Reading YOUR 5⭐ Predictions For Me 🤯 (books I've never heard of)

[@BookedandBusy]

Pls lord I see what you’ve done for others pls bring me a reading week of 3 five stars and a four star 🙏

[@BooksandLala]

Sending you all my vibes 🫳🏻✨

[@BRhymesss]

Right I’m struggling over here in a 5 star drought 😭

[@tahirareads]

me with only one 5 star this year 😭

[@vivaamanda]

@@tahirareadssame, it’s brutal out here.

[@car5522]

i am also struggling, and with each book my courage wanes.

[@inkylabyrinth]

I am SO SORRY (but also not that sorry) that my recommendation made you cry like that! As soon as you first started tearing up I said "oh no" out loud lmao. But also I am elated that you loved it as much as I did. I only knew about this book because my partner picked it out at the library on a day I was too ill to go myself, so shoutout to him for making us both cry, I guess. :')

[@bookflix6851]

I am a first language Welsh speaker who is trying to read more in Welsh, this is the last place I thought I'd find a recommendation for that side of my reading, I am so excited.

[@jasmin2186]

If you were to already have a few good recommendations for originally Welsh books feel free to share. I'm sure many of us non-Welsh speakers (especially me) could broaden our horizon when it comes to that too 😅❤

[@zukythebookbum]

I know that a book called This House by Sian Northey was recently translated from Welsh! Not sure what the book is about but might be one for you to check out 😊

[@jasmin2186]

@@zukythebookbum thank you so much! I'll definitely be checking it out ☺

[@sidaz01]

I was looking for a comment like this!! Me too, please share if you find any!

[@kartik3719]

I'm so happy that you loved my recommendation 10 Minutes, 38 Seconds! Yes, it's devastating but also warm and beautifully written

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

I love your reading vlogs, but I *especially* love the ones where we have free reign over Kayla's tbr (within reason, of course 😂)

[@hamandeggs23]

I like when we have full control WITHOUT reason!

[@AnonJess]

LMAO, not Rob whistling while you're silently dying inside

[@crashedherparty]

I'VE BEEN RECOMMENDING SUCH SMALL HANDS TO YOU FOR YEARS OMG I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE IT IN THIS VIDEO

[@crashedherparty]

lmao all these years and i was hoping to know your rating, because it's a rare five star for me, and i get a struggle rating, haha. i still love that you finally read it. thanks to whomever got thru your dms to recommend it!!

[@rachelmaybeidk]

I get ridiculous secondhand joy for others finding 5 star reads so this vlog really made my day 😭💗 I love ya (like a friend) Kayla!

[@beckf1858]

I read 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds...back in 2020, and I still think about it. What a devastating yet hopeful novel. I feel like that book has been haunting me (in a good way) for years.

[@shannonhughes8488]

i really recommend Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Tales from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty! informative memoir about death- the death industry, and people's relationship to death. it's so interesting and really harrowing and touching at times.

[@elizabethbarnes3617]

I second this one!

[@jessikarouse2894]

I really liked the audio version of this one!

[@shannonhughes8488]

@@jessikarouse2894 me too! it's narrated by the author and she killed it (no pun intended)

[@romxilda]

I see the blurred cover of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World in your thumbnail and I’m immediately excited! That one has stuck with me for so long

[@mercurymorning1]

I read the blue book of Nebo in the original Welsh and it’s so so beautiful!! I’m glad you loved it❤

[@nwreader]

Lala crying makes me cry

[@serafiiiine]

Welsh is such a pretty language. I've never heard of a book that was written in it first and then translated, but I love that. Celtic languages deserve more of the world stage!

[@elizalovestoread]

omg we’re getting feddddd this week

[@daryanreads]

brb adding the blue book of nebo to my tbr

[@lina_t_k]

I would highly recommend The Space Between by Meg Grehan for women's love prevails. Its a story written in verse centering mental health but also about these two women falling in love with each other. It is so gentle and so heartwarming.

[@BooksandLala]

Thank you for the rec!! 💞

[@MatthewSciarappa]

Omg!!!! I skipped to Nebo to hear your thoughts first and will obvi watch the rest now, but I’m so so so glad you enjoyed it. I think it’s such a special and unique little read 💙

[@MissBOverseas]

KAYLA!!!!! Im so happy for you, watching people love books is one of my favorite things!!!! love you as a friend!!

[@brittayoung5574]

I think you would love psalm of the wild built (monk and the robot series). It’s a beautiful and thought provoking. Great representation. It would fit for nature setting or characters dropped in unfamiliar setting. It is simple and beautiful and light sci-fi. It’s a sweet story of figuring out your purpose in life.

[@hannahandherstories]

I’m reading 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World currently! I have enjoyed it thus far for all the reasons you shared here; I’m looking forward to taking my time with it.

[@senakavi6993]

elif shafak is AMAZING - my favorite author. please read more from her!!

[@oongleyoo]

strong recommendation for psalm for the wild built for nature settings! it's so sweet and in my opinion really fits into the slow, not much going on but excellent vibes trope you were describing in this video. it's one of my faves!

[@panikiczcock2891]

I don't know if you've read it but "Idol, burning" is about obsession (I really liked it).

[@karenmoore4430]

I am reading The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak at the moment. What a writer. I have 10 minutes 38 Seconds on my TBR.

[@pagesandprose]

Omg Kayla noooo I started tearing up the second you started getting choked up talking about the boy and his mom and I haven’t even read the book nor do I have children. Since you like quiet post-apocalyptic stories, I think you’d enjoy The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold (also has a bit of a focus on parent-child relationships). It’s YA, which I don’t really read anymore, but it is one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. It made me really emotional through the whole last 100 or so pages, and it’s beautifully written.

[@ruplayinggame3080]

The End We Start From is also a slow apocalypse book that centers motherhood. I'm not a mother and so it didn't speak to me that much, but you might like it!

[@POSSIBLYDYL]

The lime green is in season from brat summer 💚 AND YES about the produce!!! The last two times I got grapes they went bad after a day or two

[@isabella-nu2fc]

hi kayla! a quiet book i read recently and loved is „The Wall“ by Marlen Haushofer. i think you‘d really like it as well!!

[@inest2932]

Hi Lala! I wanted to recommend a recent favorite of mine that is quite famous actually and seems to go well in the "quiet apocalypse" genre : The Wall by Marlen Haushofer! About a middle aged woman trapped in a cabin by herself. Very quiet and very powerful in my opinion !!

[@briannak26]

Small Things Like These- Claire Keegan. A five star slice of life where “nothing” really happens that rocked me.

[@blueblubloo7243]

I have a few recs for topical memoirs!! All of these I gave a five star and listened to as an audiobook fyi! First is Crying in H Mart, but I am sureeeee you have probably heard of it before. It is one of my favorite books of all time, less topical than the others I am gonna recommend but still a gorgeously told story of a mother daughter relationship that makes you cry and smile and start to crave Korean food. (this was also my besties book jar rec 🤫) I will say she is technically a “famous person” but she doesn’t talk about fame which I know is something you hate, and more so talks about her love of music which hopefully doesn’t give you the famous people ick. Second The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness. As someone who dealt with chronic illness for a lot of her adolescent this REALLY hit for me, but I think regardless of disability status everyone should read this book. She brilliantly talks about her own life and stats on the modern day medical system and navigating it in this fucked up world. I know this is your favorite layout when it comes to memoirs so this might have the most luck out of the three. Lastly, a book I think about often and desperately want to reread as a physical copy and annotate the hell out of is Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This is the shortest on the list and is a letter from the author to his young Black son on what is means to be black in America. It cuts no corners and does not try to comfort the reader. The writing is gorgeous. I got angry to tears at certain parts. I know reading social commentary non fictions is one of your favs and typically ends up being five stars so hopefully this one can too!

[@cpjohnson1887]

I need you to please please please post up your reading sprints! Everytime i want company while reading i have to search all over to find sprints with my fav book girlie

[@theotherveronica]

most of her sprints are with channel members and they stay posted after it ends so i think you would have to become a channel member to access them.

[@sherryreadsbooks]

Hi Kayla. I totally understand how you feel reading the blue book of nebo, saying it might not be that sad but it made you cry. It's the feeling of relating to the characters that gets you. Love the vlog as always. Wish you a beautiful day.💜

[@jampsonn1826]

I do think the absolute best books are the ones that make you feel something and you can't explain why or make sense of it bc the book wasn't supposed to do that. 😅 those always become instant favorites for me. Seeing your reaction gave me so much inspiration to keep trying new titles and genres in case I find that!

[@laindarko3591]

The way you described what you like about The Book of Nebo (and The Memory Police earlier this year) makes me want to recommend The Wall by Marlen Haushofer. It's a non-urgent apocalypse, and it actually sits right next to The Memory Police as one of my favorite books of all-time and I think they have a lot in common :)

[@ciaoclaro]

I definitely need to read The Blue Book Of Nebo especially because, from what you've said, it seems something right up my alley. Recently I've read a book that I think you might also enjoy: "Tap, Tap" by David Martin. It's such a weird (and somewhat funny) thriller/horror about a vampire and his childhood friend. Someone on goodreads wrote about it " *If you are like me and are gay and mentally ill this is the book for you* " which I thought it was an insane way to recommend it... But also very true lol

[@sophiej3052]

Ahh, so excited you've picked up Lanny. It is brilliant! Would recommend reading alongside the audiobook

[@alanabrandt1553]

the whole “fresh produce isn’t good” thing has been happening to so many people!! I’ve seen it all over tik tok/ IG 🤔🤔

[@elizabethward4024]

I've recommended this before, but I think you'd like Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda (translated by Sarah Booker)! I think it would fulfill the prompt of obsession. It's a horror novel that's weird and unsettling, while also being a bit mundane. I really enjoyed it and hope you might too! 🤞

[@ChanelChapters]

I completely agree with you about the declining quality of produce lately

[@stace_d]

I love the vlogs where you love the books! Makes me want to go read now!

[@sierraoftheday]

I loved The Employees! I had a feeling it was your speed!

[@lesap8889]

We Used To Live Here. I don't scare easily. Horror is one of my favorite genres and this book scared me so much that I woke my husband up in the middle of the night.

[@BookishAdventuresInWellbeing]

I have the blue book of Nebo on my shelf and have been so sure I’ll love it I’ve kind of put off reading it- even more intimidated to read it now!

[@jaimee-kate]

I'm so excited to hear your thoughts on We Used To Live Here! I just finished it and it blew me away!

[@emmal7510]

If you haven't read the short story, "There Will Come Soft Rains", by Ray Bradbury, I think you'd really like it. Technically, it's part of The Martian Chronicles, but, I read it in HS and didn't realize that until I tried to track down a copy.

[@desireemclaughlin1455]

I’m not sure what it says about me that I watched you sob while reading a book and it made me immediately add it to my TBR…😅

[@molliee5183]

the whistling while you sob has me deaddd 😭😭🤣🤣

[@emperorcupcake]

Yay for so many book wins! 🙌I have some recs for you. Books about books - The Plot, Malice House, Who Is Maud Dixon? (this one also has "dropped into unfamiliar circumstances"). Women's love prevails - Camp Damascus. Nature/survival - These Silent Woods, Old Country. Shared consciousness - The Rust Maidens

[@selina2052]

ELİF SHAFAK!!!!! Love her! Haven’t watched the rest of the video yet but im excited to hear your thoughts :D

[@selina2052]

coming back after that section: IM SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED IT!! i think you’d really like a lot of her other books because she’s very consistently a really good author and really good at writing human connection. I’d recommend the island of missing trees!

[@allicynreads]

I don’t know if it’d be a 5 star read for everyone or if it was just the right book for me personally, but for a story related to death I recommend The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel. I had picked it up because the title caught my eye, and the first little bit of the blurb really caught my attention. A remote island in Scotland, and a woman returning home after the death of her father. And creepy bird spirits that arrive on the island every October. I don’t know if you’ve read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, but it has very similar vibes (just without the races or carnivorous horses). Anyway, I really loved it so I thought I’d throw the rec out there just incase it catches your attention. (I also recommend The Scorpio Races if you haven’t read it.)

[@billiep1603]

My heart is so soft I burst into tears over things that aren’t even that sad as well 😭😭😭💀

[@marygatica4247]

With books like Such Small Hands I often think of it as I didn’t LIKE it but I like how well it presented its message or I like how well it stirred up emotion in me.

[@JordanMusante]

I highly recommend Penance by Eliza Clark for stories related to death! It’s a dissection/critique of the true crime genre but takes some weird turns - Everyone i know has given it 5 stars or 1 star (5 stars from me!)

[@joys5411]

I really recommend The Annual Migration of Clouds for a kind of quiet apocalypse story, plus a little bit of weirdness. It's one of my favorite books I've ever read and I feel like it's something you'd like

[@Effaly_]

20:56 Same! I love plain yoghurt and cutting fruits into it myself! Can't wait for when I can buy watermelons here - that's best yoghurt in the summer! 🤤

[@BooksandLala]

Wait I've never put watermelon in my yogurt 🤯 omg

[@Effaly_]

@@BooksandLala You totally have to try it! It's sooooo good!

[@nicolefegan]

So, I am 0/2 on book recs for you (Never Let Me Go & Biography of X) but they say third time's the charm! I think you would love The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson, which falls under "informative memoir," and somehow feels like a memoir, text on queer theory, and book of poetry all at once. It's brilliant and I think it would really interest you!

[@pettyella6607]

I chose Such Small Hands to put in the member jar. Happy to see I was right and you liked it!

[@Rileyw239]

You might have already read it but you may enjoy Before the Coffee Gets Cold it’s a story about death and fits into to the plays with time category also.

[@Alena-yu5dg]

Andrés Barba also wrote 'A Luminous Republic' which I think is even better. It's about feral children in the Argentinian jungle and an absolute ride. One of my all time faves!

[@lizhart81]

Lanny is _great_ as an audiobook. I stumbled upon it a few years ago, and devoured it over a couple of sessions. I highly recommend it!

[@ramen8760]

I’m so happy this reading vlog went so well for you!! On another note, I’m quietly buzzing because Julia Bartz has a new book description on her goodreads coming out next year🥳🥳. Idk if you’ve seen it yet but thought I should let you know just in case lol

[@isam.2653]

The Employees is SO good ! 👏 Glad you liked it, it’s also so hard to review 😅

[@leabhairagustae7279]

Yasss I love Lanny! I hope you enjoy it too!

[@ffiontill5924]

I’ve been in a bit of a bad headspace lately so I’ve been rewatching your old videos and they’ve brought me some joy so thank you so so much Kayla. I love your videos and all your creative ideas. Truly THE best booktuber I watch. Thank you for bringing joy and offering some escapism from my mind 💖

[@kitcat6352]

I hope you read Special Tooics in Calamity Physics for the 2006 vlog! Its been on my tbr forever and I need to know if its worth the read haha

[@katecollins2471]

I would love for you to read The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. It’s not nearly as brutal and hard to read as 10 minutes 38 seconds (but still has some sadness and beautiful prose) It’s set in Cyprus and London and some of the book is narrated by a fig tree. It’s so unique. Please read ❤

[@589593]

I relate to what you were saying about not feeling confident in your five stars lately. I was in such a reading slump that now I think anything I finish that could be a five star I'm like..."but is it actually though" cause it feels like it needs to STAND OUT amidst all the bleh I've had lately

[@B-3c]

Given your Bingo i think I have a recommendation that you'd like. I recently read Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer and enjoyed it so much that I read the whole series of the books! It can easily be read as a standalone book though. It has a nature setting which is one of the most important things in the plot itself, but is also about characters dropped into unfamilar circumstances and about obsession.

[@BetweenLinesAndLife]

LISTEN I feel the same about fresh fruits!! Okay sorry off topic but I FELT THAT hahaha

[@Rainbopagn]

10 Minutes 38 Seconds is a brilliant and brutal book. I loved it.

[@cecilygriffis6508]

Your crying made me cry lol i have no idea why, mothers crying sometimes gets me out of nowhere sending good vibes

[@hattieparris5514]

I’d recommend The Space Between Here and Now by Sarah Suk for books that play with time! It’s also partially set in Vancouver and I know you enjoy a local ish read :) it has less than 1000 goodreads ratings and I’d love to see it get more hype because I loved it so much!

[@indubitablyzara]

I LOVED Lanny, and I definitely think it will be up your alley. I'm excited to see what you think when you read it.

[@heatherbocks]

I think you’d like And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott, especially since you gave her memoir (? I think that’s what it is, I haven’t read it) five stars

[@diananakamurapereira6950]

I would recommend Based on a True Story, by Delphine de Vigan! It's a book about a book, with an intense and fascinating relationship between two women. I would also say that it's about obsession, and a literary sort of psychological thriller. I think it's right up your alley! So happy for your several great reads this week ❤

[@SabrinaMSabrinasStories]

I didn't totally love it myself, but you might enjoy The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley. It's a retelling of Beowulf with focus on motherhood. There is some nature setting/survival elements, some shared consciousness chapters, a bit of obsession and it's definitely weird. Excited to see you hold up Lanny! I loved that book. Kind of related because I heard about Lanny through her: I'm not sure if you are familiar with Jen Campbell but I feel like you could get some great recommendations from her videos.

[@throughherpages]

Idk if you've read An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison, but it's a topical memoir that has a focus on her (then called) manic depressive disorder and her life from her childhood to education to her loves she's had. There are many sentences that just made me in love with the way she sees the world

[@KendraRB]

I’ve also been having bizarre dreams lately! Sometimes they feel super real too

[@BellyBooksAndBrew]

So excited to see Woodworm by Layla Martinez in your haul! It was a five star for me, and I think you will also love it.

[@Anyanka274]

We Used to Live Here surprised me. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year!

[@VeraFran]

You're our favorite Booktuber, we've been following you for ages now. We get to know your taste a little bit. 😊 I've heard of one of those books and now I want to read all, just not sure I'm ready to face the one that made you cry.

[@gabbyreads]

What a successful reading vlog 😍👏 also that’s so interesting you’ve heard We Used to Live Here wouldn’t make a good book club pick? That makes me nervous hahaha I wonder why 👀

[@TheNovelSanctuary]

Heck yes quiet stories are my favorite. Adding that one to my tbr.

[@AbiofPellinor]

This is the reading week we all hope for!

[@SarahAtHeart]

I'm so happy for you, that you found so many new books to love! ❤

[@MoJordanReads]

I think you would really enjoy Role Playing by Cathy Yardley. There is a wedding although, full disclosure, it's not the main part of the story so maybe it's cheating lol. I just think it's something you would like and that's the best fit I can find for your board!

[@gabrielleg497]

Thanks for also reminding me to use my spotify audio credit ❤

[@minmach]

I felt the same about The Employees. I loved it. But was also so confused about what to rate it. But I have so much affection for it.

[@marshalmallow7192]

For a topical memoir, I recommend All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks and Kevin Carr O’Leary

[@ben.s1090]

Kayla! I have been looking for an opportunity to recommend you one of my favourite books, and I feel like this is the perfect opportunity. The book is Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick, it technically is a middle grade but I truly believe everyone can enjoy it! it's really hard to explain, but basically it is a collection of short stories, paired with illustrations. The stories "connect" however it is the reader's job to decide why and how. My interpretation is that there are two souls bonded across space, time, and through all different realities and each story is the story of these two souls in a different reality. Basically you are looking at the story of these two boys through a kaleidoscope and each time you shift it, you see their story in a different way, light, or even reality. I don't know if this makes sense at all, but I promise you it's amazing! 🥰

[@rainydayreader5126]

I don’t know if I’ve already put this on another video- but for characters dropped into unfamiliar circumstances, there is the book Senlin Ascends. It is so much fun.

[@tricia2330]

rob whistling in the other room is so funny

[@yinandyangmix]

So happy that this was such a successful reading vlog for you!

[@WandasBestLife]

I cry so much while reading it's ridiculous, both happy and sad tears. Two books that hit me so hard were The Dilemma by B A Paris and Then She Was Gone. I just sobbed and they still make me cry when I tell people why. My best friend liked the books but didn't cry at all. She doesn't really book cry which I find sad. I've tagged all the books in the video to my Libby. Shout-out to my library for having all the books. WooHoo!

[@carmenvaldebenito5197]

Carcoma, by Layla Martínez is very good. I loved the way she told the story and the story itself, with all those voices, the townpeople and the girl who tells it all. I think you are gonna like it.

[@celineneumann5865]

You or anyone also participating can definitely use We Used To Live Here for books that play with time + mixed media + women's love prevails btw :) Suuuuch a whirlwind read.

[@candyhyojung1860]

omg just opened youtube and this was posted 20 seconds ago.. ahh perfect timing ❤

[@allgirlreview433]

🎉 I had no idea Spotify had books on premium. So excited.