November Wrap Up: I read 100 books in 2024!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

What’s the best or worst book you’ve read in November?

[@dobetterwithchristian4472]

Best books were Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell, Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa and You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian.

[@nonfictionfeminist]

Ella Minnow Pea was the best! A statue of the man who wrote "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" starts losing its letters, so the island council starts taking those letters out of the language! And the book is written in letters, so that's a real problem

[@mariyamak]

Best were Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, and a short(ish) story, The Machine Stops by E.M Forster.

[@ellenrooms_writes9047]

2024 has been such a bad reading year, I didn't read anything in November (the reading slump is slumping haaaard) but one of the worst books I read in the past months, I buddy read with my friend and we both threw the book at the wall when we finished it. It was An Education in Malice by ST Gibson. Such a massive disappointment.

[@gailm.8190]

@@nonfictionfeminist this sounds so good!! I keep seeing it at B&N…time to read it!! Thank you!!

[@martinelanglois3158]

Thank you for your honesty when you comment and evaluate books, specially those we should stay far away from.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I always hope that when I voice my negative opinion of popular books it will help others feel comfortable to do the same! It’s frustrating to finally get to a book and then hate it 😂

[@kartik3719]

I’m so grateful that you always call out problematic/questionable elements in books ❤

[@amethystoak9984]

I’ve requested my library purchase a copy of the Dollmakers! I can’t purchase any books right now, but I hope the request goes through.

[@Televinita]

Congrats on 100! I'm so glad you liked Starter Villain -- I thought you would but I haven't been watching long enough to say for sure. It's the only Scalzi book I've read so far because I don't tend to like sci fi, but I gave it 4 stars too.

[@sheldonmack9977]

Color Purple movie is soooo worth it! One of my favorites. It is long though.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I'm not ready for the tears

[@isenhobbitz]

Is the musical version good? Curious how it compares to the non musical.

[@maheswarijeyabalan8784]

Thank you for reviewing The Bell Jar! Same feelings I had about the book but I always get slammed by other readers I know coz they say I'm not appreciating it as a classic. And they tell me "it's a classic for a reason" therefore I am doing a disservice by saying its problematic. So thank you, thank you, thank you!!

[@AngieLueck]

Totally agree with your review and feelings on Annie Bot.

[@shaylaatiles]

I’m so excited for your non fic video !! We have very similar tastes when it comes to that genre. Helps me avoid having to scroll through all the business bro books lol

[@scrapbookingmuchmore9884]

Congrats on your reading goal of 100 books for 2024!

[@christinedugas3089]

Gorgeous sweater! Glad to hear the good review of The Dollmakers. Grabbed the ebook when it was on sale.

[@LibrariesandLattes]

Yay for reading 100 books!! 🎉👏 I’m really shooting for 100 as well, I’m at 92 now so it could happen! And I always love hearing your 1 and 2 star reviews, haha very entertaining and enlightening for which books to keep off my TBR 😂

[@Taralovescoloring]

19 year old me loved the bell jar, I haven’t reread it in like 20 years though. Honestly there are a few REALLY good quotes from that book that I think end up overshadowing all the terrible in it. I don’t think I would pick it up again, I do still love her poetry book “Ariel” though.

[@AlexOnEarth777]

Congrats on 100 books! I'm somewhat close to that but I had a 2 month reading slump lol. I'm so grateful you always call out the issues with books. I've see so many glowing reviews for the Bell Jar saying it was just a "good representation of depression" and after looking it up, it's shocking and a bit concerning to me how many people say they just "didn't notice" the other issues with it. I'm curious, are there any tropes/themes you flat out refuse to read? As in, if you hear that it's in a specific book, you won't read that book? Not necessarily triggers but things like love triangles, "not like other girls," chosen one, etc

[@toytoymarie]

Emily you are appreciated!!!

[@5eonghwas]

If you want more Jane Austen, if you haven't already read it - there's a great collection of her letters edited by Deirdre Le Faye. It's maybe not a continuous read but it's fantastic to dip into.

[@Neverforgetnarwhal]

I always find it interesting when women (especially white women) find The Bell Jar so relatable...like babes you are TELLING on yourself. Depression may be a reason, but it really is not an excuse to have that kind of internal dialogue.

[@VeraFran]

My Goodreads goal has been 24 books since 2020. Better safe than annoyed and disappointed 😊.

[@SprinGiddinessify]

I am currently reading the bell Jar and i 100% agree with you 😔

[@ElaineB59]

I couldn't make it to the end of Annie Bot, I felt icky reading it.

[@kduck_18]

I don’t know why, we have very different tastes, but I knew you’d like Starter Villain ❤

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

It was the cats right? :P

[@Shelf_Improvement]

I read Here On e Moment for my work book club. I didn't think I would like it, but ended up enjoying it.

[@Kelsk3825]

I also ranted like this after reading Annie Bot lol. I rolled my eyes so many times while reading it…Also how she was modeled after his black ex but then 0 commentary on that or race or anything?!? 0 social commentary

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

All we got is he made her a few shades lighter and a different eye color… 🙄

[@offline._archive]

I almost bought the bell jar yesterday and thank goodness you posted about this book

[@juliettet.5133]

The Sanditon show is sooo worth it!

[@JosephineLemonade]

I've genuinely never heard anyone mention those things about The Bell Jar, what the heck? I'd been debating finally reading it next year but it's gonna be a definite skip now, thank you!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I don’t understand why people don’t mention it. Do they not see it? Like I’m sure I missed thing when I was younger so if someone read it as a teenager then fine but otherwise…

[@izzykaii]

I finished 9 books in November too 😊💕

[@cpjohnson1887]

Love that sweater! I'm knitting one similar for my girls =)

[@gailm.8190]

That audio of the Malerman book would send me screaming from this planet…Did you say in another video you even sped it up to get thru it?! Aaargh 😖 Just put the Dollmakers on a Libby hold!! Your recs are the best!! ❤

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I had to to finish it lol Hope you’ll love it ❤️

[@robsch21]

Honestly “The Bell Jar” was just depressing and not the good kind. The audiobook didn’t help either the narrator just made it even more depressing. There are so many better books out there that handle the topic way better and without insulting everyone every five pages. I kind of regret reading it but at the same time not, since it is such a popular book I at least can voice my opinion about it now when it comes up in conversation…

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I agree. The MC was such a bad person and I’m not sure using the excuse that she was depressed was a good one.

[@sofiamotta5174]

I really wanna try Elena Ferrante!

[@zachreads]

"The Unmothers" by Leslie Anderson was my best of Nov, good creepy small town folk horror. Just bought The Doll Makers bc you told me to lol, it's marketed as a standalone so a sequel might not be super likely.

[@cloudedsky88]

I tried The Dollmakers based on your recommendation and Sanderson's but unfortunately I had to DNF at around 42%. The main character was so awful and had no redeeming qualities to me. 😭 It's too bad because the worldbuilding was interesting but the MC was no bueno. lol I'm sure there'll be a second book set in the world because the author has talked about it! Totally get your thoughts and feelings on The Bell Jar. I read it a few years ago because it came so highly recommended and while I did finish it I really struggled with it and personally did not find it good representation of depression. But it looks different for different people.

[@kathleendudek2955]

I liked Starter Villain. The rest of my family have either read it or are reading it now.

[@brenndasouzaa]

Gotta give you a hard disagree on Annie Bot. It was, in my opinion, a really good depiction of abuse and loss of one self, trying to scape and not having the freedom to do so.

[@amelias7441]

I completely agree. I was so rooting for Annie to find her own voice, to realize the gravity situation she was in. Her growth gave me hope.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Tbf it’s one of the few books I hate that I don’t also dislike the author lol I’m not mad at her but I still hated the book.

[@brenndasouzaa]

@@BookswithEmilyFox that is totally valid. It’s the type of book that if you don’t emphasize or relate with the main character, it can be hard to enjoy it.

[@Taralovescoloring]

100%, as someone who has been in an incredibly emotionally abusive relationship this book really worked for me. Him being seen as a “good guy” by himself and society is really important, because so many men get away with so much because they do the bare minimum or aren’t physically abusive. As far as the end of it my only complaint is that I wanted it to be longer and see what happened next. While her killing Doug might have been satisfying I don’t think it would have been real, she wanted to live and survive and like the vast majority of people who escape abusive situations you do so without offing your abuser.

[@brenndasouzaa]

@ I agree, it would have been nice to see more of the free Annie helping the other bots and watch her develop even more.

[@leilanijenna]

finally someone else who doesn't like the bell jar. I have found my people

[@izzykaii]

Emily!! You should watch the sci-fi movie Ex Machina, like Annie Bot it's about a man owning fembots except it's actually good and not gross lol it's what Annie Bot should have been. 🤖 🤖 🤖

[@AliceBeckman-x8t]

My exact review on GR-was really hoping for an Ex Machina ending. The man in this book deserved it WAY more than Domhnall Gleeson!

[@natatatt]

I also didn't love The Bell Jar. I get that it was impactful at the time it was published. For me it was just okay. Edit: Sanditon the show is cute! Worth checking out if you like period dramas with a lighter tone.

[@mikaelab7485]

Color Purple movie is a masterpiece and you will cry like a baby

[@Taralovescoloring]

I do wonder if you would have liked Incidents around the house better if you didn’t listen to it. I gave it a 4 (I read a lot of horror and for some reason it’s one of the only books that scared me), but had I tried to do the audiobook I would have DNF’d it, because that was just terrible 😂. I do agree with you that the character felt more like a 5 year old- I honestly forgot she was supposed to be 8 till you pointed it out

[@mkstarrr3981]

question for you... when you say you read 100 books, or so many per month etc., do you include DNFs in that total?

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

You can see the stats on Goodreads but in terms of the dnf I rarely include them. I probably DNFed 25+ books this year and most weren’t included in that total

[@AlexG-zd6bn]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't like Annie Bot! I found it so disturbing and I could barely get through it.

[@matastrakova2179]

I read The Bell jar last year and I also expected to love it and give it 5*. I didn´t notice racism, but I was bored to death and I gave it 2* (because the beginning was quite decent). One of the biggest dissapointments.

[@zachreads]

Just finished Annie Bot 1.5☆ (spoilers) I had been hearing great things for months, and I don't get it either. I had the audiobook up to 2.65 by the end and still struggled. First the way she worked didn't make sence, she grew hair and could heal and needed exercise, but didn't need to eat or do anything else to keep her skin alive‽ plus she had seemingly organic mucles and could blush but not sweat and was fine lockd in a closet for almot two months. None of that made sence. I read smot and that was NOT written to be s*xy (or I sincerely hope not), it was really gross and a*usive, which I think (hope) was the intention. I was waiting for her to delete Doug, reprogram Delta, and put his skin on her or another handy. Or a general uprising with her clones. Overall it was a waste of time, and I resent the $3.99 I paid for it.

[@angelekay3843]

I read the Bell Jar in high school and am a fan of unhinged women in my novels. I don't remember the racism impacting me in my youth, I may need to reread it and lyk!

[@BirgitHaeupl]

❤️🎄📚

[@thiadesg]

I love the first season of Sanditon, but they leave Jane Austen behind in the first or second episode and they take some liberties. Still, that first season finale is everything to me. I don't remember the other seasons though, so I don't think I can vouch for them being good.

[@encyclopediaofelizabeth]

Annie Bot just sounds terrible and I'm shocked so many people are enjoying it the way they are.

[@badfaith4u]

The best books I read in November were Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands and The Reappearance of Rachel Price.

[@leticiatoraci9855]

I usually never speed audiobooks, but probably child voices get annoying then. I had a similar experience with some character voices while listening to The Dragonbone Chair audiobook in normal speed last month. I'm taking some books out of my TBR after this video.

[@lindabarnhill1522]

I have to agree with you... The Bell Jar was awful, worst book I read this year!

[@shloka3915]

Wow that audiobook was... something 😳😳

[@offline._archive]

I read 3 books in November, and the best one was probably Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

[@rhondasruminationsonreading]

I can’t believe you were able to finish that audio book! You are stronger than me lol. That voice …. 😖

[@meretgross6517]

Wait a second Sylvia Plath did commit suicide but did she really end her childrens' lives? So confused. But I agree with your take that it aged badly. However it does hold a lot of literary merit.

[@MariahNic]

George: A Magpie Memoir is written by Plath's daughter, and she touches on her relationship with her mother a little bit. 'Ending her child's lives' seems a little bit over the top, based on what I read in George, but it for sure affected her life very negatively.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

My bad! Her children were in the apartment but they weren’t harmed!

[@meretgross6517]

@@MariahNic also didn't her son sadly end his life later as well. Ted Hughes lost two wives to suicide I think.

[@meretgross6517]

@@BookswithEmilyFox all good. I was just a bit confused.

[@naminex3x]

Who the hell told you the end of Annie Bot makes it worth it?? 😂 I thought the ending was the most disappointing part of the book. I didn't dislike it as much as you did but overall I found it very mid.

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

Short story collections are not my thing either 😬

[@mirandaosmelak480]

Please don't block me, but I adored the Bell Jar. I have no idea how I didn't notice the racism, but it just didn't register. I guess I don't pay 100% attention to every word in a book and I just didn't pick it up(perhaps I have unconcious bias worth investigating). I do think the mc was insufferable, but I thought it was done on purpose and for a reason.

[@blubblubblubblubb]

I haven't read The Bell Jar, but those examples seem really glaring. However, I have noticed that my straight friends (which is basically everybody) don't really notice homophobia or biphobia even when it's practically SCREAMING at them. Even less so when it's in what I like to call an "artsy-fartsy" context. It sucks, but it's also just how humans work I guess...

[@insanebutterfly3439]

I felt the same way about incidents around the house. Dnf for me

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

You did the right thing. It’s honestly forgettable (except for the audiobook lol)

[@MichelleP-t7o]

I tried haunting adeline. Terrible!!. It's up there with verity by Colleen hoover. And i hated that book

[@angelekay3843]

13:59 i really enjoyed this book as a physical read, very creepy. But if I had tried that audio book I would have dropped it instantly!! Wrong type of creepy voice.

[@ga75]

hiiii

[@tramasrarasoddplots]

I didn't hate Anniebot, but I found the ending disappointing. So, sad you had such a bad time.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

SPOILERS After being told the ending was worth it I was hoping she’d kill him and save the other Annies or something. Not him going to therapy and her just calmly walking away when she got her freedom 😭

[@kotokoo]

That audiobook is creepy.

[@heatherdavid8565]

So glad you didn’t like The Bell Jar, it’s super overrated trash (not even good trash lol)

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I expected… something completely different :/

[@Becksnnc]

I don't understand giving a book 1 star because it has "problematic" things being said in it when the character is not supposed to be likable in the first place. It was written over 60 years ago when it was normalized to speak in such a way about people. That doesn't make the book bad. Why would you read a book through the lens of wanting to find issues within it, instead of accepting it for what it is from the time period it was written in? I don't know how you can enjoy books by reading them this way. If a book has racism in it it doesn't mean that the book thinks racism is ok. It's part of the story. It's part of the character. It's like saying "I don't like this movie because this character murdered someone and murder is wrong therefore this film is problematic and is 1 star." Doesn't make any sense to me.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I have explained it perfectly clearly in the video. The book is at least partially biographical. These elements were found in her personal letters and journal. She was racist. While she made some good points about the oppression of white women in society at the time, it doesn’t exempt her from critiques. I did not go into the book thinking it would hate it because like I said, I thought I was going to give it five star. I didn’t say it was a bad book because the main character is unlikeable. I said I dislike the book because one it was boring, except for a few good quotes and I found the content problematic. Sure it was more common at the time, but I can promise you not everyone was like that, and POC were never OK being talked about like that. I rate my books based on my enjoyment, and I did not enjoy reading this book. People don’t have an issue with me mentioning misogyny, but the moment I mention a white woman is racist then it’s a problem.

[@andreabarrat3208]

Please don’t block me but I did like Annie Bot! 😬😬😬😬

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Haha it’s fine!