We love a supportive friend (Sierra) who nods agreeably while their friend (Jon) rants about something silly but also completely valid. For the record, I agree with you Jon but was cracking up at the passion. 😂
Jon is 100% correct on the cake lol - If someone told me there was CHOCOLATE cake and then served me YELLOW CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING ☠️ talk about disappointment
I love that Monday means I get a new vid from you guys!! Truly love y'alls energy, friendship, and book recs. I read 189 books last year, which is a crazy amount, even for someone like me who spends most of their free time reading (glad I finally started listening to audiobooks last year). White Nights, The Housekeeper & the Professor, and Girl, Woman, Other were all books I read last year and really stuck with me long after reading them. I'm def adding the rest of y'alls top books to my tbr this year!!
Thank you for a great reading year! I read 375 books in 2024 and many of them were your recommendations. 🎉 I would love to see you venture out in 2025- maybe a literary trip to the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas California. Thank you for your authenticity. It is rare in this world and a great gift to all of us.
Wow!! 375 is a massive accomplishment. Thank you for sharing part of your reading journey with us 🫶🏽 also, thank you for commenting on our authenticity. I often reflect on what it means to be fully myself, and I feel really blessed to have a friend like Jon who continually grounds me and gives me space to do so 🤗 -Sierra
On the topic of Palestine, my top ONE book last year was Mornings in Jenin and I've been reccommending it to anyone I know, I've learnt so much from it and it touched me profoudly. I would styrongly reccommend if you liked Things you may find hidden in my ear
So many books here I NEED to read! Good recs for black history month, I’ll definitely keep those in mind. I have a library hold for Braiding Sweetgrass and can’t wait! Yay for Crooked Kingdom, the characters really are so good! Really want to check out the Brontë sisters and East of Eden this year. I was shocked by Jon’s number one pick, never heard about it 😂 Loved seeing which books stuck with y’all the most from last year and just hearing your thoughts on them ❤️ And Sierra, I’m the same way, I have a really hard time remembering plots and things that happen in books but the vibes and the way it made me feel definitely sticks with me haha
Can't wait for you to get into Braiding Sweetgrass! Looooove East of Eden - please let us know what you think of it. Prepare for a slow burn kind of book. - jon
@ I can’t wait either!! Good to know about East of Eden, I do love a slow burn but it’s helpful to have that expectation going in. Will report back, hopefully I actually read it this year 😂
I’m in love with James Baldwin. I read 4 of his books last year and have a couple more on my shelves for this year. The last one I read was No Name in the Streets (non-fiction) it was so good! And I always notice how good his prose is.. it’s always like a breath of fresh air after reading other authors (and they are not bad writers!) he just feels like poetry to me ♥️
it's me😇 I suggested the houskeeper and the professor to you last year, sierra. it warms my heart that you enjoyed the book as much as you did☺️ now to suggest the right book for jon lol. much love from trinidad 🫶🏾
I'm so excited about this reading year. I will read all the books I found on BookTube. You kind of inspired me to do this because I bought so many books that you both recommended. :D And I want to highlight and remember who recommended the books to me and I have a creative project to do so. You both have helped me through a hard time and continue to do so. My first read was Body Kintsugi when I was in the hospital a week ago. It gave me a boost after my own breast cancer story only began at the end of last year.
Also Yay for big books!! I decided I don't want to do a number goal this year my goal is to just enjoy reading big books and it's so freeing to know that they won't be pushed aside because of a number goal looming over me! Big books are great I find them so much more involved and you tend to get more depth and background. Not always I mean there's some that could've been trimmed back haha! Way to go for hitting up those bigger tomes.
The cake rant was unexpected and cracked me up - thank you Jon 😉😂 I’ve only read three of your combined list but they were goodies especially East of Eden. I totally agree that our best books are often those that get us emotionally - those books you sometimes hug once you’ve finished- or is that just me 😊 Here’s to another stellar year of reads (and cake themed rants 😉)
Hugging a book that you finish is the most tender image and I might have to start doing that. Loving the East of Eden praise in the comments section. Thanks for watching and commenting! We really appreciate you! - jon
Fully agree with what you said about how to enjoy Braiding Sweetgrass! When I read it, I wasn't reading anything else in parallel. By the time I finished, I just felt like it could've been shorter. I did still enjoy it a ton! But probably would've enjoyed it more if I'd checked in with it over time.
Between the World and Me is such a good book! And what a great suggestion of reading Recitatif, Passing, Between the World and Me, and The Fire Next Time as a four-course meal. I read them at different times, but I can totally see that working. Of the books you've mentioned I'm hoping to read Martyr, Orbital, and even if not mentioned, The Vegetarian this year. The rant though. 😂I agree whole heartedly!
Yeah new video! I'm considered BM club membership for that hat..and the books! Is Water Moon, by Samantha Yambao on your radar? I think you both will like it! It's beautiful, I finished it yesterday, couldn't stop reading it!
Have to say, I was a little surprised to see Crooked Kingdom on here, I got the impression you guys mostly read literary fiction, historical fiction, and classics! Glad you enjoyed it though
I'm glad I'm not going to that guys wedding or birthday just think of the disappointment when you receive the cake after being told it was chocolate cake!!! 😂 I mean I wouldn't return it but I'd have to buy myself some chocolate cake on my way home to rectify the situation haha Jon you are 100% right! And I want to hear your hotdog or sandwich debate 🤣🤪
A bookish video where you somehow integrate fashion would be SO SO SO good, but idk how exactly. I think I've seen poeple dress up as book characters but you could do something different (something like creating an outfit based on the cover or vibe of a book but less chaotic maybe? I would suggest making it a guessing game but Jon already struggled enough in past games 🤭). I don't know if the pre-planning required before a trip would make it too difficult but.. seems doable?
Your videos make me so happy, your friendship is beautiful 💕 Book rec for Sierra based on what you said about In Memoriam - The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. My favorite book of 2024!
I also love math in literature, and I read a great and funny book last year you may enjoy - The Mathematician’s Shiva by Stuart Rajstaczer. I’ve loved many of your favorites mentioned, so I think our reading tastes align. 😁
I loved Between the World and Me when I read it a few years ago. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was on my 2023 list of favorites. Sierra, have you read Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature? It is on my TBR but it sounds like something you might be interested in.
You listed a lovely mix of genres and representation! If you liked Maus, you might like Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and (the complete) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Those three are my favourite graphic memoirs...
Sierra, you have to pick up Safiya Sinclair's memoir, How to Say Babylon if you haven't yet. It's beautifully written and explores some of the themes you liked in her poetry
All the love for Anne Bronte! 💛 And you're right what you say about The Tenant being quite subersive to social and gender standards at the time, when it came out it was quite a scandal, the book was called 'vulgar' (fun fact: the 1st printing sold out in 2 months, which was the fastest of all Bronte novels on first release). Also, if you loved Passing you should read Larsen's other novel Quicksand, too! I read it in 2024 and it was even better imo.
We were never on twitter, so I haven’t looked at blue sky yet. I’m honestly not the best at social media (it’s actually one reason I love longform content!) should we go for it?? -Sierra
@@andtheywerereaders well theres been a surge of #BookSky people starting up lately so could be a good time to start, but if its just not yer kinda thing, then its just not yer kinda thing! no stress!
Oop, I was dismissive of books discussing the current state of "AI", thinking they were all techbros shilling it uncritically. I really should read more on it. Unmasking AI seems interesting.
Super interesting! It was definitely written before the boom in generative AI within public discourse, but I found it to be a helpful read, though not as incisive as some of the contemporary works that exist concerning the current state of AI. I’m glad you stuck around to hear what it was about - I, too, find myself become often dismissive when I even hear the words “AI.” But, I’m trying to determine how to have a nuanced approach while still remaining vigilant about its concerns! -Sierra
That makes a little more sense. I don't think my family ever called it that, but we also had mostly Caribbean desserts. But I can confirm the people in the original video were both black
James Baldwin is great. I have read The Fire Next Time (yes, it's nonfiction). His short stories are wonderful, but also heartwrenching. You might also like If Beale Street Could Talk by Baldwin. May I also recommend, if you haven't read, Charles W. Chesnut The Marrow of Tradition. I'm reading it now and it's a great book! And I love the writing style also. It was published in 1901 and it's based on the riots of 1898 in Wilmington. The dialect used by some of the characters was difficult for me at first, but once I got used to it, I had no problem with it. It was recommended to me by my American Lit professor, and now I too highly recommend it. In fact, I'm surprised Chesnutt doesn't seem to be more well known as I have never heard of his work on booktube. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is also one of my favorite books. I think it is underrated because it's not heard as often as some other works. Way ahead of its time also in discussing spousal abuse. East of Eden also from my very favorite books and I want to reread it. You have some great books in your list. I plan to read Martyr sometime this year. I haven't read White Nights yet, but I have read several other works by Dostoyevsky and he's one of my favorite writers.
We love a supportive friend (Sierra) who nods agreeably while their friend (Jon) rants about something silly but also completely valid. For the record, I agree with you Jon but was cracking up at the passion. 😂
haha I definitely needed the support here
- jon
Love both of your shirts! Also thanks for posting a video today... Desperately needed your laughter to brighten the day
It was a rough one, but we remain strong and steadfast to continue the work (and share some funny content to brighten the day) 🫶🏽
-Sierra
Jon is 100% correct on the cake lol - If someone told me there was CHOCOLATE cake and then served me YELLOW CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING ☠️ talk about disappointment
Right?!?! So frustrating!
Okay floral vibes, let’s goooo
🌸
It’s 100% a yellow cake, I support you king
I appreciate you!
- jon
I'm on your side Jon! Yellow cake with chocolate icing. And I would argue that endlessly because I'm a stickler, LOL
Same!!!!! I would also add that yellow cake and vanilla don't taste exactly alike, but that could also just be my imagination. lol
haha maybe I just did the whole thing for this exact kind of validation
Passing and Between the World and Me were on my top ten this year too!!
No way!! Love that we share that 🤍
-Sierra
I love that Monday means I get a new vid from you guys!! Truly love y'alls energy, friendship, and book recs. I read 189 books last year, which is a crazy amount, even for someone like me who spends most of their free time reading (glad I finally started listening to audiobooks last year). White Nights, The Housekeeper & the Professor, and Girl, Woman, Other were all books I read last year and really stuck with me long after reading them. I'm def adding the rest of y'alls top books to my tbr this year!!
Woah! 189 books is so fun! Can't wait to hear what you think of some of our reads! Thanks for the lovely comment!
Thank you for a great reading year! I read 375 books in 2024 and many of them were your recommendations. 🎉 I would love to see you venture out in 2025- maybe a literary trip to the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas California. Thank you for your authenticity. It is rare in this world and a great gift to all of us.
Wow!! 375 is a massive accomplishment. Thank you for sharing part of your reading journey with us 🫶🏽 also, thank you for commenting on our authenticity. I often reflect on what it means to be fully myself, and I feel really blessed to have a friend like Jon who continually grounds me and gives me space to do so 🤗
-Sierra
On the topic of Palestine, my top ONE book last year was Mornings in Jenin and I've been reccommending it to anyone I know, I've learnt so much from it and it touched me profoudly. I would styrongly reccommend if you liked Things you may find hidden in my ear
Ok!! Immediately adding it to the list.
-Sierra
Love the folk art shirt. Great conversation! Subbed! PS. Now I'm wanting cake.
And you should absolutely get the cake! Thanks for being here and subbing - happy to have you!
So many books here I NEED to read! Good recs for black history month, I’ll definitely keep those in mind. I have a library hold for Braiding Sweetgrass and can’t wait! Yay for Crooked Kingdom, the characters really are so good! Really want to check out the Brontë sisters and East of Eden this year. I was shocked by Jon’s number one pick, never heard about it 😂 Loved seeing which books stuck with y’all the most from last year and just hearing your thoughts on them ❤️ And Sierra, I’m the same way, I have a really hard time remembering plots and things that happen in books but the vibes and the way it made me feel definitely sticks with me haha
Can't wait for you to get into Braiding Sweetgrass! Looooove East of Eden - please let us know what you think of it. Prepare for a slow burn kind of book.
- jon
@ I can’t wait either!! Good to know about East of Eden, I do love a slow burn but it’s helpful to have that expectation going in. Will report back, hopefully I actually read it this year 😂
My brain autocorrected “read our July wrap-up” as “watch our July wrap-up” and then when Jon corrected Sierra, I was like wait what 😂
Same hahaha. When he corrected me, I was like, what do you mean? My brain took so long to process lol
The TBR Jar vid is how I found your channel, so I vote for a repeat!
I’m so down
I’m in love with James Baldwin. I read 4 of his books last year and have a couple more on my shelves for this year. The last one I read was No Name in the Streets (non-fiction) it was so good! And I always notice how good his prose is.. it’s always like a breath of fresh air after reading other authors (and they are not bad writers!) he just feels like poetry to me ♥️
The prose is 👏🏽 so 👏🏽 good.
it's me😇 I suggested the houskeeper and the professor to you last year, sierra. it warms my heart that you enjoyed the book as much as you did☺️ now to suggest the right book for jon lol. much love from trinidad 🫶🏾
aw! Thank you so much @libra_libris for suggesting it!! It was a top book for sure!
truly my favorite booktubers - thanks for brightening my day!
Aw!! Too kind. Thanks for sharing a bit of your day with us 🫶🏽
-Sierra
That rant about the cake was beautiful.
Would you believe there was about 6 more minutes of it?? 😂😭 but we love him and we stand the cake rant 👏🏽
-Sierra
im obsessed
I'm so excited about this reading year. I will read all the books I found on BookTube.
You kind of inspired me to do this because I bought so many books that you both recommended. :D And I want to highlight and remember who recommended the books to me and I have a creative project to do so.
You both have helped me through a hard time and continue to do so. My first read was Body Kintsugi when I was in the hospital a week ago.
It gave me a boost after my own breast cancer story only began at the end of last year.
Thank you for sharing. I’m glad Body Kintsugi came at the right time 🫶🏽 and I hope all is well on your journey of healing!
Also Yay for big books!! I decided I don't want to do a number goal this year my goal is to just enjoy reading big books and it's so freeing to know that they won't be pushed aside because of a number goal looming over me! Big books are great I find them so much more involved and you tend to get more depth and background. Not always I mean there's some that could've been trimmed back haha! Way to go for hitting up those bigger tomes.
The cake rant was unexpected and cracked me up - thank you Jon 😉😂 I’ve only read three of your combined list but they were goodies especially East of Eden. I totally agree that our best books are often those that get us emotionally - those books you sometimes hug once you’ve finished- or is that just me 😊 Here’s to another stellar year of reads (and cake themed rants 😉)
Hugging a book that you finish is the most tender image and I might have to start doing that. Loving the East of Eden praise in the comments section. Thanks for watching and commenting! We really appreciate you!
- jon
The hat!! I love it
Fully agree with what you said about how to enjoy Braiding Sweetgrass! When I read it, I wasn't reading anything else in parallel. By the time I finished, I just felt like it could've been shorter. I did still enjoy it a ton! But probably would've enjoyed it more if I'd checked in with it over time.
Yeah, I’ve been enjoying it reallllly slowly, and I’m not mad about it lol
-Sierra
You two are ADORABLE!
haha thank youuuu
The way I ZEROED IN on the hat
I agree with Jon about Maus. Read it in 2023 and still think about it.
I'll never forget it, honestly. And if I do, I'll instantly read it again
- jon
So pleased to see East of Eden on here - one of my all time favourites 🧡
East of Eden is so good. SO happy I read it
- jon
Between the World and Me is such a good book! And what a great suggestion of reading Recitatif, Passing, Between the World and Me, and The Fire Next Time as a four-course meal. I read them at different times, but I can totally see that working. Of the books you've mentioned I'm hoping to read Martyr, Orbital, and even if not mentioned, The Vegetarian this year. The rant though. 😂I agree whole heartedly!
Yeah I have def talked about the vegetarian a lot. And for good reason! Let us know what you think of those reads :)
-Sierra
Yeah new video! I'm considered BM club membership for that hat..and the books! Is Water Moon, by Samantha Yambao on your radar? I think you both will like it! It's beautiful, I finished it yesterday, couldn't stop reading it!
It’s added to the list!! Can’t wait to read it :)
Li’trilly…. That is a yellow cake with chocolate icing!
Thank you, thank you! I love my people!
- jon
Have to say, I was a little surprised to see Crooked Kingdom on here, I got the impression you guys mostly read literary fiction, historical fiction, and classics! Glad you enjoyed it though
I'm glad I'm not going to that guys wedding or birthday just think of the disappointment when you receive the cake after being told it was chocolate cake!!! 😂 I mean I wouldn't return it but I'd have to buy myself some chocolate cake on my way home to rectify the situation haha Jon you are 100% right! And I want to hear your hotdog or sandwich debate 🤣🤪
A bookish video where you somehow integrate fashion would be SO SO SO good, but idk how exactly. I think I've seen poeple dress up as book characters but you could do something different (something like creating an outfit based on the cover or vibe of a book but less chaotic maybe? I would suggest making it a guessing game but Jon already struggled enough in past games 🤭). I don't know if the pre-planning required before a trip would make it too difficult but.. seems doable?
Ok I love this idea. Putting together outfits based on book covers? Say less.
-Sierra
Your videos make me so happy, your friendship is beautiful 💕
Book rec for Sierra based on what you said about In Memoriam - The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. My favorite book of 2024!
Aw that’s so kind!! And it’s on the list. I’m about 25% of the way through after getting the rec in person!
-Sierra
I also love math in literature, and I read a great and funny book last year you may enjoy - The Mathematician’s Shiva by Stuart Rajstaczer. I’ve loved many of your favorites mentioned, so I think our reading tastes align. 😁
Ok yay! I’m always down to try a book that connects math and literature 🤗
-Sierra
I loved Between the World and Me when I read it a few years ago. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was on my 2023 list of favorites. Sierra, have you read Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature? It is on my TBR but it sounds like something you might be interested in.
Oooh! I love to see the overlap of favorites. I have ordered once upon a prime from Libby, and I can’t wait to crack in!
-Sierra
You listed a lovely mix of genres and representation!
If you liked Maus, you might like Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and (the complete) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Those three are my favourite graphic memoirs...
Ordered the complete Persepolis based on this comment, so thank you
- jon
@andtheywerereaders Wow! I hope you'll love it😊!
Sierra, you have to pick up Safiya Sinclair's memoir, How to Say Babylon if you haven't yet. It's beautifully written and explores some of the themes you liked in her poetry
Hoping to pick it up when I’m back in the mood for memoirs!!!
if you haven't read Safiya Sinclair's memoir How to Say Babylon, I would highly recommend! it's sooo good
It’s on my list! When I’m back in the mood for memoirs, I’m def moving towards it.
All the love for Anne Bronte! 💛 And you're right what you say about The Tenant being quite subersive to social and gender standards at the time, when it came out it was quite a scandal, the book was called 'vulgar' (fun fact: the 1st printing sold out in 2 months, which was the fastest of all Bronte novels on first release).
Also, if you loved Passing you should read Larsen's other novel Quicksand, too! I read it in 2024 and it was even better imo.
YAY ANNE BRONTË FANS!! And I will immediately add quicksand to the list!
-Sierra
Also loving sierras outfit in a gay- not-str8-creeper kinda way
🫶🏽
lol those “hot dog…is it a sandwich?” conversations are exhausting…don’t we have enough real shit to wonder about?! 😅
So much real shit tbf
Are you two on blue sky?
We were never on twitter, so I haven’t looked at blue sky yet. I’m honestly not the best at social media (it’s actually one reason I love longform content!) should we go for it??
-Sierra
@@andtheywerereaders well theres been a surge of #BookSky people starting up lately so could be a good time to start, but if its just not yer kinda thing, then its just not yer kinda thing! no stress!
If they weren’t already on the same page, they should have been convinced after the red velvet example 😂😂
👏🏽 that part
Oop, I was dismissive of books discussing the current state of "AI", thinking they were all techbros shilling it uncritically. I really should read more on it. Unmasking AI seems interesting.
Super interesting! It was definitely written before the boom in generative AI within public discourse, but I found it to be a helpful read, though not as incisive as some of the contemporary works that exist concerning the current state of AI. I’m glad you stuck around to hear what it was about - I, too, find myself become often dismissive when I even hear the words “AI.” But, I’m trying to determine how to have a nuanced approach while still remaining vigilant about its concerns!
-Sierra
A hotdog is not a sandwich. Its a taco ;)
A wild take, and I respect it 🌭🌮
-Sierra
I thought in black households we call that chocolate cake 😂
That makes a little more sense. I don't think my family ever called it that, but we also had mostly Caribbean desserts. But I can confirm the people in the original video were both black
James Baldwin is great. I have read The Fire Next Time (yes, it's nonfiction). His short stories are wonderful, but also heartwrenching. You might also like If Beale Street Could Talk by Baldwin. May I also recommend, if you haven't read, Charles W. Chesnut The Marrow of Tradition. I'm reading it now and it's a great book! And I love the writing style also. It was published in 1901 and it's based on the riots of 1898 in Wilmington. The dialect used by some of the characters was difficult for me at first, but once I got used to it, I had no problem with it. It was recommended to me by my American Lit professor, and now I too highly recommend it. In fact, I'm surprised Chesnutt doesn't seem to be more well known as I have never heard of his work on booktube. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is also one of my favorite books. I think it is underrated because it's not heard as often as some other works. Way ahead of its time also in discussing spousal abuse. East of Eden also from my very favorite books and I want to reread it. You have some great books in your list. I plan to read Martyr sometime this year. I haven't read White Nights yet, but I have read several other works by Dostoyevsky and he's one of my favorite writers.
Interesting, we'll definitely have to look more into Chestnut. I also really want to read more of Dostoyevsky's works.
- jon