The 2022 Mid Year Book Freakout Tag

You know the drill - getting it in early because I needed a nice tag video to get something going again. It's been so long but the reading has been good at least! (Also just realizing that The Book of Form and Emptiness is the prime example of chickens coming home to roost - with dire consequences)
MENTIONED:
Invisible Women - amzn.to/3tlhjjx
The Book of Form and Emptiness - amzn.to/3mj7QWg
When We Fell Apart - amzn.to/3GR2M4P
Mercury Pictures Presents - bit.ly/3MgEBxP
Anthony Marra Newsletter - bit.ly/324dIrY
Love in the Big City - amzn.to/3aJeSRx
Jade City - amzn.to/3Moe2H1
Sea of Tranquility - amzn.to/3xk5qwz
The One from the Other - amzn.to/3anXnpD
Seek You - amzn.to/3xlzmbN
The Trees - amzn.to/3GVHC5i
Uzumaki - amzn.to/3mgi6OQ
The Booktube Prize - bit.ly/2UIL5Oc
ELSEWHERE:
Goodreads: goo.gl/vlGtSd
Twitter: / daejin_v2
Instagram: / daejin
Discord: / discord
#midyearbookfreakouttag

[@stace_d]

How is KZbin only just now recommending your channel to me?! I love your taste in books and calm voice, hehe

[@ThePoptimist]

Thanks! KZbin clearly needs to get its act together but better late than never I suppose. Either way, glad to have you here.

[@gillianwinzinger9558]

This is the first video of yours I've seen, and you had me at the phrase "full on potatoing." (Which also happens to be what I'm doing with my life right now). I really enjoyed the video, and I'm looking forward to watching the others you've made.

[@ThePoptimist]

Here's to embracing the potato lifestyle!

[@GinaStanyerBooks]

Omg- I’ve been potato-ing too. It’s glorious!

[@ThePoptimist]

Here's to leaning into that full-on potato lifestyle.

[@joanneorrico1761]

Always enjoy your videos and the way you describe books. Adding A Constellation of Vital Phenomena to my TBR.

[@ThePoptimist]

you will NOT be disappointed! Loved that one.

[@angiejones5918]

Thanks for posting. I've reserved Invisible Women from my library. I'm still chuckling about how the chickens that come home to roost are always"bad chickens...BAD chickens!" 🤣

[@ThePoptimist]

Invisible Women is going to be eye-opening and infuriating but it can't help but stick in your head - just like the thought of these homeless, roaming, bad chickens that one day may decide to return home - at your peril.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

1. The Colony by Audrey Magee ☘️ 2. No sequels 3. Tresspasses by Louise Kennedy 4. Follow up to A Marvellous Light 5. 6. Devotion by Hannah Kent 7. Claire Keegan 8. James in The Colony 9. The doctor in The Rain Heron 10. Devotion by Hannah Kent ☘️👋🍀📖☕️📚📕

[@ThePoptimist]

Hell of a list and no disappointments so far this year which is always a good thing!

[@myreadinglife8816]

Invisible Women has been on my radar for a long time…your review makes me want to pick it up immediately! Same with The Trees!

[@ThePoptimist]

Both worth picking up! Hope your reading is going well

[@FullyBookedMelissa]

Loved invisible women as well. An infuriating read. I've heard such mixed reviews of ozekis new book but it sounds like my kind of thing so I will probably give it a go. Nice video!

[@ThePoptimist]

Thanks - to be sure Tale for the Being is the superior book, this one was loose and baggy but still strangely endearing and a bit of a Buddhist one/two punch when followed by Quan Barry's When I'm Gone, Look for Me in the East.

[@booksgurrsandpurrs]

So I recently came across your channel through the mid-year freak out tag & I'm LOVING it. I wish I came across your channel sooner. Thanks for bringing me so much bookish joy.

[@ThePoptimist]

Thank you for dropping a line and being so effusive with your bookish praise and spreading the love - always nice to have new folks to the channel!

[@TheBookBully]

So glad to see this tag from you. One of my favourites of the year! Great to hear your thoughts on Love in the Big City; I've been teeter-tottering about picking it up but I think I, too, do not care about the frantic love life of a 20-something.

[@ThePoptimist]

I really wanted to like it more! C'est la vie - nice to get an early start on the tag, usually I'm the last one out of the gate.

[@kayg7438]

I'm glad I found you! Subscribed.

[@ThePoptimist]

Wonderful to have you here! Welcome

[@SavidgeReads]

So good to see you on BookTube. I am too very excited for the new Anthony Marra.

[@ThePoptimist]

Thank you, it's been awhile - and Marra is one of a very few authors that I will instantly snatch up without caring what it says on the dust jacket.

[@bookladyreads]

I always enjoy your videos.

[@ThePoptimist]

awww, thank you!

[@jf8559]

Yay - missed you and your videos! Sounds like a great year of reading so far and some good books to come. The Trees sounds so good, and I may need to pick up some Anthony Marra. Thanks for sharing your reading.

[@ThePoptimist]

I has been awhile! Can't wait for the Marra in the meantime.

[@robyn8221]

So happy to see another video from you.

[@ThePoptimist]

Thanks! It has certainly been awhile!

[@ReadingwithTatiana]

just came across your channel thanks to the book tag. great first half of the year reading so far and happy reading for the second half! sea of tranquility is ready at the library for me (been on hold for 3 months so i'm excited to read it soon!)

[@ThePoptimist]

That's a hell of a hold! Fingers crossed the second half of '22 is just as good. I'll settle for avoiding any sort of reading slump though.

[@Georgesmomsu]

Great to see you in my feed this morning. I listened to The Sea of Tranquility and loved it enough to purchase the physical book. I also really enjoyed The Book of Form and Emptiness. Another fantastic audiobook. I am a hard core Reacher fan. I have no explanations, the books are lacking in real substance. I have listened all of them. My husband was totally shocked when I wanted to watch the Reacher series on Netflix. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Stay safe up there. Things are booming here in Northern California. Mask mandates have been put back in effect.

[@ThePoptimist]

It's nice to be back! Hey, may not have loved my first introduction to Reacher but the Amazon adaptation was excellent - can't wait to see which book they decide to tackle for season two!

[@JoseeL777]

I really loved hearing you talk about these books, particularly The Trees. I put it on my list. Keep smiling :)

[@ThePoptimist]

Will do - hope you enjoy Trees if you get to it!

[@JoseeL777]

@@ThePoptimist I read it! I really enjoyed the book. Really insightful and funny. I want to check out Erasure next from this author.

[@OverstuffedShelf]

Is it that time of year already?? I love the description of a book as "shaggy". I've definitely read shaggy books. Ooooh, Seek You made me cry. The Harlow stuff was ROUGH.

[@ThePoptimist]

No kidding - so bent in that it was in service to proving affection is needed - but the story along with the illustrations were a lot. So interesting to glimpse into his personal life and marriages in the midst of this too.

[@kathyesl5092]

Great selection.

[@ThePoptimist]

thank you - always fun to whip off a tag video!

[@1book1review]

Is it that time of year again already? Loved hearing your thoughts on your reading this year, as usual.

[@ThePoptimist]

I can't believe we're halfway through the year already!

[@hartereads]

I've been looking for noir so Philip Kerr sounds perfect!

[@ThePoptimist]

Kerr was so noir and so much fun - I did take Marra's advice and skipped the first three books of the series which he wrote in the 80's and then revived the series some 20 years later - the first three according to Marra do feel like the work of a writer still finding his footing.

[@hartereads]

@@ThePoptimist Oh, thanks for the tip. That's where I will start, too

[@ALias-jg3mb]

So glad I clicked on the link to your channel from a random Redditor's post on the books subreddit. Love how well & eloquently you articulate your views on the books you read. I might have to give Invisible Women another go; tried getting into it last year, but found it somewhat sorporific, as the author was citing so many facts (numbers! percentages!) as evidence and extrapolating from them, it got overwhelming for my brain. But I do acknowledge how well-written and researched the book is!

[@ThePoptimist]

Getting a reddit mention is huge so thanks for popping by and dropping a note too. I just love that while it did talk about the usual suspects of pay disparity and office temperatures I had never thought of the influence it would have on bus routes and snow removal. Just loved seeing through the world in that lens!

[@deeptizaremba3699]

Love your choices and unvarnished reviews. Have you read David Gutterson’s East of the Mountains? Or Jon McGregor’s If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things? So glad you survived Covid and also got a wee bit of vacation. Stay well!

[@ThePoptimist]

Thanks for the recommendations (have not read ...yet)

[@deeptizaremba3699]

Fast reads, both using dazzling language, interesting plot structures, and with the capacity to see our world in brighter, more precious colors. I know your TBR pile is teetering, but these are probably worth including. Have fun, happy summer!

[@misplacedmodifier46]

Colm Toibin's book "The Magician" is on the 2022 Booktube Prize and I've already recommended this to several of my friends. I've read a few Toibin's novels including "The Master" on the life of Henry James, which inspired me to read Henry James. The Magician is the story of Thomas Mann and I'll give nothing away, just read it. Of Mann's books I've only read "Death In Venice" and given the reading I have at hand I may never read any of his other works - but his personal story as told my Toibin is amazing.

[@ThePoptimist]

I haven't read a single one of the contenders in the semi-finals so that's a good a place to start as any. I really need to buck up and get started, looking like there are some chunksters on the list as well!

[@alldbooks9165]

Good to see you! Adding Invisible Women to the list! ✅

[@ThePoptimist]

Crazy read - I mean you expect office temperatures and wage gaps but the author really goes into it and got me thinking of my own unconscious, gender based biases. I love the example of the first calendar represented by notches on an antler ...and who exactly needs to know when something happens every 28 days?

[@GabrielTheMagolorMain]

This might be a random comment but I’ve always liked the name Soon. I know a lot of Americans (and probably people all over the world) are drawn to various Asian cultures, whether by anime, the art, the food, the beautiful landscapes. My son (who is Mexican and Caucasian) ever since he was small has had such a draw to Asian cultures. When he was maybe 5 I asked him if he could go anywhere where would that be and he said Korea and Japan. It must’ve been things that he saw online, because for no negative reason, we don’t have many Asian cultural things in our home. I’ve always been drawn to Latino culture, and if anything I’ve tried to get him involved with his Mexican culture. But with that said, I grew up in an area with a large Asian, mostly Korean, population, and I’ve always found the names attractive. As I got older and realized it, it made me sad that some of my Korean friends went by more American names (although I understand the reason and that is completely up to them and their family), because they already have great names! Soon is one of those names I feel is especially beautiful, the way it sounds, the letters, it’s a nice name. I like my first name, but my last name is the most boring typical name, I think that’s part of the reason I’ve been drawn to other names. Also, my last name was just created, it wasn’t passed down through generations. My great grandfather was indigenous and instead of using his name they slapped on the most basic white name they could find to my grandpas birth certificate 🙁 Always enjoy your videos, thanks!

[@ThePoptimist]

My folks never gave me a Korean name. Worried I would be at a disadvantage they spoke English at home. My name isn't even pronounceable in Korean with no V sound! Generationally I was supposed to be a xxxx-gi like my cousins Chung-gi and Suk-gi. I like David.

[@SpringboardThought]

I read the first Jack Reacher book too and reeealllly found it lacking too haha! Ohh I have Love in the Big City but I got it on audible because I expected it to be a bit meh on the page. I finished Jade Legacy this year and really liked that whole series. Loooved The Trees. One of my tops from last year. My ear worm is you talking about literary flan lol

[@ThePoptimist]

I mean once Season 2 of Reacher on Amazon breaks I may read the source material, but really that first book is enough to keep me away otherwise. And I hope to get to book 2 of the Jade Legacy but I'm so bad at series and still need to finish Remembrance of Earth's Past, The Divide, The Machineries of Empire and a couple other series I've started. sigh

[@SpringboardThought]

@@ThePoptimist ahh yeah so many series so little time! I thiiiiink the Jade series only got better. Though the third book is a bit polarizing because the perspective changes, but I thought it was super effective. I hope the tv show of the series is still coming as well!

[@ThePoptimist]

TV Show?! Well that bumped up Jade on my list to complete. Though what ISN'T being adapted to TV?

[@SpringboardThought]

@@ThePoptimist it’s true. I hope it’s not in production hell or anything, because it would make for a very cool show, I think. If I remember right, it’ll be on Peacock.

[@curioushmm9027]

wow..and i always thought it was my problem the seat belts were uncomfortable..i'm with you on anthony marra and couldn't care less what his new book is about...i need it.

[@ThePoptimist]

And he's offering signed copies with his local bookstore - RJ Julia Booksellers - for pre-orders if you're so inclined too!

[@curioushmm9027]

thanks..i will.

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

Interesting selection. Invisible women is a book I should read, it really is a Man's World!

[@ThePoptimist]

It was a wild read to be sure and one that I still think about! Well worth checking out.

[@mrmorganmusic]

I was scrolling through this looking for your comments on Sea of Tranquility, which I just read. Couldn’t find it! Did I miss it?

[@ThePoptimist]

My last video (which admittedly was quite a while ago) was about Sea of Tranquility so I didn't feel like I should go into it too much here.

[@mrmorganmusic]

@@ThePoptimist Thanks! I found that one shortly after watching this. I really enjoyed Sea of Tranquility. For having multiple narratives spanning centuries - all of which point to this being an "epic" novel - I loved how neat and tidy this was. A streamlined and sleek novel. Great read!!

[@alt9977]

Bad 🐔, bad 🐔. LOL!!!

[@ThePoptimist]

Those bad chickens just living in my head. What does a chicken have to do to warrant the label "bad"?! Why am I fearing these particular bad chickens coming home. What have they got planned?!

[@liev3057]

OMG if the Poptimist is already freaking out, how is the the rest of us going to fare? 😰

[@ThePoptimist]

Less freakout and more mild anxiety over the inevitable passing of time - but that makes for too long of a tag I assume.

[@Robert.Sheard]

The Trees completely surprised me. He dead-on nails the country cop language and mentality.

[@Robert.Sheard]

No apology necessary. Always glad to have you judge when you can.

[@ThePoptimist]

I found it hilarious and strangely even-handed - in that it didn't veer entirely into caricature but really toed that line. So much fun in an otherwise dark book.

[@prakharbhardwaj303]

Love in the Big City was my biggest disappointment as well! Just seems like basing a novel on a LGBTQ character = literary merit these days.

[@ThePoptimist]

Culturally it has a bigger impact in it's home country of South Korea than how we might perceive a similar story, certainly not as ubiquitous as it might be here.