popular books i read this summer (smash or pass?)

[@chaysbookrecs]

It’s literally impossible to watch Jack and not add anything to your TBR

[@squidwardtentacles7144]

Right! I already want to add "Another Brooklyn" on my tbr!😅

[@antidelusionalpeeps]

For real, he knows how to sell books to us lol, plus his taste is immaculate so I never think twice

[@Mary-uq4ww]

I've literally just ordered three books 🙈

[@lilymaria2681]

I feel seen

[@silviagoyarzun]

Already on Goodreads 😅

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Jack: “I don’t have hobbies, I have obsessions.” Me: (cries in Pop Culture Dissection)

[@bzylarisa]

I want this on my t-shirt

[@cyndoherty563]

Wow I am so old that I have no idea what the comments on a booktube video mean 😂

[@emmaberger3748]

Cries in autism

[@cilburr]

My hobby's buying books. People should know reading them is another hobby.

[@ellovescats]

i've been saying this!!! such different things. i go through phases where i buy books and don't read them. then i go though another phase where i actually read them. that phase is usually shorter though

[@Beyond_Reads_]

😂

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

Don't worry, I already do!

[@TalkAsSoftAsChalk]

My hobby is buying physical copies of books and then reading other books that I buy digital copies of.

[@thenameless9947]

​@@ellovescatsoh god same

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I love that we have a Smash or Pass which is related to books. Such fun! Rate books, not people.

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

Pokhraj Roy, you are everywhere

[@user-ny1wo1vp9r]

​@@ChemicalPenguinnikr

[@PokhrajRoy.]

@@ChemicalPenguinn EEAAO

[@ritwikatiwari2211]

@@ChemicalPenguinn I am always saying that, HE IS EVERYWHERE.

[@soelisa9856]

1:04 A Little Luck by Claudia Piñeiro ✅ 2:41 Chain Gang All Stars ❌ 5:03 Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa✅ 6:17 The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood ✅ 7:55 Atalanta by Jennifer Saint ❌ (other books of her are just better but still a good book) 9:31 Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes ✅ (but all the voices sound the same which made it hard to read) 10:29 Yellow Face by Rebbeca F. Kuang ✅ (but a bit too long and repetitive) 12:12 Send Nudes by Saba Sams ❌ (only really liked 2 stories in it) 13:19 The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken ✅ 15:13 Mrs. S by K. Patrick ❌ 16:56 Jazz by Toni Morrison ✅ 19:14 A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux ❌ 20:34 Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell ✅ 21:35 Self Portrait by Othello by Jason Allen-Pasant ✅ 22:10 Titles Ruin Everything by Aubrey Graham❌ 22:51 Big Swiss by Jen Beagin❌/✅ 24:10 By Grand Central Station I sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart✅ 25:33 I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel✅ 26:33 Idol Burning by Rin Usami ❌ 28:06 You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat ❌ 29:01 Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor ✅ 29:59 The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling✅ (pretty silly, easy reading) 30:51 Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson✅ (you will love it if you liked “a little life”)

[@danaklamecki8820]

Thank you!!

[@random9073]

1:04 A Little Luck by Claudia Piñeiro 2:41 Chain Gang All Stars 5:03 Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa 6:17 The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood 7:55 Atalanta by Jennifer Saint 9:31 Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes 10:29 Yellow Face by Rebbeca F. Kuang 12:12 Send Nudes by Saba Sams 13:19 The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken 15:13 Mrs. S by K. Patrick 16:56 Jazz by Toni Morrison 19:14 A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux 20:34 Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell 21:35 Self Portrait by Othello by Jason Allen-Paisant 22:10 Titles Ruin Everything by Aubrey Graham 22:51 Big Swiss by Jen Beagin 24:10 By Grand Central Station I sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart 25:33 I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel 26:33 Idol Burning by Rin Usami 28:06 You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat 29:01 Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor 29:59 The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling 30:51 Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

Jack should pin this!

[@kreskova1]

Thank you❤

[@KDCN6]

You are amazing!!!

[@moose1277]

thanks so much!!

[@moharagrawal]

Thank you❤❤

[@A_MARVELous_Bookworm]

“I don’t have hobbies. I have obsessions” Me too Jack, me too

[@gabrielag9846]

“Show don’t tell” is my pet peeve, too!! This is why I trust Jack’s recommendations 🙏🏼

[@uls-ks9vl]

I trust him coz he’s british

[@Johuma27]

I agree 💯 on this. I have DNF’d a few books for this reason. However, I do notice that many classics from the 19th century are written this way. For instance, Anna Karenina by Tolstoy which is considered one of the best novels ever written.

[@justynafigas-skrzypulec3349]

I kinda accept it in many books if they're great otherwise (or if they're old realistic classics) but it's a hard NO in movies for me.

[@ddt9164]

do you want them to show or do you want them to tell?

[@silviace17]

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop was so freaking lovely, the vibes are perfect, the characters are so sweet and the quotes are immaculate 👌🏼

[@sophspice32]

"i don´t have hobbies i have obsessions" is so real

[@vesperxverse]

“I don't have hobbies, I have obsessions.” -Jack Ben Edwards, 2023

[@kariikosmos3005]

The amount of "bombastic" side eye you gave during your review of Yellowface, rivaled the side eye on the cover 😂😅

[@aliahsarchive]

just a heads up on the book "idol, burning", it's actually about jpop (japanese idol industry) and not kpop! some might think this is trivial, but they have very different systems (although, of course, parasocial relationship is universal) + sometimes, there's some racist connotations when people lump every asian thing together...

[@annielynn8730]

Oh I could see this being a big factor for me. I was a big kpop fan circa gen 3 in the early 2010s. The industry is SO SO specific about the way it operates, there IS a specific way things are done. It would be wildly obvious if someone was just trying to write a book aimed at kpop fans for a cash grab but wasn’t involved in the industry themselves. Not a lot of room for fantasy tbfh That being said, no idea if Japan’s entertainment system is as particular as Korea’s

[@AdmiralJaneway74656]

Annie Ernaux's books are like a symphony. the single parts sound unfinished, but combined you end up with a masterpiece

[@charcopress]

Wow - thanks so much for the amazing and lovely words about our very own A LITTLE LUCK by Claudia Piñeiro, Jack! We appreciate it. ❤So, so, so pleased you loved it. (And thank you for taking the time to share your bookish thoughts, as always!)

[@abbieafterhours]

literally everytime i watch jack i have my goodreads open in another tab bc the recs are TOO GOOD

[@xtashamariax]

Jennifer Saint was my GCSE English teacher!! SUCH a surprise to hear her mentioned in this list!

[@Showtunediva]

That is so cool!

[@John-yi6cz]

I get so excited whenever Jack uploads 😂

[@Beyond_Reads_]

Me too🤣. Also do check my channel for bookish content 😊 😊

[@kennbeans]

there’s nothing i love more than listening to jack discuss literature 🥰🥰

[@catkhvy]

i have been just OBSESSED with your book review videos 😭❤i love how genuine you are with your reviews and opinions!!

[@finCatrin]

There are actually four other books written by Claudia Piñeiro that has been translated to English; Thursday Night Widows, All Yours, A Crack in the Wall, and Betty Boo.

[@LynnHermione]

they all suck ass, the is the shittiest writer alive.

[@stschubs]

I am so here for you loving Toni Morrison! I've been into her since high school and never met anyone else who appreciated what she wrote so much. She's magnificent

[@kavya12kohli]

I live for your Goodreads update to try to guess what your next video may be about.

[@antoninatitkow8905]

ahh i missed jack talking about books like this!! missed the videos actually discussing the reads and jack talking about the themes and likes/dislikes. and omg can we talk about how eloquently he talks? loved it

[@faiali2895]

wait the explanation about the iliad and the penelopiad is so cool because i always thought the song of achilles was a a direct callback to the first line of the iliad "sing, goddess muse, of the wrath of achilles" and i thought instead of titling it the wrath of achilles the author went with the song of achilles, which sounds softer knowing we got to read not just about his anger but also his love ! it makes a lot of sense knowing that the iliad literally means the song of troy and first word of the iliad is "sing"

[@rashichoudhary2006]

I was just watching your old videos for book recommendations to give to my school library, this is perfect ❤

[@manjumoond568]

Hey are you Indian?

[@rashichoudhary2006]

@@manjumoond568 Yes.

[@rashichoudhary2006]

@@manjumoond568 yup

[@kemee_ravee]

How you describe Atalanta makes me think of my experience with Circe by Madeline Miller - there's no major climax to keep you reading

[@sassylegolas]

Totally agree!!

[@aishacm]

I loved this! I would say with Stone Blind (and most of NH's novels) that it's a COMPLETELY different experience listening to the audiobook, if you haven't already! She read it amazingly well and did all these different voices, and her tone of voice made me find so much more in the text than I would have if I just read it on the page. It's worth listening to her, even if it's just for her immaculate reading style!

[@fatinallen5134]

“I don’t have hobbies. I have obsessions.” Honestly same 😮‍💨

[@caireste]

the OG retelling of Classics was German author Christa Wolf (whose Italian translator is supposed to be Elena Ferrante). her book Cassandra is phenomenal! She interweaves a retelling of some Iliyad events through Cassandra w German history and culture after WWII. Worth the read and she even wrote a lecture series on how the book came to be.

[@Maggies87]

This video might be the key to finding a book that’s compelling enough to draw adhd me in and keep me reading until the end. Thanks, Jack!

[@monakhannnn]

My hobby is watching this precious human talk about book.

[@AlexZetoSings]

It's wild how much power Jack has over my TBR.

[@n.adiarosslyn]

omg i'm so happy that the penelopiad is finally getting her time to shine. i had to read this for a greek myth class this year and i fkn loved it. my only gripe was that the portrayal of helen was not very girlboss but for being published in 2005 it was still waaay ahead of its time

[@Sylvia-u9o]

Your reviews are always wonderful. Your enthusiasm and honesty are refreshing and you are so articulate and entertaining. Threat content!

[@dianaisme]

Literally love whenever you post!! I'm sick so it's perfect timing

[@Akira-nd1wi]

0:04 Jack: one thing about me Me: I'm the baddest alive 🕺 💅

[@verzrc2772]

Paul takes the form of a mortal girl has been my all time favourite book for a while and I’m so glad it’s finally catching the attention it deserves 😌

[@aumritapaul8210]

Mate your old last minute essay videos have carried me through my MSc

[@anna-ti2bo]

"My next partial smash is yellowface". doesn't sound great out of context 😭

[@alexandraosborn7861]

I felt the exact same way about Big Swiss. It was one of those situations where I knew the whole story after reading just the synopsis and there wasn’t much to it to be honest. There were also so many random, unnecessary facts that took up way too much time, especially the weird dogs…

[@karakask5488]

I dnf'd Stone Blind because it felt very YA and that wasn't what I was looking for. Also Idol, Burning is about Jpop not Kpop. They actually have very different fan culture and also massive geopolitical conflicts and differences.

[@clairvoyantpegasus]

Was about to comment the same thing! K-pop and J-pop are intricately different, and as person who has experiences relating to being a fan in both, I'd say Idol, Burning is still such a valuable read. Especially on how becoming part of a fandom can be a way of survival and exerting agency when you feel hopeless/depressed/etc, in the context of the protagonist being a young female student with hints of mental/physical health problems, alongside familial and financial issues. I found the book quite touching honestly :")

[@EllenFelicity]

You were right to DNF stone blind I wish I had 😂

[@karakask5488]

@clairvoyantpegasus I agree. I thought it actually had a lot to say about fandom and both the good and bad about becoming so involved with a person that you don't actually know. I wish that Y/N was more like that, that book was disappointing to me.

[@karakask5488]

@EllenFelicity Oh good! I just couldn't make myself get through it!

[@clairvoyantpegasus]

@@karakask5488 oh my God yes yes!! I tried reading Y/N for *at least* 4 times and couldn't get past its first few chapters for some reason, despite being really intrigued by its premise & the fact that not a lot of literary fiction touches on K-pop. Something about it must've rubbed me the wrong way! 😅

[@barb1642]

i don't need any more books I DON'T NEED ANY MORE BOOKS

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

Oh whoops I bought 4 more

[@timyank8433]

After about 100 pages in on Stone Blind, I DNF'd it. The way it jumped around from character to character was exhausting. I think you put it best when you said everyone spoke in the same tone of voice and therefore made it somewhat confusing to understand who you were reading about. After picking up something else, finishing it and having my palette cleansed, I decided to give Stone Blind another chance and in the end actually really enjoyed it. I guess I just needed to be in the right head space to appreciate it.

[@fandomsandfiction_]

"i don't have hobbies, i have obsessions" mood

[@lydia36writes]

I’m so happy I found this channel! These reviews are stellar. Appreciate the honesty

[@xanthippikipou2531]

Each individual grain of sand is not, what an accurate Annie Ernaux review👏👏

[@ruthkebede1527]

The book at 24:20 had the same title from Paulo coehlo “by the river piedra I sat down and wept”😢

[@Breannagirl13]

Love seeing you rave about By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept. It’s been a favourite of mine for years, and I don’t think it gets the love it deserves!

[@lorua5970]

JACK! HOZIER HAS JUST RELEASED A VIDEO DETAILING HIS FAVOURITE BOOKS. You know what to do King 😤

[@el_writes]

"i have a semi for this book" made me laugh out loud and i really needed that today, thank you jack

[@jade_960]

Completelyyy agree with your thoughts on Yellowface if by any chance anyone who thinks similar was looking for validation on that hahaha

[@shrutichaturvedi3837]

I love Jack talking. His long videos just make my day.✨

[@elegancebythemile]

I need a mythology retelling about Persephone! I love her and I would read that in a heartbeat

[@beapineapple6299]

I recommend the book "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls if you haven't yet. Add it to your want to read list for october. The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant.

[@edasavaseri4406]

Wasn't expecting to see the Ex Hex here :) It was a cozy romance you'd enjoy around autumn with a coffee in hand.

[@MiguelAChavez23]

Would love to see a video about why reading becomes an obsession and is addicting!!

[@dipti881]

Bang on about Yellowface… I had same feelings

[@naomi9265]

What you said about ‘drip feeding’ Toni Morrison books is so real… I’m doing the same with Elena Ferrante (reading 1 book per year 😂) because I’m enjoying the Neapolitan novels too much and basically want to grow up alongside the characters

[@anne-marie339]

I just bought A Little Luck in Bath while on vacation because I loved Elena Knows so much, so I'm SO excited you loved it too! I think this is also the first not 100% glowing review of Chain Gang All-Stars I've seen. It's intriguing to me but nowhere near the top of my priority list tbh I loved Yellowface and think it's phenomenal. Though, it could've been about 25-50 pages shorter in my opinion. I do think the repetition shows that this type of behaviour and experiences is just nonstop... or maybe that's my interpretation to justify the length :P The climax/confrontation scene at the end of the book is what felt more outlandish to me, despite the satirical genre.

[@katiarodriguez5015]

Jazz is such a smash!!! It was the book that introduced me to Toni morrison and I've loved everything from her 😩❤️

[@nandinigutgutia725]

My TBR is too long to finish within a lifetime because of these videos, because our taste in books is nearly identical. However, the way Jack is so articulate and precise in talking about why he *didn't* like a book also really helps me figure out if I would like it or not. So I will be adding Mrs. S to my TBR bc that sounds like a writing style I would enjoy, and the premise seems awesome too, as well as The Penelopiad, and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

[@LUserYT]

heyyy jack! i think you should read "crooked plow" by itamar vieira jr. it's a brazilian book that was just recently translated to english. i would love to know your thoughts about it ps.: the original cover is a lot prettier ahahh the english version does not make it justice

[@piccadillypie]

Thanks for the tip on Another Brooklyn - it sounds awesome. Great reviews!

[@mia.nxlson1494]

This is exactly how I felt about yellow face! I really felt like I didn’t want to spend that many pages with that character

[@Jannassoul]

I seriously want jack's cuotes to be put on these silly book covers, because he convinces me to add it to my tbr. Every single time

[@sandrasshelf]

As someone who studied Annie Ernaux (French literature) in university -- you're spot on! Nevertheless, a well deserved Nobel Prize 😊

[@RuthMadisonAuthor]

Toni Morrison is amazing. Song Of Solomon was my first and holds a special place in my heart

[@elliemaefield]

Jack today I bought 10 books second hand and I watched your videos to justify my purchases

[@Melina-tp3hu]

Jack, please read "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro! I normally don't like dystopian settings, but this was a hit in my book! I feel like you will enjoy it a lot, it is gorgeously written, and the writer has won the Nobel in Literature for one of his works. It is a dystopian book but has a hopeful side regarding humanity's future, and IT IS WRITTEN FROM A ROBOT'S PERSPECTIVE!! Btw, I hope you had the chance to read Circe by Madeline Miller because it is I believe one of the best feminist writings that you can find on the topic of Greek Mythology.

[@cool82798]

Jack has read this book and already has a whole video dedicated to this book alone!! It’s on his second channel if you want to search it up ❤️

[@Melina-tp3hu]

@@cool82798 omg I didn’t know, thank you for the heads up!!!

[@lifeofjenben]

Literally one of the worst books ever written 😅

[@fara2321]

Maybe it's just me because I did not learn greek mythology at high school but I felt like differentiating the different characters in Stone blind was a little hard. Some of them blended together for me up until they would mention something significant they did or happened to them in a previous chapter and I'd go oh that was you.

[@Sunny_boy17]

Aliens asking 👽☝️”what is Stan culture” will forever haunt me

[@AngelicatheDaisy]

If you want more Natalie Haynes I would really recommend A Thousand Ships another of her Greek myth retellings about the women of the Trojan war. Though to me it is definitely a 5 star you do need nuance to enjoy the story, you need to know some of the women’s stories and care for them it enjoy the book. So definitely not for those who only know a little about the Trojan war but if you want a new perspective on it I would highly recommend.

[@ninja_boy]

"I have a semi for this book" -Jack Edwards, 2023

[@LouFitz]

I always end up screenshoting at least half of the books you're talking about to add them to my ever growing whishlist 😭

[@siobhangriffin1276]

Yay I love that you're doing reviews again!!!

[@milkymewkledreamy]

When you don’t have the patience to read as much as you’d like, but continue to add recommendations to your tbr 🫠

[@noamizrachi2456]

Hi jack! Can you do books recommendations for general knowledge? History, art, mythology, science,, etc… thanks!

[@THISLOOKSINTERESTING]

Thank you for the book rec, Self Portrait as Othello. Maybe a gift purchase for a poetry loving friend. I also did a 'suggest for purchase' with my public library 🌈

[@victoriakohler627]

3:00 Dr. Who Episode Satilite Five

[@jjk1999]

hey jack! you should try any of clarice lispector's works (not sure how many and which ones have been translated), i think her writing style and the themes she tackles are right up your alley :)

[@rumi1465]

I love having your videos on whilst I work 🤎

[@namratachilwant581]

Hey jack.. Hope you are doing well.. Really like your channel for insights, suggestion, detailed review and interesting videos.. Got to say your authentic, innovative and fearless personality is my favorite part of your videos!! Keep it going friend!!

[@hi.itsmaddie]

watching these videos gives me academic validation and motivation

[@DJ2724-r7z]

Toni Morrison is also my favorite!! I am holding off on reading Love & Jazz & am thinking of re-reading Paradise and Tar Baby instead, so I definitely understand wanting to savor them 🙂

[@ArtByDesign80]

I thought this was going to be a new way to judge book covers….that would be good for books you have not read (like dating apps)…but also good for books you have read (same or alternate covers) to see if you would have missed out on a good book due to a bad cover.

[@crescentflower444]

all these sound so good I can’t stop switching btwn youtube and my storygraph tbr 😣😣

[@Fairchild14]

if you love morrison, you absolutely HAVE to read her novel "a mercy." it's short, but so so poignant. my copy is COVERED with annotations. life-changing.

[@dr_not_sam]

I think Jack needs to explore more speculative fiction. Like literary horror or near future science fiction. There's way better stuff out there than the Chain Gang All Stars book.

[@FreshlyReadBooks]

Well this is great news, I just bought A Little Luck (also obsessed with Elena Knows) 🎉

[@Hfun7]

The way you described the book “jazz”, makes it sound like the story itself is told with a jazzy rhythm, would you say that’s the case?

[@jesshillon1334]

he said it in another video that it had rhythm so id say yeah

[@Hfun7]

@@jesshillon1334 oh cool! I must have missed it, could you link the video if you know which one it was?

[@Wuggas]

Thank you so much for the recommendations! I love this Smash or Pass style because it's fun

[@kraz3721]

Aw yay! After reading Elena knows and Funny boy this summer and getting my mind blown, I’ll take all your book recommendations without question. Great video! Just added a big bunch of books to my reading list ❤

[@emersonrose3169]

This definitely moved a couple books farther up my TBR! I was wondering, do you read literary magazines/journals? Gutter, Extra Teeth, and CALYX Press feel like they might be your vibe. Also, you should read Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro.

[@missamvmaker]

Thank you for explaining why I enjoyed but struggled with some of Yellow Face! A really interesting read but almost too much happens and it could be so much more concise

[@SkyeHasACuteDog]

pov: you’re still waiting for part two of solving Caines jawbone smh

[@florenceouellet4445]

The chorus of the handmaidens in the Penelopiad also reminds me of the tradition of having a chorus in Ancient Greek plays. It adds another level of cleverness to the book by combining an ancient tradition with the newer trend you were talking about. Anyways Margaret Atwood is a queen

[@gayathri152]

you know Jack's gonna be a sick writer w that beach analogy

[@heyaitskiar]

Love the fact that everyone including Jack keeps referring to Twitter as Twitter

[@vivigm6]

It’s mentioned a couple times in Yellowface, I had just read it when they changed the brand name to X

[@mariealhinho7283]

I think to me Annie Ernaux is like... my therapist. If you were not born in the lower class then been to elite schools in France to climb the social ladder, it's hard to realize how much she captured the truth in La Place. I may be wrong but I think it's very specific to this country: even if people can transfer from one class to the other in other countries, there's a culture of elitism here that's very unique.

[@ronikovaergoshi6471]

Living in France and I totally agree. I think that concept may be hard for people not living in/from France capture in her writing