🎄 holiday decorating + reading 3 books 📚

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

“I’m filming!” “In the closet????” “Yes in the closet” “are you okay!?” I love Liam 😂

[@KatieColson]

You getting Rob to read aloud to each other is exactly the cozy Christmas vibes I need

[@brennajamerson521]

I think my favorite thing about this video is you pulling out the furry pillow, Liam petting it with such a serious face and shaking his head no. 😂

[@kayladean3305]

I totally agree!!!

[@stephaniebookish]

This was so cozyyy and Liam being the comedian we all needed

[@SlugReads]

Goodness you and your family makes me laugh out loud, thank you for always posting such encouraging and fun content. "Can we read it together, by the yule log!?" "I'd rather explode.."

[@paularodriguez726]

I feel like Kayla is the most fun, cool, fashionable mom. Loved Liam’s appearance

[@hannahangelina4893]

Jesmyn Ward is a professor at my alma mater! Though I never had her as a professor, she came into the cafe I worked at while I was a student and she was always incredibly kind to us

[@BooksandLala]

Oh that's so cool!!

[@AbiofPellinor]

I swear Liam's interjections are my favourite thing!

[@BookedandBusy]

The fact that you’ve done this WHILST filming the goodreads vlog

[@BooksandLala]

😅💕

[@colby840]

I appreciate you putting in the excerpt from the author for So Many Beginnings. Makes me want to pick it up more than before!

[@caprisbookisland]

Wow.. thank you for including that authors note Also Liam is funny 😂

[@blandface9957]

I've been absolutely swamped with school work this year (I sure do love being a STEM major 😭) and I've barely been able to read, so watching your videos have been such a treat. I kind of feel like I'm reading with you in spirit 💀

[@luca.desu.2590]

It's called roving before it's been felted! The fibers are organized into the same direction.

[@kenzienoelle124]

Men We Reaped was one of my favorite books of 2020. I’m so glad you brought it here and I hope a new audience will discover and read it! Also, I love that the cover of So Many Beginnings matches the pink and green Christmas theme!💗💚

[@jampsonn1826]

Rob saying "I'd rather explode" to the reading aloud thing, then reading aloud to the next clip. 🤣🤣 that's my bf too and I couldn't stop laughing.

[@gabbyreads]

Omg you and Rob reading the book out loud together is so sweet 🥹💕 love how festive and cozy this vlog is!

[@FourPawsandaBook]

Rob "I'd rather explode" 🤣

[@Sarah.reads.sometimes]

Your & Rob’s banter with Galatea was so fun 😂. I was sort of planning on reading it but now I wanna read it soon! I had no idea it was so short lol

[@LifeasMonae]

He beat you so bad in Shape Shuffle! 😂 the mind of kids never cease to amaze me

[@BooksandLala]

I don't know HOW he caught on so fast. I was still trying to understand what shape the shapes even were!! lol children are really here just to humble us huh? 😂

[@joyface]

Watching this while I make my nephew a cardboard fireplace to hang stockings from and very much needing the encouragement 😂 this was perfect

[@encyclopediaofelizabeth]

The way you say bag and bags just makes me smile every time. I don't even know how to describe how it is different, but it's great.

[@CheyeW13]

"pygmalion, you heard of that guy?" 😂

[@bookishimpala5764]

I'm so glad you posted. This is the mood lifter I needed. Hope you have a wonderful night!

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

YAY third time's a charm! I put up my own holiday decorations today, so definitely feeling in the Christmas spirit!

[@Wuggas]

I loved Galatea and I'm so glad I bought it too. Galatea is a wonderful character and I'm glad to have read the story through her eyes. Madeline Miller has been suffering from long covid (she posted on her Instagram) and so her next book is taking her a while.

[@BrebearMckae]

Finally catching back up on booktube- SO GLAD you had an awesome time for this one💕💕😊

[@saragouveiaa]

Galatea is truly Madeline Miller's best work! So glad you loved it!

[@katherinesdimensionalreading]

I LOVED Sing, Unburied, Sing! I read it in February and I still think about it. It’s so good and it’s like a magical realism, ghost story, tragic story of these kids and their mom and the circumstances… It is a roadtrip book, though.

[@michaelmyerslovesbooks]

Sounds great, I think I'm gonna move it up my list!

[@xxlipstickandlyricsx]

You and Rob are couple goals.

[@daijahsbookworld]

i love your relationship with liam. y’all are literally so funny 😭

[@FaeryLaume]

You and your family simply make my heart happy. Hope you are all feeling well again.

[@stevie__reads]

Galatea was an instant 5 stars for me too glad you loved it🤍🤍

[@booksandelephants6517]

Liam feeling the pillow and just shaking his head with no emotion was so funny haha

[@TheeKookyWildflower]

I'm so glad you enjoyed the books, especially The Men We Reaped. She's such a dynamic author with stories that promise to break your heart but speak the truth (e.g., Sing Unburied Sing still stays with me). You're right. What a great way to kick off December. Thank you!

[@jolafaith]

Men we Reaped is one of my favorites, I love Jesmyn Ward. I also didn’t enjoy Where the Line Bleeds but Salvage the Bones is one of the best books I have ever read. Ever. The books don’t need to be read in order. I think you could love both of those. I think it’s so great that you loved Galatea! I read it in 2018 and adored it. Totally 5 stars. And I just had the thought and SHOULD have commented - I think Kayla is going to LOVE Galatea. It just seems like a you book. Haha! So yay! What a fun vlog. Happy Holidays!

[@brookejean3187]

I’m so happy everytime I see holiday content, especially from my favorite booktubers! I put it on in the background while reading or during my day and it just brings me such joy! ☺️🎄

[@Eiseverythings]

Please do a video on those three books that you got for Christmas from Rob. It would be a good vlog.

[@meem3538]

I worked as an editorial intern with Jesmyn's editor. While I was way too low on the ladder to work with her directly, I did have the opportunity to meet her and tell her just how much Salvage the Bones meant to me. She's lovely!

[@idek7438]

Salvage the Bones is so great. It had such an impact on me. I gave my mom the Italian translation for her birthday and she loved it too.

[@rocknregalia]

Cute decor! Galatea sounds wonderful. I have been really loving short fiction because it makes me feel accomplished.

[@leilanibaby3975]

i LOVED galatea. everyone else is wrong, but you and I are correct. i love being right.

[@jenny-wc8cb]

In the reading clip, Rob reminded me of the guy who explains the iliad on course hero

[@druidicnonsense]

for the whole "characters who aren't supposed to have autonomy becoming independent" I can recommend The Golem and the Jinni! Really loved it personally :)

[@BooksandLala]

Thank you for the rec!! ✍️

[@sarahteter6310]

Have you tried the Little Women Korean Drama on Netflix? At first I wasn't sure if they were just using the title or if it was a retelling, but once I was a few episodes in, it was fun to see how it is a reimagining of the story in a contemporary fictional South Korea. I enjoyed the thriller aspects of that story while being able to predict what might happen based not only on the story itself but on general public discussions of who should end up with who and the girls strengths. Also, it's the third drama I've seen with the main female actress and at this point (after Goblin and Yumi's Cells) she can do no wrong in my eyes.

[@sarahteter6310]

Also, I have added all three of the books you read in this vlog onto my Goodreads Want to Read list:)

[@zoeedelaney]

ugh a holiday vlog from kayla is exactly what my soul needed! 😍

[@moth.03]

5:28 made me smile so much, how cute 😂

[@carissa1446]

The classic remixes series look’s so interesting. Can’t wait to start them.

[@allymarie5280]

“I’d rather explode” 😂😂😂

[@KristinKravesBooks]

I had a feeling you would enjoy So Many Beginnings! I have been really liking all of those YA remixes.

[@missblondiee22]

I LOVED Galatea, Madeline Miller is my one and only auto-buy. She's currently working on a Persephone book and a Tempest retelling!!

[@justjay6388]

the decorating really got me in the christmas spirit!

[@KitAE0]

Galatea was the first story I read of Madeline Miller's, and I loved it so much so it got me excited for her others 😊

[@FromDebttoDreams]

I am so happy that you loved So Many Beginnings. I read it RIGHT AFTER I read Little Women for the first time, and I was nervous about reading a "retelling" right after reading the original. But, it was great! I am excited to re-read it!

[@Secret413]

Mem was such interesting reading. I really enjoyed strangeness of the story.

[@julies_reading]

i always love vlogs that include the family, yall are just so sweet ❤ now i really want to read so many beginnings! id be curious what youd think of the meg & jo/ beth & amy duology!

[@aubreyjdickens]

With you considering reading more from the remixed classics series, I highly recommend Anna Marie Mclemore’s take on Gatsby- I just had such a good time.

[@JemilaBeReadin]

"Pygmalion? You ever heard of that guy??" 😭

[@TheWorldAccordingToLouise]

I literally have been binging all your content. You’re SO nice and your content is another level. Do you have any advice for someone who is looking into starting their own channel? Xx

[@desireemclaughlin1455]

I can’t wait to read Galatea! I believe her next book is Persephone and Hades, but I’m not sure when it’s supposed to come out.

[@abbywonder3825]

I got to see Louisa May Alcott’s house and the desk where she wrote Little Women. Ack I’m September. They have a garden with flowers catered to each sister

[@kerridavis2229]

I read Sing Unburied Sing this year and loved it. Southern gothic vibes, really atmospheric writing that puts you right in the moment and so many interesting discussions touched on abt race, love, family, childhood and our choices. It is a road trip book but it has an element I think you will like so I would give it a shot if I were you. 5 star read for me

[@emilybaranski5186]

OMG I loveeee Jesmyn Ward! Now I need to pick up her commencement speech. I think you are *supposed* to read Salvage the Bones first, but the storylines don’t overlap so you can really do whatever you want. I read Sing Unburied, Sing first and loved it! Can’t wait to read Men We Reaped next!

[@Sara3am]

I haven't read Jesmyn Ward's other books, but I read Sing, Unburied, Sing for a class this past semester and would highly recommend. It's incredibly well-written and deeply, necessarily devastating. Since I haven't read the others, I can't say for sure what the order should be, but I do know SUS is the most recent and that I'm pretty sure none of the main characters overlap, mostly just themes and places

[@acciocreativity]

i’ve read “travelers along the way” in that same remix series and i really enjoyed it if you’re looking for one of em to check out next! i haven’t ever read a robin hood retelling, and that one was a really cool exploration of the crusades

[@natalieabbott9628]

Lol “in the closet”? The confusion was so real 😂😂

[@mockingjayreads414]

I loved Galatea so much and I think you'll love it I'm so excited to see what you're going to think

[@mockingjayreads414]

YES I AM VINDICATED haha

[@rsousa9655]

You should definitely watch Orphan Black if you haven't already! Won't spoil it but I think you would love it

[@breanaf333]

So excited for a new video!!

[@KeepCalmwithBooksandCoffee]

I just love your videos Kayla. I have zero other thoughts.

[@sukki6052]

yay new video! never been so early 🎉❤

[@landscapesofink]

I LOVE YOUR CHRISTMAS DECOR AHHH we don't have any space for Christmas decor :(

[@muttmania]

KAYLA do you recall what video you read Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield in? I read it last month and can't stop thinking about it, I want to revisit when you spoke about it this book has been plaguing me (in the best way)

[@samantharose1001]

Wow such a successful vlog !! 🥳

[@lindsayk1014]

I’m so interested in the other Little Women retellings you had planned! I just got a new one in the mail called Belittled Women

[@erinmariecece]

You discovering that you actually like Madeline Miller’s new works was not on my bingo card, but I’m glad it happened!

[@Erdnussbuttertoast]

5:35 well obviously Liam hasn't watched your closet unhaul series. #fakefan 😂

[@Kindlelover88]

Do not cut one hair on your head. Your hair right now is off the charts. Amazing.🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@leighmather5072]

Gal - a - TAY - a 😂

[@JemilaBeReadin]

LOL not Liam dragging you 😂

[@Catsandcamera]

Are you doing another yearly buzzwordathon for next year? I really enjoyed participating this year!

[@shelbyanderson3304]

Okay but why did the decorating montage look like you were reverse-grinching the place? 😂

[@teethpaste867]

Oops I think my first comment got removed since I sent a link, just wanted to say I loved this video and that there’s a beautifully written article by Jesmyn Ward about the loss of her husband that I would highly recommend!

[@FMsukina]

I LOVED "Galatea". But then again, I love short stories, vignettes, flash/micro fiction and novellas. A VERY unpopular opinion, lol!

[@arobinreads]

Awesome vlog! 🙂🎄

[@RainbowSunny1]

I want to read So Many Beginnings so bad for so long now!!!

[@itsprobablysummer]

lmao I love the last 2 minutes so much

[@PatrickBooks]

i think i say this for everyone , but we love Liam

[@pink_li]

not liam roasting you for filming in the closet 😂

[@francescathomas3502]

Liam was cute. Hi Guys he says to the camera. SO Kayla. are you doing a Buzzword list for 2023? It's now December and I am anxiously waiting. Thanks.

[@kyrasaturn]

I aspire to be as cool as Liam is.

[@kyrasaturn]

"are you okay???" -liam 2022

[@theahegwood]

A non fiction I love is “the rebellious life of Ms.Rosa Parks” by … theoharris

[@trixiez]

Salvage The Bones is absolutely the next Jesmyn Ward you should pick up!

[@gabriellebelcourt5487]

Madeline Miller is currently working on a Persephone retelling!! 😍

[@kategriffiths9777]

Happy Anniversary

[@Sydney2326]

I’m not sure if anyone has said, but Madeline Miller’s next book is going to be about Persephone! Which I’m insanely excited about

[@filmblooms]

apparently madeline's doing a hades and persephone retelling? a friend told me about it so don't quote me on that. but if anyone can pull of a story like that, it's totally her.

[@Jeffrey.e]

Have we ever discussed Rob's NHL team? Because I need to know how many times the Kraken destroy Rob's team. 😈

[@BookReader-gh2hx]

I'm really afraid to touch Little Women retellings (I love Amy for exactly the reasons I think a lot of people have disliked her, I am also a youngest child lol) but that clip you played from the audiobook is really intriguing. I might have to check it out.

[@mrgreenleafx]

reminder for you to change the titel and thumbnail for your 3rd time's the charm series!

[@SantReads]

Galatea is Madeline Miller's best and that's the hill I'm going to die on.

[@chariotmoon]

it’s pronounced ga-la-tay-a. at least, that’s how i pronounce it lol. update: i got further into the vlog 😂