Love your reflections! Just getting back into making reading books the priority and get the heck off of social media, so thanks for helping me create my list! x
If you liked the movie Arrival, I can’t recommend reading Ted Chiang enough! He wrote the short story that the movie is based on, Story of Your Life, and he’s a brilliant sci-fi short story writer
Im so exited that you read Alice in borderland. I never enjoyed mangas nor anime but the series on Netflix is such a piece of art in my opinion and (don’t worry no spoiler) I never seen a better series and in the end I was just so mindblown how well it all was thought through and I recommend watching it!!! So I bought this as my first manga and I loved it.
Totally agree with you, “Iron widow” is great, such good combination of topics well woven/ written with guts in there I can’t wait to read the next (and will presumably re-read this one before). You make me want to add “3 dahlias” , “in memoriam”, to my 2024 TBR.
If you are looking for more comics/graphic novels I highly recommend Monstress by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda. A quick blurb to get you hooked … A girl struggles to overcome the trauma of war in a matriarchal 1900’s Asia brimming with arcane dangers. Made all the more difficult by the mysterious psychic link to a powerful eldrich being, a connection that will transform them both.
I read a Christmas-y murder mystery book this season - The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreiana Cordani. It's like the song 12 Days of Christmas x Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None x a Murder Mystery Dinner. In a snowy isolated setting. It was so fun! A quick read too.
I've read The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, I love cozy crime or retro crime. I kinda wish I could read Christie's books again for the first time...
Thanks for the recommendations/reviews of 2023 Willow. As this is probably your last post of the year I thought it was apt to comment. But this was further prompted by your opening splurge on Iron Widow, which I have nearly finished as I watched/write. You've said many times you don't prepare your dialogue, and this is apparent. The torrent of intelligent comment on this book, compressed in a short space, is wonderful, yet done with out a script. Alone this would be an achievement, but it is also on a whole higher level than most waffling book-tubes. Keep it up in 2024, and any name will do, as long as we can find you.
I love how you talk about books; you describe everything in such an interesting way that makes me want to read everything! Thanks, because I've read so many more books this year because of your reviews.
The way you talked about Children of Tome reminded me about James White's Sector General series. Do you know it? I read little sci fi, but this is one of my fave series all together. It's about this group of interspecies medics on Sector General Hospital spaceship. It's more a series of short stories and novels where they deal with different environmental, dietetic and housing requirements of the crew and patients from different species. They also learn to deal with different world view and cultures created by different species. I love how environment of the planets infuences not only the appearance and biology of beings but also the culture they create. It's a wonderful read, and I like the pacifist aspect of it, I don't find it that often in "space opera" books. The series is also magical because when I've lent it to my oncologist friend - who also doesn't know much about sci-fi - she read it in an afternoon and then instantly downloaded the entire series. To this day I remember her excitment when she was telling us about "these beings for whom being a doctor was a calling" and how it reenergized her to do her vocation.
was hoping you would say a bit more about the horror books at the end, especially Maggie's Grave, I read that this month too. it was my third novel by him and by far my least favorite - it was fine, fun, good, but doesn't quite have the punch some of his other books do in terms of heart or even horror. perhaps it is better to start with that book by him first as it can only go up from there? but great video as always, thanks
But I said in the video that the horror books were all getting their own special video a few days from now, where I will review them all in details. Do you only watch my monthly wrap-ups?
Thanks for this list! Adrian Tchaikovsky has some shorter novels that are pretty different but also wonderful and transporting. Re: Iron Widow, I started it and loved it but paused because I was afraid it was going to be heartbreaking. I can’t do heartbreaking right now. Should I keep going?
Willow you are GLOWING! Also oh my goodness yes I love Xiran Jay Zhao tooooooo, I can't wait for every book they'll publish in the future 😍
Haven't read the book yet but I loved her YT channel.
Yay you borrowed a book from the library. Good girl 😸💚👍
Love your reflections! Just getting back into making reading books the priority and get the heck off of social media, so thanks for helping me create my list! x
If you liked the movie Arrival, I can’t recommend reading Ted Chiang enough! He wrote the short story that the movie is based on, Story of Your Life, and he’s a brilliant sci-fi short story writer
yes! I just read that this month.
Yeah I’ve been meaning to read him for so long!
The low-key ??? recommendation of Children of Time got me
Im so exited that you read Alice in borderland. I never enjoyed mangas nor anime but the series on Netflix is such a piece of art in my opinion and (don’t worry no spoiler) I never seen a better series and in the end I was just so mindblown how well it all was thought through and I recommend watching it!!!
So I bought this as my first manga and I loved it.
Totally agree with you, “Iron widow” is great, such good combination of topics well woven/ written with guts in there I can’t wait to read the next (and will presumably re-read this one before). You make me want to add “3 dahlias” , “in memoriam”, to my 2024 TBR.
I agree with Willow I don’t usually read sci fi but I LIVED for Iron Widow! I found it carried and was so fun
I love starting my day off with your lovely videos
🥹🥹🥹
The AiB live action has a great cast. I'm not a fan of the story (not my genre) but I watched both seasons for the actors.
Lol, I felt exactly the same about ally Wilkes novel and ray Naylor novel, good and bad, but thanks for a great year of reviews 👍
Vindication! Thanks 💜
If you are looking for more comics/graphic novels I highly recommend Monstress by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda. A quick blurb to get you hooked … A girl struggles to overcome the trauma of war in a matriarchal 1900’s Asia brimming with arcane dangers. Made all the more difficult by the mysterious psychic link to a powerful eldrich being, a connection that will transform them both.
I read the first few volumes years ago and really adored it. I’m glad it has had a lasting impact!
I read a Christmas-y murder mystery book this season - The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreiana Cordani. It's like the song 12 Days of Christmas x Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None x a Murder Mystery Dinner. In a snowy isolated setting. It was so fun! A quick read too.
I've read The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, I love cozy crime or retro crime. I kinda wish I could read Christie's books again for the first time...
Thanks for the recommendations/reviews of 2023 Willow. As this is probably your last post of the year I thought it was apt to comment. But this was further prompted by your opening splurge on Iron Widow, which I have nearly finished as I watched/write. You've said many times you don't prepare your dialogue, and this is apparent. The torrent of intelligent comment on this book, compressed in a short space, is wonderful, yet done with out a script. Alone this would be an achievement, but it is also on a whole higher level than most waffling book-tubes. Keep it up in 2024, and any name will do, as long as we can find you.
You are incredibly kind for saying so, thank you! 💜
You always give me something wonderful to read. Thank you!
I love how you talk about books; you describe everything in such an interesting way that makes me want to read everything! Thanks, because I've read so many more books this year because of your reviews.
Thanks for the recos! Was just thinking about good holiday reads :D
Read my first Tananarive Due this year (‘Ghost Summer Stories’), and loved it.
The way you talked about Children of Tome reminded me about James White's Sector General series. Do you know it? I read little sci fi, but this is one of my fave series all together. It's about this group of interspecies medics on Sector General Hospital spaceship. It's more a series of short stories and novels where they deal with different environmental, dietetic and housing requirements of the crew and patients from different species. They also learn to deal with different world view and cultures created by different species. I love how environment of the planets infuences not only the appearance and biology of beings but also the culture they create. It's a wonderful read, and I like the pacifist aspect of it, I don't find it that often in "space opera" books.
The series is also magical because when I've lent it to my oncologist friend - who also doesn't know much about sci-fi - she read it in an afternoon and then instantly downloaded the entire series. To this day I remember her excitment when she was telling us about "these beings for whom being a doctor was a calling" and how it reenergized her to do her vocation.
was hoping you would say a bit more about the horror books at the end, especially Maggie's Grave, I read that this month too. it was my third novel by him and by far my least favorite - it was fine, fun, good, but doesn't quite have the punch some of his other books do in terms of heart or even horror. perhaps it is better to start with that book by him first as it can only go up from there? but great video as always, thanks
But I said in the video that the horror books were all getting their own special video a few days from now, where I will review them all in details. Do you only watch my monthly wrap-ups?
@@WillowTalksBooks oops, guess I overlooked that part. apologies
Thanks for this list! Adrian Tchaikovsky has some shorter novels that are pretty different but also wonderful and transporting.
Re: Iron Widow, I started it and loved it but paused because I was afraid it was going to be heartbreaking. I can’t do heartbreaking right now. Should I keep going?
It’s definitely heartbreaking in one particular moment. But even saying that feels like an enormous spoiler 🙃
Have you read Gormenghast?
Yup
Damnnn I didn’t even know there was a second Wonder Woman movie 😳. I eventually want to read In Memoriam. Appreciate the video ( as always) 📖🪱💚