Reading Vlog: I read your best books of 2024!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Have you tried these? Or any of my own 5 star books of last year?

[@lizwilliams8631]

I’ve read “we used to live here” and “spear cuts through water” Spear is a solid 5 star read, it starts slow but is absolutely bonkers and I can’t describe it in anyway that does it justice, it’s written In such a unique way! We used to live here is so up my alley but the chunk in the middle was so slow even though the ending was wild

[@astronot92]

We used to Live here was the easiest 5 star of 2024 for me❤

[@AliceBeckman-x8t]

I’ve read 4/6 of the books mentioned, including the first two you vlogged. Sorry you didn’t enjoy the Kingfisher as much as I did, but we agree on We Used To Live Here. Slewfoot is on a long waiting list at my library, but I’ve got my name in for both ebook and physical copy, whichever is available first!

[@ZahraaMaytham-s6t]

I've just read blue sisters and I cringed so much, definitely not worth the hype 🥲

[@fomgev8205]

yes , i would also like to suggest a book (secrets of sanatan dharma) a fantastic book by Author sai prasad panda

[@nikif.166]

The shot of all 4 of your kitties on the bed was so adorable!!!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

They're so cute when they get along!

[@fannynearfyi789]

I'm glad Chip is finally part of the pride now❤. We just need now a picture of all four of them with their paws under the library door harassing you 😂😂

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

He’s the most independent of the 4 so he doesn’t do that lol Probably because he wasn’t born in my closet 😅

[@blandface9957]

My client Chip is just biting because he feels as though his work is being undervalued in this company. 😔 He told me himself that if he doesn't get proper compensation he won't take the hair out of the drain again

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Your client has been receiving treats and special toys as payment. He has been pretty hostile with everyone else, running away with them and growling if anyone approaches. We are prepare to negotiate but the biting needs to stop!

[@brookewright5559]

I'm so glad you liked Slewfoot! It's one of my favorite witchy books

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

It was pretty satisfying lol

[@Starrynight1800]

I love the clip of all 4 of the cats lounging next to each other.

[@kristina_rr]

I‘m 2 for 2 with my 5 star recommendations to you 💁🏻‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️ I recommended The Will of the Many last year and Slewfoot this year. I feel so powerful haha 😂

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

LOL no pressure but I will be expecting a recommendation for 2026. Tick-tock tick-tock you have a year to find it 😂

[@ashleynelson6566]

Yay! Slewfoot and We Used to Live Here were by two favorites from last year! I’m glad you liked them!!

[@martinelanglois3158]

Your enthusiasm for these books is contagious. I'm taking notes. 📝 Also, I love that all your cats' colours are the same and match any decor. 🖤🤍🐈‍⬛

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

It's hard to tell who is who sometimes!

[@martinelanglois3158]

@BookswithEmilyFox Surely the most fun problem to have.

[@MichelleP-t7o]

​@@BookswithEmilyFoxWe have five black cats and one tuxedo. Except for tex(tuxedo) I just say hey you. Lol😂

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

LOL it used to be easy to tell when it was Clawdia vs the boys but not anymore!

[@VeraFran]

So glad you had a great reading time. And the kitties! They're so beautiful!!!!

[@hannahbugey6019]

This made my day better by you posting Emily 😊

[@halhys]

Thanks for getting me excited for Slewfoot!! I've had it for forever and never actually picked it up to read it! Maybe it'll be my next read!

[@abookwormcalledisa]

Ahh ive been so excited for you to read Slewfoot!! I knew youd love that witchy female rage 😉 And im halfway through we used to live here too and im really loving it too! Glad you could find new favorites :)

[@heatherdavid8565]

I’m starting the year off right with Blood Over Bright Haven, thanks to your high praise, and I’m halfway through and can’t put it down, so good. Thanks!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Such a good one!! Hope you’ll love it as much as I did

[@michellemagriet4439]

I finished it on 01/01, so it was my first book of the year. Dear god so good, it crushed me! Loved Sword of Kaigen as well! I got to know ML Wuang through Emily 🎉 I call it a succeesssss!

[@АннаБаширова-ю7щ]

Omg, Clawdia’s meow sounds just like my cat. Every time I start looking for her and calm down after yours “oops you can hear Clawdia” Every time!

[@Amberaquarius24]

I feel like we’re on the same horror journey. I also started to dip my toes in the genre last year and I’m so glad I did. I also loved We Used To Live Here. I can’t wait for the movie!

[@michellebrad6091]

I recently read The Mad Womens Ball by Victoria Mas, it was amazing!! It's originally french and there's also an french movie on prime. It reminded me of Unwell Women, but fiction. There were sooo many beautiful quotes. Definitely a 5 star for me 🤩

[@NirmalaHembram]

Blue Sisters was one of my favourite books of 2024 and I think you should definitely give it a read, try something out of your comfort zone for the vlog :)

[@lucymarie7895]

Loving the photo shoot of the fur babies. So dang cute. 🐈

[@michaelfederspiel1240]

One of my favorite books of 2024 was The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka published in English in 2022. I highly encourage you to read this. The plot is a murder mystery with of a dead character trying to pass to the afterlife in 7 nights in 1990s Sri Lanka. The prose is also beautiful and the plot is intimate and intricate. It was an unexpected 5 Star for me.

[@sophiesbucher8021]

I loved Slewfoot so much. 😍 Brom also may be my favorite author 😂😅

[@emiliehoffmann21]

Which Brom would you recommend reading after Slewfoot? 😄

[@sophiesbucher8021]

@emiliehoffmann21 The child thief, although abuse and rape are a very big topic. My next read from him is his newest book where I sadly forgotten the name to.

[@emiliehoffmann21]

@ Hope you like the new one as well!

[@trinforeman54]

Yay! So excited that you loved Slewfoot!!!

[@astoldbykat]

My best friend loves Brom's books; and yes, he does do all the illustrations for his books. I haven't read any yet, but "Slewfoot" is at the top of the list of which of his I want to read.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I'll need to try more by him!

[@edwardsjarje]

I agree with you about being born now vs then. My niece and I were talking about that and we agreed all of us (her mom, her sister, my daughter and us) would’ve been burned.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

If you owned some land you were definitely screwed!

[@piabailey1715]

Oh my days, slewfoot was one of my favourite books. I love me some Brom. Hope you love it!

[@sofsofsof9338]

I cheered out loud when you picked slewfoot🤣

[@candaceuncontained4455]

All but one of these are on my wishlist for this year! So happy to hear you liked "We Used to Live Here" because I heard a not so great review that I was worried, but if you like it, I'm sure I will.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I can see why others wouldn’t but I did and hopefully you will too!!

[@BookReviewsWithBecky]

Your cats are ADORABLE!! I have two cats! 🥰

[@payholaa]

Awesome video! I have been interested in checking out Slewfoot and We Used to Live Here; good to hear you liked them!

[@veronicavolumes]

Can’t wait for you to read The Spear Cute Through Water! It was one of my top books of 2023 which is saying a lot bc that was one of my best reading years ever

[@Chouninatte]

Aw, glad to see your kitties, even if they can be pests sometimes. X'D I was looking at the page for We Used to Live Here and saw it's getting a Netflix movie! I'm glad you read two 5 stars.

[@maartjedegroot9598]

So happy you loved Slewfoot.

[@tuesdayblues1455]

Chip the plumber 😂 I’ll wait for your opinion of The Spear… to see if I read it because I’ve heard different things hehe Now I have to add 2 books to my TBR

[@avsambart]

Glad you had a successful start to the year!

[@LibrariesandLattes]

Wow, two 5 stars!! You deserve it! Definitely curious about Slewfoot and We Used to Live Here even though I’m easily scared and don’t love horror, maybe I’ll push myself and try them 😉

[@noaaa7]

Yay cat updates!

[@HilaryTaylor-lt9ug]

Hi Emily. As you enjoyed "We Used To Live Here" I think you might enjoy the novels of Mark Edwards. He writes psychological thrillers. "Here to Stay", "The Magpies" and "Keep her Secret" are absolutely compelling page turners. Love your channel

[@laurenschenck5355]

Loving the photo shoot of ur fur babies so adorable! 🎇🎇🎆🎆🎊🎉🎉🎊🎇🎆🎇🎉🎊🎇🎆🎆🎊🎉🎉🎊🎊🎇🎆🎊🎉📖📖📖📙📙📚📚📚📚📚📙📙📖📖📖📖📙📙📚📚📚📚

[@PopCulturePalettes]

I’d LOVE to see a video on the best short story collections you’ve read!! ❤

[@DariaKull]

i only read child’s thief by brom and i’m faaaasinated by him looking forward to read all of his books and also recommend child’s thief to you!

[@ToaNeko]

I loved Child Thief! Brom has some very interesting books

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I need to try more of his books so thanks!

[@greymyers4087]

Based on the two horror books you enjoyed this vlog, I think you would like September House by Carissa Orlando. It was in my top ten for 2023.

[@the_eerie_faerie_tales]

I loved that book!

[@heatherclemons1295]

I really enjoyed Slewfoot too last year. Not surprised you liked it a lot. And even though I am so curious to hear your thoughts on The Spear Cuts Through Water, I totally get waiting. It isn't a book to rush reading through. I intentionally took my time and I think enjoyed it more that way.

[@rhondasruminationsonreading]

I’m curious about the Amy Tintera one because it’s on my January TBR!

[@sierrashapert8933]

Ive only read Slewfoot and while i wanted to love it there were some things that were just a little too much for me. The cat cruelty was the worst of it and I honestly could not get that picture out of my head for weeks. The violence towards the women almost felt...pornographic in a way which left a bad taste in my mouth. I also wish the ending had felt more like everything we went through had left a bigger impression on the world rather than just being vagely spooky. I think I've just gotten more sensitive to violence as I've gotten older 🙃 Still the writing and premise itself warrants 3 stars imo!

[@mariac__as]

My first book of the year was my first 5 stars of the year and I'm pretty sure it's gonna become an all time favorite. It was The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood and it really caught me by surprise because the only other Margaret Atwood I had read before was The Haindmaid's Tale and it was just okay for me. Then I bought this book bc it was really cheap secondhand and it sat on my shelf for 4 years until I made it my resolution this year to read more of the books that I already own and decided to start with that one. I'm obsessed now, I honestly cannot stop thinking about it.

[@heatherdavid8565]

Your New Year’s resolution is so relatable, love M Atwood and I have Blind Assassin but haven’t read it, so thank you, I’ll move it up on my TBR

[@mariac__as]

@@heatherdavid8565 I hope you'll love it as much as I did! I feel like Blind Assassin is to me as I who have never known men is to Emily, it is my duty now to make everyone around me read it haha

[@janeb9698]

I loved Listen for the Lie!! I read the physical book, not the audio, and I couldn’t put it down. I’m reading We Used To Live Here next, followed by The Wedding People. The cats are so CUTE!!!!! I love the bed photo with all of them chilling. 😀

[@megm6569]

So annoyed I slept on Slewfoot last year! Will definitely pick up for my spooky reading in 2025.

[@MadoCar-n4s]

Oh the kittens!!!😺😺😺

[@mairabezerra915]

Oh, I really want to read slewfoot and we used to live here now. What is the subgenre of we used do live here? 👀 And your cats are so cute, I can't. Really relatable when they moved the door behind you and you didn't even flinch. The life of a cat tutor 😂.

[@astronot92]

SPOILER I think she meant sci-fi😁

[@cat.book.nook.]

A Sorceress Comes to Call was one of my favorites and I've enjoyed Slewfoot so I'm sat to check what you thought of them! I'm gonna admit, Sorceress hit me with being pretty relatable, unfortunately. And The Spear is on my tbr but I'm scared to start

[@zachreads]

Horror recs -The Unmothers by Leslie Anderson (best of 2024) -Ghost Wall by Sara Moss (short and great) -Near the Bone by Christina Henry (wintery) -The Invocations by Krystal Southerland (witchy) -The Wehrwolf by Alma Katsu (wwll historical byt short and worth it) -Sundial by Catriona Ward (very very good but animal violence TW) -The M eg by Steve Alten (shockingly good for a giant shark book) -Lous the Witch by Elizabeth Gaskell (good classic witch) -The Crypt by Scott Sigler (sci-fi horror, great if you can look past the military elements)

[@emiliehoffmann21]

So stoked you liked Slewfoot too! 😄🐐 I just read We Used To Live Here and I’m still not sure what I think 😅 I think I’m on team too-many-unanswered-questions - but it did have very satisfyingly creepy atmosphere!

[@CarolineLeSage-k7s]

There is an exhibit on witches at Musée Pointe-à-Callières in Vieux-Port de Montreal at the moment. It's until April 6th. Might interest you since you love witches!!! (They might also have a great selection of books -non-fiction- on the subject at the gift shop, as they do)

[@nikif.166]

The first book I read this year was a 1 star... Not a great start😂 I need something really good to follow it up. I'm eyeing The wedding people right now, thanks for the recommendation from earlier videos!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Oh no what was it? That was a really good one, I'm sure you'll like it!

[@nikif.166]

@@BookswithEmilyFox Metamorphosis by Kafka. I was way too ambitious, starting off the year with a classic.😔

[@lindsayrenee1063]

Loved this video ❤❤

[@Nico-lk5hb]

looooved this choreography: 9:45

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Why use words when a face and a move will do??

[@hycinnamon]

Rare case for me, where I read a book (Slewfoot) before you. And was hoping you like it too. This made me so happy haha.

[@sashugh]

I think We Used to Live Here would make a great TV show with several seasons if someone decides to continue the storyline. I’d totally watch it!! I needed more when I finished it!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Yes!!!

[@shaylaatiles]

I saw on the author’s goodreads bio that Netflix had picked up the film rights! 🤞

[@kathleendudek2955]

I'd like to read Blue Sisters. I just finished The Seaside Homecoming and loved it! Oh, I started A Sorceress Comes to Call, but had to return it to the library. I have to re-request it. What kitty is meowing?

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Clawdia about 95% of the time lol She doesn't like when I'm behind a closed door

[@kathleendudek2955]

@@BookswithEmilyFox Aw, Claudia!

[@lydiataylor6405]

Oh you should read the Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond!

[@lydiataylor6405]

Also I'm so glad you loved We were never here! One of my faves from last year for sure!

[@yassy02]

I also loved we used to live here! 5 stars!

[@cynthiafialka]

Emily I thought someone had said there was some cat abuse in Slewfoot? That would be a dealbreaker for me.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

There is! That part was rough to read

[@cynthiafialka]

@@BookswithEmilyFox thanks for the reply. I won’t read it then.

[@MichelleP-t7o]

My first book for the year was Jurassic Park. It was a reread. Love it. 4.75/5. My second was Melania. My third is the one i'm reading now. The Woman in White. Readit in high school but i can't remember anything about it. So far 4/5

[@ktglick]

Do you have The Husbands on your radar? It sounded up your alley, since it’s an “alternate lives” kind of story.

[@BooksWithJudy]

I own all three, now I am more than excited for all of them.

[@ciannacoleman5125]

Not doing a "best of" challenge but am kinda proud about finishing 4 books in 5 days after a rough start to the year. A friend challenged me to not only finish a bunch of series (my personal goal) but a minimum of 72 books (was originally going with minimum of 52 since a bunch of my books will be 700+) & going over last year's count (100). So i am going to try to finish 8-9 a month which i am starting to think is more doable than i though since i have a bunch of 300ish books in middle gradeish reading levels (some of my series have been "in progress" for 10+yrs)

[@courtneyrodgers8435]

I'm currently reading Slewfoot on my phone and I feel like I'm missing out on the illustrations!

[@corinna_maybe]

I would like you to read Coco Mellors in your next vlog because it's on my TBR and I'd like to know how soon I should get stuck into it :)

[@riankoch9126]

Anyone else think Chip is the Cat Distribution System’s way of apologizing that mama cat didn’t work out?

[@bookmarcreads]

Wow! I’m super early 😮

[@elizabethdavis5661]

Fun fact - the author of Slewfoot created quite a bit of the art for the Diablo video game franchise.

[@kkatiebird78]

I enjoyed We Used to Live Here so much! It was sooooo creepy and had such a permeating sense of dread

[@pinkglitterfleck]

Just blew through We Used to Live Here in 2 days. It’s an easy read, not super scary but it was entertaining. This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno, now that actually gave me nightmares!

[@ChekovWessels]

I'm so happy you loved We Used To Live Here! I never read a book in a day and I DEVOURED it. I was blown away that it was a debut. I had my first 5 star of the year thanks to you. Motherthing was right up my alley, I loved it. I need more weird woman, horror adjacent books in my life.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Motherthing is definitely an unhinged one lol The one sad thing about loving a debut is that you have to wait to read more XD

[@lauramichelle6976]

We Used to Live Here - is one of myf avorite books of 2024. but more than that, the author has said he wants to write more in that universe (not necessarily a sequel) there is a whole subreddit dedicated to solving the mysteries (like the morse code) and interpreting the ending etc. and i THINK this was optioned for an adaptation, but i cant remember if it was optioned when it was just a 'r/nosleep' short story or if it was the book (and if it was the short story if they'll change to the full book)

[@Amberaquarius24]

When I got the book from the library it said inside (or maybe on the cover? I don’t remember.) that it’s going to be a Netflix adaptation

[@kellymanfredini3835]

I am so glad you liked the horror books. They are on my TBR.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Hope you’ll love them too!

[@arya0553]

I still can‘t believe we get an Emily‘s night time routine without the Cosrx Snail Mucin😭

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

LOL I'm on my last one and I've been keeping it for when I use a chemical exfoliator

[@ComeUndun.]

Also looking for recommendations like We Used To Live Here 👀

[@heyitsdee8092]

I’m curious about the sub genre of we used to live here🥺

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

SPOILER?? Sci-fi/parallel timelines

[@heyitsdee8092]

@ oh awesome! Also love the little skincare asmr❤️

[@hannahbugey6019]

I agree with you on that Emily when it takes me awhile to read a book most likely it’s not for me

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Some are worth it (like some classics) but I think I’m realizing I’m still learning to DNF lol

[@hannahbugey6019]

@ yeah me too

[@deermangivefast]

We used to live here has the exact plot as Mother! lmao Very curious about it

[@whatkaylasays]

I started off the year terribly with Earth Abides by George R Stewart. I know it's on your tbr but woof.... all the action happens "off page" and the MC was awful. I think you'd agree. I get that it's a classic of the sci-fi genre but it was a huge disappointment for me! Glad you discovered some great reads in this video!

[@badfaith4u]

I'm so glad you found 5 star books. Your cats are so wonderful. I named one of my cats Gremlin and he is an a$$hole. He wakes me up every night with chaos for food.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

The best thing I did was to teach them to let me sleep. My door is closed. It works really well. Clawdia does know when I wake up though so I get a song every morning 🙃

[@deermangivefast]

Not me pausing this video like 3 times at the start to see if my cat is yelling lolol

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Clawdia 😅

[@bevo98506]

We Used to Live Here scared me with just the vibe. I got scared as soon as the family entered the house. What more do we want from a horror book?

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Yes! I was super uncomfortable instantly so... that's good lol

[@jeilee3860]

Books books. Reading reading. On to more important matters. I’ve been behind. What happened to mama cat? Who is Chip if not one of the kittens? How are are the babies now?

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Mama: address it here at ~17mins kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXi4c4KAgcqsrqcsi=drwEvN3oKn-crQX3 Chip is a kitten that showed up at my door last summer, skinny and full of fleas. They 3 og cats were not happy (especially Charlie) but all is good now!

[@ga75]

so happy to be early

[@nora8010]

Do you have any recommendations for French books? I am in France and for some reason english books are more expensive than translated books.

[@arya0553]

Is there not going to be a one Week one shelf in February?

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

No I think I'll skip it this year!

[@BirgitHaeupl]

❤️📚🐱

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I loved we used to live here 😅

[@edkulpa]

I horror book I enjoyed that is also very creepy is "Knock Knock, Open Wide", the pacing is a bit weird but overall a weird book

[@fuzzymurdermittens]

It has been a good start to the year. Two 5 stars for you, and I have finally gotten stuck into a book about particle physics that has haunted my bookshelves since mid-2014 (Smashing Physics by Jon Butterworth). 2014! It has been taunting me for more than a decade and I am FINALLY getting it read! And I'm having fun reading it. I've tried and failed to read it so many times, so this feels like a serious triumph for me. I hope 2025 continues to bring good things our way 😊

[@bookmarcreads]

Check out Model Home by River Solomon

[@Kadie-lx7sk]

Tim O' Brien's book

[@gordontheobald]

Agree with meh for Sorceress. Felt like a short story stretch out. No enough meat on the bones, you know. Saggy middle.

[@GM-tu7di]

We used to live here was a mixed bag for me…I loved the writing and the thriller tension of the story, but I hated the ending and I hated all the questions left open by the story. Definitely did not love it like others have. I don’t want to have to consult Reddit threads for answers the questions

[@emiliehoffmann21]

That’s exactly how I felt 😅

[@jen1641]

For some reason I often find TKingfisher underwhelming. Nettle & Bone was their book I enjoyed the most.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

It was my first book by them and liked it too!

[@biankatoth1786]

I read The twisted ones and it was for me one of the worst books I read last year.

[@AbeNoSeirei]

I liked Hollow Places, but the rest were either "just okay" or "meh". I'm giving it a last chance this year with Paladin's Grace, but there are other authors out there

[@meruchan1521]

🎉

[@zachreads]

My first book of the year was 0☆, worse than anything I read in 2024. It was so bad I kinda think AI wrote it. (It was Skaði Goddess of Winter's Hunt by Skye Hellviolet)