if you could only read ONE BOOK... read THIS ONE! 📚 💭 ultra specific book recommendations

Hello friends. Welcome back to my channel. Welcome if you're new here. My name is Megan and I have not done a book recommendations video in a long time where I've had requests from you and I decided it was time. It was about time to get on with that. It's about time. So, today we're going to be doing a very specific book recommendations video where I have asked you guys for a prompt in which I'm going to try and recommend one book that you should read to fulfill that prompt. the book that I think best exemplifies that prompt. Some of these were very tricky. I often have a tendency to like piece together like three books that kind of like make up different angles of the request, whereas I'm going to try and stick to like if you could only read one book that fulfills this prompt, what would it be? And we're going to dive in. There was a lot. There was a lot in my Instagram messages of different prompts. Some of them were similar. So, if I have an answer, Jaws, it's either basically because I couldn't think of a good answer out of what I personally have read or there were some similar requests. Like, there was a lot of like Thursday Murder Club ripoff that's good requests. I have got an answer for that. So, yeah, we're just going to dive into it. There's a lot that we're going to try and get through. But one thing to note is coming up with these recommendations requires a lot of brain power and I have always been very jealous of people who can have that hit of caffeine in the morning. I don't drink coffee or tea and I've always wanted a way to get that boost of energy that caffeine gives you. Some of you remember that I have been working with Magic Mind for the past couple months and they are sponsoring this video. I've been loving their original formula, the original Magic Mind Shop. However, they have recently come out with two new shots. First of all, let me show you the Max one, which you can see I've had a lot of them already. This has 165 mg of timereleased caffeine, which I'm very excited about. We're going to chat about that. They have also released the free shot which I have also been enjoying. This has 0 milligs of both caffeine and sugar. I've tried all the formulas for at least 3 days and they all have different benefits to them, but I in particular have been loving the Max. I've been loving the Max shot to get that hit of caffeine. Genuinely, I've never felt anything like it. I now understand why everyone loves drinks that have caffeine in them. The energy that this gives me is incredible, but it is timereleased caffeine, which is a bit different than caffeine you get from coffee, cuz that's like an instant hit of energy. Whereas this caffeine releases slowly over like 3 to four hours. So, it's a gentler spike in energy. And I've been really finding it's been helping me get a lot done in the mornings. Like filming this video, I took one of these this morning. I've been particularly taking this on like busy work days where I have a lot to get done, and it's really been helping me get through that to-do list. I've I honestly, it's crazy. I've never I've never experienced caffeine before and I didn't I'm like, "Oh my god, what is this one?" I honestly have been loving it. I also have been finding that my energy stays a lot more stable throughout the day rather than dipping in the afternoon like it used to. And I've really been loving the Max, but I have recommended my dad. Got to grab it. Tries the free because he um doesn't react very well to caffeine. So, this one is great if you don't react well to caffeine. If you don't enjoy caffeine, zero milligrams of caffeine and sugar. I've been taking this more on days when it's chiller and I just want kind of like the calming energy benefits of these cuz that's what I really found from like when I've been taking the original the past couple months is that these shots really help reduce my anxiety and stress levels throughout the day. So now as they are launching I have got an offer for you guys. The QR code you see on the screen or the link down below will get you 60% off your order which is insane. 60% off guys. I love I've been taking this for months. I have been using Magic Mine for months. I have got through boxes and boxes of this stuff. I cannot recommend that. And I love these new shots. This offer won't be around for long, so grab it now. And I really recommend it if you have a lot of stuff to get done. Also, they have a 100% money back guarantee. So, if you don't like it, they will give you your money back. 100% no questions asked, which basically means you can try it for free and cancel the subscription anytime. So, I will leave the link down below. I love Magic Mind. Cannot recommend enough. Let's get into the books. Okay, like I said, there's lot. I'm going to try and speed run through these. Also, apologies if you've read the book. Like, listen, you guys have been watching me. I have certain books that I like and certain books I talk about. I also felt pressure on that. Like, some of these, you know, I just have to recommend my favorite book. Basically, my favorite books. So, let's get into it. Number one is has mixed media other than Janice Hallet, Illuminate, Night Film, and A Good Girls Guide to Murder. This person really said, "I know what you're about to say, Megan. Uh-uh. Think of something else." And it, you know, it was predictable, sadly. But the book I'm going to say, where is it? I have to find all of these and sometimes I may not be able to find them. This book I'm gonna recommend I really think was the progenitor of like an amazing podcast in a book side of mixed media. I really think it did it. It was one of the first ones and I I still think the best one particularly the audio book for this. I read this via audio. I do want to reread with the physical. It's Sadie by Courtney Summers. I feel like this had a hype era and now I don't really see anyone talk about it or read it. If you have not read this book, go do it now. I I am so serious about it. Every single one of you. Every single one of you. If you have not read this book, go do it this second. One of the best YA books I've ever read. It's about Sadi, whose sister, what do we know? Sadi fled home after the brutal murder of her little sister. And we're following two perspectives. We're following Sadi in the act of fleeing and kind of like, you know, going and running away. And we're following a podcaster investigating her disappearance cuz Sadi is now missing after having run away from home. Courtney Summers is my girl. If you've been here a long time, I love Courtney Summers. Courtney Summers was kind enough on wants to do a video of me where she recommended me books. I love you, Courtney, if you're out there. But like, this book did it. The best. If you're looking for an audio book with mixed media, sound effects, full cast, everything you could want. Yeah, that's cinema. This is cinema, guys. This is cinema, film, and movies. But truly, I think like began began the podcast, you know, began the podcast vibe. The audio book for this is incredible and it's a heartbreaking book and it's emotional. I've been I'm I said I'd be quick, but Sadie does something to me. Next was a book with classic fairy tale vibes. I've gone for something a little bit different here cuz this actually is kind of like a reimagining of classic fairy tales rather than having the vibes, but I don't think anyone has read this book. And it is Snow White Learns Witchcraft by Theodora Goss. This is a series of short stories and poems basically reimagining fairy tales, classic folk tales from this feminist perspective. So, Snow White Lands Witchcraft is the titular one. There's so many like a bear wedding is cause for celebration. The spinning wheel and the tower and the brrihead get to tell their own stories and a kitchen maid finds out that a lost princess is more than she seems. The sea witch reveals what she hoped to gain when she took the mermaid's voice. A wise of Snow White sets out to craft herself a new tale. It's so [ __ ] good. I love Theodora Goss. You may be m me mentioning probably my favorite book of all time later on which I need to do a reread of. I just like I just I'm in the mood. I'm in the mood for a bit of Theodora. You know what I mean? But I don't think anyone has read this. I've only read it because I love Theodora Goss so much. Great short story collection. I'm yapping. Hurry up, Megan. Then a lot of you asked for Thursday Murder Club vibes. Books with Thursday Murder Club vibes. There's a lot of them out there. I don't think any of them are particularly good really. Special mention to the Marlo Murder Club. Out of all the books that tried to like brand themselves as 30 murder club, I feel like that's one of the better ones. But my answer for a group of eclectic friends solving crimes, The Three Dalia by Katie Watson. I speak about this book quite a lot, so I won't yap too much. We're following three actresses who have played Daralia Lively, who is this well-known female detective throughout time they've played her. And we're at a um murder mystery convention set at the house of the author, and a murder happens, and they have to team up to solve it together. This is a series. I've read the first two or three. Two. Three. Two. I'm not sure how many I've read. I think two. And I love them. They've got heart. They've got They're funny. They've got that cozy element. They're really a homage. They're This first one in particular, you know, paying tribute to the murder mystery genre. I think this is like it's not trying to brand itself as Thursday Metal Club. old people sol solving murder mysteries, which is a lot of what those books are. But um this is probably my favorite like cozy murder mystery series other than Thursday Murder Club. The next one was difficult. Something that feels like abandoned malls. Interesting. Interesting. I feel like there's a lot of ways to interpret this. I went with the feeling that everyone's left. Everyone's left the party. Everyone's gone and you're alone, you know? And so I'm going with The Remains of the Day by Cashi Ishaguru. I don't know if some of people will agree with this, but this is a story told from the perspective of a butler who has kind of like outlived the English country house era, who was part of it and has kind of outlived it and is telling the story of his life and what it was like to work for his late employer. I didn't love this as much as I feel like everyone else did, but I feel like it captures that feeling of like you're in a space that there should be filled with people and suddenly it's not. I don't know if that's a good answer, but that's my answer. Next one. Quite specific and a lot of elements. Will have me kicking and screaming, but also maybe sobbing. Bonus points for LGBTQ. I think I've got it. I'm going with Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. This is a story of um two friends and one of them calls the other one up. The the friend who's doing the calling is now married to like a senator and like has this huge life. The other one's struggling to bit to find a place in life. One on the phone says, "My husband's children are going to have to stay with us. Can you come look after them and keep an eye on them? We need to keep them out of the public eye because they they set themselves on fire. They just suddenly combust and spontaneously set on fire." Yes. And there's a lot of elements to this. This book is funny. It has a very dry humor, but it's also heartbreaking. It also has a found family element. It has real heart to it. So, I think it will have you like kicking in your feet and giggling, but also sobbing. And there is an LGBTQ element to it. It's not necessarily at the forefront of the book, but there is an LGBTQ element to this. I think I [ __ ] nailed that one, honestly. I think it has all those elements. It is funny, but sad and has an LGBTQ element. Oh, so good. Next was something that will make me sobbs also has a happy ending. I struggled with this cuz I don't read a lot of happy stuff, especially if I'm crying. It's probably quite sad, you know? So, this one I struggled with until I remembered the absolute crazy book encounter that I had that I gave five stars and didn't expect to and I feel like no one well actually it was a book of the month club pick. People have read it but I feel like no one in my circles has read it. The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith. You look at this and you just think it's a basic cast contemporary kind of like book club book, women's fiction, you know what I mean? I feel like a lot of people who watch me like that's not really what we read. However, this is the story of a woman going on a cruise with her father in the place of her mother. Her mother has died and she still wants her father to go on the cruise. And so, she goes with him and it's a story really of them both mourning her mother through this. And this book had me sobbing. Had me sobbing. There's one scene in particular where I think they're like on an iceberg or something. It's like a cold cruise and they're like out on this excursion. Oh, it made me cry. I'm sorry. And it was just really beautiful. Oh, how ridiculous. Okay, so it was just oh, so amazing. But it's like a bittersweet sadness. Like it's them working through their grief, you know, and like working through the grief. And so there is there is a happiness to like living life beyond that. I don't want to spoil too much. This is an out. I feel like people wouldn't usually pick this up, but I think it's a wonderfully written book and I'm excited. I do want to try out some more Jennifer E. Smith. I can't really remember what the ending was, but I don't think it was like particularly devastating. I think it was like a bit positive, but um this had me sobbing, sobbing, sobbing, sobbing, sobbing non-stop. I could not stop crying reading this book. Next book I can't find, but the request was kept me up all night. An unput downable read and I've gone with actually the first book since I restarted reading again in like 2018 that kept me up all night and it was All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer. This is not what you expect for this answer. You expect a thriller. This book I stayed up till like 2:00 a.m. reading and I don't think I've ever like done that with a book apart from like a few a few thrillers. Oh my gosh, this is a beautiful book. It's set during World War II. We're following I think a blind girl. I don't want to spoil anything. I can't remember what the plot is and I haven't got it in front of me and a boy and we're following their lives very quickly. We kind of jumping back and forth between them in what I remember as like being quite short chapters. Maybe that's just the speed I was reading it at. And it's heartbreaking and you need to know how it finished and you need to know that they're safe and you need to know what happens to them. and I could not put it down. I love that book. A locked house mystery. Locked house. I've gone with locked building was the closest I could get. You should have locked room. I've gone with locked building was the closest I could get to locked house. And it is the Honjin Murders by Sashi Yokamizo. The first in this series that was translated. I need to read more of these. So many been translated now and I need to get through them. For this one, we're in 1937 in Japan. There is a wedding between these two characters. But there is rumors about a sinister masked man that's been asking questions around the village. They go to like this outhouse to sleep in as like their wedding place, wedding night to sleep in together. And they are found in the morning dead, but the room that they were in is locked from the inside and there's no signs of like intrusion. So, how did someone kill them? Great twist, great reveal. Kind of absolutely crazy like how it's done. Like one of the wildest twists. So, if you're looking for that, there was a few like wild twists. I think this is like beyond a wild twist. This is like what the actual what is being written. Look forward to craziness, kookiness, outlandishness, hoopla, loud, weird, frantic, everything. Crazy crazy crazy. But I really enjoy this series. If you're looking for like translated murder mystery series, this would always be my go-to. I'm really interested in reading all the books that being translated. Although, they're changing the cover design. Let's not talk about that. I won't talk about it. We talked about in my discord on Patreon. It's made me very upset. Then one of the prompts was something fastpaced for a years long reading slump. That is a lot of pressure. That is so much pressure. Years long reading slump. Oh my goodness. Well, bestie I just have to go for like if we're talking fast paced can't put it down crazy. I always talk about it but no exit by Taylor Adams. If you have not read this book, I think this could get you out of your reading slump. We're following Darcy. Is that her name? Derby. So close. who um finds herself snowed in. She's trying to drive home quickly to meet her dying mother and she finds herself stuck and snowed in at this like service station. I don't know what Americans call it. Highway rest stop with no cell phone reception. She is out in the parking lot at one point and thinks that she sees a child locked in one of the vans. And thus begins one of the craziest cat and mouse chases you've ever read in your life. This book is insane. I love no one does it better than Taylor Adams in terms of fast fastpac can't put down apart from hairpin bridge don't read that one the last word was pretty good but don't read the hairpin bridge this in my opinion is the perfect like suspense fast-paced thriller I don't think anyone will ever beat it I think it's the best I think it's crafted perfectly nothing has ever made me feel so sick to my stomach I think you will read this in a day even if you've been in a year's long reading slump it is absolutely insane unput downable crazy no book has ever made me feel like this again my heart was racist thing reading it. So, this is my recommendation. Another book I can't find. I'll just put in pictures that it's a bit of a mess down here, but we have got a summer camp slasher. I don't have a ton that I've loved in terms of summer camp slashers, but I'm going to go with the final girl support group by Grady Hendris. This is a story of like final girls from mass killings and it's their support group and then people start trying to kill them off and some of the girls are like summer camp slasher survivors and that does play I don't want to spoil anything but that does play a role in the story. So, that's my recommendation there. unique magic system with a lovely pros and its backlist. I'm going to go with one of my favorite books here. Apologies, I've spoken about this 10,000 times. The bear and the nighting girl by Katherine [ __ ] Arden. This is why I mean like sometimes I have to recommend a favorite and specific. If you have not read this yet, personally recommended this, go pick it up the second. Give it to me now. Unique magic system. Tick tick tick. It is like all house spirits and nature spirits. We're following Basia, who is a young girl growing up in this old Russian village, and it's her discovering old magic, and I think it's very unique. Katherine Arden has the most beautiful pros, but I I said I think Katherine's writing style adapts and changes to the historical time setting. I'm not recommending Warm Hands of Ghosts in this video for anything, but I do love that as well, but that both the magic system and the writing style reflect the historical time period she's writing about while still retaining like her core writing style, but like it changes. And there's something about this. The quietness, the gentleness. Oh, it's so good. It's so good. One of the books that got me back into reading. I owe it my life. So good. Request for campy horror with some funny moments. Basic answer. My best friend's exism by Grady Hendris. He is camp horror. There's funny in this. This is probably This is tied for my favorite with for him with Southern Good Book Club's if I can speak. Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. This is tied as my favorite. It's about best friends in the 80s and one of them maybe gets like what's the word? Possessed by a ghost or like an evil spirit, the devil maybe. And it's funny. It's so 80s. It's so referential, but it's campy horror. It's the best. Next request is a good for her thriller. I am going for They Never Learn by Lane Fargo. I am so excited to read the favorites, but there's also very different vibes. This one we're following two perspectives. We're following a professor at the school who we find out immediately is a murderer, and she keeps killing shitty men. Good for her. Good for her. Good for her. Good for her. Good for her. Good for her. Yeah. She's a feminist icon. And then we also are following a young student at this university who is kind of like enduring male abuse, like sexual harassment at the school and stuff like that. This has one of the greatest twists. I could sing about it. I could sing a song right now about how great this Oh, it's a great twist. Um, what the [ __ ] And it's the perfect good for her thriller. It does it perfectly. It does what I want. It does what I need. It's so good. Read it. Lane Fargo. Does she have a backlist or was this her debut? Because I immediately feel like with between this and the favorites temper. Okay, I haven't read that, but like I feel like Lane Fargo could become a favorite author for me. So stay tuned on that one. Then someone said, "Looks like the cover of Brat by Charlie XX." I don't own this physically, but I think my breiest cover color-wise was Please ignore Vera Deetsz by AS King. I need to read more AS King. I gave this five stars in like 2019, so it's been a long time. Remember I read this on holiday in Florida. I read the audio book. Um, it's about a girl. It's like YA about a girl whose best friend passes away and it's like her dealing with that. It's a really unique take on grief and as King just writes in the most wonderful unique way. So, go check that one out. Then we have is a light sci-fi that doesn't take place in space and has a side romance plot. I wouldn't say this is this is like mid sci-fi, but it does take place in our world and has I would say quite a strong romance plot. The Ministry of Time. If you have not read this yet, I really did enjoy this. This was like a fourst star for me, a very strong release. We're following a civil servant who is tasked with like the government is bringing expats from time. him. So, he's bringing people back from time that otherwise would have died and trying to integrate them into our society to see how they deal. And we're following the really the relationship between a civil servant and her expat from history. And it's just a very unique book. I think it's a very interesting debut. I think it was successful in a lot of what it tried to do. And I think it fits what you're looking for. It's not like light. So, obviously that like time travel element is quite strong in the plot, but it is also about them living in our world, you know? So, I'd say it just just fits. Then there were a lot of requests for books that feel like a warm hug. Feel feels like a warm hug. I don't I'm so sorry. I don't have any answers for you other than Legends and Lattes. Like I just can't answer. I That is the book. This is a place for legends. Okay. I don't even have it with me. My brother's just read it and he's obsessed after me telling him for ages he was going to love it and he did and now he's reading the sequel. Um but I mean what are you doing on this earth if you have not yet read the Legends and Lattes and you're looking for a book The Storm Hug? I'm guessing you have. If you haven't read the sequel, read that. If you haven't read Travis Baldry's Goblins and Great Coats 10page short story, go read that. Travis Baldry does feels like a warm heart. I mean, he that no one does it for me like him. I can't give any other answer. It's not in my wheelhouse. If you don't know, Legends Lattes is about an orc opening a coffee shop and it's the cutest story you'll ever read and I can't give any any other answer. Then, coastal seaside town with a murder. I feel like there should be more books with this. A lot of them are like quaint English villages like in the countryside, but like the seaside is a great setting as well. I am recommending a Lady Hard Castle book. I'm recommending I think this is the sixth. You can read these out of order. If this is what you're craving, you can just read this book. Death beside the seaside, where Lady Hard Castle and Flo go to the seaside. I can't remember where it is they go. I think they go western Super Mar. I think that's where they're going. And they go and sit at this like quake uh seaside B&B and a murder happens basically. And it's just the best answer I have for this because it's like the perfect like the the coastal seasideiness like especially like Britishness or that kind of like half glamour half rundownness that a lot of seaside towns have. It manages to capture that and like I think Tinzy even researched like what times of the day the tide would have been in on these days in history like the real time he did his research. I think it's the perfect little seaside coastal town murder mystery if you're looking for that and you can just read this out of the series but listen to the audio book. Listen to the audio book. Isolated setting. I'm going with Moon of the Crusted Snow by Wigsh Rice. This is like an apocalyptic book about this very isolated Inishabi community where the power gets cut and they're very isolated. They don't necessarily know what's happening in the rest of society but it seems like maybe society is breaking down or maybe their society is breaking down. Wonderful short isolated horror book. I would love to reread this. I really want to read the sequel. I think also this could have basically stood as a standalone cuz this does have an ending that I'm kind of annoyed we get answers to. It has a bit of an open ending where you can like interpret it in many ways and I'm annoyed that we're going to get answers and well the sequel's been out for a while. But I think this isolated it's really an isolated setting an isolated community and seeing what happens in an isolated community. I loved it. This is if you haven't read this yet you need to. features an actually really well-ritten cat. I'm afraid I only have one answer. Where is it? The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Akawa. It's the answer. It's the answer. It's the best written cat you've ever read. We're following um a owner and his cat as he tries to find his cat another home and he's going around to his friends. We don't really know why, but he's trying to house his his cat who he loves. We don't really know why. He's trying to rehome him. And it's their story and it's the best written cat and it is heartbreaking. If you want to cry, some of these are like I want to cry but be happy. You will not be happy. You will not be happy but you will cry. Can you go get a penog grigio? She needs a glass of scope. I hope you're ready for that and I hope you enjoy that. Best written cat though. For the next request we have small magic, not huge epic fantasy, but something a little magical and not all romance. I am going with A Skin Full of Shadows by Francis Harding. I have only read this from Francis Harding and I immediately went out and bought like 10 books from her. Oh, no, no, no. I've read like a kind of graphic novelly nollay short story kids thing, but um this one, let me actually read the synopsis. It's been a while. Sometimes when a person dies, their spirit goes looking for somewhere to hide. Some people have space within them, perfect for hiding. 12-year-old Makepiece has learned to defend herself from ghosts who tried to defend her, but then she has drops her guard and there's a spirit inside her and just to move to live with like her father's family in Scotland. And there's a country being torn apart by war. This is historical, but the magic is like very very quiet whilst also being like quite intense because maybe she has a bear in her, hence the bears. But it's a very unique book. It's a very unique book. It's kind of like transcends age category, transcends genre. Is it historical? Is it fantasy? Is it like and Francis Harding's writing was just beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful writing. I feel like this is underrated and I would really recommend you pick it up. Feels like an episode of a trashy reality show. I'm going to go with Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. This is a thriller where it's like isolated. They like end up in a wreck on an island. It's a little bit of an And there were none retelling. I think Rachel Hawkins in like her current era is going to give you this. I haven't read all of her stuff. I want to read more. But I feel like Rachel Hawkins is going to give you this vibe. I feel like if you're looking for a thriller, like a trashy reality TV show vibe, they're always just a bit silly, a bit like, yeah, over-the-top feelings. Then we have a cozy graphic novel with animals, magic, and love, whether that be platonic, familiar, romantic. I mean, you can't say this. Number one is at the back of this shelf, so I'm not going to grab it, but not expect me to say the TJ Society books. You can't say this and not expect me to say this. I love it. I mean, I'm I'm so passionate about it. These books are little cozy animal creatures and it's all about like loving thy neighbor, loving your family, loving your friends, loving yourself. And it's beautiful and it's magical and I can't wait to read them to my kids one day. And it's the perfect It's perfect. It's perfect. If you've read number one, read number two. If you've read number two, read number three. If you've read them all, maybe read something more by Kate O'Neal. I imagine maybe has a similar vibe. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. The perfect graphic novel. You can't expect me to say something else. Then we have combines mystery and fantasy and isn't the tated cup. I've read that and loved that. Also, there was one where it was something like makes you feel like the cleverest person in the world when reading it. I would say this answers both. We have got the Rook by Daniel Ali. Actually, let's just read what it says on the back. It says, "A woman awakens in a London park dripping wet and surrounded by corpses wearing latex gloves. In her pocket is a letter from her previous self, Rook Thomas, a superpowered operative in Britain's most secret of secret agencies. Then someone tries to kill her again. The I think the opening line is, "Dear you, the body you are wearing used to be mine." Gag gag it. It's all the drama, Mick. I just love it. This is a series. I've only read the first one, but yeah, basically you're following a character who wakes up and is like has letters from her past self saying, "Okay, here's your life. Here's your situation. You can't remember any of that, but this is what your life is." you're like one of the most important secret agents and there's like this magical fantastical agency, you know, governmental agency in the world and it's a very clever book. It's a very clever book. It has a lot of interesting layers to it. You feel clever when reading it and it's like a fantastical mystery and I would really recommend it if you've enjoyed Cup. Very different vibe fant fantasy-wise, setting wise, but you know, fits the vibe. The next request simply said unhinged woman vibes. I feel like usually you see this with like contemporary stuff or like good for her thrillers. I've gone with something a bit different. I've gone with like a fantastical one. Slooh by Braum. Slooh by Brahm. So we're following Aba, a recently widowed outcast and she's alone and vulnerable in her village and there's a demon called Sluett and together her and Sluett try and maybe take down the village. I don't know. Like try and try and battle against them being mean to her. Good for her. This is a very special book. It's a very unique book. If you have not read this yet, I would really recommend picking up, but maybe save it for like autumn winter time. It's definitely a dark book. It's set in 1666, so it's historical as well. And it gets unhinged. It gets unhinged. So, if you're looking for that, but in maybe a slightly different genre than usual, this is the one. Dark academia that feels like crunching leaves. What a great prompt. And they also said not secret history or if we were villains. I think like one of the best ripoffs of that vibe cuz there are every book is basically a rip ripoff of that vibe is Death and the Spires by KJ Charles. I read this last year and it was such a shock surprise hit for me. Again, it's very similar to villains or secret history, but this one's historical. So, it's set in 1905 and 10 years prior. Basically, back in the day, there was a group of friends and one of them was brutally murdered. They're all students at Oxford. So, it's got that dark academia setting and 10 years on one of them is trying to solve what happened. And it's just like a perfect if you're like it kind of feels like a lady hard castle genre for me where like you're looking for something that replicates that but kind of like cozy and it's familiar. Every beat is familiar. You kind of know what to expect to some regard. But I had a great time reading it. I think if you're looking for something with the secret history, if we're villains vibes, also with a bit of gay romance in this one. I will say that cuz that's what this author is known for predominantly. It's a sleeper hit. It's a sleeper hit. Then we have I wanted to rip my heart out and also hug it. Uh and I have to go with Shark by Emily Beck. I feel like I speak about this book all the time and I can't shut up about it. this we're following a young couple who find that the husband is slowly turning into a great white shark and it's their story but we also follow other stories in this and it's told through like very short chapters often that's a bad example of these are bad examples like some of them are just literally a paragraph some are a page some are a couple pages it has a beautiful writing style and it really has the duality of this request where like it's breaking your heart but it's also putting it back together at the same time it really says a lot about how lucky we are to love people and about the human experience. I cannot wait to see what Emily Habbec puts out in the future. This is like a debut where I'm like strongly waiting for an announcement of what's next. We need this. This is essential. This is a crisis. I often like don't feel that it's one of those books. It says on the back, one of those rare books that reaches right into you and like it does feel like that. It feels like it like it grabs your heart, you know? It's going to grab your heart. So, yes, what a recommendation that is. H you guys need to read Shark Cart. This it's one of those books I'm like if you're here and if you're watching on the regular why have you not read this yet? This Legends and Lattes Thursday Murder Club like you need to read this book. Then I feel a little pressure with this one. Is perfect for a reader who mostly reads classics but wants something from the 2020s. I feel like that's quite the uh quite the request and I was a little bit scared to give an answer. At first I thought Pachinko I was a safe answer cuz that's kind of like a modern classic but it's not from the 2020s technically. It's from 2017. So, I am going with and I feel like this may surprise some people, but hear me out. Bright young women by Jessica Null. So, this is kind of inspired by the Ted Bundy case. And I think there is the discussion to be had around like writing a book inspired by a true crime murder event and like profiting off of it. But I really think Jessica Null handles this with such care and places the victims at the heart of the story. Ted Bundy is never named. he's only referred to as like the man or him or the killer or something like that and it's it's not like real people the perspectives it's like kind of inspired by his victims or maybe like piecing some parts of different victim stories together but um it's particularly about a sorority that he attacked and like the sorority president and how she deals with being one of the survivors and it is just yeah I think like if you're looking for like a book that handles a topic that often isn't handled with care with such care has an intelligence to it, has uh a lot of reflectiveness to it. I would recommend picking this up if you're looking for something that kind of hits that like modern mystery thriller genre, but is different, has more intelligence to it. I think this would be my recommendation. I thought it was a wonderfully written book. I thought the writing like kind of fell out of time, felt I don't know. That's my recommendation. I don't know how good I've done with that one. Or Shark Hart, actually. I think if you usually read classics, maybe try Shark Cart as well. We've got a few left, so I'm going to speed through a few of these. Makes me kick my feet giggling and fills me with whimsy. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by Teing Fisher or really any of Teing Fisher's fantasies. Kind of like cozy fantasy. Will like make you kick your feet and giggle. I didn't I like this is like a Oh, I've got a bookmark in here. It's a lovely bookmark. Oh my god. Get back in there. I'll use you later. Yeah, it's like this little wizard who like bakes stuff and it's and they're maybe like like little [ __ ] gendered man with knives. It's very cute. I'd recommend this one. It's sit on the sea and has a strong female main character. Tres of the Emerald Sea. Tres of the Emerald Sea. My brother has this one at the moment as well. I sent him like a few books that I thought he might enjoy. But um you can't ask anything more. Trust the Emerald Sea. Just go read it if you haven't already. A book with big little lies vibes like a beach reader where the plot twists are actually good. I literally just read this book. Where have on earth have I put it? I think I've probably put it next door. I've probably shoved it somewhere. You need to know by her sister Nicola Morati. Maybe a little bit less of a thriller, maybe more of a family saga, but so readable, so unpredentable. Had when I read it in my author reading author siblings video, if you haven't seen it, has a lot of similarities. I feel like writing style-wise, some of the construction of the book style-wise to Lean Morati. I don't want to compare sisters, but in this case, I will because I think they have a lot of similarities. Kathy would have my back like a real sister. has great twist but really has that like family saga. Also some of this like celesteing kind of vibe to it. I really really really enjoyed this. A girl spiraling cuz she's so obsessed with something. Oh my gosh, I thought you'd never ask. My favorite of this is You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno. I can't I read this so long ago. I think I read this in 2021 so I can't remember what's not a spoiler and what is but we're following Magpie. uh family life has been difficult and she finds that she can like escape and write anything in her notebook that she wants and it materializes in this place she calls near and she can like create near whatever she wants it to be. At first near is a peaceful escape but it soon becomes something darker something where nightmares lurk and hidden truths come to light. I loved how this was written. I love Katrina Lena's writing. It's a YA unhingedness, but I I really enjoyed it and like I it's really a descent into something, you know, this book. Okay, someone said fantasy found family. We're going to end on two, you know, books I never shut up about. Yeah, if you've been here a lot and watch my videos a lot, you can go. I would try not to be too talk too long. Someone said, um, you can see what I'm reaching for. Fantasy found family. I've read Six of Crows. I've read Raven Boys. Yeah, I've read the big ones. Have you read this? Have you read the strange case? I'm being so deadly serious. Never been a better fantasy fan family. They are monsters. They are monstrous girls. First page. First page. First page. If I can find it. Here be monsters. Mary. I don't think that's the right epigraph for the book. Catherine, then you write the bloody thing. Honestly, I don't know why I agreed to do this. Mary, because we need money. Catherine, as usual, they are my monstrous girls. It's probably my favorite book in the world. Theodoros, please write a new novel. I'm begging you. I stalk her on Instagram every day. And I like I just hope for a new novel from her. Classic Men from Victorian literature. It's their like daughters or female versions and it's them with Sherlock solving a mystery. The whole series is wonderful. I need to reread it all. Best thing I've ever read. And Catherine is writing the stories you've seen and occasionally they cut in with their opinions. Best found family of these monstrous girls. I love them all so much. Okay. Okay. I will restrain myself to that. That actually means a lot to me. I'm so stupid. And then final one. We had a few people saying they were going through a breakup and needed a book recommendation. Someone said, "I need an audio book that will hold my attention." Sorry, I was rushing through this last part of the video because my SD card was running out of space, so I didn't sufficiently wish everyone going through a breakup love and healing and happiness. And I've already recommended one of these books, but I am going to say the Lady Hard Castle book. Okay, I'm going to say Lady Hard Castle books. You should read these via audio. Don't you don't have to get the physical like me. I just get the physical cuz I love them. Just read the audio books these books. Everyone I've never had a person DM me and say, "I've read Lady Hardcast audio book and I didn't enjoy it." I have had thousands, maybe not thousands, I have a lot of you comment or DM me saying, "I've read Lady Hardcast and I love them. You're so right. I love the audio books." And I think if you're going through a breakup, you don't want something with a romantic element to it. I don't think you want a thriller. Like when you say audio book that will hold my attention. I think you're kind of like attention grabbing. You think of like thriller or like int. I don't think you want something intense. I think you want something that's a balm, you know, that's just comforting and will kind of hold you and is easy and has beats and tropes that we expect. No one does it better than Lady Hard Castle and Flow. This is the first one. A quiet life in the country. I know I talk about these 10,000 times, okay? But my favorite cozy mysteries. You need the audio books. It's Lady Hard Castle and Flow in a little English village solving murder mysteries. If you haven't listened to a Lady Hard Castle book, why are you still watching my videos? Genuinely, if you have not done it, if you've listened to one, go back and listen to another. though. So deadly serious. So deadly serious about this. I think it's the perfect thing. So I'm getting like you're going through a breakup and I'm getting a bit aggressive. But I think these books are just so lovely. They're so calming. They're so gentle. I think you could or even if like even if you're going through a breakup, if you're struggling in life, if you're struggling in life, if the world is a bit too much, right? The world is a lot at the moment. And I really think these are the perfect books to escape into and like everything's going to be fine. They're they're rich in old England and they're just going to live their lives and solve mysteries and I love them. Okay, friends. This is a longass video, but that is all my very super specific book recommendations. So, if you can only read one book that fulfills this, this is what you should read. I hope they were helpful. I really put a lot of thought into them. Um, and I hope yeah, I hope that you you find these helpful. I tried to pull out some like deep cuts as well with these. Um, let me know if you've read any of these. Let me know if you have any suggestions for any requests out there cuz I am only one girl and I only read so much. So, if we can have a group, you know, helping outer of different of these prompts, I would love to down below. Also, remember to check out Magic Mind for 60% off your order. I I I am not kidding. I love Magic Mind. I've been taking it for months. I feel like it makes a huge difference to my productivity, to my anxiety, and um yeah. So, go check it out down below, and I will see you very soon in another video. Bye.