash of the super natural folded into it.
Guess I'll have to catch up on your reading progress eventually for Kingsbridge. And soooo awesome to hear your praise about Matthew Corbett. I love Swan Song and Boys Life very much already. I hope the news on Leviathan will be out soon, and then I will read the series! :)
He is pretty prolific I would look for him to hit his target he says October of '24 @@PetrikLeo
I haven't read any of those series either. I have Pillars of the Earth on my tbr though. I hope to read it in the next few months.
Based on everyone's comment, it would be the same for me!
You’re in for a huge treat with Follett
Thank you! I hope so too!
I read the Sherlock Holmes stories as a teenager and and loved them. The Millennium Trilogy is great, haven't read anything past that, but have hear they are not good. Happy reading!
Thank you so much for your comment! Good to know you enjoyed them! :)
What a beautiful copy of Sherlock Holmes! I've read Sherlock Holmes and I think that's an easy one to start with, since it's a collection of short stories. You can try one out or read one in between your TBR books. For The Millennium series, I was blown away by the first book, enjoyed the second book, and also kind of enjoyed the third book, but thought the first was the best. Haven't read the other series
Thank you so much! It's such a beautiful copy. Hard to resist reading it. I think there's a good chance I will follow your advice on Sherlock Holmes! :)
So many of these are on my want to read list. I have read the first two in the Millennium trilogy and they are really good, great characters, well told mystery with enough thriller to keep you riveted to the story. I'm hoping to get to the third one before the end of the year
Awesome! I hope you'll love the third book in Millenium trilogy, too! :)
When you start Sherlock don't expect anything like the tv series or movies 😅
Okay that's something I should probably keep in mind! 😅
Huh. I finished the entire Holmes series (the original series) when I was like 9. I have yet to read any of the others, even though I own both Millennium and Corbett.
I see! Well, I hope you'll enjoy the others when you do get around to them! :D
Absolutely read Wolf's Hall. The first book is strange though with how often Hilary Mantel uses the word "He" but whenever you see "He" it's 99% of the time talking about the MC.
Will do! And noted! 😂😂
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is really good! Pretty dark book of course, but I really enjoyed it!
Glad to hear that, Dino! I think I will end up enjoying it, too! :)
Oh, I love everything Sherlock Holmes! Be it the original stories and novels or the many, many interpretations in film, TV, books or games. There are so many. Like NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writing novels about Sherlock's brother Mycroft. Or Neil Gaiman mixing Holmes and Lovecraft in his short story Study in Emerald, which I think is amazing (that one is for free on his website. The PDF looks like an old newspaper, with ads and everything).
But for now, I think the collection offers a great selection of stories to see, if you like it. Enjoy!
Thank you for the input! I definitely will read Sherlock Holmes. It has been a while since I experienced Sherlock and Watson's story. Might as well go back to the original! :)
Petrik what if.. let's go!
Let's go!!!
Stieg Larsson's The Girl Series. Whew. What can I say. Truly thrilling. Thank you.
Reassuring to hear you loved it! 😄
Sherlock Holmes was the first english book I ever read(was a short story collection), but it amazed me so much that for the next 4 years those were the only books I read. Hound of Baskerville holds a special place for me since it was my first novel, its in my top 5 novels along with a few of malazan n stormlight novels even though its probably not as good lol.
That's wonderful, though. Glad to hear Sherlock Holmes has such a special place in your heart! I think it's a very different series compared to Malazan or Stormlight. :)
Pillars of the Earth is my 3rd favorite novel after Lonesome Dove and Shogun. The new one in that series is very good. Follett is an amazing writer and an interesting guy all around.
Oh Lonesome Dove is another classic I have to read, too! It almost made it to the list in today's video but I think I'll tackle Kingsbridge first! 😁
I am a big fan of Ken Follett. I knkw the size of his books can appear intimidating, but the way Follett writes is very accessible. In fact i see frequent readers criticise his simple prose, as if telling a story as simply as possible is a crime.
Kingsbridge is fantasyic. Im also a very, VERY big fan of his Century trilogy, which is a multiple family saga that spans just before WW1 all the way through to about 2011. It covers extensively life in the two world wars, and does so with events and scenarios often overlooked.
If i was to liken him to a fantasy author, id compsre his prose to someone like Sanderson. He writes to entertain, and his brilliant research is also very informative and educational. His characters are diverse and i think brilliantly written, even when you dont like them
Oh! I didn't know that you're a fan of Ken Follett's books. I have a LOT to catch up on. I haven't read any of his books. I'm sure if I end up loving Kingsbridge, I will read his Century trilogy. As you know, I have no issue with simple prose. Never get the criticisms on that kind of prose anyway. :)
@@PetrikLeo yeah i adore him! He has some terrific standalones as well. He makes history as gripping and fascinating to read as an epic fantasy. I was gripped by the first two Century books the same way I was Robin Hobb. Just so immersed and touched by the events and characters, especially the Russian setting in book one
Cool! I plan to read The Kingsbridge Trilogy next yr... 🤔 or at least start it!
📖😃👍I really liked Follett's Century Trilogy.
I've read the Millennium Trilogy by Larsson and really liked it. I haven't read the other books that his son finished after Stieg passed away.
Awesome. If I end up loving Kingsbridge, I'm sure I will read Century trilogy as well! :)
@@PetrikLeo I really look forward to your thoughts.😃
Sherlock Holmes can be read in any order. *A Study in Scarlet* is technically the beginning, but I don't think it's the best introduction. I would say to just read the book you have and then seek out others if you like those stories. *The Hound of the Baskervilles* is probably the best of the longer novels, and the earlier short story collections are generally considered better than the last couple.
Awesome. I guess I'll read this edition sooner than I expected hahaha! It's hard to resist!
I bought the Pillars of Earth last week to start soon. The series sounds great. As far as Sherlock, I have read some of the stories and I do like them. I should maybe do 1 or 2 between books to just get through them.
I guess both of us will be reading Pillars of the Earth soon then! I'll make sure to read Sherlock as soon as I can, too! 😄
I tried Wolf Hall and DNFed it. The writing style was just not for me. It sort of cuts from scene to scene but it's ahead in time so it came off too choppy for me. I really hope to read Pillars of thr Earth in the next year or two. And I'm so glad they're standalones (based on other comments here). I've read his Century Trilogy and it's one of my all time favorite books/trilogies
Oh no! I hope I'll have better luck with Wolf Hall than you did. I am excited to read Ken Follett's books, though! Century trilogy included! :)
I looked into the BBC Sherlock eps and the original short stories/novels they were drawing from and that enhanced my reading experience and watching experience! Because while the BBC show IS very different, they absolutely pay homage to the original writing and it was delightful to pick out some of the subtler references.
I certainly will read the books with no expectations that it will be similar to the TV show! That usually end up decreasing my reading experience. :D
Sherlock Holmes is amazing stuff, very dry but fantastic. I would say you can for sure read that book, most people know the whole point of Sherlock Holmes in passing, so you won't lose any lore or anything by reading them.
Kingsbridge is brilliant.
Wolf Hall... It won awards for a reason. I think it's fairly underrated on booktube though to be honest. I read it not knowing much about Thomas Cromwell, although I did go and read about 15 history books of the period after reading it hahaha so... it was a good primer for the history I think.
Thank you for your comment! I guess that's true regarding Sherlock Holmes. I'm thinking about it too much due to the way I read multiple epic fantasy series hahaha. I look forward to reading Kingsbridge next year! And maybe Wolf Hall, too! :)
There's an incredibly good adaptation of Wolf Hall with outstanding acting that you could watch before reading the books so you can get to know who Cromwell was. As a Spanish I didn't go into detail on English history when I was in school, only the most important things or whatever had impact for the Spain of that day and age. This series can be watched or read without knowing anything about Cromwell, because it's thanks to the series or the books that you get to know who he was and what he did.
Personally I would start Sherlock Holmes with "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and the "A Study in Scarlett"
Thank you for your input on Wolf Hall trilogy. Only now I know there's a TV adaptation of it hahaha. I think I will start Sherlock Holmes from A Study in Scarlet! :)
As a foreighner I can say that the writing style for Sherlok Holmes is an older one and a bit difficult. Except the last series you mentioned I avoid the rest as I know they have trigger warnings for sexism, something I hate experiencing in my books.
I'm a foreigner too but I hope I'll do alright with Sherlock. 😃
I've had Pillars of the Earth and Speaks the Nightbird in my stack for a while 🙌🏼
Do people send you books?
That's you and me both then! A few people do send me books actually. I just never broadcasted my address to public. 😂
@@PetrikLeo I ge that. You're famous 🤪 I saw a used mass market paperback of Dragonflight the other day and wondered 🤔🤓
I would do a little research before reading Wolf Hall, only because you should at least familiarize yourself with the (many) names and have at least a passing idea of how they all relate. You don't have to do a deep dive, but knowing who Cromwell and Moore and some others are will be helpful in understanding their importance.
Thank you so much for the advice and tips. That sounds doable! 😁😁
Pillars of the Earth just sounds like a can’t miss. I’ve made it a goal to read that in 2024.
Based on everyone's comment here, I agree!
Pillars of the Earth is excellent. I'm a lot less enthused about the other books - I've read them all and they are good, but KF has a bit of a 'template' for his characters /plots for this series and it gets a little bit stale after a couple of books. Certainly I'd allow gaps between the books at a minimum.
Thank you for the advice! That's my plan at the moment, I will read Pillars of the Earth and then take a few months before tackling the next one. Thankfully, they're all standalones! :)
The pillars of the earth also has an excellent TV miniseries with Ian McShane and Rufus Sewell that I can highly recommend. The 8 episodes went by before I even realized it, it was great!
I love Rufus Sewell, he recently starred in an Agatha Christie movie and of course the star of the Man in the High Castle!!
I didn't even know there's a TV miniseries on it. I guess I'll watch that after I read the book!
@@PetrikLeoThere is even a point & click adventure game from 2017 by Daedalic Entertainment. 😂
I loved the mini series too. Was how i first discovered it.
I would highly recommend reading Sherlock holmes. Connan Doyle is an absolute genius when it comes to mystery plus his character Sherlock Holmes is morally gray and eccentric. Connan Doyle also put some interesting social commentary into the Sherlock holmes stories. I read Sherlock Holmes as a kid and I loved it. The social commentary in Sherlock Holmes is so relevant to today is really interesting and at times really funny which is why I love the adventures of Sherlock holmes. You could start anywhere with Sherlock Holmes honestly. Ken follet is considered the king of writing historical fiction so definitely read his books.
Thank you so much, Keziah! I totally will read Sherlock Holmes. Most likely sooner than later. And for Ken Follett, based on everyone's comment, I don't think I can postpone Pillars of the Earth for long. Will read it early next year! :)
I highly recommend the Matthew Corbett series too 👍
I heard Leviathan will drop at the end of next year or early 2025. I will start once there's confirmation! :)
If you love Sherlock, I would highly recommend the CBS series Elementary. Johnny Lee Miller is an excellent Holmes. Also Lucy Liu is a great Dr Watson. Lastly, I think it’s a better modern adaption than the BBC Sherlock.
Whoa really? Never heard of this Elementary before. I'll take a look! 😁
I love Sherlock Holmes Petrik! Definitely give it a try, and check out the BBC series from the 80s - 90s with Jeremy Brett. It’s my favorite adaptation. I also highly recommend the Millennium trilogy.
Thank you for the encouragement, Chas! I definitely will read Sherlock and Millenium! :)
Well rite off I can tell you the Millennium trilogy is top-notch reading already years ago when it first came out. The first trilogy is awesome. Lizabeth is one of the best female protagonist that I've ever read but only the first three books I started some Sherlock Holmes years ago in the writing was to dry so I couldn't finish I don't know anything about the rest of these books it's the month of October so I'm reading horror and I am about a hundred pages into the Boatman's Daughter by Andy Davidson another good video by the best booktuber on UA-cam
Thank you so much! I look forward to reading Millenium trilogy eventually. I think Kingsbridge and Sherlock Holmes will be attempted in 2024! :)
I didn't know that there's a new book in the kingsbridge series I have read most of the books except for column of fire I love the storytelling in the series definitely worth a read especially if you love epic sagas
Sounds awesome to me. Each book is a standalone, right?
@@PetrikLeo yes it is
Start with a study in scarlet as it’s the pub order. But any story is good to start. Enjoy it!!
Thank you! Will do!! 😄😄
I grew up with Agatha Christie books. We read Sherlock Holmes but I remember Christie
I think I've read only one Agatha Christie book, and I can't remember which one. It has been a long time ago. 😅
I loved both the Sherlock adaptations with Benedict Cumberbatch and RDJ, and I love the original source material too. When I read it it felt so nostalgic even though I was reading it for the first time. Not sure what order to read it in though since I read a complete collection 😝.
As for the millennium trilogy, I loved them when I read them many years ago, but now all I can really remember is the excessive amounts of open sandwhiches consumed 🤣.
Haha I think I will feel the same when I read Sherlock Holmes even though I never read them. I have the Complete Collection! I probably will read that, too. :)
Also, it's funny open sandwiches is what you remember most about Millenium trilogy. 🤣
Sad that the hound of the Baskerville is not there I think that was the best of Sherlock Holmes works that special edition looks amazing. The series was good but don’t compare it with the book. You have to remember it is more in tune with the time it was written. You might find it a little slow. But the conclusions always makes up for it
I will still read them all anyway! Probably not quickly, but I do plan to read Sherlock Holmes. :)
You should definitely read Sherlock Holmes!
That's the plan! :)
do sherlock holmes :) read it back to back with lord darcy. same setting, just that magic is most likely involved in the crimes, lord darcy is the sleuth and the "watson" is a kingdom/state approved and registered mage
Will do! Never heard of Lord Darcy before I think. I'll have to look into that! :)
Ok l got too excited about Sherlock, l do a second comment on the others.
I love the original Sherlock Holmes stories, and also the BBC adaptation (S1 and S2) which was a great modernized version. Very clever how they 'updated' things to modern times. Think of it like a jazz improvisation on a theme... they kind of took the ideas and remixed them.
For Wolf Hall, I haven't read the books but l watched the 6 part miniseries which is based on them, which is also excellent. I didn't need to know too much history, it kind of shows you who Thomas Cromwell is/becomes...
I'm also interested in Pillars of the Earth, because of the cathedral building part 😂
Haha no worries! And that's a great way to look at the Sherlock Holmes adaptation. I found out there's a TV show adaptation of Wolf Hall just now, and I will have to watch that eventually. Now the dilemma begins. To watch or to read the book first hahaha!
I have read the Millenium trilogy, and I really love it! There are some cringy parts in the last two books, but I definitely think it’s worth it! I haven’t read the other 3 books that are in this same world because I am afraid they would ruin the original trilogy 😅. The books are really smart, and you can tell the author was a journalist, but the plot is captivating and the action is page turning! I really like the author’s prose and the way he tells the story. I vote for you to try the Millenium trilogy! I really hope you like it!
I think the cringy parts in last two books and ridicilous storyline that is absolutely different in tone with the first book really took over those two books. I gave them 2 and 1 stars out of 5 respectively. My wife couldn't even finish them. The first book had a captivating plot, I agree (the inner story). The captivating plot was nowhere to be found in 2nd and 3rd.
Thank you! I will read Millenium trilogy for sure! Not sure whether that will happen next year or not, but definitely will!
@@Rendref yeah, some people I know couldn’t get over the cringy parts either. The cringy parts are suuuuper cringy 😂. They were definitely unnecessary and took away from the story. I wish they weren’t there. Some members of my book club and I were able to ignore that part and still found the story to be good. It definitely won’t work for some people though, so I understand why you and your wife didn’t like it. The first book is worth it at least lol!
I've read all of Knightbridge novels (including Armour of Light) and the Millennium trilogy. Both are pretty good, though Knightbridge is brilliant at times (World without End and the Pillars of the earth. I found the prequel was the weakest. The Armour of light was very readable). I have read the first four Matthew Corbett books- the first 3 are brilliant, the 4th- the providence rider wasn't so great. Th Millennium trilogy is compelling and easy to read, but nothing too earth shattering. The main character is interesting but what seemed fresh in late 90's may seem jaded and hackneyed nowadays.
Awesome to hear your thoughts. I look forward to reading all of these. I think many agreed with you on Kingsbridge that Pillars and World Without End are the best of them all! :)
@@PetrikLeo thanks
I'd rank Knightsbridge as:
1: Pillars of the Earth
2: World without End
3: The Armour of Light
4: A Column of Fire
5: In the morning and the evening
the duology of Speaks the NIghtbird (Matthew Corbett) is really worth reading, whether you continue reading the rest or not. Those two are near peak McCammon
Please read the Scandal in bohemia in which Holmes is bested by a woman!
I plan to read all of them! 😄
Steig Larsson is a MUST READ. You should stick with the trilogy.
Awesome!! It seems like many agree I should just stick with the first trilogy. 😂
Kingsbridge is basically medieval grimdark.
Excellent series.
All I need to hear! :)
You need to read sherlock holmes😊❤ never heard about 4 and 5😅
Will do! And now you know! 😁😁
Yes to the Millennium trilogy!!!
Awesome!
I loved Pillars of the Earth! Great book.
Seems like many agree! 😄
@@PetrikLeo it’s a story about building a cathedral. The cathedral it talks about is in Salisbury England if you ever visit the area ( not too far from Stonehenge)
Honestly Sherlock treats holmes' and characters like him's intelligence the same way other authors treat a supernatural or fantasy element
I have no idea that's a bad or good thing. xD
Sherlock Holmes is meant to be read as short stories. There are only a couple of novels. Having read all of Sherlock several times with the exception of reading A Study in Scarlet first, I think you can really go in any order you like.
Once you read Pillars of the Earth you will not stop thinking about it…ever. I read these when they came out and I still think of them often. Take your time with them though. You can easily read just one a year and not get too far away to keep going without reread.
Wolf Hall will grab you by the throat if for no other reason than knowing that it isn’t at all far from what really happened. As a side note, the hard to find UK hardback box set is simple but nice if you don’t want to go all the way to Folio. Mantel absolutely deserved the Booker for this series. This is the story of how insane people get when they refuse to separate greed, power, religion, and faith. It’s a LOT but I don’t think you need to know UK history to understand it. I think that can add to it but the basic story Mantel is telling is universal and in no way confined to the boarders of one island. (I think this series should have earned Mantel the Nobel in literature but the committee was busy awarding it to literary fiction that no one reads. And yes, I’m bitter.)
Only read Steig Larssen when you can read them back to back to back because 😮. I know there are politics around the continuation books (so I bought beautiful used copies) but I do think they are very nearly as good as the first three. Not quite but close. There is a very nice hardback set of the first three that is easy to pick up if you eventually want them.
What to read first? You can fit Holmes in as pallet cleansers between other things so that is easy. Pillars can be read very slowly and the series broken apart so that makes that easy too. Between Mantel and Larssen? They are both modern classics in their respective genres and they both will hold up for a very long time. It really comes down to your reading mood. I have not read Corbett so I’m not useful there. Maybe this helps otherwise though?
These are totally helpful, my friend! And I definitely will read all of them. I think Pillars of the Earth will take priority first next year. It seems like that one has the biggest chance of hooking me in. And good to know about Sherlock Holmes reading guide and Millenium trilogy hardback! I might have to get those someday! :)
Petrik I watched the tv production of Wolf Hall and it has the best acting, and I mean the best… I recommend the show.
I didn't know there's a tv show on it! 😂😂 I'll read the book first then watch it!
I read Sherlock Holmes when I was in high school it was in my high school library I like classic Sherlock Holmes Jeremy Brett tv series
That's cool!
Yes! You can definitely start Sherlock Holmes with the short story collection that you have. In fact, l think The Speckled Band was the first short story l read... actually most of the Sherlock Holmes oeuvre is short stories. There are just 4 novellas/novels, if l remember correctly.
A Study in Scarlet is chronologically first as it tells how Holmes and Watson met, but you don't need to read it first. The others are the Sign of Four and the Hound of the Baskervilles... hm, I'm forgetting the last one.
Traditionally (after being first released individually in the magazine), the short stories were published in various collections like "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" etc. Yours seems to be a mixture from the different collections. In terms of the short stories/collections, most are pretty independent, except the one with the final Holmes/Moriarty showdown (the Final Problem?), which should come after the other Moriarty stories and before the Adventure of the Empty House. It's not a big deal if those are out of order, just might be a bit confusing 😂.
Anyway l believe the stories are all out of copyright so you can get them free on Project Gutenberg and such. Or Kindle editions (maybe with better formatting) that you can get cheaply also. If you read the stories in your book and like them, you could get the Complete Sherlock Holmes electronically for the rest.
(With your book, l think you can read those stories in any order, except Final Problem before Empty House! You could just read them in the order they are presented, that might be in publication order for those particular stories, tho there were plenty of others in between)
Hahaha, it seems like you have a great investment in Sherlock Holmes! Thank you so much for providing your opinion and thoughts. I already have Complete Sherlock Holmes Volume 1 and 2, which I think cover everything ever published in Sherlock Holmes. So I guess I'll just read them together with this beautiful special edition. :)
The only one I’ve read is Sherlock Holmes and I think you can’t go wrong with that.
True. I'm positive I will enjoy reading Sherlock Holmes!
I vote for Matthew Corbett and Kingsbridge series. I absolutely love Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. One of the best books I've read and I see no reason for you not giving them 5 stars :-) Matthew Corbett, though I have not read yet, it is Robert McCammon and he is one of my favorite authors. WIll be reading it myself next year.
As for Millenium trilogy... man, I cannot hold my contempt for that series. The first book was okay (it was even good inside the framing story), but the second and the third books are worse than I could ever imagine. We read shopping lists of main character, a bloatload of meaningless scenes, and the whole story is such a drasticly differently in tone and execution than the first book... Also the story gets absolutely ridicilous, imo (maybe it is because it deals with some Soviet/Russian characters and it is more often than not comes cringy and trashy from authors who don't really know how to write about Soviet-related matters - I am harsh on that because of my origins), by the end of book 3 I thought I am reading a cartoon for the mentally challenged.
Kingsbridge and Matthew Corbett are certainly my priority for now. Once I hear more news on the release date of Leviathan, I will start Matthew Corbett immediately. As for Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, both of them will be read within next year! :)
Too bad about Millenium Trilogy, but at least you still enjoyed the first book. I hope I'll have better luck with the series!
Lucky number 7 ! So unfair, I was starting my PC again ! Sneaky sneaky Petrik. 😉
Hahaha, lucky number 7 is good, though. :)
My possibly unpopular opinion on the series chosen.
1) I loved the Millennium Trilogy. I agree with everyone who said to match it with watching their Swedish movies after.
2) I am not sure if you will like The Pillars of the Earth. I liked it when I originally read it. However, it was very early on in my reading career. Since then I have read a lot of amazing (particularly fantasy) books and series have brilliant world building and in depth characterisations and character developments. I recently tried to reread POTE and I struggled to finish it. While I loved the descriptions of the architecture, I realised how one dimensional all of the characters are i.e. the good guys were very good (no moral ambiguity) and the bad guys were basically cartoonish moustache twirling villains. The female characters were all whores, witches and SA victims (or some kind of combination of those three). There’s also a lot of weird sex scenes. Let’s just say that the author clearly loves big boobs. I found that the 2nd book in the series is kind of the same as the 1st. Despite being set like 200 years later all of the characters were basically (poor man) versions of characters in the first book. There was only one original character was a girl named Gwendolyn that I did really like. All this to say I did not hate the books but I definitely would not recommend them. No hate to the author or those that loved the series as it is clearly well loved.
3) I struggled to get into Wolf Hall. I think it was quite confusing. The author would often refer to people as “he” instead of naming them. E.g. multiple men would be in a room talking and it was say he said “…..”, He replied “….” Etc and I struggled to know which he in the room was being referred to. This may just be a me thing as I do not know much about the actual history and probably found it more confusing then others. That being said I do think Hilary Mantel is a talented writer and you may enjoy the series.
Sorry for my extra long reply.
That is one of the longest comments I've ever received haha. Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinion! I will still read them all and form my opinion on them. For Wolf Hall, I think someone mentioned the same thing about the constant usage of "he".
Just a warning with Kingsbridge. Once you read one it feels like you read them all. Read Pillars of the Earth and then see if you want to go back to the Evening and the Morning or progress to the world without end.
I don't know about his thrillers but Follet book feels the same once you read one of the Kingsbridge and his other trilogy that starts with Fall of Giants (the name currently escapes me).
I see! I will still try them, who knows I might still end up liking them, but will definitely start from Pillars of the Earth! :)
Pillars of the Earth is one of those books that you read for 18 hours uninterrupted and makes you skip meals. I think it's one the most beloved contemporary works of fiction.
That sounds amazing! Definitely have to read it!
I recommend reading one Sherlock Holmes story a month. After a year you will be done. I do not think you will have to be concerned about a reading order.
Noted! Yeah, I think I've been thinking about reading order the way I treat fantasy books too much hahaha. I will just read anything in it when I'm in the right reading mood! :)
Sherlock Holmes is a MUST and you are in heresy for not having read It yet! The order is not really that important, so you can read that gorgeous edition of yours, the stories in there are among the greatest, and some of them were "adapted" in Cumberbatch's show. But do not expect the batmanesque style from RDJ's films. The action is scarce.
I read the Millenium trilogy back when they became best -sellers. It is really entertaining but not very dissimilar to the Swedish films. I also stopped after reading Larson's last.
Pillars of the Earth... I read the original novel many years ago. And did not keep on reading the sequels. Basically because I want my historical fiction historically accurate, and you had people from the middle ages acting as if they were people from the end of the 20th century. If you want quality historical fiction search for Robert Graves' novels, especially the I, Claudius duology.
I don't know about Mantell's or MacCammon's series, but do look good.
Good reading! And start with Holmes!
Thank you so much for your comments! It is indeed a heresy and travesty that I haven't read Sherlock Holmes. I'll make sure to read that ASAP! :)
The Millenium trilogy is great. I would not continue past the third book because it has a satisfying conclusion. The fourth is pretty good, but I think the other ones are mediocre or bad. I’m not continuing the series, which is a shame because Lisbeth is an iconic character.
We have a lot of similar opinions on books, so this is good to hear! :)
Sherlock homes! Defenetly. I think is sandersons top 5 clasics after les miserables. You askt if we knew your taist by now, let me see: you like grim dark, fantasy, dragonraiders and not much romance. Hope im right.😊
Hahah not too far off! Those are some of what I usually read. 😁
Kingsbridge is good!.. my god I'm hooked. I'm almost done with Pillars, Follett has this way of keeping you interested he plays with the human condition frequently; thing's like romance and the like keep you interested. It sound's boring but damn is it interesting, the quality of the characters; along with the multi-perspective story telling style are so so dynamic; I never found myself lost with what was going on between characters. It's political like Game of thrones and grim/ bloody like a Abercrombie novel. it has impressed me. The book's are cheap on Thriftbook
Thank you for the comment! It sounds like a book I will end up loving. I believe my friend actually got me a copy of Pillars of the Earth recently. I haven't received the book yet but shouldn't be long from now. 😁
Idk if you'd like Follett, honestly. He's no Cornwell. Very soapy and oddly fascinated with body hair.
Not sure what to make from that. 😂
@@PetrikLeo Follett’s writing is pretty basic and yeah, the quirks he has re leg, underarm, chest and pubic hair is really bizarre. His characters aren’t great either but the setting is what everyone seems to love. I personally find Pillars lacking a strong central conflict but most people are so engrossed by the setting that it doesn’t bother them.
These are Victorian novels so ignore the recent incarnations; read that beautiful bound section, his prose is artfully pleasing to read and fascinating the way he weaves the mystery in
Conan Doyle is one of England’s finest writers, and I don’t say that lightly
Pillars of the Earth is mighty indeed, another classic writer and you will love it
Steig Larson sadly died early, and the first three are the ones to read; watch the Nordic version of films featuring Noomi Rapace in the title role - still, the books are better but ONLY the 1st 3
Thomas Cromwell is one of the most influential, and divisive, characters in English history - Hilary Mantell (R.I.P) did win the man booker prize for Wolf Hall and it’s a wonderfully epic story woven around the throne, the church and the burgeoning parliament … it’s masterful and brilliantly written
Robert McCrammon, not read any of his and be very interested in this as will be getting the two you mention
I’d start with Wolf Hall
Noted! Thank you for your input. I definitely will read Sherlock Holmes and Pillars of the Earth next year. I look forward to reading Thomas Cromwell trilogy and Millenium trilogy, too, but based on what everyone said here, I think Kingsbridge and Sherlock Holmes will take precedence. :)
Lisbeth is amazing
That's what I heard, too!
Mostly women read the Millennium series, at least here in Sweden.
Really? I seem to hear many men and women enjoying the series! :)
Sherlock Holmes stories can be for the most part read in any order. I'd just start at the beginning of the book and read those.
Pillars of the Earth is one of the worst books I've ever read. It was bad when it first came out, but reading it as a modern reader I can't stand the treatment of female characters by the author. I'm not talking about how they're often mistreated in the book, I'm talking about how the author slights them and treats them as unimportant objects. The cathedral building was interesting, but the characters were often cartoonish.
Noted! And I think this is the first negative opinion on Pillars of the Earth in today's video. Good to have contrasting opinion. I look forward to reading it and find out how it will go for me! :)
@@PetrikLeo Good luck! You should probably be made aware that Follett got a LOT of the history wrong in the books too. His idea of medieval life was really uninformed and inaccurate and more based upon what people assume things were like than what they actually were like.
Spellmonger series
Heard a lot of great things about this! :)
yes, launch your ASMR career 😂
Hahahaha thanks for the encouragement!
No to Stieg Larsson. The books are very dry (it might be the English translation) and boring, I preferred the Swedish movies.
I have watched the Swedish movie adaptation and enjoyed it! Only the first one, though. I haven't continued past it.
@@PetrikLeo I will say, if there were no movies, I would recommend reading them because the story and characters are that good, if that helps.
You shouldn't read the other books outside of the millennium trilogy the other books are not great
Yeah.... I keep hearing that. Probably should follow the majority's advice on this if I end up loving the first trilogy. :D
Only the Larsson books are good - the other authors for the series are terrible.
That's what I heard, too. 🤣