I READ BOOKTUBER'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023 ft.

[@katieisreading]

ah this video was so fun, i've been watching your videos for so long so i was shocked to see my own face in a thumbnail!!😳but i totally get what you mean about emily wilde's, the ending was definitely a different vibe from the beginning, but i think the second book in the series is a lot stronger overall and maintains the same tone throughout, also emily and wendell continue to have great banter in the sequel! i can't wait to hear your thoughts if you pick it up!!!

[@jessethereader]

i've been loving your channel & i'm so glad it was recommended to me! i'll definitely be picking up the sequel. it sounds delightful! ♡

[@gabz49242]

@33:18 is the summary of how I've been feeling lately. I recently read Godkiller and loved it because the romance was subtle and not just out of nowhere. We didn't take chapters-long detours just to gush about the romance, and I got to enjoy my fantasy book. I told my husband about it, and he was like "Oh, you hate romance, huh?" and I had to explain to him that I love love, but it feels like *everything* has to have a romance in it now, and sometimes I just want a different kind of story.

[@kavya12kohli]

The laughter the moment you fell down gave pure evil energy 😂😂

[@1crazygalwithacamera]

Hey Jesse! I literally never comment but I live close to where you go in Arkansas and I NEVER knew we had an independent bookstore! So thanks for showing me that!

[@stormyz9935]

I’m pretty sure you’re the only KZbinr I jump in my seat when I see you posted another video! Thank you for being so descriptive with your reviews! 😁

[@DancingCorvid]

I didn't realize how soon this had been posted and was very disappointed to find that there were no comments to scroll through.

[@limeferns4195]

Same 😢

[@jessethereader]

you win being the first to comment! *throws cookie *

[@DancingCorvid]

@@jessethereader Yayyyy, thanks! 😁🍪

[@pamelakibildis1177]

@@jessethereaderSo glad you liked The Wishing Game Jesse I recently purchased it and I’m excited to get into it after A History of Wild Places & A River Enchanted & As For Booktubers highly recommend Alexandra Roslyn aka Lexi she is so much fun 📚😊 Have a Wonderful Evening and Happy Reading 📖🙂

[@starlightarcher1534]

Boiling a book down to just "cozy" vibes or having "grumpy sunshine" etc. does it a massive disservice in a lot of ways. Tropes don't actually tell you anything all that significant about the plot. You're much better off ignoring hyped up tropes and just reading the synopsis on the back of the book and basing your expectations on that. It's a fun way to get to know someone though, to read the books they most enjoyed reading. Or, even the ones they most hated. I find these kinds of videos really interesting and it's cool to see how your own opinions and reasoning can vary from or coincide with theirs.

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

Jesse, you could never be a failure , no matter whether your bye-ohs are always perfect or not! 💖

[@BuntinCozymysterylover]

Your thoughts made me want to read all three! Especially “Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries”! I’m curious to read it! Also, I'm glad and so jealous you got another cutie boba frog! I decided to call a new one "Boba-Jiro" 🐸🐸♪

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

I have the seven year slip and I am super looking forward to it! I would definitely read an adult version of the spiderwick chronicles D: I have emily wilde as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing the woman being the grumpy one for once! It's so true that it is usually the male love interest in the m/f takes on the trope.

[@whisper_dvm5157]

If you want a true cozy fantasy: Legend & Lattes by Travis Baldree. This is about a former adventuring orc who sets aside her sword to start up a coffee shop in a town that has never heard of coffee. She gathers a cast of characters around her that help her build the business. It’s so cozy with such lush descriptions of food. Great found family vibes with just a hint of a sapphic romance. I think the marketing for Emily Wilde did the book a disservice by posing it as a cozy fantasy. I didn’t find it all that cozy from the offset. It had this creepy but whimsical vibe from the outset. I still enjoyed it! The sequel is good too but definitely even more adventurous in tone/vibe. I enjoyed The 7 year slip quite a bit! Did you catch the Dead Romantics cameo? So the two books exist in the same universe.

[@chezehead8]

I love your videos! It feels like a couple of friends just hanging out talking about books!

[@osunale]

Emily Wilde was one of my favorite books of 2023, but I wouldn't describe it as cozy fantasy! It might have some cozy elements, but I don't think it really fits that description.

[@hayashaikh8159]

Woww. You are reading two of favorite booktuber’s fav book in this video. I think I already love this video 🥺💗

[@jessethereader]

aw! i hope you enjoy it.

[@shawnieadams1319]

Yes 100% would be all in for an anthology of fae shorts, maybe with some of the characters we met in book 1!!

[@ChanelChapters]

I’m about to get the wishing game so I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it (besides the romance)

[@katiekaboom7747]

I love love loooooved The Wishing Game. Lol, while recommending it to a customer and coworker, I read a quote from the book and literally teared up (embarrassing!). Like you said, it was just so warm and comforting. It just perfectly encapsulated what makes reading such a special experience.

[@BambuProductions]

I just realised Jesse is the only booktuber that is still going from when I started watching booktube like 12 years ago. How crazy!

[@BambuProductions]

From the ones I watched, obviously there's some people that might still be going but I never watched them😅

[@maddy_is_currently_reading]

A book I immediately thought of when you brought up the Seven Year Slip was Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds. It is about time travel, loss, grief, and has a romance element but the main focus is this group of friends navigating their final year of high school. There are family issues addressed, and although the story is very fast paced, it is not an insta love story at all. I absolutely loved this book, and I think you might love it too!

[@genevieveking5078]

He already read it. I rememeber it was a booksplosion pick in 2020. On the Booksplosion channel.

[@scionsilverbeat8149]

Yay. Happy you enjoyed Emily Wilde

[@dania7989]

emily wilde was also my gateway into cozy fantasy obsession! very excited to eventually read tress and half a soul

[@veerle826]

I recommend the BookLeo 😁

[@Lillyjoy]

I agree about Emily Wilde! I didn’t expect where it ended up going and I would have been happier with her still wandering around the forest and us seeing her finish the encyclopedia. I don’t understand why people falsely talk about what books are, like I know it can be subjective but I didn’t feel like that book was cozy. Maybe at times but not a lot.

[@xEmmaberryx]

I read Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries when it first came out in the UK. I think I gave it 4 stars, but I didn't feel like I wanted to continue with the series. I enjoyed my time with it, but I think I was reading it at the wrong time in my reading journey because it took a while for me to get through. I rehomed it with my best friend though, because she wanted to read it and I figured it would be better with her than gathering dust on my shelf.

[@Family_time007]

Hi, Jesse, dangg one day i would be reading your favourite books..

[@Ms.SpookyNerd]

Great vlog I love Katie's videos. Such cozy energy she always gives 🍄🫖☕📚🎥🍿

[@jessethereader]

She's so lovely!

[@hobogoat2]

Oh wow I made it here fast. Hope you’re well Jessie! Thanks in advance for the recommendations :D

[@jessethereader]

Thanks so much! I hope you're doing well, too!

[@cathyenfield]

I need to read The Wishing Game asap 😍

[@WickedWestBooks]

With the way that you talk about Emily Wilde, you would probably like Marie Brennon's A Natural History of Dragons series. All out in the field learning about dragons with a similar voice, and no footnotes.

[@katen5598]

Happy to see you choose a book from Katie is reading !! I like her content ! 🌈

[@BrebearMckae]

EMILY WILDE

[@BrebearMckae]

LOVE the anthology idea: Emily Wilde's Anthology of Faerie Anecdotes would be an amazing installment to the series

[@lizbradley7489]

I was thinking about getting the seven year slip and now that you talk about now it's on the top of my must get now plus I love Ashley potions books

[@jessethereader]

I hope you enjoy it when you get around to it!

[@lizbradley7489]

Thank you I will

[@sunglory4488]

I adore Jesse's vlogs, my goodness if he posts a +10000 hours vlog I would gladly watch it^^ How truly talented and incredible he is! I am really grateful for all the efforts he put in making these videos~

[@jessethereader]

ahh. thanks so much.

[@sarajdidion651]

Book tubers I’ve been enjoying lately = BookLeo and Books are Sick I’m new to your videos, but I really enjoy your thoughts and reviews! Thank you ☺️

[@ParmelkSorashana]

My favorite booktubers are Book Roast and JadeyRaeReads.

[@dianaisme]

I love this so much!

[@juliacash8135]

I haven’t read any of these but I own Emily Wilds encyclopedia of fairies and hope to read it soon! Some booktubers you should watch are Destiny Sidewall, Sara Carollie, Syd BookWorrom, Andrew Watson, and PeruseProject. These are all some of my favorite booktubers that I think you would love!

[@willpietikainen7760]

Hi Jesse, I don't usually comment but I just wanted to tell you that you got me out of my reading block!

[@jessethereader]

Love to hear it! What book are you currently reading?

[@willpietikainen7760]

@@jessethereader I started my Jo Nesbo book marathon because you read the Night house. My favorite book of all time is The Snowman by him. So now I'm reading The Bat, his first book.

[@Darrkness]

8:45 Is me in the near future, lol. I signed up for a Savage Race in May 😅

[@candacecelestine2662]

The Wishing Game was my favorite book of 2023!!

[@insilencea4599]

You might like Books with Emily and Abi of Pellinor, if you don't already follow them.

[@dinosourkisses6425]

I have four booktuber recommendations for you! lexi aka newlynova; Becca and The Books; and Katie Colson

[@shawnieadams1319]

Dead Romantics was in my top 5 fo r2023 reads. I hope to get to 7 Year Slip soon.

[@sassycatz4470]

Hi Jesse: If you want to get more into cozy fantasy, have you read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna? I feel like you might have but it was the first thing that popped into my head. Enjoy your content.

[@MattMilu]

Jordaline Reads is a real hoot! 🦉

[@courtneycohen4775]

I read all three books last year and I loved Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and thought the other two were just okay. I definitely agree with you about the forced romance in The Wishing Game. I think I would have liked it a lot more without that.

[@OliviasCatastrophe]

Very bold of me to recommend my own booktube channel but I do 🙈🙈

[@livlives2160]

Love Haley Pham. Great video!

[@pi-nn5qg]

Jesse introducing other booktubers , it's their debut to Jesse's followers . 😅

[@sabiha.sayeed]

Yes yes omg yes! The unnecessary romances! I blame the tropification of books as a marketing strategy on social media.

[@RachieSSays]

Yay!!! I suggested Haley!!! ❤😊

[@kizzyneetyan]

I gotta be honest: I DNF'd Emily Wilde - because I didn't like Wendel! XD I was more interested in Emily's investigations and was annoyed that he kept getting in the way

[@carissadallke1345]

I dnf'd too cause of the writing style. I read it on Libby & I don't know if it was the formatting but the words themselves where in a weird way & the tone of the words seemed off to me. Wish I could love it!

[@dianaayt]

Glad you enjoyed it. I fill like you are kinda forcing yourself to read a lot more for the sake of youtube videos, specially cause it is books from trends, not personal interest so make sure sure you respect yourself and dont do things just because of youtube! My favorites were wheel of time #4 and farseen trilogy #2 and one piece. Now that I've read more 300 chapters of one piece in 2024 I can say it is one of the best stories ever written. You would love it. I find it very hard to imagine someone who wouldnt. For every age, for every type of life. Just heartbreaking, fun and unbelievably crafted. It will be finished wither this year or next year so I'd completely recommend you trying (and yes, it gives a lot of views too haha)- It is one of the (if not the best) decision of my life to start it. No one who has read it until water seven says they regret and it just keeps getting better every saga. And it's so addicting. This month I was spending 2-3h reading non stop losing awareness of people around me and tv. We just cant stop!

[@jessethereader]

ah, I promise I'm not forcing myself. I'd definitely not be reading anything if I was forcing myself, because it would for sure push me into a reading slump. I love doing reading experiment videos like this.

[@_mermaidguts]

I felt the same about the last quarter of Emily Wilde. I appreciated the first 3/4ths but really didn't like where the plot turned and just kept imaging other directions she could've taken the story. I'm hoping I'll like the second book more.

[@chelsey8737]

I gave The Wishing Game 5 stars and DNF'ed Emily Wilde's

[@taylorfischbeck6174]

If you like books with time manipulation, you might like See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon

[@lunawolf6288]

I wonder if king of wrath Is on this list if it is then I will skip I’m reading king of wrath right now

[@origamiislife4826]

As an asexual trans guy, I want to thank you for introducing me to Every Heart a Doirway + the rest of the Wayward Children Series. Loved the series with all my heart

[@MarcelleLeiturasPreguicosas]

seven year slip felt so bland to me, I didn't feel the chemistry between the main couple, and why she was clinging to him, or why he waited. at least in the movie "the lake house" (which probably is the inspiration, and it is WAY better than this book, and now I'm kinda laughing because you said this book is unique just after I typed that this book is a copy, sorry). I don't like the writing style of the author, I think she writes not for the sake of character development, or as a plot device, but for impact and to manipulate the reader to feel. but it's good the book is a hot to others and people can get something good from it.

[@EE-iv3eo]

have you read her majestys royal coven by Juno Dawson if not I think you would really enjoy it

[@jessethereader]

It’s on my list!! I want the uk edition so bad, because the cover is stunning haha

[@EE-iv3eo]

@@jessethereader I have just finished reading it and it has to be one of my favourites of all time

[@EE-iv3eo]

also so happy its on your list so I will get to hear your opinions on it

[@jessethereader]

@@EE-iv3eo amazing! it's definitely high up on my list.

[@Mihopps]

I read The Wishing Game and I don't know but it gave me extremely uncormfortable feelings. The fact that a teacher kisses one of the little kids, cuddles him? That‘s child abuse in my opinion. Even if she wants to adopt him - it is not her kid und she should lose her job an go to jail for that. Will definitely never read anything by that author again. Romanticising child abuse is disgusting and should never be published.

[@arobinreads]

Would recommend the booktuber Dead good book reviews

[@jessethereader]

thanks for the rec!!