can I beat the HARDEST reading challenge on Booktube? 🥊 💥TBR200 ep18

What if I were to do the hardest reading challenge on book in order to try and get my TBR down? Day one, 50 pages. We think easy peasy. Day two, 100 pages. Day three, 150 pages. It keeps going up by 50 pages every single day. Oh my god, I'm starting this video and I don't even know if I can do it. We're going to do this for an entire week. So, by the end, we're going to be trying to read 300 350 pages in a day. It's crazy. It's crazy. But I really think this is the drastic measures we need to take in order to get my TBR down, which currently is sitting at 282 books. Let's see what we can get it to by the end of the video. Friends, day one, I'm trying to find the book. Day one of the vlog. Are you ready of the hardest reading challenge ever? But today, we only have to read 50 pages. I am going to start All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles. This is my patron book club pick. Everyone say hi, Skellyy. This is my patron book club pick for this month. I need to read this by Sunday and I've got 3 days to read this. So, I think I'm actually be reading slightly over my challenge every day. I'm going to be an overachiever by like 10 pages. So, I think this is like 330 pages. If I read day 160, day two 110, day three 160, then we will finish this book. So that's the aim today. Read 60 pages of this book. I don't know if I'll have many thoughts 60 pages in. But um we're actually going to go pop around my parents now for this evening. So I might chill and read on there or I might just read when I get back. I don't know. But we're going to go see all their kitties. Lux, Miko, Mary, Pippen. That's what Skully's brothers are called. Mary and Pippen. Cuz I don't know if I if I've told you guys. I think I must have told you that uh my mom and dad adopted her brothers, her little mates. So yeah, we're going to pop her on there, hang out with them this evening, and I got to read Shikster pages of this book. >> Walk around with the good days. Riding phone numbers down with a pen on the back of my hand. >> Do you remember? >> Racing bikes to the square. Carved our names on the back of the bent. >> I just want to be your friend. >> Swishing sweets on the beach. Feel the sand and the sun on my skin. Do you want to be my friend? Do you want to be my friend? >> Okay. Hello friends. It is late. I'm going to keep it brief. Do you want to say hello Skellyy Whoa. Whoa. Anyways, also I don't know what this camera is doing in low light. I feel like this looks kind of crazy, but let's just let it let it do its thing. Um, I only read the first 50 pages of All of Us Murderers tonight because it ended perfectly on a chapter break. Yes, I doggeeared today. Let's not talk about that. That's It's a new life. >> I'm I'm in really disbelief. >> And I actually had such a busy day. I know you barely saw any of the vlog, but I filmed a video. I went and dropped loads of books. I was unhauling off to a bookshop. Cat things happening. Went around my family's house. There was a lot. There was a lot. So, I went got in bed this evening. I read the first 50 pages and I'd actually already read the first 20 pages of this earlier in the year for my try a chapter first book of the year. Try and find a book that's going to be five stars video that I did at the start of the year. And I did enjoy the first 20 pages. I will give you a synopsis in the morning when maybe I've read a little bit more because I feel like there might be a little bit more to the book. My just initial thoughts from these first 50 pages, right? I don't usually do a check-in 50 pages into a book, but I need to prove to you I've read this book. The writing is great, right? Like I've really enjoyed KJ Charles with Death and the Spires, and it's got this same kind of like dark humor, ry humor, you know, but it's a great mystery, great characters already being sprinkled in. We've only just started, but I did find this when I read it for my um try a chapter at the start of the year. I would find myself like having read a page but not having read that page, which I don't often get with books. And I honestly don't know if it's something to do with like the typography or the line spacing in this, but there's something about reading it with my eyes as I follow it that I sometimes have reached the bottom of the page and I'm like, I actually haven't read any of that. I I actually have not and I remember feeling like this and I think I felt like at the same point in the book like 10 pages in um as when I read it the other year. I remember feeling like oh my god I'm just skipping entire paragraphs without realizing it. So that's initial thoughts. I'll give you a synopsis in the morning. Yeah, I'm really hopeful this is going to be a mystery that I really enjoy. Hello friends. Um I have a little bit less time to get ready than I thought I did. So, we're going to talk as I start my makeup. How are we? Day two. 100 pages need to be read today. At least I'm probably actually going to try and do the 120. Here's the thing. I thought I would have to read a little bit more before I checked in with you. But I was just watching Mara from Book Like W's reading wrap-up and she read this and the synopsis she gave is what I've read already. So, let's quickly talk about the synopsis of this book. Very vaguely. We are coming up to this Gothic manor with Zeb. Zeb is like kind of our lead protagonist. And he's been invited there by his cousin, but like his cousin's like 30 years older than him, and he's only met him twice. And he doesn't really know why he's there. And he turns up and like other members of his family are there, like his brother and his brother's wife and his cousin and stuff. And turns out, oh, also there gag is his ex-boyfriend who I think for some reason he made lose his job and like the ex-boyfriend hates him now. But the ex-boyfriend is now working as the cousin's secretary, private secretary. And it turns out that this cousin has like a ward, a young woman that he's looking after. I think it's like Oh, I didn't keep track, babe. I didn't keep track. I think it's the cousin's grandfather's daughter's daughter's daughter or daughter's daughter. I don't know how many daughters daughters daughters we've got going on in the equation. Yeah, he's been looking after her. And as part of who he's decided that whoever inherits the house has to marry her so that she is like married into a good family and she's safe. He's been like very overprotective of her. Everyone's like what the [ __ ] What does him say with his wife? I feel like he's out of the running of inheriting. But it's messy cuz that wife's had an affair with the cousin who's there. Mess. Major mess. So listen, it's KJ Charles. It's going to be gay. I'm sure that the ex and Zeb are going to rekindle their relationship somewhat in some way. >> Is your family accepting of your LGBTQ lifestyle? >> And it's also going to be this gothic manner, Gothic story. I'm really excited to get more into it. So, that's all you need to know. I am today. I'm really excited. I'm going to meet up with some of my friends who came on my Costa Rica trip. So, those of you who are new won't know about this, but back in 2023, I hosted a Trover trip, which I would love to do again. I I kind of held off on doing another one for a while because of like the uncertainty of when we were going to move out. Like, life was very uncertain and I didn't want to have this big plan. And then since we moved in, like right now, life is too crazy for me to think about. I've gone a bit heavy there on the concealer. I promise. I don't usually. I'm yapping. I'm distracted. Anyways, yeah, I would love to do a Troy trip again, but I hosted one in 2023 and it was just to Costa Rica and it was just the most like incredible group of people. They were all so lovely and I'm going to meet up with them today. We've met up a couple times since the trip and so I'm just really excited to see them. We're going to London. We're going to do some book shopping. We're going to go maybe some museums. I don't know. We're kind of going to see where the our whims take us, I think. But yeah, that's the plan for today. So, I'm hoping I'm going to get lots of reading done on the train to and from London. That's my plan. Although, it is the Lion's Gate Portal today. And so, I do either today or maybe Monday. Let's see. But I do at some point want to write like I don't know if any of you have heard of this. Langgate Portal is the most important day for manifestation. And so, I want to write like a little journal entry of like where I where my life is going to be in a year. You know, I did do it last year. Some things came true, not everything. Definitely not everything, but I think I was a little bit keen, a little bit unrealistic on some of what could happen in a year. Like the house was completely done in my manifestation. That ain't happen. But yeah, I might do it on the train because if the vibe is right because on the train like you know, you can sit there and look out the window. But if it's like stressful, there's people talking my carriage, I'm not going to do it. Scotty's climbing over my laptop. Are you okay? What the? Okay. Anyways, I've got to get ready. So, I'm going to go. But yeah, I'm looking forward to reading a book on the train and hang out in London book shopping. It's going to be a great day. Hey, go bye. Hello everyone. Good evening. How are we all doing? I had a great time in London with my friends, with my Costa Rica girlies, and actually one of my patrons, Alene, joined us towards the end. and it was lovely to see her as well. I had a great time. I've been home for a couple hours. I've been reading pretty much. Um, Da's just come in. Hey, baby. She's mad at me in general at the moment. The titty chair is back. The titty chair is back in the room. We've moved Scully out of this room and into the dining room where she has been before. Actually, she had a brief stint in there. We've done that. She was there when she was really ill and it was during a heat wave. And actually, I think we've got another heat wave coming up. And that room's a lot cooler than this one. This one gets really hot, so it's probably a good thing. Basically, we mainly did it because one of our running theories as to why Deda behaves the way she does is that she's like incredibly jealous of Scully having time with me. Deda's like obsessed with me. And I don't say that lightly. Okay, we're going through a bit of a rough patch moment. She's also mad at me at the moment, but she does just want to be with me all the time. And I obviously work in here. And so, um, the idea is that DEA is going to get a bit more time with me and Tom is going to spend more time with Scully. I'm obviously still going to spend time with Scully, but probably when Da's asleep, I'll like sneak away. Tiptoe away. Anyways, hello. I'm really I'm happy to have my chair back. I love this chair and I had it for like two weeks and then we had to move it. I have read my pages. I'm up to page 170. I'm still dogearing this book, guys. I know it's bad. I never dog ear. I don't know what's happening. What am I thinking of this book? I don't know. It's one of those books I'm kind of just reading, you know? I am enjoying it, but I'm not in love with it. I definitely enjoyed Death in the Spires more so than this. This feels like a little bit less of a book than Death in the Spires. I don't know how else to describe it, but books have different levels of like gravitas to them, and I feel like this has a little bit less of that. the story line that's going on. Zeb is having to kind of balance between like I do not want to marry this woman, this girl. Okay, I don't think she should be getting married off. I object. I object to this whole premise. However, everyone in his family is a piece of [ __ ] They're all pieces of [ __ ] >> You remind me of a witch. You evil person. You're not interesting. You're horrible human being. >> Some of these men that she could be married off to, heaven forbid. Like, this girl does not deserve this. And so he's kind of like, well, but am I going to have to marry her because she can't marry any of these others? Like, I will not put her through that. And he's also thinking of like, yeah, what he could do with the family's wealth if it was in if it was in good hands versus like awful hands. So, I mean, that's interesting. The romance has begun. We just had a sex scene. We had a sexy scene. Being a bit saucy. It was fine. It was fine. But I am having this problem with this book. Do you want to say hello? Give them give them a thought. H yeah, I am having this problem that I mentioned before of like reading part of it and realizing I haven't read that. And I I very rarely have this problem in books. It's it's like a problem with this book, right? And I don't know if in some ways it's from a good sign, a good place where like it's so readable that my eyes are just reading. so fast and I'm kind of stumbling over myself to read the book, you know, but I'm not there moments where I'm not taking it in and I'm having to go back and start the page again, you know, like I think everything I said at the start kind of still rings true. I am enjoying KJ Charles's writing, you know, the right sense of humor. I enjoy Zeb as a character. I enjoy the gothic manner, but ded some grace and decorum. Why must you go to a lit tray right now? Like, can't you see I'm busy here? Anyways, I am basically done. Let me just say it's fine. I'm enjoying it. I've read my page of the day. It's going to start getting tricky from here on out. Even today, 120 pages, I guess I read felt a little tricky. It's going to really start wrapping up. I suppose I was busy today. I'm just going to have to dedicate my life to reading for like the rest of time. But anyways, I will see you tomorrow. I have a very busy day tomorrow though, actually. Very busy day. I'll talk to you in the morning with what's going to go down. We've got to read the second half of this book. Wish me luck. Okay, day three. Day three, everyone. 150 pages. I actually checked. My maths has been wrong. I kind of need to read like 200 pages today. So, we're actually going to be reading like 200 pages today and 200 pages tomorrow. I did the math. I thought this book was like 330 pages. It's actually like 370 pages. Okay, we don't have time. I today am sat. I am sat to I've got to edit a big vlog today. It is like half 11. I'm 9 minutes in. I've got like 38 more to go or footage, but I'm getting there. I'm getting through it. I've edited the like I spent a lot of time on the intro and stuff like that, whereas the rest won't take as long, I hope. So, I need to edit that video and I need to read 200 pages. So, we're locked in. And my book club live show for this is at like 8:00. I've got to lock the [ __ ] in today. All I'm going to be doing is editing or reading. Nothing fun. Not going anywhere. Not doing anything. I am sat. I'm sat. I'm sat. I'm sat. So, I'll see you later. I I don't have time to talk. I got to go. I got to go edit this video. Wish me luck. Welcome to our book club discussion for All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles. I finished this 10 minutes ago. 15 maybe if I'm being generous. Four stars, three stars, two stars. Is that five stars, Grace? Wo! We love to see a five star. The duality of a book club. Hello, Divas. How are we doing? It is day four. It is day four. I, like I said, had the book club for All of Us Murderers last night. I finished this last night. Was too tired after I did the book club live and everything. It was a crazy day to yap. So, here we go. Let's review All of Us Murderers. 3.5 stars. Really like a 3.75, but a 3.5. Let's I don't do quarter stars. Let's do 3.5. I would say this book on the whole silly fun time. Gothic vibe. If you want gothic, mana house, murders, fam, [ __ ] up family, rich, all you know, if you want the vibe, KJ Charles will give it to you. She'll give it to you. >> Try not to say mother challenge. Failed. >> You know, the same thing with um Death and the Spires. Like, if you want Victorian, The Secret History, she's going to give you every vibe you would want, the boxes will be tick. every vibe you could want for gothic mana house family [ __ ] up family killing each other like every every cross is ticked every cross every box is ticked I will just say though I don't think it's particularly memorable and I don't think it's doing anything particularly interesting you know like it's it is it's giving you that vibe but like it's not doing anything out of the out of the ordinary out of the bounds of what you would expect the romance in this Um, we have a romance between Zeb, the main character, and his ex, who is now working as the assistant to the man who owns this house. Their romance is fine. KJ Charles is predominately, if you don't know, a malemale romance author. And so, both of the mystery books I've read from her have had a gay romance in them as well. It was fine. It was nice. It was a nice romance. I do have two issues. Number one, the the boyfriend, I can't even remember this man's name. I'm so sorry to this man. Uh, Gideon. Gideon, he's too perfect. There is nothing wrong with this man. Like, he needs some flaws in my opinion. He needs some flaws. Like, he's just wonderful. He has like a sister that he's like, you know, paid for her and her family to live for ages and like he just he's just a great man. And I do think it he would have been a much more interesting character had he had some flaws. I feel like Zeb had an interesting amount of flaws. And then everyone else is completely [ __ ] up. Like no redeeming qualities, but then Gideon is just perfect and that didn't make it that interesting for me. And I have to say I do not like the word prick in sex scenes. My god. And there's a lot of prick. Prick alert. Prick alert. There's a lot of prick in this book. It's disgusting to me. And I just O I don't like it. I can take coke. I can take dick. Wo, do do not do not clip that up. Do not Okay, but I don't mind those words. Prick. Prick. Just imagine. I'm not even going to give you a sentence, but just imagine like being used in a sex scene a lot. Multiple times in each sex scene. Disgusting. I hate that word. So, that took me out of like every sex scene. every sex thing that was. But yeah, on the whole it was fun. The ending was fun. I've got to say the last line of this almost made me give it five stars. So, I can't remember if I mentioned, but there is like his greatgrandfather or something was a famous author at the time. Bear in mind, we're like in Victorian times at this point. So, this is a long time ago, but his great-grandfather was like a famous author and things are happening that happen in the books, like these horror books, things are happening in real life. So it's like did he take inspiration from the house or are people reenacting the books? So the author is called Walter Wickcham. So the last line is Walter Wickcham's average rating on Goodreads is 2.3 stars. The top rated text review for The Monastery reads in full boring. That's cinema. That's cinema. That's just such a little fun ending. So I did like that. Um and I found the ending satisfying, but again there was no like final twist. It was kind of what you could have predicted. So yeah, silly fun time. I would recommend Death in the Spires by KJ Charles over this one, but you know, I enjoyed myself, but I don't think I'm necessarily going to remember it much going forward. Okay, next book. It is obviously day four. 200 pages are on the docket. It is half six. Okay, I don't know quite how I'm going to do this, but wish me luck. H I've been working all day and it's half six, but we need to read today 200 pages. I have been working all day. I have been to therapy. I'm feeling a little bit vulnerable. So, we want a silly, goofy, fun time. Silly, goofy fun time. So, these around me are all the books that have been on TBR Cludo so far this year that I have not yet read and don't have like set video plans to read. And I feel like those are the books bar something else like really taking my fancy. And I don't know if I'll be able to fit these exactly into the page counts. might like read two or three of these and then read something else to fit the page counts, but this is what I want to prioritize. And I looked at the list and I thought, what am I most excited by? And I'm going to go with Julie Chan is Dead by Ling Zang. I'm really excited about this. This is like I mean, we'll talk about it as the plot goes on. But like twin sisters, one of an influencer, she dies, the other twin sister assumes her identity. That's all I really know. I feel like this will be a silly goofy fun time. I will say though, the font criminally tiny. Maybe this isn't a good choice for this video. That is that me or is that tiny font? Like, hang on, let me show you. I mean, all of us murderers font is kind of big, but let's just do a comparison. That That is quite the difference in font in font size. But anyways, I'll check in with you once I've read a little bit of this. Um, I'm going to just chill and read. I do need to make dinner. Tom is out unexpectedly and like all the food we have in the house in the fridge or the freezer is for like two dinner like multiple person dinners and I don't really want to do any of that if he's out. So I'm like what can I have for dinner and I don't want to get takeaway cuz I want to be fiscally irresponsible. So I've like looked in my freezer. I think all there is is gaoza. I I might just have some guoza for dinner. So we'll see. Um but yeah, wish me luck. I'm super excited to start this cuz I've heard so many good things about it. might not understand where I'm coming from. So confused on where we stand. Girl, you might be down. I want to brea you in like my lungs. I always ch might not understand where I'm going from. confusing where we stand. Girl, you might be done. I want to be the name you scream when you call. You seem like you just don't care. Just until you want the things I can't share. I can't take you anywhere. Cuz I won't try to control the things I can. Hello friends. How are we all doing? It is late. It is like What time is it? What time is it? It's like4 to 10. I'm tired and I'm 100 pages in. So, I'm only halfway through my page count. I am going to finish my 200 pages tonight. But, let me tell you, I'm getting in bed. I'm getting in bed. You ain't going to see any more of me tonight. That's for sure. Anyways, I am 100 pages into Julie Chan is Dead. Loving it. Loving it. Well, I don't know if loving is the right word. Really enjoying it. Basically, the premise is what I told you. We've got twin sisters. They're actually kind of estranged. So, they didn't grow up together, but one of them is like a world world famous influencer. Oh my god. Oh my god. >> She fell and she fell hard, [ __ ] >> Okay, this is going to do. Yeah. One is like millions of followers famous. And our girly gets a call from her, from her twin sister, famous twin sister, like kind of like choking, and she decides, "Okay, I'm going to go to her flat and find out what's happening." She walks in dead. Dead girly. She's dead. And the protagonist decides to assume her sister's identity and life as a world famous influencer. Let me tell you, I appreciate how it gets straight into it. We ain't [ __ ] about here. We are not [ __ ] about it. just dives straight into the action, straight into the plot. It is super fast-paced. The chapters are like sometimes three pages, two pages long. Like it is, we are accelerating at fast speed, babe. Like it just and I appreciate that. I feel like that's really what I need right now. I will also say I find the I often have problems with portrayals of influences in books. Not because I always feel when you say this like I'm I mean am I an in I mean listen I'm low on the wrong let's just say that but like it's not because I'm like oh this is how we really >> I just think authors often want to write about the influencer industry without actually doing any research and just cuz it's kind of buzzy and like easy to kind of make fun of or whatever. And this is a satire. This is poking fun. This is ridiculing. But it is educated baby. Like it knows it [ __ ] It knows how the YouTube analytics page works. Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about, baby. It like I could picture everybody. It was like I go on this tab and I go on this this. Yes. Yes, you are correct. You are correct. >> You are now one of my elite employees. >> And so I and I feel like it's really hitting like nuances of the influencer world, particularly this kind of like socialite world. There's examples of of things that influencers have done that are like cancellable or whatever that is stuff from real life. And I say I enjoy the nod. I enjoy the nod. It's very voicy. I enjoy the voice of our main character. It's unhinged. We'll get on to that. But it's like ridiculous. It's making fun. It's poking fun. I'm really enjoying it. Now, where this goes in the rest of it, I am fingers crossed hoping it gets so unhinged. There's these whispers of this holiday that some of the influencers go on to with each other and I want that holiday to happen and I want it to be absolutely balls to the wall crazy. Like I'm talking the the writing retreat crazy, you know? I I I feel like it has to go somewhere more now. Like I feel like it's kind of exhausted a lot of its commentary and I'm sure there will be more, but like we've had a lot of commentary on the influencer genre already and I want the story to propel forward in a way, you know? So that's where I feel like we've got to go next. But yeah, I'm really enjoying it. I'm going to go read another 100 pages in bed, but like I'm You ain't see that, baby. I'm getting cozy. PJ's on kissing scully. Do you know she's been in our bedroom for a little while because she got spayed and I wanted her to be comfortable. And I am not sleeping. I love her. I don't want to move her out the bedroom. Although, someone's getting annoyed. It's hard keeping them separate. It's hard keeping Da out the room. Da wants the [ __ ] in. It is like stressful. I go and recheck and recheck and recheck and recheck that the door is locked like countless times. I said I was losing my mind a bit, guys. I I'm trying my best. I actually just watched through to upload the fantasy vlog today where I kind of spoke about um everything that's been going on. And I do feel like I at times, not all not all the time, but there were just moments where I caught myself and I'm like I'm trying to like justify myself and like uh get ahead of any criticism. I'm afraid people are going to say I haven't tried hard enough. I'm afraid people are going to say like, "Oh, it's her fault that D is a bad girl or something." When she's never been like this before. um or yeah, just just kind of critique me. And I think I was trying to get ahead of critique in moments and kind of like say things that like my mom has said to me to reassure me, but they're not the things I'm thinking myself. My mom's saying to me, Scott's got a better life than 85% of cats. But I'm not thinking that. I'm thinking I'm failing her. I'm failing her. I feel awful. I feel guilty, you know? And like there's a moment there when I kind of describe an attack that they had that fight that they had, an attack from Da. And I say like in that moment I just thought and I pause and I say I've tried everything. And I'm trying to like reassure myself I think in that moment that I've tried everything. But really what I thought when that fight happened was just despair and a loss of hope and so much guilt. So yeah, I just don't know. I mean listen, I think like you don't need to hear the ins and outs of it because it would be boring. But I feel like I need to talk about this for like an hour to kind of It's hard, isn't it, on the internet to share stuff when there's so much nuance and there's so many factors and there's it's such a complex situation for me to feel like I've got it all across well enough, you know? I know I'm rambling a bit here, but I mean, I'm just I just love my girls, you know, and I just want it to go well. Like, I know um at some point in the next month, Tom's going to go away for a couple nights to work, and I'm honestly dreading it. like I'm dreading. He's been out tonight with his friends and I have felt so much more weight on me because he's not here like spending time with one of them while I'm spending time with the other. Um, and he's, you know, this is how I felt when he wasn't working from home over the summer. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I don't know how I'm going to cope for a couple days. I mean, it's a ways away. is a couple of weeks away. But yeah, I'm just really nervous for that. Like this one, Dena's in here with me. She is not wanting to leave my side all evening. And I'm going to go now barricade myself in my bedroom with Scully. But like it's all I it's all I think about, you know? Sorry, I need to itch my face. It's all I think about. Anyway, I'm rambling. I spoken about this enough in the last vlog, but um I don't know. I don't know what I'm saying. I just think yeah, I watched that and I'm already speaking for like 20s something minutes in that video about this situation and but I'm like, but you didn't you should have said this. You should have said this. You shouldn't have said that. You shouldn't feel like you have to justify I feel like I'm trying to like ward off judgment when there probably are going to be people who judge me. Like on every situation, there'll be people who judge me. They'll be like, "Megan wants to re I do not want to rehome her. I am fighting against her. I am in I am in denial." Probably more so. I don't I I can't imagine anything worse. If I could have one wish, it wouldn't be to be a millionaire. It would be for my cats to get along. It's all I want. Anyways, enough rambling. I'm tired. I'm going to go read another 100 pages, but I will see you in the morning for my thoughts. Good morning, everyone. I have literally just woken up. My hair is a mess. I read the 200 pages last night, but um I'm not ready to Well, I don't even know if what I've got to say. Let me think about if I've got anything to say. I'm literally I'm not awake. But I just want to tell you today we are having our bathroom done, our upstairs bathroom. So, I thought I'd quickly just show you the before. You would have seen it when we had the flat tour. Basically, even though this bath is really nice, it is tiny. It is so small and we are bath people. So, we're getting it taken out and we're getting a bath that goes all along this wall and then we're get taking this sink out and getting a new sink and putting it here. So, that's the plan. That is what is happening today. But, um yeah, we'll see how it goes. We'll see what it looks like afterwards. But I'm I'm very excited to have a a nice big bath. I need it. We need this. This is essential. This is a crisis. I'm a little bit more awake now, but not really. >> I think you can tell by my face that I'm extremely tired today. >> So, yeah, I read the other 100 pages last night. I don't feel like I have a ton more to say right now. I feel like it could go the direction I want. Sorry, if you can hear drilling, they're doing the bathroom. It could go the direction I want. It could go crazy. We're kind of now on this like island. This island that one of the influencers families own. I don't know how loud that is for you. On this island that one of the influencers um families own. And I feel like it could go on hinge on this island, which I would like. I do feel like the story is a bit of like two halves. Like tonally this island, deserted island feels like I've read books where that's the whole book, right? The, you know, a group of influence on a deserted island. And so it feels, I don't know, something about the transition to this island has felt a little bit jarring to me. But yeah, I'm hoping it goes where I want it to go. I will say I feel like it hasn't gone further in its commentary on influencers and the influencer realm. It feels a bit surface level to me a little bit. a little bit. So, yeah, that's all I have to say. I have showered. I have gotten ready for the day. I'm feeling a lot more human now. That was I was feeling tired this morning. But I have reading sprints with my patrons right now. Morning reading sprints. I do like one morning one a month for like Aussies basically. And so, we've got to read our 250 pages today. I've got like I think 108 pages of July China's Dead left. So, let's see how quickly I'm I'm I'm prioritizing reading this morning. We're going to read read. I might edit a bit later, but with reading sprints this morning, we are prioritizing reading. So, wish me luck. We've got to finish Julie Chenn's Dead first and then I've got to read something else. Oh god. Okay. Ah. La. Hello friends. Just got off reading sprints with my patrons and I have finished July China Dead by Lean Zang. I really did enjoy this. I really did enjoy this. I'm going to give this four stars. I will say I do think that my critique I guess or observation of this feeling like two books is true. It does really feel like two books. You've got this kind of like thrillery element of her assuming her sister's identity in the first half and then this second half on this island with these influences that is very like without spoiling too much very horror coded. You might have seen some of the faces I was making whilst reading it. Oh my god. very horror coded and like very things like bunny very cult like coded which is interesting and it's an interesting tonal shift but I do think it works and then I really did like the ending like the last kind of the after the denum right after the big moment which was fine but like I just really liked how the book brought everything to a close I really liked how it ended I think this book is a really interesting mix of satire of I mean I would say this leans more horror I think this book should be probably seen as horror rather than thriller. Have I been in focus? Yeah, it made me laugh at points like with little quips that it makes. I do think however, one of my patrons are saying some reading sprints like you have to dive in head first. You have to like accept what the book is is putting down. You have to accept what the book is trying to do in order to like it. It's shooting for something. It's a bold choice. And I think the reason this has such a low rating, which Palmy doesn't understand, right, it's got 3.44. I do I don't think it deserves to be that low. I've read far worse thrillers than this in my life that have a higher average rating. But like I just think it depends whether you have that buy in for like a bit of a weird time, a bit of a wacky time, a bit of a silly fun time, you know? But I'm super intrigued to see what the ang brings out in the future. I thought this was a pretty like biting forceful debut. It has a lot of bite to it. It has a lot of personality to it. And like were there things I didn't love? Yes. Like sometimes I think the satire isn't funny, but sometimes is funny and you have to kind of take the swings and the roundabouts. Do you know what I mean? But I and sometimes the commentary felt uh okay, you know, but on the whole I had a really fun time and it was exactly what I needed to read right now. I needed something quick, fun, light, silly, you know, but also a little bit dark and a little bit twisted and that was perfect. So yeah, four stars. Really enjoyed it. My next book, here's the thing. usually with my patron book club picks um because you will have just seen I read one obviously at the start I had to delay that live show so that live show was later than usual and then usually I like reading them right before the live show which obviously I just did however my next one I just looked at my content and I don't have a video I can read this in before the end before the live show right and I could just not read it in a vlog but I don't like doing that I like my reading being documented in vlogs it's like my little video diary diary. You know, I like all the books I read. If I read a book and it's not a vlog, that feels icky to me. I don't like it. So, I think I'm actually going to read my next month's book club pick now. I think I'm going to do that now, which is The Seventh Veil of Salomade by Sylvaria. I am We'll talk about this more when I've read a bit, but so excited to read this. It's old Hollywood, baby. Oh, I just love old Hollywood. I I've said this so many times. Let me not repeat myself, but like perfect setting for betrayal, for intrigue, for romance, for drama, for sadness, for joy, for aspiration, for oh, cutthroat. Oh, I just love it. I love it. I love it. I I think we should have more books set on Hollywood. So, I'm super intrigued for this one. I'm super intrigued to read another Sina Garcia because I kind of either love her or I hate her. We have mixed feelings about Sony Garcia, but I'm just I'm super hyped. I'm super hyped to read this. So, I'm going to go have lunch. Then, I've got to run some errands. Then I want to edit some of this vlog because actually the day that I upload this vlog is the day that um I'm doing the last day of reading. So I need to keep the editing up to date. So I'll probably do a couple hours of editing this afternoon. But then obviously I need to read another I read 108 pages of Gy today. So I need to read another 142 of this one which I think is basically like halfway. So I'll check in with you probably just when I've done that. I'll probably listen to the audio book whilst I do some stuff. um around the house. I got some like chores to do today as well, but I'm just so excited. I'm really hoping for good things from this one. Okay. Hello. It's late. It's 20 to 11. It's bedtime. It's sleepy time. But I have read my pages. It's starting to get a bit tricky. I feel it. I feel it's starting. 250 pages in a day is actually a lot of reading. And then we got to do 300. And then we got to do 350. I have made it 142 pages into the seventh veil of Salom by Simon Garcia, which is just under halfway through. Firstly, I just want to tell you about like such a catastrophic error that's been made here. This book has no chapter breaks. None. None. All the chapter changes or perspective changes just happen mid page. Do you know how much reading time that adds to a book? Oh my god. Oh my god. It's like the worst book I could have chosen for its page efficiency in a challenge like this. No chapter breaks, no breaks. Monumental error, rookie error has been made here. The plot of this we are following well we're kind of following the stories of actually three women. So we're following Vera who's been cast in a role of Salom in this new old Hollywood well at the time it's not old Hollywood it's just Hollywood uh picture film and it's her first role and you know she's very new to the whole industry. Then we're also following Nancy who wanted to get the role and has got a lot of like romantic entanglements. Things just aren't going as Nancy wanted. She wanted the lead role in this thing. She didn't get it. Ny's a part of the story, too. And then we're following like the biblical story of Salom that the movie is portraying. Like we're reading those excerpts, too, which I think is a very very interesting device. And how am I feeling about this book? It's okay. It's good. It's good. It's good. There's moments, and I always say this with the Silver Garcia, no matter how I actually feel about the book, like there's moments and phrases and word choices that just take your breath away. Like, she craftwise is an incredible incredible incredible author. Oh, I know what scene it was. I know what scene it was. So, a boyfriend was breaking up with with with Nancy and he said, "Goodbye, Nancy." He said with cold self-possession and closed the door. Cold self-possession. cold self-possession in a breakup scene. Oh, there just been lines that really take my breath away. However, I do feel like every Sora Garcia plot I hear bar Mexican Gothic. I've had issues kind of with all of her books other than Mexican Gothic. Mexican Gothic was five stars. Whoa. Dita Clement, it takes her a while cuz she's really big. Just bear with everyone that I read. The synopsis sounds incredible. Incredible. Sounds like the best synopsis you've ever read. And then when I read the book, there is just something missing. There is something that isn't quite hitting the mark. And I don't know if it's not giving me quite the drama that I want of old Hollywood. My favorite moments. She's freaking me out. The favorite My favorite moments have been like old Hollywood scenes on the set with the crew and the actors and gossiping and the parties they go to, but I feel like there could be a bit more of that. And arguably really the problem is coming off of a book like Julie Chan is Dead which had such a strong hook like it that book reaches and grabs you and you're along for a [ __ ] crazy ride but there is always something propelling the story forward. This is a slower more introspective historical fiction but like what is propelling the story forward? In many books there isn't but I do like something making me want to read something I want to find out. And I think there is a secret of like something happens. I think Vera and Nancy are going to come to a head somehow. But I don't know. I don't know. I just feel like is that is the suggestion the whisper of that enough to keep me wanting to pick the book the book back up? I don't know. I don't know. But there is some really interesting ways this is written. Like I say, it shifts perspective a lot. And sometimes we meet a character before we really know how they fit into the story. or I think there's been a few times where someone who we're not going to really know in the story who's going to be a very very peripheral character kind of gives their opinion on Nancy or gives their opinion on Vera or gives their opinion on the way that the film is working in a very offhand quick way and I think that's really interesting. Those moments grab me where we just meet this guy and he's like >> let me tell you about when I met Nancy. >> You know what I mean? I really really enjoy that. So there is and I would say in the last maybe 20 30 pages I've started to become more emotionally attached to the characters in a way that I wasn't. So I think this could still have a swing upwards. I just feel like it hasn't grabbed me, you know, but it's good. It's beautifully written, interesting characters, interesting, you know, super interesting kind of literary devices and and ways of storytelling being used here. But not gag, you know. Not gag. That's where I'm at. I'm going to finish it tomorrow. I've got quite a busy day tomorrow. I'm going to I'm going to do your best. No, my best. It's late. I'm going to do my best to take you along with me, but I think we're going to go for a walk in the morning. Then we've got Norwich football at half 12, which I must must must watch. Then we're going around a friend's house in the evening, which I probably I'm not going to film around their house. That's a lot. And I have to read 300 pages. 300 pages. 300. 3000. Oh my god. >> Are you tough enough for the job? >> No. >> It's starting to feel trade deficile. You know what I mean? It's starting to feel trade deficile. Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow with my thoughts on the rest of this. It's It could get me, but I don't know. I got to go. Hello, friends. Day six. 300 pages, baby. I don't know if this is straight. I never know if my camera is straight if I'm honest with you. How are we doing? It is the evening. I have not been filming today because I've been locked in reading, baby. I didn't go for a walk this morning. Everyone else did, but I was like, I must read this book. I must read this book. Then I did go watch Norwich lose dismally. It was bad, guys. We We should be doing very well. We should be We were great manager, great players, but we're not. So, you know, give give Norwich your thoughts, please, I guess. And then I have finished The Seventh Veil of Som by Sila Garcia. I think I'm going to come down on a 3.5 with this. Like I say, there is a lot that's good about this. It is beautifully written. Sumi is a wonderful author. Her way with words is incredible. I enjoyed the old Hollywood setting. I would have liked more of it, but I enjoyed the old Hollywood setting. I loved the the drama, the but I wanted more of it, but what I did get of it, I enjoyed. And it's going to sound like I just have kind of critiques, I guess, cuz that's what I'm going to get into. But it's a good book. It's a good book. The characters are enjoyable to follow, but I just don't think it's really going to stick with me. Like I say, I would have liked more of all the different things that I've mentioned many times that Old Hollywood could bring. the the little sections where it was characters that we weren't following their perspective a lot um who like kind of worked industry that would just be one-offs. They were formatted and written in the style of that character doing an interview in the future like in present day doing an interview looking back on what happened. And I think a I might prefer the book if it was all written like that. When we're in Vera's perspective or NY's perspective, it's not written like that. It's written in normal pros. And I am a sucker for like a an interview looking back on. And I even think something big does happen at the end and there's whispers of it. There's little suggestions of it throughout. But I think if you look at something like the favorites by Lane Fargo, the ice skating one where something happens at the Olympics and you know that going and you're working up to that. I think this would have been a lot more effective if we like it was set out right. Oh my god, the craziest thing happened. Like this big thing that changed industry, changed these characters' lives. I think it would have been more propulsive to read. And I guess my big critique where I kind of come down, don't be mad at me, is I find that I'm reading Sagaria books apart from Xenon Gothic and kind of thinking like what was the point of that book? >> Gagandra, >> why did you feel compelled to write that? They kind of feel a bit halfhearted. Like I feel like she could do so much more. And this is just like me. You know, I felt like that with Velvet Was the Night. I felt like that with Daughter of Dr. Marorrow. And listen, it might be me, okay? I might be dumb and I'm just not getting something. But I just feel like I keep reading her books and there doesn't I don't understand why she felt passionate to write that story. What is that story doing? What is that story saying that meant it had to be written? Even stuff like the critiques of how a young Mexican woman, a brown woman would have been treated in a whole Hollywood felt, it felt like we could have got so much deeper into that. That felt very surface level to me. And I just find it so confusing because I read Mexican Gothic and that book is so strong with its point of view. Like it's balls to the wall. I understand that book's existence, right? I don't truly get this, you know, but it's good. It's fine. I'm not going to remember it, but I just feel like Sylvia Garcia could be like one of my favorite authors. And I think I'm I haven't stopped reading her because I just keep reading these books after Mexican Gothic and I'm just like, you know, and I don't want to feel like that and I don't want to keep reviewing an author's work like that. But it's so frustrating because her writing is incredible and the plots are like I read the plot and I'm gagged gooped like I have to read that then I pick it up and it's just okay you know I also think that this is just aside but like with an old Hollywood saying to get the most out of the drama the the craziness the betrayal the you know you have to have a character like Evelyn Hugo be your star who is cutthroat who is willing to do anything to survive and Nancy has a bit of that. But you're never rooting for Nancy. Ver is very fresh, very naive, very new to the industry, very nice, and I just don't think you get the most out of the setting by having a character like that as your lead. So, yeah, that's where we're at with that. Now, for our next book, okay, here's the thing. I thought, you know, I'm quite busy today and I still have I read 173 pages of that. So, I still have 127 pages to read today. And I thought of a book yesterday that I really want to read before the end of the year. And I don't think I really have a chance to read this in any other video before the end of the year. I've planned out all my videos for the rest of the year. I don't think I have a chance to read it in any other video. And I asked Instagram, would reading this book be cheating or is a page a page, baby? Is a page a page? Page a page. 91% or that was that was it last time I checked. could be like 9010, but at when I last checked it was 91% versus 9% said that a page is a page, baby. And so I'm going to be reading Heartstoppper volume six. >> No, I'm not allowed. I know I'm not allowed. >> Listen, I did say that the the yes poll was like it defeats the purpose of the challenge. If more people voted that, I would have listened to the poll. I would not be reading this. 9% of people said it defeats the challenge. I'm willing to upset 9% of people. >> What's going to happen? Going to shoot me? I doubt it. They have to catch me first. I'M LIKE A WHIPPBIT. >> I'm willing to upset 9% of people. I'm going to read for volume 6. I'm so excited. I'm so excited. I really want to read this. I don't have plans to read it in any other video and I can't wait. So, here's a plan. We're going around a friend's house now. I'm not going to film cuz it's a new friend's house and I'm not I'm not filming at house, but um I need to get when I come back home tonight 127 pages into this. So, that's that. And then I will reread the rest tomorrow and I will give you my thoughts. But I'm so excited. It feels scary though because this is the last Hearts Stopper. It's crazy. But yeah, listen. I asked the people. I asked the people and you gave me your feedback and I'm reading this book, baby. A page is a page. A page is a page. It counts. It counts. Okay. Right. I'm going to go out. I'll see you probably tomorrow will be when we talk next. And um yeah, love you. Bye. Open air side by side. We sway there in all the colors. Hello friends. I have finished Heartstoppper volume six and finished the challenge. Oh my god. Let's talk about it. Okay. Finished Hearts of Volume 6. I'm going to give this 4.5 stars, which is what I gave volume five. I feel like I'm starting well it's over now. Oh, I feel like I've grown out of the age demographic for this series a little bit as time has gone on, you know, like I feel like I'm older than the target demographic now. Whereas when I read like volume 1, two, I was very much more on the cusp of the the age demographic. But I mean, it's still so beautiful. I don't want to really spoil much of what happens in this. I think you can imagine a lot and I think you should kind of go into it knowing as little of what happens as possible but it's you know I'm sure almost all of you know the story of Heartstopper where it's Nick and Charlie falling in love and then their relationship and then this is the last one where we're following Nick is graduating secondary school is graduating sixth form he's going off to uni all of the characters I really appreciated like the wider cast of characters in this one they all have story lines that are being wrapped up or in some ways kind of like new beginnings for some of their friends, you know, and like new directions that life is taking them in. And it's just beautiful. It's like the loveliest read in the world. I love the way Alice Oman does like facial expressions and body language. I've always said I think she's one of the best at that. The way that she conveys love, their love for each other, it's just so beautifully done. And I'm just at the end of the day, I'm just so thankful that a story like this exists. >> It's fabulous. I can see why the gays love her, >> you know? I'm just I'm so grateful that this series exists for young queer kids. I think it's just perfect. And I think it examines so much. I mean, throughout the whole series now that it's coming to a close about, you know, being a young queer person, about eating disorders, about anxiety, about queer identity, about belonging, about the beauty of like being in love when you're young, but also like not losing yourself in these relationships. I think it was just outstanding. But, you know, I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything that happens in this, but I had a great time. just not quite a five star, but I think that's more me being older now, you know, being out the age graphic. I will say there's a lot of sex in this one. I don't think there's been sex in any of the or like there's been a little bit of sex in previous ones, but a lot of sex, a lot of sex in this one. But I mean, it's realistic. It's realistic. Let's just say that. Anyways, that leaves us We finished off the challenge. I did have after I finish this 41 pages left today to read to read to hit 350. I do just want everyone to take into account I read like 70 more pages in this challenge than I needed to. One day I read like 50 pages extra. However, I did read 41 pages of the audio book of A Quiet Life in the country which is obviously not on my TBR. I read it before. It's the first Lady Hard Castle book and so I mean I am loving it. the first time. I've been slowly kind of rereading that, but it was 41 pages for the first book castle. I just having a great time reading it. But you know what? At the end of this vlog, the TBR is on 278 books. Can you believe it? Can you believe it? I can't believe it. I can't believe it. I can't believe it. 278 books on the physical TBR. We're into the 270s, baby. I don't know the last time I was into the 270s. I don't know. The last time there was 278 books on my TBR. I feel like we're making some real progress. I feel like we have to get below 250 before the end of the year. I I think we can definitely do that. I'm just having so much fun getting through my TBR. So, thank you guys so much for watching. Thank you so much for being here. I hope you enjoyed this challenge. It did get kind of crazy and I think it would have been a real struggle the last little like two day and a half if I hadn't have picked this up. It was the same grace, but everyone said, not everyone, 90% of people say it counts. Let me tell you, all your favorite booktubers said it counts. So, take it up with them. Not with me. I'm joking. Thank you so much for watching this video, friends. I'll see you very soon in another one. Bye.