FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR ~ fantasy, science fiction, middle grade, and more ~ Quarter 1

[@SuperPuddingcat]

Gideon was my most surprising read of the year. I listened to the audiobook and after I finished I was like, “ what did I just listen too?!” The audio narration was just brilliant, loved every minute of it! 🎉

[@anyolivna163]

i read gideon last april and it quite literally changed my life😭at this point i've reread it 3 times

[@lorifrederick2367]

M'kay, so i just ordered Gideon. I love the books that you recommend. I was new to fantasy about a year ago. Had no idea about any books in that genre. Well i am HOOKED, and i so appreciate your reviews! And I am deliriously happy with my TBR pile!! 😊

[@phoenyxashes2064]

*Honorable mentions* * 0:57 Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela *Goodreads Rating:* 4.35 ⭐ out of 5 ⭐ *Genres:* Biography, Nonfiction, History, Africa, Memoir, Autobiography, Politics *Page Count:* 656 pages *HONORABLE MENTIONS* 2:42 Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono *Goodreads Rating:* 4.15 out of 5 ⭐ *Genres:* Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Children’s, Witches, Classics, Japan *Page Count:* 193 pages 4:48 The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden *Goodreads Rating:* 4.36 ⭐ out of 5 ⭐ *Genres:* Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Mythology, Fairy Tales *Page Count:* 360 pages *TOP 5 FAVES* 6:51 The Last Cuentista” by Donna Barba Higuera *Goodreads Rating:* 4.08 ⭐ out of 5 ⭐ *Genres:* Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Dystopia *Page Count:* 336 pages 9:20 A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie *Goodreads Rating:* 4.45 ⭐ out of 5 ⭐ *Genres:* Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Audiobook, Dark Fantasy, Adult *Page Count:* 480 pages 11:47 Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir *Goodreads Rating:* 4.21 ⭐ out of 5 ⭐ *Genres:* Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, LGBT, Queer, Horror, *Page Count:* 448 pages 14:26 A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid *Goodreads Rating:* 3.82 out of 5 ⭐ *Genres:* Fantasy, Young Adult, Gothic, Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Fae *Page Count:* 378 pages 15:48 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab *Goodreads Rating:* 4.19 out of 5 ⭐ *Genres:* Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, Adult, Historical, Magical Realism *Page Count:* 448 pages

[@melissaawesome2512]

I can’t follow videos all the time, and you make my TBR list way longer, but I really love your reviews and the stories you choose! Thank you for doing these videos, love you girlie!

[@mrsduncanthetall]

Good morning Ms Elle. ❤just wanted to tell you that my son and I still listen every morning. He's 15 but such an old soul he absolutely loved it when you talked about Kiki and studio Gibbli we are now following your other channel❤

[@ebnovels]

Ohh, that’s so nice! And wow, 15??? I feel like I remember you mentioning listening while driving him to school, and I swear he was a lot younger. Time flies!

[@mrsduncanthetall]

@ebnovels it sure does. We are long time listeners, absolutely love your channel. Happy international book day

[@riva7rau]

I've read the first three books in the Locked Tomb series, and I agree with your thoughts of "going alone for the ride". I actually love it because I have no clue what's going on a fair amount of the time :) I love the writing, the sense of mystery, the chaos and the unpredictability. I've actually listened to the audiobooks, and narrator does such a great job that I'll always hear her voice for the characters any time I think about the story or physically read a part of it. As for Addie LaRue - there were times that I thought that the story moved along too slowly but the exploration of our need to have our lives mean something - to be remembered after we're gone and given the emotional impact on me (wreckage?) by the end of the book it is one of my all-time favorites.

[@NonAnonD]

Finally she read Gideon!

[@ebnovels]

Haha, I talked about it in a video about genre-bending books! I feel bad now that it took so long to hear about it 🙈

[@tanuellaa]

I just love to hear you talking about books💞

[@ebnovels]

Oh, well thank you! 😄

[@CatherineElizabeth728]

Ah, I read Addie LaRue a few years ago and I still think about it. Not many books have stuck with me for so long.

[@JJGrimes2]

I recently finished "A Study in Drowning" as well and I really enjoyed it. I feel the author really nailed the gothic atmosphere. Gave me similar feelings to when I watched the movie "Crimson Peak"

[@marsmorg]

everyone says gideon feels like a side character in her own story (in book one) and i could not agree more. i read all 3 of the locked tomb in march and they're easily a new favorite of all time, i hope you enjoy harrow and nona!

[@sheenaproffitt-taber630]

Can you please tell me what lipstick you are wearing and is it what you usually wear?

[@livechangechallenge]

I’m in the middle of Gideon 9th, I’m loving it 😊

[@OnlyTheBestFantasyNovels]

Solid picks! Katherine Arden will blow you away when you get to the 3rd Winternight book, Girl in the Tower was all setup.

[@KristinKravesBooks]

I also finally read The Girl in the Tower in the firdt quarter. It's probably my favourite in the series but they were all five stars for me!

[@laurenschenck5355]

A Study of Drowning and love the characters and it is beautiful written and one of my favorite books 🌈📙📚📖📖📖📙🌈🪷🩷❣️❣️❣️🩷🩷🌺💗🌺💚💚🫶🏻🌷🌷🥀💘🌸🌼🌼🌈🌈🌈📙📚📖🌈🪷💖📚📚📚📚📙🩷💙🌸🌻🌻🌻💕💚🧡💘🩵🩵🩵

[@whaleison5045]

Love from South Africa! Glad you got to learn something about our beautiful unique country 🤍

[@shegoesnorth9143]

I've been contemplating Gideon the Ninth, so this video came at the right time. Trust your thoughts so now I'm definitely more likely to pick it up :) SO far my favourites this year have been The Wicked King (from the Folk of the Air) and The Serpent and the WIngs of night. Now getting some classic scifi in with The Player of Games

[@MusicGirl6300]

Gideon 😭😭😭💜💜

[@sanitycalamity]

My favourites from Q1 were the Tyranny of Faith, Jackalope Wives and both Emily Wilde books. I have a Study in Drowning on my shelf and would like to get to that sometime this year. I loved Catherine Arden's Winter of the Witch series when I read that a couple of years ago. Addie La Rue was 3 stars for me. It found it frustrating that the most interesting parts of her story were skipped over in favour of more chapters of moping around.

[@bri02600]

The Last Cuentista is an all time fave for me ❤

[@ReadingNymph]

I recently read Gideon and loved it!

[@mischarowe]

These are great books. I say as someone who hasn't read any of them, lol. They just sound good. None added to my TBR today but I did just finish Fog & Fireflies by T.H. Lehnen and it's definitely a fav of this year so far. Thanks for the great video, as always. :) [edit: Gideon is already on my TBR, though. :)]

[@ebnovels]

Ahh, that’s good to hear about that book! I don’t know if my library has it, so I might have to take a chance and buy it 🤔

[@mischarowe]

@@ebnovels I read the ebook so fast. I love it. Hope you can find it. I think you'll adore it.❤️

[@natasagajic1061]

My favorite books of Q1 are The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (which I absolutely loved and flew through) and The Chosen and The Beautiful, which was super atmospheric 💖 I am looking forward to picking up The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue sometime this year. But it sound like it would be a good audiobook experience - I wonder whether the audiobook is good? 🤔

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I still need to read Gideon 😤

[@ebnovels]

Haha, well it was a lot of fun! I hope you like it when you eventually pick it up 😊

[@thewitchyreader6131]

Great Video!

[@laurenschenck5355]

Long walk to freedom I love this book so much and Nelson Mandela madd me feel so emotional deep connection with him 💖🫶🏻🫶🏻🌼🪻💚🩵🩵❤️🌻🌻🌞💙💙🌺💗🌸🌸💕💐🧡🌸💙🌼🌼🪻💖🩷🩷🪻🌈🩵❣️🪷❤️💙💙🌺💐❣️❣️🪷🌞🌼🌼💖❣️🌈🌈🌈🌈📚📚📙📙📚📙📙📙📚📚📖📖📖📖📖📖

[@gayanegasparyan4137]

When are you planning to read Trouble with peace btw ?

[@ebnovels]

Hopefully there’ll be a video up soon talking about the whole series!

[@gayanegasparyan4137]

@@ebnovels oh can’t wait!

[@personmcpersonperson2893]

i love your videos ❤️

[@robertawalsh2995]

4:38 Too late 😋

[@iheartwalle]

I really liked A Study in Drowning except the author used too many similes