5 STAR TOURNAMENT! 🌟 finding my #1 favourite of 2025

Hello friends. How's everyone doing? Today we're going to be doing a video that I do every single year. Doing a bracket style tournament of my five stars of the year so far to find my favorite book of the year so far. Now, ideally, I would do this video in September, August, even like when I have 16 five stars. I usually wait until I have 16 five stars to fill out the bracket to do this video. I have 11 five stars so far this year. 11 11 dire diabolical awful horrific where are the five stars but I do have five 4.5 so I filled it out with my 4.5 so that we can do the bracket otherwise I'd be doing it in 10 years it seems I don't get enough five stars and yeah we're going to be using it to find out my favorite book of the year so far now this is not rank the books like I'm going to at the end of the year and listen we still have time for another book to be my favorite book of the So far, I still have to read Thursday Murder Club. I got a lot of books to read, but I like to do this when I hit 16 five stars or I guess 16 five stars and 4.5 stars just to see where I am and see what my favorite book is. But yeah, it's not going to be a ranking because you could get my first favorite book and my second favorite book against each other in the first bracket cuz I do it by the order that I read them in to make it fair. I think I have like the least sense of what my favorite book of the year is compared to many other years before. Like last year, I went into it knowing it would be Pride and Prejudice. I can't remember what it was year before, but I feel like I knew it was going to be that book, but I don't actually know what I'm going to go for this year. So, shall we just dive into it? Here is the bracket in all its glory. Here are the 16 books I've given five stars or 4.5 stars so far this year. And shall we just get into it? Should we just get into the first bracket? Our first bracket is Disney High versus Funny Story. So, Disney High is by Ashley Spencer. This is non-fiction. We have how many non-fiction on this list? two two non-fiction on this list. Yeah. And they are both up there as some of my favorite books. This is going to be interesting. So, yeah. Disney High. As someone who grew up obsessed with the Disney Channel growing up, like I was raised I was raised by Hannah Montana camp high school musical musical. High school musical high school musical. This was so interesting. This is basically a behindthescenes look at what happened on those shows from producers, from directors, from actors. Oh my god, the high school musical chapters. Peak peak peak info that I'm being given. Someone describing to me the moment that Zach and Vanessa became boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't think I can ask for much more. Ah, that's history. It was so good. It was fascinating. Ashley and Lucas hated each other. Shi and Ryan hated each other. That's why they got the job cuz they hated each other from the get-go. Audition, they were like, "You are my op." And it just worked and it's just so good. So yeah, I love Disney High. I thought it was fascinating. I thought it was so well written. Funny story by Emily Henry I really enjoyed. I think that was maybe my first full five star for Emily Henry. And I just think it's a great solid romance. It's just it does everything a romance needs to do. It's not got loads of bells and whistles. I don't think it's particularly like the most memorable romance, but I just thought this is kind of like a perfect romance. It has all the scenes I want. It has the emotional exploration that I want. And I just think Amy Henry obviously is a great writer, but I did really enjoy it, but it's Disney High. That one isn't even a question. It's so obviously Disney High that I don't know what to say to you. It's Disney High. Pairing number two is The Wedding People versus The Final Act, Juliet Willoughby. Okay, The Wedding People. I'm sure many of you know this was like a big book last year. I read it for reading the winners of the Goodies Choice Awards, which I love doing every single year to like read the big books of the previous year. The wedding people is about this woman who is planning on ending her own life and goes to this hotel to do it. This like upscale hotel finds out she is the only person there who is not part of this wedding party and she ends up befriending the wedding party and in particular the bride and it's really a story of her realizing that she wants to live again and it's about the beauty of life and it's about the beauty of like I've got a deed of fur on my eye. It's about the beauty of human connection. you hear that synopsis and I think it's a tricky thing to handle well, you know, like that's a heavy heavy topic and obviously I don't think it's a spoiler to know you're going into it knowing it's a woman planning her to end her own life, but you probably know that she's not going to, right? And I think dealing with that moment is a hard moment to go from someone like what makes them realize that they they don't want to do that is a tricky thing to handle. And some people might have a different opinion with how that was handled in this, but I thought it was handled really, really well and in a way that felt realistic. And I just loved the relationships in this. I loved the writing. I thought the writing was wonderful. It's not really my kind of book, you know, like this kind of more contemporary fiction, but I just had a great time with it. Then we have the final act, Juliet Willoughby. >> The final act of Juliet Willoughby is incredible. It's so good. Okay, it is split timeline, which we know isn't my kind of thing, but they just do it so well. This is actually a husband and wife writing duo, Ellie Lloyd, if you didn't know. But anyway, we're following, oh my god, there's so many layers to this plot. That's why I love it so much. It's got layers. It's got layer upon layer upon layer upon layer of like magnificentness. We're following Juliet Winnipeg live in the 1920s. She was a famous like he and artist in her own right, but she was dating like one of the most famous artists of any any time and she and him died in a flatfire in Paris and her most famous artwork I believe was lost in that fire which is like the like a painting of a sphinx and it's like very like surrealist. Then we're following students in Cambridge in the 1990s who are studying art history and become interested in Juliet Willoughby and like the truth of what happened to her and like she's kind of been a woman that's been lost to history. It's part of where my interest comes in. It's really women. >> And then we're following some art dealers in present day in Dubai selling Got Willy's famous painting. That's basically all you need to know. It is so good. It is so good. But it has so it's so rich. This is such a rich rich rich book. Like I said, so many layers, so much so much going on, so many um different kind of like themes that the book brings in. They actually had like a bibliography of all the different themes and where they'd read up on all of them in the back of the book. And I just you could feel I love when you can feel so much has been poured into a book. And this felt like so much been poured into this book. I love, you know, the theme of bringing a woman who has been forgotten to history, forgotten because of her famous lover basically taking the spotlight. I love the idea of her getting her moment in the spotlight. It was just so well written and yeah, I didn't hate the split timeline of it all. I didn't hate the split timeline of it all. So, that is up there as well as one of my favorite books of the year so far. That has got to go. That has got to go up there. Good old Juliet has got to be up there. It's just such a good book. It's just such a good book. Such a good book. Then we have two 4.5s. These are two 4.5s up against each other based on like when I read stuff. I'm not going to lie to you. Before I made this video, I kind of thought I read The Mirror Season last year, which isn't great. It's not great. >> I don't remember. I don't remember, love. I don't remember at all. I really don't. It was an awful long time ago. >> I feel like The Mirror Season is a book that really impacted me when I was reading it, but hasn't necessarily stuck with me further, but it was like so impactful when I read it. So, The Mirror Season is about Oh, this is one of those books I for I forget what's a spoiler and what's a spoiler. It is about two teenagers who were both sexually assaulted at a party and it's about them helping each other get over that and supporting each other. It is also magical realism. Our girly has magic but is kind of like unable to do her magic fully after this happens to her. she loses some of her magic after the events of the party. And it is just a beautifully written book. It is so beautiful. It is so tender. It is so heartbreaking. Annie and Maxwell's writing is incredible. They write with such beauty. Like, it's such beautiful writing. It's so lush. It's so vivid, but it's also it doesn't overdo it. It feels set in realism when all this magical realism is going on. There's like stuff to do with glass breaking like and going in people's eyes. is it's like very weird but it was very tender. I really really loved it. And then we have a 4.5 a fire at the exhibition teeny one of the two Lady Hard Castles on the list. This is a 4.5. I mean it's Lady Hard Castle. >> I love her. >> There's a fire at the exhibition. There's like this art exhibition going on and there's a fire at it and uh it's great fun. I just love Lady Hard Castle. I'm at the point where they are all they are all 4.5 or five stars to me. Like I just love them so much. Te Kinsey, I think, is a is a wonderful author and has really brought these characters to life. I love Lady Hard Castle and Flo. I love them. I love their friendship. I love them solving murder mysteries. It's the perfect setting for kind of like a cozy murder mystery. This quaint English town, he just knows what he has to do and he does it every single time. Like Tiny knows what these books are. They are fairly formulaic. You know what you're going to get. But their banter, their relationship is just so good. And the audio books are so good. This one's tricky actually cuz these are both 4.5s and I feel like I could put either of them forward for different reasons. The Mirror Season objectively are probably a better book. I don't know. No, let me not dunk on Tiny. Mirror season, beautiful writing. It is handling a very difficult topic, but I love Lady Hard Castle. I love Lady Hard Castle. I fear I might have to put Lady Hard Castle forward. Okay. It's just so good at the end of the day. I just they they make me so happy. I don't know if any book in the world makes me as happy as Lady Castle books make me. Then we have two romances up against each other. This is interesting. This is headto-head. Okay, these are both five stars. Just for Summer by Abby Jimenez and Deep End by Ali Hazelwood. So Just for Summer is about these two characters who whenever they seem to date someone, they seem to go on trying to love their life afterwards. So they decide to date each other to cancel out. This does not really form part of the plot, I wouldn't say. Like it's not like there is a curse or something. There's no like fantastical element. That's just the hook that brings them together. We're following both these characters who have both very difficult family dynamics. Her mother isn't very reliable, isn't the picture, has a very fractious relationship, and then he is having to really step up and help raise his younger siblings. And so they both have these dynamics going on that kind of make them feel like, is this the right time? Should we really be doing this? So, they decide just to like date for the summer basically. And you're thinking, okay, sure. Tell yourself that, babes. Abby Jimenez, you know, these are these are two of my top romance authors. These are these are my two top romance authors, Abby Jimenez and Ali Hazerwood. I will read everything they churn out. I I love them so much. And Abby Jimenez, I think, does a great job of like I've said this before, kind of keeping the difficult elements and the fun on a very even kill that feels tonally it doesn't feel tonally jarring. I feel like she does a great job of balancing those. However, maybe Deep End, Deep End by Ali Hazelwood is about these two athletes, these two student like university athletes who are both into some kinky stuff. But I wouldn't say that if you read a lot of kink stuff, you'll read this and be like, "What the [ __ ] is this?" Like, they they talk a good game, but they don't necessarily do a good game. I just want to manage your expectations going into this. He was dating her friend for many, many years, but kind of like they were just dating, you know what I mean? They break up and her friend says to her like, "You're both into the same stuff. I think you should [ __ ] basically." And so they do. I think maybe this is Ali Hazwood's best work for me. I think it's so good. I think the character development that these characters go through is her best character development. the stuff where they start and where they end and the way that they tackle their personal issues beyond the the sexy sexy times, you know what I mean? Is impeccable and it a lot more of the book is taken up from what I remember with sex scenes and other Ali Hazwood books. Like a lot of page space is lost to the sex scenes, but it still has the best character development um of any Ali of any Ali Hazwood book. So, I think I am going to go with Deep End and I'm going to put Deep End forward. This is going to get trickier as it goes along along. I'm looking at some of these pairings and going, "Okay, then we're on to the next side. We have Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, which was a 4.5 by Grady Hendrix and Tell Me What I Am by Una Manion, which was a five. So, I feel um we can kind of predict where this is going. Witchcraft forward girls by Grady Hendrix. I did really really enjoy it. is set it's a historical book set at this school for way or home I guess her waywood girls who are sent there when they get pregnant and they're basically sent there to give birth and give up their baby and then go home and we're following these girls as they discover witchcraft and it kind of like saves them and they use witchcraft to it's a very abusive terrible situation they're in and they kind of use it to give them power. I think Ready Hendricks for a man did a wonderful job of like writing child birth and the pregnancy the experience of these girls. I I wouldn't trust many men to do it, but I feel like he did a really good job. And some people will say there is critique of Grady Hendricks that like he does write a lot about women and female issues and like should he be doing that? But I feel like, you know, I can only judge the book on its individual merit and I feel like he did a really good job of doing that. However, Tell Me What I Am by Una Man. I feel like I read this ages ago. I feel like I haven't had many five stars in like the last few months. Tell Me What I Am, incredible book. This and Juliet Willoughby I feel like are the two books that I'm guessing the least amount of people watching this will have read and I want you to read them so so badly for different reasons. Tell me what I am is a more literary mystery. I read this cuz it won the Dagger Awards when I was doing a video reading like award winners. Oh my good god. Oh my god. So, you're following this story. You're following multiple timelines. Again, I don't always have to hate a split timeline if it's done well. Basically, we're following a young girl who lives a very isolated life with her father and her paternal grandmother. She has a very, very isolated life. She doesn't really know what happened to her mother. And then we're following in the past her mother trying to leave her father and her mother goes missing. And she the girl in the present day doesn't really know that. I think she's told that she's she left or something. And you're following the girl's perspective and you're following her aunt's perspective, her mother's sister's perspective. And you follow like, you know, a lot in the present day of the girl growing up from like 6 to probably like 18 or something. But then you follow like really from when she was before she was a baby, like when the mother met the father and really this family's this whole family's from the aunt's perspective, this whole family's fight to get this woman out of an abusive relationship. the whole family pulling together to try and make this happen and try and get her out safely and try and, you know, free her of the kind of like worldview she's had to live with to survive in this relationship. And and it's and it's heartbreaking because, you know, she goes missing. I'm going to cry. You know, she goes missing and the father takes the daughter and isolates her from all this family. And then in the present day, you're watching her, the daughter lives such an isolated life. He doesn't really want to send her to school. He controls her immensely and it's just [ __ ] it's one of the most heartbreaking books I've ever read. But it is so so beautifully done. A really quiet look at this one family situation. But oh, I'm going to cry. I'm going to cry. I'm going to cry. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. I'm going to cry. In. I can't describe to you how well done this book is at handling the subject matter. unflinchingly like it really really it's just it's just bone deep sadness bone deep sadness this book so I think because it made me cry obviously tell me what I am has to go forward then we have a five star with an assassination on the agenda another another lady hard castle and the favorites by Lane Fargo which I gave 4.5 but I kind of think the favorites is more iconic because Lady Hardcastle is just a five star because it's like you know it's also I'm I'm going to put the five star forward obviously But the favorites is iconic. So, an assassination on the agenda. There's an assassination on the agenda. This is one of our first books actually in London in the bright lights of London. There is a potential assassination happening and they get kind of recruited by Lady Holcastle's brother Harry who works in like the secret service to help figure it out. So, this is one of the like higher stakes lady hard castles we've got into because those girdies have a history of espionage. They've they've done it, you know, they've they've retired. This is them retired in the series. They have a whole history of like working as spies and so this is the kind of first book where we saw that side of them and I really really enjoyed it. I mean, it's just Lady Hard Castle, isn't it? But the Favorites by Fargo is kind of iconic. It is iconic. It's a Weathering Heights retelling. It's ice skating. We're following these two characters who kind of grow up together and in the future there's a documentary being made and people in their lives being interviewed about an event that happened at the Olympics that tore them apart, tore ice skating apart or whatever. The narrative of the story is the leadup to that from childhood up until what happens. And I think this is a great book. It is a great book. It is high drama, high stakes. I think it's really well written. I loved the documentary element of it. The only reason it wasn't a five is I couldn't personally get over the way that these characters were treating each other and there was like no no one had a problem. They were treating each other horribly, but everyone was okay with being treated horribly. Like people would do horrific stuff and every but because everyone was doing horrific stuff to each other, they'd be like, "Okay, fine, fine." And I get that's kind of the whole point. But there were points I was reading I was like, "Oh my like how how are we okay with this? How are we how are we how >> No, my head came off. >> My head came off, you know, but in an elegant way. >> Yes. >> How is there no like repercussions or something? So, but I think it's a kind of iconic book. But I am going to put Assassination on the agenda forward because it was five stars and the the favorites, which one? There it is. The favorites was 4.5. So, there you go, I guess. Okay, we're almost there, guys. Final four. We have We have atmosphere versus the ABC murders. Holy. Okay. Atmosphere by her Jenkins Reed. You don't need to I don't need to give you a synopsis for this. This so iconic. It is Lesbians in space in the 1980s. Yeah. Oh yeah. We are following Joan who works at NASA. She's one of the first women hired at NASA. And in the future we we book opens up in the future. She's about to be like the comms for a mission that's taking place that has a lot of her cohort on it. Particularly Vanessa. Vanessa. Vanessa. At that point, you don't know what point they stand in the future. Like she is nervous to talk to her on comms. Then we go back in time and we follow them beginning at NASA and the whole story. It is so good. Taylor Jenkins Reed, one of the greatest authors of all time. One of the greatest authors of all time. This book I have I haven't cried at like that. I haven't cried at a book like that in so long. In so long. The way Taylor Jenkins Reed makes you film this book is nothing short of diabolical. Diabolical. Unhinged. Evil. Evil. Crazy. I can't get over it. Beautiful writing. I said I loved these characters so much. I wanted 700 pages. Like there'd be time jumps of 3 months and I'm like no. Like I want to know what you had for dinner every night. I want to know your conversations. I want to know what you said to each other. I I loved it. Taylor Jenkins read again a book that feels like it has been poured into. So much love, so much attention. I love space. I'm a space girl now. Thanks to Taylor Jenkins read. No, so good. Now, The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie. Great pro. Great, great, great pro. This is like one of the more well-known ones. Obviously, it's about a murderer who is like killing people in order where their initials and the place start with the letter A, B, C, and so on. And Herky ParrO is droing to solve it. We have Hastings as a narrator and I didn't hate him. That is growth. That is progress. I am no longer a Hastings hater. This is Ag Christy. Oh, burst. Pero is on form. Pero is so funny in this one. He's so funny. He's so witty, quick wit, quick little moments that make you smile that the murder and the whole construction of the book turns itself on its head so many times. Like you keep thinking you kind of know where the book is going and then it pivots but in such a masterful way. I just think it's like a great great great great pro and I can see why it's one of the most well-known. However, I'm sorry, it must be atmosphere. It must be atmosphere going forward. Finally, we again have a five star versus a 4.5 star. We have Story of a Murder versus Siren Queen by Neo. So, Story of Murder by Hi Ruben Hold. Oh, yeah. Oh. Oh my god. Non-fiction about this fairly well-known murder where like at least in like true crime. I I I knew of this case before where a man a doctor murdered his wife and him and his mistress were trying to flee on a boat with her disguised as his son. But it really, you know, Harry Rumold opens the book saying everything we know about the case, really everything that's in popular culture about the case is from what he gave on the stand. The information he gave on the stand when he testified, Belle or Kora, the woman that was murdered, has never really been given a voice. What we know of her was an image that he constructed to make himself seem like the the the innocent party, like, oh, my wife has been awful, yada yada. And this book takes you through Belle, Dr. Krippen and Ethel the mistress their lives from the start and it is Hi Ruben Hod is a genius. She is a genius. One of the best pieces of non-fiction I've ever read like incredible. She makes you feel like you are you are in the room with them like watching a historical enactment or you have gone back in time. You have time travel. They can't see you but you are there in the room and you are seeing like every little piece of body language or every little moment. And I just love at the end of the day I love history where women get back. The women get back and >> women's stories matter. Yeah, they just matter. >> They do. And I, you know, do you know what? Normally people know this. He failed because of her besties. The bestie said, "I smell a stunt. I am suspicious. You are lying. We are going to figure this out." And no one believed them. They went to the police. No one wanted to pay attention to these women, but they got justice for their bestie. And I just love it. I just love it. I love it. I think everyone should read it. If you enjoyed The Five by Holly Ruben Hold, this is a must readad. Oh, so good. Then Siren Queen I just read is a historical fantasy, very surreal, very strange, set in old Hollywood and we're following a young girl, a young Asian girl who wants to become a Hollywood star. And it's about the price we pay for fame, the the the magic that exists in Hollywood, but also the darkness and the sinisterness and the power that like Hollywood execs, especially at this time, had. And it is like it's such a weird book. It's such a weird book. Like I think I said when I spoke about it, everything feels very dreamlike. Like you feel like you're kind of shifting in and out of scenes. A scene ends, you kind of didn't realize it, and a new scene begins or you feel like you're missing parts of information. Like you don't feel Many of these books I have on here are straightforward narrative and you are following the narrative. This is kind of confusing you and never really letting you see the truth. It was a great book. I really, really enjoyed it. However, I fear Stro Murder has to go forward because it was five stars and one of the best books I've read so far this year. Okay, now we're going to speed things up a bit because we have done the synopsis and well, I thought of all of these. So, this is a horrific pairing to start off with. This is this is horrific. Oh my god. Disney High versus the Final Act Julia Willoughby. I feel like on any given I don't actually know how to choose this. This is what I'm saying. I feel like I've had like some iconic five stars. I don't had many. a lot of what's left. But maybe the uh Lady Hard castles because that's just iconic as a whole. These are like iconic iconic five stars. Disney High versus the Final Act of Juliet Willoughby. I love Disney High, but I love I don't know. Okay, here's what I think is going to decide it for me. When I went to my inerson book club last month, we had to say our favorite book of the year. And I did narrow it down to three. And one of these was one of them, and the other one wasn't. Disney High was one that I said was one of my favorite books of the year. Juliet Willoughby was not. So I think for that reason I have to go with Disney High, but that is hard. That is a really hard decision because in the moment right now I'm thinking, "Oh my god, is it Juliet Willoughby?" Cuz that is a wonderful book. But I think Disney High was just like it felt like Christmas. I can it felt it's full of nostalgia. It felt like a it felt like an event. It felt like a wonderful moment. So I think I'm going to put Disney high forward. But that is that is tricky. That is tricky. Then here we do have a 4.5 versus a five. So, it's not a difficult choice for me. We're putting We're putting Deep End forward. Deep End is such I think it's Ali's Best. I think it's so iconic. I loved Deep End. What a book. Like, it's so good. Ali's best. Then we have Tell Me What I Am versus An Assassination on Agenda. I cried talking about Tell Me What I Am. That decision is not difficult. Tell Me What I Am. That decision is not difficult. >> This was the no-brainer. This was the banker. This was the one that couldn't fail. This was one that's never failed. I love Lady Hard Castle, but I feel like Lady Hard Castle books, it is the sum of its parts as a series. I love them individually. I have the best time, but they are a formula. They are something, you know what I mean? Whereas Tell Me What I Am is a is an individual novel, and that is Guys, you need to read Tell Me What I Am. Then this final pairing here, diabolical, because remember I told you about I narrowed it down to three favorite books for the book club. These were the other two. I don't know how to choose. These could be like my top two books of the year if I'm honest with you. These could these are up there and on every given day I change my mind. Like oh my god that is diabolical. I think they're probably my top two favorite books of the year. I mean this could be recency bias as well. We'll see how I feel at the end of the year once like these the hold over me has dissipated a bit cuz these are obviously like my two most recent five stars. But I'll be ABC murders. Best probably best fiction and best non-fiction I've read so far this year. I don't know. I don't know. I can't I can't make this decision. Please, I can't make this decision. Atmosphere is her Jenkins reads at her best, but is it her best for me? I don't know. Like, do I still love like Evan Higgo more? Do you know what I mean? But story of Murder is iconic, but is it I I sobbed watching atmosphere? Does it feel as iconic to me? I don't know. This is horrific. I actually can't think of any argument to put them against each other. I think I'm going to put atmosphere forward. I think I'm going to put atmosphere forward. I don't know how I feel about that, but I'm doing it. Oh my god. Okay, then we have Disney High versus Deep End. Don't know. This is so hard. I think it's like when it gets down to like this, a fiction versus non-fiction or over here, it's like impossible because they're doing such different things. They are delivering such different things. [ __ ] I really should talk you through my thought process, but I can't. I don't know. Deep end versus Disney High. I think it has to be Disney High. I think it has to be Disney High. Like I said, it just felt it felt like Christmas. It felt the reading experience I remember so fondly. Every every word I was devouring, you know? So, I think it has to be Disney High. And then Tell Me What I Am versus Atmosphere. Both very emotionally heavyhitting books. Both books that probably I think I cried at Tell Me What I Am. I cried more atmosphere, but that was I mean that was cruel. That was cruel. Like totally did that on purpose. >> Oh, [ __ ] It was bloody camp. >> I think it probably has to be atmosphere cuz I was saying atmosphere and sort of murder up there is some of my favorite books of the year. But I don't feel the need to tell you to read atmosphere as much as I feel the need to tell you to read Tell Me What I Am. No one's read this book and it is freaking incredible. Incredible. Very different vibes. Atmosphere is probably a bit more of a fun read. Although it is emotionally devastating. Tell Me What I Am is just dark and cold and horrible. Like you need to be prepared for that. But I think I am going to go atmosphere. Where is that? I got to find the layer. I think I do have to go atmosphere. I think I do. And then Oh my god. Oh my god. Then we have Disney High versus atmosphere. I don't know. I take the decision away from me. I don't want to do it. I don't want to make this decision. >> I can't do it. >> You can. You can do it. You can. You can. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. both incredible reading experiences. Both time like well actually I did read atmosphere quite slowly but I that was because of more life stuff got in the way of me reading this impeccable book and it was the kind of book I was like I need to read it at the perfect moment. You know what I mean? Versus Disney high I think I read it pretty quickly. I think I devoured it. The audio book of that is wonderful as well. Ooh this is hard. This is really really really hard. I feel like on any given day these two in story of a murder I can't decide but I have to decide. That's the whole purpose of this video. Someone make a decision for me. What do you guys think is my best book of the year? >> I mean, let me ask the audience. >> I don't want to decide. Disney high versus atmosphere. So different. Delivering me such different things. An author I love versus my first time with an author who I definitely want to read more if she does more non-fiction. You know what? In my heart, I think I know what it is. I think I know. I think it's atmosphere. I think atmosphere is my favorite book of the year so far. >> You're a winner, baby. >> Oh my god. How do I feel about that? I don't know how I feel about that. I think it's atmosphere. I think atmosphere is my favorite book of the year so far. I think I love T Jenkins Reed's writing. I think I love these characters. I think I I mean, to be fair, both this and Disney High, I would love a 700page book of that. You know what I mean? Like both of them I want more. But I don't know. I just think that there was something really beautiful about that book and the way it was formatted, the way that you're kind of on tender hooks the whole time. Reminds me a bit of like a Courtney Summers. I know that's a wild comparison, but where you're kind of filled with hope, but existential dread the whole time. I mean, the whole book isn't dark like a Courtney Summers. I need another Courtney Summers book. Courtney Summers, if you're out there, please write a new book. I need it. This is essential. This is a crisis. Anyways, yeah, the way it's formatted, you know, at the beginning something has gone wrong in the future and you're just hoping and hoping and praying and praying. I think it has to be atmosphere. But there are some great books on this list. My gosh, there are some wonderful books on this list. Disney High Murder, both incredible non-fiction. And then like Tell Me What I Am. Tell Me What I am, guys. Juliet Willoughby, that's up there as well. And Depend. These are some great books. These are some great books. But there we have it. I think atmosphere is my favorite book that I've read so far this year. We still have two months. filming this on October 31st, so there's still two months of the year where something else could come and take its place, but it's going to be up there. It's going to be up there. And I feel like I've had more iconic all-time favorite five stars this year, which is a good thing. Although although I haven't had as many, I feel like I am getting picky with what is a five star, you know, and I'd say Atmosphere, Disney High, Story of Murder are definitely like alltime favorites. Maybe even throw in Tell me where I am in the final act. So anyways, I hope you enjoyed this video of me finding out what my favorite book of the year was so far. Let me know what your favorite book of the year has been so far this year. In fact, I will be doing a video at some point in November reading your best books of the year so far. So, I can't wait to hear what everyone's are. There will actually probably be a post out. I will have asked on my Instagram, but that will be gone by now. But there will be a community post. So, go check my like community tab asking what your favorite book of the year is so that I can read it in that video. So, comment here and tell me, but then go over there and comment so it can get added to the spreadsheet. Anyways, I love you all so much and I will see you very soon in another video. Bye. [Music]