@@nouraa4315 Like the rumor (and eventually movie and musical) where the tsar's daughter Anastasia wasn't killed alongside her whole family during the revolution and she escaped
Yes! YellowFace was written satirically and I believe it’s not really relevant to how good a book could be quality wise. Books can still be good while not being dark and mysterious!
Can I just give you a huge THANK YOU for listing the books you mention in your description! Not all book reviewers do that and it’s a pain to have to grab the title and author from a quick shot of the cover! Thanks for being so helpful!
The thing I love about RF Kuang is that her books are different from each other and also if you didn’t like yellowface then try babel or the dragon republic. You can’t go into one of her books expecting it to be topically like her other books. The only thing that I’ve found to be similar are overarching societal themes like colonialism and racism and lack of/limited diversity within different spaces of society.
I got to see RF Kuang speak at an event while she was touring Yellowface and she is genuinely so brilliant and well-spoken, just absolutely so very thoughtful about every issue she touches on. Anyway I love her
I really enjoyed The Prison Healer when I read it a couple years ago. I think how I interpreted Kiva's character was really as someone completely naive and traumatized by the context of her upbringing and surroundings. She has nothing left to lose and everything to gain from the blind faith of being saved. She's not a strong or outstanding protagonist, but I appreciated her in how normal and human she was as a character. Definitely winging it.
Exactly! To me it felt refreshing to have a YA heroine whom a.) actually felt like a teenager (although a heavily traumatised one) and b.) whom wasn't some stabby, tempramental, bratty fighter fo a change :)
But the book also counteracts the idea that she's naïve by constantly telling you that she has plans and she's just so jaded from being in this prison. Not to mention she's been [spoilers] the whole time, she's always known more than she lets on, she manipulates the people around her, and she also uses that knowledge to tell the Warden-- which in turn negatively impacts everyone around her? Traumatized? maybe. But, per the book, not naïve.
Naive: showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement. She may know more than she lets on, but that doesn't make her smart or wise and if anything, those decisions highlight her naiveté. I think this becomes more clear especially in the following two books.
Why Fish Don’t Exist is one of my favorite books ever!! The eugenics part is definitely a shock but I thought the author handled it really well. Most of it is talked about from a place of her coming to terms with it and how it changes both her perception of him along with a broader conversation on the what it means to have a hero without excusing any of the things he did.
I read the prison healer trilogy earlier this year and I think honestly what made me fall in love was that plot twist at the end of the first book, like it totally took me by surprise that I was maybe blinded by the faults there might have been!
yeah i think she really wanted to end the first book with that twist which was cool but i wish she had made the trials shorter and just dove into that because i was uninterested by the time we actually got to the twist :''''(
i have love theoretically, yellowface, AND my best friend's exorcism sitting on my nightstand rn in my tbr pile HAHAHA i'm so glad to hear that someone else was enticed to pick up mbfe based on the cool vhs cover, literally i could not resist the camp 80s horror vibes
I kind of agree with the fact that the first Prison Healer book falls flat compared to the other two and it’s a little drawn out, but I still loved the series and Kiva so so much! I think that her being ‘helpless’ in the first book makes sense because she doesn’t believe in herself yet, she’s has found power within herself, but during the rest of the series she slowly becomes stronger and more confident. And also, I love that even at the end of the third book she’s still a kind, soft, sympathetic character, I think that’s her strength❤
You packed a lot of reading in a short month! My favorite book of June was Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson, about two young Black people living in London. I loved how it’s told in second person and the insights of the young man as he tries to figure out how to be the strong Black man he’s expected to be, while also yearning to be open and vulnerable in his relationship. Beautiful writing!
If you’re looking for pirate themed books for July I would recommend the Seafire Trilogy by Natalie C. Parker. It’s literally an all female Pirates of the Caribbean, with girl banter, found family, and a beautiful setting.
1. Fourth Wing was, in fact, "fine" bless you for saying so I was beginning to feel like I read a different book than the rest of bookstagram and was really confused. 2. Simon is Cassandra Clare's greatest work. 3. Culpa Mia movie review. "This was awful... I hope there's a sequel!!" I watched/viewed a lot of your posts lately. This was my condensed commentary. Thank you for being on my wavelength. 😂
I read The Name Drop last month, too! I’m a librarian and I get ARCs sent to me. I loved The Name Drop and Seoulmates last month. Susan Lee is one of me new favorite authors! I am finishing up Yellowface and I am enjoying it as well.
Screamed when I saw Yellowface. It’s my highly anticipated book this year and definitely one of my faves. I get why it’s not for everyone but it is for me lololol
Honestly I'm quite excited to here about Ali hazelwood bc I read the love hypothesis 😭😭 it wasn't horrible but uh it did happen 😀😀 and I lowkey wanna read another story of her's just to see how I’d fair
I actually read Yellowface for a summer Publishing 101 class, which was SO interesting. It’s such a brilliant satire of publishing, and I could not put it down!
The series I'm currently obsessed with that I haven't heard anyone talk about is "Three Dark Crowns" by Kendare Blake. Fantastic world and interesting magic, fascinating characters, each chapter has a purpose, it keeps you guessing about where the story is going in the best way, its *so* good! I think you'd love it Cari, would love to see what you think! ❤
@@caricanread Yay! Just realized there was a typo; it's Three Dark Crowns, not Queens! I'm currently on book 3 out of 4, and I can say with my chest that each book has thoroughly enthralled me and they feel completely earned; I know you're not the biggest fan of long series, so hopefully this one isn't too long for you! It's worth it, I promise!
I felt like Three Dark Crowns started off strong but kinda lacked in third and fourth book. In my opinion, it should have just been a trilogy. Arsinoe forever though! She was always my favorite sister 🫶
Just wanted to pop in to say that I really love watching these reading recap videos! I’m relatively new to this channel and I’ve been going back and doing a dive into a lot of your earlier stuff while I do dishes in the evening. So thank you for keeping me company! I’ve read a couple of books you’ve recommended (I’m an audiobook person, so take “read” figuratively, haha). We definitely have different taste, but I’ve found your general advice and recommendations to be really solid now that I have a sense of what your favorite things in a book are. Basically I can often tell by your descriptions whether or not I’m going to like a book outside of whether or not you personally really liked it, which is such a nice thing to have! I inhale audiobooks the way you blow through kindle ones, so it’s so refreshing to have you to help keep my head on a swivel in the contemporary-fantasy-and-romance-leaning world! (Btw I read Honeys because of you and while it’s got some flaws it’s far and away my favorite book of the year so far so thank you!!)
YESSSSSSS I recieved the notification, i came in lightning speed. And i just realised i made Cari my primary source of book recs nowdays, bc i was like "Damn, nothing in my tbr or wish list really is giving me the ✨cravings✨ to read, but i WANT to read something. Cari can give me that OOMPH on a book, but her new monthly wrap up still isn't up... Well, nothing to do but rewatch the old ones". So i did. It worked. I read. And i loved it, but it gave me a hangover so i'm back in that spot and nothing is giving me the right ✨cravings✨. So here i am Cari, do your magic. (And keep doing that magic for as long as it makes you happy bc you are also my number one favorite thing to listen to while doing chores)
Cari I've decided I would love to start a book tuber channel. I always hate that I never have anyone to share my books with. I'm not sure what my style will be yet but I'm excited to get started!
I am currently reading The Gilded Wolves mostly because you seem to love it so much and I also really liked The Last Tale of the Flower Bride so I was open to trying another book by the author :)
Where have you been... 🥺 i was seriously searching for a channel like this from months.. I'm from india. And not that educated. So that i have limits in understanding English. But i was always eager knowing about other countries and people's cultures. These books helps for that. Thank you so much. Keep doin my friend ✌️✌️
I’m so glad that you said this about Prison Healer!! I had to FORCE my way through the first one and simply was not interested in reading the second book fast enough before my library hold was up 🤷🏼♀️
If you liked Fireborne, you should check out The Dark of the West. The authors are buddies and I think have a very similar writing style/approach. Dark of the West is "fantasy" but only because it's not our world. There's no magic, but it's very WWI-esque with fighter pilots. There's political intrigue and war and forbidden romance. The characters are SO well done - one of my favorites!
my favourite June read was Pachinko. It took me ages to read because I have ADHD but I'm so glad I did, I got so attached to Sunja and sobbed at the ending. Definitely one of my favourites of the year :)
i first got yellowface through the library, but 10 pages in, i was like “nope, i need a physical copy so i can underline the crap out of it,” something i NEVER do, and boy was it such a ride to read. i enjoyed it immensely and thought the writing style was absolutely spot on for the tone it was creating edit: books i have been reading - Lauren Layne’s Central Park Pact trilogy of standalones (the characters overlap kinda heavily, but each book focuses on one of three women). Super cute rom coms with characters I was excited to learn more about as I went from one book to the next
I'm so shocked to hear about your opinion of the Prison Healer series because it is one of my all-time favorites! I do see your issues and understand them completely and I always respect your opinions lol. For me it was such a fun story and I loved Jaren, Kiva and all the characters, and each book had such a great plot twists! I found Kiva kind of relatable because she didn't have all the crazy powers or huge ego, she was just kind of normal. For me the second and third were probably a bit better than the first but I rated all of them five stars! I'm curious to know how you feel about all of the plot twists!
I read the prison healer trilogy and i really enjoyed it. I got into it after i had read one of the other series by Lynette (the medoran chronicles) and i think i enjoyed it lots because i was used to Lynette's pacing and writing style as i had read multiple other books by her before. As you mentioned, you enjoyed the worldbuilding so you might like the medoran chronicles better (its abt a girl at a fantasy school, sort if like in harry potter almost) as it has the worldbuilding and of course similar writing style but the main character Alex is much more headstrong and she actually does things for herself, unlike Kiva. P.S. Lynette Noni is actually a close friend of Sarah J Maas (because of course) Loved the video x
I can't wait to read Love, Theoretically, its the next one on my list to read. My jaw dropped when I saw that she had written 'Bride' her werewolves book I am so excited for it. :)
Picked up Fireborne thanks to a notification from Bookbub that the ebook was on sale. (Highly recommend that mailing list for ebooks btw) can’t wait to read now that I’ve heard more!
I've been reading a ton too. Library new shelf keeps yanking me in with new nonfiction stuff. One thing I'm noting about R.F. Kuang is her ability to lure people in and then suddenly make them uncomfortable. Like she makes her antagonists, June, quite relateable and then you start to wonder if it's because you have some latent sympathies for the racist stereotypes. But it's so,so good. And a dragon book is always welcome!
If you ever get again in a reading slump, I'd recommend you "Throne in the Dark" by A.K. Caggiano: 1st in a completed trilogy, kind of a romcom fantasy romance that takes itself not very seriously and that is hilarious. I devoured it!
I read My Best Friend’s Exorcism when I was 17 in one sitting at the dead of night, my first Hendrix read and it scared the hell out of me lol. I agree, it has immaculate 80’s horror atmospheric vibes
Yay you liked my favorite Grady Hendrix. I am reading The Summer Book by Tova Janasson , it is lovely, funny and a must read for Grandma's girls like me. Grandma and 6 yr old girl on an island in Sweden learning about life, Precious.
Prison Healer: I only read the first book and felt so betraied in the end, I wasn't in the mindset to continue 😅 I mean, she builds the character and the story in a way that makes the reader trust her and then...she is someone else entirely. I was outright angry at the plot twist 🤷 Fish don't exist: it was a book that "saved me" when I was in a weird place of my life last year, because it made me reconsider and rethink my approach to life. I mean, it is quite heavy, yes, but the message it promotes is worth it!
Hahaha omg, I just finished Love on the Brain and was cracking up at her description of Levi being basically the same as the lead from Love Hypothesis.
Garden of the Cursed was such a fun time! I'm glad I picked it up based on your recommendation. I'm wondering if you would be interested in the Book that Wouldn't Burn (note: there is going to be a second book). It's been such a dark horse book for me this year. I adored it!
I looove Dark Shores, I didn’t have a problem with following the plot at all! And i love the series, Danielle L Jensen is releasing the final book soon, and for me book 3 (Gilded Serpent) is amazing! I still recommend 😊
Prison Healer Trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies and I don't usually disagree with you on books but this one I do. Kiva's overallgrowth would not have hit as hard had the first book NOT been the way it was. Plus the time spent in Zalindov why would we care about what happens at the end of book 2 if we didn't have book 1. I very much appreciate Kiva's character and felt like as far as YA female leads she showed SIGNIFICANT growth across the board - finding her voice, standing up to her family, learning about choices, and all of that. But that's me. It's too bad that you didn't see that but that's the beauty of stories and what we all take away.
Actually someone commented this earlier and I agree - Kiva’s growth was actually backwards lol. The first book she was at least set in her ways about surviving no matter what and having a big sense of self preservation and caution, but the second she’s out she starts blindly trusting everyone and making huuuuge mistakes without thinking of the consequences. Kiva book 1 and kiva book 2 are totally different people 😭
Have you read anything by Trudi Canavan? I highly recommend her three very different fantasy series. Would be fun hearing your thoughts on them. And they are all finished 😘ive read The Black Magician trilogy several times! There is a spinoff series and a prequel. Milleniums Rule is really good too, a mix of very different worlds...
oh boy i had to read Burial Rites in 2015 for highschool english and i was so blown away by it at the time, heavy stuff for teens but i still remember it to this day
I got so excited to see a Katy Rose Pool book pop up! Her first trilogy - There Will Come a Darkness - is also a “fun time” (and it’s all published lol). Can’t wait to check out Garden of the Cursed
You are the reason I pulled the trigger and started BOTM!!! Thank you for contributing to my book collection problem 🤭❤️ love you and all your videos!!
im a bit late to the party so hopefully youll still see this BUT on the topic of dragons... you should definitely try A natural history of dragons! yes it is a series but i think its okay to just read the 1st one (its what i did) and its sooo cute and cozy and wholesome haha it reminded me of emily wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries but with dragons instead :,)
I had to soft dnf Pageboy today because I got 49% through and my digital hold was up at the library. Honestly I needed to stop reading the book anyways, because it was starting to become really depressing and the stories were starting to become too much like I was reading someone's therapy journal and it just lost a lot of my interest. I feel I'll go back and finish the book one day but definitely not right now.
Sooo i read the Prison Healer because i was intrigued about the claim being similar to acotar. The ordeals are a mehhh. Couldve been more creative, it didnt show any of Kiva’s strength, if it wasnt for someone’s help, she couldve just easily died. Useless ordeal scenes lol I feel like kiva isnt the wisest when it comes to her decisions. Theres a lot of scenes in the book where i was like ‘what the heck!’. Her decisions doesnt make sense. She found out about the real story of torvin and realized that the rebels foundation were built on a lie but she still asked for the dagger ad it will help the rebel. Like what?!?! I feel like i didnt read much of Jaren (love him) Love caldon too but it was weird he was too cool after finding out she’s kiva corentine. Its a struggle to keep going and i dont know if i want to read the 3rd book 😢
A great series about dragons is the inheritance cycle 💜 I read when I was a teenager and reread it last year and it still as good as when I first read it. It has a great Magic system, elfs, a rich world building and very litle romance
Cari I love your videos and I was hoping I could request a retrospective on the Pendragon series 😅 it's an adventure YA series that I loved when I was younger. I remember it being so good but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Nobody has talked about it on YT and I need the nostalgia trip 😭😭
dang i’m shocked you didn’t like dark shores 😭 it does get confusing but idk i ate that shit up HAHAH she’s finishing the series this year and im so excited!! she is coming out w a new NA viking series soon maybe you’ll like that!
Okay Cari, I recommend the Entangled with Fae books by Tessonja Odette. They are fae fairy tale retellings and are described as "Bridgerton meets ACOTAR." I have not read ACOTAR or Bridgerton, but I am a fan of fairy tale retellings, so I thought I would give these books a go...and I actually really adore these books! Reading these books could be a fun experiment for you., And even if you do hate these books, I would still be entertained by a vlog. :)
I'm currently reading Yellowface and loving it. It's so so so so easy to get into and that's what I really loved about it. I love to get recommendations similar to this book.
Highly recommend you check out anything by T. Kingfisher (if you haven't already). She writes 3 primary kinds of books: fantasy, fantasy romance, and horror. The fantasy books tend to have a younger female protagonist (like A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking). The fantasy romance pretty much always has a big (and big-hearted) himbo love interest (and they seem to often take place in the same world) (like Swordheart). Her horror tends towards the eldritch, and she has a way of making mantras that stick in your head. And I should mention that all of her books have at least one element of horror to them. Like, even the straight fantasy books will suddenly have an eldritch horror element. I recommend The Twisted Ones (one of the horror books). She riffs off another story ("The White People" by Machen) but does a superior job imo. She has a lot of humor in all her books, and I think the protagonists are pretty relatable.
My current wish is to finish one of the many book ideas I have so I can give it to you, Krimson Rogue, and Generally Pooky, so yall can enjoy it and tear it to shreds. I dunno when that'll be since my ADHD is heavy and my meds are nonexistent. But here's hoping!
I'm working on Fourth Wing right now and just got Love, Theoretically today at the library! In June, I also read Yellowface, as well as Magnolia Parks, and a bunch of new romances (The True Love Experiment, Yours Truly, Happy Place, etc.).
omg please read Under The Oak Tree by Suji Kim. it’s a fantasy. they’re only available by purchase through kindle. however i’m so in love with the books. i wish the author had more exposure.
Great vlog Cari. From your review of it, I feel drawn to the book 'I went to see my father', although it does sound very deep, I might borrow and give it a shot. Thank you.
Interesting to hear your thoughts on the Prison Healer. I was planning to not finish the series after reading the first one, but now I might have to give it a go if you say the 2nd and 3rd books are better. The first book just dragged on so much I was too daunted to keep reading the series.
I am reading Fireborn right now and I am loving it so much, and I am suffering through the pain of agreeing with some bits of the revolution but also being aware that not everything that shines is gold. I am afraid the trilogy might make me suffer as much as the hunger games.
Okay so I read the Prison Healer series and I enjoyed it but it wasn't like my favourite book ever or anything. BUT. The author (Lynette Noni) has written another series that I really liked called the Medoran Chronicles and I personally thought that it was a lot better. If you enjoyed some of the Prison Healer I think maybe you might enjoy this one (+ it gets bonus points for dragons)
If you're looking for more Indigenous voices I recommend 'A Mind Spread Out On the Ground' by Alicia Elliot. It's her real life experience and wow so beautifully written, but same idea as the book you talked about. Very heavy topics.
i was unimpressed with the first book of Prison Healer, read through the second book and got so mad at the ending that i refused to read the third. In June the best thing i read was The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson (it ripped out my soul, i enjoyed it SO much) and currently i'm reading some kindle unlimited stuff (i really enjoy Vanessa Nelson, she's got a lot of urban fantasy, typically heavier on the fantasy, sometimes with a little sci-fi thrown in the mix, a splash of romance but zero spice - my favorite!) but i just got a hold in for The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera so we'll see how that goes!
If you're looking for fantasy books with interesting/unique magic systems, I would highly highly recommend reading Foundryside (part of a trilogy but it was completed last year!) I'd LOVE to hear what you think of that series.
"Oh my god, he´s like Anastasia" THE WAY I CRACKLED, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH CARI 😭
How did i not put that together earlier 🥹🥹🥹
As soon as she said that i was sold🥹
I didn't get it who's Anastasia 😭😭
@@nouraa4315 Like the rumor (and eventually movie and musical) where the tsar's daughter Anastasia wasn't killed alongside her whole family during the revolution and she escaped
Yes! YellowFace was written satirically and I believe it’s not really relevant to how good a book could be quality wise. Books can still be good while not being dark and mysterious!
Exactly!
Can I just give you a huge THANK YOU for listing the books you mention in your description! Not all book reviewers do that and it’s a pain to have to grab the title and author from a quick shot of the cover! Thanks for being so helpful!
of course!!!
The thing I love about RF Kuang is that her books are different from each other and also if you didn’t like yellowface then try babel or the dragon republic. You can’t go into one of her books expecting it to be topically like her other books. The only thing that I’ve found to be similar are overarching societal themes like colonialism and racism and lack of/limited diversity within different spaces of society.
Not books related but your earrings collection is SO good 💁🏽♀️
😂 thank you!
Omg yes I would love to know where her yellow dangling crystal ones are from 😭
@@ThatDurre im sorry to say that those are from a vintage shop :'''')
@@ThatDurreI saw some that reminded me of those at a Nordstrom last week, but I think the colors were slightly different
I vote for an earing collection video
I got to see RF Kuang speak at an event while she was touring Yellowface and she is genuinely so brilliant and well-spoken, just absolutely so very thoughtful about every issue she touches on. Anyway I love her
Okay but I just finished Fourth Wing HOURS ago and I was underwhelmed, but kept pushing through just for the dragons… I’m getting Fireborne.
Hope it holds up 🙏🙏🙏
Oh that’s the next book I’m reading and now I’m nervous it won’t live up to the hype
Girl same
Omg the Light from Uncommon Stars bit shocked me too!!! I felt so proud of myself for understanding the reference
Right?! 👀👀👀
I really enjoyed The Prison Healer when I read it a couple years ago. I think how I interpreted Kiva's character was really as someone completely naive and traumatized by the context of her upbringing and surroundings. She has nothing left to lose and everything to gain from the blind faith of being saved. She's not a strong or outstanding protagonist, but I appreciated her in how normal and human she was as a character. Definitely winging it.
Exactly!
To me it felt refreshing to have a YA heroine whom a.) actually felt like a teenager (although a heavily traumatised one) and b.) whom wasn't some stabby, tempramental, bratty fighter fo a change :)
But the book also counteracts the idea that she's naïve by constantly telling you that she has plans and she's just so jaded from being in this prison. Not to mention she's been [spoilers] the whole time, she's always known more than she lets on, she manipulates the people around her, and she also uses that knowledge to tell the Warden-- which in turn negatively impacts everyone around her?
Traumatized? maybe. But, per the book, not naïve.
Naive: showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement. She may know more than she lets on, but that doesn't make her smart or wise and if anything, those decisions highlight her naiveté. I think this becomes more clear especially in the following two books.
totally agree! I've been looking for a positive comment about this book lol.
I was having a panic attack and couldn't sleep so being able to distract myself with a new Cari video is a blessing❤
Hope you're feeling better, panic attacks suck :(
Omg I hope youre alright
sending love 🤍🤍🤍
I LOVE Better Than the Movies and she just announced a sequel and I am EXCITED!!! Love your wrap ups videos(they are how I build my TBR)!! ✨💜✨
Omg a sequel?! Continuing a simple love story always worries me cause i like how it ended but hmmmm
Why Fish Don’t Exist is one of my favorite books ever!! The eugenics part is definitely a shock but I thought the author handled it really well. Most of it is talked about from a place of her coming to terms with it and how it changes both her perception of him along with a broader conversation on the what it means to have a hero without excusing any of the things he did.
ME TOOO!! it was so so good and I loved the part of her like looking up to this dude and then grappling with him being awful lol
I read the prison healer trilogy earlier this year and I think honestly what made me fall in love was that plot twist at the end of the first book, like it totally took me by surprise that I was maybe blinded by the faults there might have been!
yeah i think she really wanted to end the first book with that twist which was cool but i wish she had made the trials shorter and just dove into that because i was uninterested by the time we actually got to the twist :''''(
i have love theoretically, yellowface, AND my best friend's exorcism sitting on my nightstand rn in my tbr pile HAHAHA i'm so glad to hear that someone else was enticed to pick up mbfe based on the cool vhs cover, literally i could not resist the camp 80s horror vibes
I kind of agree with the fact that the first Prison Healer book falls flat compared to the other two and it’s a little drawn out, but I still loved the series and Kiva so so much! I think that her being ‘helpless’ in the first book makes sense because she doesn’t believe in herself yet, she’s has found power within herself, but during the rest of the series she slowly becomes stronger and more confident. And also, I love that even at the end of the third book she’s still a kind, soft, sympathetic character, I think that’s her strength❤
You packed a lot of reading in a short month! My favorite book of June was Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson, about two young Black people living in London. I loved how it’s told in second person and the insights of the young man as he tries to figure out how to be the strong Black man he’s expected to be, while also yearning to be open and vulnerable in his relationship. Beautiful writing!
Omggg yess!! Open water was so beautiful and lyrical, easily a favourite
If you’re looking for pirate themed books for July I would recommend the Seafire Trilogy by Natalie C. Parker. It’s literally an all female Pirates of the Caribbean, with girl banter, found family, and a beautiful setting.
👀👀👀👀👀
I’m sooooo happy Fireborne is finally getting recognized! I can say I was there before the hype, for once 😂🥰
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
1. Fourth Wing was, in fact, "fine" bless you for saying so I was beginning to feel like I read a different book than the rest of bookstagram and was really confused.
2. Simon is Cassandra Clare's greatest work.
3. Culpa Mia movie review. "This was awful... I hope there's a sequel!!"
I watched/viewed a lot of your posts lately. This was my condensed commentary. Thank you for being on my wavelength. 😂
Why does an Ali hazelwood werewolf book sound like everything I need in my life?!
I read The Name Drop last month, too! I’m a librarian and I get ARCs sent to me. I loved The Name Drop and Seoulmates last month. Susan Lee is one of me new favorite authors! I am finishing up Yellowface and I am enjoying it as well.
If you've read the red queen series I'd love to see you do a 'lost the plot' on those books. They were my favorite books in high school
Screamed when I saw Yellowface. It’s my highly anticipated book this year and definitely one of my faves. I get why it’s not for everyone but it is for me lololol
Honestly I'm quite excited to here about Ali hazelwood bc I read the love hypothesis 😭😭 it wasn't horrible but uh it did happen 😀😀 and I lowkey wanna read another story of her's just to see how I’d fair
Her stories are pretty much exactly the same so if hypothesis didnt hit im not sure this will hahhah
I actually read Yellowface for a summer Publishing 101 class, which was SO interesting. It’s such a brilliant satire of publishing, and I could not put it down!
ohhh that would have been fun to read it with a class!!
I learned so much about the publishing process from this book than I have from the internet lol
@@heyyitssj it was really enlightening!
The series I'm currently obsessed with that I haven't heard anyone talk about is "Three Dark Crowns" by Kendare Blake. Fantastic world and interesting magic, fascinating characters, each chapter has a purpose, it keeps you guessing about where the story is going in the best way, its *so* good! I think you'd love it Cari, would love to see what you think! ❤
Ohhhh looking into it asap!
@@caricanread Yay! Just realized there was a typo; it's Three Dark Crowns, not Queens!
I'm currently on book 3 out of 4, and I can say with my chest that each book has thoroughly enthralled me and they feel completely earned; I know you're not the biggest fan of long series, so hopefully this one isn't too long for you! It's worth it, I promise!
I loved this series!
I felt like Three Dark Crowns started off strong but kinda lacked in third and fourth book. In my opinion, it should have just been a trilogy. Arsinoe forever though! She was always my favorite sister 🫶
I loved the first book. I’m still struggling with the second but definitely think it’s worth a read.
Just wanted to pop in to say that I really love watching these reading recap videos! I’m relatively new to this channel and I’ve been going back and doing a dive into a lot of your earlier stuff while I do dishes in the evening. So thank you for keeping me company!
I’ve read a couple of books you’ve recommended (I’m an audiobook person, so take “read” figuratively, haha). We definitely have different taste, but I’ve found your general advice and recommendations to be really solid now that I have a sense of what your favorite things in a book are. Basically I can often tell by your descriptions whether or not I’m going to like a book outside of whether or not you personally really liked it, which is such a nice thing to have! I inhale audiobooks the way you blow through kindle ones, so it’s so refreshing to have you to help keep my head on a swivel in the contemporary-fantasy-and-romance-leaning world! (Btw I read Honeys because of you and while it’s got some flaws it’s far and away my favorite book of the year so far so thank you!!)
wahhhh thank you and glad you enjoyed honeys!!!
“It’s not a lie, it’s about her best friend being possessed by the, by the devil”
I don’t know why but the why she said that was so entertaining to me
YESSSSSSS I recieved the notification, i came in lightning speed. And i just realised i made Cari my primary source of book recs nowdays, bc i was like "Damn, nothing in my tbr or wish list really is giving me the ✨cravings✨ to read, but i WANT to read something. Cari can give me that OOMPH on a book, but her new monthly wrap up still isn't up... Well, nothing to do but rewatch the old ones". So i did. It worked. I read. And i loved it, but it gave me a hangover so i'm back in that spot and nothing is giving me the right ✨cravings✨. So here i am Cari, do your magic.
(And keep doing that magic for as long as it makes you happy bc you are also my number one favorite thing to listen to while doing chores)
"I had a reading slump this month"
"also I read 19 books this month"
mercy....
Cari I've decided I would love to start a book tuber channel. I always hate that I never have anyone to share my books with. I'm not sure what my style will be yet but I'm excited to get started!
omggg finally 😭 I started to rewatch all the other wrap-ups while waiting for this lol and it’s almost an hour long! 🙏🏼 what a gift, thank you cari! 🤣
Hahhaha sorry for the wait!!
I am currently reading The Gilded Wolves mostly because you seem to love it so much and I also really liked The Last Tale of the Flower Bride so I was open to trying another book by the author :)
I just finished The Gilded Wolfes and just started The Silvered Serpents! Really like them 🥰 Also because of Cari!
Where have you been... 🥺 i was seriously searching for a channel like this from months.. I'm from india. And not that educated. So that i have limits in understanding English. But i was always eager knowing about other countries and people's cultures. These books helps for that. Thank you so much. Keep doin my friend ✌️✌️
I’m so glad that you said this about Prison Healer!! I had to FORCE my way through the first one and simply was not interested in reading the second book fast enough before my library hold was up 🤷🏼♀️
If you liked Fireborne, you should check out The Dark of the West. The authors are buddies and I think have a very similar writing style/approach. Dark of the West is "fantasy" but only because it's not our world. There's no magic, but it's very WWI-esque with fighter pilots. There's political intrigue and war and forbidden romance. The characters are SO well done - one of my favorites!
my favourite June read was Pachinko. It took me ages to read because I have ADHD but I'm so glad I did, I got so attached to Sunja and sobbed at the ending. Definitely one of my favourites of the year :)
you have such a calming voice, i love knitting while i watch your videos lol
i first got yellowface through the library, but 10 pages in, i was like “nope, i need a physical copy so i can underline the crap out of it,” something i NEVER do, and boy was it such a ride to read. i enjoyed it immensely and thought the writing style was absolutely spot on for the tone it was creating
edit: books i have been reading - Lauren Layne’s Central Park Pact trilogy of standalones (the characters overlap kinda heavily, but each book focuses on one of three women). Super cute rom coms with characters I was excited to learn more about as I went from one book to the next
For a pirate book recommendation, I remember to catch a pirate by jade parker being good, but I was also 15 at the time.
I just ordered Fireborne!
I'm so shocked to hear about your opinion of the Prison Healer series because it is one of my all-time favorites! I do see your issues and understand them completely and I always respect your opinions lol.
For me it was such a fun story and I loved Jaren, Kiva and all the characters, and each book had such a great plot twists! I found Kiva kind of relatable because she didn't have all the crazy powers or huge ego, she was just kind of normal. For me the second and third were probably a bit better than the first but I rated all of them five stars! I'm curious to know how you feel about all of the plot twists!
I read the prison healer trilogy and i really enjoyed it. I got into it after i had read one of the other series by Lynette (the medoran chronicles) and i think i enjoyed it lots because i was used to Lynette's pacing and writing style as i had read multiple other books by her before. As you mentioned, you enjoyed the worldbuilding so you might like the medoran chronicles better (its abt a girl at a fantasy school, sort if like in harry potter almost) as it has the worldbuilding and of course similar writing style but the main character Alex is much more headstrong and she actually does things for herself, unlike Kiva. P.S. Lynette Noni is actually a close friend of Sarah J Maas (because of course) Loved the video x
I can't wait to read Love, Theoretically, its the next one on my list to read. My jaw dropped when I saw that she had written 'Bride' her werewolves book I am so excited for it. :)
Picked up Fireborne thanks to a notification from Bookbub that the ebook was on sale. (Highly recommend that mailing list for ebooks btw) can’t wait to read now that I’ve heard more!
I've been reading a ton too. Library new shelf keeps yanking me in with new nonfiction stuff. One thing I'm noting about R.F. Kuang is her ability to lure people in and then suddenly make them uncomfortable. Like she makes her antagonists, June, quite relateable and then you start to wonder if it's because you have some latent sympathies for the racist stereotypes. But it's so,so good. And a dragon book is always welcome!
If you ever get again in a reading slump, I'd recommend you "Throne in the Dark" by A.K. Caggiano: 1st in a completed trilogy, kind of a romcom fantasy romance that takes itself not very seriously and that is hilarious. I devoured it!
I BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VID I LOVE IT HERE
🔥🥹🙏
I read My Best Friend’s Exorcism when I was 17 in one sitting at the dead of night, my first Hendrix read and it scared the hell out of me lol. I agree, it has immaculate 80’s horror atmospheric vibes
Yay you liked my favorite Grady Hendrix. I am reading The Summer Book by Tova Janasson , it is lovely, funny and a must read for Grandma's girls like me. Grandma and 6 yr old girl on an island in Sweden learning about life, Precious.
Tove Jansson* if anyone can’t find it
Prison Healer: I only read the first book and felt so betraied in the end, I wasn't in the mindset to continue 😅 I mean, she builds the character and the story in a way that makes the reader trust her and then...she is someone else entirely. I was outright angry at the plot twist 🤷
Fish don't exist: it was a book that "saved me" when I was in a weird place of my life last year, because it made me reconsider and rethink my approach to life. I mean, it is quite heavy, yes, but the message it promotes is worth it!
omg Lemon! I haven't seen anyone talk about this book until now. I'm not usually the type of person to read those type of books but I devoured it
Hahaha omg, I just finished Love on the Brain and was cracking up at her description of Levi being basically the same as the lead from Love Hypothesis.
100% the same man hahahha
Garden of the Cursed was such a fun time! I'm glad I picked it up based on your recommendation. I'm wondering if you would be interested in the Book that Wouldn't Burn (note: there is going to be a second book). It's been such a dark horse book for me this year. I adored it!
oh i will look it up and thank you for the warning hahahah
I looove Dark Shores, I didn’t have a problem with following the plot at all! And i love the series, Danielle L Jensen is releasing the final book soon, and for me book 3 (Gilded Serpent) is amazing! I still recommend 😊
Prison Healer Trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies and I don't usually disagree with you on books but this one I do. Kiva's overallgrowth would not have hit as hard had the first book NOT been the way it was. Plus the time spent in Zalindov why would we care about what happens at the end of book 2 if we didn't have book 1. I very much appreciate Kiva's character and felt like as far as YA female leads she showed SIGNIFICANT growth across the board - finding her voice, standing up to her family, learning about choices, and all of that. But that's me. It's too bad that you didn't see that but that's the beauty of stories and what we all take away.
Actually someone commented this earlier and I agree - Kiva’s growth was actually backwards lol. The first book she was at least set in her ways about surviving no matter what and having a big sense of self preservation and caution, but the second she’s out she starts blindly trusting everyone and making huuuuge mistakes without thinking of the consequences. Kiva book 1 and kiva book 2 are totally different people 😭
Why fish don’t exist is one of my favorite favorite books!! it’s such a good intro into less fictiony books
Have you read “I must betray you” by Ruta Sepetys? Everyone in our book club really enjoyed it.
Ohhh i havent heard of it until now!
Yeah, you should definitely read it!
Have you read anything by Trudi Canavan? I highly recommend her three very different fantasy series. Would be fun hearing your thoughts on them. And they are all finished 😘ive read The Black Magician trilogy several times! There is a spinoff series and a prequel. Milleniums Rule is really good too, a mix of very different worlds...
oh boy i had to read Burial Rites in 2015 for highschool english and i was so blown away by it at the time, heavy stuff for teens but i still remember it to this day
I got so excited to see a Katy Rose Pool book pop up! Her first trilogy - There Will Come a Darkness - is also a “fun time” (and it’s all published lol). Can’t wait to check out Garden of the Cursed
You are the reason I pulled the trigger and started BOTM!!! Thank you for contributing to my book collection problem 🤭❤️ love you and all your videos!!
im a bit late to the party so hopefully youll still see this BUT on the topic of dragons... you should definitely try A natural history of dragons! yes it is a series but i think its okay to just read the 1st one (its what i did) and its sooo cute and cozy and wholesome haha it reminded me of emily wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries but with dragons instead :,)
Yesss im waiting for it at the library! It looks so pretty hahhaha
I had to soft dnf Pageboy today because I got 49% through and my digital hold was up at the library. Honestly I needed to stop reading the book anyways, because it was starting to become really depressing and the stories were starting to become too much like I was reading someone's therapy journal and it just lost a lot of my interest. I feel I'll go back and finish the book one day but definitely not right now.
Sooo i read the Prison Healer because i was intrigued about the claim being similar to acotar.
The ordeals are a mehhh. Couldve been more creative, it didnt show any of Kiva’s strength, if it wasnt for someone’s help, she couldve just easily died. Useless ordeal scenes lol
I feel like kiva isnt the wisest when it comes to her decisions. Theres a lot of scenes in the book where i was like ‘what the heck!’. Her decisions doesnt make sense. She found out about the real story of torvin and realized that the rebels foundation were built on a lie but she still asked for the dagger ad it will help the rebel. Like what?!?!
I feel like i didnt read much of Jaren (love him)
Love caldon too but it was weird he was too cool after finding out she’s kiva corentine.
Its a struggle to keep going and i dont know if i want to read the 3rd book 😢
A great series about dragons is the inheritance cycle 💜 I read when I was a teenager and reread it last year and it still as good as when I first read it. It has a great Magic system, elfs, a rich world building and very litle romance
You are the only person I trust for book recommendations. Thank you, I enjoy watching your videos so much!
Cari I love your videos and I was hoping I could request a retrospective on the Pendragon series 😅 it's an adventure YA series that I loved when I was younger. I remember it being so good but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Nobody has talked about it on YT and I need the nostalgia trip 😭😭
dang i’m shocked you didn’t like dark shores 😭 it does get confusing but idk i ate that shit up HAHAH she’s finishing the series this year and im so excited!! she is coming out w a new NA viking series soon maybe you’ll like that!
Okay Cari, I recommend the Entangled with Fae books by Tessonja Odette. They are fae fairy tale retellings and are described as "Bridgerton meets ACOTAR." I have not read ACOTAR or Bridgerton, but I am a fan of fairy tale retellings, so I thought I would give these books a go...and I actually really adore these books! Reading these books could be a fun experiment for you., And even if you do hate these books, I would still be entertained by a vlog. :)
I love this new transition into the future Cari and the present Cari, I love it 😂❤😂❤😂❤ it's so unique ❤❤❤
I'm currently reading Yellowface and loving it.
It's so so so so easy to get into and that's what I really loved about it. I love to get recommendations similar to this book.
Perfect tinting, I need more books for my vacation and I know if Cari likes it, it’s a good book✨
Wait a goddamn minute?! Ali hazelwood coming up with a new werewolf story aka PERHAPS AN OMEGA VERSE STORY?!! Omg...
thanks for the video!
Highly recommend you check out anything by T. Kingfisher (if you haven't already). She writes 3 primary kinds of books: fantasy, fantasy romance, and horror. The fantasy books tend to have a younger female protagonist (like A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking). The fantasy romance pretty much always has a big (and big-hearted) himbo love interest (and they seem to often take place in the same world) (like Swordheart). Her horror tends towards the eldritch, and she has a way of making mantras that stick in your head. And I should mention that all of her books have at least one element of horror to them. Like, even the straight fantasy books will suddenly have an eldritch horror element. I recommend The Twisted Ones (one of the horror books). She riffs off another story ("The White People" by Machen) but does a superior job imo. She has a lot of humor in all her books, and I think the protagonists are pretty relatable.
My current wish is to finish one of the many book ideas I have so I can give it to you, Krimson Rogue, and Generally Pooky, so yall can enjoy it and tear it to shreds. I dunno when that'll be since my ADHD is heavy and my meds are nonexistent. But here's hoping!
Just warmed up some pasta, let’s goooooo!!!!
🍝🍝🍝
hi cari! I would totally totally totally totally TOTALLYYY recommend The Winners Curse trilogy omg. love your videos!
OMG can’t wait for the wrap up (I’m first) found your channel earlier this year and I have loved every video since!
I'm working on Fourth Wing right now and just got Love, Theoretically today at the library! In June, I also read Yellowface, as well as Magnolia Parks, and a bunch of new romances (The True Love Experiment, Yours Truly, Happy Place, etc.).
I'm so glad you've read Fireborne! This trilogy is so good, but I feel it's not hyped enough
omg please read Under The Oak Tree by Suji Kim. it’s a fantasy. they’re only available by purchase through kindle. however i’m so in love with the books. i wish the author had more exposure.
omg i read fireborne like last year maybe? and i loved it!!
I just finished Yellowface last night and LOVED it! Good pacing, so funny, and it’s an author calling our her own industry. I’m a fan 💕
Not kurt introducing a Virgo™ book xD
Your reads are so random, I love it!
as a highschool girl who daydreams about fake dating and LOVES better than the movies, i feel attacked 😞
I love how you read so much from non American/Canadian authors, I wonder if you would do your top 10 Korean books for us
i have a video on that^^
Great vlog Cari. From your review of it, I feel drawn to the book 'I went to see my father', although it does sound very deep, I might borrow and give it a shot. Thank you.
babe wake up cari posted a new video
😂😂😂
Interesting to hear your thoughts on the Prison Healer. I was planning to not finish the series after reading the first one, but now I might have to give it a go if you say the 2nd and 3rd books are better. The first book just dragged on so much I was too daunted to keep reading the series.
definitely give them a go! the second and third were incredible its one of my all time fave series.
I am reading Fireborn right now and I am loving it so much, and I am suffering through the pain of agreeing with some bits of the revolution but also being aware that not everything that shines is gold. I am afraid the trilogy might make me suffer as much as the hunger games.
That book is amazing like I’ve not had good visceral reactions to books in a long time and omg this book made me laugh cry and riot It was amazing
I LOVE the bridge kingdom series!! and just ordered Dark Shores T-T I hope I like it
Okay so I read the Prison Healer series and I enjoyed it but it wasn't like my favourite book ever or anything. BUT. The author (Lynette Noni) has written another series that I really liked called the Medoran Chronicles and I personally thought that it was a lot better. If you enjoyed some of the Prison Healer I think maybe you might enjoy this one (+ it gets bonus points for dragons)
You should read ‘Rememberings’ by Sinead O’Connor - I thought it was deeply moving and engaging.
Ohhh i listened to a podcast that referenced it a lot so maybe i should!!
If you're looking for more Indigenous voices I recommend 'A Mind Spread Out On the Ground' by Alicia Elliot. It's her real life experience and wow so beautifully written, but same idea as the book you talked about. Very heavy topics.
i was unimpressed with the first book of Prison Healer, read through the second book and got so mad at the ending that i refused to read the third.
In June the best thing i read was The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson (it ripped out my soul, i enjoyed it SO much) and currently i'm reading some kindle unlimited stuff (i really enjoy Vanessa Nelson, she's got a lot of urban fantasy, typically heavier on the fantasy, sometimes with a little sci-fi thrown in the mix, a splash of romance but zero spice - my favorite!) but i just got a hold in for The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera so we'll see how that goes!
Better than the movies is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year!
If you're looking for fantasy books with interesting/unique magic systems, I would highly highly recommend reading Foundryside (part of a trilogy but it was completed last year!) I'd LOVE to hear what you think of that series.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism was made into a movie and I actually really liked it!
i need to watch it!