surprising reads of 2024: books i didn’t expect to like as much as i did! fantasy, romance, classics

[@ElderGoblinGames]

2 videos in 1 week! What a beast!

[@LibrariesandLattes]

I try! 😉

[@BasicallyNeda]

Great list of books.😊

[@LibrariesandLattes]

Thank you! 😀

[@adarkcornerofthelibrary]

Hi kitty! I don't know why but when I picked up Piranesi at the books store, the back made me so intrigued I knew I would end up enjoying it and luckily I was right but it's definitely one you have to push through in the beginning if you are not used to being completely confused but I am so glad we all had a great time with it 😊 I really don't know if myth retellings are for me so I am kind of scared to try it but everyone raves about Song of Achilles so maybe one day 😅 Definitely want to get to warbreaker at some point. Have you read Tress or Yumi yet?? LOL the trigger warnings for Butcher and Blackbird 😂 I think I need to add Thirteenth Tale to my list

[@LibrariesandLattes]

@@adarkcornerofthelibrary I forgot my cat was in the video so I was confused by the “hi kitty” comment at first 😂 I really tried to read the synopsis of Piranesi but couldn’t even comprehend that so I was definitely confused at first haha but yes it was so worth it and so glad you enjoyed it too! Totally valid about retellings/Song of Achilles, I wasn’t expecting to love it for some reason but it just hit me emotionally ❤️ Would love to hear your thoughts on Warbreaker! Loved Tress (read it in January) and would like to read Yumi sometime too. I think you’d like The Thirteenth Tale!!

[@Laura_Reads]

I’m so curious if I would like Butcher & Blackbird… I might finally give it a try next year!

[@LibrariesandLattes]

Very curious to hear your thoughts! I feel weird recommending it because it’s not a book I would usually like and some people really hate it, so it’s a conflicting feeling for sure 😂

[@Laura_Reads]

I have The Thirteenth Tale too. I need to get to that one!

[@LibrariesandLattes]

Ooo yes, that one is great!! 😊

[@Hasan_mahmud50]

Love this list!

[@LibrariesandLattes]

@@Hasan_mahmud50 thank you! 😊

[@SnacksandStacks]

Ahhhhh lovelight farms and BK Borison is one of my favorites! I hope you'll read more of that series, I really love them. Happy reading!

[@LibrariesandLattes]

Love that!! Do you have a favorite in the series that I should prioritize? Or is it Lovelight Farms? Definitely planning to read more in the series 😊

[@SnacksandStacks]

@LibrariesandLattes my favorite is the third book, Mixed Signals. I think the couple is just so sweet and lovely

[@LibrariesandLattes]

@ oh yay, can’t wait to read that one too! 😊

[@ellenmadebookclub]

I agree that Piranesi was a happy surprise! I was sceptical too, or intimidated, or just confused I think, didn't know what to expect, but very pleasantly surprised! I was also glad you liked O Caledonia, I had heard not the best things, but luckily we don't all feel the same about books! The one that surprised me the most that you read and liked was B&B 😄

[@LibrariesandLattes]

@@ellenmadebookclub I knew you would agree about Piranesi, what a lovely surprise! I’m surprised you had heard anything about O Caledonia because I definitely hadn’t heard of it before I picked it up, haha. And yeah honestly shocked that I liked B&B! It’s not one I can necessarily recommend because I know half the people who read it may not like it, but I had fun, so? 😂

[@ellenmadebookclub]

@ Only from Simon Savidge! 😄 Of course, lots of people love it, and recommendations are never for everyone anyway, there’s always gonna be a grumpy one in the corner 😄 It’s like those skits where it’s like “is this a good book?” “I enjoyed it” “so it is good?” “I thought it had some good qualities” “yeah but is it GOOD?” “👀”

[@daniella-raye]

this was so goood! i haven’t read a single book on this list so now i have a few to add for the tbr. i’m sooo curious about butcher and blackbird hahaha

[@LibrariesandLattes]

Thank you! Haha yes I’m curious to hear your thoughts on B&B since it’s such a controversial book, haha. Hope you find some good ones from this list! 😊❤️

[@itsmimiduong]

A big reason I haven't gone into the SJM universe is because it's huge. All of her series are HUGE, so I'm too intimidated to join 😂 100% I would need it to be audio or digital read so I don't know the length. Piranesi is a book on 25 for 2025!! So I'm pretty excited to read it hearing raving reviews from you (and Ellen). I'm so happy that B&B is on your surprised read LOL 🤩 I think it was just handled and written very well!! I've read a couple of dark romances, and most are just pushing the darkness for the aspect of "dark" in the dark romance. B&B did a good job not forcing that. LOL I love that you enjoyed Lovelight Farms so much. It's a good mood book, and I really like Lucas 🤭And I kinda relate with what you said! I heard In The Weeds will focus on the 2 characters we got glimpse of!

[@LibrariesandLattes]

@@itsmimiduong Totally fair about SJM, it’s a lot for sure! That’s how I feel about Throne of Glass since it’s her biggest series, not sure when I’ll get to that one… The audiobooks for ACOTAR are really good so you could definitely go that route! So excited for you to read Piranesi, I hope you’ll love it! Haha yes I knew you would be happy about that, but it’s such a good example of a book I assumed certain things about and that was different from my expectations. Although I still have a hard time recommending it to non dark romance readers because they might still be shocked by some things 😳😂 And yeah Lovelight Farms was a pleasant surprise! I think because I liked it way more than another very similar Christmas romance that I had just read, that affected my enjoyment of it but it was still good on its own. Definitely curious about In The Weeds!

[@subhareadsbooks]

Love this video idea! I unfortunately did not like CC the more I think about it. I REALLY need to read MIstborn in 2025!!!! Idk why I’m so intimidated by Piranesi and I know nothing about it and I’ve heard you just have to go into it not knowing much about it! I’m so glad I got The Song of Achilles so I can read it in 2025! I’ve heard people love it more than Circe. I was also surprised reading Butcher & Blackbird. It was so funny!!

[@LibrariesandLattes]

Thank you!! Totally valid about Crescent City, I definitely liked it less after the first book, haha. Can’t wait for you to read Mistborn and Song of Achilles! It’s so true about Piranesi, feels very intimidating for some reason and the first 50 pages are so confusing but going in blind is great because it really takes you on a journey! And yes I definitely laughed out loud many times in B&B 😂