Welcome.
I'm Sarah- I'm a rabid bibliophile, world traveler, used bookstore lover, and public library devotee. I love reading, talking about books, thinking about books and hearing about books.
I have an affiliated shelf at bookshop.org/shop/HARDCOVERHEARTS to make it easy to find the books that I discuss. Bookshop.org helps to support independent bookstores.
You can find me:
I'm @hardcoverhearts on Litsy and on Twitter.
I'm @hardcoverheartsblog on Instagram
(My blog is www.hardcoverhearts.com, but I am most active on the above platforms.)
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This was loverly - just catching up with everyone's videos. I love hearing you talk about meeting Ros 💜 so glad you had a great trip and got some great books 📚 💜
I wish I had more time to talk with everyone, including you. But even with the brief time, it’s been one of the highlights of my year so far.
@HardcoverHearts I love that it worked perfectly to tie in with your trip. It was lovely to meet you and am glad we got to chat. You'll have to time another business trip for the next one! 💜📚
I’ve been hearing a lot about Sociopath so I was very glad to get your take on the book.
I’m sure it will make the BookTube Prize next year, but I will be curious to see how far it gets.
Such a pity you did not like Undiscovered. I think it was quite interesting, even if it is quite messy I would say.
I wanted to desperately. 😂 I guess the saying that not every book is for every person is true. Thematically, it should have worked because I love all those topics.
@@HardcoverHearts yes, and sometimes it just happens, we just have to move on and find the next book that we might fall in love
Gostei do seu entusiasmo e empolgação ao comentar este livro. Vou ver se há tradução em português e pretendo comprà-lo. Obrigado.
" Descobri" Proust aos 30, estou com 62, na sexta releitura da Recherche, sempre com descobertas e com mais prazer. Alguém pode pensar que passei todos esses anos lendo só Proust; mas não é o caso. Também gosto de Homero, Virgílio, Dante, Goethe, Shakespeare, Joyce etc. Mas me considero acima de tudo um proustiano.
How wonderful to have had Proust with you for so many years! I’m looking forward to rereading it in a few years.
Wow, the Enrique sounds…crazy and I need now to try it out!
I would love to hear what you make of it, Renee!
currently reading undiscovered so i'll be back to hear your thoughts on it as soon as i finish...
Loved You Dreamed of Empires. Agree the audio was good.
🙌🏻 Indeed it was!
“Really, really dedicated, hardcore readers.” 👩🏻🤝👨🏼💪🏻
I tried twice to read "You Dreamed of Empires" and could not get into it. I really enjoyed listening to your take on it. It felt all over the place.
I wonder if the audiobook would work better for you? Yes- it’s all over the place, indeed. Luckily, it worked for me this time.
Wonderful breakdown of what to know about what to know what you’re getting into with Proust! I just finished Vol 2 (had about a year between 1 & 2) and am torn on his style and approach. Essentially I agree with the reasons why those who like him do, and likewise agree with the criticisms. I’m squarely on the fence! But it’s good to know that the rest gets better… thanks for sharing your thoughts, insights and advice! Nicely said! 🤘
Best of luck in continuing. I am glad this was helpful
It was so lovely to meet you and so glad you could be there for the bookshop crawl while on your visit! The black unicorn is one of my favourite poetry collections of all time :)
I really enjoy your book reviews but can I make a suggestion about the titles of the videos? Every time I try to find your review of a book I read, i struggle 😅. Each video is titled as the dates of your reading while perhaps put some keysword of the author or the book titles to the video titles would be easier for people to find your channel😊
Hi there. I have considered that but there are many reasons why that won’t work for my channel, unfortunately. But I do use keywords to help people who are looking for reviews on an author or book to find specific videos.
@@HardcoverHearts Thank you for reminding me about the keywords! Ive just realized that and they help a lot!
You are fabulous! You articulate your thoughts so well, and your niche interests make your a channel a blockbuster for me! Thank you for your weekly uploads, always look forward to them!
Thank you so much for saying so!
I really want to get to All That She Carried soon. Oh Jaded sounds really interesting. Thank you for talking about it. Brotherless Night is my favourite. You are doing great with your WP books 😊 Great weekly reads as always ❤
Oh, thank you! I am looking forward to some uninterrupted time with Brotherless Night this weekend. So far it’s been fascinating!
Superb video! I'm 80% through first volume and enjoying it so. Definitely want to read 7 volumes. Thank you for your enrichment. As I read I hear music--Brahms kzread.info/dash/bejne/l6mOxbekpZy-mag.html and Tristan & Isolde by Wagner. It'll be great if other masterpieces play themselves during the read.
I am so glad this was a helpful video. And I love how you hear these works in the series. That’s just brilliant!
You got me more interested in Dolly Maunder. I have heard some more negative views. I just finished A Flat Place from the nonfiction list which was fascinating. I hope to get to more off the list and All That She Carried and How To Say Babylon sound like priorities although I just picked up an e-book of Wifedom.
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Wifedom. I can see how people wouldn’t get on with Dolly - she is a hard character to root for. I have A Flat Place from my library on Kindle, now I just have to find the time to get to it!
I have heard very good things about thunderclap and even though it is not something overly drawn to, it is set in Delft, where I work and I have lived; and I have seen the picture of the goldfinch in the museum in The Hague... I don't know, I hope my library gets an English copy at some point
Given all that context that you have, you may enjoy it!
The Non Fiction long list is filled with gems. Wifedom by Anna Finder might be worth adding to your list. Surprised it did not get shortlisted. It’s wonderful.
I did read that one and am still raging at Orwell months after finishing it. Great recommendation!
Ok, so I’ll definitely need to dig into that non fiction list!
Absolutely, Elizabeth!
Right in the last minute of your video you made me so curious about How to say Babylon!
This first Women’s Prize Nonfiction short list is phenomenal. They really knocked it out of the park.
@@HardcoverHearts Oh! I didn’t realize it’s non-fiction! 😬
I agree that "All That She Carried" is a strong contender. "The Rose Code" was a lot of fun. I also listened to it. Anything to do with WWII spies and thrillers, I am game. 😃
You have excellent taste, Jorge! 😀
I start Thunderclap soon. I'm reading another of the shortlist currently A Flat Place. These memoir plus books are so popular now I wonder if publishers are encouraging authors to increase the personal element.
I think you are onto something here! Maybe it’s not publishers but writers who don’t think they have enough material or are strong enough on the research required to write only a nonfiction book? I’m going to start calling them memoir plus 😂- trademark goes to you on that one!
I read Thunderclap and feel the same about the parts about her father. They didn't need to be there, in fact, they took me away from what was most interesting about the story and I wanted more of that. Very interesting nonetheless.
A bit of a case of not enough of one, too much of the other, right?
OMG, you are going to be in Amsterdam??! I would love to meet you if you are up for it :)
Paula- I would love to see you! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Are you on Voxer so we can chat?
When I read what Great Expectations was about it didn't grab me. It all sounded vague to me. Glad I didn't try to get it. Autofiction bugs me. A Love Story, Whew! Ana and I hope to do a live discussion talking about our experience reading Zola and what we thought of the books.
Didi- I am eagerly anticipating your live Zola discussion!
Sneaking my way into a comment section for the first time in ages. 👋 Thunderclap intrigues me. I keep trying to become someone who likes to read about art, though not sure I’m quite there yet. I only just realised the non fiction version of the Woman’s Price exists, and plan to have a better look at the list. And this also made me want to pick up the Lucia Berlin, which has been sitting unread on my shelves for ages.
Hi!!! 😃 it’s lovely to hear from you. Yes, please check out the prize. The Nonfiction is new this year, and so far it’s been marvelous. Thunderclap may be a good one for you, as well as All That She Carried, I suspect. And I would love to hear what you think of the Lucia Berlin stories.
Loved listening to you talk about Fire Rush as it brought back my feelings when I read it. You sold Prima Facie to me.
I need more like Fire Rush. Please let me know if you come across any like that!
Love your hair! Thunderclap sounds interesting! Siân
🥰 Thank you. I would love to hear your thoughts on Thunderclap, Siân.
I am very much enjoying Thunderclap. I'm about halfway through.
Oh I’m so glad to hear that!
I have to say I’m really enjoying not feeling the pressure of reading galleys. I’ve had Great Expectations on my radar and I think I’d like to give it a try. ❤
Who needs the pressure?! lol. It was a brilliant idea.
I have Thunderclap waiting for me at the library. I’m intrigued!
I look forward to your thoughts!
My copy of Thunderclap arrives today. Can't wait to read it, along with many others on the list!
I hope the pictures are vibrant and perfect!
I gave up on reading the Maigret novels in order after about the 4th of me.
Oh, interesting! What made you stop with the series?
@@HardcoverHearts I’m still reading the series, I just gave up trying to read them in order because I buy them from an indie bookstore and they do t always have all the titles.
@@BookishTexan Ah! That makes sense. And there are so many of them. Something like 75. Given that I am caught up on so many of my series, that long runway delights me. 😂
Brandon Taylor’s essay in The London Review of Books is brilliant! Nous continuons lire Les Rougon Macquart! 🇫🇷
Brilliant.
read/listened to Thunderclap as you did. My BookTube prize reading group this time had 5 great books out of 6. It was so hard to pick the top three but the number 1 was a slam dunk. what a wonderful book this is and I had known little about the Dutch Masters.
That’s an amazing luck to have that successful a grouping in the prize reading!
Sarah, I’m so glad you enjoyed Priam Facie. I read the physical form and loved it! I’ve got Thunderclap on hold t the library. 👏👏👏
It was fantastic! And I want to peek into Thunderclap to see if I “need” to own a copy…
I really like the sound of Prima Facie, will have a look to see if I have access to the audio. I was somehow reminded of Sigrid Undset's short stories when you talked about Lucia Berlin's writing. It was probably ten years or so since I read them but what I loved was their depiction of women's lives in their ordinariness (though the stories were written in the early 20th century I think). Curious to hear your thoughts on Laura Cumming's new title as I read her previous book a while back and enjoyed her fluid weaving of various threads of thought with memoir.
Thank you, Natalie. I’ve only thought of Sigrid Undset’s series-Kristen Lavransdatter which I loved! I will look that up.
Oh, you are visiting Amsterdam. :) Have you ever visited before? Let me know if you need any tips from a local
I’ve been once before but always love some recommendations!
My favourites in Dubliners are A Painful Case The Dead Look for the film adaptation of The Dead . Best books read in March Fayne by AnnMarie MacDonald Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth Stone Yard Devotional by Charolette Wood Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad Solider Sailor by Claire Kilroy All on audio. The voice actors/ narrators were wonderful. All 5 stars for me. ☘️👋🍀🇮🇪📖📚📕☕️💐
The story The Dead was incredible!
I love that cover of Fire rush too and obviously the book is great as well. Lovely to hear about your recent reads. I really enjoyed Thunderclap so I hope you do too.
It is always so satisfying when a cover lives up to its promise, right?
The joy you displayed when talking about the meetup was contagious! All of it (including the museum) sounded wonderful. I'm with you on the curry, I can't ever pass one up in a new place 🙂
Oh thank you for saying that! It was a dream of a day.
Prima Facie is a book woman have been waiting for, forever. I wish I could have seen Jodie Comer play it: National Theatre has filmed it and I'm hoping to come across it. I hear that some law firms have encouraged / insisted their staff see the play, so fabulous but I don't know what or when any change will happen.
That’s incredible news that law firms are including it in their training. I can see how important it could be.
A Manual for Cleaning Women was 4.5* for me.
I can’t remember if you give 5 stars often? I’m assuming this means you really liked it, too. 😉
@@HardcoverHearts I give fewer and fewer books 5*, especially SS collections. That would require every story to be 4-5*.
Your Prima Facie narrator also played the part at The National Theatre, Jodie Comer actor extrodinaire.
That must have been fantastic. You could hear her embodying the part on the narration. Did you see it, Judy?
@@HardcoverHearts I wish! I think it might be available on NT at home now though.
Sadly, I must have dreamed that.
I loved Prima Facie, also! So many wonderful books, Sarah. Thank you!
I’m glad you also enjoyed it! Thank you.
I think you’ll love Hangover Square 😊
I’m quite excited after you and Ros have praised it.
The Assommoir was sublimely written! I love that you started to read short stories somewhere last year. They can be so powerful. Like the one I read a few days ago, by Elizabeth Bowen. That one and one from Alice Adams which I read many years ago made such an impression that I won’t ever forget them.
I’m just so happy we have all these memories from the Rougon Macquart series from reading it together. And I’m currently prepping the next Author Spotlight series for Elizabeth Bowen…
@@HardcoverHearts Bowen’s story is titled The Queer Heart. Of course I went for that one straight away 🤣
I saw the play Prima Facie. It was incredible.
I can only imagine! Who played the lead?
@@HardcoverHearts Jody Comer