hello! + everything I read in august and september 2024

I love watching you do what you love most, your passion for literature keeps inspiring me! Some people have some weird sense of entitlement regarding content people post online

Your book videos are my favourite ❤️

Needed my hands and eyes for something else at the moment so I left your Substack post to check if you’d posted! Happy to see you did 😊

I’ve been following you and your channel since I was a teenager (I’m 26 now) and I just wanted to say how much I’ve loved your content over the years ❤

I remember watching your vlogs when you were in Edinburgh for uni and being so amazed at how knowledgeable you were about literature. I studied applied math in college so I knew very little (and probably still do haha) about books.

I’ve just recently started reading regularly and your recommendations are incredible valuable to me, especially when you talk about english books. English is my second language (I’m French) so I didn’t learn much about English authors in school.

omg

thank you so much for your continuous awareness towards Gaza and Palestine. I read Minor Detail last year and it was so impactful

Thanks for posting as and when you can 🎉

We will continue to champion for the human rights of Palestinians and others who are being oppressed and occupied. Small acts can create huge impact. I personally have boycotted many companies who support the illegal settlements/ directly invest in weapons used against Palestinians. We can all make a difference in some way.

P.s love your new haircut, it’s giving Winona Ryder in stranger things 😍😍

I've been watching you for about 9 years! :)

I love your new hair Jess ☺️ your videos always feel extra cozy in October. I’m thinking back to the striped rainbow sweater and library vlogs, might have to go back to rewatch those years yet again 🥰🥰 we appreciate any type of content you produce, thank you for being here!!

Your bookish videos are my favorite ❤️

Thanks for the interesting books! I wish you good books and good mood!

Jess, have you ever thought about making a bookish podcast? I can see you talking books with other readers and interviewing authors.

Thank you for speaking about Palestine and acknowledging the last 75 years. The internet needs more people like you, who are not afraid of speaking out in the name of justice ❤

What a fantastic bunch of books. I've had the Olondria books and Hild on my TBR for ages, you're inspiring me to finally get to them. And I think I tried Dandelion Wine and didn't get far, even though I've really enjoyed Bradbury's short stories. I should try again.

I'm also sad that My Friends didn't make the Booker shortlist. I listened to the audio narrated by the author - fantastic. Piñeiro is fast becoming a favorite author - I'd suggest A Little Luck next.

I'm kind of relieved to hear someone else say Monte Cristo isn't all that. Yes, rollicking adventure, but I guess I need more than that to really love a book. I've been piddling along, putting it down for long stretches! The plan was to read it to improve my French - for that a straightforward story with a lot of plot/dialog is actually not a bad choice, so I'll continue to piddle along...

wow, loved this little intro, even as a long long long time subscriber :)

I support people leaning into their own natural creative modes and productivity levels. Life is too much as it is to be stressing over producing things that others will approve of. I miss vlogs but these book videos have always brought my life joy and value because I find new things to read and new ways to think about books I’ve already read. I feel like Jess has helped me evolve as a reader truly. ❤

please do vlogs ❤

Echoing some of the other comments - thank you for speaking about Palestine ❤ I’ve been following you since early 2015 (I found your channel because I studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh that year and wanted to get a feel for the campus / student life before my classes started in September; fun fact, I also studied literature!). Anyway, I’m mostly a silent viewer but wanted to pop in to say I feel like I’ve grown with you over the years and still love your content ❤

I reread The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn just prior to reading James and would definitely recommend it. The comparison/contrast of the storylines throws James into relief.

Great list! Most of these are new to me and I added a few to my tbr.

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I’d love to know your thoughts on Fayne! I am only 3 chapters in but it already reminds me of your review of Hild.

I have watched you for YEARS and your taste in literature has inspired me so much. I will watch these wrap up videos FOREVER!!!

I’ve been watching for years, for fashion, books, and life. I just wanted to say congratulations on becoming an expert in something you love. I love books and I love hearing you discuss books, you offer us so much, thank you, and it’s wonderful you are pursuing what makes you happy

Jess,you look fantastic. Glowing, really and I'm here for all the chitchat in the world. Let's talk books 💙

I've been following for some time but appreciated that intro... Love how you framed your priorities and aims within the sea of bookish content on the internet.

I really get what you’re saying about taste and wanting something challenging while being a student of the weird— have you read White is For Witching by Helen Oyeyemi? I feel like you might appreciate it a lot, as a piece of weird dark “horror” that doesn’t try to scare you and is pretty thinky. Lots of messing with the British canon literarily as well I think. So jealous you got to see Shibli speak live! What a brilliant woman. Have you read Everett’s Erasure? I forgot if you have mentioned it or not. I think the use of language in that book was really interesting as well. Loved what you had to say about Hild! Sounds really interesting. Griffith seems to have great range as a writer because I really enjoyed her novella length Arthurian retelling as well as her more autofictional seeming book about chronic degenerative illness, specifically MS. Enjoyed the wrap up greatly as always Jess!

Missed your videos so much. Minor Detail completely gutted me. I still can’t really talk about it, especially since events like that are still going on. Thank you for using your voice for Gaza.