2024: Best Dudes!

[@BookishTexan]

I want to read Big Fiction and I agree with you about Khalidi’s book.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Big Fiction is really eye-opening, I hope you will enjoy it. Have a wonderful 2025, Brian!

[@CafeCynthia]

Hi Britta! So nice to see you on a Wednesday! Thank you so very much for that lovely review of Vanity Faire, I've always wanted to read it, and now I'm encouraged to finally pick it up! Have a wonderful day

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Oh, that is so nice to hear about Vanity Fair! I hope you will enjoy it.

[@myreadinglife8816]

Excellent video title! So surprised yet pleased that Vanity Fair made your list.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

The more I thought about the book, the more I realized how much I enjoyed it!

[@penelopegough6050]

A surprise video mid week. Excellent! I wrote a huge assignment on Vanity Fair when at university and have never felt the need to reread although it was such a long time ago. Most years I include Le Mis in those books I would like to read. May get to it this year? I have an excellent book about Palestine written by a journalist John Lyons, from Australia. I had seen him speak at a writers’ festival accompanied by his wife who is a photographer. The book, Balcony over Jerusalem although written in 2017 is still my go to in a bid to better understand the situation in that part of the world. These days see him on the news most evenings. Thanks Britta.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Oh, I have never read the Lyons-book, thank you very much for the tip! And I think 2025 will be the year that you read Les Mis 😃. Have a wonderful 2025, Penny!

[@eusaypdx]

Thank you, I too enjoyed Vanity Fair - I feel it is very underrated. Such a sharp social commentaries and I don't think I want to read again though. I would re-read les miserables ❤ I enjoy your reviews very much.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Thank you fro the compliment! ❤️ And lovely to hear that you're a fan of Vanity Fair as well.

[@MarilynMayaMendoza]

Hi Britta, I read LE Miserable many years ago and was young enough to like the sentimental parts. But then I also love the Broadway show Les Mis and I know many people don’t. But then I love musicals and even the tearjerkers. I remember being swept away by the whole story. I tried to read Vanity Fair and couldn’t get through the first few pages. I think I might try it again per your recommendation. I have read big books, but I do find it very difficult. I think partly because I’m an impatient person and when I look at a big book I’m pretty frightened. I have read chunkers, and I’m always happy afterwards. I read gone with the wind when I was 11 so I know I can do it. Lately I’m reading very short books and sometimes I don’t feel satisfied with the experience. Enjoyed the video. Aloha friend.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

I love musicals as well, also the tearjerkers! 😊 I hope you will give Vanity Fair another try. I hear you about big books. For me, it's really a question of being in the right mood, sometimes I really love reading a huge book, but sometimes I'm just too impatient...

[@louisep1962]

I really enjoyed Knife too. I listened to it on audio and found Rushdie's voice very relaxing. You two other N-F books sound interesting too. And you've made me think about reading Vanity Fair. But not Les Miserables, that one isn't for me. Since I started watching your channel I've really been reading fewer dudes and enjoying my reading even more because of it.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Happy to hear you've enjoyed Knife. And big yay to reading more women! ❤️

[@barbaraboethling596]

Thanks! I read both of the fiction many years ago, and loved both! I recently listened to Knife on audio, read by Rushdie himself, and thought it was very good! It was equal parts moving, information, and surprisingly funny.. Having him bring his ordeal to life and offer his intimate perspective was brilliant.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Yes, The Knife was brilliant, so happy to hear you agree. Have a wonderful 2025, Barbara! ❤️

[@aprettybookshelf]

Love your recommendations and I definitely plan on reading The Hundred Years War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi. My favourite read of 2024 is Minor Detail by Adania Shibli what a wonderfully told story (and poignant and sad)

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Happy to hear you've liked the recommendations! And Minor Detail is such a brilliant heart-wrenching book.

[@CionMohler]

Currently reading Khalidi’s book. Hope more Americans will do the same and stop relying on PR handouts from our government which is what our media do.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Happy to hear you're reading Khalidi's book!

[@GarySwafford-p2f]

I love this video. I mostly have read female writers all my life, with my fave male authors usually-not always- being gay authors who mainly write about women or gay males (such as Colm Toibin). Some excellent recommendations here, Britta. Thank you.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

So nice to hear you've enjoyed the video. And yay to reading female authors! (By the way: love Colm Toibin 😃)

[@browngirlreading]

Yayyy! So glad to see Les Misérables on your faves list. Called those essay parts public service announcements.😂 But I loved it! We had a great time discussing it for the read along I did. I read it from October to mid December.This year I'm going to buddy read in French Notre Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame). I have Vanity Fair on my TBR as well but I have others that I'm excited about so I'll just have to see what I'm in the mood for. Great list!

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

I didn't expect to love Les Miserables as much as I did! And let me know what you think of Vanity Fair when you read it. Have a fabulous year, Didi!

[@browngirlreading]

@@brittabohlerthesecondshelf Thanks Britta, you too!

[@ianp9086]

Thanks for this review Britta and I’m glad the dudes still get a look in! The arc of your reading sounds a bit like mine - 90% dudes in the 80s has gradually and unconsciously changed to only about 30% dudes today. The three books I am reading at the moment for example are all by women - Virginia Woolf, Kate Briggs and Catherine Lacey. I thought Knife was brilliant and it would be one of my top reads of the year. I had previously read his memoir Joseph Anton which I also thought was excellent so I can recommend it to you if you haven’t read it yet.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Oh, yes, Joseph Anton is such a brilliant book! One of those that I have re-read multiple times. And I guess the canon is very male-dominated, so it's not surprising that we read a lot of male authors when we start out as readers... I've only read Little Art by Kate Briggs but none of her fiction.

[@debtomaselli4586]

I read Les Miserables in that 10 pages a day way this past year and loved it! So much history and commentary to reflect on. Vanity Fair has been on my to read list for years, so thanks for the reminder that it's good, too! Do you have another big novel you are planning to read this year?

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Yes, the 10 pages a day really works with those big books, doesn't it? Somehow it makes the book less intimidating. I hope you will enjoy Vanity Fair! I haven't picked a Big Book yet for 2025, still unsure what I want to read.

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

I like the clin d'oeil cover of the Salman Rushdie book.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Yes, I agree, the cover is fantastic!

[@achunaryan3418]

Am I old, or is my taste too refined? I don't know about it, but I connect with your current reads.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Haha, we both have excellent taste. 😊

[@alldbooks9165]

I will consider Vanity Fair for Victober this year.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

I think you will like it!

[@davidnovakreadspoetry]

These all sound great. Except _Les Mis._ 😂 (Well, I tried the Rushdie and did a quick DNF.) I look forward to your dudes video every year - so much so that when I saw Kim’s video come by today with the title “Duds of 2024” I misread the word as “Dudes”.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Ah sorry about the Rushdie and Les Mis. May I ask why they didn't work for you? (And I misread Kim's video title as well. LoL.)

[@susprime7018]

I read Vanity Fair and Les Miserables in the long ago, my best dude non-fiction was The China Mirage by James Bradley, which also covers Madame Chiang Kai-shek and her sisters well. Best dude fiction, I read Felicia's Journey by the late William Trevor. I have been reading him since 1966, when I purchased The Old Boys with my own earned money from my first summer job. Also, enjoyed James by Percival Everett. Old books read and enjoyed last year, The Shadow Line by Josef/Joseph Conrad and Witch Wood by John Buchan.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Oh those two best dudes of yours sound very interesting, and the others as well. I haven't read James yet, somehow I just couldn't get into it...

[@alexandrahinrichsen6772]

Speaking of the best dudes - do you know if Steve will return? I am anxious

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

I'm sure he will at some point. He is just not feeling the happy booktube vibe at the moment (Trump being inaugurated tomorrow and all that...)

[@cuppa.books.]

Les Mis is one of the 'big' books I've still to get to.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!

[@mantisamygdala]

Der Ton ist leider immer noch problematisch (metallisches Echo). Rushdie und Thackeray sind no brainer, die beiden anderen Sachbücher klingen spannend (wobei ich denke, dass das Buch über Palästina früher hätte ansetzen müssen, um die Behauptung, dass P immer schon jüdisch gewesen wäre, zu entkräften (tatsächlich war es "immer schon", lange vor den Juden, palästinensisch (und das sind keine Araber) - aber das nur als Fakt, nicht als Argument im aktuellen Streit). Für Hugo kann ich mich nicht erwärmen, habe einen sehr "simplen" Glöckner gelesen, bei dem mir weder der Plot (Vorabendniveau) noch der Sprachstil (wie in Stein gemeißelt, derb) gefallen hat. Solange es noch andere Texte gibt, die mein Interesse anziehen (und da war heute ja wieder etwas dabei), werde ich keinen Hugo mehr lesen (und bevor ich den auf Englisch lese, lerne ich lieber Französisch). Vielen Dank, wie immer, für die wie immer spannende, fundierte Vorstellung der Bücher.

[@brittabohlerthesecondshelf]

Lieben Dank für Deinen Kommentar. Ja, ich kann verstehen, dass Victor Hugo nicht jedermanns/fraus Geschmack ist. Ich war ehrlich gesagt, auch ziemlich erstaunt, dass das Buch mir so gut gefallen hat!