ok but now the question is: how do you listen to audiobooks without zoning out within 30 seconds? EDIT: just thought i'd update y'all that i have listened to like 10 audiobooks over the past 4 months and i am only now truly living
For me it took practice and finding the right speed. I used to zone out so much, especially bc I used to try to listen while cleaning/ exercising. But I started to listen to them before I wen t bed when I had no other distractions for a short periods of time. Eventually it just got so I trained my brain not to drift, now I can easily listen to audio books why doing other activities without getting distracted.
I've always listened to NPR and podcasts, so making the jump to audiobooks took absolutely no effort. My primary activity is listening (unless I'm driving) and engaging with the narration, so I don't tend to zone out. The only exception is in the car because my focus is on not killing myself or those around me, which is arguably more important than hearing my current audiobook... except maybe Beartown.
I have to be doing something else. So I'll usually do it while driving, doing chores, or just playing games on my phone. As soon as my hands stop doing something I zone out
Definitely takes a bit of practice, I had such a hard time focusing on audibooks when I first started to listen to them. It helped to increase speed, I usually start on 1.5, then when I get used to that I go up to 1.8, and then 2. You can also try to listen to an audiobook while not doing anything else and actively concentarting on the book, and when you feel like that's easy, you can move on to doing some monotonnous activities while listening. It gets much easier with time.
I find it funny that Kayla has said she likes “weird books” and then we all recommended her Weird Fiction books. Lowercase w weird and capital W Weird are very different things and Weird is bonkers if you’re not prepared for it. (But honestly, I’m here for seeing any updated Lovecraftian/cosmic horror and sci fi getting talked about in general.)
OK. I've paused at 8:49 because I feel very apprehensive. I wasn't that invested last time because I wasn't interested in any of the books recommended but this time two of my FAVES are on the chopping block - Annihilation and This is How You Lose the Time War. In theory this should go great - Wilder Girls drew a lot of inspiration from Annihilation and This is How You Lose the Time War ticks so many boxes... but the preview clips in the intro... oh god. And now my mind is racing back to the times when Kayla has praised a weird book and I've thought "I liked this a lot but I wish it had pushed a little weirder." I mean, ultimately this has no effect on my own reading experience... I'm not really sure why I'm feeling so... full of cringe. I don't know why i'm fricking journaling about it in the comments instead of just watching the dang video. 😂
That's exactly how I felt! It was almost painful to watch; i was very apprehensive. It was like watching the Superbowl and actually caring who wins. This is How you Lose the Time War is one of my favorite books of all time. I've never read Annihilation, but now I have to try it out!
@@hfollman98 That's a really good way of putting it! Also, I'm still thinking about This is How You Lose the Time War months after finishing it, it's so exactly everything I want from a book. I can't even write properly how much I loved it. 😭😍
I read both books and yes they are weird but in the best way!!! I mean the entire area X series is just bonkers but so great and creative. I listend to „this is how you lose the time war“ as an audiobook and I think it’s a brilliant format for this book because you have two narrators.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson So far, I've recommended it to 5 people and they've all enjoyed it. I know that's not a lot, but they were a range of no scifi/fantasy readers to hard scifi/fantasy readers.
Jeff Vandermeer's new series is really good too! All the nature scifi weirdness of the Southern Reach trilogy, but with an easier to follow plot. I liked Southern Reach, but I'm loving the Borne series so far!
i had to come back and comment a thank you! i hadn’t heard of annihilation before this video (i know, i don’t know how i hadn’t either) but the way you reviewed it intrigued me. even if you didnt end up enjoying it, it sounded like my sort of thing so i picked it up.... and LOVED it. i gave it a full five stars! and spent the last few weeks seeking out more adult sff so i can finally dip my toe in and try to find my niche. thanks for motivating me to branch out! i found a new all-time favourite now because of it
I was so excited that you were going to read Starry Eyes and I’m so glad you liked it. I highly recommend you pick up her other work. She is an auto-buy author for me.
Ahhhh the weight of the stars has been on my TBR for a few months and hearing you talk about it has made me even more excited to pick it up! 😍 Also, I love love love these videos and all your reading challenges they are so fun to watch Also side note: I think you’d really like the Annihilation movie. I liked the book but it went a little over my head, but the movie was so great, it was absolutely terrifying and Natalie Portman is just the best. I feel like it works so much better as a film.
The closest thing I've come to a book series comparable to Illuminae is the Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel. Really excellent adult version and the audiobooks have a full cast reading them (third book had an annoying voice choice though so I had to switch back to the physical copy).
....I feel so validated that you were also confused reading This is How You Lose the Time War bc same. It had elements that I thought were so beautiful but also no clue what was happening half the time. I still really enjoyed it though :) I love this series!! I'm going to look for The Weight of Stars the next time I go book shopping! Thanks Kayla!
I'm so glad you love The Weight of the stars! I recently read it and completely adored it and also had that sense from the beginning that it was going to be a favorite. Also, I recommend The Wicker King by the same author
Have you read On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta? It has elements of camping as three groups of teenagers play a game of territory wars in rural Australia, however it's much more about forming strong friendships and finding family. It has its dark moments and two timelines which can be a bit confusing at first, but it all weaves beautifully together.
I think you should listen to the audiobook of This Is How You Lose the Time War. That's what I did and it just felt so whimsical and lovely. I don't think I would have liked it if I had physically read it.
I keep seeing S.T.A.G.S. at my library book store, and I'm tempted to pick it up because you hated it so much that I'm curious to read it. I have no doubt that I would hate it too, based on what it is about, but the curiosity is kind of killing me. Oddly, they also had Lock Every Door, and I'm less tempted to read that one, despite the fact that you really enjoyed it. My reactions to book reviews seems to be the opposite to the intentions of book reviews. 🤷♀️ In related news, I already had Annihilation on my shelf but wasn't in a big hurry to get to it (I have seen the movie), and now I can hardly wait. Go figure. In regards to the "how you do your hair" part, there are some of us who put waaaay less effort into their daily hairstyle than you do, so to find out how you do those lovely relaxed curls is kind of fascinating. I could never do that because my super-fine hair won't hold a curl no matter what.
My face when you listed The Library at Mount Char, Annihilation, AND This is How You Lose the Time War all for the same video. 😬😬😬😬😬😬 That's ... a lot. Love your videos! You are the best! 💛
would love to hear your thoughts on the sequel(s) to annihilation! the second book is in a totally different pov and, while also bizarre, is a little outside area x and so is more grounded and we learn more about the old and new characters.
One thing I can say about Annihilation, after reading the whole series it is the best of the trilogy. The second is about corporate intrigue and doesn't answer a lot of questions. The third is the most like the first but I don't remember it enough to say why. I just know I loved the first the most of the southern reach. Also The Library at Mount Char is fantastic but I absolutely understand your rating because it is weird and who knows what happened. It is one of my favorite books I have ever read and I still don't know what happened.
I've read all of these books aside from Starry Eyes and when you said you were going to read The Library at Mount Char and This is How You Lose the Time War I was like, "Oh noooooo!" Needless to say, I didn't enjoy either of them very much (I think one was a two star and one was a three star) and I had a suspicion they wouldn't be your cup of tea either. I've also read the whole Area X trilogy and if you're wanting more context for what happened in Annihilation, it might be worth reading the other two books. They are definitely NOT as weird or abstract as the first book, so you won't be thrown into a world with no explanation of how it works or what's going on. But Jeff Vandermeer is a huge author in what's called the New Weird genre, which might be a something to research if you're into weird scifi-y books.
The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh--weird and poetic with maybe some subtle Shakespeare inspiration. Reminds me a little of Wilder Girls in the female dynamics and stuck on an island sense. Maybe not your new favourite book, but I think you would like it and I'd be super interested to see what you thought!
So. Weird. I JUST rewatched the first one like YESTERDAY and thought to myself, When is she going to to the follow up? Thank you for knowing what I needed without me knowing myself 🤣
Yeah. Annihilation is very strange. I recommend you gone on. You'll probably like Acceptance (book 3 in the trilogy). It is a bit more down to earth weird if you get what I'm saying. Book two was a slog for me though. The movie adapts the story very differently from the books. It also combines the plots of the entire trilogy.
I recommended you The Weight of the Stars, because I knew you'd love it!! I'm so happy to see you actually read it. I love that book so much, I cried for an hour when I got to end, I was just so happy and it was so well done and ahh!! I love that author so much
Just In case you decide to do another vid like this I'd recommend Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh. It's light character-driven scifi with multiple POVs, diverse cast and there's no aliens what so ever.
I just started Starry Eyes, and although I like Jenn Bennett's writing, I was a little unsure. Hearing that you like it and that it gets better makes me very happy!
You talked about loving the multiple characters of The Weight of the Stars being such great friends who are each distinct and you could picture and love, which reminds me of Kings of the Wyld as every member of that band of mercenaries is distinct and given their own voice that you fully grasp. No other cross over other than extremely well-done characters.
Your reading vlogs are the best!! 💕 Edit: Okay but honestly, your videos in general are such high quality!! I wouldn‘t mind one or two more ads (you probably wouldn‘t either haha!!) get that coin girl, you deserve it so much :)
I love all of your challenge videos because you're reading taste is so like... unpredictable. And I mean that in the best way! It's always exciting to hear what you have to say because it's always different.
Whenever I don't know how to explain my feelings about a book I always read the negative reviews on Goodreads. It's usually in the 2 or 3 star range where the quality of the review for some reason is just more informative than reading a 4 or 5 star review, and then I can see what I agree/disagree with and create something that fits. I hope that helps!
Since you didn't love Annihilation I recommend you don't read the rest of the series. The elements you did like are completely absent from book 2, and it has a very different tone. Do watch the movie though. It's a good movie.
Late here, but is the movie just the first book or a compilation of 1-2 or 1-3? I’ve tried to do some googling but I desperately want to avoid any kind of spoilers as I’m only just about to read book 1.
@@lanej.6458 the movie is only loosely inspired by the first book but the plot is very different. I watched the movie before reading it and it wasn't spoiled for me
I think you would like VIPER IN THE FIST, is a classic by Hervé Bazin. I read it in french class and absolutely fell in love with it for the toxic relationship the main character has with his mother.
A Shakespeare retelling I read recently: On the isle of sound and wonder by Alyson Grauer. It's a Tempest retelling. Don't think it's something for you, but maybe it's good to mention in your Shakespeare recs. It's fantasy steampunk.
I feel you about This is how you lose the time war, I liked it but it wasn’t an easy read. It took a lot of work. Beautiful writing but I often felt very distant from the characters and the stakes. I was very pulled in by the ending, but I also feel like I need to reread it to understand it better. I might try the audiobook.
If you loved The Weight of the Stars, you should read K Ancrum's other book The Wicker King! It's about a dark, toxic mlm YA romance (but the romance is definitely not the main part of the plot) that deals with mental health (specifically hallucinations), coming to terms with your sexuality, and realizing how you can love someone without them being healthy for you and you don't have to kill yourself to carry someone else's baggage - it's so good!
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is lovely. It’s a sci-fi, and it is set in space which I know isn’t necessarily your thing, but it’s got amazing characters and great representation of diversity, so I think you might like it? To me it’s definitely more character centered.
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James might be up your alley. It gave me Illuminae vibes. Girl alone aboard a space craft, emails to Earth and another ship, tension. So good.
Your comment about not liking books where anything is possible (no limits on the magic system) is exactly how I felt about the night circus!! I never understood the parameters of the “challenge” or what the magic Celia and Marco were capable of actually was
- On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis (toxic mother/daughter relationship, space training, survival) - The Leper by Steve Thayer (forbidden romance, forced togetherness, found family, isolated, island setting, survival) - Skin by Ted Dekker (strong friendship group, forced togetherness, discovering the truth, isolated, survival, dark/dangerous game) - The Pen Name by David Jacob Knight (revenge plot, discovering the truth, survival, secret identity, dark/dangerous game)
Loved this vid! Here's a camping, survival and big friendship group book recommendation: Tomorrow When the War Began. You are missing out if you haven't read it!
Aww man, I haven't thought about that series in so long! I read it as a kid (like basically every Australian in my age group probably! 😂). I really enjoyed it then but I suspect it might not hold up. I think Marsden himself has said he wouldn't write it today.
Nora Roberts Chronicles of the One series (first book is "Year One") it is post apocalyptic, witches, elves ,etc. Dark magic people hunting survivors and light magic people, building up communities from scratch, heroine quests.... I just loved this story!
Honestly I just want to recommend 'The Calculating Stars' by Mary Robinette Kowall. Though it's adult sci-fi and alternative history, which I'm unsure if it will work for you. I loved how she wrote the relationships, the characters, how it felt authentic to the time (50s) even if it was alternative history. How it talked about women's right. It's all about ladies training and fighting to become astronauts, and I definitely had no issues following along with the science stuff, as it was explained very well (and I'm not a big scifi reader).
That’s so nice of people to donate to the book club. I’m in a tough situation right now where I don’t have a job and can’t afford to buy books. And the wait lists at my library are a mile high. This month I decided to reach out to the publisher for The Other People and they were sweet enough to send me a finished copy.
Most of the books you mention can not be found in my local library (yet) (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), but 'Annihilation' by Jeff Vandermeer is there. I'm happy you like it very much! - Greetings by Sophie
The fact I didn’t comment on the original video is killing me! I would have recommended Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz. Boy and merman on an isolated island with magical fish. It’s weird af!
I read The Wicker King by K. An fun and loved it but never picked up The Weight of the Stars since I didn’t think the premise was for me. But hearing that you liked it and considering her next book isn’t coming out until next year, I might as well pick it up.
@@BooksandLala it's set now, so not the kids, but some of the older characters in TWotS are the MCs in TWK and there's a lot of easter eggs in the book
Weight of the Stars was so good! I went in knowing nothing and fell absolutely in love with it. ❤️ It's such a special book and in case you didn't know, The Wicker King is about the two dads to Ahmed in The Weight of the Stars so you should definitely check that book out next!
I have a feeling that you would really like The Snow Child. It is set in Alaska, has a hint of magic, has an open-ended ending, and has a really atmospheric writing style.
I love watching your videos! They are some entertaining hahaha. The only genre we have in common is mystery/thriller but i love watching you and maybe getting outside my comfort zone with reading lol
I'm so glad you read The Weight of the Stars! I'd recommend The Wicker King, her other novel, next. It's really weird and hard to explain, but has that same vibe and a little bit of magic (maybe).
Movie night!!! By that I mean binging Lala when I don't have college ( yet until January ) and no retail working yet until next week on call this week haha
I read The Weight of the Stars last year, after Ola (from Ola Magick Reads, one of the people whose comment was in your vlog) made a video about how much she loved it, and I loved it too.
If this helps, the audiobook for this is how you lose the time war is narrated by two different women. I also read it twice in one day cause I felt once wasn't enough to capture everything and since it was so short I tried again. I enjoyed it more the second time around, idk
Aw too bad about Mount Char. It was one of my favorite recent reads. But on the upside I think you’ll like Annihilation the movie! It’s a very straightforward metaphor and visuals are guaranteed haha! Can’t wait to see what you pick up next :)
We have very similar reading tastes and I feel like you would enjoy To Be Taught, If fortunate by Becky Chambers. Sci-fi space exploration, the whole book is set in space on different planets. If we are as similar as I think we are you'd enjoy most of the major themes of the book and it's a novella so under 200 pages :)
“We’re checking in again at page 2.” Me checking twitter after I told myself I was putting my phone away so I can just focus on reading.
SAME
Me with my ipad that also has twitter 😭
meee
Kayla: Hi.
Liam in another room: Who are you?!
Kayla: Um, your mother.
Quality content to me.
Lol. When was that? I can't can't find it haha
@@natashasouthwell5594 It happens at 28:05. =)
@@RoseRamblesYT thank you!
You should read one door away from heaven by dean Koontz
This is definitely your kind of weird. I've never read another book like it. And I always like what you like.
Totally understand why you didn't, but would have been such a power move to read the bible for this 😂
J. Thamm even just a book of the Bible. 😂
I mean...there is a lot of weird stuff in it...
JLynnEchelon I’m a Christian so I know all about that stuff.
@@nathanielluscombe5277 most christians dont
"Kayla having existential crisis for 49 minutes straight"
Kate Crumble this made me snort my tea. So true. 😂😂😂
ok but now the question is: how do you listen to audiobooks without zoning out within 30 seconds?
EDIT: just thought i'd update y'all that i have listened to like 10 audiobooks over the past 4 months and i am only now truly living
For me it took practice and finding the right speed. I used to zone out so much, especially bc I used to try to listen while cleaning/ exercising. But I started to listen to them before I wen t bed when I had no other distractions for a short periods of time. Eventually it just got so I trained my brain not to drift, now I can easily listen to audio books why doing other activities without getting distracted.
I've always listened to NPR and podcasts, so making the jump to audiobooks took absolutely no effort. My primary activity is listening (unless I'm driving) and engaging with the narration, so I don't tend to zone out. The only exception is in the car because my focus is on not killing myself or those around me, which is arguably more important than hearing my current audiobook... except maybe Beartown.
I have to be doing something else. So I'll usually do it while driving, doing chores, or just playing games on my phone. As soon as my hands stop doing something I zone out
Definitely takes a bit of practice, I had such a hard time focusing on audibooks when I first started to listen to them. It helped to increase speed, I usually start on 1.5, then when I get used to that I go up to 1.8, and then 2. You can also try to listen to an audiobook while not doing anything else and actively concentarting on the book, and when you feel like that's easy, you can move on to doing some monotonnous activities while listening. It gets much easier with time.
Totally agree with you. They are so boring. I only read physical books
You should read Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. It’s space training, strong friend group... YA
I'm reading this right now. Only about 40% in but I'm really enjoying it and I agree!
Also the sequel to Skyward has non-binary characters which is delightful!
Jasmine Skye the sequel killed me. I had finished it by the evening after it released. I already want to reread it.
I don’t think it’s her kind of sci-fi tbh
Lionel Hdez I agree. But I think that there’s an interesting mixture of things she likes and things she doesn’t like. It could end up either way.
I find it funny that Kayla has said she likes “weird books” and then we all recommended her Weird Fiction books. Lowercase w weird and capital W Weird are very different things and Weird is bonkers if you’re not prepared for it. (But honestly, I’m here for seeing any updated Lovecraftian/cosmic horror and sci fi getting talked about in general.)
Anyone brave enough to recommend a book for the next video in this series?
😅😅😅
She needs to read The Color Purple!!!
Megan Cupid’s match!!
Brave, brave souls 😂
Considering how much she liked Little Women I would recommend a classic. And then cry when she inevitably doesn’t like it. 🙁
You kind of remind me of a super chill Suki from Gilmore Girls
holy crap yessssss!!!!!!!!
OMG HOW DID I NOT REALIZE THAT
She has said that she is ALWAYS compared to Melissa McCarthy! So I guess that makes sense!
"This bitch is a transformer"
Lost it 🤣
You should totally read Skyward by Brandon Sanderson!! It's space training without actually going out to space!!
I think she’d adore the first one and then absolutely hate the second one lol
@@Lunabandit 100% agree. She could care about and enjoy the second due to being invested in the characters but also it’s totally up in the air
OK. I've paused at 8:49 because I feel very apprehensive. I wasn't that invested last time because I wasn't interested in any of the books recommended but this time two of my FAVES are on the chopping block - Annihilation and This is How You Lose the Time War.
In theory this should go great - Wilder Girls drew a lot of inspiration from Annihilation and This is How You Lose the Time War ticks so many boxes... but the preview clips in the intro... oh god. And now my mind is racing back to the times when Kayla has praised a weird book and I've thought "I liked this a lot but I wish it had pushed a little weirder."
I mean, ultimately this has no effect on my own reading experience... I'm not really sure why I'm feeling so... full of cringe. I don't know why i'm fricking journaling about it in the comments instead of just watching the dang video. 😂
That's exactly how I felt! It was almost painful to watch; i was very apprehensive. It was like watching the Superbowl and actually caring who wins. This is How you Lose the Time War is one of my favorite books of all time. I've never read Annihilation, but now I have to try it out!
@@hfollman98 That's a really good way of putting it! Also, I'm still thinking about This is How You Lose the Time War months after finishing it, it's so exactly everything I want from a book. I can't even write properly how much I loved it. 😭😍
Well this comment absolutely entertained me 😂 I felt this way when she read The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle!
@@AshleyZieman Funny you mention that book. Literally five minutes ago just left the bookstore with that book!
I read both books and yes they are weird but in the best way!!! I mean the entire area X series is just bonkers but so great and creative. I listend to „this is how you lose the time war“ as an audiobook and I think it’s a brilliant format for this book because you have two narrators.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
So far, I've recommended it to 5 people and they've all enjoyed it. I know that's not a lot, but they were a range of no scifi/fantasy readers to hard scifi/fantasy readers.
Omg I was also so sad when Florence Pugh didn't win. She was INCREDIBLE. I need to watch Midsommar.
True but at least Laura Dern finally got her oscar. Florence Pugh is young she'll get there
@@lenah9027 true Laura Dern is wonderful. An absolute cutie patootie. I certainly don't begrudge her it.
she was great in midsommar but what a strange film 💀
ksj strange films are the best films. Normal films are generic 😩
@Nicole Glasson Midsommar was my favorite movie of last year. So good.
Jeff Vandermeer's new series is really good too! All the nature scifi weirdness of the Southern Reach trilogy, but with an easier to follow plot. I liked Southern Reach, but I'm loving the Borne series so far!
i had to come back and comment a thank you! i hadn’t heard of annihilation before this video (i know, i don’t know how i hadn’t either) but the way you reviewed it intrigued me. even if you didnt end up enjoying it, it sounded like my sort of thing so i picked it up.... and LOVED it. i gave it a full five stars! and spent the last few weeks seeking out more adult sff so i can finally dip my toe in and try to find my niche. thanks for motivating me to branch out! i found a new all-time favourite now because of it
I was so excited that you were going to read Starry Eyes and I’m so glad you liked it. I highly recommend you pick up her other work. She is an auto-buy author for me.
Ahhhh the weight of the stars has been on my TBR for a few months and hearing you talk about it has made me even more excited to pick it up! 😍 Also, I love love love these videos and all your reading challenges they are so fun to watch
Also side note: I think you’d really like the Annihilation movie. I liked the book but it went a little over my head, but the movie was so great, it was absolutely terrifying and Natalie Portman is just the best. I feel like it works so much better as a film.
I absolutely loved the movie. Watching this has made me want to go back and re-watch it.
31:00 is basically me reading Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe
Yes!!!
I bought this book this week and I'm so excited to read it!
@@Moralinaaa hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did 💜
TheVolterra13 I just was assigned that for school and I read the whole book in one night
The closest thing I've come to a book series comparable to Illuminae is the Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel. Really excellent adult version and the audiobooks have a full cast reading them (third book had an annoying voice choice though so I had to switch back to the physical copy).
*immediately stops everything I’m doing to watch Kayla*
Did we find the boundary of your weirdness LaLa? I feel like that’s what happened 😂 or maybe it was a weird overload?
To be fair, part of the Bible do have an actual plot. Books of Kings, for example, read like a hardboiled political thriller.
I'm living for the random clips in the start, if I wasn't watching the video regardless, those would definitely convince me ^^
....I feel so validated that you were also confused reading This is How You Lose the Time War bc same. It had elements that I thought were so beautiful but also no clue what was happening half the time. I still really enjoyed it though :)
I love this series!! I'm going to look for The Weight of Stars the next time I go book shopping! Thanks Kayla!
I'm so glad you love The Weight of the stars! I recently read it and completely adored it and also had that sense from the beginning that it was going to be a favorite. Also, I recommend The Wicker King by the same author
Joharis Arosemena Yes! When I read The Wicker King I kept thinking- Lala would LOVE this!
Have you read On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta? It has elements of camping as three groups of teenagers play a game of territory wars in rural Australia, however it's much more about forming strong friendships and finding family. It has its dark moments and two timelines which can be a bit confusing at first, but it all weaves beautifully together.
Jennifer that book broke me! 💔. That being said, I need to reread it 🥺
incridible creative idea , love lala's Laughter, her wacky magic and spooky / fantasy readig taste and her hair!!! the curls queen!
I think you should listen to the audiobook of This Is How You Lose the Time War. That's what I did and it just felt so whimsical and lovely. I don't think I would have liked it if I had physically read it.
Very off topic, but i love how much you care about Liam's hobbies, you seem like a wonderful mom
I love Starry Eyes so much! Jenn Bennett is one of my favorite authors
I keep seeing S.T.A.G.S. at my library book store, and I'm tempted to pick it up because you hated it so much that I'm curious to read it. I have no doubt that I would hate it too, based on what it is about, but the curiosity is kind of killing me. Oddly, they also had Lock Every Door, and I'm less tempted to read that one, despite the fact that you really enjoyed it. My reactions to book reviews seems to be the opposite to the intentions of book reviews. 🤷♀️ In related news, I already had Annihilation on my shelf but wasn't in a big hurry to get to it (I have seen the movie), and now I can hardly wait. Go figure.
In regards to the "how you do your hair" part, there are some of us who put waaaay less effort into their daily hairstyle than you do, so to find out how you do those lovely relaxed curls is kind of fascinating. I could never do that because my super-fine hair won't hold a curl no matter what.
12:32 I snorted at the “huh” 🤣
Did I come back to rewatch this because I'm currently reading Library of Mount Char and need to hear your thoughts again?? Absolutely
Oh my gosh I knew staying up til 3 am had benefits thank you Kayla!!!
My face when you listed The Library at Mount Char, Annihilation, AND This is How You Lose the Time War all for the same video. 😬😬😬😬😬😬 That's ... a lot. Love your videos! You are the best! 💛
would love to hear your thoughts on the sequel(s) to annihilation! the second book is in a totally different pov and, while also bizarre, is a little outside area x and so is more grounded and we learn more about the old and new characters.
Ooh this is the perfect way to start of my morning!
One thing I can say about Annihilation, after reading the whole series it is the best of the trilogy. The second is about corporate intrigue and doesn't answer a lot of questions. The third is the most like the first but I don't remember it enough to say why. I just know I loved the first the most of the southern reach. Also The Library at Mount Char is fantastic but I absolutely understand your rating because it is weird and who knows what happened. It is one of my favorite books I have ever read and I still don't know what happened.
I've read all of these books aside from Starry Eyes and when you said you were going to read The Library at Mount Char and This is How You Lose the Time War I was like, "Oh noooooo!" Needless to say, I didn't enjoy either of them very much (I think one was a two star and one was a three star) and I had a suspicion they wouldn't be your cup of tea either.
I've also read the whole Area X trilogy and if you're wanting more context for what happened in Annihilation, it might be worth reading the other two books. They are definitely NOT as weird or abstract as the first book, so you won't be thrown into a world with no explanation of how it works or what's going on. But Jeff Vandermeer is a huge author in what's called the New Weird genre, which might be a something to research if you're into weird scifi-y books.
The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh--weird and poetic with maybe some subtle Shakespeare inspiration. Reminds me a little of Wilder Girls in the female dynamics and stuck on an island sense. Maybe not your new favourite book, but I think you would like it and I'd be super interested to see what you thought!
I loved Mt. Char so much, your thoughts on it was exactly how I felt about Middlegame.
50 minutes!! Can’t wait for this video!!!
I loved this vlog so much! You can really tell how much work goes into these!
So. Weird. I JUST rewatched the first one like YESTERDAY and thought to myself, When is she going to to the follow up?
Thank you for knowing what I needed without me knowing myself 🤣
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson has space training and space battles and I think you’ll love it
Yeah. Annihilation is very strange. I recommend you gone on. You'll probably like Acceptance (book 3 in the trilogy). It is a bit more down to earth weird if you get what I'm saying. Book two was a slog for me though.
The movie adapts the story very differently from the books. It also combines the plots of the entire trilogy.
I recommend The Calculating Stars for the training for space. It's sci-fi but more rooted in reality than some sci-fi.
I recommended you The Weight of the Stars, because I knew you'd love it!! I'm so happy to see you actually read it.
I love that book so much, I cried for an hour when I got to end, I was just so happy and it was so well done and ahh!!
I love that author so much
Just In case you decide to do another vid like this I'd recommend Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh. It's light character-driven scifi with multiple POVs, diverse cast and there's no aliens what so ever.
Kayla, I just want to say how much I love your videos. You're probably the only booktuber I'd spend 50 minutes watching their videos.
I just started Starry Eyes, and although I like Jenn Bennett's writing, I was a little unsure. Hearing that you like it and that it gets better makes me very happy!
You talked about loving the multiple characters of The Weight of the Stars being such great friends who are each distinct and you could picture and love, which reminds me of Kings of the Wyld as every member of that band of mercenaries is distinct and given their own voice that you fully grasp. No other cross over other than extremely well-done characters.
Your reading vlogs are the best!! 💕
Edit: Okay but honestly, your videos in general are such high quality!!
I wouldn‘t mind one or two more ads (you probably wouldn‘t either haha!!) get that coin girl, you deserve it so much :)
I love all of your challenge videos because you're reading taste is so like... unpredictable. And I mean that in the best way! It's always exciting to hear what you have to say because it's always different.
Whenever I don't know how to explain my feelings about a book I always read the negative reviews on Goodreads. It's usually in the 2 or 3 star range where the quality of the review for some reason is just more informative than reading a 4 or 5 star review, and then I can see what I agree/disagree with and create something that fits. I hope that helps!
The way you felt about mount char is how I feel about middle game I have started it twice and I’m like am I dumb lol
Since you didn't love Annihilation I recommend you don't read the rest of the series. The elements you did like are completely absent from book 2, and it has a very different tone.
Do watch the movie though. It's a good movie.
Late here, but is the movie just the first book or a compilation of 1-2 or 1-3? I’ve tried to do some googling but I desperately want to avoid any kind of spoilers as I’m only just about to read book 1.
@@lanej.6458 the movie is only loosely inspired by the first book but the plot is very different. I watched the movie before reading it and it wasn't spoiled for me
@@bookgalerin oh interesting. Thanks!
i havent been able to watch much booktube recently and then i come back and watch a kayla vlog and everything is right in the world
I think you would like VIPER IN THE FIST, is a classic by Hervé Bazin. I read it in french class and absolutely fell in love with it for the toxic relationship the main character has with his mother.
Not to pile on, but I really think you would enjoy Anna K by Jenny Lee!
I love how you are reading recommendations!! So thoughtful and shows you listen and care about your viewers💕💕
I would recommend you 'The snow child' by Eowyn Ivey. It's set in Alaska and has magical realism. Really beautiful.
A Shakespeare retelling I read recently: On the isle of sound and wonder by Alyson Grauer. It's a Tempest retelling. Don't think it's something for you, but maybe it's good to mention in your Shakespeare recs. It's fantasy steampunk.
Oo I've been meaning to read this I need to get to it!
@@maritareads5229 It was pretty good, so hope you will like it as well :)
I feel you about This is how you lose the time war, I liked it but it wasn’t an easy read. It took a lot of work. Beautiful writing but I often felt very distant from the characters and the stakes. I was very pulled in by the ending, but I also feel like I need to reread it to understand it better. I might try the audiobook.
“Imagine you’re dropped into a video game...” - literally the plot of the new edit of the ‘Jumanji’ movies. 🙂
I want to reccomend A Long Way To a Small Angry Planet. But I'm scared. It's a beautiful character driven sci-fi.
If you loved The Weight of the Stars, you should read K Ancrum's other book The Wicker King! It's about a dark, toxic mlm YA romance (but the romance is definitely not the main part of the plot) that deals with mental health (specifically hallucinations), coming to terms with your sexuality, and realizing how you can love someone without them being healthy for you and you don't have to kill yourself to carry someone else's baggage - it's so good!
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is lovely. It’s a sci-fi, and it is set in space which I know isn’t necessarily your thing, but it’s got amazing characters and great representation of diversity, so I think you might like it? To me it’s definitely more character centered.
Omg! You're vlogs always put me in a great mood. I binge watch your videos on a daily basis 😂
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James might be up your alley. It gave me Illuminae vibes. Girl alone aboard a space craft, emails to Earth and another ship, tension. So good.
Ha!!! That was great. I have no idea if I should even read these books now!
i still think you would really love the thirteenth tale. it has this thriller-y gothic vibe and a fucked up story with a great plot twist
Your comment about not liking books where anything is possible (no limits on the magic system) is exactly how I felt about the night circus!! I never understood the parameters of the “challenge” or what the magic Celia and Marco were capable of actually was
Wow! 😍 Your neighbourhood street is beautiful! 💖
Liam introducing himself on Tuesday scared me for a second 😭😂 I wasn’t expecting that
- On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis (toxic mother/daughter relationship, space training, survival)
- The Leper by Steve Thayer (forbidden romance, forced togetherness, found family, isolated, island setting, survival)
- Skin by Ted Dekker (strong friendship group, forced togetherness, discovering the truth, isolated, survival, dark/dangerous game)
- The Pen Name by David Jacob Knight (revenge plot, discovering the truth, survival, secret identity, dark/dangerous game)
Kinsey Breland I’ve never seen anyone mention On the Edge of Gone! I LOVED THAT BOOK
Reading vlogs where your real life "is also a part of it" are my favourite kind of video! :)
Loved this vid!
Here's a camping, survival and big friendship group book recommendation: Tomorrow When the War Began. You are missing out if you haven't read it!
Aww man, I haven't thought about that series in so long! I read it as a kid (like basically every Australian in my age group probably! 😂). I really enjoyed it then but I suspect it might not hold up. I think Marsden himself has said he wouldn't write it today.
I have that bind up of the Southern Reach trilogy!
Nora Roberts Chronicles of the One series (first book is "Year One") it is post apocalyptic, witches, elves ,etc. Dark magic people hunting survivors and light magic people, building up communities from scratch, heroine quests.... I just loved this story!
so glad you looved The Weight of the Stars! I loved as well!!
Honestly I just want to recommend 'The Calculating Stars' by Mary Robinette Kowall. Though it's adult sci-fi and alternative history, which I'm unsure if it will work for you. I loved how she wrote the relationships, the characters, how it felt authentic to the time (50s) even if it was alternative history. How it talked about women's right. It's all about ladies training and fighting to become astronauts, and I definitely had no issues following along with the science stuff, as it was explained very well (and I'm not a big scifi reader).
That’s so nice of people to donate to the book club. I’m in a tough situation right now where I don’t have a job and can’t afford to buy books. And the wait lists at my library are a mile high. This month I decided to reach out to the publisher for The Other People and they were sweet enough to send me a finished copy.
Most of the books you mention can not be found in my local library (yet) (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), but 'Annihilation' by Jeff Vandermeer is there. I'm happy you like it very much! - Greetings by Sophie
The fact I didn’t comment on the original video is killing me!
I would have recommended Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz. Boy and merman on an isolated island with magical fish. It’s weird af!
Beth June WHAT WHEN?!?!
Beth June Ah you dashed my hopes there!
I read The Wicker King by K. An fun and loved it but never picked up The Weight of the Stars since I didn’t think the premise was for me. But hearing that you liked it and considering her next book isn’t coming out until next year, I might as well pick it up.
The Wicker King was my favourite of K. Ancrum's books, but I fully enjoyed reading The Weight of Stars as well.
A lot of the characters in the weight of the stars are from her debut, The Wicker King
Whaaaaaaaàat
@@BooksandLala it's set now, so not the kids, but some of the older characters in TWotS are the MCs in TWK and there's a lot of easter eggs in the book
Weight of the Stars was so good! I went in knowing nothing and fell absolutely in love with it. ❤️ It's such a special book and in case you didn't know, The Wicker King is about the two dads to Ahmed in The Weight of the Stars so you should definitely check that book out next!
I am one of the pesky people that comments on your hair. Thank you for showing us!! Totally adding The Weight of the Stars to my TBR.
I have a feeling that you would really like The Snow Child. It is set in Alaska, has a hint of magic, has an open-ended ending, and has a really atmospheric writing style.
YESSSS I WANTED THIS VIDEO SO BADLY! Love your channel ❤ Fav booktuber by far.
I love watching your videos! They are some entertaining hahaha. The only genre we have in common is mystery/thriller but i love watching you and maybe getting outside my comfort zone with reading lol
I'm so glad you read The Weight of the Stars! I'd recommend The Wicker King, her other novel, next. It's really weird and hard to explain, but has that same vibe and a little bit of magic (maybe).
Movie night!!!
By that I mean binging Lala when I don't have college ( yet until January ) and no retail working yet until next week on call this week haha
I read The Weight of the Stars last year, after Ola (from Ola Magick Reads, one of the people whose comment was in your vlog) made a video about how much she loved it, and I loved it too.
If this helps, the audiobook for this is how you lose the time war is narrated by two different women. I also read it twice in one day cause I felt once wasn't enough to capture everything and since it was so short I tried again. I enjoyed it more the second time around, idk
Aw too bad about Mount Char. It was one of my favorite recent reads. But on the upside I think you’ll like Annihilation the movie! It’s a very straightforward metaphor and visuals are guaranteed haha! Can’t wait to see what you pick up next :)
I'm super interested in how you fill your bullet journal! Is it bookish related things? That'd be a neat video!
We have very similar reading tastes and I feel like you would enjoy To Be Taught, If fortunate by Becky Chambers. Sci-fi space exploration, the whole book is set in space on different planets. If we are as similar as I think we are you'd enjoy most of the major themes of the book and it's a novella so under 200 pages :)