Reading Wrap Up | February 2020 | Part 1

[@nickygoldsmith6785]

In reading My Dark Vanessa at the moment. So powerful and dark. The amount of times I want to scream at what's happening. The pain I feel for what's happening and continues to happen. A must read

[@michelejuza4531]

The feelings you described & your reaction to My Dark Vanessa reminds me of how I felt when I read My Absolute Darling. I still plan on reading My Dark Vanessa. I also really want to read The Bass Rock.

[@lovechriis8296]

I will put these books on my TBR list. I really enjoy your explicit book reviews.

[@justatinyhalfling]

Wow. You have done such an amazing job with this discussion! You articulated your thoughts on these books in such a detailed and immersive way, that I currently feel the emotional impact without even having known of these books before. I do not have the stomach for these books and now feel like immersing myself in something fluffy and happy just to get the images out of my mind. Still, I am glad to have watched, because even though I cannot read these books without breaking down, I do want to know about them and think about the topics they tackle. Thank you for this video. :)

[@mcrbus94]

I read Glass Town this month as well and loved it so much. Greenberg's illustrations always bring so much to her stories. Great wrap up :)

[@AnitasDreams]

The Bass Rock sounds good. Thanks for sharing.

[@SavidgeReads]

I really liked Glass Towns. I think the way Greenberg uses her illustrations to tell the story of storytelling is genius. I’m so pleased you really enjoyed Saltwater, hurray. My Dark Vanessa... blimey. That’s all I feel I can say. I can’t wait for The Bass Rock, in fact maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll start it tomorrow. Fab wrap up.

[@ToriMorrow]

I just found out about My Dark Vanessa a couple days ago, and now I’m really intrigued to pick it up when it comes out. Thanks so much for your great review

[@lapin96]

just finished saltwater and wow! what a book. thank you so much for the recommendation

[@BellesBooksbyCarly]

I loved All the Birds Singing, have just reserved The Bass Rock from my library, so excited to read it!

[@Jessticulates]

Glass Town and The Bass Rock sound amazing - they're both going straight on my TBR!

[@Liz86000]

Glass Town seems wonderful !

[@ThatsSoPoe]

A lot of those books sound intense, especially My Dark Vanessa and The Bass Rock. Glass Town looks beautiful and wonderful, so I think I'll add that to my TBR.

[@KayAmpersand]

That controversy over My Dark Vanessa is interesting. I haven't heard of it before but my first morbid thought when you mentioned it was it could be explained by the fact that these things happen way too often. The way you describe how she describes the character's thinking seems like she has experienced it herself. I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book before your review, but I might give it a try now. I am quite excited about The Bass Rock.

[@teaspoones]

Seeing your videos always makes me so happy! Your reviews are always so articulate and informative! I have both Saltwater and The Bass Rock on my wish list and you really made me want to read them right now.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Thank you so much! Really glad you enjoy the format of the reviews. I was worried I ran on too long with this video but I just had so many thoughts after reading these books!

[@rebecca3762]

all of these sound amazing!

[@Alice-zs3eh]

The cover of The Bass Rock is actually to die for 😍

[@micaelacandidorodriguez3922]

I was already tentatively interested in The Bass Rock just because of the setting and because I loooove multiple POVs set over different time periods, but your review just made my excitement skyrocket!! I might even preorder it, it sounds incredible

[@HardcoverHearts]

Adding Saltwater to my list. My Dark Vanessa- whew. Thank you for the review and the whole need to expose her story is so upsetting. I appreciate you addressing it to help quell it and giving it such a thorough discussion. I keep seeing The Bass Rock so also good to hear your review on that, too. What a great February you’ve had!

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Glad to hear that you'll be picking Saltwater up. Yes, it's such a shame for both authors!

[@ReadABookGem]

I recently read My Dark Vanessa and had such similar views. You describe this book perfectly. Thank you for the film recommendation too!

[@JessicaReadsThings]

This video was just...one of the best videos I've maybe watched on booktube. I always love your content but this was just a cut above.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Thank you so much! That really means a lot as I thought about deleting this video rather than uploading it. I really enjoy detailed reviews but I was worried the length of this video would put people off! So I'm very glad you enjoyed it :)

[@p_p_p_p_7732]

@@MercysBookishMusings I have re-watched this video and loved it now too. I'm so glad you didn't delete it and the length is not off-putting at all! I always love your reviews

[@CuriousReader]

Fantastic reviews! I am especially interested in Glass Town, I still haven't read a single Greenberg book.

[@seeCHOsmile]

Glass Town sounds beautiful, I will definitely look into that one!! Oh I ordered a copy of My Dark Vanessa but it's taking so long to arrive, can't wait to read it when it finally gets here >_

[@kavehsankles]

Glass Town looks beautiful. I've seen The Tale and was thinking it sounded very similar to My Dark Vanessa when you were talking about it, The Tale was so good but so hard to watch, and I don't think I could deal with reading the book, but it sounds like it was well done

[@foa2301]

How awful that such things can happen to multiple women so similarly that one thinks it's plagiarized/her own story. I feel sympathy for both authors.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

I completely agree. it's very sad for both of them.

[@zehrazaidi4293]

I had The Mercies on my to buy list and adding The Bass Rock! Loved the review. If you want to read more diversely but also touch upon some of the themes, try “I Tibuta, Black Witch of Salem” by Maryse Conde. You might like it

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Thank you for the recommendation :)

[@zehrazaidi4293]

MercysBookishMusings I tend to like so much of what you recommend and so much care goes into how and what you read. I don’t need to have too much plot and prefer characters and themes.// Note: I only discovered Maryse Conde because Leila Slimani did a long interview which she said Conde could do no wrong as a writer. So I was intrigued!

[@IsabelAlcuaz]

some of these books sound so hard to read for me personally, but i really enjoy hearing about them from u and experiencing them in this way.

[@jennafra]

I think you would really enjoy The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, I'm currently reading it and I feel it's right up your alley.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Thank you for the recommendation :)

[@kalinapier2788]

The Bass Rock was so affecting. Made me feel so much rage. I think it will definitely be on my best of 2020 list too.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

I'm so glad to hear that :)

[@mariahreaume552]

My Dark Vanessa sounds super similar to Putney by Sofka Zinovieff. I'm curious to read it to see how it compares dealing with the characters/victims as they work through their trauma.

[@Ktls-mr4li]

You talking about The Only Plane in the Sky, particularly all the planes grounding in 2 hours- there's this musical called Come From Away that is about planes stuck in very rural part of canada (?) for 2 weeks because they were forced to ground after the 9/11 attacks, from the pov of passengers, pilots, and people living in that town.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

That sounds fascinating! I did wonder what happened to all those people who were left miles from their destination!

[@HierarchyofReads]

That graphic novel looks enjoyable and beautiful! My Dark Vanessa has been on my TBR list for quite some time but I hadn't heard of the accusation of plagiarism. I'm glad you brought it up and explained it though. It's unfortunate that she was forced to come forward with her life experience(s) in order to defend herself against the accusations. Your review made me more interested and also more hesitant. 🤔

[@comfortreadsJess]

Do you think Salt Water could make the Womens Prize longlist?

[@MercysBookishMusings]

All 3 of the novels I mentioned are eligible and the one I'd most like to see there is The Bass Rock. I think Saltwater is the least likely of the 3 to be longlisted but I could be wrong!

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Non fiction recommendation Say Nothing Fiction recommendations The Actress by Ann Enright The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville I DNFd Saltwater but maybe I should give it another try?

[@4kfrank276]

On 9/11 in Albuquerque when all the planes had been grounded by the late afternoon, me and my brother heard an unmistakable large jet engine plane, we ran out to the backyard and neither of us could locate it in the sky as the engine noise faded, it was most likely a military plane out of Kirtland Airforce Base, but we'll never know.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

I can't imagine how unsettling that must have been!

[@4kfrank276]

@@MercysBookishMusings The whole day was a nightmare. Everybody was in shock.

[@Juultje11111]

I'll be adding My Dark Vanessa and The Bass Rock to my wishlist! Have you read Three Women by Lisa Taddeo? I feel like it might be a book you love. It's a nonfictional account of 3 women and their sexual desires, and the way these women are sort of punished for their desires by men, but also by society in general. (I'm not sure punished is the right word, i can't articulate it quite right.) I thought it was absolutely brilliant and I still think about these women's narratives regularly. Would love to hear what you think!

[@AthynVixen]

I'd be interested too because I read it and found it dull and never believed that it was anything other than a work of fiction.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Glad you'll be picking them up! I've heard of Three Women but I've heard such mixed things I was avoiding it to be honest!

[@myreadinglife8816]

You really make me want to read The Only Plane in the Sky but I know it going to destroy me emotionally.

[@MercysBookishMusings]

It is a very difficult read but worth it I think. I'm sure as an American it would be harder though!