Favourite Reads of 2019

[@bobnolin9155]

New subscriber here. We share many of the same tastes in books. I loved "Deep River." Guess I'm a boomer dad. Yeah, that tracks. Your video on Proust convinced me to finally tackle "Lost Time." So thank you!

[@evastrange]

I'm glad to see Black Leopard, Red Wolf on a best-of list! It's on my own as well, but it seems like all other booktubers who loved it (or didn't hate it) read advanced copies last year. As amusing as it is to read and listen to all of the outrage it's provoked, it's nice to see it getting some love as well. :)

[@bigalbooksforever]

Absolutely! I'm glad to hear it made your list as well. I agree though that it was quite entertaining watching people go from hyping ("African Game of Thrones!") to hating on this book 😹

[@Prairielily04]

I love the enthusiasm you show for your reads!! I admire your perseverance with the challenges in your book choices!! Looking forward to following your reading journey in 2020! Happy New Year!!📚🍾

[@bigalbooksforever]

Happy New Year to you as well! 2020 is off to a great start so far (reading-wise at least!) :)

[@traceymills1628]

Aah I have been waiting for this video. Your passion for what you enjoy is so wonderful. I have Milkman and Cousin Bette in my tbr for this year so now I am even more excited for them. One day I will read Les Mis as I am finally concentrating more on reading the classics that I have always wanted to read. Happy 2020 reading. xx

[@bigalbooksforever]

Classics are usually so satisfying to read-- I think I always end up choosing a classic for my #1 read of the year! And thank you, 2020's reading year is off to a great start so far! Happy reading to you as well :)

[@kaylag2142]

such a great list! I own Chiang's new book "Exhalation" and haven't had a chance to read it yet but your review is making me wanna go out and get "Stories of Your Life" now too

[@bigalbooksforever]

I am very curious about how the two collections will compare... but "Stories" seems like a tough one to beat! Too bad he hasn't released more!

[@nikkivenable3700]

HELP! What books at 5:35 did you mention(Poetica?) before reading the Ice Shirt? I am trying to get into more Norse mythology and would appreciate the names of those books you mentioned...3 of them? I watched that clip about 10 times, checked the description, but could make it out. Thank you so much! Also, I just ordered Deep River based on your review! It's been a year, and do you still recommend it? I had never heard of it and I'm not sure why? It looks very good and it's getting good reviews...although I couldn't find it on Goodreads, only Amazon.

[@nikkivenable3700]

Okay, I did some digging and found the first two books(Poetic Edda, Prose Edda). The big chunky book The Saga of Icelanders looks amazing. If you could recommend one to a newbie in this area, which one would it be. I'm guessing the chunker, but I'd like your opinion.

[@bigalbooksforever]

@@nikkivenable3700 Hey! I still do love Deep River. Big books about the logging industry are probably not the most exciting new releases for everyone, but I felt it was really well-crafted historical fiction with compelling characters. Just some really solid storytelling! And you were able to get the titles of the Norse mythology books I mentioned! I started off with the Poetic Edda which made me really fall in love with the subject. It can be a bit cryptic at times, so starting off with the more accessible Prose Edda could also be a good idea! Also I found reading basic overviews of the key characters/places on Wikipedia was helpful when going back to the texts. Neil Gaiman's collection of retellings is also a fun read. The collection I have of the sagas is huge, but I spaced out reading it over the course of a year so I didn't get burnt out. They're quite fun though! Good luck with the journey :)

[@nikkivenable3700]

@@bigalbooksforever Such good information you gave me! Thank you so much. I am brand new to your channel and am binge watching your content. I have a few books from your recommendations(esp your Best of lists). I don't know how I came across your channel, but you review books that are so different to what I usually consume...except your love of Russian Lit. and Literary Ficiton....Those are my favorite reads to, and yet your overall choices of books to read/review are ones I've never heard of. I LOVE THAT! I really enjoy your enthusiasm and utter love of literature. You come through that camera loud and clear and I am all in for it. I have so many new reads coming my way thanks to you and I'm super excited. I also think you are so well-spoken and intelligent. And, you look so much like Mira Sorvino. She's an American actress. You two could be twins.

[@InfiniteText]

What a great list!!! I'm impressed you carried on with Knausgaard so far. I loved the first book but I never felt the energy to keep going even though I loved it, I don't know why. Les Mis....how amazing!

[@bigalbooksforever]

What can I say, I guess I have a weak spot for dramatic Scandinavians! :) My favourite ones ended up being Books 1, 2, and 6, so getting through the slower middle section was tough!

[@tortoisedreams6369]

Amazing as always. I've heard Black Sabbath but not Master of Reality, so picking the brilliant Milkman, just a gutting book, was the right choice IMHumbleO. Balzac, Knausgaard, Gaiman, & Beauvoir are all authors I know I need to & will read, so that makes me think Chiang, James, etc are also must-reads. It seems most of the best BTers live within a hundred miles of the 49th Parallel -- coincidence? I think not. (BTW -- lookin' lovely!)

[@bigalbooksforever]

Thank you for supporting my split-second switch! Did you have any particular standouts this year?

[@tortoisedreams6369]

Ottessa Moshfegh, Carson McCullers, & Dashiell Hammett were all authors who blew me away this year. Moshfegh has so much talent, I'd left McCullers for far too late -- should've read her a long time ago, & Hammett was just so entertaining. Ferrante's The Lost Daughter & Baldwin's Giovanni's Room were probably by two best stand alones. Best of luck finding time for videos in the new year!

[@josmith5992]

Happy New Year Alex! I must be a boomer too as I really want to read Deep River, oh well, I can live with that 😉. You’re a better woman than me reading the whole My Struggle series Alex but I appreciated what you said about how it made you think and change the way you read. Also appreciate the Booker shade 😉. Favorite fiction for me would probably be Ohio by Stephen Markley, Happiness by Aminatta Forna or The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanatham. Favorite classic The Way we Live Now by Trollope, favorite reread Vanity Fair, kudos to you for ranking them, I find that so hard.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Happy new year to you as well, fellow boomer! I've been so close to picking up both Ohio and Happiness at the bookstore on multiple occasions... sounds like I need to give those books a try. And The Way We Live Now is on my TBR, so I'm glad to hear you liked it! :}

[@drawntostories5940]

Boomer dad fiction lol! I must read Deep River... first of all I'm curious to find out how Marlantes writes Finnish characters, and second because my roughly 80-year old grandparents still cut wood in spite of their health issues (call it sisu or stubbornness) and I feel I would connect with the story. I didn't read it in 2019 because I read Barkskins by Proulx and didn't feel like reading another novel about woodcutters. Loved Black Leopard, Red Wolf! My favourite 2019 release. Hit me so hard. Emotional and stimulating. Milkman was great, but for some reason it hasn't aged that well in my mind - I mean, whenever I think about the novel, I have doubts and ask myself "was it really worth 5-stars or was I just afraid to rate it lower?" Perhaps I have to reread it. Interesting how the English translation of My Struggle 6 needed two translators. The Finnish translation was done by one person only, translated already in 2016 and just one year after My Struggle 5 (in fact, all parts were released just 1 year after another).

[@Emmareads15]

Those who are 80 years old aren't boomers, it's those born post WWII.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Fair enough! There are a lot of big-tree-books on the market these days (although I much preferred Deep River to Barkskins!). Your grandparents sound badass! From what I read, Marlantes' family is Finnish so I think his portrayal is pretty authentic (it might sometimes veer into a stereotypical direction though, like making some of the male characters extremely taciturn and stoic). So glad to hear from other people who also loved Black Leopard-- it seemed to be SO polarizing! And wow, Knausgaard's Finnish translator is on top of it! It was a long wait for English-speakers, but I kind of liked being forced to wait in between books... I can't imagine reading this series straight through! :O

[@GH-oi2jf]

Jere - “Marlantes” is a Greek name, but his mother was Finnish. He drew characteristics of his characters from his Finnish ancestors.

[@karolinaiwanska3110]

Great list! Do you have any particular objectives or challenges for 2020?

[@bigalbooksforever]

Right now I'm thinking my focus is going to be on working through my 20th century reading list and trying to check out a bunch of plays this year! And I will definitely be doing March of the Mammoths again this year, so that means reading more 800+ page books 😊

[@selmadasschaf722]

I feel the same about Ted Chiang! And you motivate me to pick up the next Knausgaard sooner rather than later. Also, happy new year :)

[@bigalbooksforever]

Happy new year to you as well! Yesss, Ted Chiang is a gem! And good luck with Knausgaard... it takes lots of patience and perseverance, but it's worth it in the long run! :)

[@resa_reads]

Les Miserables is my favourite classic 💕

[@tammikma]

I love your long videos.

[@bigalbooksforever]

I never intend to make them this long, but then it turns out I can't stop talking when it comes to books haha so I'm glad you appreciate it! :}

[@lyddie465]

i love that you loved les mis! it was one of my top reads when i read it too.

[@bigalbooksforever]

It is a gem! I'm just glad that the high page count was worth it haha. Did you have any particular standouts this year?

[@lyddie465]

@@bigalbooksforever it was a fairly mediocre reading year!! but i loved check please, vol 1 by ngozi ukazu which is a wholesome hockey comic book with a gay protagonist was really lovely and i can't wait for the second volume

[@bigalbooksforever]

@@lyddie465 Good to know! I think I've seen a few people mention Check Please on booktube... it looks precious!

[@theaelizabet]

New subscriber here. If this video is indicative-wow. So glad to be joining you.

[@bigalbooksforever]

Thanks so much for checking out my channel! :}

[@bighardbooks770]

I read, loved, and reviewed _Milkman_ and _Black Leopard/Red Wolf_ last year, too, and want to read _Cousin Bette_ (Brian @ Bookish recs), "Stories of Your Life," _Deep River_ (Dennis @ Intellectual Reads wants to Buddy-Read it), and the _Sandman_ series are TBRs ... Good one, Alex! Thanks. 😁

[@bigalbooksforever]

Sounds like you've got some great reads ahead of you! Did you have any particular favourites from last year? :)

[@bighardbooks770]

@@bigalbooksforever O, yeah! Besides the ones we shared: Washington Black, 2666, Call Me Burroughs (non-fic), Where the Crawdads Sing, Sing Unburied Sing, The Book of Monelle (you'd adore this one, I bet 😁), and just finished another Pynchon, Against the Day. Ya know what? I need to do my top ten vid, too!

[@bighardbooks770]

The Shadow and the Wind, two Baldwin novels, Joyce and #FaulknerInAugust and others!