My Favorite Authors of All Time

0:00 Intro
0:40 Hunter S Thompson
3:51 Rediscovering Fantasy
5:57 Joe Abercombie
10:11 Emma Southon
13:45 In Closing
These are my favorite authors of all-time (not the best, just my personal favorites). Let me know your favorite authors in the comments!
Book List:
HUNTER S. THOMPSON
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
Fear & Loathing in America
Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72
The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved (article)
JOE ABERCROMBIE
The Blade Itself
Before They Are Hanged
The Last Argument of Kings
Best Served Cold
The Heroes
Red Country
Sharp Ends
A Little Hatred
The Trouble With Peace
The Wisdom of Crowds
EMMA SOUTHON
Agrippina
A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Rome of One’s Own
#booktube #favoritebooks #bookrecommendations

[@maxwellogunsanya2906]

Really like your videos on Instagram. It was yours that got me into reading so all the best with the new KZbin journey. My favourite author is Joe Abercrombie.

[@KistReadsBooks]

Love hearing that I helped you get into it and you have great taste in authors!

[@thebrothersgwynne]

Welcome to the club! First Law is my holy grail of fantasy. Ed

[@evanthrash2612]

I have been following you for a while now on TikTok and instagram. I am so happy you are trying out longer formats on KZbin!! I love hearing you go into more detail about these books I’ve heard you talking about dozens of times now haha

[@TheRacingMonkey]

Oh yes! Looking forward to your uploads man. Good luck on your KZbin-journey as well :)

[@almightyvock]

Great to see you on YT. I read fiction (horror/mystery/literature), history, nonfiction (science/social/something I can learn, etc). I try to read a fiction and then a nonfiction and repeat.

[@KistReadsBooks]

Love the spread, and yeah I usually have one fiction and one nonfiction running at the same time and I can just pick up whatever I'm in the mood for at that moment.

[@davidkivo6245]

So excited for some long form book content from you! You’ve turned me onto some great writers and books, but the authors I dig are definitely Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park is my favourite movie and one of my favourite books, and Dragon Teeth is underrated imo), and Neil Gaiman (if you haven’t read American Gods, I recommend it, but I acknowledge it’s not for everyone). I wish you luck on your KZbin journey!

[@KistReadsBooks]

I'm really looking forward to reading Jurassic Park for the first time, I've enjoyed his other books!

[@davidkivo6245]

Based on your other tastes I think (hope) you enjoy it!

[@eileenpalmer6405]

David McCullough, Candice Millard, Erik Larson

[@johnpadron5185]

Dude just came from your instagram! Super excited to see your KZbin growth and book recommendations! 💪🏽👊🏻

[@KistReadsBooks]

@johnpadron5185 thanks for coming over!

[@Smitty1423]

Welcome to the tube!

[@janiceeatme]

Awesome to see you on YT!! I agree with you on everything you said about HST. I forget how much I enjoy his work when I don’t read it for awhile

[@KistReadsBooks]

He really is unique, and welcome!

[@Rawafication]

Looking forward to seeing this channel succeed! Need all the recommendations and more

[@jacklynch4216]

Cool to see the growth, got recommended one of your videos on instagram a while back. I haven’t read anything for myself in a long time but seeing your videos and the community around it has gotten me back into it. Great stuff, reading The Plantagenets right now, just finished the Anglo Saxons and the White Ship.

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@jacklynch4216 that's so cool and that's great lineup of books!

[@martialonso8983]

You are (by far) my favorite IG account. Nice to see you evolve and come to YT 💪Thank you for everything !

[@KistReadsBooks]

No, thank YOU!

[@chokog2446]

Can't wait until you get to Malazan! 😊 Welcome to KZbin!

[@joshgilbert5885]

Awesome to get your thoughts in some long form content! Banger first video!

[@KistReadsBooks]

I really appreciate that, Josh!

[@pharoahblaque]

few of my all time fav authors, tanehisi coates, Ibram x kendi, imani perry, maurice ruffin, Jesmyn ward, clinton smith, Daniel Black

[@caelimartin2335]

It is such a joy getting to hear about you on a deeper level! Can already tell you’re going to kill it over here too 🎉

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@caelimartin2335 heyyyy thank you so much!

[@markmarchenko]

I've been a fan for some time, great to see you here, love your Insta videos as well, keep going! 💪🤙Can't not comment on the Abercrombie: his talent was fully revealed to be in Heroes, and I have yet to read his The Age of Madness trilogy. And the language! Gritty, pointy, and very high quality.

[@blacknbluecollarreader]

Abercrombie next to H.S.T?? Love that!! Autosub. Excellent video my man. Have your given R. Scott Bakker a shot?

[@gabesantamaria3805]

I owe you my passion for history, bro! Particularly, Ancient Rome

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@gabesantamaria3805 love to see it

[@Tookish_Fool19]

Welcome to YT! Excited to see the kind of content you’ll create on here. John Gywnne is my favorite author, I recently discovered him a few months ago and I’ve been binge reading his works ever since!

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@Tookish_Fool19 that's amazing! Finishing Hunger rn and have the early copy of Fury. Might be interviewing him soon!

[@suadasheikh9298]

Great video, you have impeccable taste. Can’t wait for more

[@juanrosariorivera6208]

Greetings. I recently started reading 5 book recomendations you gave and loving each one of them. Thanks brother

[@Albiamus]

Found you through TikTok and loved your book content, then found out about your career in football media - looking forward to experiencing your KZbin journey!

[@KistReadsBooks]

appreciate you joining me here!

[@BobdeLaat]

Hi Michael, great video! I’ve found you first on instagram, and loved your history recommendations. As a former reader I had only recently picked up reading sporadically again. Through your channel I got introduced to fable and with that I’ve really managed to take my reading more serious. Since then I’ve managed to read some 25 books, and am personally in a much better state than before. And I feel I owe you some gratitude for this. So thanks, and keep doing your thing!

[@KistReadsBooks]

That's amazing! Thanks for joining us on Fable and coming over here, appreciate the support a ton!

[@level10wizards9]

Great video Michael! We all love your insta content and can’t wait for this new chapter on KZbin 💪🏼 your videos got me into reading in the recent months and now I’m addicted! Thank you.

[@KistReadsBooks]

you're absolutely welcome and I appreciate the support so much!

[@FrazCrowe]

Killed it mate! Such a natural transition to KZbin. I am working my way through Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series. If you like grimdark fantasy, then it is definitely a series to try. There really is not much else that compares to the vibes of the Witcher with its Eastern Europe inspired mythos set in a violent Tolkien adjacent world with the political manuvering that rivals Martin's work. The writing style meant it took me a while to get into that flow state, but once I was in, I was hooked. It's worth a try if you haven't already. The series starts off with a collection of short stories to give you a feel for what you are in for.

[@KistReadsBooks]

@FrazCrowe definitely want to try it, and thank you for the kind words!

[@austin910]

I tore through The Blade Itself in a few days then got about halfway thru Before They Are Hanged when I stopped reading due to schoolwork ramping up. I need to go back and try to finish the trilogy!

[@KistReadsBooks]

if you loved Blade Itself you'll go bonkers for the rest, good luck!

[@Dudemandudeman19]

Kist and Solak fan here. Best of luck on the channel and excited to see what you do here! Haven’t been up to date with any of the booktok stuff yet, but if it was like you covering the birds, I’m sure it will be great fun.

[@KistReadsBooks]

@Dudemandudeman19 heck yeah man go birds

[@JurassicKent]

Glad to see someone I look up to in the social media space come to KZbin! Good luck, man; you are already crushing it!

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@JurassicKent much appreciated, Kent!

[@tomasbirriel]

Great video. Really appreciate your earnestness and love of books. Two of my favorite books ever are The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño.

[@CobraTheGreatest]

From the Kist & Solak show to Booktube… I am so excited to continue to hear your thoughts on what you read. Thank you for your recommendations! Also, love the shirt! Books are sick!

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@CobraTheGreatest go birds brother!

[@IAmEric2010]

Wish I paid this much attention in school. Keep them coming 👌🏻

[@KistReadsBooks]

I got you

[@unaveragejoe7107]

Love the new long form content! Excited for the next video!

[@KistReadsBooks]

Thank you for the support!

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

If you love low magic and fewer-to-none fantastical elements in your fantasy, I highly recommend K. J. Parker: he draws from the Byzantine Empire to build his fantasy world. All his books (and stories) that I've read, so far, are character-driven. The Folding Knife is a wonderful starting point into his works since it's a standalone. I loved A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and loved it, so I really need to read her other works (I have had A Rome of One's Own on my shelf, unread for too long). My favorite authors are Simon Jimenez (The Vanished Birds and The Spear Cuts Through Water), Robin Hobb (Realm of the Elderlings series), Glen Cook (The Black Company series), the aforementioned K. J. Parker (The Folding Knife, The Hammer, the Engineer trilogy, Academic Exercises and Under My Skin collections), Stephen Graham Jones (Mongrels, The Only Good Indians, Night of the Mannequins, and so many more!), Ken Liu (The Paper Menagerie and The Hidden Girl collections and the Dandelion Dynasty series), Octavia E. Butler (Kindred, Xenogensis trilogy, Bloodchild and Other Stories collection, and Parable of the Sower), and Adrian Tchaikovsky (the Tyrant Philosophers series, Guns of the Dawn, the Final Architecture trilogy). I read Emily Wilson's translation of The Iliad and she made me fall in love with it, and I am currently reading her translation of The Odyssey. I need to read more nonfiction from Mary Roach since I loved her Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers so much.

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@SheWasOnlyEvie thanks for the recs! And even with the low magic preference, Spear Cuts, which you mentioned, is an all-timer for me. Such a masterful book

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

@@KistReadsBooks Yaaaaas! The Spear Cuts Through Water is my favorite book of all time. I also get so excited seeing others love it (and The Vanished Birds).

[@geenahreads]

Welcome to the land of KZbin Michael!!

[@KistReadsBooks]

@geenahreads ayeeee thanks Gina!

[@crystalsbookishlife]

First youtube video popping off!!

[@pharoahblaque]

thanks so much for putting me on to abercrombie! totally a Game of thrones fan. love the thrones and the house of dragons. I have those books as well(need to finish this out by the way lmao.) but look forward to reading someone that reminds me of that content and I'll let you know what i think

[@johnhalo4737]

Day 1 Love, Do not ever stop doing what you love

[@reading_fastandslow]

Good stuff, Michael! My top three picks would be Cormac McCarthy, Denis Johnson and Don Delillo.

[@KistReadsBooks]

@reading_fastandslow great picks! Delillo's White Noise is one I picked up recently because I wanna do a re-read, it was awesome

[@thegreatmp]

Really glad to see you on yt as I dont use your other mediums. Looking forward to seeing your channel grow. Go birds.

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@thegreatmp go birds!

[@zackaweis8253]

Glad to be here before the rise, go and be great 🫡

[@KistReadsBooks]

yessir!

[@jaredwilliams825]

My father in law sounds like the target market for Joe Abercrombie, he's always looking for new books to read thank you. Authors I really enjoy: The Dandelion Dynasty Trilogy by Ken Liu, if you like A Song of Ice and Fire you will enjoy this series + it's finished. Got dusty while cutting onions by the end of the last book. Three Body Problem, The Dark Forest, and Death's End by Cixin Liu. A trilogy sparked by the question "What would happen if we came into contact with aliens?" Incredibly well written and researched. I still think about events in The Dark Forest a few years after I read it. I enjoyed your content going all the way back to Kist & Solak, keep up the awesome work!

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@jaredwilliams825 I really need to check out Dandelion Dynasty, especially the beautiful UK editions

[@jaredwilliams825]

@@KistReadsBooks I signed up for Ken Liu's news letter, once in a great while he does book giveaways from his personal collection in a first come/first serve manner. Missed one by a few days and I'm still kicking myself over it.

[@Lifeonbooks]

KIist s finally on KZbin! Glad to see it.

[@elizabethreadsfantasy]

Grimdark girlies unite! The way I was watching this wishing I had a bag of popcorn 🎉

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@elizabethreadsfantasy 💃🍿

[@zoranne_]

welcome to booktube!!! ◡̈

[@kaelenb9149]

🎉

[@mathiassommer1851]

Hey Michael! Citrus here, really appreciate you talking in depth and explaining different phrases you are using like Gonzo journalism, had no clue what that was. Really great start to a youtube channel! What kind of a camera are you using? Very good quality and the sound is superb. Looking forward to the next tone 🔥

[@KistReadsBooks]

@mathiassommer1851 hey thank you! And rn I'm using my phone (Samsung A54) w/some ring lights, it's got a solid camera, but I've also got a Sony ZV-E1 incoming

[@mathiassommer1851]

@@KistReadsBooks the quality is really good! Phones have gone a long way it seems 👍

[@SteveGroller]

We all we got...we all we need.....fly eagles fly 🦅

[@KistReadsBooks]

go birds!

[@SteveGroller]

@@KistReadsBooks Gonna check out Emma Southon's work after watching the vid. Thanks for starting this channel!

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@SteveGroller 🙏

[@voiper1585]

I love Abercrombies book as well definitely one of my favorites if not my favorite, dude brings every character to life. It honestly feels like I’m put in their shoes and living through the exact situation they are in. Also his writing style of grim dark mixed with humor is elavated even more when it’s read by Steven Pacey.

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@voiper1585 Pacey is the GOAT

[@radudumanovschi3387]

I'm curious what exactly made you go to the Roman Empire and not to another history of another nation? I was attracted to the Levant area when I was 20 years old. The Romans did not attract me because the Romans colonized Dacia and which later became Romania (name derived from the word Romanus - citizen of Rome) and I grew up with myths from the mixture of the two nations. I didn't hear about Vikings until very late because the country was under communist regime between the second world war and 1989 and you didn't really have access to data.

[@zackwargolet5411]

man if you like grimdark, you ever read warhammer fantasy or warhammer 40k or horus heresy novels? if grimdark is your flavor then you might like them

[@KistReadsBooks]

@zackwargolet5411 I have not but thanks for the tip!

[@JuanCortes-oj9vr]

What is that map and where do you get it?

[@KistReadsBooks]

@@JuanCortes-oj9vr if you search "Rome 107 AD" on Amazon it should pop right up

[@JuanCortes-oj9vr]

@@KistReadsBooks Thank you!