☀️ AUGUST WRAP UP (& illumicrate unboxing!)

Hello friends! In the middle of September, here's a look at all of the books I read in the month of August! We had some great reads... and some not-so-great reads, and so I hope you enjoy this video and the rambles I have about each and every one of these books! We also have a special illumicrate unboxing again in this video, which is exciting to see!
With love,
Joel ☀️
Prince of Stories & Scion of the Sun
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VIDEOS MENTIONED
🎥 raybearer review | • how RAYBEARER shines a...
🎥 book swap 001 | • bookswithleo made me r...
BOOKTUBERS MENTIONED
✨ my video on bookbreak |
✨ drinkbymyshelf |
WEBTOONS MENTIONED
📒 Heartstopper | tapas.io/series/Heartstopper
BOOKS MENTIONED
📖 the adventure zone vol. 3 | / 46223323
📖 the space between worlds | / 53460021
📖 the bone season | / 17199504
📖 raybearer | / 50158128
📖 get a life, chloe brown | / 43884209
📖 take a hint, dani brown | / 49976087
📖 heartstopper | / 236821
📖 her royal highness | / 41734205
📖 red, white & royal blue | / 41150487
📖 witches steeped in gold | / 51813582
💛 Contribute Captioning! | kzbin.info_cs_p...
LET'S CONNECT
✍🏽 blog | fictionalfates.com
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OTHER LINKS
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🛒 amazon wishlist | www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/...
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MUSIC CREDITS
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BUSINESS INQUIRIES
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DISCLAIMER
🌻 This video is not sponsored.

[@MinaReads]

joel's illumicrate commericals are the best thing that ever happened to booktube methinks

[@thebookgeek87]

Reminds me of old home shopping network infomercials lol

[@PeytonReads]

You make me want to read literally every book you talk about by the way you explain them ahhh! Your videos are such good vibes for real

[@fictionalfates]

ahahah i’m sorry for the inevitable damage to your bank account 😂

[@PeytonReads]

fictionalfates it’s a blessing and a curse at the same time 😂

[@jaymecarlson1011]

your opening joke was top tier 👏🏼😂

[@swoonscapades]

Your reaction to actually liking romance was literally me when I realized how good romance actually is and how I was just reading the wrong books (but also I was low-key very prejudiced towards the genre for no reason so I wasn't even giving it a fair shot when deliberately picking up the bad books? Smh but I too had a book that changed my mind!) Anyways, Yes! 👏 I love this for you (you liking romance, that is.) Enjoy exploring the genre and I can't wait for a (hopefully) eventual 'romance book recommendations' or 'fave romance books' video from you! 💖

[@KatontheJellicoe]

“both us & uk covers are beautiful and that’s a rare thing” I COULDN’T AGREE HARDER LOL nice wrap up joel ✨

[@fictionalfates]

thank you 🥺🥺 AND LITERALLY

[@steampoweredpixel]

Joel, I have bingewatched all of your videos since yesterday, and I have to say that you are my new favourite booktuber. You are smart, funny, entertaining, and such a bright ray of sunshine in the booktube community. I love you so much! Thankyou!! :D

[@fictionalfates]

thank you so much!! it warms my heart to hear you say that 🥺

[@steampoweredpixel]

@@fictionalfates D'awwww :') Don't make me jump through the screen in order to give you a hug!! lol

[@joa2919]

Im not gonna lie when you got out those little cheese packets my little French heart got really upset

[@nico-et3cz]

*adds witches steeped in gold to my tbr* for joel

[@nico-et3cz]

went to my gr 5 seconds later just to find out I had already added it. I thought I had just mentally saved it to my never-ending tbr but I apparently physically did it too!

[@matteahayn]

That newspaper joke was TOP TIER lmao 😂😂 So many amazing books here! I ADORED Red, White, and Royal Blue, and I can’t wait to read The Space Between Worlds, Heartstopper, and Witches Steeped in Gold

[@Nikki.O]

21:10 I love a good nail oil that will help me keep my nails. I always hate it when they leave! 😂❤

[@bookingforewordtoit]

Cheese IS great, always love a spontaneous gushing about one of the best foods to be invented! And I also always love your videos, so KEEN to pick up Raybearers, esp. for that ace rep!!!

[@fictionalfates]

ahaha yes!!! cheese supremacy and Raybearer is so amazing

[@disasterwalking]

Thank you so much for the Tapas link. I’ve been dying to read Heartstopper but sadly could not afford to purchase physical copies. So thank you, I’m really enjoying it!

[@Sophie-hh9kg]

Same 🥺 I’m so happy rn

[@fictionalfates]

i’m so glad you’re both enjoying it!!! 🥺

[@athereader924]

Honestly I came here to see you insult Her Royal Highness again... anyways I stayed because your content is amazing 🥺

[@Brighid2]

I've also read Scottish reviewers found her royal highness insensitive given the history of their nation? I'm reading Percy Jackson now actually. It is so cute.

[@addieleva5500]

hi hi hi, i've been stalking your channel in the past couple of hours and i am so happy that you LOVED rw&rb as much as i did! whenever i see somebody appreciating fiction that i love is the best seratonin boost ever

[@fictionalfates]

Ahhh welcome!! I'm so glad you're able to get a serotonin boost hehe

[@CarinaZacharias]

Witches steeped in Gold looks so good! I had never heard of it before. Thanks for mentioning it.

[@dolphin1136]

2020 the year everyone appreciates romance novels we love to see it

[@ChiBeReading]

The cover, the synopsis, the science fiction! The Space Between Worlds couldn't get on my TBR fast enough!

[@ilianakokkori2178]

i always leave your videos with a million extra books on my goodreads tbr HOW DO YOU DO THIS JOEL

[@RaetheSaint]

I read the Brown Sisters books in August too! I'm happy you had such a great reading month (minus Her Royal Highness) and every one of your videos make me want to get my wallet out and buy ALL the books

[@BeatrizGomes-ph8ii]

Omg i’ve never been early for anything in my life. Hi joel love you channel

[@vivianwakoff]

I picked up the Space Between Worlds because of your rec! I've just read the first chapter (I'm prioritizing MG books this month)... but OMG! I love it!

[@cassidyoberreuter1372]

this video put such a smile on my face! thank you Joel 🤩

[@JasmineReads]

Hi Joel! So pleased to find your channel😊 I also read Raybearer this last month and loved it!!!

[@charityyoder9028]

You speak like a college /literature student. It soothes my soul. A standard for vocabulary isn't common enough. (As my one manager says, but I agree).

[@radiokat1306]

"Black white and red all over"😅😅 Welcome to dad jokes with Joel

[@lovinglife660]

WOW! Your review for Witches Steeped in Gold was at the top of goodreads reviews!

[@thecraftyveronicareads]

I love your excitement for the Talia Hibbert books 😊 I really need to pick up Dani Brown before the third one comes out. Your unboxings are so much fun to watch! 😄

[@oliviageron308]

the "her royal highness/rwrb" thingy is so funny to me because it's literally the other way around for me😭 but u gained a subscriber anyway :)))) i really love your channel!!

[@supersnek5]

Why yes, I did like this video less than 15 seconds in purely because of that wonderful pun. A+ work. Hope you keep up with the pun quota in future videos 😋

[@mahahaggouch1797]

you reading romance was the highlight of my august

[@stellao3697]

Well, now I can not go to bed. Love Joel’s videos. 💚🤣

[@r-evolve]

22:10 that sliding book reveal did something for me 🙈

[@morganschaoticworld3145]

Okay I'm OBSESSED with that sword earring😍

[@EmilyHanka]

honestly tho cheese IS great

[@pepperreads8125]

This is a great video as always, but I have to admit that my favorite part was when the automatic captions thought you said Suffolk instead of sapphic! 😂

[@sophiecarbone4977]

That opening. The best 👏🏻

[@itsjustbethg7506]

dead, Idk about you but I'm here for the cheese haul 😂 I honestly can't WAIT to read the space between worlds!! LOVE your videos

[@shawnflynn8662]

Just subscribed for equal parts of enjoying your content and you reminding me of a friend with benefits I have, haha. I have more room in my heart for another parasocial relationship.

[@daphlt]

Your unboxings are just 👌🏼

[@alyssacascos8665]

Joel never fails, he only shines and makes the world brighter 💕✌☀️

[@fictionalfates]

🥺🥺🥺

[@BashleeByBimb]

I covet pretty book covers too... I blame my inner Welsh Dragon hoarding the shiny 😂🙈

[@mariorita]

I just found you and I’m like oohhh!! Yeeeee! 1st guy booktuber I’m following 🤝

[@carlotablazquez240]

love your videos very much, they make me feel cozy and warm and as if we were friends already

[@everythingemily7126]

Best unboxing ever!

[@alenasmolemoreader3584]

THE MOMENT YOU WINKED I CANT 😂😂😂😂😂

[@bebella9005]

Not dressed like a newspaper 😂 I’m crying You make me wanna read everything you talk about 😩

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I LOVE THE ADVENTURE ZONE ITS SO UNDERRATED

[@Lorie336]

The five books you recommended I have one, The Space Between Worlds because of BOTM, but the rest are on my wishlist, but I have to double check if I have the Witches Steeped in Gold. Entertaining as always, I hope you're having a wonderful day and getting a lot of pleasure reading done. 😊❤️❤️❤️

[@popsiclepunk2112]

Loved the joke in the beginning👌😂

[@leidoesntexist]

Joel I just opened my yt channel and I'm finally part of the Italian booktube community too, I would like to thank you cause you're such an inspiration!!!

[@AikiraBeats]

Man it feels like this year is moving so slow but I love that I found your channel

[@avsambart]

Ngl, I'm dumb so the joke took me a minute. But it was good ☺️

[@li3703]

esrly:) have been waitinggg

[@aislynnclav]

i need to get those adventure zone graphic novels bc the podcasts are amazing 😭

[@bebeliophile]

i’m reading the bone season next month i am excited!!

[@radiosilence3657]

OMG! King, please do a reading vlog for the Percy Jackson series, it would literally be my dream! Killing it as always, sending you love! ❤️

[@lilypower4019]

That newspaper joke was everything

[@Sad.Purple.unicorn]

That wink tho😊

[@teanlit2949]

That opening joke! 😆

[@avsambart]

A Jamaican inspired fantasy? With a gorgeous cover? That Joel is raving? Two female leads that might be gay? YES GIMME NOW! 2022?? NOOOOO 😭

[@cheepink683]

The wink tho 😉 haha

[@fictionalfates]

i had to do it ;)

[@booksandlifewithlaura2143]

I'm excited to read Space between worlds and Raybearer. I don't think the camera fully shows how beautiful is the cover of Raybearer. The most beautiful book I bought this year 👌

[@fictionalfates]

Honestly!! It is just so *chefs kiss*

[@nadiaclinkscales8637]

I finished Get a life, Chloe Brown last week and I’m about to finish Take a Hint, Dani Brown this week! They’re such good and mature romance books. I really enjoyed that conflict in the romance came from the protagonists having to overcome their own personal issues rather than some outside forces trying to keep them apart (like an evil Ex). That was SO refreshing!

[@fictionalfates]

YESSS!!! I felt the exact same way, thank you for putting it into words! It was more something they had to work through rather than something they needed to push away

[@ErinLouisee]

Maybe I need to read some talia hibbert 🤔 lush video as always x

[@paigeburns3226]

Raybearer! Is! So! Amazing!

[@manoeksbooknook]

"and together they accomplish many things" 😉😉😉

[@kkcool101]

love the video! Just joined the illumicrate waitlist. I hope I get it! :)

[@littlelost7402]

I already wanted to read Raybearer but you have sold it so well that I'm going to have to buy it *immediately* omg

[@fictionalfates]

yesssss raybearer supremacy

[@DarkVeracity]

"...to go and kill him, to go and stab him, to go and murder him, to go and END HIS ENTIRE EXISTENCE." Took me out loool Being Jamaican and away from home at uni for the last 3 years, you HAD me at Jamaican fantasy. I need to hear no more it's on my TBR

[@justabbie5808]

*drops everything to watch*

[@bettyreads222]

I'm waiting for space between worlds on libby and i can't wait to read it!

[@alicemyles1126]

I know this is a reading wrap up but I just had to say that I'm so with you on the Mexicana cheese and I ate very little else in my final year of uni

[@KatontheJellicoe]

THAT cover of raybearer is 🔥👌🏽

[@fictionalfates]

it’s GORGEOUS

[@annaperdue6995]

Red all over really got me I have to admit

[@kaylarichardson404]

That wink tho

[@itsliterature2344]

I 100% agree with your review of Her Royal Highness - I was on a high from RWRB and I was so excited to read her royal highness since it was a similar concept but I was so disappointed. It could've been amazing, it had all the great tropes, but it was so underdeveloped and the representation of Scotland just pained me

[@oliviapillinger7263]

You should definitely read Beth O'Leary's romance books (both set in the UK) they are wonderful and I think that you'll love them !

[@michelleneal2023]

Hey, Joel!!! The UK book covers of Space Between Worlds and Raybearer looks so much better than the US cover.

[@ofwavesandpages]

i keep hearing about the bone season but somehow i keep forgetting about it and what it is about XD get a life, chloe brown was amazing!! i can't wait to read more books about the brown sisters

[@georgieraereads5331]

Amazing wrap up but like WHERE ARE THOSE PAGE TABS FROM? They are beautiful colours!!!

[@ReadingWithNori]

Two minutes into the video and I finally get the intro joke!! Throw my whole ass away lol

[@ReadingWithNori]

I haven’t seen the U.K. cover of Raybearer and 😳 I NEED IT

[@fictionalfates]

LMAO and it’s so beautiful!!!

[@AbiofPellinor]

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

[@planetrhy691]

I read the Witches Steeped In Gold arc and the ending... oh the ending😭

[@fictionalfates]

r h y s h a x v e r s e THE ENDING!!!

[@mori7956]

🧡🧡🧡

[@Demi-67]

Hello I am just here to say Notion has changed my life. It is both the best and worst thing to happen to me. My overly organized self is obsessed so I thank you (and shake my fist at you) for making that video. :D

[@swoonscapades]

May I ask what's Notion? My overly organized self also wants to be obsessed 👀

[@Demi-67]

Jacqueline it’s an online sort of notebook organization site! There are many templates available for all kinds of things like notes for classes, reading lists, to-do lists, and other organizational things! Joel talks about it and you can see it in his last video about being organized as a student. I hope this helps :) but check out that video for sure!

[@swoonscapades]

@@Demi-67 Oh! I haven't watched Joel's last video yet, will definitely check it out after I finish this one! Thank you so much!

[@Demi-67]

Jacqueline No problem :D

[@caris4097]

“sapphic BITCHES” i shall now be using this phrase thank you very much

[@Sad.Purple.unicorn]

pretty covere make me so weak even though I know I shouldn’t be so shallow when it comes to book covers but ugh I just can’t help myself

[@DaisyXMachina]

Dressed like a newspaper... GROAN!

[@BlakeTheBookEater]

The book stuff is great...but I’m sitting over here sad bc I can’t have cheese 😔

[@Avocaditos]

have u read "Black Flamingo" by Dean Atta? It's really good!

[@faezafaeza7798]

Take notes!,how you should stAn booooks!!!❤️❤️❤️

[@amylittle5524]

the way i instantly understood your joke 💀💀 edit: cheese 😎>>>>

[@PagesOfKay]

Have you read Monday's Not Coming? If you haven't I HIGHLY recommend it as I read it earlier this year and find myself randomly thinking about it even now.

[@emilyk8305]

WHY DID YOU SAY "maybe it will inspire me to read it" to mistborn as if throwing SHADE? loved that whole little unboxing thing though. your humour is *shef kis*

[@milou9258]

''Cheese is great''

[@zoeomalley2117]

please please please NEVER stop doing these illumicrate unboxing commercials the "it keeps your nails... and then next" sent me into ORBIT

[@fictionalfates]

LMAO i won’t!!

[@cheepink683]

What's happening with the Late Night Book Club. When are we reading?

[@fictionalfates]

this month, it’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo!

[@cheepink683]

Is it not a read along? I have the book. Have I just been sat around waiting while everyone is already reading?....oh dear Ps I love your content

[@fictionalfates]

ahaha it’s okay!! every month there will be a book pick and then you’ll have from the beginning of the month to the live show to read it! since everyone reads at their own pace, it makes more sense to do it this way rather than have a dedicated readalong

[@cheepink683]

Makes sense. Great! I can start reading now. I'm on a reading high this month. I have already read 8 books so I will make the most of it. Ooo I'm excited to get my teeth stuck in now. *runs to go make giant cup of tea.... Thanks 😊

[@fictionalfates]

happy reading!!!

[@lovinglife660]

Book un-haul some time?

[@aivryzamora825]

Hey Joel! I have a bit of constructive criticism for further videos...I would recommend doing the synopsis of the book BEFORE you give your review. Idk if that’s just a me thing but just a tip to make your videos flow better!