Reading Wrap-Up - December 2024

[@GrooBladeTheFedSlayer]

"The Old Testament of the Bible but for Middle Earth" is how I've been describing The Silmarillion for years LMAOOOO

[@Ezeekat]

It truly is the best way to explain it 😂

[@JRBee]

I like the idea of the focusing on one book. And maybe you could have the wrap up vid be your fav / least fav reads/ games / new interests in that month, and perhaps craft as you chat about them.

[@HeidiMalagisi]

I have heard The Similarion described as a historical chronicle, which makes sense since he was a huge history nerd

[@nikkimilton461]

The one book at a time makes sense but I prefer the wrap-ups. Looking forward to your content in the new year.

[@warsandrij]

I enjoy the chatty videos like this that you do. I don't mind if they are shorter or rankings. I find them nice videos to put on while I'm also doing some handcrafts. I'm just starting my first big cross stitch kit. For middle grade books I would suggest The Misewa Saga by David Robertson. Narnia vibes but Indigenous, and foster children instead of blitz evacuees. I really enjoyed the first few and I even requested my library buy the 3rd book when it came out so I could read it.

[@Ezeekat]

Thanks for the rec! I'll have to check it out.

[@alyssataylor6473]

I'm here for your love of books, so whatever you want to do that makes you happier & less stressed is fine by me.👍🏻 Single books reviews do sound better, though, as my info is always great. & yea, the monthly wrap can be ranking all the ones you read, including the ones you didn't like, so no full reviews.

[@jeanminnick9617]

You are just so smart, thoughtful, and insightful. I love everything you said about the People's History book.

[@Melanie_mood_reads]

My favorite book in December was How my neighbor stole Christmas. loved the audio as well.

[@Budinky]

Happy New Year! I hope next year is full of fun, good health and lots and lots of books 🥰🎆

[@Ezeekat]

Happy New Year!!

[@susanharris5331]

This was the best book wrap up of the year! I am going to miss these if you decide to do single reviews. However I can see how holding onto your reviews until once a month can be difficult. Also I had the same issue reading The Simarillion (I had to do a read along with a few people ) and it was still so hard to get through. It is kinda like a history book.. I am so happy you mentioned Chris Broad Abroad In Japan. I have been addicted to his KZbin videos for awhile and was wondering how book readers found his book. I think you will love his videos too! Looking forward to your reviews in the new year!

[@EmJae]

I love a wrap up, but I totally get how overwhelming they are to film. I hope you find a style/schedule that works for you.

[@celiairis3894]

If it means more book videos from you then I am delighted with the change! I read two new favourites in December : Six of Crows, which I have been putting off for months, but I absolutely loved! And Iron Widow, which was another book I was a bit apprehensive about, but when I actually read it, I found it so entertaining truly like nothing I have ever read! As for non-fiction, I really recommend Prisoners of Geography, and Dont Touch My Hair.

[@Ariwhipple]

I saw House of Frank at Barnes and Noble the other day and got super excited!

[@Ezeekat]

Awww yay!!

[@Ariwhipple]

My favorite silmarilion story is when the elves see each other in the woods and time stops for like a while. Like ugh what a love story.

[@Ezeekat]

There were definitely some beautiful moments in the book!

[@plushieangela]

If you think Chris Broad’s book isn’t enough for you I can guarantee you will find more of that detail you want on his channel. I’ve been watching him for years

[@Stargazerlost]

I’d also suggest the KZbin channel for Chris Broad’s fiancée, under the channel name Sharmeleon. She has great content, and is super nerdy in all the best ways. Those two just opened a bar together in Tokyo.

[@MadeleineKarlsson-pe4jc]

You make me read books I would never consider on my own,thank you.

[@gabbergabs]

I like the idea of doing one book per review! You always have so much to say about every book, so it definitely makes more sense to split them up. I do still like your end of month wrap ups. Although pitting non-fiction against fiction may be a bit weird if you rank everything that way 😂

[@goldenswan9785]

I really like your idea to focus on specific genres/book types. I always swear that I'm going to do this but my mood reading ass always go off the rails 😂😂

[@Ezeekat]

I’m going to try to stick to the plan…even though I am sometimes the same way. 😂

[@goldenswan9785]

@@Ezeekat Sigh....maybe this year I'll just stop going to book sales/shops and maybe that will help Just writing that made my soul die 😂😂

[@demaramorrow1661]

I really like the single book idea with a monthly wrap up that is a ranking of the books you've read and like someone else said, make it a Jayson wrap up with here's a short summary of sorta all the books you've read and which have individual reviews in youtube, which games you played and if there are videos for more in depth, and what the rest of your month was like from an activities etc. One book I read (am still reading) is Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney about the lead into the 2020 election cycle and the events leading into the attach on the capital on Jan 6 and some of the aftermath in a Behind the Curtain in Oz sorta way. It's just ... it's like reading Rage by Bob Woodward, and even though you know how that story "ends" it's just oof. I also read the Library of Legends by Janie Chang. So so so good. I highly recommend it.

[@Ezeekat]

Omg I love the monthly wrap up idea!!

[@kimberlydarden7302]

I love the monthly reading wrap up videos but I would not be opposed to a shorter format, perhaps going through all the books you read for the month and giving a little summary of what kind of reader the book would be good for. I tend to watch the wrap up to get books to add to my TBR because we have similar taste but once I figure out if I’m interested I tend to skip to the next book.

[@Ezeekat]

That's a great idea! I'll definitely try doing a shorter version for next month. 😊

[@girllifeforever5726]

I live in the uk and found house of frank in the shop and im so exciting to read it and support your publishing

[@Ezeekat]

Thank youuuu!!! Hope you enjoy it!

[@ariazsilentsoul]

I know it’s not nonfiction but there is a manga series “Barakamon” by Satsuki Yoshino that is about caligrapher from Tokyo who gets ‘exiled’ to a rural island and ends up becoming involved with the local children. It’s very slice of life and heartwarming (and also pretty funny)

[@smeeker59]

I like these wrap ups because I like hearing about the books, so a book at a time works too. I would also like the ranking of the months reads, even if you didn't talk a lot about them during the month, to just get a feel for what's out there. My TBR list for 2025 is already huge and I'm falling behind on my giant stack of books to read and it's January 1! I need all the help I can get!

[@bridgetgroce4634]

Happy New Year 🎉 I've been following you all year, and have read books based on your recommendations. This year I've been reading (attacking?) Terry Pratchett's Discworld - all 40 books. I would love to know your opinion on them!

[@demaramorrow1661]

Oh same...but there's so much going on in them and so many other books to also read that I seem to have a Terry Pratchett plus others going. I think they're so good though book by book I may like some less than others.

[@angelak42]

I like the idea of one video per book because it's more book content spread out over the month! I have two history book recommendations: Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot and The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King.

[@Ezeekat]

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll check those out.

[@charlie_bharlie6795]

I've read the first two books in the keeper of the lost cities series and I'm obsessed so I'm really excited to hear your thoughts on it

[@Ezeekat]

It’s been on my TBR forever! I’m excited!!

[@AsuraSantosha]

My non-fiction recs based completely on what you read this month: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed. This is a memoir about Cheryl hiking long distance over the course of months and remembering some of her messed up past. Its about healing and like Hidden Nature, switches between the nature experience and her internal reflections, but there is no sciency talk really and I didnt find the moving back and forth jaring at all. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is basically the history of how science learns things. And the incredible thing about this book is that rather than being dry, it still somehow feels like a story despite being so sciency. Its fascinating and very educational. If you want to dive more into American minority History theres American's Women: 400 years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins. Its starts before the Establishment of the USA as a country during colonialism and goes tonthe 1960's. It could have been more inclusive about which women and groups of women it included/featured and there was some definite bias in this one, but despite all that there are still some really interesting things this book has to teach and entertain us with.

[@Ezeekat]

Omg thank you so much for the recs!!

[@Tantan10000]

Practice make perfect. For Brandon Sanderson . I am reading full alchemist and watching Yu-go-oh. , new at it

[@MentalNotesByV]

I love the idea of single book videos!

[@Ezeekat]

Yay!! Glad to hear!

[@MEBooked]

I have friends who came out later in life, coming out even in the 90's was hard. I mean I have helped women who served in the Korean and Vietnam war, were married, had kids, and had what society expected of them at the time to come out in their 60's+ as transgendered. The fear, the rhetoric even today and the imagined and actual damage to their family for daring for them to be themselves. I think what a good portion of some of the younger generations don't understand that coming out back in the day was a literal "birth" in a way it's brutal, messy, full of misinformation and other issues. Many hid and continue to hide rather than face the truth. With the last book, something I say is don't make people in power who pass so inhumane that they become mythology rather than human. We do that a lot. Like I see with Carter since he passed, he did a lot of good, but not always. He is human, he made mistakes, contradictions, and grew just like the rest of us. There is nothing wrong with that because he was human.

[@xxLeMoNiCeExx17]

I like the idea of single videos but I’m also a huge fan of watching wrap ups so if there it worked for you to do both, that’d be awesome

[@angelk5743]

Ended the year with some great romances. My last book was We Could be So Good by Cat Sebastian

[@thewitchyreader6131]

Great Wrap Up!

[@Ezeekat]

Thank you!

[@nknutson780]

Love the idea for your videos going forward❤ 🎉

[@Ezeekat]

Thanks! I'm excited about it too! 😊

[@iheartwalle]

Have you read Lies My Teacher Told Me? It's a really fascinating history book.

[@aquillerjay4286]

When will the house of Frank special edition be available in the UK my book worm devoured the story and my book dragon so wants the hardback with the printed piano edges in her horde and I want to play the end papers and found out what the melody is.

[@Ezeekat]

I am actually not sure if there is a plan for it just yet. Let me ask and see if I can’t find out.

[@tanjapihl5712]

If you'd like to read a good non-fiction book about Japan and Japanese culture, I recommend Lost Japan by Alex Kerr. I really liked it, when I read it years ago. The author is not native Japanese, but has lived in Japan and has a vast knowledge about Japan :)

[@Ezeekat]

I’ll check it out!

[@AneCathrine]

I understand why you don’t want to do the huge wrap up videos, but I also think you might risk less views if you do one book at a time review videos. Personally, I don’t tend to click on a one book review unless I’m already interested in the book, but with wrap-ups I often get interested in a book because so many are mentioned. Maybe do mid-month wrap ups? Also, are you still doing the reading your bookshelves series?

[@vivianwakoff]

I have a confession to make. I've been following you on Insta for a while and I was convinced -- *CONVINCED* -- your name was Ezekiel. I don't know why, but I think it was because of your handle. It was shock when I found you on YT and you said your name. I was like "sir, excuse me! That is not your name!" And, I'm sorry, but you still look like an Ezekiel to me. I'm so sorry. Happy New Year, Jason, not Ezekiel!

[@Ezeekat]

I love this confession! It's hilarious! 😂

[@MadeleineKarlsson-pe4jc]

I think JRR Tolkien was an author that didn't write with the reader in mind I think he wrong for himself and I think Simillarion was in this form never was intended to be publish.

[@samanthac3357]

Actually the hobbit , lord of.rings and.simillarion was ment to be publish as one.book

[@leehanson4855]

hello

[@laurenthompson2404]

I read The Maid and the Crocodile without having read Raybearer (still haven't, but want to!). I really enjoyed the book a lot, but I was like you in that there were several moments where I felt out of the loop. I wish I'd known about and read the Raybearer books first, but I was still able to follow along well enough. If you do a re-read, I'd highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator did an AMAZING job.

[@Ezeekat]

It sounds like you had a great time reading it even without reading Raybearer! I'll definitely check out the audiobook!

[@tracigrant5130]

I love these reading roundups. I look forward to them every month. I subscribed to your channel bc of them, watched All Of Them at once, and even started doing my own roundup on tweeter. You added about 25 books to my TBR over the last few months. But ... more book content? Yes, please. It's rough to read when it feels like an obligation, so do whatever you need to keep that from happening. (And maybe more time for boardgame play-throughs??) I think doing indepth videos on some books would be good and then doing a shorter roundup. Like flipflop what you're currently doing. I'm also getting inspiration from you and I'm going to try real hard to read books i already own. Heheh ... 🫤 I suggest the Bookshop for a good history book. I learned a lot about stuff i thought i already knew through the lens of the American bookstore. Are you not using storygraph?????

[@Ezeekat]

Oh I actually just bought The Bookshop! I’m not really using Storygraph for now. I appreciate it for all the ethical reasons, but I’ve tried it twice and had pretty bad experiences both times. So for now, it’s not for me, but I love that so many people are enjoying it!!

[@tracigrant5130]

@Ezeekat oh no! I'm sad you had bad experiences. That's why i don't use goodreeds anymore. I'm glad on storygraph that people can't reply to my reviews.