This corny "inspiring" book about depression WILL be my 13th reason 🔪 COOK & BOOK (Monthly Wrapup)

[@ishika5619]

cindy going off the edge and threatening to kill herself to change the trajectory of goodreads commenters' lives as the sound of fizzling in the background gets louder and louder is peak cinema ngl

[@withcindy]

I AM PETTY AND I WILL NOT HESITATE

[@mridupant3346]

That's the kind of content we love to see

[@Directioner171]

100% agree and I don't care if it makes me a hateful bitch as well 😂

[@jack_edwards]

This is the best explanation of The Midnight Library I’ve ever heard

[@sk8aintstr813]

Hey Jack!!!

[@kanej1567]

hi king 😌

[@deanbilly9073]

hey bestie, you guys should collab

[@sk8aintstr813]

@@kanej1567 kanej

[@THIS.IS.MY.OLD.ACCOUNT-1]

ahh my two fav book tubers in one place. do a collab (idc that your on opposite sides of the world)

[@giuliamenezes808]

“ I’ll jump of a cliff just to prove a point “ this is literally the most relatable thing I’ve ever heard

[@withcindy]

i will not hesitate

[@kennashan]

Same.

[@nadinesilversparrow996]

I come to this channel for this exact energy ✨

[@christyclarissemercier6359]

Not to roast us all but that was literally Bella in the second Twilight movie 💀💀💀

[@happyjellycatsquid]

@@christyclarissemercier6359 AHAHAHAHA my god I feel kinda ashamed 😳

[@SquinkSchmedium]

I feel like if I was the main character in The Midnight Library and I was shown that no matter what path I choose I'll always be unhappy, that would make me want to stay dead more because I'll never be happy. It makes literally no sense

[@withcindy]

LOL SAME

[@YondaMoegi]

Same!

[@laurenrosa8841]

Me too!

[@xRaiofSunshine]

It also feels incredibly tone deaf and privileged to say “oh having a good salary or a loving partner or an amazing career won’t REALLY make you happy :) just be yourself! :) maintain the status quo :) live laugh love amiright? :)” Binch, WERE LIVING IN A HELLSCAPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS AND ONGOING GENOCIDE do you know many people would want that kind of stability? Stfu I swear 😡 (…that angry comment wasn’t directed at you just to be clear 😅)

[@dreamingstrawberries]

Right and it was so predictable lmao

[@name-gu8ml]

The Midnight Library is like that one person who says "This is the best time of your life" to a depressed teeneger

[@withcindy]

they say these are the golden years but i wish i could disappear!!

[@sin3358]

Lol, basically my bio teacher from HS when me and my classmates got very depressed at the fact that we spent half of our HS studying online due to the pandemic. I still remember her saying "It's so bad you guys are in this situation. These are the best years of your life" like okay sis just cause u married at 22 and had a kid at 25 doesn't mean our life ends then too

[@khalilurtrahman]

@Keyko Valerie Hutapea it's brutal out here 🎶

[@isthataspider7410]

It’s almost like depression is a mental illness and not just a riddle you can solve 💀

[@withcindy]

Riddle me this! Why do I have generational trauma!

[@elhalle6151]

What if the librarian was just a troll under a bridge.

[@yennefer440]

I wish I could solve it

[@bebeliveshere5950]

"The game isnt over....til its over." Yeah, thats the whole poINT OF SUICI-

[@withcindy]

JDAKLSDKLSADSJKLA

[@ladydiamond6611]

this was so much funnier the fact that the word didn't finish-

[@mushroomcows1539]

@@taylorg7783 damn you okay there homie?😧😳

[@Cydianwood135]

LITERALLY same energy as parents telling their kids they're not gay/trans, "you just haven't found the rigHt gUy/giRl," or "you just haven't experienced what it means to be a reAl woMaN/mAn"

[@TheAquamarine4]

@@withcindy why does your reply have the translate to English button under it? It’s not any language youtube should know this?!

[@yakamoose]

The librarian would definitely say “If you’re depressed, just smile. Get out there and be happy.” For real though, glad I passed on The Midnight Library. I’m not here for that corny ish.

[@withcindy]

Don't cry because it's over.... smile because it happened :)

[@barbllz]

my pricipal once said that. everyone laughed it was amazing

[@damekkoDark]

yeah, if I wanted that kind of message I would just talk to mom

[@astan1246]

Why is this the exact thing my doctor said to me when i told her about my problems

[@beetsred2387]

That's how you get Stepford Smilers, you know the trope about people who hide behind a smile when in truth they're suffering inside? Always happy on the outside. Suicidal on the inside. I just really hate that quote.

[@dahliablush8038]

Matt Haig when writing "The Midnight Library": "If you're sad, just be happy....Wow, did I just solve depression?"

[@joelleblanc8670]

IMAGINE if in The Midnight Library, it was about the librarian instead, and their struggle to understand why their meme-level advice didn't help someone who went through this journey? They start off smart ass and all knowing, but end up LOST because they couldn't save someone from depression/suicide, and have to go through their own journey to find out why and eventually learn how to love people you can't fix and just be with them.

[@withcindy]

that would be too complex for the author to pull off LOL

[@aleabeckermann2100]

Can we include a sapphic romance too? 👀

[@hemlock1881]

@@aleabeckermann2100 “If there’s a library, there’s a lesbian.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

[@bangboom123]

This here is an honestly brilliant concept for a story.

[@jina8960]

@Liquid Night i thought she actually said that and got so excited how dare you

[@phoebe4450]

I liked Midnight Library because I read it wrong and thought the complete misunderstanding of depression looped the cutesy setup back into some kind of liminal horror story

[@withcindy]

LOL that WOULD be a horror story for me tbh

[@sadirasturdevant4128]

Sounds like the best way to interact with that book honestly.

[@loveloveaii]

Honestly? If you viewed it as horror it would be legit terrifying

[@aleabeckermann2100]

Honestly, Midnight Library just made me mad lmao. I don’t even mind it when books lack subtlety because I’m bad at interpreting but I feel like this book implied that depression is essentially just dissatisfaction. You can have a good life and still have depression, one doesn’t exclude the other!

[@withcindy]

YES exactly!!

[@mena4397]

It sort of gives the message of "oh you're depressed because you're ungrateful, look at all the wonderful things you have in life!" which is horribly insensitive because that's how depression feels sometimes to the victims which only worsens what they're going through, even if that wasn't what the author was trying to say.

[@mglarson5936]

@@mena4397 I’ve been depressed since I was young (I estimate around 9/10 years old but I can’t remember exactly) and yeah, part of the reason I didn’t tell anyway until I was 14 is because I felt so guilty for being depressed. I had a good childhood, a good family, etc. and being depressed made me hate myself even more because I felt like I was being ungrateful. It seems this book is pushing this notion, which is really harmful for people with depression.

[@mena4397]

@@mglarson5936 I'm so sorry you had to go through that and I'm so proud of you for letting people know, it's a very difficult thing to do

[@mglarson5936]

@@mena4397 Thank you! I try to be as open as possible since it's so stigmatized. Books like this really piss me off XD

[@karenlikespie]

I didn’t read Midnight Library but all im picturing is that library from avatar the last air bender with the owl as the “librarian”

[@clava7851]

I’ll have my vacation AT THE LIBRARY!!!!

[@kcc105]

SAME

[@razk9231]

same especially the end when the library is collapsing and she has to right her future!! that’s sokka getting the calendar info for black sun

[@deraao]

Loll that sounds like some shit Wan Shi Tong would do

[@lil_big_mack]

OKK I’ve been doing that too!

[@alyssaj8779]

The Midnight Library sounds like it could have been better if there was more of a thread linking all the unhappy lives together. Depression is both biology and environment. If in every bad life it was shown that she left her mental health untreated and never reached out for or accepted support, but then there were good lives where she did things like seek treatment, take medication, regularly see a therapist, reach out to those surround her, and just generally make her mental health a priority, I think that would have been more effective and helpful. Seeing just life after life where you're depressed and it's unending sounds like it would make things worse.

[@withcindy]

very true!

[@nguverenahua59]

I DNFed the Midnight Library after the second life, just couldn't get into it. From all the comments I guess the author was trying to do in a book what the As Told by Ginger and Macy Gray did in a theme song. "Someone once told me the grass is much greener, on the other side. But I paid a visit, might be possible I missed it, it seemed different yet exactly the same."

[@loanpefoev]

Yeah, totally! I actually thought that this was what the author might be going for with her being on antidepressants in the first two or three lives she tries out. Or just drop the depression and write a fun little "waking up in a stranger's body" book with all the polar bear antics you want.

[@princessjohn2066]

the problem your suggestion has is, that in the book the mc doesn't have memories foe the lives she picks. she only has her own memories from the original life, so she always starts out with her depressed selfe. but yes, i agree that the author could have written a good story with this idea, he just did not lol

[@michellecollinsgalaviz2126]

I think it missed a point just bringing her back magically fine with the strife in her life instead of her deciding to get help and working through her mental and emotional problems like real people with suicidal ideation do, like going to therapy, creating meaningful lifestyle changes, exercise and medication. Like, yeah, gratitude has been proven time and time again to be pillars in pulling people out of a depressive state but it is unreal and naïve to think it is the cure to all problems.

[@sphiggs]

When you said the clone was pregnant, and had killed the husband, I thought this was gonna be a story about a woman and her clone trying to raise a child together whilst on the run for murder

[@withcindy]

would u be OK if i said a spoiler here

[@sphiggs]

@@withcindy ??? Yes!

[@ohwellthenB]

@@sphiggs is Cindy really gonna leave us hanging like dis??

[@sphiggs]

@@ohwellthenB Haha, seems so

[@sheaosullivan5280]

"the only way to learn is to live" being repeated constantly is giving strong sjm "like calls to like" energy

[@withcindy]

Don't make this worse

[@shakirashipslied9721]

Oh my god Shea no-

[@harisbisevac4578]

Or "I have lost my way" from that one book.

[@AlannaVicious]

The Midnight Library sounds like a Lifetime movie about depression.

[@withcindy]

it pretty much was

[@thewolfandherbooks]

I think it would be a Hallmark movie.

[@SabrinaMSabrinasStories]

Kind of wish The Midnight Library didn't have the depression angle at all and was just about someone going on an adventure and experiencing a bunch of different lives and having fun, lol.

[@joelleblanc8670]

IMAGINE if in The Echo Wife, it was revealed the wife had been through severe trauma (hence flashbacks) and the husband DIDN’T KNOW she was a secret psycho, and the clone was also psychopathic but couldn't control herself the way the wife could? So the clone is a version of her that had the same influences and issues, but started making different choices. That'd be a good book me thinks.

[@withcindy]

OOOOOHHH THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER OMG

[@joelleblanc8670]

@@withcindy I feel like it should have been a 2000s movie with Christian Slater and Ashley Judd TBH...

[@murrenkelly3866]

Oooh or if the clone was actually in her imagination because her obsession with work and anger at her husband culminated into her going insane and killing him herself.

[@aimun5255]

You should definitely write that book or hire someone else to do it lol

[@Edible_Kittens]

@@murrenkelly3866 That sounds kinda boring sorry. How many books and movies and tv shows have been made where it’s revealed the person was just going through a psychotic breakdown and hallucinating, making the most interesting part of the story actually never happen?

[@charxthekoopaking5673]

The librarian is so dumb. The "not over till it's over" shit SLAYED me. Subtly doesn't exist in that universe.

[@withcindy]

librarian: IT'S NOT OVER....... UNTIL IT'S OVER main character: WOW SO TRUE

[@oksanal199]

People die... if they are killed.

[@houghoug2777]

@@oksanal199 every 60 seconds a minute passes

[@coralrose5754]

@@oksanal199 The floor.. is made of floor

[@luuuuux_]

@@oksanal199 every 60 minutes, an hour passes in Australia

[@Thenoobestgirl]

"the game isn't over until it is over." Yes, and water is made of water.

[@withcindy]

Water.... Is wet

[@Thenoobestgirl]

@@withcindy okay but why did you have to make it sexual? 😂

[@rueonyx517]

@@Thenoobestgirl no, you made it sexual :)

[@kiaravera5849]

Watching Cindy cook and drag the librarian to absolute filth just became my favorite pastime. "Your solution for me after I just tried to kill myself is to force me to live several lives????" girl same. If I ever met the librarian I'd simply choose to die faster. Full offense to Nora Seed but I'm different.

[@withcindy]

EXACTLY i would scream to get me out of here so i can just die LOL

[@anvesha7067]

The midnight library sounds like a very religious depiction of depression, how we should be GRATEFUL for small things and yk just get over it

[@withcindy]

live love laugh!!!

[@user-qu8zs7vs1x]

did you actually read it? or it just "sounds" like that based on one person's opinion?

[@bloodieghostie]

Im pretty sure I have social anxiety, and I tried to bring this up to my mom because I'm tired of not being able to make friends, and she literally said "just stop worrying, then you'll be better 🙂" LIKE I CANT THATS WHY IM W O R R I E D

[@moonbounce3797]

@@user-qu8zs7vs1x apparently the sarcasm wasn't detected with this one

[@user-qu8zs7vs1x]

@@moonbounce3797 ? I was replying to the OP

[@ma.nasa26]

The characters in that first book sounds like the epitome of that one saying: Gatelight, Girlkeep, Gasboss!

[@withcindy]

probably tbh

[@galaxyocicat5660]

Gatekeep, gaslight, girlboss

[@hannah-fg5vo]

@@galaxyocicat5660 thank god we have you to correct people when they make a joke

[@jennys.9592]

gasboss is me after eating too many beans

[@sydneydenham5778]

The Midnight Library sounds like when a non-depressed person tries to give you advice for depression by saying “don’t be sad. Appreciate the little things, like the sunrise” wow thanks. All better now.

[@aspenfrench2515]

Ironically, your 100% accurate rant about The Midnight Library gave me life

[@withcindy]

i did more of a service than the book did

[@lilaboxx]

It's the ciiiiircle of liiiife

[@Shrilaraune]

@@lilaboxx LAMOOOOO

[@Monkeyzforever]

So if Cindy still cooks the same way as in college... does that mean she would wave a knife at her roommate in a vaguely threatening way while talking about books? 🤔

[@withcindy]

perhaps

[@Larissawesome]

I have seen 14-year-olds on ao3 deal with depression better and more compelling than it seems the midnight library did

[@teifan6674]

Man, having to relive different versions of my life over and over while a random karen lectures me about the meaning of life would *definitely* be an effective afterlife punishment for me. 5 minutes in and I would be begging god to just give me a normal torture like in No Exit

[@withcindy]

SAMEEEE

[@stephysteph8558]

Twist: the Librarian is actually playing 5-dimenionsional chess by torturing the main character into going back to life just to get away. OR the book ends with the main character saying "HOLY forking shirtballs! This is the BAD PLACE!" and the librarian laughs evilly and it actually turns out this is just the first book in a series about four wacky losers escaping hell.

[@teifan6674]

@@stephysteph8558 I see we have an EXTREMELY cultured gal here

[@user-mr1qw2bl6w]

"Don't underestimate me. I have very little regard for my life." I don't know if I feel represented or exposed.

[@withcindy]

I WILL NOT HESITATE! I AM MENTALLY ILL!

[@MyMizukiBis]

Cindy + Book + Cooking = Best Combo ♥️

[@withcindy]

thank u :3

[@francescakyanda9182]

How dare such a magical place like a library be ruined by this obvious existential FOOLERY?! As a frequent library user, I am upset.

[@withcindy]

maybe we shouldnt fund libraries after all

[@justanawkwardnerd]

I was so mad hearing about such a cool library in limbo and called the MIDNIGHT library, but it's about _this_ shit? Hell, nah. Could have turned it into something awesome by going more fantastical/supernatural, with a more grim take on the meaning of life. I'm so dissapointed.

[@laurenrosa8841]

Such an important point that when you live with depression, even if things go well for you and you feel more positive, there will always be bad days/months. If I heard this when I was younger I wouldn't have been so hard on myself for not having a magical "recovery" that can be harmfully depicted in self help guides / fiction. I felt ashamed my reality wasn't the romanticised version I heard about

[@withcindy]

exactly!! this is something i am still trying to remember as well, though it's hard sometimes when you go through the bad periods

[@SF-op5ix]

I totally agree! It makes it sound like she had situational depression (which is valid and difficult in and of itself) instead of a long term and mostly lifetime long disorder.

[@laurenrosa8841]

@@SF-op5ix Yeah I know there are some people that have depression for a small period of time, however this is the danger of only having one character with depression, as suggesting that one person can represent a whole community is an issue in itself. I feel very uncomfortable by the idea that you can learn a "positive message" to reduce your depression, as different things to work for different people and will respond differently to all sorts of different messages. But there are always some people that claim depression is an "attitude problem" rather than something some people do genuinely live with despite attempts at therapy and trying out all sorts of tips that are recommended. So for me I try to steer away from people who advise you need to think X to improve your wellbeing. As I prefer to hear a variety of different messages which reflects and acknowledgement that different people may benefit from slightly different takes on what messages help people with their daily life/outlook on the future

[@lunacouer]

@@laurenrosa8841 Love this.

[@johnnacee-reads4119]

It does sound like he took his specific experience and tried to apply it to all of us. And it does sound like his might have been situational. When I went through an intense suicidal period, mine had to do with right then and there being unbearable. What did it matter if tomorrow, or next year, or 5 years from now would be better ? Now was absolutely unbearable, to where I didn't know if I could get through the next few minutes, let alone another day/week/year/decade. That was my personal experience, whatever was coming next did not outweigh or make the suffering I was currently experiencing "worth it". I still don't know if it was, I just know I did make it through it somehow.

[@kkurajam]

hearing this i feel like the author didn’t understand that ppl who unalive themselves dont do it because they think theyve failed in life they mostly do it because living in their own mind is so torturing they dont wanna be conscious anymore

[@withcindy]

Exactly, that's how it is for me 😔

[@kkurajam]

@@withcindy yeah me too 😔

[@JoyintheA.M]

Cindy going on a rant about killing herself just to prove a point is sending me to Mercury LMAOOOOOOOO

[@withcindy]

I AM MENTALLY ILL AND WILL PROVE IT

[@ClaireDuggins]

The Midnight Library sounds like one of those books specifically written for a stereotypical soccer-mom book club.

[@withcindy]

live love laugh!

[@justmeandmuhaha]

I read the midnight library during a pretty horrendous time in my life where I felt ✨extra✨ suicidal, hoping to get some joy back into my life for a brief moment. LOL Instead I left having read a book about a Mary Sue character that somehow has all this talent and is great at everything she tries to do in her life.. Amazing scientist? Yes. Rock star ? Yes. University lecturer? Yes. And the list goes on. I got annoyed by each fucking life she tried out, since I knew it was going to be another life where she made it one way or another. And I'm just lying in bed, dying, but reading this shit of a book feeling so much worse about myself lmao loved it

[@withcindy]

insert some cheesy line here about how u can succeed at anything as long as u put ur mind to it :)

[@deli5194]

Technically she could in the multiverse but also like why would that make her depression go away? Thats out of her control. Like illnesses are not in your control.

[@sin3358]

@@deli5194 it depends. Some depression is genetic, some isn't. I havent read the book so idk if there's any description of her kind of depression

[@deli5194]

@@sin3358 hmm i guessed it was genetic because she talked about her familys disappointment and how they all felt this. also in most of hre lives she took depression pills and immediately felt disappointed and went back. but the thing is that the author shows a life where she takes pills for depression or committed self harm as a result of her unhappiness is just harmful.

[@vennox_3]

Why was she suicidal in the first place? And please don't say it's because she was "bored of life" or "wasn't grateful enough" like that's Ghibli theme but done very, very badly.

[@fridalozano7795]

“When will men stop being trash?” Probably never seeing as they don’t like to leave me alone when I ask them to, or when I look uncomfortable around them 😒

[@withcindy]

ugh sorry u have to deal with that :|

[@TheFlowerbeast]

"Being successful doesn't make you truly happy." That's just what capitalism wants you to think so you wouldn't want to be something more while also making you feel guilty for not improving your life

[@withcindy]

it prob depends on how u define success, like becoming a CEO prob wont make u happy but becoming rich would increase ur chances of being happy

[@TheFlowerbeast]

@@withcindy Ah, I can see that

[@suchigogineni3245]

“Ebeneezer Scrooge but depressed version” as if he wasn’t already depressed in the first pkace

[@jae1858]

"the game isn't over until its over" gave me such "people die when they're killed" vibes that I had to pause the video.

[@yana33612]

the midnight library sounds like it was written by someone who thinks having depression is being sad about failing a test. and it’s weird because the author actually has depression

[@withcindy]

yea it's odd... his experience does not seem universal to me LOL

[@thunderbird3304]

So not-so-funny story, but that's actually how I found out I have depression. It was the final try out before the national test (I live in Indonesia) and I found out that I got really bad grades, and I outright thought about killing myself while crying at school (nobody found out, fortunately)

[@yana33612]

@@thunderbird3304 same, kinda, actually. my depression manifests as numbness and 0 to no energy so i didn’t realise until i had my high school final the literal next day and couldn’t bring myself to care even a little bit. but it always annoyed me when i heard people saying stuff like “im depressed too, i was sad for a week after getting a 60 in math”

[@naranciabestboi8498]

I tried cooking once and gave everyone the shittiest food poisoning for 3 days

[@withcindy]

one time i gave my crush my sushi leftovers but the sushi had gone bad so he had to go to the bathroom for the rest of the day :(

[@naranciabestboi8498]

@@withcindy ouch, not the crush 😭

[@NixLaLoupe]

"The Midnight Library" triggered my depression and suicidal ideation so hard. It legit to me three days to get out of my spiral. I had to dnf that one ☹

[@withcindy]

Omg im so sorry :(

[@dahko9657]

So sorry to know that, the same happened to me so I can totally understand :(

[@Tigerlilyheart_]

Cindy, I am currently putting together a memorial video for my grandfather who recently passed away. I wanted to say thank you for uploading this now and making me laugh while I work on the video 😭❤️ it’s pretty heavy but this definitely helps lift my mood and keeps me from getting too down. Your videos always cheer me up but this one came at just the right time. I appreciate you!

[@withcindy]

aww im so sorry about your grandfather! i am actually visiting my grandma later today in hospice since she might be passing away soon as well. it's tough to lose someone so i hope you and your fam will be ok ❤️

[@WhitneyDahlin]

@@withcindy hey I'm so sorry for both of you! I'm an in-home geriatric nurse and I was actually my grandfather's caregiver until he passed away in hospice a month ago. My heart goes out to you guys I don't know what your situations are but I'm sending all the good vibes your way

[@Tigerlilyheart_]

withcindy Thank you so much ❤️🙏🏼 this means a lot. Sending you prayers and good thoughts for you and your family too.

[@Tigerlilyheart_]

Whitney Dahlin Thank you so much for your kindness ❤️🙏🏼 I am very sorry for your loss and I hope you get through this difficult time OK ❤️

[@millymillie]

my grandfather just passed away a couple days ago and it has been the hardest death i’ve ever had to process. i’m so sorry and i’m sending you so much love 🤍

[@KatLauv]

I read midnight library and everyone around me talked about how amazing it was, but it just felt gross to me. Depression isn’t just a lack of gratitude for life. I read it and just felt mad that the people I know who have passed don’t get to have a chance to live again. It’s over for them

[@mariamarinera3093]

I haven't watched the whole video, but reading the title makes me think: As a person with depression, it really makes me sad to read books about depression where they overcome depression and end up happy. It's not bad, nor i hate it. It just hurts sm because i'm jealous

[@withcindy]

i find it unrealistic if the "happiness" is depicted as a permanent state of being bc thats not how depression works :|

[@lilaboxx]

If you don't like that read Solitaire by Alice Oseman, the ending is hopeful but not overly cheesy (in my personal opinion)

[@mariamarinera3093]

@@withcindy THIS. Omg I love you so much

[@mariamarinera3093]

@@lilaboxx loved Solitaire, I felt really conected with Tori, i'm not proud to say it but that's how I felt:(

[@lilaboxx]

@@mariamarinera3093 Solitaire is really well written, i didn't connect to Tori that much but it helped me understand what other people go through a little better i don't have depression so i don't know what it feels like but i wish you so much strength and that it will get easier for you (idk if that's cheesy bs but i wanted to say something)

[@marykaz3769]

“Inspiring” and “depression” in the same sentence mmm i love that for me

[@withcindy]

ive been feeling very... inspiring lately

[@SLAYYYYYYY703]

The Echo Wife really gave me gaslight, gate keep, and girl boss vibes.

[@withcindy]

pretty much!

[@DPWFG]

"The game isn't over... Until it's over." I had to put down my chicken wing.

[@samiai8905]

The Midnight Library sounds like a rich guy watched Bojack Horseman and The Good Place, ignored everything involving the nuances in depression and systemic failures, then looked at a fortune cookie and a light bulb turned over his head. It's wild how there are so many hurdles and expectations when trying to get into publishing and yet this is the stuff that makes it. Also its cool you're slowly getting back into eating Mexican food

[@withcindy]

my go-to mexican food is enchiladas!

[@sunny-pn6fh]

“It’s not over…until it’s over” Every 60 seconds in Africa, a minute passes

[@dharabarot4033]

Reading the midnight library as a psychologist student gave me a neck cramp cause of how much I was shaking my head

[@withcindy]

LOLLLL

[@Sam-on5jf]

I finished the book and then literally 1 day later I had some of my worst mental health days of the last 6 months and is it a coincidence or probably because of other contributing factors? probably. is it the book's fault? absolutely, no coincidence.

[@Sam-on5jf]

please don't cancel me this is a joke

[@withcindy]

i believe it

[@brunetteartist24]

Glad to know there's been zero character development in your cooking style, love the consistency

[@withcindy]

Always!

[@dontknowagoodname9860]

How to improve the echo wife: make the wife marry her own clone. A self-love promoting queen 💘

[@withcindy]

sounds masturbatory but would be v curious to read

[@skymin963]

onceler fandom rises again

[@bloodieghostie]

@@skymin963 undertale au fandom all over (but I can't talk cause I ship some of it °-°) Edit: Just not the s€xu@l stuff, tho. Just fluffy romance.

[@heatherduke5410]

Reminds me of that, "would you fuck your clone?" meme.

[@frankundercoverdragon6288]

Loki (2021)

[@jyu6977]

I'm glad that me and my closest bestie are not the only one who think The Midnight Library so repetitive and corny. The two of us have been in silence cuz my senior and some of my classmates love it so much. The struggle is real y'all :")

[@handkerchiefghost14]

My anxiety went through the roof because I bled through my pants at school, thanks for always cheering me up Cindy 💞

[@withcindy]

omg did u get ur period

[@handkerchiefghost14]

Yeah 😔 but luckily my mom came through for picking me up early

[@work-in-progress]

Hey, when I 1st got my periods, I didn't realise either and the next day I had to skip school even though I was supposed to be there for sports day. It's okay if you're a little confused or worried, with time you'll understand your body better. Just let your mom know about whatever you feel- any tiredness, cramps or pain etc, and note the dates so that next time you can be better prepared. As of now have some warm coco and watch your favourite movie. Take care, lots of love! 💛

[@handkerchiefghost14]

@@work-in-progress thank you so much for the advice, it's not actually my first period lol I was just caught off guard by how heavy my flow was 😓

[@SF-op5ix]

A WHOLE nightmare! Take care!

[@madalenapires21]

Matt Haig's nonfiction book where he tells his personal experience with depression and anxiety is much better than The Midnight Library.

[@withcindy]

yea i rated that one 3 stars

[@whyt5840]

i feel like everybody has felt like "ill jump off a cliff just to prove a point" at least once

[@withcindy]

it's a character builder

[@astoldbynickgerr]

Definitely 😌

[@IgoIgoIgo]

"The only way to learn is to live." So that I could learn that my life is indeed fucked up so I wanna die even more?

[@withcindy]

guess we're all learning aren't we

[@oksanal199]

About "The Echo Wife" - I rated it 2 basically because I still somewhat gave a sh*t about whatever is going to happen in the ending, but I can't say I enjoyed the book in general (or the ending, to be honest). Following a recipe of vanilla sponge cake looks more detailed and complex than the cloning process in this book. Oh, and I also couldn't take this book "seriously" because the author went down the way of "Main character is a serious scientist, so she'll be thinking about daily stuff in scientific terms" - that sort of stuff sounds comedic or satirical to me. When a grown-ass woman sees her husband's lover and thinks "Observable data confirmed my assumptions" or whatever that phrase was, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

[@withcindy]

"Following a recipe of vanilla sponge cake looks more detailed and complex than the cloning process in this book" LITERALLYYYYY why was the process of cloning so weird like they were baking LOL

[@GorloftheMonth]

Full offense but Cindy needs to find a s.o. to cook for her and film couple videos with for profit. a win-win

[@withcindy]

thats what ellias was supposed to be SMH

[@jacobd1984]

Where have you been? She’s already in a very heterosexual relationship.

[@Moonstar79]

The Midnight Library would be better as a children’s book than for adults, I feel. Specifically middle schoolers, since that’s the age group that feels most heavily like all their decisions come back to haunt them. That, and a main character with depression on a middle grade book is kind of novel, so it’d get more of a reaction like “wow, this person thinks like me, I’m not alone!” than “damn this bitch ain’t got shit on me”

[@StarGaleSky7]

Cindy: (gives profanity-filled and sassy book reviews) Me: This channel is so wholesome and Cindy is so adorable. I love being here.

[@withcindy]

teehee

[@presleygreen1889]

@@withcindy ryan..is that you?😂

[@lemonicowo]

“the game is only over… when its over” people die when they’re killed

[@withcindy]

LOL

[@SF-op5ix]

I really like Helen Hoang. As a neurodivergent person myself I really love how her series focuses on autistic people and how that influences their interaction with their different relationships, jobs, or cultures. What usually falls flat for me is the romance itself. They never seem to click. Maybe it’s because they seem too different and don’t compliment one another but it’s very frustrating. I’ll definitely check out her new book eventually!

[@withcindy]

ohhh u might enjoy this book better than i did then!! :3

[@peachmilkbby9899]

So the first book had great romance to me but the second book really lacked in that aspect, this book was the best of all three!! Another book with autistic characters is act your age, eve brown. Both of the main characters are autistic but I like that they have very different personalities and interests

[@fanaticaH]

I haven't read any of her books always cause discussion on the autism forums I frequent. Some people would love them to death while others would hate them with a passion. It's not even about the romance itself because I think a lot of people there would just prefer sci-fi and avoid romances. But there's this discussion about the representation of autism. Some hate them because they think she presents it as too simplistic as if was just being socially awkward or quirky. While others would say they completely identified with her experiences. I think someone said she made all her female protagonists act like Daria.

[@SF-op5ix]

@@peachmilkbby9899 I’ll check that one out!! Thanks for the rec!!

[@peachmilkbby9899]

@@fanaticaH her female protagonists we’re both like Daria at all! Ppl are always so judgmental. If you read her author’s note, her characters were largely based on her own experience. Not all of us on the spectrum are the same, I related to both of her female autistic characters in some ways and completely couldn’t relate in others. To expect for her to cover all bases Is insane

[@gaymerg0rlbathwater]

ladies don’t you just hate it when your husband steals your research so that he can clone you then have a baby with said clone? #problemsonlygirlswillunderstand

[@withcindy]

ugh men!!! am i right ladies!!

[@Yeovelyn]

The book just doesn’t make sense 🤣🔫

[@maybepolly_]

⭐just girlboss things⭐

[@thefrizz13]

I gave The Midnight Library 4 stars but your review isn't wrong lmao 💀

[@withcindy]

glad u enjoyed it better than i did!!

[@muskaan3711]

LMAO same

[@jonise9223]

helen hoang was so used to writing quan as a side character he ended up being a side character in his own book

[@withcindy]

NOOOOO 😭😭

[@simsinacafe]

I wish the midnight library has a plot twist, that this person is actually already ded, and in ded, life is repeating again and again and again, until you can kill the librarian, and open the secret door to another secret library contain magic book, where you can write your own plot twist, and entering it, and be free, at least for a while, because there's not only one library in this universe. Life is life, you have no choice.

[@incolourxx2613]

I liked the midnight library because I am a young adult and am paralyzed by the fear of regretting my choices. The novel was a good reminder that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere and all we can do is embrace life with both hands, it made me feel better. But would I say that this book gives an accurate representation of depression and suicide? Imma have to agree with Cindy on that one 💀

[@ninojohnvitor4485]

True. At first, i felt guilty for actually vibibg with this book but i also know some bunch of bs exists in it so reading your comment made me realize I can have a nuanced opinion

[@Rkhfb]

I have no idea if I'm supposed to be laughing or crying right now listening to you talk about your depression 🙂 Cindy don't listen to people. You deserve the world ❤️🗺️🌍

[@withcindy]

thanks

[@MaryAmongStories]

I had very similar thoughts about The Midnight Library and found it very disrespectful to anyone who's struggling with their mental health 😕

[@withcindy]

im sure the book has helped some people but ... DEFINITELY not me LOL

[@Gryffindame]

I was going through a really bad time mentally and it was the exact bullshit I needed to feel better tbh haha but I LOVE trash garbage so I'm not surprised I liked it. Like, it didn't cure me haha but it just reminded me that things do get better, and that for me (who had just quit my job because I was being bullied, but I was questioning all my decisions) I was on the right path, and that I can always wonder what if, but I that doesn't fix anything.

[@thereadingwriter4197]

“I tango with depression” -Cindy 2021 and the best line I’ve ever heard. I cha cha slide with anxiety and tango with depression, don’t even ask about waltzing.

[@guilhermevinicius4168]

i feel like the librarian's office must have a huge "live, laugh, love" print framed in the back

[@letranger4461]

Midnight Library in a nutshell: Haha don't don't kill yourself you're ... .... ...... The rest is still 𝓾𝓷𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓷

[@Mimimandycarol]

I read it as the author’s view on how he views his mental illness/recovery. I did not see it as an anthem for depression as a whole. I agree that all view points are different. I have been a miserable shit for 25+ years. But I have had years that I am digging out of the pit. I felt this book was the author digging himself out of a pit.

[@bookshockeywhatever]

Honestly, the midnight library could literally be mistaken for those cheesy inspiration quotes that you get told if you fail something

[@withcindy]

dont cry because its over, smile because it happened :)

[@liv-uu1fi]

It sounds like The Midnight Library was doing *okay* like halfway until they made it, "even the best things won't make you happy so just be yourself" like please this is not a disney movie

[@andraste6746]

I am clearly in the minority but I loved The Midnight Library. I have both anxiety and depression and what I got from it was that where you are right now is ok. For someone who is older those regrets can pile up so it gave me space to feel ok for where I am. Matt Haig does write a lot on depression too. Like anything depression is a unique experience.

[@withcindy]

im glad you enjoyed the book!

[@earendil3466]

As another severely depressed person, I love every word of your review for the midnight library. The author just does not have the subtlety/intelligence to write on such a delicate and complex matter and have it turned out well. You can definitely tell he's a self help writer lol

[@loonaboots5390]

I liked The Echo Wife a lot more when I learned it was about cycles of abuse, and specifically modeling yourself after an abuser to survive. Meaning, the clone is a reflection of Evelyn’s mother. If that was made more clear in the book, I’d have an easier time understanding the main character.

[@akositatot]

My daily dose of serotonin 😌 love u cindy 💕

[@withcindy]

love u too margot :3

[@nadine5337]

I read Stardust this month, and I was somehow fully convinsed that it was a childrens book. I was in for a surprise

[@withcindy]

o no

[@i.7566]

Ha, ha... I too thought it was for children when I read it... and then he started describing her breasts...

[@KitAE0]

You mean the book that got adapted into the movie that scarred me as a kid??! 😂

[@i.7566]

@flower meadows Yes...

[@springshowers4754]

Just read it for the first time yesterday, i feel ya.

[@minibookblog2148]

As someone who's dealing with depression from age of 11 (19 years and counting) it never goes away. We just have to accept the fact that everlasting happiness or stretched periods of happiness or even happiness for a whole day is not our thing. ✋we don't do that here🤚

[@sophiemurphy9711]

😂 I love your rant about the Midnight Library!! I read it for a book club and I couldn’t STAND that book!! It’s so cheesy and it’s all the people without depression telling me that I “just didn’t understand the message.” Your jokes made me laugh so hard!!

[@withcindy]

glad im not the only one!

[@Kmai84]

I’m so glad I watched this before picking up the midnight library coz it sounds like it would’ve made me feel even worse! On another note, my mental health has taken a nose dive recently & your videos help me feel less alone

[@withcindy]

sorry youve been feeling down!! i hope things get better soon

[@ct4533]

I love that Cindy has 0 improvement in cooking in like 5 years

[@TheFlowerbeast]

Oh my God, Cindy! How did you know I needed someone to cheer me up? Thanks for uploading! 😍

[@withcindy]

yay im glad :D

[@Raebourn]

So many people have recommended the Midnight Library to me and it's so wrong. As a 911 dispatcher who has struggled with suicidal ideations and who has spent many hours throughout my career talking to people in those last minutes before the pills kick in (or other means) and never made it, it is BEYOND triggering. I would not recommend it to anyone with depression. The toxic positivity of "hey it's not all bad, just change your outlook" is BS. This is the first video that I've seen that actually addresses this. The only thing it "got right" is that almost every person I've talked to has said they feel the world is better off without them and they don't want to be a burden to others anymore and, if I recall, the protagonist felt this way.

[@gibby3166]

It’s all shits and giggles until someone giggles and shits 💔

[@withcindy]

who shat ??? 💔

[@maxy9540]

as someone who's bitter, single, and loves money, i have never in my life identified with something as much as "ebenezer scrooge but depressed version"

[@conor8185]

i really do not understand why someone trying to prevent someone from unaliving themself would insist on drilling into their head the message of "no matter how successful you are or how "good" your life is, it won't make you happy"

[@villanelle2.0]

That wasn't actually the point of the book. The main characters had regrets about messing up her life, she was always stuck in "I should have done this", "I should have done that", which were mostly made of what other people around her wanted her to do. As she keeps switching between those lives, she realises those were not the solutions, thus her regrets kept decreasing. Then the librarian urged her to pick her own regrets, rather than those of other people, so she picked one life where she had decided something that she really wanted to do, not something based on what others wanted her to do. And in that life she finds happiness, it turns out pretty good.

[@kittycatcrunchie]

I saw the beginning and I was lowkey mad because I thought I loved Midnight Libray but actually, the book I love is Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore which also features: - Sewerslide amongst books - Depressed Main Character - Blue Gilt Cover - Story involving revisiting past memories and addressing emotions Except that it's actually really good and pls I feel so guilty for confusing it with Midnight Library

[@withcindy]

oooo sounds better!!

[@kittycatcrunchie]

@@withcindy I think about it every day

[@annef0x]

Why does the Midnight Library feel like something that'll be written by our counselor-ish figure at our coaching institute whose only advice to "how do I deal with the pressures of everyone that's put on me" is "I can sit here and say everything but at the end of the day, YOU have to make the decision. And you have to put in the effort to not be swept away by this. YOU have to be the unflinching rock in this turbulent ocean (actual quote btw)" like Sir, Im a depressed child with anxiety issues and ADHD-

[@zaharabliss106]

Man I just realized recently an epiphany, I enjoy hearing Cindy talking negatively about books too much.... and I get really hungry while watching these video's.

[@withcindy]

ppl def like my negative rants more than my positive haha

[@zaharabliss106]

@@withcindy Generally I like the sound of your voice it's pretty comforting in a weird way. I hope the rest of your- well whatever the time of day it is where you are is great. You made my afternoon definately.

[@KitAE0]

I pretty much completely disliked the story in The Night Library. I found it over the top and kinda boring with the repetitive lives. However, I have depression and anxiety, hit hard at 15 and meant I practically dropped out of school, didn't take my GCSE'S and had many limited options for my future which just made shit more bleak. While friends around me were growing socially, mentally and academically, I felt like I was completely stagnant and not going anywhere, and all I thought about was the path in life where I'd been ok and done what everyone else did at the same time as them. Coming from that perspective, I did like the book that way. I'm someone who sometimes doesn't want to live anymore, but I'm also someone who wants to live every life and experience every single aspect of life imaginable so the main character having the capability to do that felt cool to me. 😊

[@withcindy]

aww im glad you were able to take something out of the book!!

[@alexinator-hh5fe]

Why read about depression when I can experience it in real time?🙄

[@withcindy]

ive literally slept for 24+ hours without getting out of bed or eating THREE SEPARATE TIMES this past week

[@UKLeonie]

Yep that's my take now a days, no more upheaval through the mandemic.

[@komaedalover]

"It's not over until it's over" Same energy as "just because you are correct doesn't mean you are right"