May wrap up + June TBR 🌟🪸⎮ Book slumps, reading out of my comfort zone

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[@mariequenneville]

the best advice i ever received on reading classics is to treat them as ""normal"" books. don't overthink them or try to analyse everything, just read it and enjoy it. remember that they were once modern books!

[@katgreer6113]

Literally! And don't give it a higher rating just because it's a classic! If you don't like it, you don't like it. Modern-day classics like Circe, The Song of Achilles, and the Princess Bride are also good options for those who want to start.

[@SheMeetsPaper]

Honestly such good advice. I think a lot of us feel daunted to pick up classics because you feel pressure to analyze and ”understand” them. So this is a super helpful tip.

[@KavindayaPerera]

I needed to hear this so bad. I'm currently reading a classic and I'm afraid to give it low rating.

[@Anna_Ranae]

I think Des would be my fav KZbinr if she read 1 book or 100 her vids are just so entertaining and comforting

[@theplotchickens]

I personally read way less in the summer because I’m busy being outside and making plans with friends/family. Reading comes in waves. Don’t be too hard on yourself! Your other hobbies are also valid.

[@Keyshladf11]

Facts she could just talk a whole video or just sit there and do nothing and I’d eat it up everytime!!!

[@erikacoy9599]

I also read much less in the summer! This is so validating!

[@shayleecarter30]

classics while you’re in a book slump?! you’re a brave brave woman

[@allisonsimpson6027]

The way des is in a reading slump by her monthly tbr is 25% classics. I believe in you girl!

[@pinkyalmeroth3702]

Honestly, classics, certain classics at least....just make the reading slump worse. You need a fresh, new, can't stop reading book to get you out of it. What that is, I don't know lolz

[@erinhastie8423]

I would advise for getting into classics that you shouldn’t have the expectation of having an extremely gripping read but of having a leisurely time with the characters and experiencing what they go through. Also Rebecca and Jane Eyre are sooooo good!

[@skyjan163]

this is honestly such a great way of putting it

[@bibilbophile]

I know you mentioned in your vlog that you didn't know what the bell jar was about, so I just would recommend you look up the content warnings for that and the glass castle! just to make sure you're in the right headspace to take care of your mental health ❤️

[@Queencereal]

1000% agree. I’d also recommend reading it one chapter at a time. Don’t binge it. It’s a tough read

[@Mandymoojohnson]

100% look up trigger warnings for Glass Castle. I read that book in High School and now I’m in my mid-twenties and still think about it. It takes time and it’s not really a book you can binge!

[@sophiewalti3147]

Yes! Highly agree with this. I never have to look up trigger warnings or anything and am typically pretty unaffected by books, but The Bell Jar was really emotionally rough for me

[@Kelvin0815]

Slumps are the absolute worst! Hoping for a better reading month for you in June!

[@itsnoterica]

The main advice I could give for getting into classics is to go into them knowing that they’re meant to be savored, not devoured. Take your time reading them, don’t rush. Savor each sentence. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books of all time so, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it! I do have to caution you about going into that one thinking it’s gonna be a romance bc that’s what it’s usually marketed as. It’s not a romance although it is partially a love story. It’s mostly a Bildungsroman. It’s Jane’s life story & her romance w Mr. Rochester is just a small part of her story, not her whole story.

[@alexiscolner1541]

Rebecca is SO SO good. Definitely gothic vibes, actually a bunch of those classics could fall in that category. There’s something so satisfying about how these classics end, it makes you feel like they were worth the effort when you get to the end!

[@ANA-il6js85]

Rebecca, Pride and prejudice, Narnia... all my fav books. Narnia books helped me when i was in a slump, life and reading 🤣, and i miss that world so much i wanna go back now ❤.

[@Sof_rha]

Thank you for creating this safe and happy corner of the internet! Forever grateful for all the work you put into your vids❤

[@whatsdesreading]

aw I love you!

[@raynahailey]

as a few others mentioned, I would put off the bell jar until you're in a good mental space. also, tips for reading classics: listen to the audiobook and don't try to speed through something with tough language

[@KarlyJo]

The Rom Commers is quite possibly my new favorite romance book EVER!!! It’s got me out of my 2 month long reading slump

[@Jordan.98]

I swear Destiny and I are so in-sync lately with our reads! I also went to Barnes and bought classics because i'm also in my classic era!!! i got pride & prejudice, great expectations, great gatsby, & oliver twist!! little women has been sitting on my shelf and ive been waiting for a good time to pick it up!

[@rileyhopper3460]

the glass castle is one of my favorite memoirs of all time. it’s really emotional and frustrating to read but it sticks with you.

[@abigailcam]

this is so true I read it in my journalism class and my heart hurt every time I picked it up.

[@soapieswiftgalathynius]

Powerful was so good yet so devastatingly heartbreaking 🥺 I'm so excited for Reckless!! ❤

[@shaylaatiles]

I finally got out of my book slump, stay strong girlie 💪 Also I’ve read most of those classics, I recommend Little Women first. It’s the “easiest” one to start with. Then Pride and Prejudice (my love 💗). Classics will definitely put you deeper into your slump, I fear, so try not to binge them back to back. I recommend reading Sylvia Plath when you’re in a better mental headspace 🧡 And Jane Eyre has a gothic tone! You got this bestie!! 🥳

[@hope_lynn]

Classics are my favorite genre to read. I love Little Women, Jane Eyre, and Withering Heights. I recommend them all! For me personally, I usually have to separate reading my classics with more light reading in between because they tend to take more time to read (and more brain power). I hope you enjoy them all as much as I have!!

[@Tinahgirl83]

The classics you chose actually are super readable. Little Women, Pride & Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre are all in my top 10 favorite books of all time. I have read and reread them so many times, and I always get something new out of them, and different parts hit differently as I age. (I just turned 40….which feels ancient…) Little Women in particular has been a mainstay in life for me. Rebecca is also excellent. The Bell Jar I’ve only read once, but it has really stayed with me and I intend to reread it soon. The best advice for reading classics is to treat them like every other book. These are classics to us, but when they were written, they were viewed the way we view commercial or genre fiction. Enjoy the language too. There are hilarious and heartbreaking moments in all of them. And have fun with the idea that you’re reading works that some of your favorite authors love. For Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations, read them with an audio version. Joseph in Wuthering Heights…..talk about using dialect. And Dickens writes beautifully, but I have to listen to his because it’s easy to get tangled up in his sentences.😂 And just go into it open minded. Enjoy the picture of the life as it was in that time. Enjoy the characters. Know that you’ll start to see the way that they’re referenced or given nods to in modern work. I promise you’ll see reflections of them in your real life. Oh, and Wuthering Heights is NOT a romance. It’s written in the Romantic art style, which means is dramatic and passionate and obsessive. But definitely not a romance. There is love, yes, but it’s by no means meant to be read like a romance novel. I also really enjoyed The Lovely War. I don’t usually like war related historical fiction, but this one just had beautiful writing and characters. Cleopatra and Frankenstein is on my tbr.

[@KiraKiera]

I loved both The Ministry of Time and Before the Coffee Gets Cold! Time travel is one of my favourite sci-fi sub-genres, but the bigger focus of both of these books is the characters. The Ministry of Time was such a mish-mash of genres - sci-fi, romance, historical, comedy... and it somehow pulled it off so well!

[@mariajimenezr11]

omg definitely recommend to read the bell jar while you’re reading sylvia plath’s journals, there is so much inside on the book and so many connections within the main character and sylvia herself

[@elizabethlaflamme7312]

Lovely War, Little Women, and Jane Eyre are some of my favs!! I’m so happy to watch a video of books I actually know about haha.

[@scarletib]

I agree with all the other comments here saying that you can't go into classics with crazy expectations. Classics can be slow and have parts that feel very redundant, but you just have to be happy to go along with what is happening and just the overall experience. They are stories from another time, so they will be different from the way things are written today, but at the end of the day, they are still just words on paper, so don't let yourself get too intimidated!!

[@veronica9124]

i took a class on Austen's works and I think the thing that helped me the most actually understand things was reading and listening to the audiobook, I grasped onto things a little more and finished them faster than I would have just only reading them! honestly even reading a quick summary like cliffnotes helps if you're interested to see what kind of symbolism, etc. there are in the books! jane eyre wasn't my favourite, but I have read her twice and it is so enjoyable / really easy to understand 😋

[@Aaajjj000]

Classics during a slump is crazy 😅 9:17

[@nataliedube1665]

I read pride and prejudice last year, and it turned into one of my favorite books. I was really scared about going into a classic, so I did start listening to it on audiobook, but a few chapters in I switched over to actually reading the paperback. There is a couple things language wise I had to look up, but I got more comfortable with it as I went. I just really loved how natural and beautiful Elizabeth and Darcey got to know understand each other over time. I definitely want to read Emma sometime soon

[@eye2th]

just finished The Bell Jar & it's my only 5 star so far this year! i think you'll love it

[@bpmgn]

was also in a slump from april to may! + read before coffee gets cold and it was SOOOO good + currently reading cleopatra and frankeinstein!

[@hobbyjournals]

Idk if that many classics in one month is a good idea for a book slump 😭 I love classics, but that many back to back would burn me out

[@AllyMaas]

Hey girlie! I am obsessed with before the coffee gets cold. It’s such an amazing novel. it’s comprised of 4 interconnected short stories so it’s really easy to fly through! I think I read the whole book in like 2ish hours. Definitely a 6-star read for me

[@jessreads3570]

the lovely war has a weird POV style that my throw you off at times but it actually ended up being a really great story and heavier than I was expecting.

[@coreydecristofaro6017]

Wuthering Heights is my favorite read of this year so far!! It’s very good… starts slow and confusing but stick with it. The story is beyond beautiful

[@addireadit]

My advice for classics is to listen to audiobooks while reading them, personally it helped me better understand them and like them a lot more! So excited to see your reactions to them all!

[@Chloeeeeev]

Rebecca is so phenomenal, I can’t wait for you to read it!! It’s got such a good setting and a bit of a mystery subplot too 🥰

[@misssimy20]

Clasics are so underrated. They are pure gold and joy❤Not all classic are hard to get into. ❤

[@liliiasl]

love this new exciting journey for you! i would definitely recommend reading "Before the coffee gets cold" somewhere in the autumn-winter times, so much better for the experience! or at least to read it in the dark haha

[@annagardiner8351]

Hamnet is a great book-it reads similar to a classic, but the language is modern enough to ease yourself in! As a reader, pushing yourself to read outside your comfort zone is crucial to being a smarter, more well rounded individual and expanding your audience and I respect that so much! My advice is to research the book after you read if you don’t understand some things :) you got this girl!!

[@dpaf3534]

Beautiful Boy is an amazing book that taught me so much, especially about parenting. I connected with it more than I did with A Little Life, although that book is also great

[@dianaisme]

I'm reading Narnia right now, I also loved the movies and I did read 1 of the books when I was young and I found the rest thrifted online. They are so good!

[@morganlayelle4042]

I honestly loved Rebecca, I think I read it randomly cus it was on a gothic mystery list. I can’t really explain how or why but i flew through it and never really felt like I was reading a classic. To this day it’s still one of my favorites!

[@emmajoanne1716]

I would recommend that you read the bell jar and Rebecca before you read Eileen! I read it for my degree and it will just be a better experience (I found) by doing this :))

[@lexisreadingrn]

As someone who studied English Literature in under-grad (4 years of reading classics), I think enjoying the literature depends on your mentality-they are more character-studies rather than romance novels. Classics are the most thought provoking literature out there! So excited for your wrap up next month 🤍

[@CleeMyno]

glad I wasn't the only one in a slump this month!! love u des! 💞

[@mollythompson04]

Little Women is my all time favorite book. Can't tell you how many times I've read it. It leaves you with the most wholesome feeling. Actually, every Alcott novel I've read gives off that feeling. If you love your reading experience with Little Women, I totally suggest reading Jack and Jill by her too. Super sweet novel centered around the children of a small American town. Flower Fables by Alcott is really sweet too and quite possibly her earliest work. My advice is to just go along for the ride with the classics. It's ok to be like " ok, I have no idea what they are talking about" and break for a minute to look it up. It's also completely ok to say that but not worry about it at all. I'm excited to hear your thoughts on Little Women, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and P&P. ❤️

[@emmaskapetis7603]

I've read and loved quite a few of these classics such as Pride and prejudice, Little women (which is the first book in a series), and some of the Narnia. These were some of the books that got me into classics. I'm currently reading Vanity fair to get into classics after mainly not reading them for years.

[@joeliz9082]

Looking For Alaska was my favorite John Green and my favorite book throughout high school. I loved it so much.

[@meghantuck6631]

Love your choices!! Little Women is such an approachable read, could be a great way to ease into the water with the classics. Jane Austen is absolutely fantastic, but I always find that it takes me a little bit to adjust to the language. Same thing with Dickens. My suggestion would be to maybe find some really well done audiobooks and start with that before you dive into the book. It can be a great way to get to know the characters and get into the story. I read War and Peace this year- and listening to Thandie Newton’s narration alongside my reading was incredibly helpful- and now it’s probably my favorite book of all time!! It’s also ok if you don’t get much the first time, the beautiful thing about these books is I feel like they have to be read multiple times, and usually they get better each time you read it ❤

[@andelijaaa]

bestie des posted!!! ur videos are keeping me sane rn 💘💘 the mid year book slump has caught up to me HELP. also can’t wait fr the summer vids I’ve been rewatching all of the OG bestie des summer vlogs☀️☀️

[@saf.081]

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE IS SO GOOD OMG MAN

[@sarahfridner8648]

Looking for Alaska to me was the fault in our stars to you, literally love that book

[@francesca9470]

I love that you're getting into classics! Those are the books that got me into reading in the first place :) wuthering heights is one of my favourites!

[@samyaahmed_]

THE BELL JAR IS ONE OF MY FAVES

[@jehnyabrielle]

Destiny I just read Wuthering Heights for the first time and it was hands down the best classic I have ever read. The first 20% is a little tough but it gets sooooo good and then everything from the beginning will click.

[@mariabailey3967]

I’m so excited for you to read Lovely War!! I read it on January and adored it, such a beautiful, well written and unique story. I wish it had more hype because it’s totally worth it, I hope you enjoy it and can’t wait for your review 💗💗

[@designOpz]

Cleopatra and Frankenstein was one of my faves last year even though it is quite a bit out of my comfort zone.

[@gracegundryy]

when I read a classic (especially helpful with wuthering heights) I’ll watch a chapter analysis after, there’s a bunch on KZbin from people studying them and it just helps with characters/analysis! Also switching between reading and audio helps 🫶🏻 you’ll love P&P and save the movie for a treat after! The Bell Jar is great and feels like lit fiction over classic because of more contemporary writing. Enjoy!

[@rivera17alissa]

I feel you girlllllll!!! I’m in the BIGGEST book slump since finishing boys of tommen! Nothing is hitting 🥲 I’ve picked up like at least 5 different books read 100 pages and just stopped! Hopefully we have a great reading month in June! 🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@mayyasalharbi7196]

The bell jar is one of my favorite books of all time

[@ren.sparks]

sameeee omg

[@RAINH2O2014]

You're inspiring me to get to some of my backlog this month! I've also wanted to read Cleopatra and Frankenstein forever!

[@thefallybear]

I love the vibe of all these new books! Can’t wait for the videos

[@daianauta2861]

hi Destiny! I'm in a book slumpp too and I got one last year in May and June. For me its bc of uni being very chaotic during this time with projects and exams but it's validating to see other people going through this too! Love your videos btw

[@hannaherin820]

I agree so much about Karley Fortune's books! It always feels like I've kinda read them before

[@clairechumbley9630]

Jane Eyre is lengthy but SOOOO good! I think it's such a digestible classic and I love it so much.

[@SyMpHOny893]

loooooving this lit fic/classics era!

[@vanilla6644]

I highly recommend the glass castle it was a five-star read for me in 2022 and I still think about it sometimes

[@diaryofafangirl7]

For classics I suggest not overthinking it and just starting. They are easier than you think. Also one thing that can help is listen to the audiobook as you read. It will push you and you’ll have a greater experience.

[@abbiek8915]

Just love your videos sooo much! I literally look out for them! Sending love from the U.K.🫶

[@kerisbookishcorner2864]

I’m so curious to see what you think of all these classics and impressed that’s what you have on your TBR…classics often put me into a reading slump 😂

[@addisonlackey8960]

The Glass Castle and Little Women are in my top ten books of all time. They are incredible stories, I hope you love them!

[@Deeee__]

Des I read cleopatra and Frankenstein and Before the coffee gets cold and they’re both slow paced so as a fellow book slump struggler since the end of April or so and slowly getting out of it at the end of May I wouldn’t advise you to read them until you’re fully out of it. Also I looooove Jane Eyre!!! We read the summarized version in 4th grade I loved it then and still remember things vaguely from it so I was planning to read the original version and little women as well this year and now I’m thrilled to know that you’ll read them too hopefully we’ll have a blast reading them 💗

[@jessbrookesbooks]

omg the glass castle is AMAZING!!! you have to watch the movie after you read it. both are masterpieces.

[@briannasmith4796]

❤ hoping for another 24 hour readathon soon 😬 I love seeing how many you can read. I blows my mind how fast you read!

[@KylieMaples]

Looking for Alaska is my all time favorite book ever. It was so impactful for me growing up lol

[@jill8868]

i read little women last year and it was one of my favourite books of the year! i think you’ll really enjoy your reading experience

[@skyjan163]

jane eyreeee!!! it’s one of the first classics i read for fun that truly stuck with me. it’s great to start out with too!

[@Sullysrager916]

Omg John Green is soo nostalgic! Looking for Alaska is one of my favorite books. I would recommend An Abundance of Katherines by him as well. I really enjoyed that one! Every Day by David Levithan is so good too. I read Glass Castle in college.

[@emilyrasmussen4330]

For me with starting reading classics some were definitely hit or miss, but I didn't ever stop reading them, and also sometimes reading on something like a kindle helps too, especially with the bigger ones

[@haileygunnet8294]

The glass castle was amazing. I highly recommend the audiobook.

[@milenealmeida7150]

Jane Eyre is my absolute favorite book! I truly think this will be the book of my life. The way Jane is, thinks, acts, it's just simply perfection and it resonates with me in such a way that I felt seen, even though it is about a victorian woman. The story is very emotional and beyond the fact that it is a thick one, it goes really fast and you wish in the end that it was bigger just so you can see more about her. *ps: sorry for my english if there's an error, english it's not actually my first language :)

[@tashaells5199]

Looking for Alaska was my favorite book I read in highschool, over the fault in our stars!!

[@maddiet8495]

Before the coffee gets cold is amazing!!!

[@selenagordon-tennant4678]

You’re gonna LOVE the classics, I never looked back 🥰

[@TorturedFolklore]

Jane Eyre is the first book I read last year and it’s one of my all time fav books.

[@anniewawrzynkiewicz6948]

I’m so excited for you to read The Glass Castle!!! It’s one of my all time favs

[@melodycollis]

Girl your hair looks like a princess 😍💓 I bought This Summer Will Be Different recently so I am excited to give it a read after your review 🥰

[@mythicalsnail6584]

Fight club is one of my favorite books ngl. George Orwell animal farm and 1984 i love as well

[@MacyKayReads]

I’m an English major and I have to read classics ALL the time. It was hard at first but it gets fun I promise! Of your list, I have read Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Wuthering Heights, Animal Farm… I guess all the staple classics. I would recommend being patient with yourself because the language is definitely something else lol. Of all the books, I think you will like pride and prejudice most:) my advice is to read chapter summaries after every chapter just to make sure you’re getting the key details:) hope this helps!!🫶🏻

[@incandescent.glow.]

If you like Jane eyre, I HIGHHHHHLY recommend you look into charlotte brontes sisters books, Emily and Anne. Especially Wuthering heights by Emily!!!

[@makaylajadden]

Looking For Alaska was such a good read (at least when I was in Highschool). Excited to hear your thoughts

[@kathrynabel5170]

Jane Eyre slaps for real. LOVE all the classics you picked

[@hannahjbeck]

the romcommers is so good!! i got an arc of it and i loved it so i hope you do too!!

[@kitty_0816]

Jane Eyre and Great Expectations are both great books! I recommend the Jane Eyre audiobook personally because that helped me understand it better. Great Expectations is a book to learn from and Jane Eyre is about Jane being able to be herself if that makes sense😅

[@sydknee1046]

Des, pleeaassee read East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It is my all time favorite classic ever, I can’t even begin to explain how amazing the writing and story is in this comment. Just please, please add to a future tbr! 🩷🩷

[@alaynabest2310]

Babe we believe in you!!! If you need a break take it no judgement for the book besties 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[@natalie.thigpen]

omg yes i want to start just reading all different kinds of books too!!

[@bonniemae1397]

Excited to see all the June videos!! I really enjoyed the Glass Castle in high school!!

[@Lillyjoy]

I also only read 2 regular books in May, I had so many dnfs. I also read a few graphic novels and those were really the only books I enjoyed

[@SonnySketch]

Honestly, Looking for Alaska is gooood, cant wait to hear you talk about it. I love it and hope you enjoy it too

[@Sunyy-914]

Omg. Im so glad that you'll be reading classics! I really like little women its like my favorite book , and i recommend you reading Rebecca its such a beautiful written book, and its a beautiful coincidence i also have pride and prejudice on my TBR this month, Anyway love your videos❤