this reading challenge is such an amazing idea! coming from a non english speaker, I feel so seen, usually people only read the english classics and having people like you showing other extremely talented authors and masterpieces around the world is such a necessary work. Thanks for sharing this kind of content

Honestly Emma, you are such a breath of fresh air on booktube. I am so glad I found a booktuber who has a passion of richer genres rather than just the regular white girl tiktok fantasies.

i've been subscribed to you for years but recently your content has become such a lifeline as im trying to gravitate away from mindless consumerism and the next 'weird girl' recommendation written by a white literary it girl on tiktok (not derogatory, but im just a bit exhausted by these!) and instead towards richer, diverse novels that i feel are meaningfully and deeply contributing to my worldview as i grow older. i think your channel is such a beautiful goldmine for these kinds of books and thank you! thank you for sharing these parts of your life with us. i find them deeply valuable

From The Netherlands I can recommend: The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas RIjneveld The Dinner by Herman Koch Beyond Sleep by W.F. Hermans And thank you for your presence here on KZread. When I don't feel that good, I just watch one of your reading vlogs (and Calcifer being naughty).

emmie, putting aside all worlds horror's .. there is always your channel. pure comfort. thank you so very much for existing and sharing what you do with us. sending you so so so much love.

@sanremopress

Ай бұрын

yes, indeed...the channel that always gives...

@Handle947

15 күн бұрын

Oh she’s ESPECIALLY good at putting aside the world’s horrors. Not a single word for the genocide she’s witnessing in her lifetime.

For a future video I suggest ‘The Summer book’ by Tove Jansson for Finland ❤️there is so much more to her than the moomins. And for Ukraine ‘Death and the Penguin’ by Andrey Kurkov, it’s an all time favorite for me

So happy to be reading around the world with you!

From North Macedonia I’d like recommend Pirey by Petre M. Andreevski. Here is the blurb “Pirey is one of the most famous novels of modern Macedonian literature. Set during the Balkan Wars, the First World War and the years soon after, the story follows the major political shifts in the Balkans at the end of the Ottoman Empire and their catastrophic impact on a Macedonian village and a married couple, Ion and Velika. The book is famous for its depiction of life around the time of the division of Macedonia, its characterizations, and its use of language and historical setting. While Ion is in the army, Velika struggles as she watches her children and her village ravaged by war. In one famous scene, Ion, conscripted into the Serbian army, and his brother, conscripted into the Bulgarian army, come face-to-face one night on the battlefield. The author, Petre M. Andreevski, was a Macedonian poet, novelist and playwright who won numerous awards for his works, many of which have been translated into other languages. Pirey is his most acclaimed novel and was a best seller in Macedonia.”

that smooth and quick "hey what's up" is the coolest way I've ever seen someone do an intro

this is my comfort channel :)

I love how diverse your reading choices are. I have started reading 'Snow Country' by Yasunari Kawabata based on your recommendation from an earlier video. I hope you keep exploring more literature from underrated countries around the world. There are so many gems hidden in plain sight that deserve all the love and recognition. Happy reading!

@Tolstoy111

Ай бұрын

What do you mean by “underrated country”?

@aamnahere6250

Ай бұрын

@@Tolstoy111 Countries that deserve more representation. Countries that hardly ever get their literature, music and art discussed in the English speaking world or countries that have extremely negative connotations attached to them based on stereotypical mainstream news cycles. I know it because I myself am from one such country.

@Tolstoy111

Ай бұрын

@@aamnahere6250 representation where? The more culturally distant a country is, the less their culture will make inroads. There have to be dedicated scholars and translators pushing something. Even Central European stuff gets very little circulation in the Anglosphere.

Making jewellery here and just checked my phone! 🎉 Yay, it's always a good day when Emma posts. Thanks for all your uploads 💕

I think you would love the natural world of "When I sing, Mountains dance" by Irene Solà :)

In the middle of a hectic deadline week, this video came in as a sweet respite. Was looking forward to this one since the last upload of the series update. Hope you have a good day today 🫶🏼💛

I also gave Nervous Conditions a solid 4 as well - you’re right, it felt so natural, flowing, and so raw from the main character’s mind. Loved it!

If you have not picked up Irish books before I recommend My Left Foot by Christy Brown. It is a magnificent stream of consciousness on his life with cerebral palsy which is a muscular condition I have too. Here is a quote on page 97: “It may have been pure fancy, I don’t know but after I had got out of that water I felt as if I was reborn; it was like stepping out from a tomb into the light of day.” Christy died in 1981 but nonetheless his writing is great disability representation.

Something I remembered while watching the vlog: The Beautyful Ones was mentioned in The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi; Vivek loved the way 'Beautyful' was spelt. They said they loved how beauty did not have to be mutilated to make a new word. “I kept the book for the title, for how it was spelled. Beautyful. I had no idea why that spelling was chosen, but I liked it because it kept the beauty intact. It wasn’t swallowed, killed off with an i to make a whole new word. It was solid; it was still there, so much of it that it couldn’t fit into a new word, so much fullness. You got a better sense of exactly what was causing that fullness. Beauty. I wanted to be as whole as that word.”

From the Philippines I recommend But for the Lovers by Wilfrido Nolledo Gun Dealers' Daughter by Gina Apostol and of course Noli Me Tangere (the Augenbraum translation)

I finally got my copy of nervous conditions and tram 83 can't wait to read them ❤❤ Thanks a lot for your series and book club on this. It really opened me up to a lot of great books from many different cultures. As always much love to you and your channel ❤️ ♥️

Enjoying the book club alot, Emma. Nervous Conditions was really good, probably the best one so far!

Oh thank you for this video. I have been suffering almost 24/7 anxiety attacks and depression lately and your videos are such a safe space for me. Thank you so much for just being you. ❤ I can’t wait to pick up these reads, they sound incredible. And side note, I can’t believe how long your hair is again!! I love it long, but I also love it short 😊. I keep waiting for mine to grow out, as I get older it seems to grow slower.

Love this idea! 😊

I've been waiting for this one and love the world tour bookclub. Love you.❣️

I'm so early?? I love you emmie thank you for what you do!

this was so comforting and informative💗💗💖💖✨✨ thank you emmie for your reading vlogs 🖤🤍

Interesting books! Great job bringing them into the light. Thank you😊

If you haven’t yet read it: «Man’s Search for Meaning» by Viktor E. Frankl, from Austria 😍

That was one of your best vlog in my opinion, because it feels so good to see you enjoy your reads so much ! ☺️

Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro (Argentina!) is really good

loved this!! I know you've already read from brazil but honestly "An Apprenticeship or the Book of Pleasures" by Clarice Lispector is one of my favorite books of all time so I would definitely recommend!

Can't wait to read Nervous Conditions, but the three books are fantastic recommendations! Thanks, Emma! ❤️😊

Wow The Beautiful Ones sounds phenomenal

I suggest reading Algerian books. I recommend books of Albert Camus, Yasmina Khedra, Assia Djebar, Kateb Yacine.

These books sounds so intrigueing.

You should read Spring's of Ewan the Seagull by Vladan Desnica for Serbian- Croation countries. It's similar to Magic mountain by Tomas Man. I've read it in high school and it made big influence over me.

I know you’ve already read books from Brazil, but I recommend Agua Viva, by Clarice Lispector, it’s one of her best works, truly life-changing.

Would love to see another vlog like this featuring books and authors from the Caribbean. I'm sure there are some amazing gems in that region that need to be talked about more. 😊

I loved this video! I can't wait to thread these. Have you read King Leopold 's Ghost? It's nonfiction and about the colonization of the Congo. It also explores the role of geography and terrain in Congo.

congrats for 4k!

One suggestion...maybe you can read something from Serbia and Greece. Love you❣️

@julijajovanovic

Ай бұрын

i vote "death and the dervish" by mesa selimovic for serbia 😊

15:25 , I believe this is only about the british colonialism, since Morocco and Tunisia both got their independence in 1956 from the French (I don't know much the other countries since I only studied north Africa's history), so Ghana was obv not the first one to gain their independence in Africa 💕 all the love Emma!! 🥰

Loved this idea for a video! Maybe you could do around the world reading vlogs focusing in different regions. Like reading in one video books from the mediterranean region, or the nordic countries, or the south-east of Asia... I think that could be pretty cool

These are my favorite videos of yours 😊 thanks for your hard work as always 🙏🏻 Currently I'm reading the complete collection of the Brothers Grimm fairytales for Germany

@user-ie9ly9pl3t

Ай бұрын

My favourite fairytale by the Brothers Grimm is 'Hans Mein Igel' (Hans My Hedgehog). What's yours?

hi emmie :) have you got the chance to read any books by Vietnamese authors yet? I highly recommend On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, very beautiful, queer/immigrant story with poetic prose. I also recommend Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, a historical novel. would love to hear your thoughts on Vietnamese literature 🤍🤍🤍

Emma, please read Crooked Plow - Itamar Vieira Junior, from Brazil 🥺

I loved this idea for a video! I think for future reading around the world vlogs (please, do more), you could maybe focus on different regions each video, like the mediterranean, south-east asia, scandinavia...

Hi Emma, I don't know whether you've read a book from Germany yet for this challenge, but if you haven't: I can't recommend Inkheart by Cornelia Funke enough. It's my favourite book series of all time and I think you'd enjoy it too :D

Just reminds me how great a job translation is ❤

Hello, Emma. From Indonesia, I would suggest you to read The Question of Red instead of Beauty Is Wound. I think Beauty Is Wound would only be so good if you know this superstition belief or folks myth from Indonesia. While The Question of Red talks about more general thing such as 1000 Thousands of Solitude (I can't tell you the conflict but I believe it will worth it :)

I’m SAT with my LUNCH okayyy les go

Hi Emma, thanks again for such great recs. Loved what you read out of Tram 83. Oh, and have you listened to Taylor's new album? Did you like it?

Yayyyy ✨🥺

I would love an island/ Polynesian reading vlog

Yaaayyyyy🎉

I adore this video, Emma! You always have the best book recommendations! Let me give you my own recs from the Philippines: Banana Heart Summer by Merlinda Bobis is a novel very close to my heart as it is set in the same city where I was born. It's a coming-of-age story, whose main theme is also food, more specifically, the food native to city. The 70s (or Dekada 70) by Lualhati Bautista is another favourite of mine. It's set during the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines, and follows the perspective of a mother whose life takes a turn when her sons get involved in the turmoil happening in the country at that time. I hope you're having a great day! 💕

This is making me want to read more African lit 🙂 haven't read very much but most of what I have has always been deeply thought-provoking

The only african literature book I've read was "the joys of motherhood" by buchi emecheta and I really love it, it made me interested in picking up more african books

Congratulations on your new club! Tho perhaps at some future date you'll consider renaming it. Great to see you again.

@cdal1621

Ай бұрын

huh?

Love from India for you

❤

I am egyptian and stil waiting 😅

woawww I'm early

It's interesting how so many english speaking ppl are trying to read books from other countries, meanwhile I feel like i'm gonna try to read more polish books, cuz' i am a bit (a lot) discouraged by all these requiered reads that are just not up my alley, and the only polish books i've read other than for school is the witcher series and short stories accompanied by some other shortstories by Andrzej Sapkowski (and actually i can tell u that there's just something that i love so much abt Sapkowski's writing style but i can't really pinpoint what it is)

I'm reading The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun from Korea. I'm not finished yet, but it's going to be probably 4 star or greater! Not sure if you read it or not. I know you already read one for Japan, but if you have a chance check out a book titled I Am A Cat by Natsume. Written in 1905, it is told through the perspective of an unwanted kitten.

I read "The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born" a couple of years ago and I must admit I really struggled with this book - but perhaps I should give it a second chance. Right now I'm reading "The History of a Difficult Child" by Mihret Sibhat, it's set in Ethiopia in the 70s and 80s. If you want to read another great novel by an African author this year, pick this book!!!!!!

💞💞💞💞💞

Emma you should read mukiwa: a white boy in africa, its about Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and coming of age, i think you would like it

My favorite book written by an African author is Igifu by Scholastique Mukasonga. This is part of what I wrote about it after finishing it: The language is so simple and direct, which gives a powerful effect when the topics are hunger, displacement, fear, murder and genocide. This simple storytelling reveals the customs, the social norms, the societal disadvantages, the cultural pride of some Tutsis. And it highlights how the displacement and the poverty of their new situation can lead to the loss of self, of tradition, and how devastating that can be both to experience and to watch others experience. And it paints a painfully honest picture of what it's like to be safe and removed from your culture and your family and receive a letter which names 37 relatives, including your mother and father, as dead.

Pls pls I hope u try Philippine literature : ')) love you always, emma (you're my fave person)

I'm so happy to see african literature be appreciated and it's so hard to get recs on the Internet so thank you so much for this. (I'm kenyan)

As usual our cerebral and beautiful host brings us the best recks.

what are your thoughts about Netflix doing an adaptation of One hundred years of solitude??

@Jeroeny

Ай бұрын

Oh dear. A good story isn't really Netflix's strong point.

Can you please put a video out saying what the books on the pill are about before you put the pill up pleaseeeeeee

This is off topic, but have you seen the trailer for One Hundred Years of Solitude?

Oh my my and I thought I was the only one who loved book scents 🫢💞

Emma we NEED your thoughts on tortured poets dept 🖤🖤🤍🤍