our fall tbr | books that give fall energy (classics, fantasy, influencer books)

[@francescakyanda9182]

new intro is IT! i just got back from the library so the vibes right now are spectacular 🪄

[@andtheywerereaders]

It was so much fun to film!!! Thanks 🤍🤍🤍

[@Loganfry10]

SO looking forward to you finishing Braiding Sweetgrass, Sierra! A masterpiece.

[@andtheywerereaders]

I can’t wait to hear her thoughts either! That book deserves all the flowers

[@supuchan]

Yes! The new intro is so cute ❤ Watching you guys always puts a smile on my face. Can't wait to see which books you read next!

[@Elizabeth-lv3vh]

Yes yes yes to Braiding Sweetgrass. I read it this year and oh my gosh my favorite non fiction read maybe ever?! A great read to keep you grounded through the craziness of your PHD program. I read it as I was finishing my Masters degree and it honestly was my safe haven.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oh such good advice 🙏🏽 thank you!! -Sierra

[@oscarsimon1998]

My autumn tbr is also far too ambitious for my own good 😅🎃

[@andtheywerereaders]

And that’s on being a reader 👏🏽

[@maryamjuma1704]

“what’s spookier than the prevalence of misogyny” i need that on a t shirt 😅 loving the new intro too!!

[@andtheywerereaders]

Literally same. He really popped off with that one. -Sierra

[@storiesbydesirae]

Wishing you guys well with your busy schedules! And time to rest, while incorporating some reading.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Thank you!! 🫶🏽 you, too.

[@megansmiley9540]

Sierra, I panicked every time you flipped your hair near that candle!!! LOL Braiding Sweetgrass has been on my TBR for so long. I just haven't gotten to it yet. Also, love the new fall intro!

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oop! Didn’t notice. Will def pay attention in the future 😂 I’m definitely the kind of person that would end up catching her hair on fire… that would’ve been wild tho! Couldn’t imagine 🫣 -Sierra

[@samantharose1001]

Awww the fall intro 🥹🍂

[@samantharose1001]

My fall tbr: James, Intermezzo, Martyr!, Wandering Stars, and Six of Crows

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oooh! I can’t believe I forgot intermezzo. And thanks! The intro was so much fun to film. Props to Jon for the edit! -Sierra

[@BonnieNicoleWrites]

Ooh I'm in the Libby line for the audiobook of Loud! I'm really looking forward to it.

[@azu_rikka]

Wow, a seasonal intro, how fancy🍁🍂❤!!! So cute that you remembered "Colm Toibin"! Sierra, I think you will need a book like Still Life in your stressful days. It is a feel-good story about found family and lots of wry humour. Set mostly in Italy. Save the more serious Ferrante for later. Jon, I started reading Wolf of the Plains, and I am devouring it. I hope you will have the same experience when you get to it

[@andtheywerereaders]

Love the recommendation! I might bump up still life and leave the Ferrante for summer. Ty!! -Sierra

[@katehaberl9324]

Station Eleven is one of my favourite books of all time. Such an immersive world and incredible characters! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Ooh! This is making me excited to pick it up! -Sierra

[@shandralynne]

Love the new intro! 😂 You guys are so enjoyable to watch. ❤

[@jonebiboh]

Very fun new intro. Sierra, I'm with you on having many books on a tbr even though there's barely time. I do it with my videos as it let me have to talk about books that excite me even if it's not going to be read. As for My Brilliant Friend, I've not read it, but I read The Days of Abandonment last month and it's probably my book of the year so far. And so, I think even if someone might not love this series, it'll be very impossible to dislike it because Ferrante knows how to write and show life. Friends I know who have read it actually say it's very summer.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Thanks for feelin me! Lol everyone has said it’s summer, so it looks like I’m gonna wait! -Sierra

[@themusicsnob]

Great new intro and happy fall reading! 🍁 Also super excited to hear Sierra’s thoughts on Braiding Sweetgrass which is one of my favorite nonfiction books ever.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Happy fall reading to you, too!!! -Sierra

[@lizardlady69]

Omg after discovering y’all a week ago, I am officially caught up on all your videos!! It’s been such a fun journey! Y’all are the best!! Also love the fall intro! 👻👻👻

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oh wow!! How kind. It’s been great getting you know you a bit in the comments :) thanks for joining our reading journey and sharing yours!!! -Sierra

[@tealorturquoise]

Loved the new fall intro! Yes, you cannot not read 'September and the Night' now in September.

[@andtheywerereaders]

You’re so right. I got sick, so September is running out! I better get on it!! -Sierra

[@YourTrueShelf]

Love the new intro and I'm totally here for the fall vibes tbrs 🍁 I'm just so in the mood for fantasy at the moment. Just started the second ACOTAR book as I want to work on my series that I'm in the middle of. I'm glad Jon helps talk Sierra down out of more commitments - I can easily over-commit and you have to be careful with physical and mental health (as you said Sierra) which I've previously learned the hard way. Great video 🫶🏻

[@andtheywerereaders]

It’s good to have friends who know your weaknesses 🙌🏾 -Sierra

[@GentryJackson]

Love the intro! Tommy Orange has been on my TBR for a while. I need to pick up There There in November. I always enjoy your videos!

[@andtheywerereaders]

Tommy Orange has also been on my TBR. Also thinking to get to him in November! -Sierra

[@renee1292]

Always, always love your videos!! Read and loved: Braiding Sweetgrass and James Want to read: Trust, The Alchemist, and more Virginia Woolf. NAPS! A resounding yes!

[@andtheywerereaders]

Let’s hear it for NAPS!!!! And I’m excited to read a lot of those works this fall, too! -Sierra

[@lizardlady69]

My fall TBR includes: - Starling House - The Secret History - Mexican Gothic - October Sky - The Unmaking of June Farrow - There, There - Natural Beauty Aaaand prob a few others! 🎃

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oooh! I’m excited to hear your thoughts on some of these!! -Sierra

[@jio5680]

Love the new intro)

[@Ja0215ka]

My brilliant friend is such an interesting book in terms of how it’s written. I finished reading it being so confused on if I even liked it but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It definitely has that slice of life vibe where there are so many characters and sometimes it’s mundane but then it hits you with the most off the wall scenarios lol. I think it’ll be an Ishiguro thing for you guys where you can appreciate the storytelling but it might not be your favorite writing. But yeah storytelling in this book is fire so I’d recommend for the experience.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Such an interesting thing when a book wasn’t stellar, but lingers. -Sierra

[@boogsassy1]

I read The Lion Women of Tehran. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but I wouldn’t ever give that book away. I don’t know that it’s really a fall vibe book, but I’m just recommending it incase it’s one you guys would like later on. I do have The Alchemist and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry on my shelf now to read. I need the Wondering Stars, my great grandmother was full blooded Choctaw and that’s really a story that could be a book in itself.😅 Thanks as always for the recommendations:)

[@andtheywerereaders]

I’ll def pick up The Lion Women of Tehran. That sounds like something I would love. -Sierra

[@Elizabeth-Reads]

I read Huck Finn too in preparation for James, and tbh I was bored stiff. But try to stick with it even if you have to skim, I’m glad I read it because it made reading James even more rewarding. Everett is a genius, I think you’ll be blown away.

[@Ja0215ka]

Read it in high school and even my undeveloped brain could see it wasn’t worth my time. I honestly don’t see the hype with Mark Twain tbh. Tom Sawyer was okay but huckleberry Finn was just so uncalled for. I’d just spark notes it

[@andtheywerereaders]

I think I’m also gonna just spark notes huck Finn. I haven’t heard anything good about it recently. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on James! -Sierra

[@Elizabeth-Reads]

@@andtheywerereaders Good plan, it’ll also save you from needing to be punched in the face repeatedly with the N-word. (Wiki also has a good writeup of the plot.)

[@pewdiepat]

to me My Brilliant Friend is a summery read since it’s set in Naples but still a gorgeous gorgeous read any time of the year imo!

[@andtheywerereaders]

Maybe I’ll save it for then!

[@MemphisJones]

You guys! The Storied Life of AJ Fikrey was so good, thank you John. I listened to the audiobook and watched the movie.

[@andtheywerereaders]

OMG! The fact that I didn’t know there was a movie is wild - thank you so much for saying that! - jon

[@MemphisJones]

@@andtheywerereaders OMG Jon, its the perfect cozy movie, but I am telling you now, they skipped some pivotal moments from the book to get it down to under 2hrs. You are going to love when you see who is playing the A.J! I watched the movie on Hoopla.

[@megan.e.amato.]

Loved seeing a new video from you! 😁

[@diaryoffiction]

this intro was everything 🙌😂 great video as always !!

[@andtheywerereaders]

Ty!!! It was a blast to film, and Jon crushed the edit as usual. -Sierra

[@BookishVicky]

Loved the Fall intro! (even if in Argentina it's spring now 😂)

[@andtheywerereaders]

Lol. Even though it’s technically fall in Florida, it’s 80 degrees and a hurricane lol. So though it’s opposite, I feel that 😂 -Sierra

[@BookishVicky]

@@andtheywerereaders Hurricane? I hope you two and your loved ones stay safe!

[@andtheywerereaders]

@@BookishVicky thanks! It passed our area and all is well. 🙏🏽

[@maria83maria]

My brilliant friend ist a summer book, you feel the italian heat, i loved this book but i grow up in east europe, my childhood looked like hers, i could relate with the book. I hope you will love it

[@crafts_n_books]

the new intro is so fun!! PSA Robin Wall Kimmerer has a new book coming out this November called The Serviceberry I also can’t wait to hear your thoughts on to the lighthouse- the first sentence of it was so long that to be so honest I put it right back down after reading that 😅 I’m going to borrow the audiobook to help me get into it

[@andtheywerereaders]

Woo hoo!! Can’t wait for the new book. We’ll report back on Woolf 🫡

[@michelleferguson7212]

I loved the updated fall opening! I also have Braiding Sweetgrass on my fall/Nov TBR as well at There There. I recently picked up Bad Feminist due to your discussion in Jon's FOMO video. I was also attracted by it's shininess. I am currently reading James and you probably are aware to expect it, but just wanted to mention that you will also have verbal assault as well as the violence/abuse known from that time. As people who love books, I recommend The Sentence by Louise Erdrich to you both. I just finished it and it was wonderful, she is also an indigenous author and a previous winner of the Pulitzer prize and I think it's right up your alley. There is a lot of bookish talk as the FMC is bookseller. Both you keep taking care of yourselves with these busy times for you both, hope you feel better Jon!

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oo let us know what you think of Sweetgrass if you get around to it! I found it cozy, thought-provoking, and super relevant. Adding The Sentence to the tbr for sure! - Jon

[@claireandherbooks]

Just subscribed, and y'all are honestly such a good time! Braiding Sweetgrass is on my wishlist and I am now impulse buying Loud....which I would have never picked up without hearing you talk about it 👍🏻

[@andtheywerereaders]

Wowww! Love that feedback! Both those books are great. Thanks for subscribing, we’re happy to have you! - jon

[@MarkiyC]

I love the autumn intro so much 🧡Good luck with finishing Braiding Sweetgrass, I had to really push hard to finish it because it's beautiful but really wordy and I always had to concentrate hard on it. I was also inspired by you and I want to read some Kazuo Ishiguro, probably going to start with Never Let Me Go.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Yes. My concentration brain is used up by the time I get to open a book, and Braiding Sweetgrass requires contemplation and reflection amongst fairly dense, yet beautiful and profound text. I feel so seen. -Sierra

[@lizardlady69]

Can’t wait to hear what you think of Drew’s book! She is so funny 😂

[@andtheywerereaders]

I actually finished it yesterday and it was very good! I’ll get more into it in a future wrap up. She’s great and so funny!

[@vesch5083]

Just found this channel and you 2 are fun and yet know how to read profound works. You're fellow Floridians! Hopefully you're not in the path of Helene. James is a fantastic book. I also read Huck Finn right before reading James.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Welcome! We were pretty safe from Helene and hope you were too. I know it caused a lot of damage in some areas. Excited to get to James after Huck Finn

[@bookum]

New to your videos - this video was a lot of fun! The Fire Next Time is great

[@andtheywerereaders]

Welcome!!! Such a good one. -Sierra

[@EvieM1]

📚🍂

[@twiggyyy2]

Jon you’re on the Chick-Fil-A merch website! I was confused when it popped up, but more confused to recognize you on it, given the book context I know you from.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oop! You found me haha! I did a shoot with them a couple years back

[@zobookish]

I loved Station Eleven! Definitely a curl up with a cider kind of book. Do you guys ever get into horror? I just finished We Have Always Lived in the Castle and I want to hype up Shirley Jackson with someone

[@andtheywerereaders]

And I love me a cider. I’ve read a Shirley Jackson short story because it’s part of the curriculum for some of the students I support. Excellent writing. What’s your favorite Jackson? -Sierra

[@zoekirk8767]

My fall TBR is: Currently reading/really hoping to finish this month: Home is where the bodies are by Jeneva Rose (which I’m reading with my mom!), and Braiding Sweetgrass (the YA version) And what I want hopefully get to: FINISHING FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING!!! (Love Tolkien’s writing, but a while ago I tried reading a LOTR book with all the books in it sans the Hobbit, and I just could not make it through which permanently changed me), Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (tried reading it when I was reading Fellowship and my brain said no more fantasy for while), The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (which will be a re-read), Powerless by Lauren Roberts, The Night in Question by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson (which is book 2 in a series!), Two Towers by Tolkien, and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson!

[@andtheywerereaders]

Such a good list!!! I’m thinking of starting LoTR. It might not be this fall, but it’s def on the list!! -Sierra

[@zoekirk8767]

Thank you!! Also oh my goodness you NEED to make sure you read the Hobbit first!! It’s so cozy and fun!

[@Loganfry10]

Wow based on your tbr, you and I would be besties. Love SO many of these books!!

[@zoekirk8767]

This makes me even more excited to read them! I’d honestly love some bookish besties rn!

[@awildernessofbooks]

Address Unknown has been on my list for so long and I’ve never seen anyone read it!

[@andtheywerereaders]

I picked it up on a whim! Maybe I’ll have to try to prioritize it!! -Sierra

[@rubymcdime7382]

Braiding Sweetgrass is my FAVORITE but if you’ve already read it (which I think you said?), she has a new book that just came out this year!

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oooh!! Adding to the TBR!

[@fedjydanger4342]

I read My Brilliant Friend and I honestly don't know how to feel about it, so I would love to hear what you guys have to say about it

[@andtheywerereaders]

I’ve been seeing that in the comments. I might wait to read it in the summer after what the comments say. But it’s interesting that the comments have mixed feelings on Ferrante!!

[@fedjydanger4342]

@@andtheywerereaders def a better idea I read it in the middle of the winter and I think it somehow affected my opinion on this book 🤔

[@andtheywerereaders]

@@fedjydanger4342 ooh interesting! I’ll keep that in mind!

[@jio5680]

Honestly, after Coelho's tweets about Ukraine I don't believe I can respect that man or his works. I mean, it truly is a writing talent to insult an entire country in a single sentence to the point no-one from it wants to buy or have your books😅

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oh interesting! I wasn’t aware of the tweet (I don’t have twitter 🫣) but I appreciate you bringing it to our attention.

[@jio5680]

@@andtheywerereaders it's completely a personal take)