I could see you getting along with AJ Fikry possibly better than I did, but Tomorrowx3 seems likely you would find it very frustrating. Tom lake definitely explores a few heavier topics with a light touch, so for me it really fit what I imagine as a litfic version of cozy and would like to see more, also absolutely that audiobook *chefkiss* spoiler for wellness Wellness throws the whole kitchen sink of modern issues and struggles at us, with these unlikeable characters who have so grown apart, inhabit the same space but don't even know each other anymore. Then over the course of the latter half their backstories build to learning they had these horrible upbringings, and what do you know, they realize hey we're actually products of a lot of past trauma who would have thought. Then magically they get over everything and be happy. I was so mad.

Glad to hear you enjoy it 😃 It's been a very very 4 star year

Uh oh, that doesn't bode well for Middlemarch making the docket this month, concentration has been in short supply. Hopefully that will improve by the end of the month and work out for the plan... Ahhh, you would probably like Setterfield, she's brilliant at slightly eerie, atmospheric yet also charming historical from the other two books I've read.

Yep, In typical fashion, my picks were least popular! 😅 Tom Lake would be most likely to work for you, in my opinion, but even then I really doubt you'd love it the way most seem to. I very much think the struggle and overwhelm of modern life was the big theme of the year, but that made for very contemporary and maximalist feeling stories.

I have SO many piles of books everywhere right now for different things I want to fit in over the next couple weeks, iceberg seemed only appropriate. Brooks, I believe, only has one other non-fiction published as a book, but that one sounds as much or even more interesting because it's about her tracking down her childhood penpals. She is such a unique person.

Hehe then you will be the last! I am about to start it soon, so hopefully it will indeed go well, she is such a fantastic atmospheric writer.

This is the problem! No one tells me I should not read any of the books 🤣 Always every book is great, all these lovely books I absolutely must get to right way. Too many books too little time.

The peer pressure is real!!! 😂 Thirteenth Tale is one of the most definite on the list, it is going to fit into the first vlog project I've dug into starting already, so I should be coming to it sooooon 🤐

McKinley is one of those cult hit authors, I feel like everyone thinks if a "superior" version in the things she does, but somehow never got wildly popular. Good to have another endorsement of this one, I hope I can get to it, the Vampires + baking definitely has me intrigued.

It was very good, I need to get to the sequel very soon!

@@ReadBecca Same!

Yes! I hope we get to see boats if you vlog it. The lake park is my favorite one because of all the water activity from boats and birds (and lots of dogs around usually), that was the local rowing club training there.

That is really strange, since Survivor has been one of the absolute biggest here for a couple decades. I've head of all those you mentioned except The Island I think, that sounds interesting - though I haven't been convinced into any of the real survival shows for the most part. I had heard lots about The Traitors, and being a big tabletop gamer I've played lots of iterations of the thing, but wasn't sold, then JUST somehow learned Alan Cumming is the host a couple days ago. Now I absolutely must find and watch that.

@@ReadBecca he is the host of the awful American one though. Claudia Winkleman is the UK host, and a national treasure. My favourite version is actually the Australian one though.

Love Claudia Winkleman as well... not quite as much as Alan tho.

I absolutely like the earliest seasons because either they did less or the technology kind of limited how much of the private maneuvering was shown, it was much more focused on the group(s) together and challenges as far as time in the episode. I would absolutely be terrible at it as well. I am too transparent, blunt, and frustrated with miscommunication, so I also will not be trying out for the series anytime in the future 😅

@@ReadBecca The bluntness might cause drama. The producers are gonna love you! 🤣

Fascinating but depressing is right. I absolutely did have to pause it for a couple days because it was just too hard given our state this week, so that is probably how I manage mental health - having a variety so I can step away from one thing when I need to.

In is a slow to connect at first, but definitely ramps up emotionally. I feel like I've been reading a lot more standalone graphic work rather than series, which is probably good, but I'm sure I've not read as much as most recent years too. Break from work is a little of both, but very definitely good for me in the short term, hopefully will also turn out to be good in the long term. Cozy SFF is one of the immediate themes that jumped out at me when I was looking thru shelves/ebooks, so that is a sure thing. I'll have to take more of a look at history stuff on tbrs, I do have one for Shaketember and one of the books for Framed is also partly that, so already a couple coming up to be talked about.

I really do need to dive in on Episcopalian denominational belief more, as don't know much about the distinctions. I realized after filming that clip that I am pretty sure basically all the Christian nationalist critical books I've read from self proclaimed Christians were Episcopalian. So that makes a lot of sense if it is core to have a perpetual struggle toward betterment. I'll have to check out Winner for sure.

Thank you and glad you enjoyed it! I definitely try to incorporate a mix of non-fiction about different beliefs a couple times a year to challenge myself. There is just so much out there to learn about people's differences.

It was my first time with general fiction after multiple years, definitely a challenge weighing in on the finals round, that is for sure.

Good tip, I will check that out for sure. Thanks!

Completely agree with you, I like challenging myself with things like this. It was a back and forth of trying to get around my own assumptions and expectations to see things the author's way, and if maybe lacking "internal consistency" is working for her how that could be meaningful.

Excellent to hear. It definitely has a quite start but really hits with the emotions!

It's so good! I feel like other than bake off a lot of the other "Great British" shows go under the radar, but especially Menu. And of course I just love Prue, so had to watch since she's on it. 😁

It is so funny because GBBO has gone absolutely like wildfire here, but GBM is basically unheard of. There has even been some popularity of the other "Great British" shows, though they are dramatically less accessible in the US, but nada for GBM.

@@ReadBecca GBM isn't super popular here to be honest

🤯 I love that idea! Not only that, but I absolutely have 2 options right away, and a probable 3rd I'd need to double check the cover. I had been thinking of doing birds on covers, but that seemed so basic and shows up often in prompts for readathons, cows is way better!

@@ReadBecca I hope no birds see your comment because that was OFFENSIVE 😆😆🤣

Hah! We are already completely on the same wavelength. The two specific projects I had in mind aren't intentionally cozy, but I think both do have prominent amount of at least cozy elements. Then this morning I had already done a lazy browse through my kindle catalog looking for groupings and just refreshing myself on what I have, of course some of he main ones I came out with were cozy fantasy and seasonal/holiday! 😄 The cozy fantasy is a definite one I want to do, I've got 3 earmarked for that already.

Oh also, I started Reluctant Heartthrob this morning, very fun so far! I think this week is going to be just magpie-ing any random book I feel like picking up...

@@ReadBecca I feel like a magpie approach is exactly what makes me the happiest too, so I completely get you! Hope you pick up a bunch of books that really work for you.

Congrats on the anniversary, hopefully dinner was sufficiently celebratory on it's own. I think you mentioned your husband being really into this stuff when I was doing the DC movies, has he actually kept up with all the wider marvel universe prior to this? There are definitely a lot of nods to stuff from prior films that will be rewarding if he has, though definitely not required. I found it so fun, albeit very very (predictably) graphic and violent. I think they also always manage a good amount of heart with Deadpool in a way that isn't as cheap or trite as some of the other superhero movies too.

Thank you for the extra details! That is helpful, I know a lot of people seem to like Cordelia less than Miles, but she seems likely to be such an interesting complex character to me from what I've heard. Then again, that's probably just Bujold being reliable at delivering those sorts of characters. I was just going thru my shelf of her work this weekend, I'll probably get to Hallowed Hunt first because I have that already, but it looks like I have more of the Vor books even than I thought, so I do need to seek out book 1 and get more into that series for sure.

I think you would really like Love & Saffron (not a romance despite the title) and definite shorty! Jackie Lau is also always heavy on food in her books and has a few novellas, always reliably good. I also happen to have a list of specifically baking competitions books I haven't read for future use if that can help, though I don't think any of them are officially shorties either: The Golden Spoon Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble The Great Witches Baking Show Love & Other Disasters Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame Batter Royale Amazing it's time for GBBO again, we usually get it a week later than you all though I think. Woo GBBO and a new season of heartstopper coming around the same time is delightful news.

@@ReadBecca Batter Royale 😂 I'll look into Love & Saffron.

I am definitely a sucker for a good pun.

Hah, we are twinning this week! I hope you like Lavash, I really enjoyed it, especially the discussions around being out to their parents. Poor Loki & Dusty, the post surgery is terrible and you just cannot do anything to help them out. Hope Loki is healing well and enjoying food again. I got Dusty some of those brothy pouches, so he's now spoiled and thinks this will be the norm... which it probably will.

I definitely could see why Some Desperate Glory was so divisive, now having read it. For me definitely more in the positive column. That absolutely would have been a memorable experience to live through, it's amazing how Derry Girls manages to depict it well while also staying mostly light and funny too. I think you would really enjoy the show, and might be good for conversation with the partner about understanding their experiences too.

Some Desperate Glory definitely was not what I would have thought, and also did manage to have a huge number of conversation topics handled well, with a compelling plot (I'd downgraded my expectation of it being plotty, but it has quite a bit). Thank you, it's a mostly holes cardigan 🤣 so I can pretend that it is sweater weather. I am all about sagey green for fall!

I think you would find Derry Girls hilarious and endearing probably. I'm trying to remember, I am pretty sure there was not anything explicit in the show if that is what you are worried about. It's got pretty normal coming of age stuff, crushes and innuendos beyond their actual experience, so some lewd comments but pretty typical depiction of being a teen I don't think would be outside most shows that covert that.

Oh wow! I'm glad you are getting some sweater weather hopefully after that heat. We didn't quite get to 100, but had bounces in and out of the 90s, and now seem to be down to 80s with low humidity so it cools overnight, which is a lovely respite and I'll take it as near enough autumnal.

@@ReadBecca Nothing above 76 this week! and if the 10 day forecast is correct, it is the same next week!

That seems wild, I will never understand how they decide what to do audio for - though I know previous books of hers have been small press so they probably have to be choosy... but she is so well known/loved now and has won so many awards! I was shocked when I got the Elena Knows from my library they don't have it on audio or ebook, and had to transfer it from the city library, because there are so few copies in the system, which is odd to me, it should be all over.

It has a green tea base with a lot of florals, but yes seems like it will be delicious. I spotted something similar at Aldi, I think I may have to get and do a taste comparison of the bougie vs bargain!

@@ReadBecca oooh, do it!!

Yes! I am so pleased to be in the know now with what a hit Derry Girls was, It is too short, but I suppose that does indeed make it very re-watchable!

@@ReadBecca exactly!

Definitely worth a read, I enjoyed it a lot. I will have to have a look for the hugo ceremony based on your mention. I used to always watch all the SFF award videos, but this year my time has just been so limited that I've been skipping most of them, so I'll have to prioritize seeing her speech!

I haven't seen the speech, but I will definitely look this up now!