books i recently snuggled up with🧣hyped dark academia, neil gaiman & witchy books

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books mentioned in this video:
art matters - neil gaiman
the love hypothesis - ali hazelwood
assistant to the villain - hannah nicole maehrer
nettle and bone - t kingfisher
slewfoot - brom
a study in drowning - ava reid
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🌼 s o c i a l m e d i a
• goodreads: / leonie-dams
• twitter: @thebookleo
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🌺 a b o u t m e
Hi! My name is Leonie and I am a 25 year old girl from the Netherlands who loves talking about books! From YA to non-fiction to classics, I read it all (although fantasy will always be my fave).
🌹 m u s i c
Music, art, and video by Jokabi
▸ / @jokabibeats
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Download / Stream Lost Woods
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[@natha1088]

"He towered over me lika a towering tower" is my new favorite sentence. Thinking about stitching in on a T-Shirt as soon as I'm done laughing.

[@BlackHermit]

That sentence is eerily similar to "a towering tower towered proud" from the book "The Sneakers' Tapestry" 😂

[@yahyabinilyas9917]

Kween of alliteration 😍

[@stellasreadingagainohno]

me, a child in 1842 sitting by my candle reading a book from the year two thousand twenty three about an assistant to a murderer: “does not hit 😒”

[@cecilie...]

Stahp, you almost made me spit out my tea 😂

[@heckifiknow8240]

God I read that in a small Victorian boy’s voice 😂

[@TheWimaz]

As a tall man myself, I feel legally obligated to use "Towering over like a towering tower" on the daily from now on, it *is* peak writing.

[@milly573]

"he towered over me like a towering tower" validates my decision to stop picking up hazelwood's books

[@Angel-aaa]

They are so bad imo😭😭

[@LilyEvans1996]

I can't stop reading them though haha

[@lvnnnnn]

Girl I HATE it when a character does something creepy/weird but the author plays it off as “cute” bc they’re attractive 😭😭 bc there’s nothing creepy about keeping a picture of a random girl in your room bc the boy in question is cute

[@roxycat7854]

You're gonna hate me for this reference but it was the first thing i could think of: Marinette in Ladybug. Girl was CRAZY

[@lvnnnnn]

@@roxycat7854 NO YOU’RE RIGHT like girl had pictures of him all over her walls

[@kaya5377]

from what i remember it was a pic a family member took of them playing chess or smth so its a little betterr maybe aha

[@LilyEvans1996]

hahaha especially if you think he hates you

[@bookbrain1557]

I totally agree with Assistant to the Villain! I'm not very picky with books but I cannot tell you a single fact about the Villain other than his name and that is only because I recently logged every male love interest's name in every book I own. (If anyone is curious, Jack was the most popular across all genres)

[@sakurablossoms94]

That is funny. Jack is the jack of all trades.

[@susruthasam7657]

I didn't know I needed this information until now😂😂 thank you😅

[@mariaangus9153]

Lol that's lovely and all, except when your ex's name is Jack.... fml

[@jannekewade-dejong2773]

"Chicken infested demon" lmao sums up Nettle and Bone perfectly

[@miafarmer1328]

"she's not young. She's 30" Ouuuch 🤣

[@nana4519]

Can I just say, that your earrings truly give me life? The moths? Ugh GORGEOUS. The mushrooms, the swords...every time I click on a video of yours I am looking out for your next pair of cool earrings. Also the vibes, the books, the beautiful way in which you describe your thoughts on them...I love everything! keep up the good work

[@ariverdreaming]

The seamless integration of the sirens into the review 🤣 you’re the best

[@mdolbey93]

“Actually, she’s not young, she’s 30 years old” Me being 30 years old 👁️👄👁️ 😂

[@khachok]

I'm 34!!! That hurt LMAO

[@zahrasultan711]

ok so i don't wanna make it about me but i'm 19 turning 20 next year and I'm freaking out sooooo baddd...i had really bad mental breakdowns over turning 18 and i feel the same about turning 20 like I'm losing something if that makes sense...so, i was wondering if you have any advice. It would be much appreciated

[@epicwalrus7183]

​@zahrasultan711 you are still so incredibly young. You're not even out of the tutorial yet. Your life won't end at 20, or even 25, in fact there's a good chance it gets even better. You'll be wiser and calmer headed and you'll be able to have a kind of control over your life that you can't really get in your teens. I dropped out of uni aged 20 because of helth problems and now I'm pushing 30 I'm trying again and it's so much easier now I've matured almost a decade. Don't listen to the ageism on the Internet and traditional media, you life gets better with every decade.

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

"Not young" can still be "not old" also. Lol Contrary to childhood beliefs, age does not actually skip immediately from "young" directly into "old". 😂 There *is* a fairly wide spectrum between the two, methinks!😊 ( Or maybe that's just me? 🤔🤷🤷‍♀️😆^-^ )

[@zahrasultan711]

@@epicwalrus7183 thanks for your wise words it really means alot. and best of luck with uni!

[@ioncelivedinafairytale1926]

Just wanted to say that I truly adore your channel and how comfortable I feel watching your videos. I also adore your intellect, and how you’re able to balance neurobiology, a Harvard internship AND a successful KZbin channel! On that note, would it be possible for you to make a video discussing how you handle your time management, and organization, and studying, etc? I’m only in high school but I aspire to be like you and be prepared for college considering high school is already difficult for me 😅

[@mariajuliacaetano3395]

That was always something I wanted to know too! The girl is the queen of time management and we need the tips

[@s_d429]

Leonie, you’re such an inspiration to me! I love reading, and when I have reading slumps, I always watch your videos to remind myself why I love reading so much 💕

[@eleya11]

I loved Nettle & Bone! Somehow it reminded me of a darker version of Ella Enchanted!

[@bookbrain1557]

My favorite booktuber! Your videos are always to relaxing.

[@pendragon2012]

I loved Slewfoot! My only complaint was it took a long time to get going. The ending was fire though! I honestly thought the point was the Puritans created their own worst fears by how they treated people. Abitha and Samson could have been allies and protectors of the town if they weren't so rigid. Great video as always, Leonie!

[@sofiaknopf7145]

I love your videos!! Your aura is so comforting and whimsical

[@kashejohnson7553]

I love Gerald Brom art and also his books especially "The Plucker", I have all his books and Slewfoot was just sitting on shelf for a good month before I bought it on my e reader because I didn't want to destroy the hard copy by accident and I just love the way his writing gets so much better with each book he puts out, and his art is just so breath taking.

[@sydneybarker1489]

I’m so excited for the Jane Eyre video! It’s one of my favorite books and I’ve been waiting for you to finish it 😂

[@nissasbookcorner]

i just finished slewfoot the other day and i loooved it, like the vibes were just so good and it was oddly comforting even tho it was so dark

[@hayleykerrean]

Ahhh so exciting that you're getting into Neil Gaiman a bit more! Like you, I loved Coraline and didn't like Neverwhere as much, but I enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane and American Gods probably the most! The Graveyard Book was also so much fun and a great time. Happy reading! ❤

[@Renata-hd9zc]

Have you already read the raven boys? I really think you would love the series, it’s so atmospheric and character driven, it screams you hahah a video reading the books would be amazing, i'm not gonna lie

[@yourLittleSinner]

I'm here to second this recommendation

[@uchizc]

I agree with this recommendation, but she said she gave the first book a try years ago and it wasn't for her so she was not going to read the series :C

[@ncfbooklover]

can't explain how excited I was when I saw you uploaded anew video!! I'm obsessed with the vibes as always!!!

[@eleya11]

A Natural History of Dragons feels like 18th century Britain but it’s actually a fantasy world. And Jade City is a set in a fantasy version of Hong Kong in the 1980s to 1990s.

[@laurenb_101]

‘Magical markets in books…best trope!’ I 100% agree with you! 🙌 when I think about some of my fave books - ADSOM, Nettle and Bone, Neverwhere (I know you weren’t keen on this) but they all have magical markets…and yes, they are the best! 🧚🏻‍♀️

[@yourLittleSinner]

There is a magical Fair in the left-handed booksellers of London that you might like.

[@laurenb_101]

@@yourLittleSinner thank you so much! I haven’t read this yet but I shall add it to my TBR 😊

[@NellyVilla09]

Okay but the red scarf on the title lowkey reminds me of the attack on titan finale 🥲 Is this timely coincidence or on purpose leonie?

[@Arawn2020]

For me the scarf is showing up as blue! Is this the scarf version of The Dress? 👀 Shenanigans are afoot.

[@HaiJosephine]

​@@Arawn2020lmao mine is green 💚😂

[@ilysra1758]

You all have a scarf?

[@BunFrFr]

It’s still going? Damn i thought it ended awhile ago

[@commenter41]

Loki?

[@Kenough_in_Wonderland]

The romance in a study of drowning had me kicking my lil feet, I was sooo into them hahah, it's so interesting to see how different perceptions are in this regard.

[@viivi4196]

it's one of my favorite things to just chill and have a cup of tea while watching your vids! also, definitely interested to read a study of drowning now, just gonna have to wait to get it from the library!

[@user-lovinlife]

I'm currently reading The Graveyard Book and enjoying it. Thank you for your reviews. It helps me create my own BTR list. ❤

[@SarahsCozyCorner]

Obsessed with your channel!! The coziest vibes 🍂😍🫶🏼

[@Anna-us7gw]

Okay you sold me on slewfoot. And thank you for the heads up about architecture not being the main focus, I was oddly excited!

[@Ingrid-st1bg]

Best feeling in the world to get home late and tired, but get to watch a new leoni video!

[@LilyEvans1996]

I can listen to you talk about books forever and ever!

[@thebeartwinsgaming2233]

This really helped me study.

[@Felarof245]

Ali Hazelwood books are all the same basically but somehow they're always a nice and comfortable read. I don't know, I just love to binge the books in one sitting and never touch them again. But have a great time doing so. I think I like Love Theoretically the most because Elsie's fear of being too much and people abandoning her when she asks for help is a problematic trait I carry, too. So I felt kind of seen in this book. There was too much talking and arguing during the spicy scenes though 😂 I would have told him to shut up tbh

[@lajourdanne]

Same!!! I felt seen too! I can relate to her morphing into whatever the per wants her to be. And I will say I thought one was very different than the Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain. But I also work in academia so to an outside party, I could see how they would all seem like the same book. But to an academic, they all touch on different external conflicts in academia or applied research.

[@victoriahasan2686]

I love your videos! The vibes are immaculate 🖤🖤

[@shilohh_]

For a fantasy set in an alternate 20th century world, I recommend Jonathan Stroud, particularly his Bartimaeus Trilogy. Stroud is probably one of my favorite authors that I read as a child whose books still hold up today. The backdrop for the story is that several magical empires have risen and fallen throughout history and now the British Empire is at its peak. London is governed by magicians who derive their power by summoning and enslaving spirits to do their bidding. We follow the career of a young magician from his apprenticeship to adulthood, his relationship with a djinni, and the rise of an underground movement of commoners revolting against the magical elite. As a bonus, I think Stroud writes strong female characters and there's a lot of snark and humor in his writing.

[@Veravera-1]

Bartimaeus is such a good and underrated YA. Lowkey hilarious but still some really emotional moments. I also love the use of footnotes and multiple POVs which is kind of unique for these kinds of books.

[@johanna_st_john]

I’m so excited to read Slewfoot after all your videos mentioning it! It sounds so good. But now it has to wait until next fall because my autumn TBR is already out of control 😇

[@badfaith4u]

Your videos are so wonderful as always. Thank you so much.

[@BlackReshiram]

i could never perch a candle ontop of a book stack, my anxiety is already bad enough as is and watching urs in the background had me on edge constantly 😆

[@feliciad2369]

YASSS!! Neil Gaiman is great! The Ocean At The End Of The Lane is soooo good. I really feel like you would enjoy it (from what I get by watching your videos 😃) and The Graveyard Book is another fantastic story. I didn't know about Neil Gaiman until this year and he is a very fast favorite of mine.

[@glitteryfaery5002]

omg the ocean at the end of the lane was one of my favorites I read this year, I even made my mom read it (she's really loving it)

[@AdamFishkin]

"He towered over me like a towering tower" is a level of knee-knocking stupid that I wish you had given me a little more preparation for. Because that was a jackhammer to my funny bone and half a minute later I had to re-teach myself how to breathe. Wuthering Heights for the win!

[@molliee5183]

sooo sold on slewfoot, it's gonna be my main pick for gabby's witch themed winterween readathon in january :)

[@TaniaDey1326]

I screamed with joy on seeing a new upload - yay!

[@flextapefanatic]

the vibes are as good as ever

[@jmsl_910]

another banger video! i just got WH from the library-will start tonight!

[@mimmixoxo]

There is this book called Curious Tides which is fairly similar to Study in Drowning and Divine Rivals - it’s also dark academia with secret societies and I think it covers a lot more of what people said was missing in ASID 👀 (I am determined to get Leonie to read this book lol 😄)

[@CityGirlWriter]

I read The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick in October and really enjoyed it. I also thought about Six of Crows while reading it. There are morally grey characters, a political fantasy, and multiple magic systems for the various cultures. It is quite long (600+ pages) and the first in the Rook & Rose trilogy, so I would also recommend the audiobook (narrated by Nicki Massoud). The narrator does a great job with the various accents, especially since there are characters who code-switch between languages and accents. I hope you enjoy it with your new Kindle. 🎭

[@LittleBrisby]

walk towards the mountain has been my motto for the last 5 years and it's worked wonders

[@evelynkoliou]

Heyyy!! i'm new here and i have to say that you captivated me with the coziness , your warm smile and talking and of course the fall vibes, the books, etc . Evelyn xxx

[@katherineeaster5799]

I've really liked the T Kingfisher books I have read, but I usually have an issue with how they end. It reminds me of how Robin McKinley writes: it always feels like there is no ending, that we are going to continue the story, but we never get another book. That being said, I do enjoy her characters and her writing style, so I will keep reading her books.

[@thepagesofsamantha]

Leonie I recently read a book called The Hidden, it's a thriller/mystery based around a lady who believes she's a selkie, and another lady who befriends her and helps her get back to her family. she also has a young daughter (whose name is also Leonie, which I thought was fun) but it was pretty atmospheric and easy to get through, I'd highly recommend it!

[@hoiayla]

I love that you put the book in the corner! Also I recommend listening to stardust by Neil gaiman!!! It is read by him and it is so good!!

[@nymeria941]

Jesmyn Ward is a fantastic writer, and this book draws a lot from Dante's "Inferno." I think you'll enjoy it, and if you do, I'd recommend her other works. Your videos are always so cozy and fun; thank you for making them.

[@forkmylifee]

Saw Slewfoot and Nettle and Bone in the thumbnail and insta clicked! Read them both this year and absolutely loved them, 5 stars for me! ❤

[@cristhynakaillany]

A WHOLE VIDEO ABOUT JANE EYRE???? I'M DREAMING

[@_sarathedreamer]

ACAB but the police siren timing was perfect 😂

[@betz5359]

can't wait to hear your thoughts of wuthering heights, I'm also reading it for the first time, almost done and I love it.

[@ChrissyM]

You always have the cutest earrings!

[@khachok]

Not sure this comment is well-placed under this particular video but it is loosely connected to being cosy and reading autumnal fantasy: you kept recommending Uprooted in multiple videos of yours and THANK YOU, I finally got around to reading it. THANK YOU. Also your videos are my special treat when I want to reward myself for doing something I'd been procrastinating (i.e. translating bad fiction for the publisher). I'm having a blast here.

[@owliechanspam]

Hahahaha! The love theoretically review is my absolute favorite😂 You are hilarious! Love your content sooo much❤

[@cristinaalcoran1038]

I recently read Nettle and Bone and I super agree with everything you said about it! ❤

[@tashabanbury3864]

I just got a kindle!! I'm ready to live out all my ebook dreams lol

[@bogomilakitanova2947]

A book, that I loved, about an old house that is falling apart but also has a lot of secrets, is "Starling house"

[@ThePaperbackFairy]

I loved Slewfoot! The characters * chefs kiss * the nature * chefs kiss * the revenge plot * chefs kiss *

[@lu__libros5015]

I just love this kind of videos 😍

[@dinoelexierdeslebens]

perfect birthday gift thank you 😎

[@Arawn2020]

Happy Birthday!! ☺🎉

[@shambhupal4890]

Ohhh myy god I just love your room ....can you plsss plsss give a tour of your plsss plsss.,.it's so cozyy and esthetic.....💕💕

[@jayak3341]

sooo i got a study in drowing because of you, echt het beste boek ooit. Zoveel gejankt. THANKUU for the tip

[@cubitum-eamus]

oh the autumn vibes are immaculate today

[@samanthajaynefrost7218]

You are one of my favorite booktubers.

[@minatauros]

Great video as always

[@kaceybreitbach9616]

The way this video made me laugh 😂👏🏼 you’re so intelligent and funny!

[@F00L_Of_A_Took]

the difference between doing tropes for the sake of tropes in fanfic vs original stories is that when it comes to fanfic there is a source material. the characters have already been established and developed (sometimes very poorly but that's another mater entirely) so you can just write them based on the pre-existing characterization. most ppl will add or change stuff but again it is based off of a pre-existing thing that people already care about enough to read fanfiction on. when creating original work not only do you have to come up with the characters and their characterizations but you also need to get the audience to _care_ about them and the story and then layer the tropes and conventions on top of that. with fanfic somebody else has already done the first two steps for you so you can just get straight to it. for clarification this is not meant to shit on fanfiction or fanfic authors at all, i hope it didn't come off that way

[@briannafenty4403]

"I'm hearing sirens right now; that's the police, coming to get these love interests." LMAO

[@AngelicaRodriguez-fw8tt]

Reading an Ava Reid book makes me feel like I could never become a good author with how she’s really good at setting the scene and not being direct but still being chilling

[@stanloona000]

We need a video purely reading more straight up horror books! Horror is one of my main reading genres and I always enjoy getting new recommendations

[@valerieosborne5285]

Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series kind of has that 20th-century high fantasy vibe. It's set in two neighboring countries...one country is magicless and has like an alternate universe 1920s-ish vibe. The other country, where magic exists, is more like the traditional fantasy setting with kind of a medieval vibe. It's a great series, especially the first book, Sabriel. The magic system is super cool and unique, probably one of the most interesting ones I've read in a YA series. There's also an adorably sassy powerful-evil-being-trapped-in-the-body-of-a-cat sidekick, that I love lol.

[@yourLittleSinner]

I adore this series!!!! This might be the excuse I needed to re-read it.

[@emilia.ac.2153]

I just finished what the river knows and it was SO GOOD!!! It reminds me so much of the movie the mummy

[@jayasooryak.e6602]

I am so excited that you are buying a kindle 😂

[@AdventuresInMyaLand]

I heard that the ocean at the end of the lane is a great book by Neil I need to pick it up

[@kreskova1]

For the Study in Drowning recommandation: A far wilder magic by Alison Saft

[@morgancrenshaw6620]

The Death of Jane Lawrence takes place in a fantasy world that is similar to early 1900s late 1800s US/England, it's somewhat cozy I would say with a haunted house mystery and edwardian spiritualism vibe, I liked it alot!

[@papayarose]

You have to read Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane! It’s beautiful and magical, and makes you think about childhood and grief… just fantastic. Also, you can’t go wrong with his self-narrated audiobooks, but there’s also some excellent full-cast BBC radio plays of a number of his works.

[@Ottolineification]

congrats on getting a kindle!!

[@XeniaSketchbookPages]

Hi Leo! I've seen you were advertising The Book of the Month. I know that you are from the Netherlands, I also live here:) and I was wondering if Book of the Month delivers to Europe. The last time I checked it looked like they didn't. Did their delivery terms changed since you have it and you live in the Netherlands?

[@hastykia4907]

I started reading Slewfoot but stopped around page 100 bc I got a little bit bored, but I'll definitely pick it up again after this, I love a good Feminine rage story! also for Neil Gaiman, definitely checkout The Graveyard Book and The ocean at the end of the lane, two of my personal favss

[@heatherbocks]

That spoiler you gave from Love, Theoretically… girl run. That’s horror movie material!

[@maraki9261]

Leone do you know if book of the month ships in Europe? Also thanks for the recs 💌

[@nka30]

Yay Rooibos tea! I’m from South Africa 😀

[@OtakuOG]

HI LEO!

[@ilikemusic7504]

I like your videos, you make me wanna read more

[@imnotsocreative5985]

Im so glad you liked an Ali Hazelwood! Personally, I really like The Love Hypothesis because it was the book that got me into reading, but I do understand the hate it gets and low key agree with the criticism. The fact that its basically just fanfiction is probably why I liked it in the first place, because I've been reading cringy fics basically all my life.

[@thedeckleedge]

NGL I'm interested with the idea of chicken-invested demon. Thank you for this another wonderful video, Leonie!!

[@sofiamilla7809]

i love the mask of mirrors!!!

[@AseAPS]

I read both of the Mask of Mirrors books that are out. I liked them, but they didn't hit like Six of Crows did. Personally, if you're looking for a heist book, try Gentleman Bastards. It's much darker than Six of Crows, but it's really really good.

[@melbelle9550]

Omg you absolutely HAVE to read Graveyard Book by Gaiman. It’s a middle grade but it still hits I promise.

[@katepointer2276]

If you are looking for that Neil Gaiman voice experience while also going through his bibliography, I highly recommend The Sandman on Audible. As much as I love the Netflix show and the comic, I absolutely adore this audio adaptation. It's not "cozy" but there is something special about how immersive and entertaining I found it to be (Gaiman narrates but the characters are played by different actors and there are some amazing sound effects!!!), especially as I am not an audio book person usually.

[@tessmasselink2171]

I read Mask of Mirrors (the whole entire Rook and Rose trilogy in fact) and I promise you, it's absolutely fantastic!! Also great for people who love The Lies of Locke Lamora :D

[@user-jk2ep4bn9l]

I read a few od Neil Gaiman's books and I also didn't really vibe with "Neverwhere" (it's a good book, it was just more world-focused and the characters didn't seem that deep). My absolute favourite Gaiman's book is "Ocean at the End of the Lane", it's both scary and fantastical, and incredibly relatable. It deals with topics like the power adults have over children and has some really fantastic characters and worldbuilding.