rating every FANTASY book I read for my creative writing degree 🗡🏔✨ (PART 2)

[@qamarqammar7629]

Diana Wynne Jones is a favorite of mine. She wrote not in one single voice, but many, so her entire ouvre is worth exploring. I once lent Homeward Bounders to my middle school cousins and it was returned repaired with tape and held together with rubber bands. They apologized and explained it was in that state because it had been passed around to all their friends in school. I told them no need to apologize, I was delighted. Particularly as the book was out of print at the time and they might well have missed it. I greatly prefer her to Rowling and wish she were far better known. Her work is truly imaginative, witty, and enchanting. Thanks for your other reccommendations, there are a few I may take a look at.

[@nicoliola]

Thank you so much for sharing! I feel like we are so similiar. I am a huge Narnia, LOTR, HP fan as well, I think I also see a Sarah J Mass series in your shelf :D Also remember in another video you mentioning a favorite author of mine, Marie Kondo, so thats why I take your book opinions seriously. Love your videos!

[@aliceadelaidelowson5044]

I've read the Kingkiller books, Piranesi, and Howels Moving Castle, and loved them all. If you're interested in some really good fantasy set on the sea, I would thoroughly recommend Robin Hobb's Liveship trilogy. It sits within the farseer book series (12 books in total, all worth reading), but it works as a stand-alone trilogy very well too. Robin Hobb is hands down my favourite fantasy writer for character development, and this series is an absolute masterpiece!

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

There are 16 books in Hobb's series and I've read them all. While Liveships can stand on its own and can be read first, I'd recommend starting at the beginning with The Farseer Trilogy. But it won't hurt to read Liveships first but then go back to Farseer before going on to the next Trilogy in the series called Tawny Man.

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

Ahh, this is so exciting to hear! I've not yet read Robin Hobb, but I'm just about to start the first book, Assassin's Apprentice. Now I'm stoked to read the rest! 🥳

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

@@olivia.grace.cook. 💕💕💕💕

[@emilysstoddard]

I would be really interested in watching a video in which you list your favorite fantasy books of all time, as well as your favorite themes in fantasy writing, what you love to read the most and why. Book recommendations for days.

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

What a great idea! Adding this to my video queue. 🥳

[@nicoliola]

Uprooted reminds me of the movies "Damsel" or "I Am Dragon", definatly makes me want to read it. I have been constently recommended "The Name of the Wind" then finally got the audiobook and honestly found myself to be sooo bored, I had to constantly go back because I was falling asleep. Anyway maybe it's one of those books that needs to be read with the eyes and not the ears.

[@Meldon44]

Thank you for the recommendation of "Deathless"! I have been learning Russian, but I'm still in the early stages, so reading actual Russian texts is not yet feasible. I love the idea of getting to see a little bit of Russian culture through the lens of fantasy / fairytale.

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

You're learning to read Russian novels in RUSSIAN? My friend, you bow to no one.

[@coraliehoney]

The Past Is Red is one of my all-time favorite books! Read it for the first time this January. I was absolutely *floored* by how good her writing is.

[@nicoliola]

I felt the same way about Narnia, Harry Potter, and His Dark Materials (which I couldn't finish the last book) I had no idea that Howl's Moving Castle was a book! I saw the animated Ghibli movie, didn't really like most of the story but I love the animation and voice acting. Interesting to hear you say that the book was better... I usually feel that way Like HP books were better (except for LOTR and Stardust, I personally liked the movies better in that sense) You have me intriged to read The Past is Red and Parinesi, I'm excited they were available at my library.

[@Reffinej84]

I excitedly went to the library with a list of books from your videos. My library is currently being renovated, so have a smaller, pop up version for now. Sadly, not only did the Pop Up have none, but even with the ones in storage, they had very few of the books. I did get them to order in Howl's Moving Castle though.. I've read it before but am hoping to share more stories with my 12 and 10 year old.

[@Reffinej84]

I meant to add that I really appreciate your input about such things as goodness and beauty. I'm not a fan of profanity, sexual stuff or that really depraved kind of darkness. So much so, it's kind of put me off reading so much in recent years. I'm really glad to have found your videos. I especially love your video about that longing we get. All the best with your own writing!

[@Curious-Cat]

Super interesting, thank you for sharing!

[@PumpkinMozie]

I also think that the book of howl’s moving castle is vastly superior to the movie but I’ve never encountered someone who felt the same way!! Also I think I love His Dark Materials for the exact reasons you disliked it haha. I looooved the theological concepts that it posed and thought that the books got better and better as they went on. To each their own😁

[@clairisaphoinix23]

Diana Wynne Jones is a new favorite of mine haven't seen the movie Howl's Moving Castle or read the book. Shocking I know 😅 I really like to try out Susanna Clark's books. I'm probably the only one that didn't like Uprooted by Naomi Novick but I might like Spinning Silver of hers 🤔 Have you read anything by Erin Morgensten like The Starless Sea? or Laini Taylor's Strange The Dreamer? people have mentioned they both write similar prose to Maggie Stiefvater.

[@bluemacaroons]

Gave me some new books to read! Thanks! Also rlly interesting video. I remember reading the ‘his dark materials’ trilogy when i was younger and being obsessed with it, but i wasn’t too keen on the book of dust which is when lyra is older though my cousin liked it. Rlly interesting how much ppls perspectives can vary

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

Thanks so much! You're totally right...so many people love His Dark Materials! I had a lot of fun reading it, but for some reason I just didn't really vibe with the series overall. I wonder if I would have had a different experience if I grew up with them!

[@bizzy5439]

Your video reminded me I still need to read Howl's, but I agree the first time I watched the movie I didn't "get it" and it didn't click. I'd say give it one more try, but view it not for the plot but for how the characters change over time and how it is more from "Howl's perspective." Once I viewed it that way it became maybe my 2nd favorite Ghibli film behind Porco Rosso :) Also if you like whimsy meets adventure meets philosophy, I highly recommend you read the Earthsea trilogy, if even only the first book. Each of the three is unique. There are stories that take place after the trilogy but I am not interested in how Le Guin deconstructs all the characters. Maybe you already read them!

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

Alright, you've convinced me! I'll have to give the Howl's Moving Castle movie another try. 😂Perhaps I judged it too hastily. I am SO intrigued by the Earthsea books. I love Le Guin's writing style, and I've heard nothing but good things about them, so I'll have to read them soon. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@Dirty_Hamble]

I must try Piranesi. Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock is a favourite.

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

Ahhh, great recommendation! I shall have to read that one asap.

[@ethanwashington9332]

If I could be transported into any of these fantasies I’d definitely choose Narnia. Along with the talking animals and mythical creatures there’s Christmas and I could stay as long as I wanted without taking up any time here. Funny you should find it odd that Father Christmas should appear in Narnia. There are other figures from mythology that appear like Silenus and Bacchus. Unless you’re familiar with it there’s a channel called Into the Wardrobe that talks about the reason for Father Christmas.

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

So true. That's a great recommendation, I'll have to check out that channel! ✨

[@elysea5769]

would you do a new room tour?

[@MrRosebeing]

I hope your creative writing degree was useful and I wish you well in your career as a creative writer.

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

Thank you! 💛

[@kalebheller]

This might be a bit off-topic, but I'm curious about how you handle the pacing in your story. Do you follow a specific structure, like the 3-act structure, or does it evolve more organically as you write?

[@elizabethainger7556]

How does the MFA book list get formed? Do you pick all of the books, or did you work with your advisor to choose them? I'm considering an MFA, so just curious about how the process works.

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

Great question! I'm sure it varies from program to program, but in the MFA I joined (at Pacific University), I had a lot of freedom in shaping the reading list. In my first and second semesters, my advisors recommended quite a few books based on what they knew I needed to learn as a writer. But in the third and fourth semesters, I mostly just chose the ones I wanted to read. Either way, the advisors had to approve my reading list before the semester began. Hope that helps! Best of luck with your writing and potential MFA. 🫶

[@brightangel133]

Dear reader: No Cassandra Clare novels? The Mortal Instruments series? Gobsmacked. The Shadowhunter series character of Jace is unforgettably gorgeous. And the movie (ick) nor the series do her storytelling justice. All of her writing is wonderful. No Eragon ? Really? The Inheritance series penned by Christopher Pasolini, started/published in his teens and beyond? I love the intimate relationships between man and dragon and earth. The whole series. I’m astonished it may not be in your library. And to not like Philip Pullman? I’d love to debate you at Oxford about that! The Bartimaeus books written by Jonathan Stroud, more for adults than young adults, are books that an educated person cannot put down due to his interpretation of Djinni lore. They are wonderfully wickedly entertaining. To go further back in time to the award winning Canadian author Robertson Davies’ books, I find are books from which most modern fantasy authors unconsciously steal. Read all three of the Master’s trilogies and note the language, the lexicon difference from then to today. One learns alot about angel lore and how ancient it really is. Though I loved the wordsmithing of The Hunger Games (but not the killing and suffering in an all too real feeling futuristic dystopian world) I feel the same about the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, both are really good, were good movies but too violent and morose for my taste. I will Iook into some of your choices but I refuse to reread Narnia. Yet, I will be happy to watch the one film as I am happy to watch and rewatch the extended versions of the all of the LOTR films. Anything by JK Rowling is the apex to me for child and YA fantasy. I think the vampire genre is overly exposed though I did enjoy True Blood books, and the Twilight series. The most interesting to me as a student of history are the A Discovery of Witches books. They were a wonderful literary treasure on which to stumble. And another pleasant discovery as I love books set in the milieu of the book world are the Thursday Next books and the Inkheart novels, both series are engrossing and enchanting. 🧚🏼🧝🏼‍♂️🧛🏻‍♀️🧞🐦‍🔥

[@olivia.grace.cook.]

These are some great recommendations! I've read many of the stories you mentioned, and thoroughly enjoyed and learned from them. The fantasy books I talk about in this video are just the ones I read during the two-year MFA program I participated in. It’s by no means a prescriptive list! These are my own opinions, not objective reviews. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and offering several great books for me to add to my TBR! 🫶

[@tiffanypetersen789]

​@@olivia.grace.cook. Nice response.❤