I love how you’re so honest about the rankings! I feel the same way about This is How You Lose the Time War and The Cruel Prince. I DNFed both and was confused about the hype. I also really enjoyed Our Wives Under the Sea (I cannot stop thinking about this one), The House in the Cerulean Sea and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Great video! I found your channel recently and am enjoying my time going through your videos :)
Omg thank you!!! You are the first person i encountered who felt brave new world is inconsistent. The second half was soooo full of plot holes. Honestly i mentally clocked out when the author called someone dark skinned outside the inner monologue of any character (i say this bc i get the book's commentary on white supremacy) as 'dog skinned' and then that silly bit at the end of arguing in favour of humanity by using shakespeare quotes out of context and the whole last quarter was weird. I ended up siding with the dystopian world tbh, i was so out of it.
@katerinareem yes , i loved the first half but the book must have done a terrible job if it can't give you a good enough argument why the opposite of that dystopia is more desirable. The second half is a whole mess that made no sense. It should be a commentary on capitalism and white supremacy but ended up engaging in it (like the dog skinned comment). Ive heard that some native groups in america have been demanding it is removed from the school curriculum or something but i could be wrong.
I think it's so funny that I completely agree with you on both ends of the spectrum! I didn’t like This Is How You Lose the Time War and Exciting Times either. I did love Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, The Secret History, and Our Wives Under the Sea. However, I couldn’t get through Life of Pi (DNF) or My Brilliant Friend. It’s interesting how similar reading tastes can be, yet still not align on all fronts, haha!
i love how we can read the same books and have such different opinions on them! interesting to hear you didn't like life of pi or my brilliant friend, can i ask why? (sorry i'm very curious lol)
@@katerinareem Sure haha! With Life of Pi I kept rereading paragraphs, maybe it was the writing style, maybe it was the Dutch translation, but I just could not connect with what was on paper. With my brilliant friend I could see that it was written incredibly well, but I could just not care about the story at all 🙈
I read If We Were Villains before reading The Secret History and omg it makes such a difference because I loved the book sooo much. Is one of my favorite books ever. So yeah I would recommend reading it before reading the secret history
I find it really cool how different people can connect to different books, like if I were to do this I would put The remains of the day, Small things like these and The secret history all in the top tier, yet you had them all over lol. And autumn I would put pretty much exactly where you put it. So interesting how we can all get different things from the same piece, depending on when you read it, your personal connection to the theme and so many other small bits
100% agree! I genuinely love hearing other people's opinions on books because I also find it super interesting how we all judge books differently, but ultimately it comes down to our own tastes, opinions and experiences on if we like them or not (:
I and many others that ive talked to have read the metamorphosis from the lens of chronic illness. How you are shut away and become a burden on everyone. I especially related to the part where he sits under the couch to feel it pressing down on his chest, how he hears life happening around him but no longer participates in it, how your family would breathe a sigh of relief if you died. And that in turn does overlap with capitalism and productivity. It hit me personally hard at the time because it felt so personal. But yes, if you view it from the lens of capitalism only, I can see how it fell short for you. I also liked how the writing wasn't grim and dramatic, but rather cheerful which added a layer of eeriness and heaviness.
ohhhh that actually makes so much more sense if it's looked at through a mental health perspective - now i see it really is a reflection of depression which is interesting! thank you sm for explaining that to me
@katerinareem i meant through chronic illness that can make you house bound, but mental illness works too. Everyone interprets literature differently so don't take what people say online as the bible❤
If you like mysteries then, Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is my favourite read this year! Quirky and lovable characters, hilarious moments but also gets deep in the feels 🌟
Very interesting 😂 The Secret History was so boring in my opinion. I was full-on apathetic throughout the whole book about everyone and everything that happened. Everyone loves it though. I’m beginning to think I’m the weird one though because I’m pulling for Orbital to win the Booker tonight 😅😊. We are all so different. You do the best videos and I can’t wait to read some of these!
i love how people can rate the same book so differently hahaha! don't worry one of my best friends also disliked the books so you're not the only one (: and thank you so much my love !!
I'm always surprised when I see people talking about Rainer Maria Rilke; for the longest time I thought he was only popular in German speaking countries. Glad to see he is known and appreciated :) I only started reading again this year (not talking about fanfics and webtoons haha), last year I only read 1 book and had to dnf another one soo not much to rank for 2023 (that is definetly changeing for 2024 ;)). I also picked up Breast and Eggs recently and I'm looking to read it early next year; I've been really enjoying japanese literature this year and am excited to read this novel too
i actually first heard about rilke when i was around 13 because another character in a fictional book i was reading was referencing him so i've always been keen to read his work ! and hehe nothing wrong with fanfics, i occasionally read them too - they're fun!
I normally don't mind if people don't like books that I liked, but I have the burning desire to argue about the placement of the metamorphosis on this list. Maybe the translation sucks. Next to every other classic that was written in German Kafka really scores high 😂
trusssttt me i was so sad when i wasn't a huge fan, i think i need to try another translated very as it honestly felt very flat to me - and i've read other writings from kafka and see he's an absolute genius! will give it another try in the future (:
I don't want to agree because I love my girl Agatha but the murder on the orient express being unrealistic was so true -absolutely no way you could co-ordinate that and get all those people involved at the same time
I have never read an Agatha Christie book but I did like the most recent Orient Express film with Daisy Ridley. The Beach; I did not read the book. The film though, I mean, dude and "friends" get to island. Then he proceeds to be not only useless but helps ruin a relationship, then goes crazy in the woods provoking the drug lords which in turns ruins the community. Then he goes and says "I'm back!" to a friend and they all leave as if that is some kind of redemption. It's literally a movie about this jerk kid who ruins everything and then just leaves. I, um, basically liked This is How You Lose the Time War. Home Fire. I don't think one needs any qualifications to be treated like a fellow human being. But I must say I live near Dearborn Michigan which has the largest population of Muslim folks in the U.S. and it appears they make up most of the medical community here. They are great. They care. Just wonderful people. My dentist is Middle Eastern, she is creating my new smile for me, and I have a big ol' crush on her.
i have yet to watch the orient express film but one of my friends said it was really good! and i know what you mean about the beach, i wasn't a huge fan of the film but i think the book is better in the commentary of showing the dark side of the tourism industry etc which is left out in the film! hahaha interesting to hear you liked the time war book - you're not the only one! i seem to be in the minority disliking it lol and YES home fire is stunning, and oooo maybe you should ask your dentist out
@@katerinareem Lol, well, I kinda did ask her but it was as a harmless friend thing as she really wanted to go paddleboarding. She was quite enthusiastic about calling me when she thought she could do so. That was 4 months ago and I have made 2 office visits since and she had someone else tend to me. I can take a hint. Oh well.
I’m gonna defend milk fed! I didn’t read it as a lesbian fantasy, I read it as misplaced desire coming from her eating disorder, envious of her “love” interests body and also her love for this other woman was really her wanting to love herself but she just couldn’t. I hope that makes sense but I think it points out how our infatuations can be a reflection of ourselves. She was full of envy and self hatred because of her mother’s lack of love.
interesting, i saw a lot of other people on goodreads who loved the book have this take too! i think i may be in the minority with disliking it, it unfortunately just wasn't my cup of tea ):
I read the incident of the dog in the nighttime before my autism diagnosis (or even suspecting) and i didn't relate at all. I didn't see myself in anything the main character did. Some stuff with mathematics felt relatable but overall not really. I gave it 3 stars and honestly often forget i read it. I dont remember much of it and only am like oh i read that when other people mention it. But i dont see other autists mentioning it at all. From what i remember and with the lens of what i know now, i think the characterization was extremely simplified and the main character infantilized.
that's so insightful hearing your thoughts on the books as someone with autism, thank you for sharing nour! I feel like the majority of people with autism don't have it as heavy affect them the way it did the main character in the book which is perhaps why it feel a little dramatised to me
bingo! reem does indeed mean a beautiful gazelle (or from what my parents have told me LOL), I am part iraqi so I'm happy you picked that up (as I believe you're lebanese?)
3:00 I tried the first two of Andrew Michael Hurley's books. On the sentence level he must be the worst prize-winning author I've ever read. There were so many sentences that weren't even grammatically coherent, and that wasn’t out of any apparent attempt to be 'artsy'. The bloke just can't write.
How ironic that a book on periods is repetitive
omg lmfaooo
I love how you’re so honest about the rankings! I feel the same way about This is How You Lose the Time War and The Cruel Prince. I DNFed both and was confused about the hype.
I also really enjoyed Our Wives Under the Sea (I cannot stop thinking about this one), The House in the Cerulean Sea and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.
Great video! I found your channel recently and am enjoying my time going through your videos :)
omg YAY so happy to hear we have similar opinions !! and thank you my love
Loved watching this! American Dirt sounds really good, I love a suspenseful plot 😊
Omg thank you!!! You are the first person i encountered who felt brave new world is inconsistent. The second half was soooo full of plot holes. Honestly i mentally clocked out when the author called someone dark skinned outside the inner monologue of any character (i say this bc i get the book's commentary on white supremacy) as 'dog skinned' and then that silly bit at the end of arguing in favour of humanity by using shakespeare quotes out of context and the whole last quarter was weird. I ended up siding with the dystopian world tbh, i was so out of it.
so glad you felt the same 😭 it's such a shame bc it had such an incredible premise but it was executed so badly
@katerinareem yes , i loved the first half but the book must have done a terrible job if it can't give you a good enough argument why the opposite of that dystopia is more desirable. The second half is a whole mess that made no sense. It should be a commentary on capitalism and white supremacy but ended up engaging in it (like the dog skinned comment). Ive heard that some native groups in america have been demanding it is removed from the school curriculum or something but i could be wrong.
The ending of Murder on the Orient Express felt like the publisher was hurrying the author to find a ending
I think it's so funny that I completely agree with you on both ends of the spectrum! I didn’t like This Is How You Lose the Time War and Exciting Times either. I did love Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, The Secret History, and Our Wives Under the Sea.
However, I couldn’t get through Life of Pi (DNF) or My Brilliant Friend. It’s interesting how similar reading tastes can be, yet still not align on all fronts, haha!
i love how we can read the same books and have such different opinions on them! interesting to hear you didn't like life of pi or my brilliant friend, can i ask why? (sorry i'm very curious lol)
@@katerinareem Sure haha! With Life of Pi I kept rereading paragraphs, maybe it was the writing style, maybe it was the Dutch translation, but I just could not connect with what was on paper.
With my brilliant friend I could see that it was written incredibly well, but I could just not care about the story at all 🙈
I read If We Were Villains before reading The Secret History and omg it makes such a difference because I loved the book sooo much. Is one of my favorite books ever. So yeah I would recommend reading it before reading the secret history
Same! One of my faves, but I on the other hand did not like the secret history after I read it hahah. Maybe because I read if we were villains first…
@NK0401 I haven't read The Secret History but I am planning too now I am scared I will not like it 😭
ah i'm so envious - really wish i did it this way round too! glad you enjoyed it more than i did LOL
I find it really cool how different people can connect to different books, like if I were to do this I would put The remains of the day, Small things like these and The secret history all in the top tier, yet you had them all over lol. And autumn I would put pretty much exactly where you put it. So interesting how we can all get different things from the same piece, depending on when you read it, your personal connection to the theme and so many other small bits
100% agree! I genuinely love hearing other people's opinions on books because I also find it super interesting how we all judge books differently, but ultimately it comes down to our own tastes, opinions and experiences on if we like them or not (:
I and many others that ive talked to have read the metamorphosis from the lens of chronic illness. How you are shut away and become a burden on everyone. I especially related to the part where he sits under the couch to feel it pressing down on his chest, how he hears life happening around him but no longer participates in it, how your family would breathe a sigh of relief if you died. And that in turn does overlap with capitalism and productivity. It hit me personally hard at the time because it felt so personal. But yes, if you view it from the lens of capitalism only, I can see how it fell short for you.
I also liked how the writing wasn't grim and dramatic, but rather cheerful which added a layer of eeriness and heaviness.
ohhhh that actually makes so much more sense if it's looked at through a mental health perspective - now i see it really is a reflection of depression which is interesting! thank you sm for explaining that to me
@katerinareem i meant through chronic illness that can make you house bound, but mental illness works too. Everyone interprets literature differently so don't take what people say online as the bible❤
If you like mysteries then, Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is my favourite read this year! Quirky and lovable characters, hilarious moments but also gets deep in the feels 🌟
oooo i actually bought this a couple of weeks ago ! excited to read it now you've given it a glowing recommendation, thank you
Very interesting 😂 The Secret History was so boring in my opinion. I was full-on apathetic throughout the whole book about everyone and everything that happened. Everyone loves it though. I’m beginning to think I’m the weird one though because I’m pulling for Orbital to win the Booker tonight 😅😊. We are all so different. You do the best videos and I can’t wait to read some of these!
i love how people can rate the same book so differently hahaha! don't worry one of my best friends also disliked the books so you're not the only one (: and thank you so much my love !!
Yassss so excited for this
I fell the same about: "this is how you lose...", you get a like from me!
omg thank god you agree!! i was worried i was the only one LOL
I'm always surprised when I see people talking about Rainer Maria Rilke; for the longest time I thought he was only popular in German speaking countries. Glad to see he is known and appreciated :)
I only started reading again this year (not talking about fanfics and webtoons haha), last year I only read 1 book and had to dnf another one soo not much to rank for 2023 (that is definetly changeing for 2024 ;)).
I also picked up Breast and Eggs recently and I'm looking to read it early next year; I've been really enjoying japanese literature this year and am excited to read this novel too
i actually first heard about rilke when i was around 13 because another character in a fictional book i was reading was referencing him so i've always been keen to read his work ! and hehe nothing wrong with fanfics, i occasionally read them too - they're fun!
All about love is such a HOT take I loved that book
HAHAH sorrrryyy i wish i loved it more but everything just felt so obvious to me lol
I normally don't mind if people don't like books that I liked, but I have the burning desire to argue about the placement of the metamorphosis on this list. Maybe the translation sucks. Next to every other classic that was written in German Kafka really scores high 😂
trusssttt me i was so sad when i wasn't a huge fan, i think i need to try another translated very as it honestly felt very flat to me - and i've read other writings from kafka and see he's an absolute genius! will give it another try in the future (:
Super relatable
hehe thanks queen x
our taste is so similar yet so different lol
@@gusarapii ooo really! suppose that’s balance lol
I don't want to agree because I love my girl Agatha but the murder on the orient express being unrealistic was so true -absolutely no way you could co-ordinate that and get all those people involved at the same time
so glad you agree 😭 loved 'and then there were none' but yea the other book just felt logistically silly lol
I have never read an Agatha Christie book but I did like the most recent Orient Express film with Daisy Ridley.
The Beach; I did not read the book. The film though, I mean, dude and "friends" get to island. Then he proceeds to be not only useless but helps ruin a relationship, then goes crazy in the woods provoking the drug lords which in turns ruins the community. Then he goes and says "I'm back!" to a friend and they all leave as if that is some kind of redemption. It's literally a movie about this jerk kid who ruins everything and then just leaves.
I, um, basically liked This is How You Lose the Time War.
Home Fire. I don't think one needs any qualifications to be treated like a fellow human being. But I must say I live near Dearborn Michigan which has the largest population of Muslim folks in the U.S. and it appears they make up most of the medical community here. They are great. They care. Just wonderful people. My dentist is Middle Eastern, she is creating my new smile for me, and I have a big ol' crush on her.
i have yet to watch the orient express film but one of my friends said it was really good! and i know what you mean about the beach, i wasn't a huge fan of the film but i think the book is better in the commentary of showing the dark side of the tourism industry etc which is left out in the film! hahaha interesting to hear you liked the time war book - you're not the only one! i seem to be in the minority disliking it lol and YES home fire is stunning, and oooo maybe you should ask your dentist out
@@katerinareem Lol, well, I kinda did ask her but it was as a harmless friend thing as she really wanted to go paddleboarding. She was quite enthusiastic about calling me when she thought she could do so. That was 4 months ago and I have made 2 office visits since and she had someone else tend to me. I can take a hint. Oh well.
I loved If We Were Villains, but did not like Secret History.
wow really? i'm genuinely so intrigued by this - can i ask which you read first?
I’m gonna defend milk fed! I didn’t read it as a lesbian fantasy, I read it as misplaced desire coming from her eating disorder, envious of her “love” interests body and also her love for this other woman was really her wanting to love herself but she just couldn’t. I hope that makes sense but I think it points out how our infatuations can be a reflection of ourselves. She was full of envy and self hatred because of her mother’s lack of love.
interesting, i saw a lot of other people on goodreads who loved the book have this take too! i think i may be in the minority with disliking it, it unfortunately just wasn't my cup of tea ):
I read the incident of the dog in the nighttime before my autism diagnosis (or even suspecting) and i didn't relate at all. I didn't see myself in anything the main character did. Some stuff with mathematics felt relatable but overall not really. I gave it 3 stars and honestly often forget i read it. I dont remember much of it and only am like oh i read that when other people mention it. But i dont see other autists mentioning it at all. From what i remember and with the lens of what i know now, i think the characterization was extremely simplified and the main character infantilized.
I loved this book but it was awhile back…thanks for sharing your thoughts it will be interesting to do a reread of it now.
@@TiggerTellsTales ❤️❤️
that's so insightful hearing your thoughts on the books as someone with autism, thank you for sharing nour! I feel like the majority of people with autism don't have it as heavy affect them the way it did the main character in the book which is perhaps why it feel a little dramatised to me
@katerinareem yes some things were dramatized to the point of simplification, that is not really how they manifest.
❤❤
I actually guessed you have arabic or muslim roots through your last name. It is arabic for gazelle but also sweetness and gentleness.
bingo! reem does indeed mean a beautiful gazelle (or from what my parents have told me LOL), I am part iraqi so I'm happy you picked that up (as I believe you're lebanese?)
@@katerinareem yesssss we are cousins ❤✨️
I also hated exciting times. She was such a victim and cringey to boot and it was racist
glad you agree, it SUCKED
3:00 I tried the first two of Andrew Michael Hurley's books. On the sentence level he must be the worst prize-winning author I've ever read. There were so many sentences that weren't even grammatically coherent, and that wasn’t out of any apparent attempt to be 'artsy'. The bloke just can't write.
looool no way - well, good to know i should not to bother with his other books in that case 😂