2:36 in and still he didnt start talking about the play

Had to pause this because I’ve noticed something quite interesting 🤔 Ok so first of all I’m Polish 🇵🇱 The other name he publishes under - Lestewka- means a thin wooden board 😅 Funny how his other publishing name is Cutter 😂 Just found it so curious!! I wonder if he has Polish roots!?

90s YA vampire stuff was often very dire! But if you can track it down, Summer's End by Robert Hawks is absolutely terrific. The Vampire Twins books by Janice Harrell are good, as is the M.C. (Mark) Sumner trilogy of The Principal/The Substitute/The Coach

A Dark Corner was my first read of the year and I really enjoyed it. Quite unsettling.

I’ve read Preacher and it’s like you are in a movie. Very well done. The Boys I have not seen the comics but love the TV series.

I was in college in the 70s and had heard of Conan but had to order the paperbacks from England as they were not being published in the US at that time.

I just read that book recently and liked it. Found the movie and will check it out.

No! Not the dreaded glare!

I met FM in 1986 at a small comic show in Ohio. Great guy. I saw the recent documentary about him in a theater last year.

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJOUqJKnpM6ihc0si=Thxz4-o89tzs7klJ

I tried to read Space. It sounded great but it was more of a soap opera and I assume it eventually talks about NASA etc.

Read it. Wild story.

Hey I love how you organized the books by each sub-genres and I love that.

One big turn-off for me when reading thrillers and crime novels, is the "serial killer who tortures and murders women in ever more depraved manner" trope. I still remember the stupidly "motivated" killer in Coffin Dancer (my 1st and last Jeffrey Deaver novel), and I believe Memory Man had a serial killer whose trigger was just too stupid to believe. So far, January looks very much like December: turkeys all around. I read The Twisted Ones (T. Kkingfisher), a book I wanted to read for a couple of years. Terrible. Badly (as in amateurishly) written, with no thrills, not a single believable character, no horror, just a boring, ill-conceived mediocrity. The worst part is that the author lifted her story from "The White People," by Arthur Machen and wasted it. I don't think I'll give Kingfisher another try. Read Night Flyers, by George R. R. Martin. Barely okay. At least he finished it, although it's just a novella. The Patient, by Jasper DeWitt, was awful. It promised much and managed to deliver nothing but boredom. I'm reading a Spanish 19th century classic, now; also Firefly by Piers Anthony; and a sci-fi trilogy, The Icarus something. Only the old fashioned Spanish classic seems good, so far

I felt the same way about The Sisters Brothers. I really wanted to like it, and being a NorCal native, was hoping to find those moments where an author GETS the landscape of the place and time, but was continually disappointed. It did have it's moments, and I tried to finish it but literally gave up like 10 pages from the end.

I havent checked all comments, but apart from you, I think i am the only commenter who has sampled agatha raisin and the chris carter thrillers. In the latter series, the 11th book, written in blood, briefly was in my top 10 list of all time, to my own surprise. I recommend a cozy called a slice of murder, by chris cavender. The characters are unrealistic but the book is still fun for me. Tell me if you want recs please.

How in the hell was Delaney able to get this smut published??!

I read Murder of Twelve after you recommended it. Fun book Thanks 😊

A busy month! It's interesting to think about how we retroactively classify things as disappointing or not... of the books you discussed you mention quite a few that you enjoyed quite a bit, even if the misses maybe equaled the hits this go around... What ratio does it take to be a good reading month? I'm not calling you out in any way, just thinking aloud. I had a great January, as I mention in my video that is in part because I had a (mild) head injury that put me out of commission for a week so I did nothing but read... quite a few great books, but also a few real stinkers. The thing is, the books I was most disappointed with were some that I had the highest expectations for, I really wanted to enjoy them and was actually bummed out that I didn't enjoy them. For instance I also read Terrifier 2 this month and didn't enjoy it as much as you. I thought Waggoner missed out on an opportunity to give more interiority and structure to Art in ways that could elevate it from the films. Psychologically humans tend to dwell more on harms or grievances than on joys... Maybe this played some evolutionary benefit but these days it hinders more than helps... I read a handful of duds this month but also a few standout books, so I try to focus on those instead, and take control of my own narrative...

I'm sorry to hear nothing wowed you in Jan, Olly. At least, there were all those trash tales submissions. Hopefully, Feb will have more enjoyable reads. Stay safe, my friend, and happy reading.

I've been doing it the way you do for as long as you've been alive! So over 50 years of buying books at a rate of more than a dozen for every one I need. I have started getting rid of books, but it really is at a trickle rate. I got rid of quite a lot back in the 80s. Same as you, it's all stuff that sells for a fortune now, and which I've since wanted to read, and wish I'd never parted with... but there wouldn't be enough room in the house for them.

Yes I had a better January. Palestine (Joe Sacco) being the highlight. It might already win my best read of the year for 2025.

I already have both devices. I love the flexibility of the Boox Go color 7 to be able to read kindle, nook, kobo and Google books all in one place! For the Kobo, I love the stylus and being able to annotate my books and writing notes, etc.

🇲🇽🙂

I love crime novels and one reading challenge I am doing is reading from an Author I dont know. I am trying to expand my knowledge . I am doing the read what you own challenge.

I wonder if a reason why Chris Carter's novels feel like a 90s tv show / movie is that his main career was as a 90s tv writer 😀 Edit: oops, I got the wrong Chris Carter 😕 I also lost steam with the Agatha Raisin series after book 4 and haven't yet returned. If you fancy something similarly cosy mystery yet different, I've enjoyed the Miss Fortune series (starting with Louisiana Longshot) by Jana Deleon and the Lady Hardcastle Mysteries (starting with a Quiet Life in the County) by T. E. Kinsey My recent reads include the Trials of Empire (to finish the Empire of the Wolf series) by Richard Swan and Exit Strategy (part of the murderbot series, though I read this in February)

That joke was brilliant,more please!

I read Berlin Game, Mexico Set and London Match - Len Deighton. The latest Vinyl Detective. Started reading Vineland - Thomas Pynchon.

Because of you I had a pretty great start to the new year (reading wise). I typically only read before bed but I did spend New Year’s Day reading a book I almost finished. It was the first book in the Dave Brandstetter series. My library has a large collection of gay authors and he must be a popular read as there were no more of his books. It was excellent and a good start to my January reading. Then I read Invisible City by Julia Dahl (recommended by my branch library). It was excellent. Then a Lee Child book I hadn’t read. Then my first S. A. Cosby book you recommended All The Sinners bleed. I thoroughly enjoyed that one! I could not find the Jeffrey Deaver book you recommended but did find Hunting Time. After reading 4 excellent books I enjoyed it but it was totally predictable which was annoying. Then I read a Karin Slaughter book (I’ve read a lot of her books) called This Is Why We Lied. This is more a crime thriller and whoaBoy did it have twists and turns. With her I always think I know who-done-it fairly early on but forget it’s a Slaughter novel and that will be wrong. I did spend this past Saturday (the day after the Friday Massacre, see Nixon, Saturday Night Massacre) on the ending of this book as Slaughter always takes my mind off of the horrors that is my country right now. I’m starting February on another S. A. Cosby book. I did manage to find another Joseph Hansen book but I’m going to have to order more. I primarily read murder mysteries/thrillers so no pulp, horror, romance, etc but it’s February and I found a new to me Octavia Butler sci-fi. I find her books a wee bit on the horror side but while they stay with me for MONTHS they don’t quite give me nightmares. So far the mysteries I’ve gotten from you have been excellent so I await your next recommendations (especially of black authors!)

I did ok in January - I started with a title by Isabel Canas which I LOVED (The Hacienda) because I really really rate that author. Then I read Peyton Place by Grace Metalious, which was significantly better than I expected and even a bit shocking. Followed that by another dive into PD James (Devices and Desires, Original Sin, and A Certain Justice) which were on the whole imperfect but enjoyable, then I re-read Diary Of A Mad Housewife by Sue Kaufman, which turns out to be even darker than I used to think. Ended up by finishing the first 4 titles in the Tommy & Tuppence series by Agatha Christie, which was most definitely the weak point of the month. T&T is not for me, though the 4th book is very Christie-esque. The 5th and final one, which I am slogging through now, is not a high point. But aside from Agatha, the month was solid for me, with a couple high points. Wishing you a better next month!

I totally agree with you.I love my books,especially the old second hand ones.

I read A Helping Hand and liked it. I think Sheep’s Clothing is even better.

I've had an awful horror/thriller reading month. At one point I was on the elliptical actually shouting at the protagonist of Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen to call the police. And that was the opening.

Not related to this video but today I (finally) bought a Kobo . Now I’m trying to decide if I’m going to use google drive to manage and transfer my ebooks, because Caliber works just fine but having to phisically connect the kobo is soooo 20th century 😂😂😂. As I already switched to storygraph in january 2024 I’m giving myself ✅✅ Now to watch the video 😊

Olly enjoyed the NASCAR romance but hated The Deep by Cutter... art truley is subjective..

Have you considered adding chapters? It's nice to find a channel dedicated to crime books, but I really can't watch the whole video of every youtuber. 😂

January felt like the longest month of my life. I don’t think I’ve had such a long month since I was a kid.

you are the second person who had said that

I had a meh start of the year too. I only read five books and only liked one of them. I do love January though cause I love the autumn and winter months.❄☕📚 Looking forward to what you think of the Watchers. It was my fave book last year. The movie was horrible.

I’m happy to see some reminder that January ended. Too many things happening for one month.

I want to basically have a nest of books around me. The lack of space and my dust allergies are my biggest enemies in that pursuit.

I'm with you 100%, Olly! Why would you get rid of books just because you've read them? Books are lovely things to surround yourself with, and are often imbued with memories and various emotional attachments. They're not just artefacts to be used and then discarded. Plus there's something very satisfying about building up a collection, be that of various authors or various series. I still own many books that I bought in my childhood, and that I've read and re-read many times, and even if I'll never read the majority of them ever again, I still find it extremely comforting just having them around.

I had to laugh when you said Joe Abercrombie is heroic fantasy. There is nothing heroic about his books. Every character is flawed in a dark grim world. Glokta is one of the best protagonist I have read in a book.

The late Tom Clancy had the same grift. He lent his name to ghostwritten nonfiction books, adult novels, young adult novels, video games, TV movies et al. (Plus one of his collaborators was Infowars scribe Steve Pieczenik.)

ο τυπος διαβαζει βαρουφακη😅😅

School boards can not ban books they just do not have inappropriate books in the school. If books are wanted they can still be found outside of school

I totally agree with your review. I loved the theme being of an underwater base, also enjoyed the characters but felt unsatisfied as it didn't do what I wanted it to do. All of the interesting ideas were there but (ironically) lacked any depth, I wish it was tighter. I hated the ending, it was so cliche and left field it felt like I was reading a different book! I skim read the last few pages as I wanted to pretend it didn't happen!