reading books I've been AVOIDING ep.2 😅 *reading vlog* 📚

welcome back to another episode of reading books I've been avoiding 🥲
episode 1: • reading books I've bee...
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Thanks for watching!
Rach x
DISCLAIMER: I do not own this music. No copyright intended. This video was not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

[@margvrn5498]

After watching you avoid these in every TBR videos this feels like the biggest achievement! 🤣💗

[@RachelCatherine]

HAHAHAH I feel so accomplished 🤣

[@pharmasix22]

A big relief? HAHAHAH

[@shaylaatiles]

It hurts to hear your final thoughts on Song of Achilles, but I understand! 😭💔 I think it was marketed wrong on social media; it’s not a romance, it’s a tragedy. Most Greek mythology stories are tragic and are about selfish/flawed people.

[@MakeupByTammi]

Its so funny because your spoiler thoughts on SOA is exactly why I loved the book, its a tragedy that showed the cost of pride and ego. I loved the frustration and emotions it brought from me. I love books that make me feel something xx

[@emmaeger9765]

In my opinion SoA is a tragic love story not a romance. Tiktok in general loves to latch on to tropes to get more people hopefully interested in books and I can fully understand why reading SoA thinking it was a romance would be very jarring.

[@RachelCatherine]

agreed! I wish it had been pitched to me differently so I went in with different expectations! 💕

[@temimajek2706]

Your thoughts on the Song of Achilles are funny to me because the things you said were the reasons I loved it and cried for it. The fact that we knew from the beginning what was going to happen made it so heart wrenching, like watching a train crash in slow motion. Every thing they did to prevent the disaster fed into it 😭

[@annagardiner8351]

12:03 A big part of Greek Mythology is a distinct disconnect between the reader and the hero, the hero being flawed and larger than life, because these myths begin as tales and tragedies passed down through history, losing detail in order to preserve the structure of the cultural aspect of it, leaving the actual story a shell to be reimagined and reworked like Madeline Miller did for A Song of Achilles. I get how it felt disconnected at times, but this was intentionally done to preserve the integrity of Greek tales and the way they’re told. It’s too bad that you didn’t enjoy it, this book is the one that got me back into reading/fall in love with literature again!! Your critiques make sense, I just think that those who don’t like it enter the book with a certain expectation and when it’s not met, they’re disappointed.

[@Iblamemanyata]

rachel's book videos = daily serotonin ♡

[@RachelCatherine]

you're too kind bestie 🥹💓

[@nidhivaidya6485]

RF Kuang is an incredible author, she really is able to write intense concepts in a way that is still understandable

[@RachelCatherine]

truly incredible 👏🏼

[@elyseariana]

SOA is totally a tragedy, and i agreed with a lot of your points, but i read this back in 2022 and remember just absolutely adoring it. i neeeeed to do a re-read

[@alwaysgettingthere]

*SPOILERS** song of achilles is 100% a tragedy, but the best part of the book for me were the final few pages about how proper burial and accurate remembrance is so important, because the romantic relationship between Achillies and Patroclus was often erased in other retellings before this book

[@cassidystylees]

I feel like the reason I have such good reviews and feelings about song of Achilles is because it’s the book that got me into reading. I absolutely loved that book 🤍

[@RachelCatherine]

I completely understand! If I had read it earlier in my reading journey, I feel like I could have felt very differently!!

[@emilyjade7708]

I like hearing your deeper thoughts on books like this Rachel! More spoiler vlogs please!

[@caitlinjolly3332]

I’m not big on Greek mythology but I loved the song of achillis, I was crying so hard at the end and I immediately bought Circe

[@bhaavyabatra4622]

The part where you talked about how different people love different books and how everyone has their own personal connection with a book... you put that so beautifully. And its so true. ❤❤

[@aaliyahday889]

I love the Bible quotes so much!❤

[@RachelCatherine]

🥹💓

[@TheBookChameleon]

I've been avoiding both of these as well but feel more motivated after watching you read them!

[@yourgirl_miriam]

I genuinely get so happy when you post a video

[@maryannevillanueva9510]

Was literally screaming waiting to hear your thoughts about SoA. I was hoping you’d love it as much as I do but you’ve raised valid points and I agree with most of them. I feel like I want to reread this.

[@LexieLouise22]

Yay for Babel!! Been waiting for you to read that 😅

[@Elliemac222]

Yayy! I love your videos so much!!!! Book girlies are the best

[@makennastanley]

i’m so freaking happy you read Babel!! ❤❤❤

[@bookthoughtswitheilish]

Glad you enjoyed Babel! It was one of my favourite books of 2023 for me ☺🖤

[@KathyDubs]

The Song of Achilles is a hard one because it is literally a Greek tragedy marketed to focus on the love story, except Miller's version to me always just seemed like it was a pretty standard retelling. I liked it a lot, but I preferred her telling of Circe's story. That one she knocked out of the water.

[@Sheree_Anna]

Yaaay love when you upload!!

[@chocolateoreo6489]

Yay, we love this❤❤❤ I’m sending you all love!

[@kirarose8537]

this camera angle of your home library 😍😍!!!

[@daphne.readsnl]

Yeeess another reading vlog 😍😍🙌🏻

[@georgia523]

Yay!!! ive been looking forward to hearing your opinion on these!!

[@abigailhaller1091]

Yes! This was so needed!! Lol

[@ashleycristineeee]

Omg I was waiting for this video, yay!!!!!

[@RachelCatherine]

🥰❣️

[@yam288]

ahh babel is one of my faves, and every time you avoided it on your tbr i was T_T but i'm so happy that you enjoyed it!

[@AliviaReads]

I was so excited for this video! I had a feeling it might be coming from the Instagram stories ☀️🫶🏼

[@Bookworm_Bron]

Hi Rachel, I love this video! You have really inspired me to pick up books I have on my shelf and have been avoiding! Different books to yours but books with small font and and lots of pages. I am hoping for a positive outcome, just like you had! Thanks!! x

[@jennyrbaker]

I keep putting off Ariadne, but this video inspires me to finally get it off my TBR.

[@Deeee__]

Babel has been in my tbr for a minute it intimidates me and I literally have the same thoughts of it being for intellectual people, but your review actually encouraged me to try it and that I might be procrastinating a very good book thank you for that 💖

[@JaimeOwen13]

I love these videos so much ❤

[@amandabrown4575]

So proud of you whoohoo❤❤

[@BiomeMunch]

Rach I felt the EXACT same way as you on song of achilles! However, I will say I loved circe by the same author even more, I felt wayyyy more connected to our main character in that story, but with the same beautiful writing and storytelling. Would definitely recommend it 😊❤

[@emmaskapetis7603]

Great video💕. You're inspiring me to get to at least the books that I've started and not finished (there's a lot of them though). I definitely need to finish Bride and The Atlas complex for sure.

[@rubiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

Yay I was looking for something to watch

[@lindsayrenee1063]

I'm so proud of you for reading Babel it was such a good book for me 😊❤🎉

[@giulia_m]

As someone who has studied greek mithology I've always been perplexed by the internet marketing SoA as a romance, so when I heard you say it I was like "oh no, poor Rachel". It's a good book don't get me wrong and it's easy to read, but I was never invested in it, tbh I think that Madeline Miller did a way better job with Circe.

[@kaitlynparrish9551]

I just recently read a song of Achilles too and I had the same exact thoughts about it. Maybe it's because I wasn't super well versed in greek mythology before reading it but I did still go into it knowing how it would end and that Achilles story was a tragedy, not a love story. But regardless of that I didn't really enjoy Achilles or Patroclus for the same reasons you said. And once I finished it, it really had no profound impact on me, I just moved on with my day. So I also gave it 3 stars.

[@dayla_arnold]

I've been really interested in seeing your reaction to Girl, Serpent, Thorn. I loved the atmosphere of the book and the representation. The one thing I will say is to read the authors note first even though there are slight to minor spoilers in it. Also the narrator of the audiobook did this book so so well.

[@charliescozycorner]

Omg I avoided Babel for the longest time too and then I fell in love with the parts I thought I would hate most

[@ChristianBookGirlie]

You’re so much braver than me, I still haven’t read books I’ve had on my tbr for years and probably won’t for a while.

[@turningpageswtori]

8:46, YES that’s exactly how I felt about the song of Achilles 😭

[@ryanfrisby7389]

Fantastic video Rachel!!!😸

[@megk2653]

Hey Rachel! I had the song of Achilles for so long on my shelves and I finally decided to read it this month. It pleasantly surprised me! Also, I’m from Greece and I’m very familiar with the mythology of the Trojan war because they made us study it in school 😅 It’s interesting to read novels about these characters so many years later!

[@georgia523]

I'm also curious how your kobo is going!! I'd love to know how it compares to the kindle, why you got it, if it works well switching between the two etc

[@Showtunediva]

I agree with you about Song Of Achilles and how P. seems to be more in love with Achilles than Achilles is with him Rachel.😊

[@ImenaGinac]

I love your videos and energy so much🩷 while watching this one I am starring at my lost in my endless tbr books that I should get too🙈 i should probably do this too🩷 What is for you too long for a book to be on your physical tbr? Sending love🩷

[@r_semaria8218]

I need more of this 'reading books you've be avoiding'

[@hyunim8287]

Hoping to see Say You Swear in one of these videos someday!

[@konstantina_xrst]

As a greek person I hated the song of Achilles. So many things were left off the storyline and it clearly shows the author did little to no research. If anyone wants to read a good greek mythology retelling I really recommend Jennifer Saint she's amazing😅❤

[@BookGoesMyHeart]

I also found this book seriously overhyped! I liked Madeline Miller’s other book, Circe, way better!

[@nazrye3185]

I agree! Circe is an amazing book better than SoA imo. I gave Circe 5 ⭐️ and SoA 3 ⭐️

[@konstantina_xrst]

@@klaus4402 I don't want to get into spoilers but one of the most famous sayings "Achilles heel" isn't even mentioned in the book. I don't think it's hard to understand either. She just completely ignored it and took it out of the story🤷🏻‍♀️

[@RachelCatherine]

oooh that's so good to know! I had no idea!!

[@chelseyjohnson501]

Yes love Jennifer Saint

[@BookswithKaitlyn]

I had the same thoughts about SoA. I didn't even go in with the romance aspect I just knew so many loved it. I think it was a 3.5 as well but I don't think of it at all

[@connieharper5730]

Song of Achilles was my first book of the year (also my first time reading it) and I felt the same as you do! The writing is gorgeous and it’s interesting enough but I didn’t feel the hype that so many people have with it haha

[@luvmiyax]

This motivates me to read babel

[@RachelCatherine]

surely you read it!!

[@theweeartmaker256]

I found Babel in my local Little Free Library but have been too intimidated to start reading it. You have inspired me to put on my big girl pants and start reading!

[@fahda7400]

u need to continue the boys of tommen series !!

[@elissajohnson23]

You've convinced me to read Babel🥰

[@AnnabelleMoran]

please read boy swallows universe - its my favourite book of all time :) it would be cool if you did a video reading books by australian authors too!

[@caraelisia2929]

as an aussie as well, i love that idea and i hope she does it!

[@gracier6018]

i think you would’ve enjoyed SoA way more if you had some background knowledge on the iliad. the iliad is a greek tragedy, not a love story. a lot of greek mythology follows flawed and imperfect characters and achillies is about the cost of selfishness, it’s achillies heel, he loved patroclus yet his selfish was the cost for his life, it was his downfall not his salvation. i wish tiktok and social media didn’t market this story as a romance because it’s not, i think if you had gone into the book with the knowledge that it’s a tragedy you would’ve felt differently.

[@lauryndelger337]

rachel you have to read all the light we cannot see in your next vlog like this!!

[@Harley24986]

I absolutely feel your pain. I didn't much care for Song of Achilles either. To each their own though. Sometimes we get upset when we don't like things seemingly everyone likes because deep down we don't want to disappoint others we share common ground with. We are all going to love different things.

[@marynbooks0622]

Wonder if you’d would like the Secret history 🤔 for the aspects you’d liked about Babel Been avoiding the memory keepers daughter for years when I first bought it lmao so this helps me want to! Thanks :)

[@alyssablakey5007]

I had the same thoughts about the song of achilles when I read it too and I soooo wanted to dnf but I felt bad because at the time everyone loved it

[@spencerjmt]

I'm always so glad to see someone else who doesn't get the Song of Achilles hype - it was fine but I don't get the obsession. Glad you loved Babel though, one of my absolute favourites of last year!!

[@Jordan_elaine]

I never had interest in Babel but you have me intrigued 🙃

[@RachelCatherine]

I def recommend!!

[@celia_md]

Now I am more motivated to read Babel. As a translator myself, I am sure those parts will be interesting. Btw, if you like secret societies and dark academia vibes, I recommend Curious Tides. Its magic is based on the moon. I think you would love it! ❤❤

[@evaantoniia]

I don't know why but I have been avoiding Achilles Song as well. And I really want to read Bable as well 😊

[@michcsm]

I’m so glad you read and enjoyed Babel!! I was also really intimidated to read it and put it off for over a year but randomly picked it up again earlier this year and ate it up and I have a much deeper appreciation for RF Kuang’s writing now 🥹🫶🏼

[@loverlyrosie]

Totally agree with your points on SoA!! It wasn't as great as everyone said. It was fine. Super overhyped. Wanted to love it, but I wasn't that moved at all!!!

[@elizabethm6127]

YES to all of your Song of Achilles thoughts. I just don’t think it was for me. “Achilles loved Achilles” was exactly how I felt

[@MikiBaka1]

Don't worry! I also don't understand the hype on the Song of Achilles either 😅

[@becmcgeown3733]

I highly recommend Firsts and Lasts by Kit Hindmarsh, YA romance that I’m sure you’ll LOVE 😍

[@juliacash8135]

I don’t know if you have read some of these but I saw that you talked about wanting to read these on your 24 books to read in 2034 video. You should read the final empire, scythe, project Hail Mary and the rest of the lunar chronicles. These are some of my absolute favorite books ever! You should totally read them soon! The lunar chronicles is my absolute favorite! I hope you read all of these soon and like them!

[@hobbyjournals]

You may enjoy Circe a lot more! It’s my personal favorite

[@kmitte03]

Yay- congratulations on reading those two books. I agree- and found SoA underwhelming. Couldn’t connect to characters. Babel- similiar feelings aswell. Well done again in finally reading them!

[@arielmarie8493]

I definitely have a few books that I've been avoiding bc I don't want to have the heartbreak that ik it will break me, and one of them is a little life 😂

[@mm34815]

All the Light We Cannot See, please! My favorite book of all time.

[@RachelCatherine]

🥹💕

[@thewillowtree4252]

yes!!!

[@frshdumbledore2825]

So many of these books are literally also the books I am avoiding. So very interested in your opnion on them❤

[@RachelCatherine]

let this be your sign to read them 🤭

[@frshdumbledore2825]

​@@RachelCatherine Will do😂🫶

[@puppies983]

Say you swear! I feel like you are going to love it

[@RachelCatherine]

yesss I need to read it!!

[@apollineunow]

I had the same feelings with The Song of Achilles, I didn’t connect to the characters at all. They didn’t feel real to me, I felt nothing for Achilles at all which is why I didn’t get the hype. I feel like connecting to the characters would have changed it for me.

[@justlikeval6542]

do you still own Girl, Serpent, Thorn? I bought and read it after seeing it on you tbr once and really liked it! also, open water!

[@jenniferbeeman3737]

I know this has nothing to do with the videos subject but just wanted to say that see through heart cup is soooo cute!

[@RachelCatherine]

sooo cute!! It was a gift from bestie Des, how sweet?!

[@jenniferbeeman3737]

@@RachelCatherine LOVE that! 💕

[@dorapticar3368]

where is your bookmark from?

[@Booksandmoe]

Great video! And I felt exactly the same about SoA, I just didn’t get it! The writing is beautiful but I could never root for them to be together because I thought Patroclus deserved better 🤷🏻‍♀️. So glad you enjoyed Babel, it was a 5⭐️ for me, partly for the story and the writing but mostly because of how much it made me think about things on such a deep level (and I like you thought I wasn’t smart enough for this book before I read it 😂).

[@Sophia-dy5ot]

tbh this was almost brutally honest 😬 but I just love ur vids!

[@laurentalevski]

I also recently read 'Song of Achilles' and also felt no connection. I feel like Madeline Millers writing has like a wall you can't get through. It is a lot of telling instead of showing it you lose a lot of the emotion. It is definitely mis-marketed - I wouldn't call it a romance book first, it had romance elements

[@JulEnglefaris]

I love Greek mythology and SoA is beautifully written but i agree i couldn't really connect with the book and i didnt cry.

[@LanalouisaAdelynna]

Can you pls do an eReader breakdown video ?

[@lozanosa89]

I LIKED song of Achilles but wasn’t blown away like other people were.

[@maDDie-mb4nl]

Babel is my favourite book

[@VivianLybianto]

"character with the P name" i'm cryin cause i do this all the time when idk how to say the character names 😭😭

[@amandamaccs]

Absoultely SJM makes characters you care about and you want to read, so many other book I don't care about the characters. The song of achillies I didn't have a huge drive to read I was kinda bored.

[@taylachristie7400]

I feel you avoid Boy Swallows Universe?

[@bethhreads]

feel the exact same way about song of Achilles! i read it earlier this year & i liked it, but it wasn't earth shattering. i feel like i really didn't even know the characters. great video, bestie! 🎉❤

[@RachelCatherine]

completely agree! 🫶🏼

[@bookswithsoph1]

you should read The Poppy War by RF kuang!!

[@thefrog-flower]

She has already read it

[@nazrye3185]

Madeline Millers book Circe is much better in my opinion and you don’t need to understand Greek myth either to love it!

[@mymindfullife7554]

On my shelf and need to read!!!

[@RachelCatherine]

I've heard so many good things about that one too!

[@Jen_nyyy]

Loved them both .. both were easy 5 stars for me..