these books are REALLY good (in my opinion)

[@danibozoski6149]

It's so interesting what happens to books/people's opinions of books once they become mega popular... The Secret History is undeniably written well but since its become a "basic" or "tiktokified" choice it becomes lame to enjoy/talk about and then you see the counter reaction of people desperately wanting to read books similar that are more underground lol. The constant conflict of book reviewing being so important but then having the potential to completely and utterly shift a book's fate and even ruin it! Also, definitely read Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith if you haven't already!! Its like stepping into her dreamland!

[@quirinebrouwer]

I definitely don't think it's lame to talk about The Secret History, it's just a little boring now because everyone alwayssss recommends it so I try to come up with less popular recommendations! But otherwise I think it's totally worth talking about because it's amazing. But yes I agree that popularity often is a reason to people to bash something, which is such a shame.

[@danibozoski6149]

@@quirinebrouwer Completely agree - its sad when something good becomes something bashable, you just gotta love what you love ❤

[@aamnahere6250]

@@danibozoski6149 To be honest, it's not bashing for people to be tired of the same few books being shown all the times. It doesn't mean they're all bad books but a lot of people like myself are put off when they constantly see a book all over social media. It's like advertisements. After a while, you get sick of them and the more frequently you see them everywhere, the faster it happens.

[@claudiavargas6196]

I really loved this video! Many 'favorite books' videos don’t dive into the specific time in the reader's life that made a particular book special, and that's so important because what makes a book meaningful to someone is personal and tied to a unique time and place.

[@РоманПаляниця-к5э]

Everything about this video is beautiful: the beginning, the images and atmosphere, your thoughts and even the background music. Moreover, your video creates such a pleasant atmosphere in the soul and brings a pleasant peace and, at the same time, motivates the desire to read new books. Thanks for the video and greetings from Ukraine!

[@quirinebrouwer]

Thank you so much!! 😊

[@mikaspages]

my copy of Women who Run With the Wolves just arrived in the mail this morning. i CANNOT wait to read it because soooo many people, including you, have referred to it as a sort of Bible. i'm so excited to start it. i added your favourites to my TBR, so many wonderful synopsis and reviews here. thanks for sharing :)♡

[@quirinebrouwer]

I hope you love it as much as I did! ❤️

[@snamorsixteen]

I dont know how The Lonely City has touched me so deeply like that. Yes every so often I still think about that book and all the stories of humanity within it

[@elinisaksson351]

I'm so glad I found your channel! Your taste is extremely similar to mine and the way you talk about the books is so great! Keep it up!

[@lauladenzt5427]

six of crows being called a tiktok book hurts me on a deeper level

[@quirinebrouwer]

It is popular on there 🤷🏻‍♀️ doesn’t mean it’s bad haha

[@TheOriginalDogLP]

The truth hurts

[@alanalan-tc8no]

these are my favourites: - The Lord of The Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fontamara - Ignazio Silone - If This Is A Man - Primo Levi - Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Süskind - Watership Down - Richard Adams - My Stupid Intentions - Bernardo Zannoni - The Novel of Ferrara - Giorgio Bassani - The Art Of Joy - Goliarda Sapienza

[@AnSe902]

Hearing you call "Perfume" a classic when I vividly remember buying it right after it's release here in Germany, makes me feel very... vintage. 🙃😃 I would like to recommended "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier and "If we were villains" by M.L. Rio to you.

[@susruthasam7657]

I agree about not being able to enjoy classics in teenage if you don't have a comprehensive understanding of english. But I've been getting into them again at 28 and now I'm enjoying them much more!

[@giomo_]

The intro turned out soo good

[@deejahj8933]

Every Shot Is Stunning, love your aesthetic sense!

[@vanillabee_]

i'm a huge clarice lispector fan and "The Apprenticeship" is one of my faves of hers and underrated imo! also, the anthropologists by aysegul savas is a new release that is kind of that vibe of like minimal plot but a lot of nice writing and philosophical meditations

[@allmylovealmaaz]

Please read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier if you haven't already 🖤 as far as classics go , it's quite accessible; the writing is so lush and atmospheric. Truly one of my favourite gothic novels 🥀

[@quirinebrouwer]

Ahh I don't think I ever finished the complete book but I loved the movie 🤭 So definitely want to read it someday!!

[@songeunrae]

If you'd like a change of vibe in Shirley Jackson's writing you can try out her book Life among the savages, I believe it's a sort of diary that she keeps on her daily life as a mom with three kids, super cozy, fun, witty and emotional at times. Highly recommend!

[@ReadingNymph]

So many wonderful books. It's lovely to see someone else talking about the Uncensored version of Dorian Gray, I adore that book

[@quirinebrouwer]

Sameee haha, I always recommend that version

[@jimd2343]

Anyone who has a vinyl record player rocks in my book.

[@rocioguts]

Love the video! For recommendations: for gothic, if you haven't read it already, jane eyre is THE classic of eerie, misty moors along with, of course, wuthering heights. While emily is known for capturing the intensity in a relationship so well, charlotte's writing is exquisite and that alone kept me reading the book. I would also add silent companions for both gothic AND horror. It's actually so good at jumpscares, especially on page? It's masterfully done. For obsession and dark academia vibes, brideshead revisited is one of my favorite books of all time. It takes place pre-wwii oxford and it's about the deep friendship between two men, but more than that, of religion and family. Hope you give these a try!

[@ThoughtfulTomes-channel]

Our Share of Night is a haunting, thrilling novel about broken families, cursed inheritances, and the sacrifices a father makes to help his son escape his fate.

[@quirinebrouwer]

See you described that way better than me

[@ThoughtfulTomes-channel]

@@quirinebrouwer Thank you and you have a very nice voice

[@adoreeandrian7508]

I love how aesthetically pleasing your video is ! I love it a lot ! ♥ I agree with you, everyone has their own taste and their own way to rate books they read. But mostly picking a book that matches my current situation (the right book at the right moment) has a strong impact on shaping my reading preferences.

[@quirinebrouwer]

Samee! A book I didn't love before might really resonate now at a later age so I always try to come back to books I put down before, to see if they hit different later haha

[@brianamassaro-p7v]

Oh my gosh I voted for this thumbnail on threads! I love the name of the wind

[@kasiawasilewski6052]

Loved this vid so much!! Based off your favourite books I would recommend Rosemary's Baby, it's such a culty classic and honestly reminds me of the movie Mother, so gooood.

[@sophier6504]

The movie is wonderful too! One of my favorite movies ever

[@jvstingraves]

I just ordered Our Share of Night last night and now that you're recommending it, I feel good about it. Can't wait to read it.

[@quirinebrouwer]

Enjoy!!

[@andrewcrow1031]

Hi Quirine, hope you are well. Greetings from Toronto🇨🇦. I love your introduction, the music made for such a peaceful mood. Thanks for your wonderful video, I’ve picked up a number of titles for my TBR notebook. Take care, and good reading!

[@quirinebrouwer]

Aah so glad you enjoyed!!

[@OlenskasBibliotek]

I adore Shirley Jackson! I would recommend The lottery and other stories - it's so creative, imaginative and twisted!

[@ComradeNerd]

I have bookshelf envy. 😮

[@AbKhaos]

It's very interesting hearing you compare These Violent Delights to The Secret History because these two books could not be more different from each other in my opinion! I could not bring myself to finish These Violent Delights, the level of despair and perversion these characters experience is not for the faint of heart, and I was definitely not in a good enough place mentally to be able to read it without also feeling the desperation to an unhealthy level. I also felt similarly while reading Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter. For me The Secret History is such a comforting read, comparing the two is absolutely wild in my mind haha I would absolutely recommend Corrag by Susan Fletcher, everyone I recommend it to says it has become one of their favorites! It's about a young Scottish girl accused of witchcraft, who's awaiting her death in a cell, and the book is a conversation between her and a priest who visits her everyday. It's the most magical and poignant story i have read to this day.

[@quirinebrouwer]

That’s interesting and I see where you’re coming from! I think we can take a lot of different things from The Secret History - it definitely has a comforting side but also a side that explores the dark side of human nature & the consequences of obsession - and that is the side These Violent Delights takes even further! So depends on what you’re looking for in TSH if you think TVD is a good follow-up. And thank you for your recommendation!! It sounds really good

I think you would really enjoy Eliza Clark, particularly Boy Parts. Fun fact, she and Julia Armfield are bff

[@rootsofsilver]

Oohh, you talking about books for half an hour on a sunday afternoon, I'm in heaven ✨☁️ so much to add to my tbr. My recommendations based on what you like would be Matrix by Lauren Groff, Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (gothic, if you havent read it yet), and Wild Daughters by Maria Souza (poetry very much in the vein of Clarissa Pinkola Estes) ❤

[@quirinebrouwer]

Oooh thank you! Out of that list I've read Interview with the vampire and really enjoyed it, so I'll definitely check out the others!

[@mariaperezcordero3514]

Hi, Quirine! I can relate a lot to Lispector in general (though I go carefully with her because there is a lot to take in and it is intense), Mariana Enríquez, Oscar Wilde and I loved "Bluets". Also read this year "M Train" and I thought I could live in that book. Because of that I would like to recommend you Alejandra Pizarnik's poetry and diaries, Marysé Conde ("I, Tituba, black with of Salem" sounds that you may like it) and "Beloved" by Toni Morrison. Love your content, by the way. Greeting from Granada, Andalusia!

[@quirinebrouwer]

Thank you so much for the recommendations! Have been wanting to try a book by Toni Morrison for so long, so this might be a good one to start!

[@colinbeeks1267]

Absolutely love, love, and I say it again, love this vlog. Exactly what I was looking for and several new books added to my tbr. My recommendation for you would be The Glutton by A K Blakemore. Very much in the style of Perfume, it will have a very similar impact on you. ❤

[@quirinebrouwer]

Thank youuu! I started it once on my ereader but never finished even though I really enjoyed it (I just tend to get distracted by too many books haha), so this is my sign to come back to it haha!

[@AndreaRenee-c8k]

Will. you do one of just fantasy books?

[@chasestocking725]

Where did you get that mug in the intro? It's beautiful!

[@quirinebrouwer]

I got it at TK maxx around 3 years ago!

[@chasestocking725]

Thank you for letting me know, and great video! @@quirinebrouwer

[@ianp9086]

I am a fan of Julia Armfield’s writing and I think salt slow is wonderful but I had never thought of it as horror! I think there’s certainly an unsettling atmosphere but I seem to limit horror to the more gory kind of stuff that I don’t go near! What I love most is her writing and the imagery she creates. The first paragraph of ‘Smack’ is amazing - all the stranded jellyfish on the beach . . . “are translucent, almost spectral, as though the sea has exorcised its ghosts.” ❤

[@quirinebrouwer]

Horror is much more than the gory stuff and Julia Armfield's books are definitely in the non-gory horror genre haha! I always thought horror wasn't for me either until I discovered works like hers, Mariana Enriquez's and Shirley Jacksons. Now I can safely say horror is one of my favourite genres 🤭

[@-.EllieW-.]

I think you might really love The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal. It's incredible, very atmospheric, all about art and obsession.

[@mar.v.]

I read north woods because it seemed interesting when you recommended it on one of your other videos and absolutely loved it! Finished in just 2 days. The way he writes is just unlike anything I’ve ever read.

[@quirinebrouwer]

Yes it’s sooo good!

[@laashya9248]

please read Shirley jackson's HANGSMAN.. its soooo.. good.. it was my first Shirley jackson and picked it up right after the turn of the screw which is one of my all time favorites and so i wasn't even expecting i will like anything else as much so soon but hangsman also became one of my all time favorites. i recommend this to everyone.. check it out!

[@quirinebrouwer]

Oooh thank you for the recommendation!

[@bex262]

Women Who Run with Wolves really sounds like If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie that i read this year. if you like that you ll probably like this one. it is more from a specifically Celtic/British/Irish lens but i think you could still get a lot out of it and a brilliant essay collection along the same lines is Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass which is from a native american feminine perspective x

[@quirinebrouwer]

Oooh I have that one on my ereader for this reason but haven’t started it yet!

[@tragikk03]

Dude, your home is amazing.

[@quirinebrouwer]

Thank you!!

[@Dianadonc]

I have not seen a lot of people talking about Our share of night and it is amazing. Same I don’t know how to explain my love about it. I first read It in 2023 Jan, since then I have already read it 4 times …

[@junipernin]

M Train is that girl

[@Noorieke]

We have always lived in the castle is a masterpiece. It is also so relevant and timeless. Honest and non sentimental about humanity.

[@quirinebrouwer]

It really is!

[@alien777]

Ah! I nearly got a heartattack, how can you but a mug on a book. You need a warning for that jumpscare. 🥵

[@PRACHIBHORASKAR]

Loved the intro

[@jairfarias1781]

Answer: Proust is the best. Tolstoi and Stendhal are almost as good. Then it comes Mann, Nabokov, etc

[@alephnull1683]

Great channel for bibliotaphs like me😇

[@lilliancamilleri6821]

Thank you so much for your recommendations ! I would like to recommend The Offing by Benjamin Myers, this book just took me to such a beautiful place.

[@quirinebrouwer]

I read that this summer and LOVED it! Also a five stars for me 🤭

[@merricat1]

Hey quirine! Have you read Brat by gabriel smith? Besos y abrazos desde Argentina 💘🇦🇷

[@HeartbloomHalfling]

Have you ever read anything written by Patricia A. McKillip? She is one of my favorite fantasy/sci-fi writers. Her writing is so beautiful and lyrical. I highly recommend her work if you have never heard of her. I have a feeling you might like her.

[@quirinebrouwer]

I haven't heard of this author but just looked her up and the books sounds very intriguing! Do you have a favourite you would recommend?

[@HeartbloomHalfling]

@@quirinebrouwer I really liked her Riddle Master Trilogy. The Book of Atrix Wolfe was also great! Moonflash is another amazing duology. That last one is a sci-fi, by the way.

[@SG-oo8ou]

Thank you for sharing! I'd recommend you check out Babel by R.F. Kaung especially if you like fantasy and A Secret History, it's brilliant.

[@artryanrock]

New follower here. I'm glad i discovered this channel

[@f-cw9ew]

well, youve probably already read frankenstein, but if you havent, pls pls plssss do. and also stoner by john williams is really good (it follows the life of the main character from birth until death); i was so hooked i literally couldnt stop reading it, bought it one evening and by the next day i had finished it, one of the best books ive read last year, for sure (definitely my fav)

[@quirinebrouwer]

I did read Frankenstein but not Stoner!! I have been eyeing that one for a while haha, thank you for the recommendation!

[@marel6648]

An intro soooo beautifully done 😩

[@quirinebrouwer]

Thank youuu 🥰also credits to my boyfriend for being an amazing videographer hahaha

[@darkbrumecaldin1902]

This is funny because there are some books in your recommendations that I loved and some that I really disliked. I loved The name of the wind, I agree it's one of the greatest fantasy novels I've ever read (although my favorite fantasy trilogy is a French trilogy called Ellana). By the way there's a fantasy author I think you would enjoy (but it's practicaly sure you know him already): David Gemell. I also love The perfume and The picture of Dorian Gray. The writing is so good in both these novels, the atmosphere is great, the moral reflexions are very interesting. But I hated The secret history. I didn't like the characters, they felt like rich entitled white kids and I thought the novel encouraged an amoral lifestyle if it was for the knowledge. I didn't like Women who run with wolves. It took me ages to read. It felt like every chapter was the same and it felt not practical at all. I added Bleuets, The Lonely city to my to read list (Mistborn is already on it). And while I'm at it I love your videos and vibe!

[@youknowthatimnear]

Hermann Hesse :3

[@w1tchb0n3_r10t]

isnt the secret history a satire about rejecting pretentious academia tho

[@quirinebrouwer]

True, and the way people romanticize the atmosphere of the book just shows how appealing that lifestyle is - which makes it even more ironic haha

[@w1tchb0n3_r10t]

@@quirinebrouwer haha very true!

[@kennedyrmenezes]

🇧🇷 ❤

[@mashaelmansoor6714]

do you have a subsackkkk?????

[@deejahj8933]

👀🥳🤩

[@sausana2501]

Firstttt

[@sausana2501]

Ok now that i actually watched the video, i have to say i really love ur taste in books and how diverse ur reading is. Allow me however to recommend some classics I think you’d enjoy. 1. East of Eden is my bible. Im obsessed and want to be buried with this book! It’s so good and yet very accessible. English isnt my first language either, and i was worried this would be a dense snobby book but OMG! Just read it and u’ll see.. Other classics I love: - The Count of Monte Cristo - Stoner by John Williams (modern classic) - Animal Farm (I know everyone talks about it but for good reason i swear! Amazing political commentary and very short) - The bell jar - Giovannis room

[@quirinebrouwer]

@@sausana2501 Thank you for the recommendations! I've read The Bell Jar & Giovanni's Room and both loved them! I had my eye on the Count of Monte Cristo lately because I heard it's gothic hahaha, so I'll take this as my sign to pick it up

[@esterperaltadarroz1178]

[@Historybooks-456]

Annotating and underlining ruin a book.

[@quirinebrouwer]

🤷🏻‍♀️ it’s my book

[@Historybooks-456]

@quirinebrouwer It may end up in a used book store.

[@fabpanda9853]

​@@Historybooks-456 Life isn't supposed to be lived for other people. The print publishing industry is alive and kicking, anyone who wants un-annotated books have multiple options to buy, borrow, etc. These copies are not precious limited resources.

[@spexi513]

Read Private Rites in September and it’s one of top reads of the year 📖🪱💚