Dec's BEST Reads Revealed, Mixed Month & Great Haul!

[@Fianna1775-o5u]

Thank you so much for a fantastic year here on Booktube! It's been quite a journey for me, but in the spirit of our One for the Road this month, I think there’s a lot of good work to reflect on this year. I successfully made it to Europe and, just a few days ago, passed my exam after studying three hours a day, every day, since September, thank God. I didn’t get as much reading done in December as I did in other months, though. I think my brain was fried from all the studying, and traveling home for the holidays, plus taking the exam, was exhausting. It’s amazing how just sitting there can make you feel like you’ve been stomped on by an elephant. Despite everything, I really enjoyed the books I read. Three of them were rereads though, which might explain why I found them so enjoyable. I started with Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson. This relatively short nonfiction book tells the story of the Cline brothers, Joseph and Isaac, two meteorologists living in Galveston during the 1900 hurricane-the deadliest natural disaster in American history. The storm claimed between 6,000 and 12,000 lives, mostly in Galveston, ending the young city’s Golden Era and paving the way for Houston’s rise as the dominant city in Texas’s Gulf region. Larson delves into the internal conflicts within the early American weather bureau, its shaky ability to predict the weather, and its political struggles-particularly with the Cuban weather bureau, which repeatedly warned America about the storm but was dismissed. The book also explores the personal tension between the Cline brothers, one of whom tried desperately to persuade the other to evacuate. It’s a powerful story of arrogance, desperation, and regret. As I read, I felt an intense, mounting sense of dread. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a shorter nonfiction read, especially if you're not ready for something as hefty as The Last Lion trilogy (excellent books). Next, I read the first book of Asimov’s Foundation series. I had physically read it in 2022, but I wanted to revisit it in audiobook form, especially since Scott Brick narrated the trilogy. I’ve loved Scott Brick’s voice ever since I heard him as Duke Leto in Dune and the God Emperor in God Emperor of Dune. His narration really elevated the book for me, adding depth to characters who, in my opinion, are often a bit underdeveloped in the text. If you’re new to Asimov, I highly recommend Foundation, as it’s one of the most influential series in science fiction. While the first three books are great, I personally found the sequels to be a bit of a chore. After that, I picked up Legend of the Galactic Heroes Volume 8 by Yoshiki Tanaka. Big things happened in this one! I’ve packed the last two books of the series for my flight back to Europe, and I’m excited to see how it all wraps up. I don’t often read long series, so it’s been a rewarding experience to stick with this one for the past two years. Since Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky was my book of the year for 2024, I decided to dive into the second book in the series, Children of Ruin, which I read in January. I’d heard some mixed reviews, with some fans of Children of Time not as fond of the sequel, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. While this book follows a more typical plot structure than its predecessor (which explored the development of an entire civilization over thousands of years), I still found it enjoyable, and perhaps even more so than many others on Booktube. The new characters were compelling, and though the plot wasn’t as groundbreaking as Children of Time, it was still very engaging. Children of Time will likely remain my favorite in the trilogy (I’m currently listening to Children of Memory), but I wholeheartedly recommend the entire series. Finally, my last read of the year was another reread: Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. Yes, I picked it up because of the film's publicity (which I was too lazy to get on a bus for an hour to see in English, I’ll wait till it comes out on streaming). If you're married to the musical, I’d warn you that the book is quite different in tone, plot, and characterization. It’s a wonky read, with a very distinct sense of humor that I really enjoy. It’s definitely not perfect, but I really enjoyed it, and I might revisit the sequels later in the year when I need a good laugh. That’s it for me this month! Now that the exam is behind me, I should have more time to read this month than I did last month. Wishing all of you a fantastic year! Happy Reading!

[@BrianBell7]

I love the fact that you share your reading journey with us all. AND, great job passing your exam!!! That's fantastic! Happy New Year!

[@marianneguevara8279]

Always happy to gift books to book friends! Hope you enjoy the series Brian! I'll be in the chat once you guys start your readalong in March and I can't wait!

[@BrianBell7]

You are the best, Marianne! Truly!

[@ahojahojish]

Pillars of the earth is one of the greatest books ever written. I was BLOWN AWAY!

[@BrianBell7]

It seems to be a pretty regular outcome of reading it! I'm excited! Happy New Year!

[@GentleGiantJason]

Pillars of the Earth is a great book. I also love Licanius

[@BrianBell7]

So good to know!!

[@rsimpson235]

Great video! I'm so glad to hear you liked Feet of Clay!! And I totally understand about the audiobook vs reading it. I listened to the audiobook myself, narrated by the original narrator - Nigel Planer - and loved it, but that is also listened to the whole City Watch series as audio. I hope you continue the series! The only book I read in December was a parenting book haha so I'm thinking it will not end up on your 2025 TBR 😋 I look forward to watching more of your videos in 2025!

[@BrianBell7]

Thank you so much! Discworld is great!!

[@heidi6281]

I love the leather jacket Brian! Look Sharp! The purple blazer is pretty good looking too!

[@BrianBell7]

I love the colors!

[@KindlesandKicks]

Dude, that book haul was insane! I’m super jelly. Words of Radiance was my favorite of the month. I enjoy it more each time I read it. Happy that honest Wind and Truth review worked in your favor.

[@BrianBell7]

It really is an excellent book! Yeah, I'm happy that being straightforward about my thoughts seems to resonate with viewers! Happy New Year Dark-O!

[@groofay]

I tried to read Gourds! Gourds! in December, but it was just a bunch of pictures of squash and pumpkins and whatnot. I dunno what you all see in it, DNF'd at around ten pages. My December was pretty light on reading; my read of the month was easily Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which I read on paperback with the author's audiobook. Was an absolute delight.

[@BrianBell7]

Love hitchikers! Happy New Year Gourd Groofay!

[@BeardofDarkness]

Great video! Glad to have met you in 2024🎉!

[@BrianBell7]

Same to you! I'm so happy as well!

[@Johanna_reads]

Ooh! I'm excited to get to Feet of Clay! That's interesting about the audiobook experience. I sometimes find the right narrator can make the humor land for me more, but I also like to have my eyes on the page. Glad you loved The Gallant!

[@BrianBell7]

For sure let me know what you think when you read it! I did love The Gallant! Happy New Year, Johanna!!

[@GentleGiantJason]

I also really like Benedict Jacks. I think you will enjoy his new series too.

[@BrianBell7]

I'm psyched for it. Such an Alex Verus fan. Interested to follow Mike's journey through the books this year!

[@Talking_Story]

It was the best of times for you in December my brother.

[@BrianBell7]

Pretty, pretty good.

[@N.A.Summur]

Awesome book haul. Those Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn books look SO GOOD! And my most positive achievement of the year was definitely finishing the first draft of my novel. Excited about getting more into editing it this year!

[@BrianBell7]

Congrats, N.A! Super happy for you!

[@N.A.Summur]

@ thank you!

[@TomOrange]

I love those editions of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Ive thought about trying to read them in 2025. Tad feels like a huge blind spot of me.

[@BrianBell7]

If I decide to do it later in the year, there's a chance Philip might join as well. You'd be welcome.

[@TomOrange]

@@BrianBell7 I would love to join in on that!

[@heidi6281]

I think Allen says you should only eyeball Pratchett, the word play stands out on the page. I did that with my two favs, Wyrd Sisters & Guards! Guards!

[@BrianBell7]

He does! And for me, he’s totally right. Happy New Year, Heidi!

[@Zivilin]

I'd say the same goes for any books with rich or flowery prose. Better to eyeball it. But that's just my opinion.

[@heidi6281]

@ I am going to find out soon enough, planning on listening to Curse of the Mistwraith, reading it was pure torture and I gave up after 3 chapters.

[@Zivilin]

@@heidi6281 I've not tried Janny yet, but my own experience with listening to flowery prose was awful. I had to rewind so many times. My adhd brain does better when i eyeball the words and pierce the meaning together of unfamiliar words from the full sentence.

[@stjepanvaresevaccobets]

I think you'll be thrilled with Tad Williams. Super video :)

[@BrianBell7]

Thanks, Stjepan! Happy New Year! I'm excited whenever I get to them!

[@sergeybudarin7071]

I'm reading "The Dragonbone Chair" very well so far!

[@BrianBell7]

I've heard such great things!

[@esmayrosalyne]

I am sooo eager to read The Gallant after hearing everyone's gushing!! And what a lovely book haul, hope you enjoy those gems. Happy New Year and happy reading to you ☺ Now, how would you answer that one for the road for yourself?

[@BrianBell7]

I really think you'll enjoy it. She packs so much into such a short page count. I'd say, my OFTR happened really late in the year when I felt like too much was out of my control with business and family health issues. So I decided to cut sugar and processed foods entirely from my diet until I get down to a physical level I'm comfortable with, then slowly bring it back but be more moderate. 4th quarter for me was filled with Amazon bots crushing my entire business and uncertain parental medical stuff - so I looked at my own diet correction as something 100% within my control to take care of.

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@BrianBell7 good on you for doing that, you definitely deserve to be proud of that! and hope that the amazon mess and medical stuff with your parents has resolved by now, sending all the love!

[@BookishChas]

Awesome stuff Brian! I’ve never read the books of Babel series, and it’s been on my list for ages. I only read three books in December. Wind and Truth, which I feel only slightly better than you about lol. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, which was great, and my favorite - Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman by Patricia Meredith.

[@BrianBell7]

Happy New Year, Chas! I really need to read both Patricia's and Andrew's books sometime this year.

[@BookishChas]

@ happy new year to you as well, Brian! I definitely still need to read Andrew’s books.

[@LeslivresdeTontonJu]

Book of the month for December was The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan. Slow to start but what a finale ! My main book for January is Fool's Quest by Robin Hobb.

[@BrianBell7]

The Great Hunt is top tier WoT IMO. Everything a great fantasy book can be! Enjoy Fool's Quest! Another stellar book. Happy New Year!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Great haul, Brian! Since I plan to reread Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn in 2025, perhaps we can coordinate a buddy read if you’re up for it.

[@BrianBell7]

Very cool! I’d love that!

[@dalicieux]

Rivers of London was actually my very first read of 2025 and I enjoyed it a lot. I had a few issues with it but on and on a very promising start to a series. Comparing it to Verus, I'd say the tone is lighter and a bit more whimsical but still just as filled with darkness lurking underneath. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts about it.

[@BrianBell7]

Excellent! I’m excited for it!

[@mnp1065]

For me, this month I finished House of Chains and now I'm halfway through Midnight Tides. I will probably finish it in about three days or so. Actually, in Midnight Tides, it took me a while to get used to the new characters other than Trull Sengar, but it gets more interesting as it goes forward.

[@BrianBell7]

Can’t wait for that book in Feb for me! Witness!

[@mnp1065]

@@BrianBell7 You will enjoy this one too, I'm sure

[@AndrewSlice219]

I think December book of the month for me has to be Empire of Silence. Oathbringer is a close second, but I was very impressed with the beginning of Suneater!

[@BrianBell7]

It keeps getting better IMO!

[@eronlittle1276]

I read the Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King, which I highly recommend. It was a 5 star for me. You like fantasy, and i felt it to be a must for fantasy fans. I also read the conclusion of the Coldfire trilogy, Crown of Shadows by CS Friedman and... it was terrible. Book 2 was good, but unless you just really have to finish it... don't bother with the third.

[@BrianBell7]

Nice! I have the Eyes of the Dragon here but honestly don't think I've ever read it! I'll put it on the list. Happy New Year!

[@eronlittle1276]

@BrianBell7 happy new year!

[@dougsundseth6904]

December was a big reading month for me: 43 books, with a 3.19 average rating. Only three 5-star reads: Catharsis (Awaken Online #1), Travis Bagwell; Demon Divine (Demon Accords #14), John Conroe; Bloody Acquisitions (Fred the Vampire Accountant #3). I did have a bunch of 4-star books, but the average was dragged down by six 2-star and one 1-star books. The best of the lot was probably Bloody Acquisitions. The series started out very slowly, but by this book 3, the characterization was brilliant and the rather fractured plotting of the first book had been smoothed out. Catharsis was very good, but the first books of series tend to get higher ratings than they perhaps deserve from me, so I'm unwilling to elevate it to book of the month right now. My retrospective opinion of Demon Divine is being pulled down a bit by Blood Cull (book 18 in the same series), which was execrable (an early candidate for worst book in 2025). I've really liked The Demon Accords, but at this point I'd advise reading only through book 16, because the falloff from there has been rather catastrophic. If I hadn't already bought book 19, I would never read it. As it is, it won't be a priority. A general highlight of the month was the Alex Verus series. I read book #1 some time ago and frankly thought it was derivative and slow. But I got the remainder of the series on Audible+ for free, and my enjoyment of the series rapidly climbed after that first book. I wouldn't rate the series in (or even very near) my top 10 series of all time, but it was definitely enjoyable.

[@BrianBell7]

VERY glad that Awaken Online Catharsis worked for you. If you continue, and I"m sure you will, read the side novels in order of publication - they add flavor and info to the main Jason story. The Tarot trilogy in there is excellent as is the books featuring Dom. YES, on Alex Verus! Perfect for what it is. I'll get the Bloody Acquisitions books

[@TF-lk6co]

I started playing Elden Ring in December so my reading time was significantly reduced. Who could possibly have seen that coming.

[@BrianBell7]

Me. I did. I saw it coming.

[@iSamwise]

I cannot express how much I appreciate the correct pronunciation of The Gallant. I’m sick of hearing people talk about The GuLLaEAent or however that incorrect pronunciation goes…

[@BrianBell7]

LOL - I know. I actually DM'd Janny Wurts to make sure I was saying it right :)

[@elainedejong2806]

Rivers of London is a great urban fantasy. I hope you like it :)

[@mnp1065]

Goddman brian the intro was great🤣🤣 I might try gaurds! gaurds! from discworld too this month just I heard this series comedy is great and want to see how great it is

[@BrianBell7]

Guards! Guards! is Excellent! 5/5 for me.

[@mnp1065]

​@@BrianBell7 Can’t wait to start this book-sounds amazing!

[@MacScarfield]

That BB Edition of «To Green Angel Tower»😎🙌 n December I read: «The Power Broker» by Robert Caro (Political Biography/Investigative Journalism Classic, my Q4 long-read: What an amazing mix of encyclopedic knowledge, real life larger than life characters & wit, as a showcase, his description of NYC Mayor La Guardia as a mayoral candidate: «La Guardia possessed qualifications for making the run beyond the fact that, half Jewish and half Italian, married first to a Catholic and then to a Lutheran of German descent, himself a Mason and an Episcopalian, he was practically a balanced ticket all by himself.» 😂) «Dreaming the Eagle» («Boudica» #1) by Manda Scott (Historical Fiction about the Celtic British Queen and her Rebellion against the Romans: Amazing prose, borderline Fantasy with the Celtic Druidic elements!) «Baudolino» by Umberto Eco (Historical Fantasy set during the Later Crusades on the border of Myth and History in 13th Century Europe and Middle East: Eco loves to overload his reader with Literary and Medieval in-jokes, so clearly he is my Spiritual Italian Uncle!😄) «Dictator» (Cicero Trilogy #3) by Robert Harris (Historical Fiction about the Roman Politician Cicero: While not my favorite in the Trilogy, Harris’ Cicero is easily my favorite character in 2024!) I received «Sun Eater» 3-6: «Demon in White», «Kingdoms of Death», «Ashes of Men» & «Disquiet Gods» (+ the short stories) by Christopher Ruocchio (Space Opera) in December! Only Paperbacks, but still they have some how been hard to get a hold off here in Norway! Cheers Brian!

[@BrianBell7]

The only Eco I've read is Name of the Rose. I'll have to add him more into TBR Mountain. Keep me posted what you think of Sun Eater! Cheers, Mac!

[@MacScarfield]

@ «The Name of the Rose» is one of my favorite books: That one is Classic Eco, such as the detective-monk William of Baskerville being a reference to both Sherlock Holmes (specifically the story «The Hound of Baskerville») and the real life Medieval figure of William of Ockham (he of «Ockham's razor») pitch as a figure of rationality against the reactionary blind old monk Jorge of Burgos (a not so subtle «take that» to the then still alive and near-blind writer-philosopher Jorge Luis Borges, who both inspired the style of the story but whom also the anti-authoritarian Eco had a bone or two to pick with too! 😄). I forgot one novel: «City of Thieves» by David Benioff (Historical Fiction set during the WW2 Seige of Leningrad (Modern Day St. Petersburg): Man, the gallows humor is strong in this one! 😅 «“Stalin goes to visit one of the collectives outside of Moscow,” began Kolya in his joke-telling voice. “Wants to see how they’re getting on with the latest Five-Year Plan. ‘Tell me, comrade,’ he asks one farmer. ‘How did the potatoes do this year?’ ‘Very well, Comrade Stalin. If we piled them up, they would reach God.’ ‘But God does not exist, Comrade Farmer.’ ‘Nor do the potatoes, Comrade Stalin’.» 😂) Will do! 🫡