july reading wrap up 2024

[@katsfieldnotes]

nathan you are lowkey ruthlessssss. when you said she spent too much time doing podcasts and not enough time refining her voice, i GASPED big yum! but also, may we never be on the end of one of your critiques. amen 😂

[@katsfieldnotes]

Also ive been so bad at commenting but you were my consistent lifeline-listen as I traveled this summer. im grateful for your services 🫡

[@nathansnook]

I SAID WHAT I SAID! but also, her Vanity Fair article in 2022 was actually stellar! so idk what happened to her writing voice! though it does shine when she’s writing about her experience with Babitz. if there’s one thing about me you must know: I LOVE A ROAST AND I WILL ROAST YOU I PUT UP A FIGHT 🥊 omg so glad to have kept you company throughout your travels! HAGS girl !!!

[@cs0p]

not wanting the cmbyn world to be broken by reading Find Me is real. I bought it at a thrift store and Im donating it right back Id rather just reread the OG and his other books. the spotify audiobook minutes limit🙄 YOU GET IT WITH THE LITTLE FRIEND NO BLAME ON ME I LOVE THAT HEFFER. bookmarked breaking and entering for later

[@kiranreader]

whatever is inside of the book, i think we have to agree that the didion & babitz cover SLAPS!

[@nathansnook]

sooo glad it is not a foot splashing in water. it would look sooo sexy amongst other Babitz and Didion’s on our shelves !!!

[@sky.cherie]

ur vids are always such a treat. thanks for making them :)

[@nathansnook]

so glad i can sweet treat ya ! ✨🍭🍬 thanks for watching :)

[@joanasimoes1084]

cmbyn is my favorite book (thus far) and I don't regret having read find me... it was definitely not a favorite of mine but Aciman's writing is still there and you get to read more of Elio and Oliver (which I loved sm). the rest of the story didn't do it for me, but I'd still recommend it since you've been reading cmbyn every summer (same)

[@nathansnook]

@@joanasimoes1084 a hopeful comment! glad to hear that Aciman’s prose still sings in this book! if i ever come across the book in a used bookstore, i will get to it !

[@ggbtvstb]

Love love love the little friend! So glad to hear it get its due. One of the most joyful protagonists to sit with for a day.

[@nathansnook]

honestly culture needs to redirect its attention to this one i’m tired of only hearing about the other two !!! 😤

[@mariepelcova8604]

i love getting book recs from these vids

[@nathansnook]

i’m glad one or some of these might interest you! which one are you curious about picking up? 📚🐛

[@mariepelcova8604]

@@nathansnook Punks by john keene! on my TBR already 😂❤

[@SavidgeReads]

I totally agree with you on physical items vs streaming and OF COURSE agree with you on the brilliance of libraries. I need to get Punks and you’ve made me want to read The Little Stranger as I never have!

[@nathansnook]

would love to visit your library sometime the shelves you have behind you in all your videos are ASTOUNDING 💛💛💛

[@spexi513]

I feel you on Call Me By Your Name - I feel like I’m now the Dad 😂 📖🪱💚

[@nathansnook]

LOL i think i will get there! right now, really in Oliver’s POV 😭😭😭

[@availandco]

ugh The Creative Act was in my tbr for July but I didn’t finish the audiobook before I had to return it to the library…this is not for someone who already read Atomic Habits or has dabbled in The Creative Way by Julia Cameron. Totally agree that it was easy to doze off on this book :/

[@dianagro99]

good to know! I’ve dabbled in both of those that you mentioned so with that and Nathan’s review… off the tbr it goes!

[@nathansnook]

the first few chapters are fine! i don’t think you will miss out on much because the rest of the book are riffs of the first chapter in how repetitive it is 🫠 but glad you picked it up from the library! we love the library !!!

[@Lovin12]

Unique review of McCurdy! I had such a hard time putting my review into words and yours resonates. Thanks!

[@nathansnook]

i think this is because it’s hard to judge a work of art when it’s someone’s life! but when you see the mechanics of the art, it’s easier to see how it works or not. i find this happens whenever i come across memoir!

[@Lovin12]

@@nathansnook that makes sense

[@martaprinoperes]

Yess, my partner regretted reading Find Me as well lol so I didn't even go near it

[@nathansnook]

OH NOOO see that makes me sad 😭😭😭

[@thelefthandedreader6632]

the Little Friend! Atmospheric is right! Gothic to the hilt! I don’t necessarily like a child main character, but this one…yes. This one grew on me even more over time. I agree with your point about Tartt novels being stand alones . What a stack of books for July!

[@nathansnook]

@@thelefthandedreader6632 i’m also not very big on child protagonists, but this was just so lovely! of course, must give credit where credit is due, but after seeing your copy i knew i had to pick it up !!

[@bookpogo]

Woahhh the way I loved Find Me because I always have a crush on my professors…. + happy ending for Elio 😭😭😭

[@nathansnook]

GAHHHHH maybe i should get round to reading it…maybe next summer 😮‍💨

[@bookpogo]

Woahhh the way I loved Find Me because I always have a crush on my professors…. + happy ending for Elio 😭😭😭 also the creative act… I can’t touch the material of that cover without wanting to throw up so I was saved from a shitty book lmaoo

[@jay_poet]

I’m currently buddy reading Yellowface, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have given it a second glance - it’s definitely popcorn and quite a fun read after the brain drain that was The Magic Mountain.

[@nathansnook]

@@jay_poet OOOF reading something as light and fluffy as Kuang’s book is perhaps the best remedy for something as heavy as Mann 😵‍💫

[@rebareads]

THE TEA IN THIS WRAP UP! The Creative Act being for finance bros tells me EVERYTHING I need to know about it lol and I had no idea Spotify had audio book limits?? More reason for me to keep using Libby :) I honestly didn’t know about the negativity towards The Little Friend, my general understanding was that The Secret History is just the “favorite child” amongst Tartt readers. So, your high praise is what I will take with me going into it as I know I will definitely read it at some point :)

[@nathansnook]

maybe i need to switch to libby!!! i’ll be thinking of it and yes! hope you get to check out the Tartt with a NYPL card !!! have you done The Goldfinch?

[@rebareads]

@@nathansnook I have not! But I do have a copy of it! I’ve only read The Secret History.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Rick Rubin has that free-associative romantic quality to him that is great for conversation but less so for being accountable on the page. Nice of you to give his writing a chance, but I'm not surprised by your assessment. A few of these books I hadn't heard of before. How do you tend to discover the books you read? Goodreads? Friends? Just curious. 😊 Love your commentary throughout!

[@nathansnook]

ahhh thank you for succinctly describing how Rick Rubin works when it comes to art ! you said it better than me 😭 I hear about books just about everywhere! here, bookstagram, the staff picks of bookstores. covers i see in movies, on the street, tiktok, netgalley, and all this feeds into my never ending desire to add books to a never ending tbr 😭😭😭 what about you!

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

@@nathansnook You spoke it, I wrote it-I had the advantage! Editing! For the longest time I discovered books in isolation off shelves as I perused used bookstores. Getting an English degree became a more direct introduction with suddenly literary movements taking over my tastes. But BookTube has been the greatest gift of all. It's like gambling: you never know what extraordinary book someone is about to flip upward to the camera. I'm still hooked on perusing used bookstores-and anytime an author mentions another author, that's a whole new chasm to fall into-but BookTube has easily been the most distinctive in what it's helped me discover. Channels like yours!

[@jetblackstonecold]

100% agree with you about the Rick Rubin book - I couldn’t finish it. It’s definitely for people who don’t know what art is, and Rick has never made any art, ever.

[@nathansnook]

oh gosh you make a good point! idk why it never occurred to me that Rick has never put out a piece of work, except this 😭

[@blue_rae]

my bf has had rick rubin's book on his nightstand for MONTHS trying to get me to read it. i knew my gut was onto something LOL thank you NEXT 👋

[@nathansnook]

THANK YOU NEXT FRRRRRR will say tho nice to have it on the nightstand - as a coaster ☺️☺️☺️

[@casskrug]

i’ve been on a nora ephron movie kick i NEED to pick up heartburn omg. i have didion & babitz waiting for me on my ereader, you and kiran have me scared hahaha 😳

[@nathansnook]

its literally Nora Ephron movie in book form! you will have fun! and LOL nooooo don’t be scared 😭😭😭 it’s still chockfull of hot tea. do it for the TEA ☕️

[@pessoasombra]

Wow that roast of creative act 🤣

[@nathansnook]

I SAID WHAT I SAID! was going great until every chapter just felt so repetitive from the first 🫠

[@uncoolalex]

I actively decide Find Me is NOT canon. it's fan fic.

[@nathansnook]

@@uncoolalex 🫠🫠🫠

[@Mulberry792]

I think you are going to enjoy Big Swiss

[@nathansnook]

eep! has me excited !!!

[@ameliareads589]

The Little Friend needed an editor too. Too may words, Donna. And you don't have to overexplain every character to me, I got it! Trust your reader more!

[@nathansnook]

indefinitely, this is how i feel about most big books 😭😭😭

[@ChanelChapters]

“If you don’t know what art is - have at it!”😂😂😂 I have heard nothing but negative reviews about that book

[@nathansnook]

i wanted to see what all the fuss was about and the reviews ring true unfortunately 🫠

[@coconutmilch2351]

Dude “the creative act” can be summed up as: wishful thinking. He said something like idk peaches grow from peach trees and clouds grow from the sky and so like books/other creative things come out of human beings right? Imo it’s for people who would rather “manifest” when everything they want is literally within their power but they’re just too lazy to do anything about it lol

[@nathansnook]

ngl at first i was into it! wishes and manifestations create stirs, but when it ended up being the ENTIRE book i was pulling at my hair wondering if we were ever going to get anything more.. 🙃

[@coconutmilch2351]

@@nathansnookbut as a writer, don’t you think that manifestation happens more on the level of marketing and getting a book deal rather than actually writing the book? I don’t think even the best of the writers can just sit down and pop out a book. It takes effort to rewrite and edit over and over. In what way is that like peaches growing from peach trees? 🤔 however the antenna metaphor is good and I find it to be true in my experience.

[@bethanyseabolt9387]

I am so glad you also disliked The Creative Act. I was disappointed that it was not as earth shattering as its hype, because I loved the book design, but you are so right- it is NOT for creatives.

[@nathansnook]

I came into it seeking inspiration but left with literally nothing.. 🫠 it does make for a pretty coaster though!

[@jessdekkerreads8792]

I regretted reading Find Me…..

[@nathansnook]

OH NOOOOOO IM SO SORRY 😭✨🫂

[@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd]

it's been raining for days down here and it's also pretty hot but at least I still have utube. Loved the secret history but wasn't going to pick up the little friend till I saw your review. Thought yellowface was a little disappointing even if intended only as a piece of fluff but looking forward to reading big swiss too cause it's supposed to be very funny Be well.⚛

[@nathansnook]

wishing you some coolness because we need it!!! totally agree on fluff! and fluff much needed for me after having read so much the previous month lol.. 🫠

[@anamorales3722]

So happy you liked Nettel! 🙂 My best read in July was Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks. Have you read Valeria Luiselli? I think you would like her too, another Mexican writer. ❤

[@nathansnook]

thank you again! it was such a wonderful collection! and i’ve not read Luiselli! honestly, i need to read more mexican lit! ✨💛

[@MicahRion]

physical media is important becuase then you actually own the piece of media. You don’t when you stream something

[@nathansnook]

agreed ! physical media will always be supreme. i was an idiot for ever deciding to get rid of half my books when i first got the kindle ! same with cd’s when i moved over to spotify..don’t make the same mistake i made !!! 🫠

[@TheLinguistsLibrary]

Having a cut off time on an audiobook is not good business! Physical books will always win for sure

[@nathansnook]

amen !!! it really pulls you out of the story! I don’t do audiobooks very often, but enjoy them when it comes to memoirs !

[@Slothreadersclub]

"This is definitely for a person who doesn't know what art is." Auch... Brutal. I love it. 😅 "Minor detail" was written by Adania Shibli, not Guadalupe Nettle.

[@nathansnook]

Rubin is just better when he’s on a pod or panel tbh !!! and yes! i made a mention of my error in my show notes ! don’t know why that happened.. 🙃

[@Slothreadersclub]

@@nathansnook We say in my native language - my tongue was faster than my brain. It happens to me frequently when I record myself.

[@davidnovakreadspoetry]

*If a single line in a prose paragraph stands out in that way you are allowed to stop and linger over it too. 🤣

[@nathansnook]

@@davidnovakreadspoetry amen to that ! ✨🙌🏼

[@megsharber8429]

do NOT read find me lol

[@nathansnook]

eep! noted! 🫡🫡🫡

[@JuliaGaik]

Do not read find me!!! Completely breaks the spell of cmbyn imo

[@nathansnook]

oh nooo 😭😭😭 i’m so sorry this happened to you! i don’t want the spell to break !

[@backtoreads]

the little friend has also been on my tbr for the LONGEST TIME and it’s the only tartt i’ve never read, i never knew that it has that many mixed reviews but i think my apprehension to start it is that it’s The Very Last Donna Tarrt Book 🥲 aaaah but the way u talked about it…. i think it’s time for me to read it

[@nathansnook]

omg that always hurts, to read the last from your fav and we are LOOONG overdue for a new one 😭😭😭