I love how the first two authors managed to make d*ck jokes that are actually funny and not 12-year-old boy humor.

"Is This Your Penis?" sounds like the title to a kid's book in some alternate universe where it's considered normal to teach your kid the names of their body parts instead of giving them euphemistic names and teaching them that those parts are something to be ashamed of.

Romcoms (or books being pushed as romcoms) are absolutely a thing in publishing. In fact, every book with that cartoony cover is meant to convey “romcom,” but it’s a toss-up as to whether it actually does, and it’s not the publisher cashing in on a trend. Cat Sebastian is just one of the small handful of authors who does this successfully.

“And also Taxidermy.” 👀

I'm so glad you like The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes! Cat Sebastian is one of my favorites, and many of her books strike the same balance very well. Another historical romance author you may enjoy if you liked Cat Sebastian's style (though I wouldn't call her books romcoms) is KJ Charles.

i thought you said tax evasion instead of taxidermy and i laughed omg

I really like Jenny Lawson's Furiously Happy! The bits about depression were really relatable and I remember listening in the gym and I was cracking up in the treadmill! Neurodivergent people highlighting our struggles in a comical way that makes it relatable and funny is awesome. That feeling that not only you are not alone but that this thing is something that you are aloud to laugh and laugh together - it is truly special to me ♥ I got Broken on audiobook too but never finished (I just wasn't in the mood at that time).

“An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good” is so good!! I have it to my grandmother and she started a book club with it. My copy had been passed around to all these grannies who have a hoot with the book.

You sold me on Marian Hayes so fast. A romcom with character depth that handles difficult topics in a good way? Banter couple? Not just *good* sex scenes, but GREAT sex scenes? He likes to be topped? They like cats??? Ma'am, please, I'm vibrating out of my gourd trying to type this into my TBR! As an aside, I love romcoms but just like with movies, probably 80% of what's out there just misses the mark.

Writing humor is hard bc you have to already be funny, and you have to know what can make people who you'll never see laugh. This being said something I will never tire of is characters interacting with animals they never see before. In the current case two of my main characters have never seen a dog before. They will get to meet puppies which is going to be a VERY sweet moment.

I've read the book that comes before Marian Hayes, but I never read this one because I don't read m/f romance.

OMG I saw Cat Sebastian's book on the thumbnail and I was like... I Love her books, I hope it isn't terrible 😬 I'm so happy you've enyojed! ❤

Ahh I adore Cat Sebastian! So glad to see you talk about her writing! Is a great jumping off point for people who want to get more into reading romance, or queer romance.

A while back I read The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (which Marian Hayes is the sequel to) and I did quite enjoy it but I wasn't that interested in the sequel, but I'll definitely pick it up from your recommendation! (Also I do suggest reading Kit Webb)

Ohhh adding An Elderly Lady, Perfect Crimes, and Huda to the want to read list immediately!

Glad you liked it, Cat Sebastian is one of my favourite romance authors! Two of my favourite laugh out loud romcoms are the Mead Mishaps books by Kimberly Lemming, and Chef's Choice by T. J. Alexander. Plus the audiobook narrators for both are incredible!

I liked this one solely for how the spice scenes were done. I like fmc that are more dominant than the mmc

Omg Huda was one of my good friends in high school! I love her and it's so crazy to see her mentioned from someone I follow. Love you and her ❤

I love Cat Sebastian, I have never not liked a book of hers. I haven't read The Perfect Crimes of Marisn Hayes yet, but several of her books are amongst my favorites. The Lawrence Browne Affair is my favorite of hers - it has a mysterious lord holed up in his Cornish castle terrifying the locals, but really he's a scientist with an anxiety disorder.

Ngl when you said taxidermy I fully thought you were gonna say tax evasion

I picked up Marian Hayes off this review and it fully had me from chapter 1.

I listen to Jenny Lawsons audiobooks every year. I even went to her bookstore when I had to be in Texas. Please read Furiously Happy if you haven’t yet.

“and taxidermy” absolutely SENT ME. fantastic video, fantastic funny/unfunny list, will be back to watch this one again soon :)

"She verbally punched him in the face!" 🤣🤣🤣 I'm going to start using that now

"An elderly lady is up to no good" sounds hilarious and i must get a copy for myself 😂 Marian Hayes also sounds very funny also

Oooh all of them gonna get on my tbr 💞

I haven't seen it come up in videos so I hope this is new but if you like verbal sparring through letters, sapphic romance, and time travel I really think you'd love This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

We gotta go to disney together again 👀 maybe as a double date this time? 👀👀 anywho i love huda! And I’ve read one (1) cat sebastian book and it was alright i didn’t mind it. I think their writing definitely lends itself well to humor so maybe I’ll check that one 👀

Omg I am here so early! I loved the goodreads challenge that you all did, I watched all of the videos and found so many new creators. Agree. Taxidermy is NOT funny.

Amber Ruffin's book is fantastic! It's called "You'll never believe what happened to Lacey", it's written by Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey Lamar, it mostly talks about racism and ranges from absolutely hilarious to horrifying.

I was listening to your video during chores and absolutely fell in love with the premise of the perfect crimes of marian hayes and pretty much ran straight to audible to buy it cause I still have some credits) and Omg I listened to it all day yesterday and am nearly finished! Its an incredibly delightfuo listen and I'll be buying a physical copy as well because I enjoyed it so much!!

(I meant to write this on this account. My bad) now THIS I enjoy hearing about what's funny and what's not funny. Spot on!

I am excited to check out Marian Hayes. I mentioned it some length of time ago on a previous vid of yours, but I'm always looking for romance books since my experiences with that genre is almost nonexistent. Thank you for reading it and highlighting it, Rachel. You're the best.

I just read TPCOMH based on your recommendation and I just loved the dynamic between the two leads. Thanks for reviewing it - it was delightful

There's a second Maud collection. It's also worth checking out but none top the first kill.

I adore Cat Sebastian! One of the only authors I’ll buy a book from before reading it first

Well, I may have figured out what to give three readers who are on my Christmas list. Thank you, Rachel! Your laugh and smile are great.

Loved your excitement for books, and also your explanation about book so flowless and understandable to non native English likes me. I was so lucky found out your booktuber channel.

Yes, I want more books exactly like Marian Hayes!

The funniest books I’ve read in 2023 are the BAD BOYS series by Aaron Blabey. I read them with my nephews and we howl with laughter.

Regarding the Elderly Lady, a giant peen is hard to top so I’m not surprised the first story is the funniest 😂 Also I love love Longshot

The second you said he likes to be topped i had to have the book

I have never read The perfect crimes of Marian Hayes but the way you described it reminds me of india holton's Dangerous damsels series. I have only read two of them but I was laughing almost every page. One of them the mfc I think is supposed to be neurodivergent but I don't wanna armchair diagnose and I really like how she was written and how the mmc treated treated her. edit: I see someone else recommended The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels which is part of this series, I also read The Secret Service of Tea and Treason which is also very good

after reading That seriest by Cat sebastian. I know where the plot is! It takes place over the same timeline as the first in the series and so i think relies a bit on the reader having read the previous book to contextualize the plot of the second book. They are both really cute though and I love them.

Xmas gifts aquired, hell yeah, thank you!

For queer comedy, I have a few recommendations that I love with all my heart: - Devil Venerable Also Wants To Know Imagine a fan favourite secondary love interest for a reverse harem novel where the MC keeps returning to the shitty main love interest. And then he gets hit in the head with a copy of said novel. That's our protagonist & he goes on a journey first to meet the novel's main character & then to ship her with one of her other possible love interests because the guy she ends up in original novel absolutely sucks. - Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating Main character's cousin was bullied out of an online game because a popular player online dated both her & another girl at the same time. MC decided to get revenge for her by catfishing the other guy. The same author also wrote I Can Do It which is imo funnier, but it focuses on pro lol players so there's more technical terms used. - They All Say I’ve Met a Ghost Prime example of horror comedy. MC accidentally takes a teaching job that's a front for ghost exorcism payment so he ends up teaching a bunch of ghosts about morals and how to be a good person.

Tbh I read a lot of dark/heavy stuff this year, but I did read Good Omens and A House with Good Bones, which were both quite funny. (The latter is also very very spooky.)

The perfect crimes sounds so refreshing adding to TBR ❤

8:20 That’s how Alex murdered that woman in clockwork orange!

I feel like you might enjoy Meaty by Samantha Irby (or any of her stuff) because she gets introspective but also caused me to laugh out loud in public. She’s very upfront about her GI issues in a way that is somehow thoughtful, funny, and self-deprecating in a Jenny Lawson way.

I feel like that, under the right context, taxidermy could be funny... lol

Ok. I had to pause the video because what did you say??? Our plot-girly doesn't remember the plot?! YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE FOR THE PLOT ANYMORE!? What is happening?!?!?????

Cat Sebastian has an incredible talent in writing characters who are dealing with trauma and/or chronic illness in a way that doesn’t feel heavy. Lighthearted is the wrong word, because she’s not belittling any of these issues, but she approaches them with such hopefulness and empathy, while adding in sarcastic and downright funny moments. It’s a great dichotomy. My favorite book by her (A Gentleman Never Keeps Score) has a protagonist who is an SA survivor, which has led to hesitancy with physical intimacy, and it’s handled so delicately. His story focuses less on the “what was” and more of the “what is” and “what could be” and I just found it really touching. Her books got me into LGBTQ+ historical romance, and KJ Charles follows a similar trend.

Thank you.

I'm not done watching yet but I just had to stop to request that romcom from the library. I'm shoving it at my mom while I finish the stuff I'm working through, then I'll read it when she's done.

i read huda fahmy's books because of you and agree that they're all hits. heartfelt and laugh out loud funny.

The sequel to Marian Hayes - the queer principles of kit webb - is somehow even better. Definitely recommend!

I am so glad you liked Marian Hayes. You had me worried from the thumbnail! Historical romance isn't something I'm really into but I looooooved Marian and Rob and I loved that they're both bi. It was so good.

Taxiderned squirrells are like pratfalls, they're only funny in film/video because in concept they aren't funny at all so is the visual element what can make them amusing

obligatory old movie rec: if you like the idea of a comedy based around a sweet old murderous lady, watch Arsenic and Old Lace with Cary Grant!

We will just have to agree to disagree about taxidermy, lol.

cat sebastian is an icon, so glad you liked marian hayes!

Ok i really want to read an elderly lady is up to no good now. 😂

The taxidermy comment 😂😂😂💀💀💀

Well damn, this thumbnail really primed me wrong for the Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes.

you should try mcmaster's guide to murder! its a lot like an elderly lady is up to no good in the sense that it's a lot of outlandish things based on the main characters going to a murder school to learn to kill their enemies properly (it actually starts with one of the MCs *failing* to kill his boss and getting hilariously busted)

I have only read one book by cat sebastian i haven't heard about this one 🤔

I went to Libby and had Marian Hayes checked out literally before the end of this video

I think you're pretty funny

"You look like a pumpkin, Bitch!" from No Strings Attached is one of my favourite lines from a romcom to this day.

I just put Marian Hayes on my B&N Wish List.

I also recently read An Elderly Lady is Up To No Good and had such a fun time. There's a second one and I definitely plan on reading it eventually.

Hello! Resident of clay county here! Can confirm, it is ass! Thanks for the tip on new banned books to read :D

Woah the Marion Hayes book is 9 hours long! I can't wait to jump in.

Cat Sebastian is such a fun author! I've mostly read her series Seducing the Sedgewicks, but I might pick up The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes from your recommendation.

I just started reading a (different) book by Cat Sebastian the other day! It's pretty fun, and the romance is good, so I'm considering picking up some others, but as a historical fiction fan I do feel like that part was lacking in like... the tone? That may just be a side effect of the writer's style of comedy, I wonder if anyone who's read other books by her felt similarly?

One book that was VERY funny and VERY surprising for me was A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. Bill brysons observations about the wilderness and the people he found when he was hiking the appalachian trail???? I was laughing out loud. I also feel like you'd be very interested in the books info on national parks in America and the general decline of the environment in America. Brysons so charming but the chapters about the history of the national parks and how mankind has hurt so many native American plant & animal species like moose and white pines are heartbreaking. It's so engaging especially because of how obvious Bryson's compassion for the environment and frustration with the ppl who destroy it for personal gain are. One major symbol in the book is the grizzly bear for how irrationally afraid humans can be of nature, despite being the sole cause of its massive destruction. So interesting. I found that on sparknotes tho. I analyzed the book for an English class, but I did not catch that shit on my own lol

I read Kitt Webb and I really liked it. Although I feel now about the word Pucker that others do about Moist (If you've read it....ifykyk) I wasn't sure I wanted to read the sequel bcoz I disliked both of the characters from reading the first book. but maybe ill give it go. If Rachel likes it I trust it!

CAT SEBASTIAN SUPREMACY!!!!!! Read also KJ Charles, she's also SO SO good!!

A book I've read this year(mostly, still need to get back to finishing it. Not the book's fault, ive just got adhd n a severe difficulty these days concentrating on books) that I didn't expect to to quite as laugh out loud funny as it turned out to be, was So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens. Its a ya speculative fiction fantasy romcom, where the setting and characters are very dnd-esque adventuring party with a importantmission, but specifically staring right as they finish the final blow of defeating the Big Bad that had taken over the kingdom, and the story itself is more about the consequences and a romcom of unfortunate events where the characters grow to know more about each other as the one who has to find a spouse in time to be coronated or die commits to shenanigans trying to seduce various members of the party, whilst really being dreadfully in love with his best friend. The main character is also bi and theres many flavors of queer in the party as well, its all quite fun, and very much the kind of fun easy fantasy nonsense id love to see more in fiction. I've found myself bursting out laughing, snorting, and giggling up a storm while reading it, so I'd say its definitely worthwhile!

a similar book to an elderly lady is up to no good is the little old lady who broke all the rules, it has a better name in swedish, "kaffe med rån" which is basically a pun "coffee with robbery" cause rån is the word for robbery but also is a type of biscuit kinda.

So, I went straight to kindle (I live way too far away from any bookstores, I know, I know) and got the Helene Tursten book. I feel like I'm gonna like Maude.

Have you ever read Samantha Irby? (Sorry if I’ve missed it if you have.) She is so funny!! I still need to read her other books but I listened to the audiobook of Wow No Thank You and I literally cry laughed. She discusses aging, chronic illness, and living in rural Michigan as a queer black woman among many other things. Her books are essay based so kinda similar to Jenny Lawson. 😊

THANK YOU for the Marian Hayes rec. Your review made me add to cart immediately, and How did I love this book, let me count the ways 😍 So much fun, such deliciously sexy tension, and so tender and heart bursting?! Checked so many more boxes than I even expected, especially with her sexual boundaries and his delight in honoring her. Can't wait to now go back and read Kit & Percy's story and then re-read this 😄

I read the first book before Marian Reyes (got it as a “blind date with a book”) but didn’t continue, can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this one I also read that Jenny Lawson book recently & I also didn’t find it very funny until her adult years

I read The Fire Dance by Helene Tursten, it was a 3.5 not bad but a pretty generic mytery.

_An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good_ sounds fun. It reminds me of one night I was smoking weed with some friends and we saw an old lady walk from across the street with a big garbage bag, trow it on a park's trash can, and go back to somewere to pick another giant bag and trow it in the same trash again and again 4 times. We never spoke to the old lady but we where completely fascinated by her, wondering if her 4 A.M. cleaning bender was result of ADHD, or if we just witnessed somebody getting ridden of a corpse... old ladies are awesome, is my point

I feel like the cover of Marian Hayes does it a deservice. I wouldn't pick up this up based on the cover, but this review makes me interested.

Omg you need to read the companion book The Queer Pronciples of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian. It has more of the plot that you didn’t pay attention to in the sequel. It’s a curmudgeonly injured former horse/road thief turned coffee shop owner and the foppish about to loose his money rich boy brother of Marion. They get closer after Kit reluctantly agrees to train Percy in how to fight and be a thief. And it’s so gay and spicy and amazing! I really want to read the second book now too after your review.

The Marian Hayes book was cool in how Marian was characterised imo, it was a nice departure from the standard. I did not catch the Rob and Marian thing 😂 If you want to try more fantasy comedy, The Parasole Protectorate is a funny series.

is the entire book 'The Perct Crimes of Marian Hayes' in letter form?

I dunno, Taxidermy can be pretty funnt

Do you have a side shave? Goddamnit. Every time I grow my side shave out, I see someone else with one and it makes me want it back 🙃

Barely 2 minutes in but I have to ask...an author thought taxidermy would be funny?! Geez, people are weird!

I haven't read any of Jenny Lawson's books yet but I used to read her blog all the time. Why was a college student so interested in the darkly humorous blog of a middle-aged mom? Couldn't tell ya, but I was! I can see how the taxidermy thing would be weird if you didn't get the running weird taxidermy content from the blog. Anyway I follow her on instagram now

Tiffany Haddish IS NOT funny under any circumstances.

sry but where is ur hoodie from i love it so much????

if you want funny books, i HIGHLY recommend bill bryson. he's had me laughing to tears multiple times

❤❤❤

Lol im so early XD