October Book Haul | 2024

[@peaseblossom4252]

I love your shirt!!! Thank you for the support, crossing fingers here in the US. 🤞🙏💙🌊🇺🇸🙌🏽

[@SavidgeReads]

🤞

[@julieaulava9567]

Ditto!

[@carolewatson2113]

I’m so sorry for you all

[@TheJellicle1]

GREAT SHIRT, hope it brings us some luck over here across the pond.

[@SavidgeReads]

🤞

[@lauralou1102]

I love your Kamala shirt! I am just setting in for my obsessive watching and tracking of election results. We're in for a rough few days, and who knows what fresh hell could break out when all is said and done. I am nervous, excited, and cautiously optimistic. Seeing support from across the world warms my little Texas democrat heart 🤗🌈💙

[@SavidgeReads]

Here’s hoping for a happy outcome for us all.

[@lauralou1102]

@@SavidgeReads I am not ok this morning. I am also not sure what brought me back here, but I’m pretty sure it is because you were kind yesterday and I could use a little kindness today. So, thank you for wearing your Kamala shirt. Thank you for your kind response to my comment. Thank you for the love and good vibes you sent. It is a comfort and means more than you know.

[@mradcaqbdb]

Perfect shirt! I’m at peak anxiety right now and praying for an early decision for Kamala tonight! I just looked up the Celia Fremlin book you showed to add it to my list and found she has several others that were published earlier this year that I missed. I will be shoveling them all into my shopping bag at some lovely bookshop in London in December! Regarding 2025 reads, go for it! Now is the time! I need good future books to look forward to! Excellent haul!

[@SavidgeReads]

Thanking you, it was a slightly smaller haul as I’m trying to be super tough on talking about unsolicited books, I think it makes for a better selection. I’ll start chatting about 2025 books soon, I’ve already a possible favourite.

[@leolamoon11]

Getting a dose of bookish sanity post U.S. election….thank you for this. Thank goodness for your beautiful self! ❤❤❤ Just started The Goldfinch and finding writing/story quite wonderful.

[@SavidgeReads]

Books can be a perfect balm and escapism. Like BookTube actually.

[@mariasmiles68]

Your shirt is everything! Send us all the good vibes!💙🫶💙

[@SavidgeReads]

I tried!!!

[@mariasmiles68]

@SavidgeReads it's appreciated. 😢

[@cindyhaiken5644]

Amazing shirt. Very stressful day on this side of the Pond. Thanks for this diverting video and the black and white tangents. Much needed. Quite envious for the Jess Kidd and the Robbie Arnott. I would definitely read those immediately! Such a great crop of new books!

[@SavidgeReads]

I have some corking books to escape into over the next few weeks, which will be much needed both post a MAD time at work and also with world events, I will say no more.

[@leeh4343]

Yes I agree, you are very Melbourne!!! And that’s definitely a compliment 😊Thanks for putting The Degenerates on my radar 😊

[@SavidgeReads]

I’m glad it’s a compliment. But what does it mean? Hahaha.

[@leeh4343]

ok well hopefully by saying that Melbourne is cool (weatherwise and otherwise 😊), cultural and exciting doesn’t put the other Aussie cities’ noses out of joint! 🤣🤣

[@janebowell3985]

Definitely agree with you about Caribbean literature 🎉 I always find it to be a refreshing challenge and change to what I automatically grab off the shelves. Thank you Simon !

[@SavidgeReads]

I definitely want to be mixing up what I am reading more next year, both in terms of where books are from in the world and also where they are from on my shelves, ha!

[@janebowell3985]

@ sounds like a great New Year’s resolution and where are we going to get all this reading time :)

[@tabitha_h2000]

yesss, love the shoutout for Collected Books in Durham!!!✨👏📚

[@SavidgeReads]

It’s such a great bookshop.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Loving the Kamala t shirt ❤

[@SavidgeReads]

💜

[@gillwoolley6515]

Babel is one of my all time favorite books. ❤.

[@SavidgeReads]

That is high praise indeed.

[@fromwhativeread2474]

Your shirt! Love it!!!

[@SavidgeReads]

💜

[@TanyaWestley]

Another great selection and added some of them to my ever growing list. I always love seeing your sense of humour come through in videos and the bits you grey out!

[@SavidgeReads]

Glad you enjoyed the video and added some books to your list. Aren't books brilliant.

[@spexi513]

Ughhhhhh it’s almost 1am election night where I am in the Corporat3 5tat35 of America & my belly hurts and your shirt on the thumbnail i decided is a sign it’ll be alright . It’s windy and unseasonably warm like you can feel the charge in the air & I’ll be watching this in the way one meditates - appreciate you as always 📚 🪱 💚

[@SavidgeReads]

I’m no psychic. Just showing my support without commenting on what’s going on. I don’t want to make this a political post, despite my tshirt, I am sending all my thoughts over the water.

[@spexi513]

Awwwwww i appreciate your reply and support and that’s what I meant - it’ll be alright regardless of what happens because even “my” fantastic British booktuber has Americans on his radar. I’ve seen your prize list predictions, I know you’re not psychic! Jkjkjk!!!! Hugs and love Simon you’re a diamond in the rough 📚🪱💚

[@susprime7018]

It is lovely that you have a job that involves reading, and you're getting to read the new books for 2025 first, so envious. Nice shirt.❤ I enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Piranisi from Susanna Clarke and Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch and I started James, but with all the non-fiction reads and William Trevor's Felicia's Journey, it may be a long while getting to the rest of it. I look forward to the review by Louise and you. I'm halfway through Babel, but I had so many other October reads, I may not get back to it until next year. Enjoyed it so far.

[@SavidgeReads]

James is a very quick read, if that makes any difference?

[@socaltoobie8984]

Thank you for your shirt!! ❤ I’m so sick watching the returns coming in over here 😩 that I had to turn it off and put on a booktube video and you delivered. We need all the good vibes we can get.

[@SavidgeReads]

I don’t want to get bogged down in election talk, I just wanted to show where my support lies and send a little love to everyone. Which I’m still doing.

[@jenisalwaysreading]

Lovely book haul this month! In preparation for your conversation with Susanna Clarke on Sunday, I read Piranesi for the first time and it was not at all what I expected. I was so confused but intrigued enough to keep going 😂

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahahaha, I have to say rereading it has been a really interesting experience.

[@EvieM1]

Those Susanna Clarke editions are beautiful.

[@SavidgeReads]

Aren’t they just, the new paperback of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is also STUNNING.

[@imthektx]

Your cat! Your shirt! This is why you are my favorite on KZbin 🙂

[@SavidgeReads]

Awwww thanks!

[@cecilialau_]

I think Babel in Jan/Feb sounds great. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts - whenever you get to it ofc. And Recognising the Stranger is absolutely a book of power. Required reading indeed. Enjoy! 🥰

[@SavidgeReads]

The moment I said 'ooh I will read Babel in January/February' the contrarian in my brain said 'you won't now sunshine'. Hahaha.

[@cecilialau_]

@ hahaha, oh, I am actually not surprised and also am the same way 😅 Forgot to say that Han Kang’s We Do Not Part is one of my most anticipated for next year as well. Want to read Human Acts soon too! Have read three so far but all from the library so I will be looking to add her work to my collection. Along with Bryan Washington, Benjamin Myers, Sally Rooney and Sarah Moss, she is an auto-buy author for me 🙌🫶

[@meahd.farnaby]

I’ve already mentioned how much I loved being taken through the cold, harsh, beautiful central highlands of Tasmania ride of Dusk. I was definitely burnt and serenaded through Rapture - incredible. Finegan is a world class playwright and his way with words has only gotten better. You are in for an Australian treat 👌🏼

[@SavidgeReads]

Burnt and serenaded, what a brilliant and tempting way to describe a book. Has me all the more excited.

[@thelefthandedreader6632]

What an awesome round up! I’m really looking forward to the Torrey Peters. Btw, The Adult, a debut novel, I REALLY enjoyed when it came out here in the US

[@SavidgeReads]

Ooob that’s good to know. It’s always lovely to hear when someone lovely has loved a book I am excited about 💜📚

[@Rosiemayj]

You're in for a treat with The Goldfinch, one of my favourite novels of all time, I really would like to reread it, looking forward to you and Louises review and thoughts ☺

[@SavidgeReads]

They should be with you all in due course.

[@juliehughes1258]

Oh Simon, your shirt is making me cry. I'm sad to report that I think I'm in the early stages of a reading slump. I haven't read my book, which I was enjoying BTW, since Sunday, November 3. Maybe read something funny? Anyway, love your video and hoping for a return to reading for me very soon. This angst is just no good. So, I remember a song about "oh, the daring young man on the flying trapeze." This would have been many, many years ago.

[@SavidgeReads]

Sorry if my tshirt made you cry. It was worn to subtly show my support. Top tip for a book slump… don’t force yourself to read anything. Let the slump slump.

[@juliehughes1258]

@@SavidgeReads I appreciate your support. I was just about to set a timer for a 30-minute book read but I'm going to carry on with BookTube instead. Thanks so much for that tip.

[@karenmoore4430]

Hi Simon I would be interested in the readathon. I picked up Glorious Exploits this week. Cannot wait to tuck into this at the weekendxx

[@SavidgeReads]

Oooh it’s sooooooo good, hope you love it as much as I did.

[@nkcish]

Virtually no libraries in the US have Nettleblack so I had to order it from Blackwells. Glad to know I have the somewhat larger type, the other edition must have been tiny! You are the only other person I know that plans to read it. Maybe I can convince some Goodreads friends otherwise.

[@SavidgeReads]

I think lots of people read it when it first came out, which was a few years ago now. I’ve seen a fair few people are picking up Earlyfate.

[@hpsschool1229]

I loved, loved The Betrayal of Thomas True. I hope you enjoy it ❤

[@SavidgeReads]

Me too! If you’ve loved it I’m sure I will.

[@MJ-in-Canada]

I’m hoping to get to “Babel” in the new year but I don’t know whether to read a paper copy or listen on audio. I’ve been told the audio is very good.

[@SavidgeReads]

I can’t do fiction on audio really, I get distracted far too easily. But if you can and you’ve heard it’s amazing could be great.

[@MJ-in-Canada]

@@SavidgeReads I'm not good with fiction on audio either. Audio is great for memoirs but when listening to fiction, I tend to daydream. There. My mind is made up. Paper copy. Thanks, Simon. Ha!

[@anneroy4560]

I have bought & read several of Celia Fremlin's books - The Hours Before Dawn, Uncle Paul & The Long Shadow. I know Susanna Clarke who has a place here in Cambridge where we live so have read her work. I have read Donna Tartt's novels, loved The Secret History, do not think I even finished The Goldfinch. I read a great deal of Saroyan years ago when I lived in Canada (not that that makes any difference) & enjoyed them all. Being a 'Melbourne' person is a good thing! My 2nd best friend in the world is a barrister who moved here to England from Melbourne.

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahaha good to know about Melbourne being a good thing.

[@carolinemiller2555]

In Texas during Election Day is so crazy. Can not even focus… let ‘s go Kamala!!

[@SavidgeReads]

🤞

[@tam1785]

LOVE that shirt! 🫶 Excellent election swag, viewing your vid as I try to delay watching as the polls close 😬 Thank you for the most excellent distraction

[@SavidgeReads]

Glad I could be a slight distraction.

[@JennieRavn]

came to this after watching the US election coverage/mayhem as an antidote and it worked

[@SavidgeReads]

Glad to be an antidote.

[@juliagarzarella2113]

Your pronunciation of Melbourne 🥲

[@SavidgeReads]

What about it?

[@phoenixjones660]

Well, dear Simon. Big ol' 🌟for being on the right ( and sane) side of History ( of course)! Will watch the vid after supper, just saw your excellent thumbnail, cheered , and popped on ❤🤍💙 Back now and Oooh! Super excited for Jess Kidd's 🕵️‍♀️ crime series 🎉. Thanks for the tip for The Haunted Bookshop, looks 🪄magic! ✨☺️

[@SavidgeReads]

Very excited for the new Jess Kidd too. I have some absolute TREATS to head to once my final two work reads for the year are done. Woohoo.