Top of the TBR | September 2024

[@JennieRavn]

I would like to say: Thank you! for taking me out of a miserable reading slump that have been ongoing on & off for a few years due to some major life changes that have drained me of energy and have made me to restless to read. I have no idea how KZbin figured out that I needed you and your amazing mother in my life. So I bought like 19 new books on the Savidges recommendation and went to the library and borrowed Samatha Harveys The Western Wind while I wait for my books to arrive (in about 2 weeks, I live in Sweden). I just wanted to say thank you for the joy you have brought out in my life.

[@SavidgeReads]

That is such a lovely comment to get, thank you so much. I am so pleased I could help even in some small way - and mum would say the same too I am sure. I hope all those books don't take too much longer to get to you (19, wow) and that you enjoy The Western Wind in the interim, aren't libraries brilliant!?! I hope the joy of books keeps on giving joy!

[@Nurse_Kathy]

All us “mood readers” have a Contrary Fairy living in our heads!! 🧚🧚‍♀️🧚‍♂️

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahaha.

[@karenmoore4430]

Loved The Lost Long Songs of Boysie Singh and Hagstone.

[@SavidgeReads]

I loved Hagstone and am sure I’m going to absolutely love The Lost Love Songs of Boysie Singh.

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

Heading to autumn. Happy reading and best wishes.

[@SavidgeReads]

Thank you! You too!

[@leolamoon11]

Would love for you and Louise to read the Booker Shortlist. ❤❤❤

[@SavidgeReads]

Mum wasn't convinced interestingly... and I don't know if with all these events and more in November I will have time but I am tempted, lets see what the shortlist is, that could be the clincher.

[@camillodimaria3288]

Beautiful background Library 📚… it’s like you have your own bookshop ha …I wish you would list the books… may be you do but I can lack tech savviness. Right now I’m reading The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois. It’s a smooth enjoyable read. A breeze. Not the subject matter tho. Conversely, I’m slogging thru Cloud Atlas. & contrasting that smooth read with the devastating All Quiet on the Western Front…

[@SavidgeReads]

I didn't love Cloud Atlas, so I would say DNF it if you aren't enjoying it. The world won't end. I would love to read The Love Songs of W.E.B Dubois at some point, right now with how bonkers things are is not the time but when I get an extended break it is on my shelves, so have it to look forward to in the future.

[@meganobrien9520]

I’m so happy that the algorithm delivered me here! ❤ This is exactly the way I think about TBRs 😅 Can’t wait to join the crew and follow along with your reading!

[@SavidgeReads]

I am so happy the algorithm brought you here too! Hope you keep enjoying the channel and the content, lovely to have you here.

[@ellenmadebookclub]

Come for the TBR, stay for the naughty sausages and bookish pandemonium

[@SavidgeReads]

Naughty Sausages and Bookish Pandemonium should so have been my channel name.

[@susprime7018]

I'm reading Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout. I'll be sad when it ends, it is reading fast.

[@SavidgeReads]

I am looking forward to getting to that in due course. I meant to have a Summer of Strout and didn't, oops.

[@birgitaushamburg]

I don't have an actual TBR because I'm the moodiest of mood readers and thus my "reading plans" will change anyway. I can quite relate to the wish to read a book in the perfect moment🤓, weatherwise, moodwise, at least seasonwise. But somewhere on my vague reading priority list, "The Off Season" by Amber Cowie is on top. Love your library pandemonium, by the way, feels like home.😃

[@SavidgeReads]

Nothing wrong with being the moodiest of mood readers, that is often how I feel. Ha! With so many gigs this month and more next month, it feels oddly quite nice to have the foundations of a kind of TNR with wriggle room for whim reading.

[@cecilialau_]

Very much love the idea of a vlog around your interviews/convos! Lots of exciting times ahead for you! 🙌 Also a fan of these hopefuls videos and your jumper, and let’s be honest, the yellow in it is everything. - Contrary fiaries unite!

[@SavidgeReads]

I bought the jumper of the yellow... I love it when a colour POPS!

[@donalreilly4242]

❤ That jumper ! Is it cheeky to ask where it’s from ? Just watched the wrap up video and I have Bad Habits packed for my upcoming trip to Madrid 😊

[@SavidgeReads]

This was from Next a few years ago, I bought it in the sales. You may be able to get it on Vinted or something thing. I hope you enjoy Bad Habits, I was considering going to Madrid this October, I have never been.

[@1book1review]

I am just overwhelmed seeing all the unread books and so many of them challenging and interesting. My year has been so much escapism fluff that I have a backlog of literary books I so would like to read it is making me curl up on the floor :D What I mean to say is, go you for living with all those books and sorting them to priority.

[@SavidgeReads]

I don’t mind having lots of unread books, they just make me think of all the reading journeys I’ve got ahead which is lovely. That said I need to be better at culling and checking if the books on the shelves still match the reader in the room, as our tastes can change so much over time.

[@byronsbrain]

Great TBR, James was wonderful, Loved There are Rivers in the Sky... and now I have more to add to my TBR ☺ thank you!

[@SavidgeReads]

I am looking forward to both of those.

[@mradcaqbdb]

Just watched this again over on Patreon and realized that I somehow missed a very exciting book during my first watch! Curdle Creek sounds amazing!!! I’ll definitely be reading this one when it comes out in October, maybe in print, maybe on audio. It sounds absolutely delicious! Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

[@SavidgeReads]

I think Curdle Creek is going to be brilliant. I loved her novel Remembered soooo much, so very excited for this one. Hope you enjoy it if you get to it!

[@heddwchmerched1918]

Dear Simon, I have been looking forward to seeing how you redesign your library. You mentioned doing this earlier in the summer. Is that still on the 'to do' list? The way it is now is lovely, but you said you fancied a change, maybe you have been too busy with other things. Moving all those books will be quite a task. Thanks for introducing us to such a wide variety of books.

[@SavidgeReads]

I have indeed been wanting to redecorate the library, what can I say... the summer and life got away with me, so it is going to be a project for autumn/winter. Though have decided not to make any definite dates as I am super duper busy this autumn. It is definitely on the to do list, just pending finding the time.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

I’d love to be amongst that bookish pandemonium. ❤

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahaha, you should have seen the video I made sorting all the piles of books this weekend. Utter pandemonium, not sadly to be seen on the channel.

[@nathansnook]

loved this idea!!! i was just thinking of all the books i abandoned in my summer tbr...i like this idea for accountability purposes! would be curious about your thoughts on Headshot and James if you end up getting to it for the month!

[@SavidgeReads]

I won't be reading James and Headshot this month, I don't think. I may read the Booker shortlist next month which I think James will be on. Headshot, which I have the feeling may also get shortlisted, which looks like would cause outrage, I do intend to read at some point. Maybe that's a buddy read for October or November before we get CHUNKY and GIRTHY in December? PS. Do that video, do it, do it, do it.

[@Georgesmomsu]

So many fun authors coming up. I’ve got to catch up with Ms. Atkinson. I love Brody but I’ve only read the first 2. I’d love a vlog of reading for prizes and author interviews.

[@SavidgeReads]

Reading for prizes I wouldn't be allowed to make, I don't think. Reading for work quite possibly could be on the cards though! You have so many treats ahead with all those Brodies.

[@bebeclauds]

Simon, you are literally the person I go to atm to stack my TBR😄 currently just finished I who have never known men. wow. going to start the in between later today 👏🏼💜

[@SavidgeReads]

Awww that is lovely to hear. Isn't I Who Have Never Known Men just brilliant? Hope you enjoy The In Between as much as I did, very touching... very, erm, frank.

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I also have a contrary fairy nature trying to decide what books to read for the for the rest of the year. I just got back from London and bought a few books and I'm tempted to reads those now, but I have all the books that have been waiting for me to read, as well.

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahaha. The constant conundrum of us book lovers and book buyers and keepers.

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

Still trying to narrow it down, but I did start another shorter novel The Lady of the Camellias by Alexander Dumas, because it’s the inspiration for Moulin Rouge.

[@alisonsarahcarroll6063]

Simon I loved the book life after life by Kate Atkinson I also loved the big sky

[@SavidgeReads]

Life After Life is brilliant, I did hear a whisper that another in that world (and the world of A God in Ruins) may be on the cards, I shall ask her on Thursday.

[@carolewatson2113]

About to book Kate Atkinson in Newcastle. Looking forward to it,

[@SavidgeReads]

Hooray!

[@andrearyan816]

I loved The Glassmaker, hope you love it too.

[@SavidgeReads]

I am sure I will, I love Tracy's writing. I actually picked up the sprayed edge indie edition yesterday which is STUNNING!

[@cindyhaiken5644]

I just listened to Kate Atkinson being interviewed on the New York Times Book Review podcast. She was fascinating. I can’t wait to read her new book and really wish I could be in Newcastle for your event. Tell her she’s not the only one who thinks A God in Ruins is her best book (and I’m saying that as someone who loves the Jackson Brodie series). I’m finally starting Blue Sisters (moved it up the TBR pile because of how excited you’ve been for it). I think when it comes to book buying we should all be naughty sausages!

[@SavidgeReads]

It is so interesting she says that about A God in Ruins, I want to ask her what keeps her going if she feels like she has written her best, I think they are all fab. Human Croquet is hugely underrated and under read. I would pick that for book club but we've done an Atkinson.

[@CharlieBrookReads]

How cool that you will be interviewing Fred Sirieix!! Thank you for the heads up re Curdle Creek!! I will get it as a birthday treat in Oct. I loved Remembered ❤️ Top of my TBR is Body Friend by Katherine Brabon (just started it last night) 📚

[@SavidgeReads]

Fred and I have the same management, so think that might have been part of the reason I got the gig hehehe. Soooooooo excited for Curdle Creek.

[@jenisalwaysreading]

Simon! Omg, I want to live in that pandemonium. That's a version of heaven for me 🤣

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahaha. Well it’s still slightly chaotic but it’s getting better which I’m finding much easier to live with!

[@onourpath]

Super jealous of all the cool authors you're interviewing! Wish we were interviewing them together, dang it! 🤨 lol 🤪

[@SavidgeReads]

Double interviewee's is haaaaaard. I haven't even done that on telly. I will only do them with mum and that is very rare hahahaha.

[@JardineraAnge]

I'm about 60% of the way through Enlightenment and I'm loving it! It's my first Sarah Perry (I thought it was going to be The Essex Serpent but such is the fickleness of the universe) and I'm finding her writing style a bit like reading a Victorian classic where every sentence feels like it's been crafted.

[@SavidgeReads]

Yes, I loved how she was writing something quite contemporary (well ish the 90’s are now officially history) in a style that felt so classically Victorian. I talk about that a bit in my Booker Thoughts video.

[@smileycindy]

Hi Simon, Lovely video, as usual. I am going on vacation next week so I will not be reading a whole lot since we have packed days, but I will bring Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend (M.J. Wassmer) in case I have time to read on the plane. When I return, I will focus on books I have on loan from the library first: The Midnight Feast (Lucy Foley), Razorblade Tears (S.A. Cosby), The No-Show (Beth O'Leary), The Other Half (Charlotte Vassell, which I remember you said you enjoyed), You've Reached Sam (Dustin Thao) and The Lost Bookshop (Evie Woods). Then I would like to shop my owned books as I've restocked this summer and at the beginning of the months on titles my library does not carry and there's quite a few things calling my name in that pile as well.

[@SavidgeReads]

I really enjoyed, if that is the right word, Razorblade Tears earlier this year and The Other Half when I read that last year. Shopping your shelves can be so much fun and as I have finally started sorting all the books on the floor in the library I can now get to them all.

[@KendraWinchester]

ALL THE WORLD BESIDE 😻

[@SavidgeReads]

I need to get to that this autumn.

[@Penny-ws4mz]

I'm a card carrying member of the Kate Atkinson fan club! - Or I would be if there was one and I were the kind of person who joined fan clubs 😊Skilled writing and strong storytelling, what more can you ask for? Inhaled 'Life after Life' in a day and have recruited new readers who are now fans too. PS. Strong jumper game as always.

[@SavidgeReads]

Kate Atkinson is one of my absolute favourites. I think it is going to be a very emotional evening, especially with the venue and mum being there.

[@patriciad.5012]

You have mentioned Nathan in a few videos. A link to his channel, please.

[@SavidgeReads]

Hi there, it should be in the description box. I can be rubbish at listing books but I’m generally good at linking channels I love.

[@normanorourke3244]

I bought the Kate Atkinson book from Harris and Harris

[@SavidgeReads]

@@normanorourke3244 awwww lovely. One of my favourite bookshops.

[@RovingReader]

Do you have a master list of how many authors you've met, interviewed, etc.?

[@SavidgeReads]

I don't, I had to do something once about everyone I interviewed to pitch for a new show on Sky (the Hay one I ended up hosting) and I was shocked by how many I had. I should do a list at some point.

[@RovingReader]

@@SavidgeReads I have one and it's quite impressive as a normal human, but would be NOTHING compared to yours. Plus, meeting someone is different than interviewing them. I DID have two authors tell me about their books before they started writing them so that's quite cool :)

[@GreenBitterfly]

I love Big Sky, I know I said on a previous video that it's one of my favourite books of all time. World of Books are sometimes so bad with their descriptions of book conditions, I've had a very good/like new for an ex-library book before from them. I've banned myself from buying from them now as invariably the book I buy from them ends up falling to pieces and is not in the condition they describe it as.

[@SavidgeReads]

I think me and World of Books and I may have to go our separate ways, I have been bitten by their 'book descriptions' one too many times. I am starting Big Sky today!

[@mariamaynard-bligouras721]

If you email World of Books and tell them that the condition of the book received was not to the standard you ordered then they will likely send you another one to the right standard. Have had it happen to me a few times as well

[@SavidgeReads]

Yeah they’ve done that to me before but they don’t have more stock of the two that I got. I have also ordered books and then had emails to say that book actually isn’t in stock so think enough is enough. Hahaha.

[@mariamaynard-bligouras721]

@@SavidgeReads Fair enough! You can't do much more than that

[@jay_cadiramen]

With all these activities, and all the reading you do, when do you sleep?! 😂😱

[@SavidgeReads]

Ha, well last week not very much as with two days down in London I was awake at 4am two mornings, disgusting lol. Also, and I should have mentioned this, as a lot of reading is for work, I read in work hours as am part-time at my day job, so that helps.

[@jay_cadiramen]

​@@SavidgeReads That makes a lot more sense then... I was picturing you as some sort of Tommyknockers-esque sleeping voracious reader.

[@MJ-in-Canada]

Bookish pandemonium!

[@SavidgeReads]

Ha, I didn't think it was that bad to be honest.

[@MJ-in-Canada]

@@SavidgeReads 😆

[@spexi513]

I dig Nathan’s Nook and highly approve of the pushing . Oddly I “ found “ him via algorithm and shortly after noticed you mentioning him …. I say noticed bc you probably had been all along . Appreciate the video as always 📖🪱💚💚💚

[@SavidgeReads]

Glad you enjoyed the video and glad you’re watching Nathan however you got to his channel.

[@kristinebenoitdebykhovetz6160]

Ok, first of all, love your sweater! ❤🤗 yay sweater weather.🥳 Secondly, many thanks for recommending Nathan’s Nook, I am really enjoying his booktube. And yes! To TBR, 🤗 especially yes! To the ‘top of the TBR’ because I would love to know what you are reading now and if not now then in the nearest future. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen any ‘currently reading’ post on you instagram. 🫢 Are you being secretive 🤫about your ‘currently reading’? 😏 I wonder… 🤔 what are you reading right now Simon? common! spill the beans 🙃

[@SavidgeReads]

Hooray indeed for sweater weather, my favourite weather. So with the whole currently reading thing, it isn't always being secretive but sometimes it is. So for example reading books for prizes, I have to keep that secret. I have also noticed, sadly, that when I post about what I am currently reading there will be a fair few people who will tell me they hated it and that just kills my buzz, so I stopped. Plus I will say it is always quite nice to have some stuff that is just for me and not for the internet. That said as you asked so nicely, I am reading Big Sky by Kate Atkinson.

[@kristinebenoitdebykhovetz6160]

@@SavidgeReads ah I understand you not talking about the current reads. If people do that then it’s not fun indeed. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Atkinson’s’ book though! Never read anything by her so very interested in your review. Also, you have no idea how happy I am to watch your channel. Thanks to it I’ve had the best reading year of my life. Not exaggerating! So many thanks 🙏🏻 and have a great Sunday 🤗

[@SavidgeReads]

@@kristinebenoitdebykhovetz6160I would suggest heading to the first of Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie novels and not starting mid series with the new one. She has loads of stand alone’s and short story collections too. She’s brilliant. So pleased you’re enjoying the channel and the content!

[@kristinebenoitdebykhovetz6160]

@@SavidgeReads thank you!🙏🏻☺️