Reading Goodreads Awards Nominees 2024 | Reading Vlog

[@PokhrajRoy.]

The Hard Drive Tragedy literally robbed us of many delightful videos this year but we stay strong well into the new year.

[@Katiedora122]

I gotta say, I'm feeling very emotionally connected to the gimbal. Every time it does that gentle slide, I'm like, same dude. Also, The Spellshop is definitely one of my favorite books of the year!

[@NovelteaCorner]

I'm so glad you enjoyed The Spellshop. It's such a delightful book - I read it and then came back to listen to the audiobook later in the year because I enjoyed it so much.

[@Luna-po5ui]

What a treat to see an old school Mara vlog! Love to see you loving the books you're reading, especially The Spellshop! We all need books that bring us joy right now. I recently read Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy and think it might be up your alley. It's been smacked with the cozy label not because it has no plot (it does) or stakes (it does) or bad things happening in it (it does) but because the PROJECT of the book is to make you feel delighted (and it does!). It's got a rather slow burn MM romance, magical university, academic rivals, magical forest, grumpy love interest, rakish MC, and an Ella Enchanted like curse. I think I'm finding that I like the cozy fantasy that the purists like to say isn't cozy because it has stakes, which i think is truly silly, since all stories have stakes. I think for me, it's cozy if I know, and the author lets you know, it's all going to be okay in the end, because that's the whole point. The romance will romance, the heroes will win, and the light aspects will always balance out the dark.

[@bookslikewhoa]

Ooo, I will have to check that one out!!

[@Jujujaywalking]

We Solve Murders will most likely be my favorite book of the year! I LOVED it - it really felt like the perfect plot match for Osman. He does characters and quick wit so well that the fast-paced adventure mystery plot fits perfectly. So glad you liked it!

[@ghanshyamsingh3653]

Yayyy...it's Christmas Mara 💙👍💙🎄🎉🎄🎉🎅

[@SarahAtHeart]

So glad you read so many good books and that you loved The Spellshop! It is one of my favorite books of the year and the one I've recommended to my irl friends. ❤

[@marisagettas]

Yay for a successful Maura reading vlog! I can’t wait to read Spellshop ❤

[@KristinKravesBooks]

The Spellshop is one of my favourite books of the year. Had a feeling you'd also love it! Can't wait for her 2025 release b

[@ReadingAce]

Ah I'm going to be reading The Spellshop this week and I'm so excited!!! So glad this project went well for you! 💖

[@SarahAsYouWish]

Yay for you getting another 5 ⭐️ for the year! 😊

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

GCA videos, surprisingly good reads coming out of them, and upcoming list videos... it's the most wonderful time of the year!

[@gabz49242]

So glad to see you read Just for the Summer! It's one of my favorite romances, and was so heartfelt and genuinely funny at the same time.

[@bookslikewhoa]

It's so good!

[@enchantedlight]

loved the vlog! found some new books to add to my TBR!

[@MathewRyan111]

I listened to We Solve Murders this weekend! I enjoyed it. Definitely some unique and compelling characters overall. Carlos at the airport can get it. Also mad shout out to Rosie for getting it whenever/however she wants. My other recent read was book 2 in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series by Anthony Horowitz, The Sentence is Death. Very well done and methinks better than the first book int hat series. Happy Holidays, Mara!

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Happy you generally had a good time with Just for the Summer!

[@becky9194]

So glad that you enjoyed the books as I know that is not always the case.

[@julibaro575]

So glad you got a 5 star from this vlog, it seems like reading books you were already interested in is the way to go! I LOVE Sarah Beth Durst's writing style, but I barely read YA these days. I didn't realize The Spellshop was an adult book, it sounds delightful! Need to get it asap

[@Jillybeanzxo]

Great picks! I LOVED the new Osman & the Spellshop 🙌 also WOOO a Mara Vlogggg!! 🎉

[@bjminton2698]

Ooooh, I'm now 3rd in line on libby for the Osman (started 70) and the Durst should be available in a couple of months! Can't wait!!

[@bookslikewhoa]

You have some treats ahead of you!! 🎉

[@CharRiggs]

We Solve Murders is on my TBR list as well. Do you have a knitting podcast as well. Knitting and reading is what I love to do.

[@kylawapshott460]

Your description of Hyunam Dong bookshop reminds me of What you are looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, which is a charming, thought-provoking book about books and community you might enjoy

[@abbiel7566]

I felt similarly about Part of Your World. High quality and well written, but it had a lot of angst and conflict that made me feel more anxious than I want to be when reading a contemporary.

[@lusalma5404]

The Spellshop was delightful and relaxing on audio.

[@nylorac1984]

"The Spellshop," sounds delightful. There is just one tiny hiccup for me. I absolutely cannot do a sentiment plant. The Little Shop of Horrors messed me up for life. Nope, nope, nope. Happy Reading 📚 😅

[@bookslikewhoa]

lol what would say if I told you there is also a sentient cactus by the end…

[@moiratuttle3981]

You should try the honey witch if you liked the spell shop

[@tawnyachristensen7310]

Great vlog ! I enjoyed We solve Murders as well. The Spellshop was on my TBR for spooky season this year but I didn't get to it, undecided for if I want to wait til next year to read it or not.

[@bookslikewhoa]

It will be a treat whenever you get to it 🥰

[@fishbowlwoman]

So I was surprised to see The Spellshop in the Romantasy category since I thought it was a fantasy book with a romantic element rather than a romance set in a fantasy world. What did you think? I don’t have a lot of experience with romance (the genre, lol), frankly, so I could be completely off-base.

[@thisisabookchannel]

i accidentally bought the audiobook for the spellshop so this makes me feel better about it lol

[@NovelsWithNicole]

I have a similar issue with Just for the summer. I think it went too hard to have “depth” but it felt like a trauma dump to me. I personally think the ping ponging of tone leaves a bad taste in my mouth. - Funny story by Emily Henry was actually lighter and less of a trauma dump & more enjoyable than just for the summer.

[@MrRorosuri]

Love Sarah beth durst. I've been a reader since 2011

[@bookslikewhoa]

I'm so excited to get into her backlist!

[@michelleferguson7212]

Part of Your World definitely doesn’t have the same amount of emotional strife as Just for the Summer although the second Yours Truly does (def still read this when you are in the mood as it is so good!). Your tree looks beautiful! Excited to read We Solve Murders from your character love

[@bookslikewhoa]

That's good to know! Yeah, I didn't pick up Yours Truly because I could tell from the synopsis it was going have a lot of Feels, but I'm looking forward to Part of Your World next year

[@heabooktubes]

I also prefer my romance to be more of a straight line in terms of relationship development. 😅

[@altanava]

You’re changing you’re vote, to? Lower or higher?

[@bookslikewhoa]

Sorry, from BRIDE to JUST FOR THE SUMMER in the Romance category

[@giantcupofcoffee]

I need Abby Jimenez (and Emily Henry) to write something besides romance. I like their writerly voices but I can’t do romance right now/anymore. Though I do need Abby to resolve her internalized misogyny/mom issues because she’s very hard on older women. Like as a 39-year-old gal I sometimes feel like she’s going in on women like me in ways that are about her issues because I have not done any of the shiz she builds into her baseline writing assumptions.

[@crushgoil]

I’d highly recommend This Spells Love as a very readable romcom without the Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez heaviness.

[@emmal7510]

Apparently the gimble thinks reading vlogs are improved by dutch angles.