VLOG | Reading 30 books in 30 days

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[@Pajali]

Seeing the inside of a bookshop is so nostalgic. Remember when we could go wander around a bookshop? 😭

[@nathand256]

Yes😭😭😭😭

[@springcorelorien5650]

Pajali yes I miss it so much😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@snamorsixteen]

Dang yes

[@aganderson7205]

The grocery store I go to has a book section. That has been my coping mechanism since COVID

[@ashleyjoyes4425]

@@aganderson7205 yes mine does too

[@guardian.angle.22]

When you bit into the “soap” I literally gasped out loud. Then I died laughing after you explained. Amazing.

[@Neverrgreen]

You know march has been a long and weird month when you show yourself in a room with many people and I gasped and went how did they let that happen?? And the realized it was the beginning of the month before all the mess in our lives started.

[@kimberlya7267]

lmao same

[@PSYCHOreader624]

Same!

[@aless.andra9620]

I noticed that now even when I watch older videos from other youtubers, I get so anxious when they touch their faces or hang out in crowded spaces - I wanna reach via screeen and just tell them "No, it's not safe to do that!"

[@Romey301]

Same here! Lmao

[@faerietxles]

honestly, the box flying up the street is such a mood. i spiritually connected with it

[@joywarburton5719]

i revere that box above all

[@beamingforbooks]

Truuuu

[@Samantha-qg3ee]

True! 😂😂

[@tirill452]

Me: already three books behind on my 45 books Goodreads goal Kayla: I read 30 books in 30 days (Haven't watched the entire thing yet, but I'm pretty sure you'll nail it)

[@seanconnollyyy]

Tirill Writes I’m 8 books behind on my 50 books goodreads challenge

[@tirill452]

@@seanconnollyyy You can do it, short books and graphic novels

[@seanconnollyyy]

@@tirill452thanks have more time now that we're all quarantined. Once schoolwork is out of the way, it's time to sit and read.

[@moonbook12]

@@tirill452 good luck

[@moonbook12]

@@seanconnollyyy good luck

[@carosfootprint]

Me: has 3 hours left of audiobook and 4 hours till I work Kayla: posts 1 hour long video Me: Absolutely

[@VenLouie]

im only 1 minute in but i hope there’s a mini-stats section by the end of this video

[@heycallista]

me: *was about to start a paper* lala: *uploads an hour-long video* me: weLP i guess i have nothing else to do today!

[@blakemurray5693]

Same!!!!

[@courtneys6902]

me: 5 books behind on my Goodreads 2020 challenge Kayla: I read 30 books in 30 days

[@HerMakeupIsRad]

SAME

[@courtneys6902]

HerMakeupIsRad it’s a real struggle

[@SummersMovingBookshelf]

HerMakeupIsRad Oh hi Quinn, fancy seeing you hear.

[@HerMakeupIsRad]

@@SummersMovingBookshelf you know where to find me

[@victoriadantas98]

Yess hahahah

[@chandlerainsley]

yeeeeee haw i needed this

[@kristinmarkussen9016]

chandler ainsley omg its you

[@kydeup1990]

Once I saw who typed this, it all made sense.

[@sophiasthoughts]

I don't know if you know this now, I'm still watching, but the TS Elliott poetry book that you read is what the musical Cats is based on 😉 the musical itself is amazing but please don't watch the film 👎🏻

[@audreym3168]

the movie seems so weird/scary,, like the cats(ppl I guess?) are so scary

[@sophiasthoughts]

@@audreym3168 yeah, I don't know what they were thinking with the film but if you can watch the stage musical it is beautiful

[@Victoria-pt4io]

I just came to the comments to see if my guess was correct! As soon as I heard Gus, theatre, and cat I immediately thought of the musical

[@preetisundaram]

Oh, good. I was hoping somebody would have commented about this. This is one of my all-time favourite musicals.

[@Julia-tz7yc]

Fun fact: the iconic song Memory wasn't actually based off of any of the poems in the Old Possoms collection, it came from another poem called Rhapsody on a Windy Night which has nothing to do with cats and the music was written years before Weber started Cats

[@wickerlibrary]

i'm so bored during quarantine that you could have filmed that box flying up your street for fifty minutes and i would have not only watched the video, but probably enjoyed it too xD

[@holdenbeach4ever]

This cracked me up 😂🤣😂

[@JesseOnYoutube]

for some reason i decided to watch a bunch of your backlist videos that i missed and it was the best choice i ever made

[@cindiadkins9510]

the foxhole books are like......trash....but they're like addictive trash, i loved them by the end

[@jayarna7506]

Agreed the whole time I was like why am I reading this it's not good but I couldn't stop

[@paninisen]

LITERALLY !! it’s so trashy but it’s also my favourite series 🥺

[@bookswithsamantha]

Cindi Why is the best way to explain the series 😂 I hated the first book but I gave the third book a five stars and absolutely sobbed? So strange 😂

[@Amylaseable]

@@bookswithsamantha I think most of it and the writers talent is that she crafts the characters beautifully but the story could be lectored.

[@EttuBrody]

Just made myself a sandwich and I'm ready to watch this MOVIE yessssss

[@amandalagerfeld6849]

It is amazing how different our reading tastes are..... I HATED Middlegame and LOVED the Vegetarian...... and yet I continue to watch every single video of yours and love hearing your reviews.

[@nikoletak]

honestly I'd watch her bash my favorite book willingly bc I love her that much😂

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

Yay Ariel crossover! It's like two of my favorite tv show characters crossing over, but in real life! hahaha

[@dvbbie]

omfg who of you recommended the foxhole court to her USSUFHSFH i LOVE aftg but i knew that it wouldn't be for kayla

[@Ashestoashesjc]

"like having to get new glasses, chicken pox, your parents divorcing." asljdh exactly what i go to my kid lit for; marital dysfunction

[@mushroomc0re]

Everyone who recommended the Foxhole Court to you doesn't know your reading tastes at all. It and the Raven Cycle are two series that i read because they are fun and interesting and i love them but i do recognize that they are incredibly flawed. It does get gay but it's in the very last book. It's interesting that everyone said you would love it bc when I was younger and on tumblr literally everyone I was friends with hated it and said I would hate it and I picked it up to hate read it and yeah I loved it

[@nikoletak]

lol swap card😂

[@ladynoluck]

Yeah, it’s a trip: very offensive, very much rough fanfiction-style writing, and messy. I would never recommend it to anyone and, on reflection, would probably hate rereading it, but I did have fun reading it when I did. But my standards can be low as hell 🤣

[@jacob2813]

3:19 How long did you walk for with that book?

[@BooksandLala]

lol just the 2 minutes of the clip 🤭

[@ceeceegreene2126]

🤣🤣

[@ComeUndun.]

Your clips of Value Village are what made me miss leaving my house more than anything else.

[@LetsWasteTimeHere]

Watching you struggle to describe The Foxhole Court is such a mood. I read it way back when you could only get it as an ebook and really got obsessed, but I can't for the life of me recommend it to anyone without accompanying it with at least a few precautionary notes Edit: Just watched all the way to the end, and I laughed so hard. I feel like "trash-fire" nails tfc on the head.

[@j.oan.n.e]

"the shorter the better and the gayer the better" lol loved that also Through the Woods is like one of my all time favourite and it's scary but in the best way with the illustrations

[@leaturbide7167]

About comic books... They might not be for you, but I also think that the ones you pick are not giving you a good idea of the diversity of the genre. There is a tendency on booktube to pick graphic novels that looks pretty, therefore, the drawings (and the story, structure, etc.) are always really similar. But graphic novels are soooo much more than the drawings. I will propose you to read « fun house » by Alison Bechdel, a touching family and queer story or « Persepolis » by Marjane Satrapi, a personal life story going from Iran to France. Those graphic novels go deeper (I think) and explore the inner dialogue of the characters in a more similar way that novels do. Love your content!

[@billie864]

i love your reading vlogs!!! also anyone who may be seeing my comment, i’ve ordered the book charms before and kaylas mom worked with me 100% to customize a piece to my liking and it came quickly and packaged nicely!!! 100% recommend! 💛

[@Kevlandia]

I am SO happy that you reacted this way to Foxhole Court. I feel like everyone talks about how good it is and it makes me feel like I'm losing my mind because I hated it/found it super offensive.

[@victoriadantas98]

Yes! I hated it, it was terrible. How can anyone not be offended by it? It's violent and so toxic

[@avieagi]

I know you don't really like graphic novels but I think you would really like the Prince and the Dressmaker, also Heartstopper by Alice Oseman is amazing. 💜

[@holdenbeach4ever]

Prince and the Dressmaker is amazing!!!

[@POSSIBLYDYL]

After three days, I’ve finally finished this video. Love her long content 😭😭

[@sunblindapollo]

honestly, aftg SUCKS but that was my process i was like “ah man i hate this book but i’m going to read the sequel because WHAT HAPPENS” and now i stan it

[@myndolin]

I'm only a few minutes in, and I am so in love with that bookshop stuffed with all the things. It reminds me so much of my favorite used bookstore back home that you had to dig your way through most of the time, piles and piles of books all over the floor, careful going around corners to avoid causing a bookvalanche by running into an insane stack just out of sight. It was perfect for a treasure hunt!

[@inmyreadingera]

“that’s how math works *eye roll*” a **queen**

[@clairebearbooks6248]

"I just ordered the sequel." "Don't look at me!" Lala, are you okay??? 😂

[@AlGaecia]

T.S. Eliot's book of cat poems is the basis for the musical Cats. It is weird, but I thought it was fun!

[@emmabardsley6090]

hahahah your reaction to aftg was so funny bc it's kind of what I expected and that's like.. how aftg makes so many people feel. I enjoy the series but I think it's objectively bad and I agree with all the criticisms from everyone who hates it but it's just... FUN IDK. the next two books are a lot better bc the first one feels like an extended prologue imo, very boring, but the others have more stuff happening. However I will warn you it gets a lot darker and has a lot of triggering content. Also if you're wondering about the queerness, it is more than a side character thing but it doesn't really come to fruition until the third book

[@ladynoluck]

Emma Bardsley i thought the queerness started at the end of the second book, but i read it all so long ago so I’m probably wrong!

[@emmabardsley6090]

@@ladynoluck I think in the second book it becomes clear that's the direction its heading in! But I don't think anything actually happens between them until the third book

[@linnbaardsen9459]

I'm not big on graffic novels either, but Maus by Art Spiegelman is great! You should give it a try before you give the genre up forever

[@scooter82688]

Linn Baardsen was going to say the same thing.

[@joywarburton5719]

Oh my goodness you went to MacLeod's?? It's my dad's favourite bookstore (although we haven't gone in ages) and I remember toddling around in there when I was small :)

[@stuckonstories]

Hahah wow I can’t even imagine the amount of stress a challenge like this would give me. Thanks a lot for the amazing content Kayla ☺️, especially in these difficult times!

[@mpsensha]

Some days ago I heard on the radio that if schools are going to be closed too long parents are going to develop a cure faster than any laboratory. 🤣

[@gigiamino7340]

Melanie HP this made me cackle, then made me realize how true it is

[@Neverrgreen]

I'm trying to decide if you would like all systems red by martha wells, it's a survival story and isolated and short, but it's also in space.

[@qualifiedarmchaircritic]

Since most of it happens on a planet, I think chances are good! Honestly I really want to see if she likes it, I literally didn't put it down between starting and finishing.

[@saraisreading4231]

Danez Smith went university in the town I live in and so they come to do book events pretty often - they are such a great performer. Glad you liked Don't Call Us Dead - they have a new collection out called Homie as well!

[@emilycooper5581]

This exactly the kind of content I live for!!!!

[@DontSigh]

Just popping by to say I'm sure longform/project-focused videos like this are time consuming and a lot of work, but they are also what drew me to your channel AND your best content (in my opinion). The effort absolutely pays off in terms of quality, and I hope it does in terms of view count and engagement too!

[@supernaturalaesthetic6295]

Lala please!! AFTG ( foxhole court ) gets so much better! There are a lot of issues but the characters have even more to them, there's more plot and development that you have to get over the first book for. Once you read the second book ( if you haven't already please look up trigger warnings ) it hooks you in completely. It gets so much better and it is one of the most important series to me and I hope you end up liking a bit more out of it. It's not for everyone but I look forward to seeing how you feel~

[@CariLois]

an hour long Lala reading vlog was needed today, thank you. loved the challenge!

[@BookinItWithAhtiya]

I have a suggestion that helped me with reading/rating graphic novels: If you know that graphic novels aren't exactly your thing, why not adjusting your rating scale when you're rating them? I do this for books that I'm not exactly the target audience of (Middle Grade, YA, etc.) and also graphic novels because I realize that they're supposed to do something a little different for each target audience. Graphic novels aren't going to give you the same thing as word-based novels (and I don't think they're supposed to), so maybe try seeing what exactly you like about them and what makes one good for you, then creating a separate rating scale for them? Hope this helps!

[@poppanna]

Thank you so much for recommending In The House In The Dark Of The Woods - I just finished it about an hour ago and I am blown away. I literally had to stop reading this last night because I was too freaked out and was sure it was going to give me nightmares. That hasn't happened in a loooong time, so thanks for that! :D

[@clearlyreading2366]

I was waiting for you to pick up the train wreck that is The Foxhole Court I have no idea how that book became popular. Poorly written, problematic, not even a good found family story in my opinion

[@jszeweluk5794]

Honestly i just want to say that i love Your hair at 13:00 with some 70’s vibes ✨💃🏻

[@between_the_pages]

I love Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, but I only read it because the poems are the songs in the Broadway musical CATS

[@veraroosvall8682]

IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS YES

[@gabbyreads]

I love love love this concept for a video!! And I love your reading editing style when you vlog, they’re just so much fun to watch! I’ve added a few of these to my TBR so thanks for the recs! 🥰

[@ZaraVelaris]

petition for Lala to do movie trailers from now on

[@AnniBra]

The T.S. Eliot book is what the Cats musical is based on.

[@BooksandLala]

Indeed!

[@happyrunnergirl11]

Ahhhh yes! This just made my day!!

[@heatherleakey8242]

Runner Girl same 😍

[@betul6350]

YES! been looking forward to this ever since i saw your captions on goodreads

[@heatherlydia4728]

The foxhole court is one of them books and series that you know you shouldn’t like but you get emotionally attached to. I bought them all for 99p each as ebooks and just binged them back to back. We all go through the stage of this is a trash read to this is a guilty pleasure 😂.

[@shireenniloofar9027]

The timing of this video 😂 just 2 hours ago I was tryna search for “short novels” to reach my goal on goodreads!

[@emmaajinn]

i lay on my floor for 3 hours today because i didn't have work and i was so bored out of my mind you have genuinely saved me, i appreciate + love u as a friend

[@mybookishdelights4767]

The Foxhole Court series is an anomaly in my opinion. I know it’s not written well, the characters are unlikeable, and it’s offensive. Yet, I love it. It’s about a team of kids who life has been horrible to. The coach brings them together as a found family and they are one of my favorites in all the books I’ve read. Horrible shit happens to them frequently, but it’s their loyalty to each other that kept me coming back for more. Personally I didn’t care for all the sport talk in them because it’s not my jam, but the characters themselves were so gritty and real to me. I honestly don’t know if you’ll end up liking the series as a whole because maybe the offensive stuff is just too much. There is some over the top stuff with the mafia, but lots of books have over the top stuff in them. I’m in it more for the characters and their growth than I am for the storyline. I hope you can see the good in the series, but understand if you don’t. Obviously I’m a hardcore fan, but it’s not for everyone. 😊

[@megwithbooks]

sis,,,,,,,,,,, how did you do this to yourself fjsdfslkdjflk ,,, and to end an already traumatic experience on THE FOXHOLE COURT I cannot

[@mslaureenslibrary]

I loved this challenge and that you consistently push yourself to try books at outside your comfort zone. I think a lot of people don't appreciate books that are shorter, including myself. Then I thought about some of my favorite books from last year several of them were shorter including the Wayward Children Series and Skellig by David Almond.

[@MelpoReads]

Watching this video in 2023 has been very insightful. I didn’t realize this took place over the month COVID happened so watching this video go from a business travel trip to quarantine was trippy! (I was linked from gr review for In the House in the Dark in the Woods)

[@Moonchildren222]

I was just about to eat dinner. Perfect timing. I always love your content Kayla, thank you for making me laugh in these crazy times🧡💛💚💙💜❤️

[@chelsiecasey2387]

The next time you need a short book for a video you should consider The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It's 20 pages and, like, $3 on Amazon.

[@laurensykes7416]

We are living in that story rn.

[@kyra6744]

it's also free online in the public domain! there are many free and legal PDFs online

[@chelsiecasey2387]

@@kyra6744 Yes! That’s how I read it!

[@adventureswithmadison]

I LOVED your podcast episode! I found that podcast through that episode and now listen each week! Hope that in the future there are more episodes featuring you!

[@j.oan.n.e]

all these 30 days and all these numbers and you turning 30 and one book a day makes my heart so happy so looking forward to the mini-stats at the end? SO COOL KAYLA LOTS OF LOVE

[@ReadingWithMoe]

Reading a book and vlogging every day you are a superwoman lol love this!!! 💕 I’m attempting to read 30 books this month so this was so motivating!

[@annalisamoretti271]

For classics that are being adapted: have you read Emma? I wound up loving it and the new movie was great.

[@rebekahflener4285]

I'm glad you felt the same way about Platform Seven as I did! I also listened to the audiobook. At times it was so hard to listen to, and the whole rest of the book was just BORING. I typically don't mind slow moving stories but there was just NOTHING there. Also, didn't feel like a thriller at all. Still excited for the liveshow!!!

[@ilkimmerve]

I love you sense of humour 💗 that clip with even later “oh my” cracked me up.😂😂😂

[@anne-marie339]

I just finished a ten hour work day, so an hour-long Booksandlala video is the perfect reward after a bubble bath!

[@cathyi475]

An hour long video from my favourite booktuber? YES PLEASE!! 🤗😍

[@laurensykes7416]

Anybody else get SUPER worried when she said she was exhausted and then Weezed? I was panicking like Kayla ily no one deserves to get sick less than you! You are incredible and I’d cry so hard if you weren’t ok! ily so much Kayla you make my day ❤️❤️

[@andrealove7209]

I took me three days to watch.... not because I did not want to... just most of my KZbin watching happens when I fold laundry... thanks for the entertainment:)

[@imabooks]

I had the exact same experience with "The Foxhole Court" as you, which I think is hilarious. I hated the first book but then, for some reason, carried on with the series. And even though the problems I had in the beginning stayed the same, I started loving the experience of reading the books? It's so weird and stupid and doesn't make any sense at all, but it's also super addictive??? Then again, I would have never recommended it to anyone in earnest/without warning.

[@JanAgaton]

omg you using the word parable and not being sure what it meant is sooo relatable hahahah

[@sarahrad1177]

Girl!! That walking shot with Out of Body is GOLD. a lot of commitment but I had to pause to let you know that I see you and I love that shot.

[@SomeBunnyReads]

I absolutely adore your videos, which is crazy considering how different my reading taste is! But I just love you personality and the way you talk about books 💕

[@PSYCHOreader624]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 "And then I bought the sequel." Yep!! Welcome to the black hole that is the AFtG series. I didn't know if you would like it which is why I couldn't say anything. I kind of wish we had a vlog of just the Foxhole court so we could see the progression! Also get the tattoo anyway!

[@Itslexreads]

I was cracking up when you were talking about The Foxhole Court. You're right. You're so right. And I still love it. It makes literally no sense. I have no idea why. But I love it.

[@EleanorNicBhatair]

So good to get some short book recommendations! I love your vlogs so much :)

[@sheenabarnes6485]

Your wheezing made me like the video. So precious. You're wonderful.

[@sophiekimber9482]

I loved this style of video so much! The vlog/wrap up was so good!

[@ireneg4515]

you're journey reading the foxhole court is so relatable, hate it but can't stop reading it

[@SpinesAndSpoilers]

You put so much of yourself into your booktube and it's honestly amazing ❤❤❤

[@shreyabooked9309]

Your vids are so ambitious, omg. You just set the bar so high for Booktube. This video was thoroughly enjoyable, thank you for this!

[@funfuz]

The cover of The Empress of Salt and Fortune is so beautiful!

[@amberinoface]

honestly, girl same on the foxhole court. something about her writing style gets really addicting towards the end of that first book.

[@ebeth5891]

What kind of crazy publisher would send Kayla a historical fiction book?? Didn't they see the Nightingale video?? ☠️☠️☠️

[@summerhedrick2089]

OMG I've been wanting The Paris Library 😭. And you got it and don't want it! 🤣

[@adiibrd4213]

Saaaame 😂😅

[@martafrancesca3]

This definitely made my day!! Your reading vlogs are my favourite thing ever! Many ❤ from Italy

[@jennafra]

I needed this, I think i've been waiting the whole quarantine for this moment.

[@FerCeTtig]

You're the only booktuber I would watch a video an hour long 🤣 I love u so much Lala even though I don't read the same types of books you do but your personality it's just awesome. Love from Argentina.

[@Dasha-pv1xk]

The Foxhole Court is so problematic like damn but also I cannot stop re-reading this damn trilogy!! I sit there and think why am I like this... why do i love these damn books... hahaha

[@christinam81]

I didnt notice the 🍆 image on the "Dont call us dead" book before I got it. I made a mistake and showed it to my niece when we were going through my books one day, and she just about screamed 😂😂

[@kokobibi2174]

I have read a book recently which I found was perfect for you and your reading taste and it’s These Are The Names by Tommy Wieringa! It’s a thriller with a survival plot, mysteries and murders and it really gets you thinking.

[@angelinanassif4198]

yes! agree 100%, it really fits lala’s taste in books

[@stephanielemieux5319]

And here I am reading The Stand which will probably take me a month 😅 Lala I'm trying to work!! *watches video*

[@autumnritchie1473]

CONGRATS on being able to complete this challenge! 🥳🥳🥳 Even with smaller books, I don’t feel I could have done this! Go awf, sis! 💪🏾👏🏾🏆 Love you!💕💕💕

[@MickeyDee602]

I understand that The Foxhole Court is terrible, but I love it so much. There's something about the ugliness of it that makes it really immersive for me. Like a trainwreck that you just can't look away from. I don't recommend it often, but when I do, I always tell the person that they'll either really love it or really hate it.