11 Great Books You Probably Haven't Read

In which John recommends eleven excellent books that aren't bestsellers. Read more about the books here: bookshop.org/lists/john-s-fav... (plus a couple bonus recommendations!)
Oh and also....it's coming. pizzamas.com
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Book club: www.lifeslibrarybookclub.com/

[@vlogbrothers]

Hi. Hello. Two things. 1. You can see learn more about the books I recommend in this video (and buy them!) here: bookshop.org/lists/john-s-favorite-books-you-probably-haven-t-read (Thanks to Niki Hua for making that work!) 2. It's coming.... pizzamas.com

[@dealikesbands5821]

John pls reply to this comment

[@monisha2698]

PIZZAMAS!

[@GK-we6gi]

Hahaha I can't stop laughing at the "Oh my god...you clicked the ABOUT PAGE!?!?! WHY!?!??,"

[@r.m.g9135]

I want to read a book that makes me think about it every day thereafter! Oh, boy, this is gonna cost me money.

[@TheWordsmythe]

Thanks to Niki Hua for the booshop list! I've made Goodreads lists of your lists before, because it was the tool I know how to use, but I much prefer supporting local/indie sellers. And also I prefer not doing the work. >_

[@clairee3859]

based on these recs, I bet you would like this book called “The Anthropocene Reviewed”

[@vlogbrothers]

Heard good things about that one :) -John

[@jobriq5]

“A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor” is good too

[@clairee3859]

@@vlogbrothers The author signed quite a few copies, maybe you’ll find one!

[@hoodiesticks]

Google recommendations be like:

[@pearlejam7115]

@@clairee3859 yes! I look fondly at it 🙂 on my top 10

[@jobriq5]

John: “I love a book about brotherhood” Also John: *writes 5 books about an only child*

[@itsmekatiep]

Listen, brothers are great, but they complicate EVERYTHING

[@4mpersan]

Also, being at boarding school during your formative years makes you feel like an only child at many points.

[@lonestarr1490]

@@itsmekatiep So it's a kind of escapism for him?

[@Jesse__H]

Sometimes, some subjects are too close to display.

[@rasmusn.e.m1064]

I'm not saying stories need conflict to begin, but I am saying that wise siblings really do nib a lot of drama in the bud.

[@tejasdeepsingh456]

0:15 The Bookseller's Tale Ann Swinfen 0:30 Tuff Paul Betty 0:45 Miracle Boys Jacqueline Woodson 1:05 The Black Death Rosemary Horrox 1:20 Epidemics & Society Frank M Snowden 1:46 The Disordered Cosmos Chanda Prescod Wienstien 2:15 Phosphorescence Julia Baird 2:28 All Together Now Erik Samuelson 2:44 Upstream Mary Oliver 2:55 Pilgrim Bell Kaveh Akbar 3:12 How To Cook & Eat In Chinese (1945) First Time Doing This, Tell Me If I Missed Something :)

[@DavidSerhienko]

The true hero

[@abrahamel-gothamy6472]

Thanks!!

[@backwardsbrilliance]

Bless you 🥲

[@Tenwyg]

+

[@OrUptotheStars]

Thanks!

[@mrittika8557]

Dear John, I've been dealing with mental illness since I was a little kid. I was not even 1 when I cried when the bed sheet wasn't perfect and not 5 when I started self harm and cutting my hair out of compulsion. I didn't seek help for 16 years, and I had to recently for the sake of my life. I'm diagnosed with OCD. The reason why I am is because you unknowingly wrote about my experiences, my life and myself, while you wrote Aza Holmes, a 16 year old like me with the same condition. Never have I felt so understood and seen as I had felt when I read "turtles all the way down". I suspect Autism, PTSD, ADHD, MDD/ Bipolar 2, Maladaptive Daydreaming and anxiety too. I thought I should let you know that you saved a light unknowingly underneath the same sky. I'm in 11th grade and yes I was dying but I'm still here, right? You're probably not going to read this but I had to write this. Love always, Mrittika Rakshit/ the Aza you saved.

[@evol-yu4mu]

Nerdfighteria sees you, and we're glad you're here!

[@chloeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

im so glad john coud help you, and im so so so glad youre still here and shining 💜 sending you love and support 💜

[@vlogbrothers]

I'm glad you're still here, and grateful that you're seeking (and getting) the help you need! Thanks for sharing this with me. -John

[@smithhenke5049]

this story made me cry. I'm a fellow mentally ill nerdfighter and I want to say I'm so glad you're here, I'm so glad. You're incredible.

[@magsimags]

i don't know you but i'm so proud of you for having the courage to ask for help. You are incredibly brave for continuing to fight for your life and i'm not just saying that. I've been dealing with depression for almost a decade and i know how hard it can be to keep going. But you are stronger than you know. Keep fighting and i'm glad you're here

[@ArielBissett]

Johhhhhnnnn! I think you’d really like The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. A book about snails that is also not about snails. It’s phenomenally slow and thoughtful and short and wonderful. 🐌

[@julianne222]

i second this! this book is so gentle & meditative. truly a hidden gem.

[@shadesofvioletcat]

I’ve read it! I loved it 🐌

[@gattillynx]

Time to add another book to my list, thank you!

[@ewwpoorpeople5684]

So, it's "about snails" but not ABOUT snails.

[@vlogbrothers]

oh that is my JAM. Also I am reading the book you picked for Life's Library now and LOVING IT. -John

[@SierraKyliuk]

"Disease does not treat people equally unless society treats people equally" God I want to shout this from the rooftops.

[@SquareViking]

I'll lend you my stepladder and hold up a banner while you do so.

[@clairetanner5392]

I literally texted my closest friends that as soon as I heard it. Boom. I haven’t stopped thinking about it.

[@swimminginhoney]

I just handed in my master’s dissertation and these books are EXACTLY what I need to fill the sudden void

[@vlogbrothers]

Congrats! And happy reading. -John

[@wxlurker]

Congrats!

[@elibundy3613]

Congratulations, that’s awesome!

[@SquareViking]

Smooth low-key brag and DEFINITELY warranted! Congratulations!

[@clairetanner5392]

Congrats! 🎉🥳👏🏼🎊🙌🏼

[@lainwakura]

almost 15 years later, and still saying "the doobley-doo" to describe the YT description box, you love to see it.

[@HassanSelim0]

We need to know who started calling it "the doobley-doo", the first time I heard it was from MysteryGuitarMan (aka Joe Pena) 😁

[@JoeyHon42]

I consider Mary Oliver's poetry to be sacred text. So imagine my shock at discovering, just now, in this video, that she wrote a book of essays of which I was previously ENTIRELY UNAWARE. It's like discovering the Gnostic Gospels, except they're already in English, on the shelf at my local bookstore instead of buried in clay pots, and only cost $17 in paperback. In all seriousness, John, thank you for making me aware of this. My day is immediately better.

[@wellthatsfunn]

I feel the very same way about May Oliver. I cannot wait to read this.

[@anna-mariejenks1438]

I also feel the same way about Mary Oliver ❤

[@rachelk4805]

She is my favorite poet. Her poems are gorgeous and intimate and timeless. I especially love "The Wild Geese" and "The Journey."

[@annatucci7631]

My mom and I literally refer to Devotions as "the bible'' and joke about "spreading the gospel" when we talk about her poems

[@meretriciousinsolent]

Isn't that the best feeling? I have read no things by her, I have the essays on my to read list but I think I'll have to add more. Where do I start??

[@loc5559]

John - Thanks for helping me with my interview to become a bookseller! I talked about The Anthropocene Reviewed and how touching it’s been during these times. I truly do believe everyone should read it! I’m in my second week of work and things are going well.

[@gitadine]

Good luck!

[@vlogbrothers]

That's great to hear. Thanks for helping to connect good books to the right readers! -John

[@TheAbbyNormal]

Ah! From one bookseller to another, welcome to the fold :)

[@loc5559]

@@gitadine thank you!

[@loc5559]

@@TheAbbyNormal thank you! it’s been great so far

[@Luumus]

I recommend "A Natural History of Dragons - A memoir by Lady Trent". It's like a Jane Austen-esq novel full of dragons. In the sense that it's written in a quasi-English, quasi-Victorian society where the main protagonist is writing her memoirs on how she became the leading expert on Dragons. It's this amazing mix of history, science and fantasy. The author is an anthropologist and you can tell, the love of learning is very much present and a lot of the elements came from the scientists of old, there's even anatomical illustrations of dragon specimens scattered throughout the book, like you would find in the old zoology compendiums. In addition the character is amazingly witty. I had a blast. Highly recommend.

[@bouncingbean]

That sounds awesome! Adding it to my list to read.

[@cellotag]

I love that book!! I own the first two in the series, and currently have the third on loan from the library. Such a fun series. Have you read the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik? It's essentially dragons in the Napoleonic Wars, and it's also a fun time.

[@anelivb]

Oh yeah, the series is wonderful! I enjoyed reading it so much!

[@joyrowancasey788]

I've seen that in my local book shop for the last maybe five years, I might actually pick it up seeing this summary

[@anelivb]

@@joyrowancasey788 Do it!

[@hmacaroni7345]

I'm not an avid reader, but I loved reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. It's about the story of Hmong refugees in the US and their struggles with healthcare. It taught me how the practice of healthcare must not only be rooted in scientifically accuracy, but also mixed in with understanding cultural differences in order to effectively provide healthcare, especially when providing healthcare to cultures different from your own (that might not be as rooted in believing in the scientific method as we are used to).

[@alexisc3658]

We had to read that for my public health class and I have never stopped thinking about it. A great recommendation!

[@RachelMichtom]

seconded! i read this for an education class and truly enjoyed it, and thing John would too

[@jessicabellingham8142]

Totally recommend this alongside you! Very compelling and important.

[@ry-flute]

I read that for a high school English class! Seconded as a book recommendation! Very good book. -Evan

[@rainbowfoxmagicgrrrl]

I loved this book!

[@rachelmcnally8144]

This video is part of my favourite series: book recommendations from John Green

[@GK-we6gi]

+++ ^^

[@danielle2224]

+

[@alecmullins8192]

I'm glad I'm not alone in my love for this series...

[@arlyssstewart3040]

+

[@elibundy3613]

++++

[@vanessapierson4913]

i love that i now have 11 new books to read … even tho my life’s library book arrived yesterday.

[@vlogbrothers]

hahaha so did mine I'm on page 23! -John

[@hederahelix4600]

Is that The Library Book by Susan Orlean?

[@susanbaldridge5320]

Based on your back cover blurb, I picked up “Reading Jane Eyre as a Sacred Text” by Vanessa Zoltan. It’s wonderful, and it’s changing the way I read some books -literally changing my practice of reading. Thanks for the blurb that led me to the book, and for the sacred moments in The Anthropocene Reviewed. A lovely gift to the universe, that book.

[@laurenladybird]

Braiding Sweetgrass is one of the first books to consistently make me feel a full range of emotions but also fill me up whether I read one chapter or binge the whole thing. Crying, but in a hopeful, heart overflowing with love kind of way

[@whysosirius2]

+

[@cheeze6850]

Braiding Sweetgrass is my all time favourite book! I second this

[@blancrose2819]

I just finished Lemony Snicket’s new book Poison for Breakfast. I’ve never had so much fun being bewildered and I wish I could hang each line on my wall in tiny cutout strips. The book was so fun, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys disguised philosophy.

[@francescakyanda9182]

I just got this book, I love Lemony Snicket so much!

[@annemcrowell]

I noticed it on the shelf of the bookstore where I work and immediately put it on my list. Excited to read it!

[@thunder_birdfps8294]

What!? I neeed to get my hands on that!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

You had me at "Lemony Snicket's new book."

[@arleyantes9321]

I should read this one asap

[@kamaxox123]

For those in Canada, as Thursday marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I recommend spending the day reading books by Indigenous authors: Five Little Indians by Michelle Good - an incredibly well written, brilliant novel that considers the lasting impacts of residential schools. It is also a deeply beautiful reflection on friendship and culture. Johnny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead - the story of a two-spirit queer indigenous finding their place in the world. The Strangers by Karen Vermett - a new release that I’ve just started but can barely put down! Fiction can be such a crucial way into understanding each other. These books are each so compelling, and are such wonderful and important reading experiences.

[@celestecloutier7383]

+

[@dovahkiingirl]

I've been thinking about how I'd like to reflect on this day, and this is a great idea.

[@carlyjacobs1195]

I recommend Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. It's about a pandemic-induced apocalypse, but also deeply about people. I've though about it a lot since I read it 5 years ago (and almost daily since March 2020).

[@beckyann1110]

This book has been on my mind nearly every day since the pandemic began as well. "Survival is insufficient."

[@alexisea]

I love these recommendations! I would recommend you read Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Antonio Vargas. I found it to be a really compelling and thought provoking read on the immigration "process" in the US and what the experience is like to be undocumented

[@vlogbrothers]

I read this book because of the recommendation of another nerdfighter, Julian Gustavo Gomez, and I loved it. Really powerful. I shouldve included it in this video actually! I WILL ADD IT TO THE BOOKSHOP LIST! -John

[@eoingannon9936]

ooh a fiction book that kinda works on this concept is the people of paper by salvador plascencia. had to read for my bachelor's and found it fascinating

[@NB-wz2rf]

Although I'm sure many people have read it, I will always recommend "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. That was and is a book that continues to rock my world. It speaks so much to the human experience and showing that nothing is black and white. It changed how I view the world (and history), and I think that is a part of what makes an amazing book

[@Rhaifha]

It's going to sound silly, but that book made me realize that of *course* there were civilian casualties to allied bombing too. And those are just people too. It really helped me gain a more nuanced view of war, even a "straightforward" war like WWII.

[@ElizStewart80]

The Book Thief was excellent, but I actually preferred another of Zusak's books: I Am The Messenger.

[@dragonharris5465]

That book grabs me by the heart every time!

[@janflora73]

this is the fiction book i always recommend to people too :) It was suggested to me as "If you really love books, you should read..." and they were right!

[@Maryam-mz7jo]

Every time John mentions Kaveh Akbar my Iranian American poetry-loving heart gets an immeasurable amount of joy

[@chloeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

its times like these when i wish i still had the energy and ability to read long books (i got TAR on the day it released and still havent managed to finish it 😳). that said, thank you for sharing these john, i hope these books can bring many people much joy 💜

[@NeiroAtOpelCC]

I'm still waitimg for my TAR preorder to skip, but seeing I haven't even finishes Hanks last book yet, there is no rush.

[@samrly6253]

John if you haven't already I highly recommend reading Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer. She is an amazing author. Her stories about motherhood, nature and humanities interaction with the Earth are really insightful and you learn about moss, there are no downsides.

[@Ava-xg3sl]

A friend recommended me a book two months ago and now I would like to recommend it to you. “The night circus” by Erin Morgenstern. I can not think of a better way to describe it than how she did. “It feels like reading a painting and learning how to fall in love with love” I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[@beckyann1110]

It's a beautiful book.

[@richardroitinger4099]

I highly recommend The Private Library by Reid Byers, published earlier this year by Oak Knoll Press. It’s a gorgeously illustrated book about-you guessed it-private libraries through the ages.

[@idontlikeagoldrush]

I’ve been a bookseller for 10 yrs and haven’t read any of these! 👏🏻 Also I recommend The City of Dreaming Books for a fun escapist read and a book about books 📚 PPS thank you for always supporting indie bookstores!

[@louloureads3953]

I really, really love The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O’Connor. It’s an incredibly beautiful book about faith and friendship that doesn’t deal in clichés, and also a psychological mystery of sorts. The main character is a Catholic priest in a large Irish American community who’s also a recovered alcoholic, and it looks at how he ended up there and the effect it has had on his relationships and ministry. Although it is a Catholic novel, I’m not a Catholic and I loved it, and I think it could be enjoyed by people of any faith or none. Also, it’s much more joyful than the title would suggest! It’s been out of print for ages but if you can get hold of it I really recommend it.

[@elicather8168]

I don’t know if John has read this, but I’d pretty much recommend to anyone The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer. It’s about online communities, and music making, and crowd funding, and just about how vulnerable one has to be to actually reach out into the world to ask for help. It’s pretty much one of my favorite books of all time! Amanda is also an amazing musician, and I’d recommend her music as well! (She is also married to Neil Gaiman, who wrote Good Omens and Coraline)

[@elylozada9576]

Astonished by her creativity, always. Love this rec! She gave an really insightful interview in a KZbin series called Between the Sheets.

[@poisonedfrog]

This book is brilliant!

[@dragonflies6793]

If you haven't read the Magicians series by Lev Grossman, I'd highly recommend it. It's a fantasy series where magic isn't this perfect beautiful fantasy thing but rather a difficult craft that cannot fix your problems. It's about magical journeys and yet it's also (and I'd argue moreso) about depression and trauma and flaws that persist, grappling with the feeling of life not being quite enough. It's a tough read but it's definitely worth it.

[@tannerrich2388]

im intrigued.. is the magic system more harry potter-esc where anything goes as long as PLOT or more sciency kind of like mist born where its these are the rules you have to follow?

[@dragonflies6793]

​@@tannerrich2388 It's described like a language with tons of rules and exceptions that people have to master, where spells change based on factors like time of day and location and stuff, and your wrist aches from practicing hand positions over and over again before you can get it right. However, all the different rules are not given to the reader; it just states that they exist, and the main characters have to study them. In a lot of ways, it leans toward 'anything goes'. However, there is a consistent theme that characters cannot just use magic to get out of their problems. And there are bad consequences for messing up spells. Magic is as deadly and evil as it is beautiful and good.

[@clairetanner5392]

Literally just bought all these books. Yes, even the hard to find How to Cook and Eat in Chinese. I am planning a December lock up that is just about books. This will keep me warm!

[@tannerrich2388]

hello fellow tanner

[@clairetanner5392]

@@tannerrich2388 hey boo.

[@DrinkCoffeeRun]

Where did you find How To Cook and Eat in Chinese? Or did you get a second hand copy somewhere?

[@clairetanner5392]

@@DrinkCoffeeRun Ebay.

[@izzybuckler2042]

Seeing the book shelves at the start of this gave me so much good vibes

[@markstanley6565]

I've long enjoyed "Measuring the Earth with a Stick: Science as I've Seen It" by Bob McDonald. He's a Canadian science journalist whom I first got to 'know' as a child with his TV show "Wonderstruck". Measuring the Earth with a Stick is a book of personal essays, and The Anthropocene Reviewed put me in mind of it again.

[@clairellynsommersmith915]

Book recommendation: The Crops Look Good by Sara DeLuca. DeLuca collects and recounts rural family history through most of the 20th century with letters the family sent to daughter Margaret who moved from the family farm in the 1920s. It is a completely accessible and thoughtful book that comforts with the knowledge that family life, the trials and joys, is always familiar regardless of your own upbringing. One of my favorite lines, when a daughter, pregnant with twins, goes to her mother worried about how she will parent two babies, the mother replies, "One baby takes all you time, so two babies cannot take more."

[@froschiwonka5645]

This sounds incredibly interesting! Thank you for this recommendation :)

[@johnchessant3012]

"This book taught me that we don't know why there is matter in the universe, from which I have not recovered"

[@StudioLindsay]

Safekeeping by Abigail Thomas is one of my favorites. It’s a memoir told in 1-3 page vignettes. Loss is one of the themes, but Safekeeping is one of the most hopeful books I’ve ever read. It’s very appreciative about the people and beauty surrounding us. I’m probably going to reread it soon for about the fifth time.

[@peterheuer]

I highly recommend "Stories of Your Life and Others" by Ted Chiang, especially for the first short story in that collection, "Tower of Babylon"

[@vlogbrothers]

We read that book for Life's Library and I loved it so, so much--especially that story. Still think about it all the time. -John

[@melissabennett4328]

Have you read his newest collection? It's so good!

[@sudipto1585]

@@melissabennett4328 he has a new one?

[@peterheuer]

Yes, "Exhalation"! I'm halfway through it now and the title story is my favorite so far. Ezra Klein did a good interview with Ted Chiang earlier this year which is worth listening to if you like his books.

[@yaelmorin9017]

That story made me fall in love with the book. I also loved Story of Your Life, but that first one is really, really special

[@wormofthebookvariety]

I've never not liked a book I read because of your recommendation, John! A few books I've loved recently include Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, a hilarious satire of Hollywood and the Asian-American experiences therein; the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden, a feminist fantasy series set in medieval Russia in which pagan gods conflict with Christianity; and Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi , which I cannot do justice with a synopsis.

[@vlogbrothers]

oh these all seem great and right up my alley! -John

[@natalieferraro8048]

I'll second the Freshwater recommendation!

[@lilyholland681]

@@natalieferraro8048 third it! all of Akwaeke Emezi's writing deals with grief and mental struggles in a dark and twisty and beautiful way, would highly recommend any of their books!

[@priyabuddhavarapu]

The Winternight trilogy is astounding!!

[@morganpresley496]

I'm currently listening to the Winternight Trilogy audiobooks and they are amazing! :D

[@EbayleyA]

I haven’t read any of these and I am excited to have a new list to pull from. I recommend Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante. It’s about a trans lesbian grappling with the death of her best friend told in an encyclopedia of both their friendship and of a fictional television show they watched together. It is about grief and belonging and totally deserves a much larger audience that it has.

[@anna_alexandra]

Put it on my tbr. Thank you for the recommendation!

[@EbayleyA]

@@anna_alexandra I hope you like it! It was recommended to me and ever since I read it I have felt like I need to try to get it into the hands of others who will enjoy it!

[@SomeImpressions]

I also just added it to my list - I've been looking for books with trans main characters since someone close to me came out a couple of months ago, so I really appreciate this recommendation!

[@EbayleyA]

@@SomeImpressions I really loved it! I hope you like it. The author is also trans and it is a truly wonderful story!

[@eeshitaaaa]

I have exams in a few weeks, but I've added all of these books to my tbr and some to my cart. Thanks, John. If I fail, I'll tell mom that I was busy with the books John Green recommended, hence I have to read them all as soon as I can. Thank you!

[@Kbbrianne]

SOME BOOKS I READ IN THE PAST TWO YEARS AND ADORED: Novels: Flights - Olga Tokarczuk - not exactly an underground gem by now but if you haven’t read it you must you must you MUST. Top of every book list I will ever write. A Girl is a Half-formed Thing - Eimer McBride - devastating, lovely, and totally challenged what I thought prose was and could do. Jerusalem - Alan Moore - an absolute brick of a book which will drag you down to a new depth in every direction as you go The Raj Quartet - Paul Scott - four part historical fiction series set in India at the end of colonial British reign. Blisteringly detailed, very rewarding The Vorrh trilogy - Brian Catling - I don’t really know what to say about these books, except that they’re not for the faint of heart and I wish I’d never read them but also they’re eerie and I’m incredibly glad I read them. But also I’m never reading them again. But also you should read them. Non-fiction: Underland - Rob MacFarlane - just. Breathtaking writing about the spaces both manmade and natural inside both the physical and the human world. Worth buying the entire thing just for the chapter on Parisian catacombs. So excellent I want to WEEP when I think about it Jay-Z decoded - this is a book of Jay-Z lyrics which the man himself has annotated and commented on. I bought it as a reference book for a project but have actually now read it cover to cover several times. Jay-z is a compelling storyteller and the book is filled with anecdotes that are both fun and insightful about race, hip-hop, fame, art, and, well, Jay-z. Decreation- Anne Carson - a selection of essays which make you feel like you’ve never taken a real breath before in your entire life Float - Anne Carson - not really a book, not really anything else. Literally a collection of small pamphlets in a clear box. Blindingly good. Really everything by Anne Carson. I love her. Poetry: HERA LINDSAY BERD by Hera Lindsay BERD A Sand Book - Ariana Reinnes - cogent and powerful commentary on identity Aurora Leigh - Elizabeth Barrett Browning - a classic poetic novel that I just love. Do yourself the favour of reading it. You deserve good things.

[@yaelmorin9017]

Anne Carson is so astonishing -- I read Autobiography of Red in high school and it challenged my understanding of what writing is so hard that it made me stop writing for a year.

[@slewis9301]

Always love your recommendations, John! They have recently helped inform several choices for my girlfriend's new bookshop; no surprise, they go on to be bestsellers 😁.

[@lorenabpv]

i do have a rec actually: dom casmurro, a brazilian classic (yes there is an english translation). it's a book about unreliable narrators and different love stories and it's hard to describe except for the fact that it's objectively one of the greatest books of all time. by coincidence, i read back to back LfA in high school and this makes me think it's a good reading pair, so Alaska fans might love it too

[@arleyantes9321]

Such a wonderful book, I should read it once again

[@feuilletoniste]

Briallen Hopper, who wrote one of John Green’s favourite reviews of TFioS (Young Adult Cancer Story, in the LA Review of Books) has a volume of essays entitled Hard To Love: Essays and Confessions. She writes thoughtfully and lyrically about friendship and family and hoarding and baking and all the ways that we make meaningful and lasting connections with each other beyond the romantic daydreams that occupy so much of the human collective imagination. Highly recommended!

[@pmalagon]

“I read the way a person might swim, to save his or her life.” ~*adds to cart-**

[@Lickabaum]

I cannot recommend "The Kingkiller Chronicles" by Patrick Rothfuss enough. A must read.

[@kayleeisenhart5675]

Waiting For Normal by Leslie Conner is one of my all time favorites. It's technically for 4th-6th graders, but it is the most amazing thing that bypasses age suggestions.

[@natdodd5591]

My recommendation (and I have a feeling Hank will second this): A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers. I can’t even effectively convey to you how I feel about this book except to say that it provided me with the warmth and tranquility I so desperately need right now.

[@ephy9590]

I recommend the Feminist Utopia Project. Through essays, short stories, fictional and real interviews, and other forms of art, this anthology asked artists one question: What would a feminist utopia look like to you? The wide range of perspectives are so interesting, from things I couldn't agree with less to things I wish were more widespread. It doesn't ask the reader, or the writers, to solve the patriarchy and create a real utopia. It takes speculative fiction and allows the artists to run away with all the ideas they have for improving the world, for women and girls and queer people and POC and how generally they world would be better if society as a whole cared this deeply about supporting the marginalized. It's a fascinating read.

[@Andresfin]

I always recommend Lets take the long way home by Gail Caldwell! It's a fantastic memoir about friendships, loving your dog, and dealing with addictions! Absolutely beautiful and makes me cry everytime I read it!!

[@anna_alexandra]

Put it on my tbr. Sounds really interesting and exactly like my kind of book. Thank you!

[@peterpehlivan157]

Happy Tuesday, John x3 Just got into the habit of watching your guys' videos. :D I'm also reading the Fault in Our Stars, which my mom gifted me when I was a teen a few years ago, but I didn't read it then. It's really gripping and bittersweet.

[@sams1982]

PIZZAMAS STARTS IN SIX DAYS? YAYYY!

[@danieljensch3754]

Book Recommendation: The wayfarer series by Becky Chambers It''s my favourite Sci Fi series of all time. It's thoughtful and brilliantly written and explores humanities future with kindes and hope without ignoring or shying away from the problems of our future. It also builds a wonderfully diverse and interesting universe with alien cultures anatomies and ways of thinking. It is set a long time after humanity has (mostly) left earth. I think about constantly and have read them all and am right now listening to the audiobooks (which are also excellent!) I just love these books so dang much! I'm on the second book (again) right now and it deals with conciousness and how we form our selves in a way that has really widened my perspective and has also made me cry. The third book may be my favourite vision of a spacefaring humanity of all time. And the fourth book is such a wonderful exploration of personal choice and how we interact with societal norms and expectations and expectations we have of others that I get all giddy thinking about how brilliant it is. She also has a few other novellas out! One is about a travelling tea monk ina solarpunk future meeting a robot and going on a roadtrip to answer the question "What do people need?". Which I haven't read but I'm also soo exited for!

[@roguegreyjedi]

Seconded for the Wayfarers series (even though I haven't read the fourth one yet)! I loved the third one's focus on storytelling and how we keep our histories, both collectively and individually (although as a librarian I may be biased towards those themes).

[@sarahloomis2034]

The fourth one and the new Monk and Robot book are both excellent, though the latter is a little slow to start. Happy reading!

[@lishajan21]

I finished Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe a few months ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it. It’s an account of the Troubles in Northern Ireland told by focusing on disappearance of a woman taken by the IRA. Keefe doesn’t make the IRA the heroes or the villains. He goes into why people were able to do the things they did and how the Good Friday Agreement made those actions more difficult to justify. It also helps that the writing is so engaging and the reading experience felt like a rollercoaster. I changed my mind about Gerry Adams about a dozen times while reading the book. It’s a great book.

[@neeeeves]

Oof, what a book. Say Nothing really changed the way I think about colonization and empire, and I also think about it all the time. It may be about the Troubles, but it feels like such a case study for ethnic and imperialist conflicts the world over.

[@sylvy16]

I really appreciate you guys posting videos early in the morning so that where i live, I can still watch the videos on the day they are released.

[@shadesofvioletcat]

I recommend “The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet” by Benjamin Hoff. It explores the beautiful philosophy of Winnie the Pooh

[@araasis3239]

Can you do a list of "Books for people who think they hate reading"? For context, I was diagnosed with ADD in childhood and I could NEVER finish book. Every page of every book was complete torture as my eyes and brain jumped around randomly. I'm 29 and the only book I can remember finishing cover to cover was Holes by Louis Sachar. I recently discovered audiobooks and was actually able to enjoy The Hobbit for the first time.

[@moonpetrie]

Try Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block. It’s a tiny novella, published as YA but really what we might now call New Adult, sort of magical realism/fabulism love song to Los Angeles. First in a series, all very short books that tell big stories.

[@beccae8685]

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck. It’s a “YA” book, but it’s hilarious and a little poignant. One of my favorites, as an adult.

[@milandu]

Book recommendations from John! One of my favourite kinds of vlogbrothers videos!

[@Richlan007]

Two books I would definitely recommend to anyone are, The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne and Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances by Ruth Emmie Lang. I read them years ago and they still stick with me. If you're looking for something a bit more light and fun, The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand is a good one. If you like fantasy I adore the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, but fully understand that that is not everyone's cup of tea. Happy reading everyone!

[@NavyHamster901]

I love the tone John puts on “Because that’s where my brain always goes”

[@ambroseandersonmusic]

“A book that makes me sob *and* feel hopeful?” For me, that award goes to Turtles All the Way Down. Thank you, John. ❤️

[@vaibhavmishra2331]

Greetings from India, John. New nerdfighter here. It's my birthday today! You have probably already read this, but I would like to recommend "where the red fern grows" by Wilson Rawls. It makes me overwhelmed with joy and grief every single time I read it, and I haven't met anyone yet who doesn't echo this sentiment.

[@arussellturner]

Hey John, thank you for the wonderful videos you make. I would really enjoy a vlogbrothers video on your favorite sentences of all time (from novels), or perhaps a series of TikToks.

[@RainbowSprnklz]

HI JOHN IVE RECENTLY GOT INTO AUDIOBOOKS AND I SHALL SEARCH FOR SOME OF THESE BOOKS IN AUDIOBOOK FORM HELLO I LIKE YOUR CONTENT KEEP BEING AWESOME

[@mtiedemann11]

Thanks for the recommendations. Adding a couple suggestions: The Great Derangement, Amitav Ghosh: contemplates why art has largely not managed to address climate change, and how the damage caused by colonialism will exact an ever greater toll. Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior, an exception to the art point above. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century - YN Harari's thinking about how to manage in our time of disruption.

[@beckyann1110]

THE ARSONIST'S CITY by Hala Alyan is ugh so incredible and also 100% the type of novel I'd expect to be recommended by John Green, so you may have already read it, but if not, you must. For nonfiction, I was so grateful for the insights and personal examination that came from Courtney E. Martin's LEARNING IN PUBLIC: LESSONS FOR A RACIALLY DIVIDED AMERICA FROM MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL. Also recently read and adored the novels INFINITE COUNTRY by Patricia Engel and THE SWEETNESS OF WATER by Nathan Harris.

[@personperson9068]

"Flatland" by Edwin A. Abbot! Math fiction from the late 1800's! A lil satirical novella about a world of two-dimensional shapes and their society And then next "Spaceland" by Tom Doherty! Which is sort of a modern follow-up homage to Flatland and further exploring the concept of dimensions in really very unique ways

[@mariewikiwaka3851]

Is Pizzamas in 6 days or is it the 1 year anniversary of having All Star free video titles?

[@neverland24682]

Any physics book recs are appreciated

[@neverland24682]

(also quantum physics! it's surprisingly hard to find books about it)

[@Roll587]

YAY I LOVE THESE VIDEOS! So helpful for buying holiday gifts. :)

[@lorenabpv]

i'm always glad when you recommend books or movies (or tv shows, as a fellow the americans fan). for the past 12ish years i've found a lot of amazing work thanks to you

[@nonoalice4065]

thanks for the great recommendations John! super excited to start reading some of these!

[@nikkitronic80]

This is perfect! Fall has come and I'm ready to dig into a few good books. Thanks John!

[@patrickthatcher9314]

Three recommendations for folks, because one isn't enough . 1. Arc of a Scythe, a series by Neil Schusterman. I discovered this one randomly at a Barnes and Noble, the series is wonderful and creates a really interesting futuristic world that explores some themes relevant to modern times. 2. The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeanette Walls. This is the best memoir I have ever read. Walls takes the reader on a journey through her childhood experiences with poverty, alcoholism, and parental neglect. A wonderful read. 3. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab. I will not stop recommending this book. It is lovely and dark and clever and funny and heart-wrenchingly sad. Just go read it. Now.

[@c_42]

Very excited to pick these up. Thanks for the recommendations, John!

[@DeceasedONE]

I love this! Thank you for these recommendations! I have wanted to know of a few more awesome books that MEAN something to someone important to me. I WILL be buying some of these... How exciting!

[@anna12910]

John's book reccomendations were what first brought me to the vlogbrothers, and they continue to be my favorite type of video that he and Hank put out.

[@billyissertell5894]

Years ago I bought the last words of notable people after you suggested it in a video like this and when I received it, all of the quotes that you mentioned in the video were highlighted, meaning I had bought it second hand off of another nerdfighter.

[@vlogbrothers]

That's hilarious. Not that many copies of that book in the world! I love it. -John

[@cassandrajensen3869]

Upstream has been on my TBR list for this fall - I just might have to move it up! My recommendation is Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. It's a memoir about a time in the author's life when everything in her life kind of went wrong all at once, and how she took the time to learn about the different ways various cultures approach rest and dealing with the 'winters' of life. It's wide-ranging, informative and moving all at once; I think you'd really enjoy it, John.

[@susanna9310]

i really like vonnegut’s bluebeard, it’s an underrated one but it’s about art and creation and of course war and also like, what we choose to tell others and why and it is a freaking delight

[@bells.verissimo]

I love books recommendations and I didn't know what to read next so thank you very much John ❤️❤️❤️

[@meretriciousinsolent]

I'm knee deep in The Bookseller's Tale because of you, John, and I'm so grateful. (I had started the Murderbot series but the price/shortness of the books turned me off and I was feeling sad about not being able to afford them all at the rate I read the first one, so I needed a good recommendation to get me back on track.) Merriest Pizzamas to all!

[@AliCatWrites]

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd. At its core, it forces us to ask the question of what makes a person themselves. Are we made of memories? What happens if those memories are slowly siphoned away from us? Would we still maintain some core of ourselves? What boundaries of the world could we push if we forgot there was no such thing as talking wolves or tea cups that can fly? I read this book a few years ago and I still think about it daily.

[@manders76]

How to Cook and Eat in Chinese feels like it has the same vibes as The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon--it's a book about cooking and eating by an Episcopal priest and he talks about making puff pastry as easily as he talks about the sacrificial system in the Hebrew scriptures. Fascinating work.

[@clairetanner5392]

oooo good rec.

[@KTRC1221]

Hi John! What would it take to get season 2 of 100 days?

[@pisoprano]

I’d recommend Florence Nightingale’s Notes on Nursing. It’s pretty much the founding text for the nursing profession, but it’s useful for anyone who is in the position of caring for someone who is sick. Some of the book is about managing resources to maintain a clean environment, but there is also a lot in helping the carer to understand what the patient is going through and how to respect them as a person. One of my favorite of Nightingale’s insights is as follows: “People rarely, if ever, faint while making an exertion. It is after it is over. Indeed, almost every effect of over-exertion appears after, not during such exertion. It is the highest folly to judge of the sick, as is so often done, when you see them merely during a period of excitement. People have very often died of that which, it has been proclaimed at the time, has ‘done them no harm.’”

[@Nicole-zy4vb]

I was just thinking about your book recs! Thanks.

[@nickynak3]

Thank you John for your recommendation of the Bookseller's Tale! Thanks to this video the series has become my holiday reading this Christmas and I am happily ignoring all my friends and family in order to keep binge reading. Just about to start the 6th book and found out that Swinfen died in 2018 and so was unable to continue the series :( but in any case the 6 books that exist are delightful!

[@alanisfont]

the only book recommendations I trust 💕 hope you’re doing well, John!

[@My-name-is-Kit]

One of my many favorite authors is Steven Brust. I especially like his Vlad Taltos novels, but he has another series in the same universe that is an affectionate parody of The Three Musketeers.

[@carolynwilliams798]

I recommend 84, Charring Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Its a collection of letters between Hanff, an American writer, and the staff of a British bookshop spanning 20 years, starting in the late 1940s. It's only about 100 pages, and always so lovely to watch their friendship unfold. My only critique is that I wish more of the letters had been kept and included!

[@uptown3636]

I love that you featured Upstream by Mary Oliver. My favorite line from that book is "Attention is the beginning of devotion."

[@94blackbelt]

John, I think you would ADORE "We, The Drowned" by Carsten Jensen. It's a bit of an investment, it's close to 700 pages I believe? But I read it years ago and it's still my go-to book recommendation (after This Blinding Absence of Light, which I only read because you mentioned it in a similar video long ago! But I digress) It's the story of the Danish sea-town Marstal, spanning both world wars, a century of families and town history and is so beautifully written and poignant and it's a family and generational commentary a la Fathers and Sons, a social commentary, a history lesson, a sea-faring lesson...no synopsis can do it justice, it's one of the few books I've read where I finished it and closed the book only to sit there with a sense of melancholy because I knew I'd never be so immersed in a book again.

[@meliastamps854]

An Arsonist's Guide to Writer's Homes in New England by Brock Clarke is a book I found in a recycled book store for less than $10 and have not stopped recommending. It takes an absurdist look through the value of storytelling, nostalgia, and the trappings of both. Not since Fahrenheit 451 have I read a book with such a singular voice for a narrator, both absurd and delightful.

[@Angel_Bob_]

I'm never underwhelmed by your humanity and eye for beauty, John

[@cottreau]

This video is a gift. Thanks for sharing. I have this thing, where I get writers to sign their favourite page of a book. When I met Kaveh Akbar, and asked him to sign his favourite page, he signed the acknowledgement page, which was so classy.

[@cg4313]

I can highly recommend “Entangled Life” by Merlin Sheldrake. It’s equal parts science about fungi and how they connected the entire living world and wonder and a deep love for nature. It is very well written and actually quite funny. I learned a lot about fungi but I was also reminded of how beautiful and complex nature is. I cannot recommend this book enough!

[@johncoleman1930]

One thing I find highly underrated in discussions on books, is actually good writing, I feel like John would love reading modern and classic cookbooks not for the recipes but to see how chef's view the world and experience it in a very sensory way. But also how we are so intrinsically shaped by food and the connections to it that we have. I think a good place to start would be anything by David Chang or "High on the Hog" (the author's name escapes me) or "The cooking gene"

[@SuperGreatSphinx]

The Naval War of 1812 is Theodore Roosevelt's first book, published in 1882. It covers the naval battles and technology used during the War of 1812. It is considered a seminal work in its field, and had a massive impact on the formation of the modern American Navy.