We bought too many books 📚 Book haul with Ariel Bissett

[@Claire_Fenby]

Tell me about your most recent book purchase! Leave a comment to say hello or just drop an emoji 📚

[@joanleaks69]

I recently bought Orlando by Virginia Woolf. Haven't read it since, but I'm always looking at it while I'm studying or listening to music contemplating when I'll have the time to read. I'm excited

[@cstz]

Hi Claire, if you want to read a beautiful, beautiful book about the construction of a big monument (a ridiculously big monastery), you might want to check "Baltasar and Blimunda" by José Saramago. From wikipedia: "It is an 18th-century love story intertwined with the construction of the Convent of Mafra, now one of Portugal's chief tourist attractions, as a background. Two young lovers interact naturally with historical characters including the composer and harpsichordist Domenico Scarlatti and the priest Bartolomeu de Gusmão, recognized today as an aviation pioneer, all in the shadow of the Inquisition." It's magical, political, historical, social (Saramago was a known communist and it really shows throughout his books) and I think it has all the things you usually love. People usually get scared with the reputation of Saramago's writing as "difficult", but I think once you get into the rythm, it s worth it!

[@DianeC1975]

Enjoyed seeing you two together. 💕📚

[@hanima3805]

Ariel's face after 'do you like Sally Rooney?' 😂

[@ameerahalgohary]

I want to know the answer 😂😂

[@LiterarilySmitten]

“The smell of superiority” 😂 Loved this video!

[@lisal2017]

😂

[@EricKarlAnderson]

There's nothing obscene about spending so much time in a bookshop. This is so lovely. 📚❤️ And yeah, I need to get a copy of Ken Follett too to see if the *many* comparisons to Cathedral are correct. 😄

[@Claire_Fenby]

I always knew I liked you Eric 😅💜

[@Wolfhailstorm]

The smell of superiority omg Claire 🤣🤣🤣 this was an amazing video!

[@starr6198]

I loved this so much. I wish I could watch a collab between the two of you every week.

[@CMri]

Claire could be a guest on Ariel's podcast Books Unbound :).

[@starr6198]

@@CMri I was thinking the same thing! :)

[@Claire_Fenby]

@@CMri One day we’ll be organised enough to make it happen ahaha

[@janedraycott5919]

Ha! Pillars of the Earth is the polar opposite of Wolf Hall - it's on the trashy end of the historical fiction spectrum (with some weird sex stuff thrown in). But because of that, despite its size it's a really quick, easy and gripping read.

[@Claire_Fenby]

My whole reading identity was formed by trashy novels so I’m here for it!

[@pure46]

That was entertaining and informative (great to have my two favourite KZbinrs together)

[@MilenaReads]

‘I want to experience it’ Ariel sniffs the book. That made me laugh so hard 🤣

[@vesch5083]

I didn't know you two were friends. Always cool to find out that two people I am subscribed to know and like each other.

[@Claire_Fenby]

Going on 8 years ❤️ Ariel is my maid of honour so safe to say we like each other ahaha

[@GinaStanyerBooks]

Books make the BEST souvenirs!

[@Claire_Fenby]

I couldn’t agree more!!

[@sarahsperusals]

how did y'all sell me on a book about a cathedral

[@ReadingNymph]

This was such a lovely video, loved the energy

[@booksarebrainfood1708]

I remember you guys doing that video in York where you went for the hot chocolate and then went back for seconds cos it was so good and then read the poetry 😅 I am old , this was a nice video 💖

[@tina.InTheSkyWithDiamonds]

I remember that one too 😍

[@Claire_Fenby]

Yes!! I think that must have been the first time Ariel came to York ❤️ Still one of my fave weekends

[@moonthe0ry]

I adored Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982! I’m so happy to hear you mention it especially along a book I have been planning on reading as well!

[@AnnaTalks-videos]

Omg Ariel is in the UK?! I can't believe it!

[@tina.InTheSkyWithDiamonds]

So lovely to see you two reunited 😊

[@Claire_Fenby]

It’s been a very long year!!

[@bookishl8373]

Ahhh this video was so cute. Funnily enough one of my most recent book purchases was Stasiland too! I also picked up Mothering Sunday, Deep Water and The Ex Hex.

[@alicja6260]

The smell of superiority 😂

[@KeiraAndGeo]

just here to say hello! interesting seeing your different choices but then again coming together with the pillars of the earth :)

[@thelibrarybat4254]

Once you've read The White Ship I'd really recommend Matilda by Catherine Hanley, which is a fantastic biography of Empress Matilda that explores her life, her as a person, the history and context of the 12th century, and how we as historians talk about and view medieval women. Not sure if you've read it already but if not I'd really recommend reading it shortly after you finish the white ship! It's fantastic!

[@bethpalmer4970]

This was a delight to watch! More Ariel and Claire videos please. I read The Pillars of the Earth and it’s sequel World Without End about 8/9 years ago and loved them! It’s fascinating to read about so many lives entwined in this one town and the building of a cathedral during that time period. I’ve just finished the third book in the series A Column of Fire and while it was good, it definitely wasn’t as enjoyable as the previous two (or as well written I thought). Mainly because it is set in the Tudor era and part of the fun of the previous two is that I learnt so much about that time period and also because it isn’t based in Knightsbridge and spans across Europe. Would love to hear your thoughts on Pillars of the Earth once you’ve both read it! I studied Stasiland at Uni and really enjoyed it! Sadly I never finished it and it’s one that I’ve been meaning to get back to and finish ever since as it was such a fascinating and informative read.

[@KDbooks]

Love the 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 rep with Follett 🙌

[@nicolaknight6953]

This was so much fun 😆😆

[@kbrandt4015]

I follow you both...lucky me!

[@xcherry.inkx1950]

This video was amazing 😍

[@tina.InTheSkyWithDiamonds]

Ooh I especially like Ariel's purchase of "Stasiland". Haven't read it myself. But am interested to hear your/Ariel's thoughts. I was born in the GDR and my parents lived in Eastern Germany from 1960 on. And then all of a sudden they had to "adapt" to the west after the wall fell. It's definitely an interesting topic to me and some problems/different mindsets still split the German people. btw Stasi is pronounced "schtahzee" in German, if that makes sense 😅

[@jennaserv]

Even as an American my education was very lacking on the Berlin Wall, I have a very similar knowledge base as Ariel

[@Claire_Fenby]

I’m really surprised! Just because of how much the US was involved and the impact of the Cold War in general. We study a lot of US history in school in the UK 😅

[@CoynieReads]

Claire, if we both end up having a moment with reading Anarchy/Empress Matilda books this will excite me greatly! I've been tempted by Pillars of the Earth purely because of the Anarchy connection 😂

[@OlivierBL]

I loved Tawada’s book!

[@bfranklin1052]

In my twenties, I was you two, and buying all the books! Back then, there were no ebooks, and I wonder if I would have bought or taken out ebooks from the library as I do now. Recent favorites have been the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett. 📚🏛💕

[@jenniferr.9528]

There’s nothing like the smell of a book.

[@09mubarak]

There’s a GAME made about (Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth) You can buy it on Steam! It’s pretty cool!

[@miriam-ep1jq]

Love this!!

[@mistyday211]

Does it smell good? this vid is so lovely 🥰

[@eviola11]

Did that mean she doesn't like Sally Rooney? Lol

[@MIGHTYM4RS]

whose sally roony and why did ariel look at us like that lmao

[@Claire_Fenby]

An obscure Irish author 😉

[@RoisinsReading]

Cathedral is much better than Pillars of the Earth in my opinion. Better writing, more interesting choices of characters to follow, Ken Follet's writing feels like a textbook a bit

[@danielaayers3449]

Omg I’ve been dying to read Pillars of Fire!! But am also scared because of its size. Have you read any of the Shardlake series by C J Sansom, set during the reign of Henry VIII?

[@irhonda31]

Can you really buy too many books? I think not. 😁