every book i read this summer....the good, the great, and the mediocre ☀️

[@kizzyneetyan]

I'm Glad My Mom Died was also a 5 star for me, and I feel weird calling it one of my favorite reads this year because it is SO hard to read and SO sad, but it was just so well written and so impactful. Loved it.

[@AClockworkReader]

agreed!!

[@emilypettet6536]

Girl me too!!!

[@jessajayne1982]

I read this in a day and then got mad at myself for going so quickly bc there wasn’t book left. I hope this opens the whole world for her!

[@isaa1782]

The quote from "Alone with you in the ether" is the epitome of "they got us in the first half"

[@alefiyabattiwala4429]

The glow and pure happiness on Hannan's face when she talks about her favs🤧🤧💜💜

[@Ally-oj4fo]

“this is essentially a fanfic of roy and riza from fullmetal alchemist brotherhood” that’s all i need to hear. i’m absolutely sold.

[@TheAquamarine4]

I’m soooo excited to read this now!!!

[@haveyoumetmanvi]

my tbr cries everytime hannah makes a new video but i endorse this 😌

[@bilqeesmohammed3595]

Something I wanna mention is that Alone With You in the Ether was based on Olivie’s own experience with bipolar disorder, coming off prescription drugs, and her dealing with her mental health through her sexuality. So I don’t believe those were “tropes” she selected. And also, she basically wrote this and self-published without any promo or publicity it hoping no one would read it. Again, totally get why you didn’t like it but just wanted to share the ✨context✨.

[@brooklynbaby9276]

Okay Hannah, I've been following you since high school, I'm now almost done with college, your videos gave me sm comfort and happiness I don't think you understand how much I'm obsessed and to this day I still get excited everytime u post smthn, knowing that I'll be sitting in my bed watching u talk about books is just my reason to live and I think you should know that, thank you for bieng you and for just existing I love you sm

[@angelikahelmer1470]

Omg me too!!

[@elizaelise5192]

I feel the exact same opposite way about Alone With You In The Ether! like, I completely agree with all the points you brought up. it truly was pretentious, but somehow I enjoyed it that way and I also sort of loved how unfinished and 'stream of consciousness' the writing was. it probably had a lot to do with the fact that I wasn't really in the best place when I read it so I found solace in characters that also had so much going on in their minds. it really did try to be so many things at once and there were times where that bothered me, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. I gave it 5 stars (same rating I gave ta6) because I love her characters, despite how weak her plots are (like, srsly, when you think about it, literally NOTHING happened in ta6 and in awyite), and I'm a huge fan of her writing style (even though it really does hilariously swerve into edgy absurdity sometimes like with that quote you mentioned. I almost spat out my drink when it popped up on the screen). anyways, I just wanted to point out how nice it is that people can agree on the same things but still have different opinions. like, the things that made you dislike this book were also the exact same reasons why I loved it. booktok can just be fun that way.

[@PaperbackJourneys]

Summer is lovely and everything but I’m always happy to see the end of it. I’m an English bloke living in Georgia and I was raised for the grey skies lol. Amazing summer reading list you had!! I need to pick up A Far Wilder Magic because I love that kind of magic system.

[@honeybeartae7943]

ahh alone with you in the ether is actually one of my favourite books this year!! and no it's definitely not a romance book.. totally get that not everyone would like it but to me personally I absolutely love it

[@wickerlibrary]

i'm reading parable of the sower for my disibility media & literature class and i'm SO excited it's so cool hearing you talk about it at the same time i'm picking it up

[@AlexanderBrando]

Juniper & Thorn was a bloody wild ride. Loved it.

[@violaivy]

I get what you're saying about unhinged women books, many of them aren't truly unhinged. But I think the lines women are allowed to cross are much stricter so characters behaving even a little bit out of line can feel more transgressive than it really is. Still, so many of these and hot girl summer books involve so much dating and sex life things. While it's good to see this is no longer taboo a little variety would be nice. Especially as an ace woman, it's interesting to read these books but there's so much I can't relate to. Obviously I don't expect to relate to everything/every character I read but it's basically impossible to find hot girl/unhinged women books that don't center on relationships. (And none of them have ace rep, same goes for in literary and adult fiction, the vast majority of ace characters are in (YA) genre fiction). I'm not really a romance reader but you sold me on The Charm Offensive and I decided to give it a go. I'm only on chapter 2 but it seems great so far! :D

[@chloefranklin5324]

You just validated my decision not to read the Bridgerton books and stick to the show. I love season 2 with my whole heart and I don't need Kanthony ruined for me!

[@lauf22]

I would really like to see a favorite books of the year from the last x years battle kind of video either like ranking them or a vs type of video. I think it could be very fun and interesting to see.

[@aakanshagupta545]

Stressful examinations with a Hannah video just makes everything better.. so excited to hear your thoughts on some these🤩

[@prgyalakshmee4452]

Man same!

[@takshatangudu8736]

oh same! i'm in the middle of JEE prep, Middterms at school and monthly test preparations along with practicals lol

[@madhatter4129]

Same I have my physics exam monday😭

[@laurao9415]

I’m at this point that whatever you recommend I’ll follow, whatever you don’t recommend I’ll trash it. Thank you so much! Everything you’ve qualified as really good or good is exactly my taste! So yes! Thank you!

[@aniahbland4052]

Parable if the shower is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read also! And it was an academic read for my AA lit class. I LOVED it. It’s incredible, I have no idea how it’s not more well known.

[@marianamauricio]

25:39 PLEASE WHAT IS THAT QUOTE???? 🤮 i was already unsure about reading this book, now it's a certain "NO" 💀

[@jessicafarias1654]

I'm so glad you loved PARABLE OF THE SOWER! Octavia E. Butler is the best! I figured someone might have shared this in the comments already, but just in case, PARABLE OF THE TALENTS is a sequel to this book. I still need to read it, but other lovers of PARABLE OF THE SOWER that I know have told me the sequel is even better. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on it.

[@crystalhughes3331]

I’ve read them both and love them both!

[@rheadavies2808]

My dad did the map for "A Far Wilder Magic"! I also read it and loved it(unbiased)!

[@AdventuresInMyaLand]

I remember reading parts of parable of the sower my first year of college, don’t remember much but I remember enjoying a book for the first time in a long time. Still saved my copy might pick it up and read it ❤️

[@sbho]

I'm so glad you read something from Octavia E Butler, can't wait to hear more. Your excitement about reading is contagious. Thank you.

[@gothicpink4054]

Ok you're hired. That Alone with You rant was probably one of your best reviews so far 😂

[@ferventfei]

i actually really appreciate your review of "alone with you" because ive read the atlas six and dnfed it two-thirds of the way through because of similar problems, like inconsistency and caring more about being pretentious than making sense to the reader. i wanted to give the author another chance because i really loved the way the author introduced the characters in the book's first part, but your review made me realize that "alone with you" may not be for me either.

[@madisonhansen4931]

Thank you for finally describing Alone with You in the Ether. I feel like no one has said what the book is actually about and now I know it’s not for me.

[@vesves_4]

I also count Parable of the Sower as one of my favorites of all time. It’s just astounding.

[@reminiscentoss681]

The way you spoke about Juniper and Thorn reminded me of the Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein. It's a pretty slow burn character study and reframing of Frankenstein from the perspective of the character of Elizabeth Lavenza, and while I wouldn't call it a romance I think it does something to Juniper and Thorn. I would highly recommend, it's one of my favorite pieces of Frankenstein media! Plus, I think it works whether you've read the original novel or not.

[@keanancupido]

To see an actress such as Jenette who we've all come to love in the shows growing up, it's so sad to hear what happened in the background. I'm definitely going to be reading her memoir

[@jmsl910]

unpopular opinion: i thought her book was whiney --it's the real life of REAL life.

[@asan1050]

ThanksMuch! I'm really excited about reading parable of the sower, your enthusiasm is contagious abot the book.

[@folktail7790]

I'm not surprised you felt alone with you in the ether had some 'fanfic' like writing because the author was(is?) actually a fanfic author, she has tons of stuff on a03. I used to read it and half were good but half had the exact problems you mention here. The same pretentious vibe?, the random switch up of dialogue from normal quotation marks to like stage directions starting with 'from ...' and then what they said. the better stuff was definitely her oneshots because they didn't get lost. so so nice to know i wasn't the only one, because the love online surprised me

[@teddysteaparty]

i am not religious but i loved parable of the sower. it had so much to say in such a powerful but graceful way. i adored it

[@hadilaiouadj5258]

Couldn’t agree with you more on alone with you in the ether i thought i was the only one who didn’t like it when i went to good reads there were just people obssesing over it and i was really confused if i read the same book as all this people 😂

[@kiandrarodgers3436]

So glad you've been loving your recent reads! This summer I got to the final Realm of the Elderlings series, Fitz and the Fool, by Robin Hobb and got absolutely wrecked. It was such a journey and I haven't connected to a fantasy book like that in a long time, and sobbed my eyes out. Worth it, please everyone read Robin Hobb if you enjoy fantasy!

[@tameraanderson7820]

Yaassss!! Best fantasy series i have ever read!

[@anuskapaulmusic]

I am like so obsessed with her voice...... ♡♡

[@chandralekhavarma2182]

It keeps dawning on, me this home girl’s been so OG on KZbin and calming ❣️unlike the other parts of book tube, where it’s always feels like people are in a rush to finish up books and it’s about the numbers.

[@jtotheimin]

ahhhh, me and my tbr thank you

[@cuppleschristopher]

Please! Make the video about “Parable of the Sower!” I loved it too. “Parable of the Talents” is high on my TBR.

[@bear.b]

ngl, you saying that a far wider magic is inspired by Roy and Riza fanfic sold it to me faster than any other review could have! 😂😂

[@AB-wf1vg]

i've read a far wilder magic because i'm such a fan of the fma manga and roy/riza were always my favorite characters... so i loved the book too, the tropes in the books are so common in the fandom (i mean as a compliment!!), its very well written

[@carlixalfonzo]

I'm having a REALLY hard time finishing Atlas six, also by Olive Blake, because I thought the books covers way too much and wanders a lot that it really feels like a lot of unfinished thoughts. I thought it was just the book, is the author.

[@beaniebaby485]

I found Atlas Six incredibly lacking in character development and world building. I think the concept is interesting, but it was not executed nearly as well as it could have been

[@carlixalfonzo]

@@beaniebaby485 I know! the premise had potential but GOD THAT LACKLUSTER EXECUTION!

[@Brenna_elora]

Hannah you are the one bookish content creator that I truest the most for reviews. Thank you for reacting rationally and logically to bad books😂

[@prerza]

hannah uploads and suddenly the day doesn't seem that bad. love u

[@amt0310]

Okay well I didn't know that I needed a far wilder magic in my life until now, so thank you Hannah. Definitely sounds like my dream book cuz damn fmab, Roy and Riza, good development, totally got me!

[@wangocopperboom]

The audiobook for Parable of the Sower is also excellent!

[@AClockworkReader]

i listened to the audiobook!!

[@lady0fhearts07]

Your extensive review of the writing style of Alone With You In The Ether makes me want to write a novel just to have you review it so I know how to make it better until like I can get your approval? 😂😂😂 Idk but you're really good at it! 🤩

[@isabellamartinico3153]

If Hannah says a Far Wilder Magic has Sorcery of Thorns vibes, then it's immediate top of TBR!

[@venuselias6365]

I always end up with more books in my list while watching your videos 😂💕

[@gokulsv135]

I just started listening to "The Starless Sea" audiobook.. I'm so excited. Looking for more reading vlogs from you ❤️

[@alefiyabattiwala4429]

I've also bought a copy of The Starless Sea and I am sooo excited🤩🤩

[@haydenbrice7317]

@@alefiyabattiwala4429 I also just bought a copy this week!

[@alefiyabattiwala4429]

@@haydenbrice7317 Ohh yaayyy😍😍

[@Ellie-rd9ne]

I'm also reading it right now and absolutely obsessed!! It's brilliant, so well written, hope you love it as well!!

[@alefiyabattiwala4429]

@@Ellie-rd9ne So glad you are enjoying it🤗🤗 I am also looking forward to reading it soon 💜

[@C_Beaty]

I read Parable of the Sower a number of years ago and it was so, so good. Octavia Butler knows how to keep readers engaged, even if the story is hard to read or the characters are hard to empathize with. Definitely read her other stuff if you can! The Xenogenesis trilogy has been my favorite, impossible to put down and made me think a LOT.

[@emilyf.9315]

When I’m overstimulated and stressed I put your videos on and you change my mood completely. You’re mesmerizing and so lovely, I can listen to you talk for hours. I feel like anyone could fall in love w you…

[@vintagelace7076]

I just finished A Far Wilder Magic..omg I personally adored this book..it made me feel so much and brought me to tears at moments..i loved how Wes adored Margaret..omg so so good...5 stars 100% I loved the writing. It took me a few times to get into it..i would come back to it after a page or two then I was actually looking for something to read while waiting for another book to arrive ..thank God I gave it a shot again...great book!

[@senseijutsu]

felt the same about bridgerton's saga. definitely netflix did a good job improving the plot and characters

[@srutikurapati3689]

i love your videos!

[@amberjunerosie]

I already mentioned it in your booktok video, but I really appreciate your content warnings in your videos. Trigger warnings are very underestimated, but they're essential and important, because mental health is a real thing. Thank you again.

[@hkqtt]

I really loved “alone with you in the ether” all the reasons that made you dislike it is why I liked it. Not every story needs to be neat and orderly, and for a story about mental illness, the chaotic structure served it so well

[@witchymary5246]

You totally sold me on A Far wilder magic

[@everweepy]

i got a far wilder magic yesterday during my bookstore trip and all i needed to hear was that it's like a roy and riza fanfic😌 i'm so excited to read it now

[@stews9]

Wonderful, insightful comments, and I enjoy the fact that you covered great books and ... not so great ones, too. That is helpful, and fun to watch as you explain what failed you.

[@availandco]

I interpreted the dense air of the text in the beginning versus the manic stream of consciousness to represent her decline in mental health….. that being said, I totally understand all these critiques but there was so many hard punching quotes that I loved 😭

[@AClockworkReader]

that’s valid, there were some really great lines!!

[@tejaswinisureshkrishnan4228]

Loved the video! And I would loooove to see how you annotate your books!

[@lxxy05]

23:56 i know you didn’t love this book much .. but you just convinced me to finally pick it up from my physical tbr😂 i’m very interested

[@dreamer626]

Hey Hannah, I got your bracelet 2 weeks ago and I have been wearing it ever since. Best birthday gift to myself and I cannot wait to add more of these books to my already long TBR. I dropped Alone with you in the Ether. It confused me so much and I didn't want to read it. Babel by R.F Kuang was my favorite book I read this summer. I read it at the end of August and I still think about the book to this day.

[@booksmart_cass]

Ahhh! I’m planning to pick Parable of the Sower for my book club pick with friends. Now I’m even more excited for it! I’m reading Kindred now!

[@iqraahmed8436]

You have such a soothing and calm voice 😌

[@lydiawalker0714]

I read Parable of the Sower and lots of other Octavia E. Butler books for school earlier this year and I'm reading part of the graphic novel adaptation this week for a different class. There was supposed to be a third book in the series call Parable of the Trickster, but Butler died before she could finish it. However, if the ending of Parable of the Talents leaves you wanting more, read the Liliths Brood trilogy. It feels like a natural plot progression since Lauren wants people to go to space.

[@themindlessmess]

Just for anyone who is deciding not to read ‘Alone With You’ because of that quote, it is not in the traditionally published edition.

[@xxzcfdxc]

I honestly don't see anything wrong with the quote I gets the point the author is trying to make that she's willing to get physical but kiss is too emotional for her

[@NerdyNatReads]

Calling A Far Wilder Magic A Roy/Riza fic means I'm automatically gonna have to pick it up now.

[@silverstone3188]

same! i went and got the book because of this video!!

[@jaynehunter-ar]

I agree with you so much about Parable of the Sower. I listened to the audio 4 or 5 years ago and I've never been able to forget it. I'd like to reread it in print because I think I would pick up things that my distracted mind missed with the audio. It's so incredibly impactful!

[@lauvargas9327]

Yaaay!! New video, this make my day better!! Thank u Hannah💜

[@bittersweetorpheus]

Hey Hannan, you should definitely read Sistersong by Lucy Holland- its a retelling of a British folk ballad and is... un nerving. The book def traumatized me since it was my intro to genres like that, but its never left me ever since and I haven't been able to find a book like that :)

[@menals2968]

i love you . this is the second video of yours i have watched and i am obsessed with you i literally bought juniper and thorn immediately after watching ur first vid bc i trust u so mcuh

[@rafaela00002]

i've only read one book by octavia butler (kindred) and didn't know which one to read next but i guess now it's decided

[@AClockworkReader]

i want to read everything she’s ever written now

[@rafaela00002]

@@AClockworkReader kindred is really, really good if you haven't read yet! I read it in a day and I never do that

[@OudayYehya]

thank u so much hannah

[@paginasdeandres]

this is just hannah complaining about alone with you in the ether for 15 minutes jajajajajajaj. love it!!!

[@planet0ld50]

I’ve been waiting for this!! I love these videos 💖

[@reshma_10]

It's so nice to watch your new videos... Lots of love 💞

[@themxwithme610]

Not me binge watching your videos and then a new one comes up!! Absolutely love your content Hannah, it’s made me feel less alone❤️

[@stacybarron2505]

She has a admirable ambition that we will always understand, a hunger for learning and a passion that is unlike any other person....

[@camryn_tayler]

I read “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides this summer! I actually picked this one up at my hometown B&N cause the booksellers put up the little book notes on why we should read it. They described it as “a kettle that slowly steams louder” and they weren’t kidding. GREAT phycological thriller. I feel like I don’t read a lot from male authors, not that I don’t want to I just don’t really swing that way with the types of books i read but he did an amazing job with this book. I loved it. So eerie, perfect for fall might I add;)

[@saskiaaribawa]

My absolute fave this summer was Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow! Are you planning on reading it? ❤

[@AClockworkReader]

i’m reading it right now!

[@violaivy]

Ooooh I love gothic stories so I'm going to leave some recommendations! I think one of the best places to go is Angela Carter's work, particularly her short story collection The Bloody Chamber, which is also fairytale inspired. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi is an interesting example of a gothic novel, featuring a haunted house and the family who live there, touching on racism and classism too. It plays around with format a little but much better than what the Olivie Blake sounds like. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia has similar themes as well. For a fantasy rec: Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland has gothic elements and a dark romance. It's YA but goes darker in places than lots of YA books do. Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling is a very good novella set in a historical fantasy world. (I'm reading The Death of Jane Lawrence by her and it seems even more of a classic gothic romance). Many classics are gothic (Frankenstein, Dracula, Jane Eyre etc), I'd recommend Carmilla, a vampire story with sapphic undertones. Finally, not a book, but the 2015 movie Crimson Peak is one of the best examples of gothic horror, it feels like a literature adaptation even though it's an original story.

[@allgirlreview433]

I read Parable of the Sower in 2015 and it was so danged scary. Glad you liked it. I hope you read more of Octavia Butler's work.

[@safaarif878]

I didn’t read these books in summer but I wanna read these in honor of summer🙈”parable of the sower” i did read a little for an English class but now I wanna go back and finish it🤭 Luv u HANNAH❤

[@brenndasouzaa]

Octavia E Butler has quickly become one my favorite authors. Do read the sequel Parable of the Talents! It’s even better.

[@lindaklinedinst9236]

I have the Book Parable Of The Sower - I have not read this yet - I am glad that you liked the Book. Take Care& Happy Reading ❤️🤗🔰📚📖❤️

[@sphinxinherhat]

There was this wonderful moment of serendipity that occured while I was watching your review of Alone With You in the Ether. You were chiding the author for their obvious pride that the writing style of their book "is not like other books". You had just said "Please be more like other books so i can try and understand and understand you a little bit more" And right at that momrent an ad for Gramarly popped up. It doesn't do it all the time, I went back and checked. But that was priceless, I can't say I'm a fan of the new more ad-heavy KZbin. But if it gives me occasional gems like that, I will be morer reconciled.

[@setayeshsbooks]

I had a bad day but watching your new video definitely makes it an amazing day💖

[@ytl6827]

the third book of before the coffee gets cold series just came out :) it's called before your memory fades

[@finsfables]

Thank you for introducing me to the charm offensive because I LOVED it

[@crazybiogeek]

I read The Three Body Problem series this summer and I think that these three books combined have been my favorite books of the year. The writing style took a bit to get used to, but once I started figuring out what was going on, I was hooked. I also read the Monk and Robot novellas by Becky Chambers and they were simply lovely to read as well. I also read Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents this year and I think the first one was really good, and the second one was just traumatizing. All of the trigger warnings for the first book are dialed up to 11, and the main character (Lauren) is no longer likeable, at least in my opinion.

[@HA-cm3eq]

I love watching you talking about books, Hannan. 💜

[@jessiejayjess]

I'd recommend reading Kindred by Octavia Butler too! That was the first book I ready by her.

[@skyycollector]

the trope at 23:00 - YESSS!! I'm glad I'm not the only one really tired of this 🤣 every single book coming out that's even loosely categorized as literary fiction feels like that, it feels like it's just the same book being published over and over again

[@Rajaas_Reading_Corner]

Interesting review for Before the Coffee Gets Cold.i actually liked the second book more than the first one. Maybe because of that one story about Fusagi. It made me cry so much.

[@maddiegraham9430]

Love getting these piping hot book recommendations. My favourite book from the summer was my Master's thesis 😂 Seriously though how that I'm done school I'm so excited to get to dive back into reading I think my most anticipated reads are I'm Glad my Mom Died and Babel

[@fatimaad.9982]

i love your videos, i wish u do more reading vlogs thank you !

[@underworldsghost]

I always manage to be making my dinner when you upload, at least I end up watching them while not being able to add books to my tbr too much, haha. You look lovely as ever in this video, Hannah!

[@o_o-lj1ym]

I was laughing so hard at that quote from alone with you in the ether that my parents asked me what was so funny and I was like “NOTHING!!”

[@tehelea]

the olivie blake quote LMAOO

[@tehelea]

no cause that genuinely made me so uncomfortable