I'm not familiar with all of the books on your list but I think I'll pass on the retelling of House of Usher which I love. I always enjoy hearing people's views on why they didn't enjoy a book. We shared some similar reasons regarding Justice of Kings but differed in other ways. I've got Tainted Cup to read but may wait for the second to be released. We diverge on LPQ. It was a breath of fresh air for me. I was invested in many of the characters and am looking forward to the next. Great video!

The Gormenghast series was such an experience and I loved reading the first two books but reading the rest of the series and discussing each book with you added even more to the already wonderful experience! My single most favorite read of 2024 was Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler: such an amazing book, series, writer. I love it so much.

Ohhh i love that you've got classics on here as your favs! I saw Prose & Petticoats talk abt Germinal. I want to get to Gormanghast at some point.

Those are some interesting titles and there are a few I definitely want to look into. I was particularly interested in the Wilkie Collins novel, as I only read my first Collins novel (The Moonstone) a few weeks ago. I knew it was highly regarded but I was surprised at how entertaining it was. I now know why Collins has such a devoted fan base.

So many of my favorites on here. Happy to see Kushiel and Gormenghast make the list - two incredible series. Awesome list!

Amazing collection! I still need to read Crowley's most recent book Flint and Mirror. And I really have to get back to Zola and read Collins.

SO glad you liked my recommendation! This is an excellent lineup of books for people to try. Great video, Marianne!

We have several shared favorites, so I'll be sure to check out the others as well.

The Tainted Cup is still on my TBR list. I take it thats the US cover? The UK cover is so bright and beautiful. Im still holding out for Cage of Souls special edition.

I'm delighted that you enjoyed The Book That Wouldn't Burn so much, Marianne! These are great picks all around, and I love the diversity in time and place of your favorite reads. Piranesi is a favorite for me too, and I hope 2025 will be the year when I read The Gormenghast Trilogy, so thank you for the extra motivation!

My most disappointing were probably: 1Q84 - Haruki Murakami Those Above - Daniel Polansky Trials of Empire - Richard Swan Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison Library at Mount Char - Scott Hawkins My Brother's Keeper - Tim Powers Leviathan Wakes - James S A. Corey

Great video, I generally avoid these because they're usually just people yelling about something being garbage or not matching their wants without actually talking about the book itself; I knew yours would be different and I'm not disappointed! I liked hearing your experience with Gwynne in particular, because that's exactly the experience I had with Faithful and the Fallen and since then I've just had people telling me I need to try Bloodsworn because it's different and better - it sounds like the same tired song from what you're saying.

Whew! You're continuing LPQ. i was about to throw hands at that last book. 😅 I'm glad you're continuing... just don't take a long time to get to the next books. This is one of my fav series.

Happy to see that smile and laugh; and I agree, they need to make a Books of Babel special edition.

Going to add Death Parade to my watchlist.. I have a thing for one-room movies/shows :)

Thanks for the showcase! 😊 I recently found this series by accident and was immediately drawn to it! Didn't know the spines are so beautiful Definitely going to buy one know! Ps. Also really funny that the editor for Evil Roots is named Daisy Butcher

Marianne! I just received your package today! You are THEEEEEE BEST! Thank you so much!!! I'll be hitting all those books this coming year :)

Such a fun idea and cool list!! I did my dissertation on Victorian lit over a decade ago, and an entire chapter focused on No Name (it was about naming and authorial conventions in the 1860s/sensation tradition). VERY cool to see someone talk about it and Armadale!!

Yessss!!! Wilkie!! I've not read those 2 yet but i own them and can't wait! I added the Heyer book to my Want to Read.

You always have interesting comments about the shape of ideas in books. The story about Friday's child is interesting. I haven't read any Heyer yet. I've only read The Moonstone by Collins and that twice. I really want to try another one. Here's hoping a publisher grants your wish!

The Senlin rant cracked me up 😂

Excellent review, Marianne. Engine Summer is one of my favorite books, and I think it gets better with each reread. You will pick up on new things that will make you realize that the story is even deeper than originally thought.

❤❤❤

I loved, LOVED Mononoke. Just the subtle horror, the change in setting and time period in different episodes, the way the scenes were set up, it all felt like you were watching a haunting narrative told through art. Absolutely beautiful series. Great recommendations!

OK Ms. Marianne! You've seen enough of my videos to recommend one of these you think I'll like best. Fire away and I'll do it!

Paranoia Agent was so cool! I caught it on tv back in the day.

Loved it! I need to find time and space for Strange & Norrell

The innocent and the sinister are what structure human life, and they often peer into a single whole. Often times we see the most innocent-minded people doing the most sinister things. It's that dualism you see in the likes of Dostoevsky's characters, that narrative thread following the sinister while innocent and at times the innocent while sinister. Ultimately none of us are as innocent as we like to think. Anyone who considers their own "innocent freedom" as absolute is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I loved Piranesi when I read it in 2022. I also agree going in blind is the best way. My husband and I both loved it and we are trying to get my mother-in-law to read it, but she said she is having trouble because she cannot picture the world. I think I had a similar impression as you, but instead of innocence I was thinking of enchantment as I read the story. I did not know that there was a possible film coming out. How exciting!

I found great value in your thoughts here, Marianne! And I subscribed! I didn't realize you have a channel!

Great review! You’re making me want to reread it! I love how you described Piranesi’s decision like a Neverland scenario. That is exactly what it felt like reading that part! I love that the house remained a bit of a mystery. I read this book with my mom a few years ago (there’s an old video of us discussing it on my channel), so that made it all the more special. If you do watch reviews, I highly recommend Mark Vernon’s analysis.

Thank you, Marianne, the spoiler filled videos are my absolute favourites. I wish it was longer! I think of Piranesi the character a lot and like you mentioned, also that third, new person that emerges at the end. For me it's a beautiful story about healing from trauma. How a childlike and kind part can come in to protect the wounded part, and in the end, healing doesn't mean losing either of them, but how they can take eachother's hand and go forward together, creating a resilient space that is informed by both perspectives. I also wonder how much Suzanna Clarke's experiences with chronical illness have informed the story. All in all such a rich story with so many facettes and ways to infuse it with our own experiences of the world!

Awesome video, glad you liked it! I really liked the way it started out whimsical and strange but then got more sinister as we learnt more about the real situation surrounding Piranesi. I didn't know they were making a movie for it, that will definitely be a must see.

My poor poor TBR

Yeeeessssssss - I loved book one and after your comment on my video the other day I’ve been excited to re-enter the series. Great video, love to see people gush over books they love!

You did a great job describing that feeling when a book compels you to pick it back up. The books that gave me that feeling were Red Rising, The Will of the Many, and Dungeon Crawler Carl.

I have been thinking of evaluating the series of which I've started one or more books and making a plan of what I want to continue. I read through very slowly.

I would recommend the Elric series after LPQ. Each installment is much shorter (in comparison to a lot of fantasy books), but I would also recommend just reading the first two volumes of those new bind-ups. Although The Dreamthief’s Daughter of my favorite out of the entire series-it’s the first book in the third volume-the last two books soured the series/Moorcock for me.

I'm so bad at leaving series open. I think it comes from growing up and always reading them right when they come out, so waiting a year or two between books. The individual BOTNS books are actually pretty fast reads and super rich.

Your first book discretion makes so much sense to me 🤯 I’ve snoozed a few series if book one didn’t grab me, and then when I got back to it, the conclusion wasn’t much better.

That's a pretty good stack! LPQ is definitely in your wheelhouse if you're more into character/political driven stories. After that, the next one that will probably work best for you is The Grace of Kings. Personally, unless I straight up disliked the first book, I'll be continuing on, even if the first book was an okay read. Lots of fantasy series were written (not so much modern ones) with the assumption the audience would read all the books to get a complete story, so the older it is the more leeway I usually give it.

I love your approach to analyze how you're feeling about the series and using that judgment to decide if you need to finish the series or not. I used to read series straight through before booktube then I let too many buddy reads get in the way. I really try to not let more than 1 month go by before I continue a series I really want to read. Sometimes I fail but that's my usual plan unless I feel the need to pick up the next one right away. I'm also not doing as many buddy reads and following my mood much more closely which has really invigorated my reading life.

Thank you so much for including The Way of Edan among these great series that are in your reading plans, Marianne! The Wickwire Watch is indeed gas lamp fantasy, or you could call it steampunk, like The Books of Babel. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy LPQ more than Susan did . . . I bet you will!

I'm bad at finished series, but I think that's because I like beginnings more than endings. I recently got interested in the Elric saga. It sounds really interesting but I don't know when I'll get to it 😅 Grace of Kings sounds like something I would love, but the page count is intimidating. I am hoping to read LPQ next year!

Great review, just finished the series and loved it. I also saw all of your and Evie discussions videos, always fun to hear other people thought and hear things I didn’t pick up on

Armadale is amazing. It's such an underrated Wilkie Collins. Gene Wolfe is on my radar, and I hope to pick up his work soon.

Thank you for the review. Im currently in the middle of the audiobooks (book 2) and it's one of the most imcredible works of art Ive ever read. I may be ruined on other reading now. 😅

Great review! Just finished reading it and I loved it!

i've been going to the british library a lot lately coz my local library doesn't have the books i want, and sometimes i like going to their shop and browsing the whole Weird collection on the shelves together... whoever came up with the idea is a genius 👻

There is nothing - and I mean NOTHING - like this series. It is absolutely not for everyone: the prose is dense and Peake flies off on tangents, but if you stick with it it is incredibly rewarding. It also allows him to set scenes that no-one else could get away with - the scene in Gormenghast when the Countess goes to see Dr Prune and her cats accompany her is extraordinary - absolutely ridiculous when one thinks about it, but it fits into the world and is dark and deep and perfect.