Random Book Awards of 2023 || Best & Worst Books Recommendations

[@LALALALALALDJDNCJC]

Emily : The tree is coming down after this video. The cats : Actually, we already took it down for you

[@SloanePaoPow]

Clawdia shaking the tree in the background is peak comedy 😸

[@Nico-lk5hb]

I’m so hyped for the “read it or…” and “Hugo/Nebula challenge” of 2024 🎉🎉 can’t wait 🥰😇

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

The next video on the 29th is about the read it…. Challenge. I did better than I expected!

[@louisathellama]

I love the cats making the most of the Christmas decorations before you have to take them down 😂

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

THE TREE IS GOOOOONE! The lights will stay for a few more days but not much longer lol

[@JJ-rx8ym]

One of my most hated tropes are ‘woman made crazy by infertility.’ There was a thriller that was pretty good until it relied on that trope. I couldn’t even say why I didn’t like it without it being a huge spoiler.

[@user-qu8zs7vs1x]

Fun fact: most of the Neapolitan series show is in neapolitan, which is so different than italian that even us italians need subtitles to watch it

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

No way!! It sounds so good, it made me want to learn Italian!

[@user-qu8zs7vs1x]

@@BookswithEmilyFox parts of it are in Italian! But yeah a lot of it is in a very different dialect that is almost impossible to understand for non-neapolitans

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

That tracks with the book tbh

[@mathildanilsson1614]

Just a tip Jasmine throne is on sale on Google book and The Sword of Kaigen is on sale on Kindle right now if anyone want them 😊

[@anavargas2837]

Thank you for letting us know!! I just bought The Sword of Kaiden for only $0.99 🥹

[@michellecgb]

The tree shaking in the background is sending me 😂 cats being cats

[@maddielc204]

I bought Blood Over Bright Haven with my Christmas money! Can't wait to read it!

[@badfaith4u]

Claudia and Chunky in the background are peak cat energy. 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛ I love your Read It or Unhaul It challenge.

[@dannieros3]

Emily: This is the weirdest book to exist Viola Davis: This book shaped my life

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

The Butler’s book? 😂

[@ashlieketchum878]

I love the cover for in the company of witches!! It’s honestly my favorite one of all the ones shown in this video

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Everyone is so divided over it 😂

[@t0ebeans]

Same lol I’d have that proudly displayed

[@Jennifer-dw8su]

I have you to thank for my extensive 2024 TBR! So many I hope to read next year because of your recommendations, merci beaucoup. I will definitely not be at a loss for what to read, just what to read first 8) 😊

[@juliafigueiracosta1500]

Omg, nothing to do with the video but a publisher here in brasil just announced legends and lattes and im so excited to finally pick it up!!!

[@jc37070]

FYI - the adaptation of the Neapolitan Novels is 1-to-1 with the books (i.e. season 1 = book 1, season 2 = book 2, and season 3 = book 3), so you won’t be spoiling yourself for the last book if you catch up with the show. The fourth book hasn’t been adapted yet. Might be a useful refresher to catch up with the show before diving in to the final book!

[@lilimel33]

im hearing the audiobook to in the comany of witches rn and im really invested on it and i also LOVE the cover, i love this kinda art style it has !! hahahah and about the most time ive spend to read a book was she who became the sun, i started it basically on jan 1st 2022 and finished in januray this year, another one (but not from this year) was the rise of kyoshi, that was a 5 start read, but took me about 1 year and a half to finish......

[@Elsa_ingenue]

Galatea is also my favourite short book of the year - I would do anything for Miller to make it a full length novel!!

[@panikiczcock2891]

My tip for the Xmas tree is to attach the bottom part to a big plank of wood. My cat still clibs it, but the tree doesn't fall over!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I’ll need to remember that for next year. For now the tree is gone lol

[@kbird6208]

We use a hook on the wall and fishing line to tie the top of the tree since in my childhood either the cat or dog knocked it over. Still do, although luckily all my current cat wants to do is rub his head on the ornaments near the floor. Which is good because he's a giant and would destroy things if he climbed 😂

[@ejderhaz]

I definitely second the character development in Blood Over Bright Haven!! It was so satisfying to read.

[@onfaerystories]

You've bumped up Blood Over Bright Haven (Sword of Kaigen made it on my best of 2022 list!) and Greenbone saga on my TBR. ☺️ This year, I've also read The Wall (loved it too! it definitely scratched that "I Who Have Never Known Man" itch 👌) and The Memory Police (it read like a fairy tale instead of an actual dystopian novel, which didn't work for me - I was so excited for the 1984 reference but it really had nothing to do with it 🥴 Also, the characters didn't feel like real people, they were so emotionally removed).

[@katiemurphy6414]

I am currently listening to When the Crow's Away and I'm really liking it so far! You're the reason I picked up In the Company of Witches. Who new I needed a "cozy" Mystery in my life.

[@laura_plays_games]

If it helps at all I’ve had my cats since they were kittens and they finally didn’t bother with the tree much this year…they just turned sixteen 😬

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Oh… can’t wait 😭

[@TheYasmineFlower]

What is the best book with a red cover you read this year, and why is it Blood Over Bright Haven?

[@komaedacoffee4298]

9:45 i love how The Wall lines up PERFECTLY with your wall in the background 😂

[@candyr8933]

Could you make a video about favorite character, funniest character, most endearing, funniest passage in a book… things like that? Maybe book that made you cry the hardest? Book that made you call your mom? That might be another interesting book awards video!

[@renakellner4448]

Fate of the tearling spoiler please? I read the first one and really enjoyed it but that was years ago and i cannot be bothered to continue😅

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

SPOILERS The second book introduces a second genre... dystopian!

[@zachreads]

Best translations A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (Norwegian) Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (japanese) The Core of the Sun by Johanna Sinisalo (Finnish) The Diary of Anne Frank (Dutch) Last Night in Nuuk by Niviaq Korneliussen (Greenlandic) The Saga of the Volsungs (old Norse) The Stranger (I know school ruined that one for you : ( All Quiet on the Western Front (German) Madame Bovary The Wall and I Who... of course

[@heatherm561]

I got Blood Over Bright Haven for Christmas. Can't wait to get started. I also want to dive into A Day of Fallen Night. Have you heard anything about Godkiller by Hannah Kaner? I'm excited to read that one too. Adore the cat chaos content as always.

[@zachreads]

Godkiller was 4.5☆ A Day of Fallen Night was a full 5☆ for me! Highly recommend both.

[@kellymanfredini3835]

I just got godkiller from the library

[@juditkovacse]

My favorite cover of the year is The Other Mother by Rachel M. Harper (the book is ok, personally was expecting more from it) My least favorite is Less Is More by Jason Hickel. The book itself is great 5/5 stars stuff, but the cover looks like it was made in power point lol. And the book that it took me the longest to read was Just Above My Head by James Baldwin. I started reading it about 2 years ago, and finally finished it this year. It is a huge book (for a litfic book 584 pages is a lot), but it took me so long not because of the length, but because it starts with the most heart breaking chapter of anything I've ever read. It starts with a brother describing his shock and grief at the murder of his brother. It's not a murder mystery, but just literary fiction, and it tells the story of their lives, and the relationship between the brothers. The book overall is absolutely amazing and my new favorite book of all time. But it is intense.

[@caitlynprice9501]

I want to know which of your reads from this year would be each of your cats' favorites!

[@marek3505]

I think the cover for In the Company of Witches is pretty! lolol

[@Chaotic_Pixie]

2 things: 1. I'd love to know what book you'd most like to see a film/tv adaptation for (that doesn't already have one) & any thoughts on who might play what roles? 2. I recently did a coloring page that gave me an idea for your 2024 Christmas background. It was a bookcase where the books had been placed in the shape of a Christmas tree using book ends & other heavy objects to prop the books in place & then lights were woven in & around the books. Alternatively, you could always decorate a cat tree XD

[@hollymiddleton5740]

The rustling of the cat in the tree! 🤣 It's January 9th and our tree is still up because my rabbits are loving sleeping under it. It's time though - we are taking it down tonight.

[@ayssasabarretto676]

Your uploads have been the best Christmas gift this year! ❄️♥️

[@saraostlund2510]

I HAVE to know the twist in the fate of the tearling... Please spoil it!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

SPOILERS Basically goes back in time and changes the future

[@blandface9957]

What was the best audiobook you listened to this year? . . For me I'm typically unlucky when it comes to audiobooks however I listened to the lord of the rings (the one narrated by Phil Dragash) and the blade Itself and personally fell in love with them! They made me want to get more into audiobooks 👀

[@AureliaIsBored]

If you have tree-climbing cats you can try anchoring your tree to the wall next holiday season. We had to do that for my housemate's cat in 2023 and now he doesn't even try to climb it.

[@Elsa_ingenue]

I kind of get your stance on The Change! I really loved it because I was in the mood for a long book that drags on with older characters that I really enjoyed but I think that if I had read it during another time I would’ve felt that it was too stretched out too!

[@carlacannizzaro1643]

I came for the book reviews. I stayed for the cat chaos. 😻

[@Books_BrewsandBeyond]

Claudia is such a sweet heart!. I still need to get to A Day Of Fallen Night- I did enjoy Galatea though.

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I think coming up with your own awards is the best way to determine your favorite books.

[@lef0503]

As a toddler parent, you have cats who have been possessed by toddlers - I swear 😂❤ I love them.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Fortunately, they’re getting better, but they can’t be two years old soon enough lol

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

So what you’re saying is I need to read blood over bright haven 😏

[@christinedugas3089]

So many videos recently! Thank you! A book cover I've never liked and has, until this year, kept me from reading the book is A Little Life. It just looks to me like someone punched Kyle MacLachlan in his nether regions. I finally ignored the cover and read the book this year with sort of middle-of-the-road results. I found it compulsively readable but flawed, so I understand both people who love the book and those that hate it.

[@kbird6208]

I hate that cover too. Don't think I'll read the book though.

[@laurenschenck5355]

The Fate of the Tearling love this series so much! ❄️📖❤️❤️❤️❄️☃️💚📖🎅🏻🎅🏻📚🎁🎁📚🎄🎄🎅🏻🎅🏻📚💚☃️❄️📖📖❄️❄️☃️🎅🏻🎅🏻📙📙📚📚❤️❤️❤️❤️🎄🎄🎄🎄🎅🏻📙📚📚🎁💚💚☃️❄️📖❤️❤️❤️❤️🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻📚📚📚☃️💚💚💚

[@reflectiverambling1148]

I really love this way you've looked at your reading. i hope you don't mind if I steal these to review my own journey. I don't post on youtube, but will absolutly rec you as origin of this idea if I ever share my selections in any form anywhere. You're totally right about the cover. It's one of those things where if i just was going on a cover by I'd pass right on. Great books with great adaptations are the best. Was sad in a couple adaptations i saw this year.

[@judithcakelover]

I also really like In a Company of Witches and I cant wait to read more cozy fantasy.

[@rose_dreamer]

My favorite book of 2023 is The Vanished Birds. I'm 50% through Blood Over Bright Haven and am loving it!

[@nonfictionfeminist]

In the Company of Witches has good artwork and ideas on the cover, the problem is that visually, it's way too much. Everything is in a super bright color, everything has details, there's a ton of different things going on, and the eye does not have a focal point

[@BellesLibrary]

The cover of in the company of witches has definitely kept me from picking it up!! It's rough

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Im glad I decided to try it anyway but ouf… 👀🙈

[@ann5326]

Don't know why people love watching you suffer, personally my favorite video of yours this year was the one where you read Ice Planet Barbarians. It was such a fun experience to share with you! I loved how light-hearted and positive that one was (not that there's anything wrong with hating on a book)

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

To be fair, that’s one of the ones people consider me reading it as suffering lol

[@zachreads]

Best short books Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss The Wehrwolf by Alma Katsu Best twist Iron Widow Best LGBTQIA+ The Mermaid the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (i had a very very gay year so that could be it's own list!)

[@leticiatoraci9855]

I would like a video about entertaining mystery books since I am lately reading light mystery, if possible with a bit of SFF in them. Books like "Finlay Donovan Is Killing It" and "Death of a Clone".

[@Juli6SS]

Your everyday must be so fun with those three being so active 😂

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Luckily it only lasts a couple hours a day. They've been napping on the couch for 5h barely moving at this point today lol

[@margaretdyal1380]

How High We Go in the Dark was my weirdest read. I did love it. I read the most by Ben Aaronovitch and Christopher Fowler as I am working on series by them.

[@kbird6208]

I listened to The Change and it definitely could have been cut down a bit. I think I sped it up some and it was still dragging it parts.

[@devlyn873]

Cover so bad it looped back around to charming 😂

[@sorenkrane]

Kaiju preservation was exactly what I expected it to be 😅

[@laurenschenck5355]

Hope you had a great merry Christmas happy holidays Emily 🎄❤️💚❤️❄️☃️☃️🎄❤️💚🎁🎁🎁💚❤️❄️☃️☃️📙📙📙🎅🏻🎅🏻📙📙📙🎅🏻🎅🏻📖📚📙📙📖📖📖📖📙📖📖📚📚📚📚📚📙📙📙📚📚📚📚

[@triple..a]

Can you spoil the trope for Fate of the tearling? I want to know!

[@RyeMiArt]

worst classic cover: ANY The Picture of Dorian Grey book. I wish I was kidding! Omg that tree falling 😂 Everyone needs to read Blood over Bright Haven! The best cover for me was probably The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Nettle and Bone (the black and orange one), Six Crimson Cranes (really hoped to like the book so I can have it on my shelf, nope), and Slewfoot.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

There’s an edition of classics that are all florals and I remember the Dorian grey one being pretty!!

[@RyeMiArt]

@@BookswithEmilyFox ohh, ok, then maybe there is ONE pretty edition :D But that book got into my, ehm, top 10 worst books of 2023 sooo...oops :D

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Oh I thought you were looking for a pretty edition XD

[@RyeMiArt]

@@BookswithEmilyFox I was. And then I read the book 😆

[@eettis]

pls what's the trope in the tearling book i need to know so bad

[@sabrinavaszkova8508]

What's up with mama cat? You said something about rehoming her.but I didn't know if it was a joke or not. And in your cat video you didn't mention her. So now I'm confused 😅 was she rehomed? Could you give me an update? I know she was always hissing at the babies

[@DesAnanieva]

I decided to give my awards in my bookstagram and while doing it i found out my Fonda Lee is Tracy Deon :D Thank you for the idea

[@jelatinosa]

Something about those two ugly covers feels nostalgic to me.

[@Dragondarkness30]

I really think you should do a new Drunk video review of the books you liked and didn't like I would definitely watch that.

[@swe3tpeach]

my weirdest book this year was popisho by leone ross but it was also my favorite 😅 that book was nuts!

[@BooksWithJudy]

You should try Sebastian Fitzek, if you want to read german translated work :D

[@freyabookishgamer]

Well, the cats made your job easier for taking the tree down 😂

[@muellersgame8001]

Love your videos and nook reviews.

[@iheartwalle]

It took me 127 days to listen to an audiobook about cults. It wasn't super long, i just kept forgetting about it

[@nonfictionfeminist]

Spoiler for Fate of the Tearling please 😁

[@a.b.2405]

Living for the cat chaos! ❤

[@LisaK1075]

Ooooh yeah those book covers are bad. 😂

[@Beaureads24]

Memory police was a little weird for me.

[@somatoes4667]

why

[@nonfictionfeminist]

Wait, why do you kind of hate Fonda Lee?

[@julijaam]

I thought you would have realised by now that the Christmas tree isn't actually a Christmas tree but rather a giant cat tree

[@arya0553]

Just finished the fate of the tearling and… İ am okay with the ending, BUT İ just have to say: even the last book felt like a prologue… there was zero to little world-building and even the magic system was not explained… it’s worth a Shot but definitely never going to make it to my favourite series of all time🤣

[@ivonaivona668]

Why laughing when talking about watching films with subtitles? I've been doing that my whole life. We don't have dubbed films where im from, thankfully, and it helps immensely with learning foreign languages

[@taniamelente]

💫

[@BirgitHaeupl]

📚🐱❤️

[@jessicamorales1556]

🏆❤️

[@Jayariee]

I hope this isn't taken badly but is it possible to clip out areas when you're distracted in the future? Maybe it's just me but when someone comes off topic or break the flow of what they're saying it throws off the experience/vibe for me

[@joediedavenport6079]

Of all the ugly book covers you could have picked, you picked one with a fluffy black 🐈‍⬛️??? Shame! Shame, Emily!

[@MariaDamnRulez]

im early yaaay

[@laurenschenck5355]

Blood over bright haven one of my favorite books i agree with you 100% ☃️📖📙📚📙☃️💚💚❄️🎁❄️❄️🎄💚☃️🎅🏻🎅🏻❤️❤️📚☃️💚❄️🎅🏻❤️🎅🏻🎁🎄🎄🎄🎁❤️❤️❤️🎅🏻🎁❄️📖📙📚📚📚📚☃️💚💚🎄❄️🎁❤️❤️❤️🎅🏻🎁❄️❄️❄️❄️