The Best Books of 2021 So Far... [cc]

[@Ergoplato]

Hi Jean. My wife wanted me to thank you so much for recommending Pain and Prejudice! She’s been reading it nonstop and feels that someone is finally saying all of the things she has about her pain.

[@johnsparegrave5996]

Woman with pain not considered by medicine, that's 14 years of my life until I was diagnosed with a severe disease... Men get that type of diagnosis a lot easier. Also I get told that it is harder on men, truth is studies have shown that it is tougher on women on daily life... Ah well. I'm going to read that book Pain and Prejudice!

[@julianapinho4574]

Pain and prejudice sounds so amazing! It got me really curious, hope to read it soon

[@JeansThoughts]

It's so good - I really hope it empowers you!

[@MizzInterpreted]

As someone in semi-rural NZ, Scotland is one of my favourite places to have visited 😃

[@pippindemie]

You always give the best recs, thank you for this video!

[@b-ridge1589]

Thanks for explaining Flat Share! I had dismissed it when it first came out but that does actually sound interesting.

[@JeansThoughts]

Yeah I think it deals with some more serious issues while still being light and uplifting :D.

[@xeverydayisbeautiful]

I just love your taste in books so much! I've been watching your channel for years and I'm so happy that you still make booktube videos :)) I will keep watching for however long you make them! Also my favorite books this year so far were Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford, To be taught if fortunate by Becky Chambers, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Ghosts by Dolly Alderton and Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane :)

[@MichaelaWagner]

ooh definitely want to read those last two you mentioned! I think my best books so far this year have been A Winter's Promise (per your recc) and The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed!

[@YourTrueShelf]

Hollowpox will make my list this year, 5* for me. The flat share was on my best books of 2020 list, I loved it for all the reasons you mentioned. The audible was really good & I've bought the audible of the switch so I look forward to that one.

[@JeansThoughts]

Yes! I listened to the audiobook too and it was fantastic.

[@Amyduckie]

I’ve had a super lacklustre reading year tbh. My best is Heartstopper Vol 4. So wholesome and lovely. I absolutely loved The Flat Share. I honestly wonder when people don’t like it if we’ve read the same book, because I enjoyed it so much.

[@JeansThoughts]

Honestly we all need some more lovely and wholesome books! Aha I had the same thing with two friends in my book group, how?!

[@spoonfulofhygge6002]

haha same here! I recommended to two people (well, everyone but only two have read it so far and just thought it was okay?) I was crying and laughing and it warmed my heart! indeed, how? :P

[@ReadingNymph]

Adding Madam to my tbr for sure! I've always thought about reading Flat Share, I'll have to give it a try!

[@JeansThoughts]

Ooh well I hope you enjoy both of them!

[@KittyAndTheBooks]

Hollowpox is on my list as well! My favorite so far has been Know My Name. And I really wanna read Pain and Prejudice because this is quite close to my field of study and I'd love to see how this is broken down for casual readers.

[@angelamccollister]

I thought you'd mention Sistersong in this video. I ordered it based on one of your videos. I read it last week and loved it. Definitely one of my favorites of the year so far.

[@sabrinaburton7158]

I definitely need to pick up A Madness of Sunshine soon, I have just started Pain and Prejudice and loving it so far. I wasn't massively in love with Madam but did enjoy it. My top 5 reads have definitely been Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, (Contemporary) The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri (Grimdark fantasy, sapphic romance), She who became the Sun by Shelley Parker Chan (Grimdark fantasy, sapphic romance, bisexual rep) The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (Grimdark historical fantasy) and Zhiguai:Chinese true tales of the paranormal and glitches in the Matrix by Yi Izzy Yu and John Yu Branscum (paranormal creepy atmospheric short stories)

[@JeansThoughts]

I really really want to pick up the Jasmine Throne in particular, I've been hearing fantastic things about it recently and I do love sapphic fantasy!

[@sabrinaburton7158]

@@JeansThoughts I really recommend it

[@Larissa_KD]

Yess I love Pachinko and The Poppy War!

[@jess2424ica]

Totally agree about most romances having ridiculous premises - but one with great leads and chemistry can make me completely forget about it! That’s how I felt with The Flatshare. 😊

[@JeansThoughts]

Aha exactly - it's fun in fiction!

[@Bookishhistorian]

My best books of the year so far have been: - Loveless by Alice Oseman - Possession by A.S. Byatt - Legendborn by Tracy Deonn - Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty - The Middle Ages: A Graphic History by Eleanor Janega A rather strange mix of genres!

[@Amyduckie]

Omg, yes, Empire of Gold is amazing, one of my tops last year

[@JeansThoughts]

Ooooh I have Legendborn, The Middle Ages, and the first book in Chakraborty's series on my TBR already so it's good to hear you loved them!

[@Larissa_KD]

I also really loved The Flatshare and Pain and Prejudice, glad you enjoyed them too! I'm reaaally intrigued by Madam! A few of the best books I've read this year were: - The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune - Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig - A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende - Summer by Ali Smith - A Closed and Common Orbit as well as To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

[@JeansThoughts]

A few of these are already on my TBR and you’re reminding me how excited I am to read them aha!

[@WhatVictoriaRead]

Yes to Madam! And I’m glad you enjoyed The Flatshare, I thought it was fab!

[@JeansThoughts]

See great minds ;)

[@spoonfulofhygge6002]

I have loved A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers, Velocity Weapon by Mgean O'Keefe, Real by Carol Cujec, The Binti series by Nnedi Okorafor, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters!

[@ashenayee]

some of these are definitely going on my tbr, thank you! have you read butter honey pig bread? i think you'd really enjoy it, i was more immersed than ive been in a book in a long time!

[@stephanielake183]

Thank you Jean - I just showed my 10 yo your review of the Nevermore series and we have ordered the first one for him to read. Btw there is a sweet 'radio play' version of The Flat Share on BBC Sounds if you wanted to relisten.

[@JeansThoughts]

Aw I'm sure they'll love it - it is brilliant and has such staying power!

[@kimswhims8435]

Sounds like a fun bunch of reading material :D

[@Arabesqueando]

I totally need to read Madam?? It sounds thrilling!

[@JeansThoughts]

It is!!!!

[@kira.reads._.6287]

Have you read Witches steeped in gold, if so what were your thoughts. Could you maybe do a reading blog for it if possible?

[@JeansThoughts]

I haven't but it's on my TBR so I'll definitely share my thoughts when I do ^_^

[@kira.reads._.6287]

@@JeansThoughts thank you.

[@emmahall4055]

I have The Flat share on my TBR but haven't got round to reading it yet. X

[@JeansThoughts]

Oh I hope you do enjoy when you do! Definitely a good escapist read.

[@inessamaria2428]

The Flatshare was one of my fave books I read in 2020.

[@JeansThoughts]

I need to read more Beth O’Leary now!

[@inessamaria2428]

@@JeansThoughts me too. I bought Roadtrip and The switch this year.

[@Larissa_KD]

@@JeansThoughts I really enjoyed The Switch as well! Can't wait to read The Road Trip

[@Nataliecj]

It feels weird to say I loved Pain and Prejudice because it made me so angry while I was reading it, but I love that it exists and that Gabrielle Jackson put a spotlight on the sexism and injustice that exists in the medical industry. I have Hollowpox on my Kindle, I must get to it soon! Some of my favourite books of the year have been Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, A Sprinkle of Sorcery by Michelle Harrison (if you like the Nevermoor series I think you’d like this), the Hathaways series by Lisa Kleypas (maybe not Tempt Me at Twilight, but the others are 👌), The Yearbook by Holly Bourne, The Radium Girls by Kate Moore, The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt, and The Cat and the City by Nick Bradley. I think you’d like Life as a Unicorn by Amrou Al-Kadhi based on your liking of We Have Always Been Here.

[@hayleyw7616]

I will definitely be checking some of these out. Check out the price of innocence by Vicki Hopkins. It's a regency romance with a difference. I loved it.

[@JeansThoughts]

Ooh thanks I will!

[@angelamccollister]

I want to read Pain and Pejudice even though I know it will enrage me.

[@Amyduckie]

I still haven't finished it, I started it sooo long ago, but holy wow, enrage is exactly it, it's abolutely infuriating.

[@kaminisghost]

Spoilers. 🤨

[@JeansThoughts]

For what 😂?

[@kaminisghost]

@@JeansThoughts 😅 well honestly, i really enjoy your videos and the books you choose but i feel sometimes your descriptions are a little too detailed. Sometimes you mention things I would have liked to have found out myself through reading. I hear it and think, what?! That happens in the book?! It kind of spoils the fun of the story. 😕😕

[@JeansThoughts]

@@kaminisghost I never mention anything that happens later in the book, I.e. it’s always something on the blurb or on the first fifth say so to me that doesn’t really count as a spoiler as I need to discuss to some extent what the premise of the book is. Maybe it sounds like things that happen later but I really do stick to the beginning :) fair enough if you prefer going in knowing nothing though I just don’t think I can give less detail. If there is a specific book in this video your worried I have spoiled I can let you know if that does happen at the very beginning or if it is a spoiler to make sure not to include it when I mention it in the future.

[@kaminisghost]

@@JeansThoughts don’t worry about it! 🙂 🙂