5 UNDERAPPRECIATED STAND-ALONE BOOKS

[@hannah58787]

Me: *sees video* *pulls out pen and paper* I am ready for my tbr list to grow!!

[@JashanaC]

Right?! :D

[@levimiee7183]

hannah58787 this is sooooooo me, I'm literally holding a pen and a piece of paper lol

[@CD-ks2zn]

sameee

[@fangirlinfire7303]

I am writing it in a whatsapp group that I have just with me...

[@jina8960]

Saaame :)

[@sophiemontecalvo7503]

That moment when you can perfectly mirror Jesse's outro...

[@jessethereader]

hahaha

[@emmmabooks]

**was so hoping you'd include a list of cages** i'm so happy you love it so much *cries* i wasn't crazy about geekerella when i first heard about it but it's gotten such great reviews that i feel like i need to??

[@emmmabooks]

sharing not so positive thoughts about a movie adaptation on a blog? so basically shadowhunters reviews? i'm officially sold

[@blubblubblub2939]

emmmabooks Just came here from one of your videos, lol^^

[@subhakhan1900]

my tbr pile just got bigger.

[@jessethereader]

#sorrynotsorry

[@arjumandbano121]

If you're reading this I hope you have a wonderful day/ night ❤️

[@jessethereader]

[@friedchicken3917]

You too :)

[@maddiegrace5234]

I really need to read more standalones... Because immediately when I think of standalones my mind goes to The Fault In Our Stars...

[@millie7817]

Maddie Grace Same. I thought I was the only one😊

[@linasburrow]

Maddie Grace Another Fault in Our Stars fan..😊

[@Not.So.Grim.]

Maddie Grace I JUST got that book for my birthday, I've avoided all spoilers, but my friend was crying when she read it soooooo... I'm gonna be a sobbing mess aren't I?

[@millie7817]

Stargirl I know a lot of people who cried at the end, but I personally didn't, because I'm not the type of person who cries at books😂 Update us when you're done reading

[@jonna8016]

Stargirl Ohh, you're in for a ride my friend! Updates when you've read it?

[@LisaJonasd]

The Song of Achilles is an amazing standalone, I love it so much

[@jessethereader]

i've heard great things about this one!

[@livmarsh5204]

I've watched Jesse's videos for years, but recently I've been in the worst book slump of my life - almost a year. Last night I found this channel again, and today I sat down and finished a whole book in one sitting-for the first time in a year!! I'm so happy that his passion has ignited mine once again!!

[@xyhanx]

Your review on goodreads for A list of cages made me read it. I was a complete mess for crying so much. It broke my heart into pieces and also put it back together. So so so love this book!!!

[@ritika8059]

LOVE YOUR T-SHIRT JESSE!!

[@jessethereader]

thanks!

[@bookishmorgan913]

A List Of Cages was so heartbreaking I cried three times while reading it!

[@jordandevereaux3804]

A List of Cages has been on my TBR forever and this definitely moved it up a few slots!

[@ephan15]

A LIST OF CAGES IS SO GOOD! i didn't know much about the book going into it, but i ended up loving it sooooo much! it's definitely one of my favorites; and i definitely recommend it!!! ah, the friendship and characters in this book is so well written!!

[@joiechristena]

Oh my word - so many tears in "A List of Cages." So glad you loved it! Not enough people are talking about it. Great picks as always, Jesse!

[@layma5113]

Jesse mentions "A Man Called Ove"?! How perfect can it get? I hear no one on KZbin talk about it and it deserves so much more :(

[@ritalucia6202]

I think The darkest part of the forest by Holly Black isn't apprecciated enough (maybe it is,I just haven't seen it that much). I freaking loved it! It's magical and adventurous,a little creepy,a little romantic and it has great characters and a really entertaining story.

[@bejustyou1]

I read A list of cages due to you a few months back and although it was a mixture between heartache and love for the book it now is under my top 3 favourites. Totally recommend it!

[@marcusgonzales9528]

A man called Ove is the only book that made realize how precious life is with books.

[@ladylucas2256]

never clicked on a notification so fast LOVE YOU JESSE

[@ohmybookness1742]

yasssss I've been wanting to read A Man Called Ove for ages and you've definitely convinced me to finally get around to it

[@brittnik2083]

My all time favorite stand alone book is called I am the messenger. It's by Markus Zusak (he also wrote the book thief which is another one of my all time favorites but I know you've already read it). It's such a good book I read it in one day because I just couldn't put it down!!

[@alyssacooper6553]

EighteenDiamonds Same. Markus Zusak is an incredible author.

[@brittnik2083]

Alyssa Cooper ya he seriously is :)

[@TheMidKnightRaven]

YESSS!! This is my all time favorite too, it totally needs more love!

[@jessethereader]

i loved the book thief so maybe i should check that one out!

[@sk8tie]

It really is a fantastic book. Contemporary though so very different than the book thief

[@willowann5604]

Just found your channel, and I love your videos!!!! HAPPY SUMMER!!

[@emilydouglas6162]

The Outsiders is so unappreciated on booktube. I never hear anyone talk about it on here.

[@yeriscarat9241]

Emily Douglas rt

[@Knockyourselfout89]

How is it

[@kirawise1701]

OMG I got so excited when you picked up Where Things Come Back! I read it a few summers ago and I loved it! I took it home after browsing the library and thinking it sounded interesting and it sure was! Rare woodpeckers and zombies? What more could you need!

[@hannahdaya4019]

The NIght Circus and The Little Prince are my ABSOLUTE favourite stand-alone favourites ever! They're just so whimsical and magical, definitely my Aesthetic™.

[@ChronicallyCurious]

If you're a fan of hard to categorize and atmospheric novels that just drip with stunning detail but also contains a mystery, The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert really stands out to me. I read it almost a full year ago and it was probably my favorite book I've read in a few years. It was.... decadent. I will add some lines I adore and reference all the time at the end of my comment, because the writing is just so beautiful. It's... it's really hard to describe. An older woman adopts a baby left on her doorstep in a shoe box. When the girl is older, she wonders about her parents. There is, of course, a garden, and some of the plants are planted in shoes, which is quirky and some people in the town think is insane. The kids call the adoptive mother a Witch and the girl has a hard time, and she has a difficult time in seeing eye to eye with her adoptive mother. They clash on a recurring topic around which the book revolves. The ghosts (metaphorical or otherwise) of the adoptive mother's past are very much present throughout the story, hinting at, clamoring, and then demanding to be confronted and aired. While some parts were a little slow, this book is a slow burn that was a pleasure dipping back into each time I began reading again. The characters each had their own stories and reasons for being who they are, which always helps a book be better overall, I think. The detail is exquisite and the locations described are memorable and lush. All these quotes are from The Memory Garden, by Mary Rickert How do the girls with dreams as big as the world end up old women with regrets? I dream words, you know. Pages and pages of poetry. It's one of those steady rains that lasts for hours. The windows of the old house are open, because it's also one of those reasonable rains that does not slant sideways into the room or onto the wooden sills. The sheets billow throughout the night, diaphanous as angels. The sleepers turn to the accompaniment of squeaky springs; there is soft snoring, the occasional sleep-spoken word; it rains, making fairy ponds in the hosta leaves, dropping blossoms from the foxglove; the little bells fall without a sound. The rain pelts the grass until the grass resists no more and gives up its green perfume to the night; the scent wafts through the house, causing the dreamers to wake, and invigorated by the delicious aroma, make plans for escape of one kind or another before once more sinking into the dark. How do you know what will make you happy in the end? Ask yourself what memory you are making in the present. The poet's journey, while often quite interesting, is never an easy one. She stared at the streetlights, thinking how they look like miniature moons gilding the flakes that floated to the cracked sidewalk, and dusted the old houses with the sugary grow, turning the dismal neighborhood into someplace almost beautiful, before she came to her senses. There's hardly any time left at all now. Less for some of us than others, and that means less for all of us. The unchosen path is always perfect, isn't it? TRY IT. At least go to Amazon or wherever and read the free sample they give you, to get an idea of her beautiful writing. I had a HARD time trying to find something to read after this, because everything else felt.... unfinished. Like it could use another draft. As a writer, I aspire to be on this level, but I rarely find writing that is of this quality. It makes this a book I cherish. If anyone has any ideas of books with writing similar to this, PLEASE reply and let me know, because I can always use more books like this, and it's so so hard to just stumble upon these.

[@ChronicallyCurious]

Also! I know I'm replying to myself, lo, but this is too long for an "edit" I think, but more like a follow up, so here goes, two very different books from my original post's pick. One started as a self-published book and was signed to a publisher and for a movie on the same day, and another is more of a hidden gem. They both deal with space, an event, the concept of dealing with new events and truth being uncovered and how and when to present it to the media, and the impact that has on people in various countries of the world. Other than that, very different handling of the stories, especially in tone. This will also include some quotes to help show what I'm talking about! I also really liked The Martian, by Andy Weir. If you're not familiar, it's the story of a NASA astronaut in the near future, and opens on the third (I believe) day of a mission on Mars. It's not the first but it's still pretty big news and not easy to accomplish. A storm kicks up and the team must abandon the mission or risk their return vehicle being destroyed, effectively resulting in death by starvation, or even worse if their habitation is destroyed in the storm as well. Mark Watney is one of these crew members. He is injured and thrown out of sight, and as his monitored vital signs go flat, is believed dead. The crew must leave or they will all die too, so they go. The rest of the premise is discussed in the book description, and there's been a major movie about it, so I don't think the rest of the premise is technically a spoiler, but I won't detail the rest of it. The book deals with the fallout from this happening and part of it discusses the reactions of the crew who were able to leave, the guilt and the trauma of it, all while having to make it back home in this small spacecraft, dealing with it by themselves for months and taking six months to get back. For all of this, it's actually a really very funny book when it's appropriate. There are points where I got a little emotional, but it's not just a drag that really gets you down consistently (there are times I like books like that, but this is just not one). The book is a lot nerdier than the movie starring Matt Damon, and I loved that difference. It had lots of details about how actually make hard situations work. I like process books, someone who has a problem and has to fix it by themselves in order to make it back home, whatever that means to them. In school I liked Hatchet for the same reason. Also, it's hard science fiction, which I adore, because there's less suspending disbelief and you can tell he's not just using lazy and sloppy storytelling by coming up with just what comes to mind, but what may actually work. There's one glaring issue near the beginning of the book, having to do with Mars not having a high wind speed because you need atmospheric pressure to HAVE high winds, but other than that, it's pretty possible for how far out there the situation is. Using "night soil," wouldn't work if there were multiple people alive, but since it's just him, if he only collects from himself, there's no issue. So, especially for Weir not being a NASA scientist writing on his off hours, this book is superbly well-written. I also really highly recommend listening to this as an audiobook. It was entertainingly read, one of my top fifteen performances (top five probably if I took out the Harry Potter series read by Jim Dale). You can even get an Audible book free when you have a trial, and if you get the digital book from Amazon too, you can pick up where you left off without having to fiddle with it, which is great. My one negative note is, I'm not fond of curse words in books. Like, here and there it may amplify the emotion or let someone know they are VERY angry or VERY frustrated or VERY sad. But... when it's all the time, it negates that impact and it just feels excessive. And it's not mainly 'lesser' curses either, many are the f word. If you're someone who doesn't mind that kind of thing, then this won't probably phase you. But if you listen around kids or people it does bother or are personally bothered, it will be a factor. I listened to the audiobook version back to back because I liked the story so much, but I found myself exasperated by the cursing. It's over 100 times. I know because I counted. So just be aware. “Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.” -Andy Weir, The Martian “I guess you could call it a "failure", but I prefer the term "learning experience".” -Andy Weir, The Martian “If a hiker gets lost in the mountains, people will coordinate a search. If a train crashes, people will line up to give blood. If an earthquake levels a city, people all over the world will send emergency supplies. This is so fundamentally human that it's found in every culture without exception. Yes, there are a**holes who just don't care, but they're massively outnumbered by the people who do.” -Andy Weir, The Martian “It’s true, you know. In space, no one can hear you scream like a little girl.” -Andy Weir, The Martian The honorable mention is Not Alone, by Craig Falconer. That audiobook was also very well done. I got it as a Daily Deal for $1.99 and was surprised when it was in my Top Ten list that year! It's about a man who inadvertently finds evidence that aliens exist and the government has been covering it up. I'm not big into conspiracy theories or cover ups or aliens in general, but something about the way he wove it together, I was kept guessing and there were big surprises. I love that it deals with the fallout of this man's actions and the media gets involved. You see him figure out he needs someone who understands the industry and how that works, and that agent character is really a great foil. She's tough and she can play the audience's point of view on a lot of the things brought up. There's a tough and protective brother. There's one of the people involved in the cover up. There's high White House administration employees. You get their points of views here and there and instead of being too distracting or confusing, it's just enough that it helps weave the story together in an elegant way. Otherwise there would be too much guessing what happens because the main character doesn't know many aspects to this situation, or he'd have to find out in really unnatural ways that I don't think I would have bought as believable. I really enjoyed this as well. It was maybe a little long, but as I was invested in the characters, I finished it and was happy to have been on that ride with them. “Government - or an administration - isn’t really the sum of its parts like people think, because all of those parts are competing for their own interests and pulling in opposite directions at the same time. It’s like an organism at war with itself.” -Craig A. Falconer, "Not Alone" “Wherever he looked, he saw people who demanded to be heard but had nothing to say.” -Craig A. Falconer, "Not Alone" "He sat me down and said that the dream so many millions professed to share - the dream of world peace - was finally within reach. He said it was selfish to let an abstract notion like truth stand in the way, because peace doesn’t make itself.” -Craig A. Falconer, "Not Alone" “The safest way to sell a lie is to dress it up as a secret.” -Craig A. Falconer, "Not Alone" "You can hide the truth forever, but the lie always gets out." -Craig A. Falconer, "Not Alone" "The present has passed before we can touch it, but the future is ours to shape." -Craig A. Falconer, "Not Alone"

[@cassieschwarzentraub17]

OMG I LOVE WHERE THINGS COME BACK!!!!!!!

[@kendallm8331]

I'm a bit late to this video so you probably won't see this, but I'm just going to put it out there for anyone else who happens to read my comment that Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks is my favorite book ever and is the first book in recent memory to have made me cry. It's a beautiful coming of age story with a bit of fantastical realism. (Keep in mind that the fantastical part is my interpretation). It involves a little boy and his imaginary friend, and that's all I'm going to say because you should just read it and come back to my comment so we can cry together. : )

[@BooksAndJams]

I loved List of Cages. I read it right after reading Perks of Being a Wallflower. They're similar in a lot of ways but I liked List of Cages so much better. I can't wait to read A Man Called Ove.

[@erinmariecece]

A List of Cages is such a stunning book, it definitely deserves more hype. It made its way onto my favorites list for this year.

[@linnetwiddershins1983]

I love Frederick Backman so much!!! I've read all of his other books except for A Man Called Ove and I can't wait to finally read it! My favorite of his so far is My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry which is also a standalone!

[@kacy6486]

I've been meaning to read a list of cages. Thanks for reminding me to pick it up!

[@angelaj1319]

your shirt makes me happy and so do you! love you!💙

[@nikolinekoldbaek]

Loving that t-shirt Jesse ;)

[@jessethereader]

thanks!

[@kiya12309]

Standalones are my favorite. There's no waiting for books that I will have lost interest in by the time they show up, or terrible endings that come after a couple wonderful books. If it's bad, you'll know soon, and if it's good you get the whole story in one beautiful shot. Where Things Come Back is so great! I read his next one, and I enjoyed it well enough, but I wasn't nearly as floored as I was with the first. I think debut novels are often great because it's a story that's been sitting around in an author's head for a long time before they ever write it.

[@Amythestz]

I really need to read A List of Cages! Robin Roe actually visited my school and I had no idea until my friend told me about it and it was so cool and random, but she's an amazing person and I'm so happy I got my book signed!

[@axelemirson2774]

I was so surprised when you talked about "A man called Ove" ("En man som heter Ove") because it's a Swedish book (hi from Sweden!) and it feels like most of the Swedish books never really reach out to the rest of the world. The fact that you've read it is really cool and I agree, it's a fantastic story!!!

[@oliviac5313]

I also love standalones. My absolute favorite is an adult fiction book called the coincidence of the coconut cake by Amy E. Reichert, which follows a chef and a food critic's relationship. Another I'm currently reading and am absolutely in LOVE with, Love and gelato...

[@thefirstchapter6146]

I love your shirt Jesse! A List of Cages sounds very interesting to me :D

[@claudia_chen]

The First Chapter I’ve read it, it’s good (in my opinion)

[@SamanthasBooks]

A List of Cages sounds so good! I really need to get to it ASAP!

[@hana9417]

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is one of my all-time favourite standalones, it's just so beautifully tragic! Also Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick is SO GOOD

[@karisbooks5411]

I've been wanting to read A Man Called Ove and they way you described the way it makes you feel just makes me want to read it more!

[@christinaodonnell7862]

I really enjoyed "my grandmother told me to tell you she's sorry". It's by the same author as "A Man Called Ove" (which made me cry in my car while I listened to it).

[@arctatos]

I would highly recommend "My Grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry" by Frederick Blackman (same author as "A Man called Ove") This has been one of the stand alone books that has most surprised me, it is really touching and, through Elsa's eyes the borders between dream and reality are blurred in a very magical way 😍

[@lelap.1486]

Fredrik Backman is overall just underrated. He's great, I love his writing style.

[@narelemluna7037]

Yes "Everything I never told you" is a masterpiece loved it as well, and geekerella is such an amazing book very cute

[@booksbybrie]

Everything I never told you is SO good! And you've def sold me on A List of Cages, I'm dying to read it now

[@alannasama777]

Geekerella is amazing! I adored it, and am glad I picked it up in May.

[@MKReads]

Added all of them to my goodreads shelf! Thank you!

[@lovemusic24]

I recommend Collision Course by S.C. Stephens. It was heart wrenching. Send by Patty Blount. Nothing Left to Burn by Patty Blount. Tru Blue by Melissa Foster. That story was beautiful especially when it dealt with the kids. This was one of my favorite books this year. Don't Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout. Etc!

[@NicholasGreen451]

Yesss!!! I've read Where Things Come Back and List of Cages, 10/10 books

[@BonesandBooth92]

I just started "When Dimple met Rishi" yesterday and IT'S SO CUTE! It gives me the same warm and fuzzy feelings that Geekerella did! It's not a brainless book like some fluffy books are it's so intelligently written!

[@johannamortensen734]

Thank you for the video Jesse! I just gained some new books to my tbr pile 😂💪🏽

[@melaniecassidy0292]

Carry on by Rainbow Rowell is my favourite standalone I honestly love it

[@car5522]

Which is now going to have a sequel >

[@skyesclear]

My favorite standalones are Whisper to Me by Nick Lake, Made You Up by Francesca Zappia, and I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson! I also would love to hear your opinion on the book Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski, as it was such a strange yet lovable book for me.

[@leaninglights]

A List of Cages and Everything I Never Told You are two of my all time favorites as well!!

[@theladytassi]

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is an absolutely gorgeous story if you've not read that one! I finished it in about 2 hours and it's one of those books where you just feel different after you've read it. (Also, if you enjoy movies, the movie adaptation for this book was one of the most beautiful and accurate adaptations I've ever seen, and I've never cried so much in a film as I did in that one).

[@Raisinbrooke]

Favourite stand alones: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay and On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. They are both soooooo good!

[@katiedvideos1140]

two standalones that i love are: Dreamhouse by Marzia Bisognin (scary/horror) The Candymakers by Wendy Mass (kiddish and fun)

[@lafunkie5406]

I just finished reading 'letters to the lost' I really enjoyed it! Its about a girls that is writing letters to her dead mom and a boy finds a letter and responds to it. And thats all i can really say without spoiling

[@infiresman2974]

this might be a stupid question, but, do you read more than one book at a time.

[@bennyboii13]

random adventurer I normally read two books at the same time with different genres so I can switch between them. Although, sometimes when I do this if one of the books grip me and I can't stop reading, I normally just binge read it until the end and put the other book on hold🤷‍♀️

[@infiresman2974]

Caseylewis ok

[@jessethereader]

i tend to!

[@infiresman2974]

jessethereader me too. I'm reading Paper Towns, Percy Jackson, and the land of stories right now.

[@Darrkness]

i usually have a book or 2 at a time for home and one for reading during breaks and lunch at work.

[@SSBooks]

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson is an incredible standalone. Also the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time, so good!!!!

[@darlene861]

i just added these books to my tbr bc you liked them tbh i trust you jesse

[@ellieshuert2555]

I just finished a List Of Cages and I LOVED IT. It was such a good story, sad but so hopeful. Btw if u haven't read Caraval or Heartless yet, Id highly recommend them. They are super fun!!

[@tubaforeva]

Kasie West's standalones are probably my favourite ones. They're so easy and quick to read

[@RiyaDoshi]

A standalone I absolutely *love* is The Phantom Tollbooth. I read it for the first time in third grade and it's kind of like my Series of Unfortunate Events and more people need to read it!!

[@ponderingprose6431]

One of my all time favorite books is a standalone called The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult. I think I randomly picked it up at a thrift store one day and have since fallen completely in love with it. I just finished rereading it for the second time, and will probably start reading it again soon, haha. It's a historical fiction based in World War II that follows a few different characters. It addresses various worldviews, follows an intriguing plot, and has great characters! I definitely recommend it!

[@freeinfiction]

I just finished Geekerella today because I saw that Booksplosion had picked it and so many people told me they liked it!! I want more 😭 I can't wait to read some of these!

[@randismail4771]

jesse, you should read Fans of the Impossible life but Kate Scelsa! I think you'd really enjoy it, it's got a very Perks of Being a Wallflower vibe around it but I actually liked it better than the perks of being a Wallflower!

[@gracehoneycutt3557]

Two books I really recommend are The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton and Roseblood by A.G. Howard. Roseblood is a Phantom of the Opera retelling and I had to read the Outsiders for school and by the end of the book it ended up being one of my all time favorite books, and my Sobing.

[@unicornmist2105]

One of my all time favourite books is Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, the author who wrote the Finnikin of the rock series, but not many seem to know about it. It just speaks to me on some unknown level, making me mourn time's passing and feel infinite at the same time.

[@MistbornTaylor]

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson is a really great fantasy standalone and Wonder by RJ Palacio is adorable contemporary. I think Wonder has a movie coming out soon, so that's exciting.

[@eslojupear6825]

Currently reading Geekerella and im LOVING IT🙌🏼

[@jesusc1315]

I haven't read any of the books you mentioned,but hearing about what they are about makes me want to go to the store right now and buy the book !!!😁☺️🙌🏻😉I always love watching your videos Jesse,so I'll see you soon when you post a new video!!!😆😉😜🙂😏

[@chase9115]

Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cru. Such an great read! Loved that book!

[@abbeebadooboo]

A List of Cages and Geekerella were AMAZING!!!! A Man Called Ove sounds really good too!

[@cherrypie1198]

NOTICE MEEEE SENPAI I AM EARLLYYY

[@jessethereader]

ayyy!

[@cherrypie1198]

jessethereader AAAAHHHHH senpai you answered!!!! YAAAAYYYY

[@MsDream1999]

the book thief,the firebrand, the host,eleunour and park, and where rainbows end are my favorite standalones. i need more standalones in my life...

[@MsDream1999]

i totally forgot abput the perks of being an wallflower,what is wrkng woth me???

[@samnlh5836]

And what about the underappreciated book series? First place: The Kane Chronicles 💔

[@aflowerthatcannotbebloomed]

Samn Lh agreeeee

[@potato1d346]

Samn Lh agree

[@car5522]

AGREE. I think the Kane Chronicles were better than the Magnus Chase books

[@shiningstar6649]

Samn Lh yessss

[@jaybltzr4233]

Yaaas!! Could you do more of these pls!!! ♥️♥️

[@diamondsofsix]

I absolutely LOVE "A man named Ove"

[@ardenleiker2958]

The standalone that got me into reading is The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski. It is still one of my all time favorite books and I think i've reread it at least 5 times. It always gets me out of reading slumps.

[@juliamarie7073]

A LIST OF CAGES???? A MAN CALLED OVE???? TWO OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME IM SO GLAD YOU HAVE ADORED BOTH

[@cyanthecolor8323]

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is such an amazing standalone... it's seriously one of my favorite books ever! I highly recommend it to literally everyone. It follows this 17 year old girl who grows up in a cult, and she ends up escaping just to end up in jail. Not a spoiler, but a big part of the story is that she has no hands. It's such a moving book -- it had me crying like a baby!! Please give it a read!!

[@nataliesnovelobsession659]

A List of Cages sounds so interesting! I'll definitely be checking it out. I've seen Geekerella around a lot lately, but never really thought about picking it up. It sounds really fun though! I may have to library it. :)

[@lenorekosinski3153]

Huh, I was really unimpressed with Geekerella. It wasn't bad, but I didn't fall in love with the characters and the stepmom was too much of a caricature. But I'd already read and loved a Cinderella contemporary retelling that involves fandom, so I probably inadvertently ended up comparing. If you don't mind reading Indie, I highly recommend Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram. Also, you are hella fun to watch!!

[@sophiemontecalvo7503]

Wax by Gina Damico was AMAZING. That book blew me away.

[@btobjjang0741]

I recommend The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne. Really loved it.

[@hannahtj1940]

WOW I so expected not to know any of these books! But, 'Where Things Come From'! It is definitely memorable ... but I felt like the ending left me feeling weird. I adored the writing style, though. Shivers.

[@Courtagonist]

One: Did you plan your shirt to match your eyes? Haha. It's fantastic! Two: These are great suggestions. I miss having stand alone books. Sometimes you just want to know the whole story and it ends on the last page. I feel like it's actually harder to write a book that is stand alone versus a series. A series is something that you can take your time really developing a character. You can get into a lot of depth with it. Where as a stand alone book, the author has to write enough information to make the characters relatable enough to the reader but to make sure that the plot is moving. What do you think is harder? A series or a stand alone?

[@jessethereader]

ha! i didn't! i totally agree! i'm terrible at following through with series & its nice to read a book & not have to commit to a series.

[@shortie0152]

Book squad in the house🙌👏

[@jessethereader]

yessss!

[@MrsDoctorShansen]

If you're wanting another book that is a tribute to fan culture along with an interesting look at mental health, then I suggest Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. I loved the book and the author really did a great job with writing a character with anxiety.

[@brandivandygriff2185]

Where things come back has been sitting on my shelf for a while. I think I'll pick it up after i finish ACOTAR

[@emmakarch9096]

If you like Maggie Stevater , try Scorpio Races. One of my favorites!

[@catmarsh6547]

I really want to rec 'A Certain Slant of Light', but then I did remember it has a sequel... or a side-quel? It's not a series, and it stands alone very well, but there is a second book that follows what happens to the characters we're not really with throughout most of Slant.

[@amnamoosa4712]

if you lied geekerlla, you would love Cinder and Ella by Kelly Oram too. A Cinderella retelling with fan culture. But it also explores a lot of underlying themes like family and self confidence

[@madelynhanes5759]

i love contemporaries, but i definitely think there needs to be more series in the genre

[@Lumen99]

A Man Called Ove was one of the first times I ever teared up while reading

[@makaelynpierce6362]

Ahh I loved Geekerella soo much! I actually did a review for it where I explained how it touched me personally!

[@pikapikamika]

Does anyone know if jesse did put the triggers in the description or if it's a link and I'm just blind?

[@yasmeenyusuf3953]

no ur not blind 😂💔 I can't see them too

[@rahaf7476]

I think he forgot to put it because I don't see it either

[@amyyang9323]

DuckWithissues your not blind don't worry because he didn't put it in

[@jessethereader]

just updated description! :)

[@angieramirez93]

space potato no I can see them