Please don't feel too pressured to get content out! As much as I love and look forward to these videos, right now things are understandably difficult for everyone. I myself have also had family health problems occurring during this pandemic so I feel for you completely. Work and distraction might help you keep a more positive outlook and that's great if that's the case, but if you need to take time to yourself, please do so. We'll still be here. 💗
Would anyone else be interested in Jess doing a video on different periods in literature like colonial, post-colonial etc? Would Jess be interested in doing that? As someone who has not studied theory and find it hard to wrap my head around the differences just by reading about them, I think it would be fun to watch a video that talks about these things.
that’s hard bc different places have different distinctive time periods. so if she reads non-western books she can’t really place them in the common periods that classify the western canon. but from her book talks jess reads a lot of contemporary novels so it would all be late 20th to 21st century ://
So pleased that you are back hun. I’ve been looking forward to this video for months. I just love how you talk about and review books. Hope you and your mum and the rest of your family are doing well and staying safe xxx
You’ve got to reread Homegoing, it’s so much more with the book (in this case). I can see how it would feel choppy or disjointed listening to it. But reading it, it’s incredible how Gyasi can make you care for a new protagonist and fill you, in a new place, in just a few pages with each new chapter.
Your book videos could never be too long, I could listen to you for hours! I'm excited for your June book video- I follow you on Goodreads and I can see you've been reading James Baldwin and can't wait to hear you talk about Go Tell it on the Mountain! Thinking of you and your mum- please don't feel pressure to put out content if you're just not up to it
I thought the Dutch House was extremely memorable. I generally love books that follow characters throughout their whole lives, and I think the author did a good job showing the changes in their thinking and lives over time
Hi Jess! I loved your perspective of hurricane season by Fernanda Melchor and before seeing this review I thought this book was so raw and painful to watch, but my feelings stopped there. She started as a journalist and with that she published her first book called "Here is not Miami" which is a compilation of short stories. I'm from Mexico and the part where she locates the book (Veracruz) has been one of the zones where violence (particularly related to poverty, drugs and cartels dominating every aspects of life) escalated sooooo much in the past 14 years that when I read the book even though it was very explicit, it didn't seemed like an exaggeration of the violence I'd been seeing the last decade. This book talks so much about the violence executed towards marginalized communities and particularly towards women in a country where about 11 women are killed every day in such horrific ways (I don't know if the actual translation would be feminicide) and where the authorities don't seem to care. However, now i can see that to an international reader, and even to people not really familiar with the existing dynamics in this communities this book can be so hard to contextualize and that it could feel almost surreal to imagine such levels of violence existing in everyday life. Finally I agree that this book should have a trigger warning because it relates the violence in such a straight and raw way.
Coincido totalmente contigo. Definitivamente Temporada de Huracanes no es un libro que muchas personas puedan entender, sobretodo extranjeros que no han vivido el alcance de la violencia que lamentablemente se vive en nuestro país día a día... es una tristeza pero es nuestra realidad. Yo personalmente AME esta historia y la manera en que Fernanda la cuenta, me pareció muy original al ser una oración constante, no se, pero este libro me atrapó completamente
OMG, YES. I am mexican and I looooved Hurricane Season and was very disappointed to see Jess didn't because I always trust her opinion so much, but listening to her review, I totally understand what the problem is: she's too detached from the very actual reality the book is depicting, and I can't blame her. It is a difficult read but I only now understand how much more bearable it must be for someone who is exposed (however indirectly) to that kind of violence every day. I wish she would take that into consideration.
Roma I know!!! I totally love her opinions when it comes to books, and I trust her. It is a shame that we didn’t agreed on this one cause it is one of my favorites 🤍 But then again, it is a very hard story to read
Thank you Jess this was such a lovely watch - if you’re thinking about more book content for here or blog would love some more bookshelf tours! Hope you and your family are all well ❤️
Greatest day ever! You got me started on Vandermeer and oh my goodness, he is fast becoming my favourite author of the year too! I enjoyed memory police, but wasn't expecting the quietness in the writing; I kept waiting for something to turn a corner! Definitely a book I wouldn't have found on my own, so thank you!
Love your book videos! Could you put a picture of the book up while you're talking about a book or have a text box underneath that says the name of the book? It would help me keep track of the books that sound interesting to me!
I actually read "The Memory Police" because of your book club, and I absolutely loved it! Your book videos are my faves and I love your book taste. Your insights and reviews are so intelligent. I hope you continue making these videos and I can't wait for the next one. ❤
read Lent because of your high rating on goodreads and I adored it. your point about how Christianity doesn't get mythologized and fantastical-ized (not a real word but you get what I mean haha) is 100% how I felt reflecting on that book as well!!
My friend started a book club and our first book is the Vanishing Half! Really excited to see what you think of it. As someone who read almost exclusively fantasy my whole life, I've been trying hard to branch out and try other authors and genres. Your reviews are so helpful!
As a Japanese, Yoko Ogawa fan, I'm very happy to know that you liked her work. I read The Memory Police years ago, and still recall the dreamy, haunting feeling, just like how you described it. By the way, I think you are right about mentioning Anne Frank, because the famous diary was what inspired Ogawa to become a writer when she was a teenager, and she seems to have been writing and researching about Anne throughout her career. I think you'll enjoy "The Housekeeper and the Professor", too. It's not a haunting one, but a very beautiful, unforgettable story. Love you Jess. Stay safe x
There is never enough Vandermeer! I am so curious to see what you'll have to say of you ever read his Veniss: Underground Also Shriek an Afterword will take you back to City of Saints and Madmen, and it is absolutely beautiful and brilliant
As I was reading Hurricane Season in Spanish I constantly thought that this book couldn’t be properly translated. The magic of it comes mostly from the language that she chooses. I am from Spain and we use different vocabulary than mexican people. She used so many slang from the deep and poor Mexico that transported you to someplace else. As much as it is one of the best books I’ve read this year, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone that doesn’t speak spanish because I feel like so much is lost in the translation.
I enjoyed The Dutch House narration by Tom Hanks but I read the novel as I listened. I agree that the focus in his words was at times odd but more American quirky. And reading the physical book with it made it easier. I agree with your take on translations. Even when a UK book is changed to make it “seem American”. It delays the release but there is always mistakes. Like they change holiday for vacation but then still say a bonnet or windscreen, which aren’t American at all. I feel like both English readers and American readers are comfortable with each dialect that negates the need for this. And it is amplified with foreign language translations.
I loved Homegoing but I agree that it was sometimes difficult to follow the different characters I kept flipping back to the page with the family tree on it so I could make the connections. Also I was sad when each chapter ended I wanted to hear more from each character.
Book recommendation: I just read The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld, great gothic novel, totally dominated by female characters with two being set back in history vs one in the present day, think you’d love it! I also adored Homegoing 🙌🏼
Oo I was waiting for you to get to Homegoing. It was the last book I read in 2019 & I kept thinking it was right up your alley! Sending love to your family. x
Kane and Magret sounds amazing. I have a few Ursula K. Guinn novels I need to read... one may be the left hand of darkness, so if so, I may need to get more to read in a particular order? I think I'd prefer reviewing oldest to most recent, but either way I'll watch an 1hr long book video! I love how you do your book videos, especially as it gives me different books to explore that I probably wouldn't have found otherwise
Absolutely loved the vanishing half! Enjoy it! Red at the bone was also good, very delicate and powerful post read. Looking forward to your thoughts on those!
So many added to my reading list! I think I prefer the order in which you read them, mainly because I feel like it provides a bit more suspense. Maybe if you just did them in the order you read them, but provided your Goodreads rating in the description with the time stamp, it would allow people to see only those they care about?
I just started The Vanishing Half last night, and so far so good! Also, I know you're a fan of Westerns, and I just finished Lonesome Dove a few days ago. It was INCREDIBLE, would highly recommend! It's my favorite book I've read so far this year. mAnd have you read much Flannery O'Connor? Another wonderful Southern Gothic writer, her short stories are especially fantastic.
Hi Jess!!! I LOVE your book videos and this new format 😊. Just a small thing I wanted to point out as Ghanaian names are hard to pronounce if you aren't familiar with them. Gyasi is actually pronounced "Jessie" (kind of like what Zac calls you sometimes). This isn't shade at all as I really love what you are doing and this book is epic, it's like a history lesson in a novel. I just wanted to make you aware 😊
Hi Jess I hope everything is going great at the moment, have you consider making a discord server for the book club? Maybe it would be easier for the discussion portion of that and more like a real life book club, live the vid as always
I felt similar about Homegoing - I wanted more from each character and would have read the book if it was twice as long and we had twice as much about each person!
I just finished ‘the samurai’s garden’ by Gail Tsukiyama and I think you might enjoy it. It has this quiet, peaceful vibe which you sometimes point out in books you like. It’s about war, beauty and recovering from illness. Maybe the last thing will be nice for you to read in these difficult times. I’m looking forward to your next video, but please take your time if you want to!
I read Homegoing and really enjoyed it. Wasn't bothered with the choppiness personally as the author still manages to link up all the chapters through the different characters. This was done when introducing a new character in a chapter but then getting them to meet/interact with another from a previous chapter. As a matter of fact, this is pretty cleverly done in Homegoing in my opinion. I do imagine these links to be hard to follow in an audio book and/or with reduced attention. I also agree with the stories about each character being short, but then again each of the characters could literally have its own book written on them. The only thing that was a bit of a con to an extent is the lack of a firm closure in the end, but I guess that could just be interpreted as an open ending as the two lineages will keep going on for eternity and the book has to end somewhere. The opportunities in the book are endless but it probably falls back on the author to decide the final shape that it takes. A good read overall in my opinion. Reading it was a recommendation at the back of reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, which I also highly recommend.
Agree with you all around and I also ADORED pachinko!!! I guess sprawling generational historical fiction is my jam… The mountains sing is next on the list for a generational :)
I read The Memory Police with my book club and we liked a lot of the things you identified about it. It's very atmospheric and we had a deep discussion about a lot of the themes and ideas in it. Ultimately it didn't quite come together for any of us though. Some of the WW2 imagery is a bit 'done' - even for the nineties (the blue glove, the upturned corner of the rug, etc). I wanted a bit more why and how. I bought The Ballad of the Sad Café recently, I didn't realise it had short stories in there. I got it because I'd read the little Penguin Modern book of 3 McCullers short stories and all three were amazing. Shame you didn't like Hurricane season. I thought it was brilliant. I did find it a bit much towards the end, but having heard her talk about it I totally understood why she did what she did. I agree re the Britishisms though, I think Spanglish or Mexican-American slang would've worked better. If you google "Transnational Series Presents: Fernanda Melchor" she spoke about the traditions she was drawing upon and why she made it so sensational. She's really eloquent too.
I think it would be nice for you to do worst then best back and forth:D that way you'll get excited about talking about the good ones in between the bad ones!
If you are interested in reading a good history book on totalitarianism I would really recommend reading The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt. It is absolutely fascinating and one of the few books which has stuck with me after my degree. There is a whole part on the tool of isolation and unity in regards to control.
I love Angela Davis, she is so so amazing! I am also looking forward to reading The Vanishing Half soon. Sadly I'm one of those people who didn't like The Memory Police, but oh well, it happens. Loved the video, Jess 💜
Does anybody know of any other booktubers that read adult fiction or just a large variety of genres? So far I’ve only discovered Jess and a majority seem to focus primarily on YA :/
Omg yay!!! Also, yes I read The Dutch House and was thinking of listening to it cause it was TOM HANKS but then I sampled it and was like...this is weird and too cheery? for this book? I don’t know, something didn’t fit. So I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it!
I also listened to Dutch House, but I didn’t find Hanks’ intonation to be weird. I’m American though. Possibly that is a factor. I actually thought I enjoyed it more with Hanks narrating because Danny is unlikeable and Hanks has this sort of all-American voice that made him more relatable to me. It reminded me a bit of the Goldfinch, though I didn’t like the Goldfinch very much. I also loved Homegoing when I read it a few years ago. I thought the format gave me such a better understanding of what generational racism and inequality looks like and the impact it has.
Hi Jess! I hope you see this message. I wish you could share with us what you do to read faster. I spend many time in every book, also because I don’t have very good concentration and that’s why sometimes I have to read again, but I think maybe you can share some advice about reading. Thank you :)
haha, so I have owned Jo Walton's Just City for YEARS now (started reading it and then STOPPED about 60 pages away from the end?! why?!) and in July I decided to re-read and finally finish it. I will warn you - spoilers but also trigger warning - there are two sexual assaults. I'm super curious about Lent but honestly I was so disappointed by Just City that I'm hesitant. It felt like a classicists dream (it's speculative fiction about Athena and Apollo deciding to create Plato's Just City) but that was the entire basis that it succeeded, and had very little else. If you liked Lent, I'd definitely recommend it, and I'd be VERY interested to hear your thoughts on it, but the SAs completely ruined it for me, and I felt it sort of floated by on the basis of "hey, look! it's Socrates! how cool is that!?". :/
JESS!! GLAD TO SEE YOU WITH BOOKS AGAIN! Plus you look gergous as always. I'm planning to read Borne and all Jeff Vandemer's books. They sound really interesting to me. Anyway, hope your mic will be on again for next video. This one is fine actually. It's just me being too easily distracted with the motorcycle sound at the background.
Our show is all about supporting and promoting authors, what is the best way for authors to submit their work to youtube book bloggers. We love to share useful information with them.
I read maybe half of The Dutch House and had to drop it. With it being character-focused I found the protagonists to be remarkably bland. Seems to be a pretty unpopular opinion though.
Temporada de huracanes es uno de los mejores libros que he leído, es una lastima que no te gustara... me encanta que leas autores mexicanos, te amo jess
Are you crazy, feeling pressure and be stressed with your videos here, with everything you have going on? I rather have less videos and know that you're OK with the pace. Don't worry. The qualities of these are still so nice, it's interesting, thank you for them. Sending you so much good vibes Jess
Please don't feel too pressured to get content out! As much as I love and look forward to these videos, right now things are understandably difficult for everyone. I myself have also had family health problems occurring during this pandemic so I feel for you completely. Work and distraction might help you keep a more positive outlook and that's great if that's the case, but if you need to take time to yourself, please do so. We'll still be here. 💗
Would anyone else be interested in Jess doing a video on different periods in literature like colonial, post-colonial etc? Would Jess be interested in doing that? As someone who has not studied theory and find it hard to wrap my head around the differences just by reading about them, I think it would be fun to watch a video that talks about these things.
I would, that sounds helpful!
this sounds like a great idea
Love this idea!
Yes
that’s hard bc different places have different distinctive time periods. so if she reads non-western books she can’t really place them in the common periods that classify the western canon. but from her book talks jess reads a lot of contemporary novels so it would all be late 20th to 21st century ://
YES YES YES YES !!! an HOUR of Jess and books :)
Almost ONE HOUR of Jess talking about books, this is amazing! 🥰
So pleased that you are back hun. I’ve been looking forward to this video for months. I just love how you talk about and review books. Hope you and your mum and the rest of your family are doing well and staying safe xxx
I read about 15 books last month and this month I just can't concentrate at all! Very sad when that happens
Yeah sometimes it happen to me 😓
Same :(
Same 12 books last month barely 5 this month🥺
Wow 15 books! That’s amazing, I think the most I’ve read was 3, haha.
It's okay to take a break , I hope you can concentrate again 🙏🏻
You honestly inspire me to read so much more🥺❤️
The premise of the “Memory Police” reminds me the policing of Ba Sing Se in Avatar.
The Francophile Reader i thought the same thing!!!
Omg an Avatar reference!!!
yes
Also very 1984!
You’ve got to reread Homegoing, it’s so much more with the book (in this case). I can see how it would feel choppy or disjointed listening to it. But reading it, it’s incredible how Gyasi can make you care for a new protagonist and fill you, in a new place, in just a few pages with each new chapter.
I love how a big UA-camr talks about books and brings the bookish UA-cam into focus. Awesome taste!
Yeah exactly...especially in a time when the habit of reading is fading away..
Your book videos could never be too long, I could listen to you for hours! I'm excited for your June book video- I follow you on Goodreads and I can see you've been reading James Baldwin and can't wait to hear you talk about Go Tell it on the Mountain!
Thinking of you and your mum- please don't feel pressure to put out content if you're just not up to it
I thought the Dutch House was extremely memorable. I generally love books that follow characters throughout their whole lives, and I think the author did a good job showing the changes in their thinking and lives over time
Hi Jess! I loved your perspective of hurricane season by Fernanda Melchor and before seeing this review I thought this book was so raw and painful to watch, but my feelings stopped there. She started as a journalist and with that she published her first book called "Here is not Miami" which is a compilation of short stories. I'm from Mexico and the part where she locates the book (Veracruz) has been one of the zones where violence (particularly related to poverty, drugs and cartels dominating every aspects of life) escalated sooooo much in the past 14 years that when I read the book even though it was very explicit, it didn't seemed like an exaggeration of the violence I'd been seeing the last decade. This book talks so much about the violence executed towards marginalized communities and particularly towards women in a country where about 11 women are killed every day in such horrific ways (I don't know if the actual translation would be feminicide) and where the authorities don't seem to care. However, now i can see that to an international reader, and even to people not really familiar with the existing dynamics in this communities this book can be so hard to contextualize and that it could feel almost surreal to imagine such levels of violence existing in everyday life. Finally I agree that this book should have a trigger warning because it relates the violence in such a straight and raw way.
Coincido totalmente contigo. Definitivamente Temporada de Huracanes no es un libro que muchas personas puedan entender, sobretodo extranjeros que no han vivido el alcance de la violencia que lamentablemente se vive en nuestro país día a día... es una tristeza pero es nuestra realidad. Yo personalmente AME esta historia y la manera en que Fernanda la cuenta, me pareció muy original al ser una oración constante, no se, pero este libro me atrapó completamente
OMG, YES. I am mexican and I looooved Hurricane Season and was very disappointed to see Jess didn't because I always trust her opinion so much, but listening to her review, I totally understand what the problem is: she's too detached from the very actual reality the book is depicting, and I can't blame her. It is a difficult read but I only now understand how much more bearable it must be for someone who is exposed (however indirectly) to that kind of violence every day. I wish she would take that into consideration.
Roma I know!!! I totally love her opinions when it comes to books, and I trust her. It is a shame that we didn’t agreed on this one cause it is one of my favorites 🤍 But then again, it is a very hard story to read
I’m jealous of your book shelves! Look at all those books 😍
Thank you Jess this was such a lovely watch - if you’re thinking about more book content for here or blog would love some more bookshelf tours! Hope you and your family are all well ❤️
Greatest day ever! You got me started on Vandermeer and oh my goodness, he is fast becoming my favourite author of the year too! I enjoyed memory police, but wasn't expecting the quietness in the writing; I kept waiting for something to turn a corner! Definitely a book I wouldn't have found on my own, so thank you!
Ahh!!!! Almost 1 hour, thank you!! 💕 Can't wait to watch it, I'll just make a cup of tea first and then I'm set😂😍
Love your book videos! Could you put a picture of the book up while you're talking about a book or have a text box underneath that says the name of the book? It would help me keep track of the books that sound interesting to me!
I actually read "The Memory Police" because of your book club, and I absolutely loved it! Your book videos are my faves and I love your book taste. Your insights and reviews are so intelligent. I hope you continue making these videos and I can't wait for the next one. ❤
I'm so ready for an hour of Jess talking about books!!
Ah, I'm so excited to watch this Jess! Almost an hour of book content!!! x
read Lent because of your high rating on goodreads and I adored it. your point about how Christianity doesn't get mythologized and fantastical-ized (not a real word but you get what I mean haha) is 100% how I felt reflecting on that book as well!!
My friend started a book club and our first book is the Vanishing Half! Really excited to see what you think of it. As someone who read almost exclusively fantasy my whole life, I've been trying hard to branch out and try other authors and genres. Your reviews are so helpful!
'These novels are so much better than Dune...' *starts intensely at camera*... Ok, I believe you! Convinced haha
As a Japanese, Yoko Ogawa fan, I'm very happy to know that you liked her work. I read The Memory Police years ago, and still recall the dreamy, haunting feeling, just like how you described it.
By the way, I think you are right about mentioning Anne Frank, because the famous diary was what inspired Ogawa to become a writer when she was a teenager, and she seems to have been writing and researching about Anne throughout her career.
I think you'll enjoy "The Housekeeper and the Professor", too. It's not a haunting one, but a very beautiful, unforgettable story.
Love you Jess. Stay safe x
There is never enough Vandermeer! I am so curious to see what you'll have to say of you ever read his Veniss: Underground
Also Shriek an Afterword will take you back to City of Saints and Madmen, and it is absolutely beautiful and brilliant
One of Lizzy’s recommendations I LOVED is Christodora by Tim Murphy, such an educational and emotional read.
Loved this book too and found it bcos of Lizzy
As I was reading Hurricane Season in Spanish I constantly thought that this book couldn’t be properly translated. The magic of it comes mostly from the language that she chooses. I am from Spain and we use different vocabulary than mexican people. She used so many slang from the deep and poor Mexico that transported you to someplace else. As much as it is one of the best books I’ve read this year, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone that doesn’t speak spanish because I feel like so much is lost in the translation.
I enjoyed The Dutch House narration by Tom Hanks but I read the novel as I listened. I agree that the focus in his words was at times odd but more American quirky. And reading the physical book with it made it easier.
I agree with your take on translations. Even when a UK book is changed to make it “seem American”. It delays the release but there is always mistakes. Like they change holiday for vacation but then still say a bonnet or windscreen, which aren’t American at all. I feel like both English readers and American readers are comfortable with each dialect that negates the need for this. And it is amplified with foreign language translations.
Oh yes, you're right, I gave up on The Dutch House audiobook today, I just can't. 🙈
I loved Homegoing but I agree that it was sometimes difficult to follow the different characters I kept flipping back to the page with the family tree on it so I could make the connections. Also I was sad when each chapter ended I wanted to hear more from each character.
Book recommendation: I just read The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld, great gothic novel, totally dominated by female characters with two being set back in history vs one in the present day, think you’d love it! I also adored Homegoing 🙌🏼
Oo I was waiting for you to get to Homegoing. It was the last book I read in 2019 & I kept thinking it was right up your alley! Sending love to your family. x
Don’t forget The Strange Bird! Another book in the Borne universe. It’s quite short and extremely good.
Kane and Magret sounds amazing.
I have a few Ursula K. Guinn novels I need to read... one may be the left hand of darkness, so if so, I may need to get more to read in a particular order?
I think I'd prefer reviewing oldest to most recent, but either way I'll watch an 1hr long book video! I love how you do your book videos, especially as it gives me different books to explore that I probably wouldn't have found otherwise
I really like your videos about books and I’m always happy when I see that it’s going to be a long one.
I love a long book video from you and an excuse to go book shopping as well. I’ll be picking up the book club picks today
🤤🤤🤤 I love imagining the worlds each book conveys and can't help but sketch them out when listening to an audiobook
Absolutely loved the vanishing half! Enjoy it! Red at the bone was also good, very delicate and powerful post read. Looking forward to your thoughts on those!
Women, Race, & Class is amazing. I’m on chapter 10 right now and wow. So much I didn’t know. I hope you love it.
So many added to my reading list! I think I prefer the order in which you read them, mainly because I feel like it provides a bit more suspense. Maybe if you just did them in the order you read them, but provided your Goodreads rating in the description with the time stamp, it would allow people to see only those they care about?
oh my god I've been waiting for this!! so happy you uploaded it finally🥺 love you jess💗
I just started The Vanishing Half last night, and so far so good! Also, I know you're a fan of Westerns, and I just finished Lonesome Dove a few days ago. It was INCREDIBLE, would highly recommend! It's my favorite book I've read so far this year. mAnd have you read much Flannery O'Connor? Another wonderful Southern Gothic writer, her short stories are especially fantastic.
Hi Jess!!! I LOVE your book videos and this new format 😊. Just a small thing I wanted to point out as Ghanaian names are hard to pronounce if you aren't familiar with them. Gyasi is actually pronounced "Jessie" (kind of like what Zac calls you sometimes). This isn't shade at all as I really love what you are doing and this book is epic, it's like a history lesson in a novel. I just wanted to make you aware 😊
Zak** sorry!
I love your book vids. Would you consider doing a video or blog post on your best books to listen to?
pleeasee do a video of all your favorite book. And like go for it I wouldn´t mind watching an hour of what are your favorites.
I am obsessed with your book videos.
I so, so, so appreciate these long book videos
Hi Jess I hope everything is going great at the moment, have you consider making a discord server for the book club? Maybe it would be easier for the discussion portion of that and more like a real life book club, live the vid as always
I felt similar about Homegoing - I wanted more from each character and would have read the book if it was twice as long and we had twice as much about each person!
So excited to watch! Love your book videos! ❤❤❤
Aw I loved Tom Hanks reading this, not sure I would have carried on with it if I hadn’t been listening to him. Great video as always.
Yes, finally after 3 years, found someone who didn't like Tom Hank's narration of The Dutch House!!
Loved this Jess. So many great books to add to my list! I hope you and your family are keeping okay (or ask okay as you can :)) xx
I just finished ‘the samurai’s garden’ by Gail Tsukiyama and I think you might enjoy it. It has this quiet, peaceful vibe which you sometimes point out in books you like. It’s about war, beauty and recovering from illness. Maybe the last thing will be nice for you to read in these difficult times. I’m looking forward to your next video, but please take your time if you want to!
I loved Among Others by Jo Walton - really bookish and a little bit magical. Xx
Im in awe of how intelligent you are when you speak. you inspire me
I read Homegoing and really enjoyed it.
Wasn't bothered with the choppiness personally as the author still manages to link up all the chapters through the different characters. This was done when introducing a new character in a chapter but then getting them to meet/interact with another from a previous chapter. As a matter of fact, this is pretty cleverly done in Homegoing in my opinion.
I do imagine these links to be hard to follow in an audio book and/or with reduced attention.
I also agree with the stories about each character being short, but then again each of the characters could literally have its own book written on them.
The only thing that was a bit of a con to an extent is the lack of a firm closure in the end, but I guess that could just be interpreted as an open ending as the two lineages will keep going on for eternity and the book has to end somewhere.
The opportunities in the book are endless but it probably falls back on the author to decide the final shape that it takes.
A good read overall in my opinion. Reading it was a recommendation at the back of reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, which I also highly recommend.
Agree with you all around and I also ADORED pachinko!!! I guess sprawling generational historical fiction is my jam… The mountains sing is next on the list for a generational :)
sending love to your and your family!! thank you for posting we all appreciate it :)
great video as always Jess! Thank you for this relaxing time
Been looking forward to this for soooooo long!!!!xxxxx
I read The Memory Police with my book club and we liked a lot of the things you identified about it. It's very atmospheric and we had a deep discussion about a lot of the themes and ideas in it. Ultimately it didn't quite come together for any of us though. Some of the WW2 imagery is a bit 'done' - even for the nineties (the blue glove, the upturned corner of the rug, etc). I wanted a bit more why and how. I bought The Ballad of the Sad Café recently, I didn't realise it had short stories in there. I got it because I'd read the little Penguin Modern book of 3 McCullers short stories and all three were amazing.
Shame you didn't like Hurricane season. I thought it was brilliant. I did find it a bit much towards the end, but having heard her talk about it I totally understood why she did what she did. I agree re the Britishisms though, I think Spanglish or Mexican-American slang would've worked better. If you google "Transnational Series Presents: Fernanda Melchor" she spoke about the traditions she was drawing upon and why she made it so sensational. She's really eloquent too.
I really love your voice and the way you speak. Also, great video!
I hope you and your family are doing well. Happy summer!
I think it would be nice for you to do worst then best back and forth:D
that way you'll get excited about talking about the good ones in between the bad ones!
If you are interested in reading a good history book on totalitarianism I would really recommend reading The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt. It is absolutely fascinating and one of the few books which has stuck with me after my degree. There is a whole part on the tool of isolation and unity in regards to control.
I have been wanting to pick up Mind Police! I have heard really good things about it.
I see that Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism in the background! hahaha very fond memories for that one! Love from LA
I’ve been waiting for long for this 🤭 My summer reading list is sorted then ❤️💜💙💚
I love the best first idea!
I love Angela Davis, she is so so amazing! I am also looking forward to reading The Vanishing Half soon. Sadly I'm one of those people who didn't like The Memory Police, but oh well, it happens. Loved the video, Jess 💜
Does anybody know of any other booktubers that read adult fiction or just a large variety of genres? So far I’ve only discovered Jess and a majority seem to focus primarily on YA :/
Omg yay!!! Also, yes I read The Dutch House and was thinking of listening to it cause it was TOM HANKS but then I sampled it and was like...this is weird and too cheery? for this book? I don’t know, something didn’t fit. So I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it!
never been so excited!!!!
Not @ the way I get excited when I see this notification pop up in my subscription box lmao
How cute are you even ? So much love for this wrap up :)
I also listened to Dutch House, but I didn’t find Hanks’ intonation to be weird. I’m American though. Possibly that is a factor. I actually thought I enjoyed it more with Hanks narrating because Danny is unlikeable and Hanks has this sort of all-American voice that made him more relatable to me. It reminded me a bit of the Goldfinch, though I didn’t like the Goldfinch very much. I also loved Homegoing when I read it a few years ago. I thought the format gave me such a better understanding of what generational racism and inequality looks like and the impact it has.
Hi Jess! I hope you see this message. I wish you could share with us what you do to read faster. I spend many time in every book, also because I don’t have very good concentration and that’s why sometimes I have to read again, but I think maybe you can share some advice about reading. Thank you :)
I absolutely loved The Dutch House
How do you manage to read so many books? Did you have some fast reading course or something? sorry if that sounds weird haha just legit wondering :D
haha, so I have owned Jo Walton's Just City for YEARS now (started reading it and then STOPPED about 60 pages away from the end?! why?!) and in July I decided to re-read and finally finish it. I will warn you - spoilers but also trigger warning - there are two sexual assaults. I'm super curious about Lent but honestly I was so disappointed by Just City that I'm hesitant. It felt like a classicists dream (it's speculative fiction about Athena and Apollo deciding to create Plato's Just City) but that was the entire basis that it succeeded, and had very little else. If you liked Lent, I'd definitely recommend it, and I'd be VERY interested to hear your thoughts on it, but the SAs completely ruined it for me, and I felt it sort of floated by on the basis of "hey, look! it's Socrates! how cool is that!?". :/
Yes!!!
JESS!! GLAD TO SEE YOU WITH BOOKS AGAIN! Plus you look gergous as always. I'm planning to read Borne and all Jeff Vandemer's books. They sound really interesting to me. Anyway, hope your mic will be on again for next video. This one is fine actually. It's just me being too easily distracted with the motorcycle sound at the background.
You should read Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann. It’s shortlisted for the booker prize and I’d love to know your thoughts!
Our show is all about supporting and promoting authors, what is the best way for authors to submit their work to youtube book bloggers. We love to share useful information with them.
I love the books, and I think it's very Cheap on PlayStore.
YES!!! I missed you!!!
I'm like two seconds in and i have to ask...WHAT ARE YOU USING IN YOUR HAIR? It looks incredible
Thank you Jessie! 🔝
My kindle already likes this video lool
You should do ASMR! You have such a relaxing and nice voice❤️
I read maybe half of The Dutch House and had to drop it. With it being character-focused I found the protagonists to be remarkably bland. Seems to be a pretty unpopular opinion though.
VITA NOSTRA OMG IT'S THE BEST
these are my favorite videos
I hope that you are doing well ❤️
I’m not sure if you’ve read this book but Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is a beautiful dystopian novel! Love these book reviews 🤍
Yes, She has read it...
Temporada de huracanes es uno de los mejores libros que he leído, es una lastima que no te gustara... me encanta que leas autores mexicanos, te amo jess
Are you crazy, feeling pressure and be stressed with your videos here, with everything you have going on?
I rather have less videos and know that you're OK with the pace. Don't worry. The qualities of these are still so nice, it's interesting, thank you for them. Sending you so much good vibes Jess
THANK YOU. Tom Hanks performance of the Dutch House was NOT GOOD. I don’t get it!
How come you don’t get sent books?