I struggled with the audiobook issue for a few years where it was more of a struggle to get into physical books and I ended up doing most of my 'reading' with audiobooks. I don't think there's anything wrong with consuming books via audio but there's also something very nice about being able to lose yourself when reading (with your eyes). I overcame it this past year because I found that I was on my phone or laptop late into evenings and couldn't fall asleep. I started to force myself to read on my e-reader instead (because e-reader kind of feels similar to a phone in my hands so it was an easier transition). I picked books that were easy to get into - all plot and no substance lol. I slowly got used to reading with my eyeballs again with the added benefit of not staring into a blue light all day and all evening and have gotten back to reading physical books and books on my e-reader. I still listen to audiobooks but now I find that I prefer to read them with my eyeballs.
The twisted ones by T Kingfisher was one that got stuck in my head. I didn't read enough books I loved to have a top 5, so 2024 my goal is to read books im really certain I will enjoy. I tend to save or procrastinate on books I think I will love. Just gotta read them.
I am struggling with the same thing in regards to getting back into physical books because I have been using audio books so much! I made it a goal for this year to read more physical books and just take my time with them and enjoy them, so I'm stoked to see your video when it comes out.
Ahh I finally need to pick up Simone St. James this year! Books I wouldn’t recommend to you specifically (these all made my top 15 vid): - One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall (by Gillian Flynn Publishing): about violence against women with crazy twists and turns - Comfort me with Apples by Catherynne Valente: Horror novella with an unexpected theme - Looking Glass Sound by Catriona ward: super mindfuck psychological thriller - In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado: most unique memoir about abuse in a queer relationship, the format is astounding Happy 2024 reading Katie!😊
I absolutely loved Mary and it was also in my top 5. I borrowed his new one from the library. I have only read one book by T.Kingfisher, What Moves the Dead, but I want to read more by her. Know My Name is a book I recommend everyone reads. It broke my heart and made me mad. I loved it.
Top two books last year for me And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott and Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova. The 2024 releases I'm looking forward to are: What Feasts a Night by T. Kingfisher, The Last Murder at the end of the World by Stuart Turton, and The Gathering by C.J. Tudor.
I really enjoyed T. Kingfisher's What Moves the Dead and The Hollow Places. I did NOT like Mary by Nat Cassidy, but I LOVED Nestlings. Nestlings was actually number two on my top ten favorite books of 2023.
Well, I do read a lot of books on my eReader because I like to read when I go to bed, and so does my husband, but he always ends up stopping to read and turning off his light way before I'm done reading. Having an eReader always me to read in the dark with the luminosity set to very low not to strain my eyes. And when you read on an eReader and you see the percentage you have left to read in a book, it gets really tempting to always read a bit more. Like : "Well, I'm 90% done so I should try and finish it tonight so I can start a new book tomorrow", or "I've only read 5% of that book, I need to read a little more to really get of feel of the story", or "I'm at 23%, almost 1/4 done, I might as well continue until I'm really at 25%". Your milage may vary on this, but this is how I roll. So find yourself a partner that turns in early, get yourself an eReader! More seriously, I do think having an eReader helps me read more, because it's like your very own portale bookcase, and it helps me read places I wouldn't feel comfortable bringing a book that could get damaged, or that would be combersome. On a very different note, I find myself getting hyped to read books that I find beautiful, or books that feel good in your hands. I'm a big fan of HP Lovecraft, and I've read all of his work, but right now the mangaka Gou Tanabe is making manga versions of Lovecraft's work, and you can have those book in these superb high-end mangas, with simili-leather bounding and gorgeous imagery. Maybe this could be something to try too? Reading graphic novels, I mean. It's a sort of book you cannot enjoy as an audiobook because you need the images for the story to work? I don't know if you've heard of the series of The Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar? The first book of the series : "Chasing the Boogeyman", came out in 2021. It's a little autobiographical because it tells the story of Chizmar growing up in this quaint little town of Edgewood and recalling his adventures as a boy and as an aspiring writer, but it has a fictionnal element when a serial killer nicknamed The Boogeyman start preying on the women of Edgewood and Chizmar and his friend Carly try desperately to unmask him before he kills again. The second book of the series : "Becoming the Boogeyman" came out in late 2023 and I've just finished reading it (I was 90% done last night so I had to push on reading to finish it, I was so close to the finish line! ;) ). The second book is a bit weaker then the first one (it feels a bit more convoluted and less believable), but it has some great creepy moment as it seems Chizmar is caught in the web of a deranged copycat who wants to become the Boogeyman and restart the killing spree.
That's a great point about an ereader! I have not picked mine up in so incredibly long, but if I'm trying to get back into reading physical books that's a great point. I have not read The Boogeyman series or even heard of it so thank you for the recommendation!!
Oh my gosh!! I used to watch you like ten years ago and for whatever reason (I think I actually deleted that CZcams account or something idk) I lost you. I’m getting back into booktube and I was thinking about you but didn’t know your username 😂 then I saw you in a books and lala video and I’m so happy I have! You made me love the Ruins by Scott smith and intensity by dean koontz!! Excited to binge watch and catch up with you lol
My favorite last year was the girl with the dragon tattoo. Looking forward to continue with the series. I am also reading Holly by Stephen King and so far it's good 😀
I have the same exact situation with audiobooks vs physical books. Having a smaller physical tbr and taking a book with me pretty much everywhere has helped get me into reading physically again. Also body doubling with my wife or friends to sit and read a physical book. And I'd recomment Silent Book Club if you have a local chapter is a nice situation to get lost in a physical book. I love the multitasking and accessibility of audiobooks and would definitely read way less without them so it's nice to do both.
Happy New Year Katie. My only two five star reads last year were A Million Things by Emily Spurr and Sundial by Catriona Ward. So not a great reading year for me 😕 I feel like I was disconnected from my reading for a lot of the year, so I'm interested to watch your vlog and hear what others suggest. 💜
I started listening to audiobooks last year and I do find them to be SO different from physical books! I've often wondered if I'd like a better piece if I physically read it instead of listened. I don't have any tips since I'm also relatively new to it, but I'm excited to watch your video about it!
One of my favorite books from last year was Ask A North Korean by Daniel Tudor. It follows a man interviewing different North Korean defectors and how well they are coping by coming to the South.
I think that I’m in the small minority who loathes both Mary and Nestlings, and will NEVER read another Nat Cassidy book ever again. Also, spoilers for those who don’t like surprise SA come out of nowhere, in the last 20 percent of the book, the MC SA’s another woman with a cactus.
@@ChapterStackss - I just found the way that he writes women to be very misogynistic. As a woman closer to Mary’s age than Cassidy is, she came off as very not real, like she was a caricature of what Cassidy assumes a woman going through menopause is (reading the afterward where he says that he started this story in his teens did little to dispel that feeling). Nestlings also was rife with casual misogyny, which really came into focus for me in the character of Ana’s author friend. She supposedly writes lesbian erotica, but (speaking as a lesbian who does write spicy stories) the snippet we see from her writing is…dangerous and not sexy. Plus, this author is described in horrible ways by her author friend. Since I read the two books nearly back to back, it really was just a snowballing of how much it feels like Cassidy really doesn’t like women, coming out in his writing. And there are too many good books out there (and at this point in my life I probably have around 3800 books left to read, if I manage 100 a year) to waste one on an author like him?
I struggled with the audiobook issue for a few years where it was more of a struggle to get into physical books and I ended up doing most of my 'reading' with audiobooks. I don't think there's anything wrong with consuming books via audio but there's also something very nice about being able to lose yourself when reading (with your eyes). I overcame it this past year because I found that I was on my phone or laptop late into evenings and couldn't fall asleep. I started to force myself to read on my e-reader instead (because e-reader kind of feels similar to a phone in my hands so it was an easier transition). I picked books that were easy to get into - all plot and no substance lol. I slowly got used to reading with my eyeballs again with the added benefit of not staring into a blue light all day and all evening and have gotten back to reading physical books and books on my e-reader. I still listen to audiobooks but now I find that I prefer to read them with my eyeballs.
That's exactly how I feel and thank you for the tips!!
The twisted ones by T Kingfisher was one that got stuck in my head.
I didn't read enough books I loved to have a top 5, so 2024 my goal is to read books im really certain I will enjoy. I tend to save or procrastinate on books I think I will love. Just gotta read them.
Ooooh thank you for the rec!
I am struggling with the same thing in regards to getting back into physical books because I have been using audio books so much! I made it a goal for this year to read more physical books and just take my time with them and enjoy them, so I'm stoked to see your video when it comes out.
Same!!
Glad it sounds like we have the same goal!
Always love your top picks. I will definitely be reading Know Your Name this year
Hope you enjoy it!!
Ahh I finally need to pick up Simone St. James this year! Books I wouldn’t recommend to you specifically (these all made my top 15 vid):
- One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall (by Gillian Flynn Publishing): about violence against women with crazy twists and turns
- Comfort me with Apples by Catherynne Valente: Horror novella with an unexpected theme
- Looking Glass Sound by Catriona ward: super mindfuck psychological thriller
- In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado: most unique memoir about abuse in a queer relationship, the format is astounding
Happy 2024 reading Katie!😊
I really need to pick up Looking Glass Sound! I've heard so many amazing things. Happy Reading to you too!!
I absolutely loved Mary and it was also in my top 5. I borrowed his new one from the library. I have only read one book by T.Kingfisher, What Moves the Dead, but I want to read more by her.
Know My Name is a book I recommend everyone reads. It broke my heart and made me mad. I loved it.
I’ll have to check out What Moves the Dead!
Top two books last year for me And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott and Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova. The 2024 releases I'm looking forward to are: What Feasts a Night by T. Kingfisher, The Last Murder at the end of the World by Stuart Turton, and The Gathering by C.J. Tudor.
I really enjoyed T. Kingfisher's What Moves the Dead and The Hollow Places. I did NOT like Mary by Nat Cassidy, but I LOVED Nestlings. Nestlings was actually number two on my top ten favorite books of 2023.
I just picked up Nestlings so very glad to hear that!!
Well, I do read a lot of books on my eReader because I like to read when I go to bed, and so does my husband, but he always ends up stopping to read and turning off his light way before I'm done reading. Having an eReader always me to read in the dark with the luminosity set to very low not to strain my eyes. And when you read on an eReader and you see the percentage you have left to read in a book, it gets really tempting to always read a bit more. Like : "Well, I'm 90% done so I should try and finish it tonight so I can start a new book tomorrow", or "I've only read 5% of that book, I need to read a little more to really get of feel of the story", or "I'm at 23%, almost 1/4 done, I might as well continue until I'm really at 25%". Your milage may vary on this, but this is how I roll. So find yourself a partner that turns in early, get yourself an eReader!
More seriously, I do think having an eReader helps me read more, because it's like your very own portale bookcase, and it helps me read places I wouldn't feel comfortable bringing a book that could get damaged, or that would be combersome. On a very different note, I find myself getting hyped to read books that I find beautiful, or books that feel good in your hands. I'm a big fan of HP Lovecraft, and I've read all of his work, but right now the mangaka Gou Tanabe is making manga versions of Lovecraft's work, and you can have those book in these superb high-end mangas, with simili-leather bounding and gorgeous imagery. Maybe this could be something to try too? Reading graphic novels, I mean. It's a sort of book you cannot enjoy as an audiobook because you need the images for the story to work?
I don't know if you've heard of the series of The Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar? The first book of the series : "Chasing the Boogeyman", came out in 2021. It's a little autobiographical because it tells the story of Chizmar growing up in this quaint little town of Edgewood and recalling his adventures as a boy and as an aspiring writer, but it has a fictionnal element when a serial killer nicknamed The Boogeyman start preying on the women of Edgewood and Chizmar and his friend Carly try desperately to unmask him before he kills again. The second book of the series : "Becoming the Boogeyman" came out in late 2023 and I've just finished reading it (I was 90% done last night so I had to push on reading to finish it, I was so close to the finish line! ;) ). The second book is a bit weaker then the first one (it feels a bit more convoluted and less believable), but it has some great creepy moment as it seems Chizmar is caught in the web of a deranged copycat who wants to become the Boogeyman and restart the killing spree.
That's a great point about an ereader! I have not picked mine up in so incredibly long, but if I'm trying to get back into reading physical books that's a great point.
I have not read The Boogeyman series or even heard of it so thank you for the recommendation!!
Oh my gosh!! I used to watch you like ten years ago and for whatever reason (I think I actually deleted that CZcams account or something idk) I lost you. I’m getting back into booktube and I was thinking about you but didn’t know your username 😂 then I saw you in a books and lala video and I’m so happy I have! You made me love the Ruins by Scott smith and intensity by dean koontz!! Excited to binge watch and catch up with you lol
My favorite last year was the girl with the dragon tattoo. Looking forward to continue with the series.
I am also reading Holly by Stephen King and so far it's good 😀
I have the same exact situation with audiobooks vs physical books. Having a smaller physical tbr and taking a book with me pretty much everywhere has helped get me into reading physically again. Also body doubling with my wife or friends to sit and read a physical book. And I'd recomment Silent Book Club if you have a local chapter is a nice situation to get lost in a physical book. I love the multitasking and accessibility of audiobooks and would definitely read way less without them so it's nice to do both.
Mary sounds so good! I’ve never even heard of it 👀
Hope you enjoy it if you read it!
My recommendation for you is Maeve fly by C.J Leede.
Thank you!!
Happy New Year Katie. My only two five star reads last year were A Million Things by Emily Spurr and Sundial by Catriona Ward. So not a great reading year for me 😕 I feel like I was disconnected from my reading for a lot of the year, so I'm interested to watch your vlog and hear what others suggest. 💜
I really hope you have a better reading year this year!!
I started listening to audiobooks last year and I do find them to be SO different from physical books! I've often wondered if I'd like a better piece if I physically read it instead of listened. I don't have any tips since I'm also relatively new to it, but I'm excited to watch your video about it!
I have often wondered the same!
Your living room looks so nice
I can't wait to watch your vlog 🤗🩷🤗🩷
My favorite thing I read on 2023 was We Spread by Iain Reid.
Thank you!!
Always so happy to see you're back! 😍 Happy 2024!
Happy 2024 to you too Britta!
One of my favorite books from last year was Ask A North Korean by Daniel Tudor. It follows a man interviewing different North Korean defectors and how well they are coping by coming to the South.
That sounds fascinating! Thank you for the recommendation.
I can recommend the short story book by Sammy Scott called "At Home with the Horrors". It is going to be among my favorites this year!
Thank you!!
I’d love for you to read none of this is true by Lisa Jewell! Such an excellent thriller and definitely my number one for 2023.
Thank you for the rec! I've been meaning to finally read a book by her.
I have to recommend out there by Kate folk. It's weird short stories. My favorite read of 2023!
Thank you!!
So many good reads!!!
:D :D :D
Have you read The Quiet Tenant by C. Michallon? It is one of the better thrillers I've read lately. Seems like you had a good reading year.
No I haven't so thank you for the rec!
My favorite this year was None of This is True by Lisa Jewell.
Oh my god the comment above you is saying the same book! haha
@@ChapterStackss Omg, so cool!
I think that I’m in the small minority who loathes both Mary and Nestlings, and will NEVER read another Nat Cassidy book ever again.
Also, spoilers for those who don’t like surprise SA come out of nowhere, in the last 20 percent of the book, the MC SA’s another woman with a cactus.
Yes I really really hated that seen >_< I'm so curious! What do you dislike about his writing?
@@ChapterStackss - I just found the way that he writes women to be very misogynistic. As a woman closer to Mary’s age than Cassidy is, she came off as very not real, like she was a caricature of what Cassidy assumes a woman going through menopause is (reading the afterward where he says that he started this story in his teens did little to dispel that feeling).
Nestlings also was rife with casual misogyny, which really came into focus for me in the character of Ana’s author friend. She supposedly writes lesbian erotica, but (speaking as a lesbian who does write spicy stories) the snippet we see from her writing is…dangerous and not sexy. Plus, this author is described in horrible ways by her author friend.
Since I read the two books nearly back to back, it really was just a snowballing of how much it feels like Cassidy really doesn’t like women, coming out in his writing. And there are too many good books out there (and at this point in my life I probably have around 3800 books left to read, if I manage 100 a year) to waste one on an author like him?
Hey there hello there hi
💖💞💗💓💘
I have a hard time with audio books. Can’t concentrate on what is being said. Do better reading physical book