I can’t tell you how happy it made me that Out There and Sea of Tranquility landed!! They were also stories that really stayed with me as well. Adding The Last Cuentista and Wrong Place Wrong Time to my TBR immediately.
I just love your review of 'Wrong Place Wrong Time'. I think it's the perfect review because it made be want to read the book (without spoilers), and my reading experience was enhanced for having watched the review. I would not have been able to identify, articulate or FEEL the themes of the story without your commentary. I come back and watch this review often, because your words evoke the feelings i had when i was reading the book. Thank you
Great video and yay for BookTubers not steering you wrong! Bummer about Moon of the Crusted Snow not working better for you. I appreciated the community focus of that one. Wrong Place Wrong Time is one I’ve been recommending as it was my top thriller from last year. Half a Soul was a 4.5 star and felt like a fantastical romance to me. The Very Secret Society was a 4⭐️ book for me and felt less like a romance, probably because I remember that element not developing until later in the book.
I absolutely love the way you talk about Wrong Place Wrong Time- as someone who has lost a parent, the way you expressed your thoughts on the story really touched me and makes me want to read it even more. Thank you for the little push to pick it up 🧡 I’m so glad you found lots of great books in this experiment- including some of my favorites and given me some to put on my TBR.
I really loved Half a Soul - but I went into it totally blind. I didn't even read the synopsis. I think because I had no expectations I was able to like it for what it was - a romance with some fantasy elements. If I had gone in thinking it was a cozy fantasy (like you did) I also would have probably been disappointed! It definitely had a good amount of action, which I personally loved! Your review totally made sense.
Agree on this. Although I found it a bit lukewarm in all aspects because I thought the development and detail and time taken wasn't there. Overall enjoyable but not special for me. 😀
Love when a vlog is so successful, such joy comes from a great book! Sea of Tranquility is going back on and Wrong Place, Wrong Time andThe Last Cuentista are going on my TBR.
This was so fun and I am glad for you that it was such a win! I am definitely more interested in Sea of Tranquility and The Last Cuentista based on these reviews
I found your channel through the goodreads project. I’m sorry it was such a mess for all of you, but I am glad I was introduced to your channel! I loved Sea of Tranquility. Mandel’s Station Eleven is also fantastic.
Listen….you did not say it, but I will…….Half A Soul and Irregular Witches are no Legends and Lattes or House on the Cerulean Sea! I gave them both 4 stars too, they were great, but don’t call them cozy fantasy. 🤨. The Last Cuentista was strictly a cover buy for me last year, it’s just sooooo purty! And much like you, it proceeded to rip out my heart, throw it on the ground, and stomp on it!……and I loved every freakin’ minute of it! Happy times! Thx for sharing!💚💚
So many books I adore featured in this video. I love seeing you love them. I read and gave 4.5-5 stars to The Sea of Tranquility, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Half a Soul &The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. I also read Out There and thought it was wonderfully done, but ulitmately it made me anxious throughout the entire reading experience so I gave it a 3.5 lol. I'm adding The Last Cuentista to my tbr and I've already put a hold on Wrong Place, Wrong Time. 💃
So glad you enjoyed these books! A great way to recover from the misery of the Good Reads Choice 10 Year vlog project. A lot of these have been on my radar and now they have jumped up in priority. And thanks for the warning about the loss of a parent in Wrong Place Wrong Time. I have not heard anyone else mention it and I would need to be prepared for that.
Secret Lives of Church Ladies was on my favorites too❤ I basically share your opinion that it could have been 4.5 or 5 stars for me, had the stories been less repetitive! Ohh I randomly put The Last Cuentista on my tbr as I saw it in the library, I’ll move it up in priority!😊
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and Sea of Tranquility were faves of mine last year as well! I'll have to check some of these other books out (Irregular Witches is already on my tbr)
This vlog had reminded me of all the best of lists that i still haven't watched yet. I'm subscribed to too many channels and i can't keep up with watching 😂😂
Sea of Tranquility was my favorite book last year and Out There was in my top 10. I'm glad you really enjoyed both of those! I really need to read Wrong Place Wrong Time as I keep seeing great reviews for it!
I picked up The Secret Lives of Church Ladies on a whim because I saw it in a bookstore display even though I was only vaguely aware of it, and it bowled me over! I had to round up my rating because even though I didn't completely love every story, each one was so strong to me.
“Positive vibes only” - love the concept of this video and love seeing you enjoy so many books!!! 😍 Added three of these to my tbr, they weren’t my radar. So thank you! ❤
That’s definitely refreshing after the GR challenge video. Your top 4 books are all female authors?! I can’t wait to read Out There. The last 3 are definitely on a future TBR. I just finished reading Station Eleven last week. It is a finalist for Canada Reads 2023. It was good. The pacing felt slow to me. Certain things felt repetitive despite purposeful multi POV. And finally, I wished for specific interactions. I did love the discussion of what you miss most and the nostalgic feelings. That singular plane on the runway… 😢iykyk. I will be picking up Sea of Tranquility to see if I like that one more. I’m curious of your thoughts if you get to Station Eleven.
I think cozy fantasy as a genre is one where when something is recommended to me as being in that genre I really have to look at what that person reads normally to set my expectations. Some fantasy readers read so much grimdark type fantasy that they count things as cozy that others may not, and may not have as much of an experience with fantasy romance outside of like sjm and so not realize that may be a better genre fit. and this genre hasn't reached as much community consensus yet
What a great project! I have added a few to my list... I'll have to choose when I pick up Wrong Place, Wrong Time but looking forward to it. (I lost my dad unexpectedly also and I was tearing up right along with you 🥰)
I wouldn't call Half A Soul cozy, I also rated it 4 stars, but there is a lot of social commentary there that to me felt more clever than in other fantasy romances, there are the parts in the workhouses that are pretty painful to read, but idk. I am still mulling over what cozy actually means, when it comes to books. But! I really recommend reading the next book in the series, Ten Thousand Stitches, cause it was the best and it's a romance, it is splendid on class issues. the love interest was honestly divine and swoony and it's a book that it's about the galvanizing power of anger in social movements. The ending, I swear, is my favorite HEA ever.
Added The Last Cuentista and Wrong Place Wrong Time to my tbr after watching this video. Also I found what you had to say about Irregular Witches interesting. I actually didn't like it, but did go in expecting a fantasy book about witches, so I was disappointed it read like a romance to me.
Omg I have seen, "Wrong Place Wrong Time" everywhere so I may finally add it to my tbr because of you 👀 Edit: The Last Cuentista is now added to my tbr
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was a three star for me. I don't like romance, so I wish I'd known how prevalent the romance would be. I also felt like it was *extremely* similar to The House on the Cerulean Sea, so it felt like rereading a book that I also didn't LOVE.
I think I would have to steer clear of the book Wrong Place Wrong Time. Both of my parents have passed and I just recently lost one of my brothers in July of 2021.
I DNF'D Sea of Tranquility. I was just bored. 🤷♀️Wrong Place Wrong Time was very good and if I feel like a good 😢 I'll pick up The Last Cuentista. Your codependent fur baby is adorable. 😻 I have an adorable one and a Tasmanian Devil 👿 that cosplays as a cat. He's "very graciously " allowed us to live with and wait on him. 🤣
I picked up 4 manga since 2021, one of them being Witch Hat Atelier. I... have to agree, I loved the art I loved the world, but I.. can't put my finger on it there's something missing. Maybe because the other ones I picked up are more intense? Like Spy x Family (Highly Highly Recommended) is intensely funny and heartwarming and action packed, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle takes out my lungs it's so funny, and Jujutsu Kaisen is........... A Lot, not recommended. By comparison WHA feels like something that's.. diluted.. stretched over too many pages and without a hole deep enough for me to fall into. I've read 5 volumes and no matter how serious things get I know they'll be just fine, which can be great sometimes, but right now it's not what I seek.
I completely understand what you mean by not understanding a certain writing style. I think sometimes when writing is more like storytelling it glosses over transitions, which makes it hard to track. Also, I think in Moon of Crusted Snow the author skips some steps when describing scenes, again similar to “storytelling” rather than a (Westernized?) novel format. I’m not sure that makes sense
So I literally finished reading moon of the crusted snow td, and had such a similar experience. I loved the atmosphere and the themes and I really wanted to love the story overall but something about the writing just never quite clicked with me. The words not ringing in your ear is a good way to describe it, I felt like my subvocalization voice was slightly muted idk if that makes sense though 🤷🏼♀️
For once, I want to see a Booktuber recommendation that’s not good and people fight over it. Although be careful what you wish for and petty drama only gives you a temporary high.
Can I also just say "I told you so" because I've been recommending you to read The Secret Lives of Church Ladies *forever* in the comment section because I knew you would like it 😝😅
dont you hate when you THINK a books gonna be a 5 star, and then its just a 4, and yer like, I feel like a 2 now because of the disappointment level that it wasn't even better. lol
So happy The Last Cuentista was such a hit for you!!
On my list now!
I almost cried just watching you almost cry and now I have to read The Last Cuentista!!
Such a good recommendation!!
Yep. Got it to adding to the TBR pile. Happy
I can’t tell you how happy it made me that Out There and Sea of Tranquility landed!! They were also stories that really stayed with me as well. Adding The Last Cuentista and Wrong Place Wrong Time to my TBR immediately.
Same!!!!!!
You knocked it out of the park! Apparently I should just always read your recommendations
“A really lovely growing sense of menace” needs to go on my tombstone
This was so fun! Sea of Tranquility was definitely the highlight of my Goodreads reading. And yeah, Moon of the Crusted Snow was very much a me book.
Definitely adding Wrong Place Wrong Time and The Last Cuentista to my list 🎉
Enjoy!!
Emily St. John Mandel is my current favorite writer. Sea of Tranquility was my favorite book last year.
Your words and emotion hit hard with the book Wrong Place Wrong Time. Sending you the best energy.
I just love your review of 'Wrong Place Wrong Time'. I think it's the perfect review because it made be want to read the book (without spoilers), and my reading experience was enhanced for having watched the review. I would not have been able to identify, articulate or FEEL the themes of the story without your commentary. I come back and watch this review often, because your words evoke the feelings i had when i was reading the book. Thank you
So glad you love Sea of Tranquility and Wrong Place, Wrong Time. I loved them both as well ❤
Great video and yay for BookTubers not steering you wrong! Bummer about Moon of the Crusted Snow not working better for you. I appreciated the community focus of that one. Wrong Place Wrong Time is one I’ve been recommending as it was my top thriller from last year. Half a Soul was a 4.5 star and felt like a fantastical romance to me. The Very Secret Society was a 4⭐️ book for me and felt less like a romance, probably because I remember that element not developing until later in the book.
I absolutely love the way you talk about Wrong Place Wrong Time- as someone who has lost a parent, the way you expressed your thoughts on the story really touched me and makes me want to read it even more. Thank you for the little push to pick it up 🧡 I’m so glad you found lots of great books in this experiment- including some of my favorites and given me some to put on my TBR.
Aw, yay, I hope you enjoy it!
Gah, don’t cry! I LITERALLY just finished doing my makeup. 😭
I really loved Half a Soul - but I went into it totally blind. I didn't even read the synopsis. I think because I had no expectations I was able to like it for what it was - a romance with some fantasy elements. If I had gone in thinking it was a cozy fantasy (like you did) I also would have probably been disappointed! It definitely had a good amount of action, which I personally loved! Your review totally made sense.
Yes exactly - I think if I wasn't expecting cozyness, I'd probably have enjoyed it even more!
Agree on this. Although I found it a bit lukewarm in all aspects because I thought the development and detail and time taken wasn't there. Overall enjoyable but not special for me. 😀
Love when a vlog is so successful, such joy comes from a great book! Sea of Tranquility is going back on and Wrong Place, Wrong Time andThe Last Cuentista are going on my TBR.
LOVED this reading project for you. Happiness and joy is everything
Yesss. So glad you loved so many of these. 🎉
This was so fun and I am glad for you that it was such a win! I am definitely more interested in Sea of Tranquility and The Last Cuentista based on these reviews
A project I will certainly emulate. Your energy is catching
I found your channel through the goodreads project. I’m sorry it was such a mess for all of you, but I am glad I was introduced to your channel!
I loved Sea of Tranquility. Mandel’s Station Eleven is also fantastic.
Welcome welcome!
I love watching you love things 5/5⭐️
Sammmmeee 😹
Listen….you did not say it, but I will…….Half A Soul and Irregular Witches are no Legends and Lattes or House on the Cerulean Sea! I gave them both 4 stars too, they were great, but don’t call them cozy fantasy. 🤨. The Last Cuentista was strictly a cover buy for me last year, it’s just sooooo purty! And much like you, it proceeded to rip out my heart, throw it on the ground, and stomp on it!……and I loved every freakin’ minute of it! Happy times! Thx for sharing!💚💚
The Last Cuentista's cover is seriously gorgeous!!
So many books I adore featured in this video. I love seeing you love them. I read and gave 4.5-5 stars to The Sea of Tranquility, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Half a Soul &The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. I also read Out There and thought it was wonderfully done, but ulitmately it made me anxious throughout the entire reading experience so I gave it a 3.5 lol. I'm adding The Last Cuentista to my tbr and I've already put a hold on Wrong Place, Wrong Time. 💃
Oh, I could definitely see Out There making you anxious! 😹 It goes to some dark places
So glad you enjoyed these books! A great way to recover from the misery of the Good Reads Choice 10 Year vlog project. A lot of these have been on my radar and now they have jumped up in priority. And thanks for the warning about the loss of a parent in Wrong Place Wrong Time. I have not heard anyone else mention it and I would need to be prepared for that.
Ooo, yes, definitely something to know about Wrong Place Wrong Time! It's handled well but it's definitely emotionally
Secret Lives of Church Ladies was on my favorites too❤ I basically share your opinion that it could have been 4.5 or 5 stars for me, had the stories been less repetitive!
Ohh I randomly put The Last Cuentista on my tbr as I saw it in the library, I’ll move it up in priority!😊
YES wrong place wrong time is so good!!!
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and Sea of Tranquility were faves of mine last year as well! I'll have to check some of these other books out (Irregular Witches is already on my tbr)
LOVE THIS! especially as a contrast to your Goodreads vlog 🥰
Yay, thank you!
This vlog had reminded me of all the best of lists that i still haven't watched yet. I'm subscribed to too many channels and i can't keep up with watching 😂😂
lol you have so many good videos ahead!
Sea of Tranquility was my favorite book last year and Out There was in my top 10. I'm glad you really enjoyed both of those! I really need to read Wrong Place Wrong Time as I keep seeing great reviews for it!
I picked up The Secret Lives of Church Ladies on a whim because I saw it in a bookstore display even though I was only vaguely aware of it, and it bowled me over! I had to round up my rating because even though I didn't completely love every story, each one was so strong to me.
It's really a great little collection!!
I love your jumper collection btw. It’s fab 👏🏽
Thank you!!
This was fun.
So many of these I’m about to read! Lovely idea to keep it to good vibes only but I’m so curious about the DNF 😂
Great video. Definitely going to be checking some of these out bc I love.s good existential reflection on life and the moments within it.
“Positive vibes only” - love the concept of this video and love seeing you enjoy so many books!!! 😍 Added three of these to my tbr, they weren’t my radar. So thank you! ❤
Yay glad you enjoyed!
That’s definitely refreshing after the GR challenge video. Your top 4 books are all female authors?! I can’t wait to read Out There. The last 3 are definitely on a future TBR.
I just finished reading Station Eleven last week. It is a finalist for Canada Reads 2023. It was good. The pacing felt slow to me. Certain things felt repetitive despite purposeful multi POV. And finally, I wished for specific interactions. I did love the discussion of what you miss most and the nostalgic feelings. That singular plane on the runway… 😢iykyk. I will be picking up Sea of Tranquility to see if I like that one more. I’m curious of your thoughts if you get to Station Eleven.
I'm hoping I will get to it sometime in the next few months
I found your channel through Meg and I love seeing you both love the same books haha
Me too! :)
This was such a great video! I already had several of these books on my TBR, but have now added more!!
I'm so glad!
I think cozy fantasy as a genre is one where when something is recommended to me as being in that genre I really have to look at what that person reads normally to set my expectations. Some fantasy readers read so much grimdark type fantasy that they count things as cozy that others may not, and may not have as much of an experience with fantasy romance outside of like sjm and so not realize that may be a better genre fit. and this genre hasn't reached as much community consensus yet
Very very well said, I agree!!
This was such a great project! Really enjoyed it!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've just ordered Wrong Place Wrong Time, I think I will relate to a lot of things in it and you really seemed to have loved it so I'm definitely in.
Hope you enjoy!!
What a great project! I have added a few to my list... I'll have to choose when I pick up Wrong Place, Wrong Time but looking forward to it. (I lost my dad unexpectedly also and I was tearing up right along with you 🥰)
Aw yes, it never gets less tender to think about 💚
Hey! Great recommendations!
I wouldn't call Half A Soul cozy, I also rated it 4 stars, but there is a lot of social commentary there that to me felt more clever than in other fantasy romances, there are the parts in the workhouses that are pretty painful to read, but idk. I am still mulling over what cozy actually means, when it comes to books. But! I really recommend reading the next book in the series, Ten Thousand Stitches, cause it was the best and it's a romance, it is splendid on class issues. the love interest was honestly divine and swoony and it's a book that it's about the galvanizing power of anger in social movements. The ending, I swear, is my favorite HEA ever.
Yay! Successful project! Happy for you, I'm trying my very best to not add to my incredibly long tbr right now but who knows...
lol so hard to resist!
Loved it!
Feel like it’s time for a part 2 lol
Added The Last Cuentista and Wrong Place Wrong Time to my tbr after watching this video. Also I found what you had to say about Irregular Witches interesting. I actually didn't like it, but did go in expecting a fantasy book about witches, so I was disappointed it read like a romance to me.
Yeah, I think there's a lot of expectation issues with those books :/
Same, I dnf'ed this one because my expectations were a bit more on the fantasy spectrum.
@@anix670 Yeah there was very little to do with magic or witches at all so I was disappointed.
Yay for happy Mara!
Omg I have seen, "Wrong Place Wrong Time" everywhere so I may finally add it to my tbr because of you 👀
Edit: The Last Cuentista is now added to my tbr
Enjoy!!
A couple of levine Querido publish YA and MG more on the literary side. They published the last cuentista
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was a three star for me. I don't like romance, so I wish I'd known how prevalent the romance would be. I also felt like it was *extremely* similar to The House on the Cerulean Sea, so it felt like rereading a book that I also didn't LOVE.
Oh no! Yeah, it definitely is romance heavy, so I can see that
I think I would have to steer clear of the book Wrong Place Wrong Time. Both of my parents have passed and I just recently lost one of my brothers in July of 2021.
Ok so I’m just over here tearing up watching you talk about a book. Love being a sentimental woman lol. 😮
I'm a Cancer, I just can't help it 😹
I DNF'D Sea of Tranquility. I was just bored. 🤷♀️Wrong Place Wrong Time was very good and if I feel like a good 😢 I'll pick up The Last Cuentista. Your codependent fur baby is adorable. 😻 I have an adorable one and a Tasmanian Devil 👿 that cosplays as a cat. He's "very graciously " allowed us to live with and wait on him. 🤣
I picked up 4 manga since 2021, one of them being Witch Hat Atelier. I... have to agree, I loved the art I loved the world, but I.. can't put my finger on it there's something missing. Maybe because the other ones I picked up are more intense? Like Spy x Family (Highly Highly Recommended) is intensely funny and heartwarming and action packed, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle takes out my lungs it's so funny, and Jujutsu Kaisen is........... A Lot, not recommended. By comparison WHA feels like something that's.. diluted.. stretched over too many pages and without a hole deep enough for me to fall into. I've read 5 volumes and no matter how serious things get I know they'll be just fine, which can be great sometimes, but right now it's not what I seek.
u should def read station eleven!
I completely understand what you mean by not understanding a certain writing style. I think sometimes when writing is more like storytelling it glosses over transitions, which makes it hard to track. Also, I think in Moon of Crusted Snow the author skips some steps when describing scenes, again similar to “storytelling” rather than a (Westernized?) novel format. I’m not sure that makes sense
No I think that totally makes sense!
So I literally finished reading moon of the crusted snow td, and had such a similar experience. I loved the atmosphere and the themes and I really wanted to love the story overall but something about the writing just never quite clicked with me. The words not ringing in your ear is a good way to describe it, I felt like my subvocalization voice was slightly muted idk if that makes sense though 🤷🏼♀️
Sea of Tranquility was sich a well paced and flesh out book for how short it is.
Wow! That white, grey and black sweater in the opening clip! Storebought or handmade? If it's handmade, do you know the pattern name? 😍
Oh I wish I was that talented! No, I'm not sure where I got that but it's one of my favorite cozy sweaters
I was disappointed in "The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches" also for the very same reasons you expressed.
For once, I want to see a Booktuber recommendation that’s not good and people fight over it. Although be careful what you wish for and petty drama only gives you a temporary high.
Can I also just say "I told you so" because I've been recommending you to read The Secret Lives of Church Ladies *forever* in the comment section because I knew you would like it 😝😅
dont you hate when you THINK a books gonna be a 5 star, and then its just a 4, and yer like, I feel like a 2 now because of the disappointment level that it wasn't even better. lol
Yessss exactly